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GILDAS
On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain
page 36
cast away the law of our Lord of hosts, and despised the speech of the holy one of Israel. In all these the fury of our Lord is not turned away, but as yet his hand is stretched out."
§ 44. And further on, speaking of the day of judgment and the unspeakable fears of sinners, he says, " Howl ye, because the day of our Lord is near at hand (if so near at that time, what shall it now be thought to be ?) for destruction shall proceed from God. For this shall all hands be dissolved, and every man's heart shall wither away, and be bruised ; tortures and dolours shall hold them, as a woman in labour so shall they be grieved, every man shall at his neighbour stand astonished, burned faces shall be their countenances. Behold, the day of our Lord shall come, fierce and full of indignation, and of wrath, and fury, to turn the earth into a desert, and break her sinners in small pieces from off her; because the stars of heaven and the brightness of them, shall not unfold their light, the sun in his rising shall be covered over with darkness, and the moon shall not shine in her season ; and I will visit upon the evils of the world, and against the wicked, their own iniquity, and I will make the pride of the unfaithful to cease, and the arrogancy of the strong, I will bring low." And again, " Behold our Lord will disperse the earth, and he will strip her naked, and afflict her face, and scatter her inhabitants ; and as the people, so shall be the priest ; and as the slave, so shall be his lord ; as the handmaid, so shall be her lady ; as the purchaser, so shall be the seller ; as the usurer, so shall be he that borroweth ; as he who demandeth, so shall he be that oweth. With dispersing shall the earth be scattered, and with sacking shall she be spoiled. For our Lord hath spoken this word. The earth hath bewailed, and hath flitted away ; the world hath run to nothing, she is weakened by her inhabitants, because they have transgressed laws, changed right, brought to ruin the eternal truce. For this shall malediction devour the earth."
§ 45. And afterwards, " They shall lament all of them who now in heart rejoice, the delight of the timbrels hath ceased, the sound of the gladsome shall be silent, the sweetness of the harp shall be hushed, they shall not with singing drink their wine, bitter shall be the potion to the
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