Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/191

 whereof men  construct  fair  vessels,

or they  are  of  stone,  whereof  men  make  streets.

God's dwelling  is  not  in  the  gray  stones,

nor in  brazen  lumps,  but  He  dwelleth  in  Heaven.

Thee verily,  and  such  as  are  like  thee,

shall terrible  hell,  with  its  greedy  fire,  seize,

wherein ye  shall  be  blasted,  and  yet  cannot  be  consumed,

but shall  ever  be  renewed  in  the  everlasting  burning.'

Then the  infuriated  judge  bade  men  take  off  her  garments,

and lead  her,  thus  naked,  to  the  harlot's  house;

and commanded  them  to  cry  throughout  the  streets,  and  make this  known.

Lo then! God's power  was  mightily  manifested,

so that  the  maiden's  hair  covered  her  all  about

as soon  as  the  executioners  tore  off  her  clothes;

and the  hair  covered  her  alike  on  every  side.

Then they  dragged  the  maiden  to  the  harlots'  house;

but she  at  once  found  there  a  shining  angel  of  God,

so that  no  man,  because  of  that  great  light,

could either  look  upon  or  touch  her,

for the  house  all  shone  as  the  sun  in  the  day-time;

and  the   more    closely  they  looked  at  her,   the  more  their  eyes

were dazzled.

Then Agnes  prostrated  herself,  praying  to  the  Almighty,

and God  thereupon  sent  her  a  shining  tunic.

Then she  thanked  Christ,  and  donned  the  clothing,

which fitted  her  size  very  exactly,

brightly shining,  so  that  men  might  see

that God  had  sent  her  the  shining  clothing.

So became  that  house  of  harlots  a  house  of  prayer  for  men,

and each  one  who  entered  gave  glory  to  God

for the  heavenly  light  which  shone  in  that  house.

Then came  the  Prefect's  son  to  the  shining  place

with his  shameful  companions,  desiring  to  dishonour  the  virgin of  God,

and straightway  sent  in  before  him  some  of  them  to  her;