Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/195

 Then appeared  there  Christ's  Angel,  and  raised  the  youth,

and he  immediately  ran  out,  when  he  was  requickened,

crying everywhere,  and  saying  thus,

'There is  One  God  in  Heaven  and  likewise  on  earth,

He  who    is    the    God    of    the    Christians,    and    your    gods    are naught;

they can  neither  profit  themselves  nor  help  others.'

Then the  idolaters  were  sorely  troubled,

and cried  clamorously  against  the  believing  maiden,

'Away, away  quickly  with  the  cruel  witch,

her who  thus  by  her  witchcraft  perverts  men's  minds.'

Then the  Prefect  durst  do  nothing  against  the  heathen,

but left  his  deputy  to  stem  the  tumult,

and himself  went  away  sorrowful  in  mind,

because he  could  not  save  the  maiden

from the  idolators,  after  the  raising  of  his  son.

"Well, then,  Aspasius,  the  deputy- Prefect,

could not  oppose  the  blood-thirsty  people,

but bade  men  kindle,  for  this  great  dishonour  (of  the  gods),

a very  great  fire,  and  bade  them  shove  her  into  the  midst.

Then was  it  so  done,  as  the  cruel  man  commanded,

but the  flame  instantly  divided  itself  into  two  parts,

and burned  up  those  who  had  made  the  tumult;

and the  blessed  Agnes  stood  unharmed  in  the  midst  of  the  fire,

with outstretched  hands,  thus  praying,

' Oh! Thou Almighty  God,  who  alone  art  to  be  adored,

Terrible Creator,  who  art  truly  to  be  worshipped.

Father of  my  Lord,  I  bless  Thee,

for that  I  have  escaped,  through  Tliy  gracious  Son,

the threatenings  of  the  wicked,  and  also  the  filth  of  the  devil.

Behold, now  I  am  besprinkled  with  divine  dew,

this flame  is  divided,  and  the  unbelievers  are  consumed.

I bless  Thee,  Father,  who  art  to  be  proclaimed  God,

that I  may  pass  unfearful  through  the  fire  to  Thee.

That which  I  have  believed,  that  I  see ;

that which  I  have  hoped  for,  that  I  now  have;