Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/197

 Thee I  confess  with  my  mouth  and  heart,

and with  all  inward  affection  Thee  I  desire,

One true  God,  who  reignest  with  Thy  Son

and with  the  Holy  Ghost,  ever  One  Almighty  God.'

Then the  fire  became  quenched,  so  that  not  one  coal  glowed  there,

and the  people  attributed  it  to  witchcraft,

roaring with  loud  clamour,  and  fierce  against  [her]  life.

Then Aspasius  could  not  withstand  the  great  tumult,

but bade  kill  her  with  death-bearing  sword,

and Christ  then  received  her,  martyred  for  His  Name.

Her father  and  her  mother,  with  great  joy,

took her  body,  and  brought  it  to  their  own  house,

and buried  her  there  without  sorrowing,

and there  often  watched,  venerating  the  place.

Then on  a  certain  night  they  saw  come

a great  company  of  virgins,  and  Agnes  in  the  midst;

they were  all  clothed  with  golden  garments,

and advanced  gloriously  with  exceeding  light.

Then said  the  holy  Agnes  to  her  parents  thus,

'Beware that  ye  weep  not  for  me  as  if  dead,

but rejoice  with  me,  I  am  a  companion  of  these  virgins,

and I  have  received  with  them  very  fair  habitations,

and I  am  associated  to  Him  in  Heaven,  whom  I  loved  here  on earth.'

After these  words  she  departed  with  the  virgins.

Then was  this  vision  widely  spread  abroad.

Then it  befell,  after  a  little  time,

in the  Emperor's  days,  who  was  called  Constantine,

that some  men  told  the  vision  to  his  daughter,

called Constantia,  who  as  yet  was  a  heathen;

she was,  notwithstanding,  wise;    and  [was]  very  ill,

having fearful  wounds  in  all  her  limbs.

Then she  thought  that  she  would  watch  one  night

at Agnes'  tomb,  to  pray  for  her  healing.

Then came  she  thither,  though  she  was  a  heathen,

and with  believing  mind  cried  to  the  virgin