Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/199

 who possessed  the  tomb,  that  she  would  grant  her  healing.

Then she  fell  on  sleep,  and  saw  in  a  vision

the blessed  Agnes  saying  these  words  to  her,

'Begin resolutely,  thou  noble  Constantia,

and believe  that  the  Saviour  has  power  to  heal  thee,

through Whom  thou  shalt  receive  the  healing  of  thy  wounds.'

Then Constantia  awoke,  and  was  so  healed

that on  her  body  was  not  seen  aught  of  the  sore  wounds.

Then went  she  whole  home  to  her  father,

and rejoiced  him  and  her  brothers,

and all  the  household  rejoiced  for  her  healing,

and the  heathenism  waned  and  God's  faith  waxed.

She was  then  baptized,  as  was  her  father,

and received  the  veil  with  fair  observances,

and many  other  maidens  through  her  worthy  example

forsook worldly  pleasures  and  were  consecrated  to  Christ.

Then Constantia  prayed  Constantine  her  father,

that he  would  rear  a  church  to  the  blessed  Agnes,

and bade  set  a  coffin  there  for  herself.

The fame  of  it  sprang  throughout  all  the  nation,

and many  infirm  people  came  to  the  holy  tomb,

and were  healed  through  the  holy  Agnes.

Likewise many  of  the  Roman  maidens  continued

in pure  virginity  for  the  love  of  Christ

after Agnes'  example,  who  is  there  buried.

In those  days  there  was  a  certain  general  called  Gallicanus,

victorious in  fights,  and  very  dear  to  the  emperor

for his  great  victory,  though  he  was  not  baptized.

He wooed  Constantia,  the  emperor's  daughter,

at   the    time    that    the    Scythians    were    warring    much    against him.

Then the  emperor  was  troubled  on  account  of  the  wooing,

knowing that  his  daughter,  who  had  chosen  the  Lord,