Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/213

 Quintianus said,  '  Thou  sayest  that  thou  hast  chosen

to suffer  the  tortures,  since  thou  repeatest  insults  against  me.'

The maiden  answered  him,   'Greatly  I  wonder

that thou,  a  wise  man,  hast  stooped  to  such  folly,

that thou  esteemest  as  gods  such  as  it  shameth  thee  to  resemble.

If they  be  true  gods,  I  wish  thee  to  be  as  a  god,

if thou  dost  abhor  them,  then  we  two  speak  alike.

Call them  so  evil  and  so  unclean,

that if  thou  wouldest  curse  any  one,  thou  shouldest  wish  him  thus,

that his  life  be  like  to  thy  loathly  gods.'

Quintianus said  to  her,  '  Why  speakest  thou  so  much  idle  talk

Sacrifice to  the  gods,  that  I  may  not  cruelly  destroy  thee.'

Then Agatha  answered  the  judge  fearlessly,

'If thou  wilt  now  bait  me  with  wild  beasts,

they shall  straightway  be  tamed  to  my  hand  through  the  name of  Jesus.

If thou  preparest  fire  for   me,   there  shall    suddenly  come  to  me from  heaven

a healing  dew  by  the  Lord's  angels.

If thou  orderest  me  stripes,  I  have  the  Holy  Spirit

through whom  I  despise  all  thy  stripes.'

Then the  judge  shook  his  fiendish  head,

and commanded  to  bring  her  into  a  dark  prison,

and bade  that  she  should  bethink  herself

how she  might  escape  from  the  cruel  tortures.

Then said  Agatha,  'Thou,  miserable,  bethink  thyself

how thou  mayest  escape  the  everlasting  torments.'

Then went  she  blithely  into  the  dark  dungeon,

as if  she  were  invited  to  a  pleasant  banquet,

and committed  her  conflict  to  the  benevolent  Lord.

So then  in  the  morning  the  wicked  judge

bade Agatha  to  be  brought  into  his  hateful  presence,

and enquired  what  she  had  devised  for  her  safety.

Agatha said  to  him,  'Christ  is  my  salvation.'