Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/217

 then said  the  hoar-haired  man,  '  He  sent  me  to  thee,

I am  His  Apostle,  and  behold  now  thou  art

made whole  in  His  name ';  and  forthwith  he  departed.

Then Agatha  knelt  and  thanked  Christ,

that He  had  remembered  her,  and  His  great  Apostle

had sent  to  her,  with  such  consolation.

After that  prayer  she  looked  at  her  breast,

and the  breast  that  had  been  cut  off  was  restored  through  Christ,

and all  her  wounds  were  healed.

Then shone  there  a  great  light  in  the  dark  prison,

so that  the  warders  fled,  seized  with  fright.

Then the  prisoners  urged  the  holy  maiden

that she  should  go  away,  and  flee  from  the  torments.

Then said  Agatha,  the  noble  maiden,

'I will  not  mar  my  crown,

nor bring  the  warders  into  trouble,  but  I  will  continue  here.'

Then on  the  fifth  day  the  judge  commanded  to  fetch  her,

and said  that  she  should  sacrifice  to  the  gods,

or else  be  tortured  with  sharp  punishments.

Then said  Agatha,  '  Thou  poor  senseless  man,

who will  cry  to  the  stone,  and  not  to  the  true  God

who, from  all  the  tortures  which  thou  so  cruelly

hast inflicted  on  my  body,  hath  healed  me  for  His  name's  sake,

and hath  restored  my  breast  which  thou,  wicked  one,  didst  cut  off?'

Then the  idolater  enquired  who  had  healed  her?

Agatha answered,  '  Christ  the  Son  of  God.'

Quintianus said  to  the  pure  maiden,

'Dost thou  yet  name  Christ?'     She  said  to  him  in  answer,

'Christ I  confess  with  my  lips  and  ever  call  upon  Him  with my  heart.'

Then said  the  servant  of  the  devil,  '  Now  shall  I  see

whether  Christ  will  save  thee;'    then    he   commanded   to   strew upon  the  floor

many burning  coals  and  broken  tiles,

and bade  them  thus  roll  her  naked  into  the  fire.

Then was  there  a  great  earthquake  in  that  same  place,