Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/223



Then Agatha's  renown  spread  over  land  and  sea,

so that  a  great  multitude  out  of  Syracuse  sought

the virgin's  tomb,  from  a  distance  of  fifty  miles,

in the  city  of  Catana,  with  great  devotion.

Then came  a  certain  widow,  named  Eutychia,

amongst other  people,  to  the  famous  tomb,

and her  daughter  with  her,  the  blessed  Lucy.

The widow  was  diseased,  so  that  she  had  a  flux  of  blood

for the  space  of  four  years,  and  had  tried  many  physicians,

but all  of  them  could  not  help  her,  though  she  was  but  one

Then it  happened,  at  the  mass,  that  the  gospel  was  read

how the  woman  was  healed,  that  had  a  flux  of  blood,

when she  touched  the  Saviour's  robe.

Then said  Lucy,  full  of  faith,  to  her  mother,

'If thou  believest,  mother,  this  well-known  gospel,

believe that  Agatha  has  merited  something  from  Christ,

since she  suffered  for  His  name  that  she  might  ever

behold Him  in  her  presence,  in  eternal  bliss.

Touch now  her  tomb,  and  thou  shalt  soon  be  whole.'

Then, after  the  mass,  the  mother  and  daughter

prostrated themselves  in  prayers  at  the  tomb.

Whilst they  lay  there  and  prolonged  their  prayers,

Lucy fell  asleep  and  saw  Agatha

amongst hosts  of  angels,  splendidly  adorned,

and called  to  her  thus,  crying  from  above,

'My sister  Lucy,  true  virgin  of  God,

why prayest  thou  of  me  that  which  thou  couldst  thyself  grant?