Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/229

 and began  to  drag  her  to  the  house  of  lust;

but God's  might  was  displayed  at  once  in  the  maiden,

so that  the  Holy  Ghost  held  her,  and  fastened  her  as  by  a  great weight,

so that  the  wicked  ones  could  not  remove  the  maiden.

Then they  fastened  ropes,  in  their  cruel  attempt,

to her  hands  and  feet,  and  many  tugged  at  once,

but she  was  never  stirred,  but  stood  firm  as  a  mountain.

Then was  the  impious  Paschasius  perplexed,

and bade  false  magicians  be  brought  unto  him,

that they  with  their  enchantments    might    overpower   the  virgin of  God.

But   when    they   sped    not    at    all,    he    commanded    oxen    to    be harnessed  to  her,

but they  could  not  even  so  shake  the  maiden.

The murderer  then  said  to  the  pure  maid,

'What is  the  reason  that  a  thousand  men

cannot even  stir  thee,  all  weak  as  thou  art?'

Lucy said  to  him,  '  though  thou  call  ten  thousand  men,

they would  all  hear  the  Holy  Ghost  thus  speaking:

''Cadent a  latere  tuo  mille,  et  decern  millia  a  dextris  tuis,  tihi  autem, non  adpropinquabit  malum. ''

A thousand  shall  fall  beside  thee,  and  ten  thousand  at  thy  right  hand,

but verily  no  evil  shall  approach  thyself.'

Then was  the  impious  one  perplexed  in  his  mind  yet  more,

and bade  men  light  a  great  pile  all  round  the  maid,

and sprinkle  her  with  pitch  and  bespattering (?)  oil.

She stood  then  undismayed  in  the  fire,  and  said,

' I  have  obtained  of  Christ  in  prayer  that  this  deadly  fire

may have  no  power  upon  me,  that  thou  mayst  be  put  to  shame,

and that  it  may  dispel  all  fear  of  torture  from  believers,

and take  away  from  unbelievers  their  evil  joy.'

Then was  the  impious  one  madly  vexed,

so that  his  friends  could  not  assuage  his  madness;

but they  bade  men  kill  the  pure  maid  with  the  sword.

Then was  she  wounded,  so  that  her  bowels  fell  out.