Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/237

 went to  the  upper-chamber,  and  behold,  there  stood  about  him

weeping widows  and  destitute  poor,

showing him  the  garments  and  the  embroidered  tunics,

which Tabitha  had  made  for  them,  before  she  departed.

Then bade  the  holy  Peter,  that  they  should  clear  the  house  for  him,

and bowed  his  knees,  praying  for  her  life;

then turned  he  to  the  body,  and  cried  aloud,

'Tabitha, arise,'  and  she  straightway  revived,

beheld Peter,  and  sat  up.

Then Peter  took  her  feeble  hand,

and raised  her  up  whole  from  the  bed.

Then the  miracle  was  blazed  abroad  throughout  all  that  region,

and many  believed  in  the  living  God.

Then Peter  dwelt,  after  that  widow's  raising,

many days  in  Joppa  with  a  believing  man,

named Simon;   his  house  stood  by  the  sea.

Then desired  the  apostle  to  pray  apart,

and went  up  outside  the  house-top  about  mid-day,

was also  an-hungered,  and  desired  to  remain  there.

Then was  shown  to  him  a  wondrous  vision,

he saw  the  heavens  open,  and  a  vessel  came  to  him

four-cornered and  broad,  and  within  it  there  were

all living  creatures,  creeping  and  walking.

A voice  came  to  him,  thus  crying  thrice,

'arise now,  Peter,  and  slay  these  savage  beasts,

make for  thee  meat,  that  thou  mayst  satisfy  thyself.'

Then said  the  holy  man,  'let  it  not  be  so,  dear  Lord,

for I  have  never  tasted  anything  that  is  unclean.'

Then came  to  him  again  the  voice,  thus  crying  from  Heaven,

'that which  God  hath  cleansed,  say  not  thou  that  it  is  foul.'