Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/263

 back with  the  people  of  Israel  by  many  signs,

and didst  open  out  a  way  for  them  in  the  Red  Sea;

Thou heardest  also  afterward  Thine  holy  Apostles ;

hear us  now,  Lord,  in  this  deep  flood,

and let  us  not  sink  in  this  cold  tempest,

neither let  this  swart  abyss  swallow  us  up.

"We are  miserable  creatures,  help  us  now.  Lord;

we are  set  in  the  watery  depths,

and our  blood  fleeth  adown  to  our  feet;

mitigate now  this  ungentle  chill,

that men  may  recognise  that  we  have  cried  to  Thee,

and that  we  are  preserved  because  we  hope  in  Thee.'

Lo, then  suddenly  there  was  a  great  wonder,  through  God's  grace;

there came  a  heavenly  light  to  the  holy  martyrs,

as hot  as  the  sun  shining  in  summer,

and the  ice  melted  away  over  all  the  mere,

and the  water  was  turned  to  a  pleasant  bath.

All the  warders  had  been  before  cast  into  sleep,

except one  of  them  who  had  listened  to  all  this,

how they  had  prayed,  and  how  the  one  had  died.

Then beheld  the  same  [man]  whence  that  light  shone,

then saw  he  brought  with  the  bright  light,

down from  heaven,  one  less  than  forty  crowns

to the  holy  martyrs  who  stood  in  the  mere.

Then immediately  he  perceived  that  the  one  was  not  accounted [worthy]

of the  crowns  of  the  servants  of  Christ,

because he  would  not  endure  the  hardness.

Then that  one  aroused  the  other  warders,

and unclothed  himself  and  plunged  into  the  mere,

crying out  and  saying,  'I  also  am  a  Christian.'

He went  to  the  saints,  and  cried  to  the  Saviour,

' I  believe  on  Thee,  Lord,  even  as  these  believe,

let me  be  numbered  amongst  the  number  of  them,

and make  me  worthy  of  this,  that  I  may  suffer

cruel torments  for  Thee,  and  be  proved  (to  be)  in  Thee.'