Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/265

 Then saw  the  devil  that  the  Lord's  saints

were comforted  in  their  peril,

and continued  in  faith  as  he  would  not  before  have  believed

that they  could  ever  so  happily  have  endured  the  chill.

Then the  devil  turned  himself  into  a  man,

writhed his  shanks  and  bewailed  himself,

'Woe is  me  miserable,  that  I  am  overcome

by these  holy  men,  and  I  am  put  to  shame;

had I  faithful  servants,  I  should  not  be  thus  easily  overcome ;

now I  will  turn  the  heart  of  this  persecutor

to the  thought,  that  he  shall  burn  up  all  the  bodies

of these  saints  and  cast  them  into  the  river,

that even  their  bones  may  never  be  found.'

Then sang  the  saints  in  the  soft  bath,

'Thou only  art  God,  Almighty  Creator,  '

Thou that  workest  wonders  and  overcomest  our  adversaries;

Thou puttest  to  shame  the  devil  who  laid  snares  for  us.'

Then in  the  early  morning  came  the  wicked  torturers,

and asked  the  warders  how  the  one

had become  associated  with  the  saints,  and  what  he  had  seen.

Then said  the  warders  to  the  bloodthirsty  judges,

'We all  fell  heavily  asleep ;

as if  we  lay  in  death,  but  he  lay  watching,

saw the  wonders,  and  roused  us  afterwards ;

then he  saw  the  light,  and  immediately  believed,

stripped himself  entirely  and  went  unto  them,

and said,  with  a  loud  voice,  that  he  believed  in  Christ.

Then commanded  the  impious  judge  to  lead  them  all

out of  the  broad  mere,  and  to  break  their  legs.

Then began  the  heathen  forthwith  to  drag  them

and brake  their,  legs,  even  as  was  commanded  them.

Then sung  they  this  psalm  during  the  breaking,

Anima nostra   sicut  passer  crept  a    eat  de  laciueo    venantium,   et cetera.    That  is  in  English,