Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/279

 who now  worketh  miracles  through  God,  often  told  us,

that he  knew  a  man  with  bishop  AEfheah,

who would  drink  in  Lent  whenever  it  pleased  him.

Then one  day  he  prayed  the  bishop  AElfheah

to bless  his  cup;    he  would  not,  and  the  fool  drank

without blessing,  and  went  out.

They were  baiting  a  boar  by  chance  outside,

and the  boar  ran  against  him  and  thrust  him  so  that   he  gave up  his  life;

and so  paid  for  the  untimely  draught.

Every man  who  eateth  or  drinketh

untimely in  the  holy  Lent,  or  on  appointed  fast-days,

let him  know  in  sooth  that  his  soul  shall  sorely  abye  it,

though the  body  may  here  live  sound.

We should  ever  desire  the  eternal  life,

because in  that  life  there  are  good  days;

not however  many  days,  but  one  which  endeth  never.

Nevertheless whoso  will  here  in  life  have  good  days,

he can  not  find  them  here,  though  he  be  wealthy,

for that  he  will  be  either  sick  or  full  of  care,

or his  friends  will  fall  away  from  him,  or  his  wealth  will  escape from  him,

or some  other  mischance  in  this  life  will  come  to  him,

and in  addition  thereto  he  will  ever  dread  his  death.

There will  be  none  of  these  evils  in  the  eternal  life,

but there  shall  be  the  one  good  day  with  God  Himself,

without care  and  sorrow  and  all  tribulations,

and unended  bliss  amongst  all  saints.