Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/287

 company of  His  Angels,  and  before  all  men,  and  before  all  devils at the  great  doom,  where  we  shall  all  be  gathered. There shall  all our deeds  be  known  to  all  that  company;  and  he  who  cannot  for shame confess  his  sins  to  one  man,  shall  then  be  shamed  before  the hosts of  heaven,  and  the  hosts  of  earth,  and  the  hosts  of  hell,  and his shame  will  be  endless. Verily, no  man  gets  forgiveness  of  his sins from  God,  unless  he  confess  them  to  some  man  of  God,  and  by his  judgment  make  satisfaction. Neither again  may  any  man  say, nor ought  he  to  say,  respecting  himself,  such  [things]  as  he  hath  not done; even  as  we  read  in  books  about  a  certain  faithful  woman, who willed  to  lose  her  life  rather  than  to  lie. Saint Jerome,  the holy doctor,  wrote  in  a  certain  place  about  the  woman,  thus — He said  that  there  was  a  certain  man  who  accused  his  wife

of having  shamefully  committed  adultery;

thereupon they  were  both  brought  to  the  judge,

the guiltless  wife,  and  the  aforesaid  youth;

they were  then  beaten  and  severely  tortured,

as it  was  then  customary  to  punish  adultery.

They then  scraped  them  with  iron  claws,

in order  that  they  might  say  whether  it  were  true ;

then the  youth  desired  to  end  his  torment

by a  short  death,  and  wrongly  accused  them  both.

Then said  that  constant  woman,  amidst  the  horrible  tortures,

'Oh Thou  Lord  Christ! who knowest  all  secret  things,

Thou who  art  the  searcher  of  the  soul,  and  of  men's  hearts,

Thou knowest  that  I  will  not  refuse  for  myself  to  die,

but I  will  not  speak  untruth  of  myself,