Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/291

 that it  could  not  wound  the  woman's  neck.

Then he  would  have  pierced  her  through  with  the  sword,

but the  point  bent  up  to  the  hilt,

and durst  not  touch  her,  because  she  was  not  a  secret  adultress.

Then said  all  the  multitude  who  stood  there  astonished,

that the  executioner  should  vex  her  no  longer,

and drove  him  away  with  his  weapon  altogether.

God would  even  yet  manifest  His  wonders

in that  constant  woman,  and  it  was  thereupon   agreed  amongst them  all

to find  a  new  sword,  and  a  new  executioner  thereto;

because Christ  would  revive  her  from  death.

She was  then  killed,  but  her  neck  was  not  stricken  through;

she was  nevertheless  dead,  and  quickly  buried;

but God  easily  raised  her  again  from  death

in that  same  night,  and  she  lived  sound

in   the    world    afterward,  for   a   long   time,   to  the  glory  of  the Almighty,

who had  so  made  manifest  her  integrity  by  wonders.

She would  not  speak  untruth  of  herself  and  condemn  herself,

because a  lying  mouth  destroyeth  a  man's  soul.

Now ye  have  heard  that  ye  must  not  conceal

your own  sins,  neither  say  any  more

than ye  have  done,  any  more  than  this  woman  did;

because all  false  pretence  is  repugnant  to  God.

The youth  lied  about  himself,  and  was  straightway  slain,

as likewise  king  David  bade  them  slay  the  man,

who had  told  him  that  he  had  killed  Saul  the  king,

and wished,  by  that  leasing,  to  dissemble  with  David.