Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/311

 righteous men,  dwelling  among  that  people.

God granted  him  this,  and  he  began  yet  to  entreat,

until he  came  to  ten  men,  and  God  granted  him  then,

that He  would  not  destroy  them  if  He  found  there  ten

righteous men,  and  He  turned  from  him  therewith.

Then God  straightway  sent  to  those  shameful  men

two angels  in  the  evening,  and  they  led  Abraham's  brother's  son

Lot, with  his  family,  out  of  the  city;

and there  were  no  more  found  who  were  not  wicked.

Then God  sent  to  them,  in  the  morning,  fire  and  foul  brimstone,

and burned  them  all  up,  and  destroyed  their  cities,

and all  that  country  with  awful  fire,

and there  is  now  foul  water  there,  where  those  foul  men  dwelt,

and Lot,  the  righteous,  was  delivered  by  God.

By these  things  we  may  perceive  that  the  learned

servants of  God  greatly  benefit  the  laity,

when they,  in  their  office,  intercede  for  them  to  God,

since God  was  willing  to  spare  all  the  sinful,

if He  had  found  there  ten  righteous  men.

Even so  [was  it  with]  Dathan  and  Abiram,  who  spake  foolishly,

and did  great  dishonour  to  Moses,

against God's  will,  when  they  were  in  the  wilderness,

and despised  his  guidance,  and  sorely  upbraided  him;

then God  was  angry  with  them,  and  the  earth  clave  asunder

where they  dwelt,  with  their  wives  and  children

within their  tents,  and  they  then  all  sank  down,

quick, into  the  earth,  overwhelmed  with  mould,

and the  other  folk  fled  affrighted  at  their  cry.