Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/323

 to the  unconquered  Apollo,  he  who  may  verily

have pity  on  thy  ignorance,  and  turn  thee  to  his  homage.'

George then  interrogated  the  fiendlike  emperor ;

' Which  is  to  be  loved,  or  to  whom  is  sacrifice  to  be  offered,

to Jesus  Christ,  the  redeemer  of  all  worlds,

or to  Apollo,  chief  of  all  devils   '

Thereupon Datian,  with  devilish  anger,

commanded the  holy  man  to  be  hung  up  on  a  gibbet,

and his  limbs  to  be  torn  with  iron  claws,

and torches  to  be  kindled  on  both  sides  of  him;

after that,  he  commanded  him  to  be  led  out  of  the  city,

and to  be  tortured  with  scourges,  and  rubbed  with  salt;

but the  holy  man  remained  unhurt.

Then the  emperor  ordered  him  to  be  put  in  prison,

and bade  enquire  everywhere  for  some  noted  sorcerer.

Then Athanasius  the  sorcerer  heard  of  the  matter,

and came  to  the  emperor,  and  asked  him  boldly,

'Why badest  thou  fetch  me  thus  suddenly  to  thee?'

Datian answered  Athanasius  thus,

'Canst thou  extinguish  the  Christian's  sorcery?'

Then the  sorcerer  answered  Datian  thus.

'Bid the  Christian  man  come  to  me,

and may  I  be  guilty  if  I  cannot

totally extinguish  his  magic  by  my  sorcery.'

Then rejoiced  Datian  that  he  had  found  such  a  sorcerer,

and bade  bring  God's  champion  out  of  prison,

and said  to  the  saint,  with  fierce  anger,

' For  thee,  George,  I  have  procured  this  magician;

overcome his  magic,  or  let  him  overcome  thee,

either let  him  undo  thee,  or  do  thou  undo  him.'

George then  looked  upon  the  heathen  magician,

and said  that  he  perceived  Christ's  grace  in  him.