Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/383

 for he  that  doeth  this,  he  letteth  go  his  Christianity,

and is  like  the  heathen  who  cast  lots  concerning  themselves

by means  of  the  devil's  art,  which  will  destroy  them  for  ever;

and unless  he  offer  alms  and  much  penance

to his  Creator,  he  shall  be  lost  eternally.

Nevertheless a  man  may  cast  lots,  in  faith,

in worldly  things,  without  witchcraft,

that he  may  allot  himself  pastures,  if  men  wish  to  divide    any thing  [i. e. any  land] ;

this is  no  sorcery,  but  is  very  often  a  direction.

So likewise  he  who  trusteth  in  auguries,

either from  birds,  or  from  sneezings,

either from  horses  or  from  dogs,

he is  no  Christian,  but  is  an  infamous  apostate.

Neither may  any  man  give  heed  to  days,

on which  day  he  shall  journey,  or  on  which  he  shall  return,

because God  created  all  the  seven  days

which succeed  in  the  week,  until  this  world's  ending.

But  he    who   wishes    to   journey  any  whither,   let    him   sing  his Paternoster

and Credo,  if  he  know  [them],  and  cry  to  his  Lord,

and cross  himself,  and  travel  without  care

through God's  protection,  without  the  devil's  sorceries.

It shameth  us  to  tell  all  the  shameful  sorceries,

which ye  foolish  men  practise  through  the  devil's  lore,

whether in  wiving,  or  in  travelling,

or in  brewing,  or  if  a  man  pray  for  anything,

when they  begin  anything,  or  anything  is  born  to  them.

But know  ye  of  a  truth,  that  the  devil  teacheth  you