Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/385

 such delusions  that  he  may  have  your  souls

when ye  believe  his  lying  deceits.

Now a  certain  sorcerer  saith  that  witches  often  declare

even as  a  matter  happens  with  a  true  result.

Now say  we  of  a  truth,  that  the  invisible  devil  no

who flieth  through  these  worlds,  and  seeth  many  things,

revealeth to  the  witch  what  she  shall  say  to  men,

that they  may  be  destroyed  who  seek  this  sorcery.

Many things  said  the  magicians  through  the  devil's  art,

Jamnes and  Jambres,   [A. S. Mambres],  even  as  Moses  wrote,

and they  seduced  Pharaoh  with  their  deceits,

until he  was  drowned  in  the  deep  sea.

So likewise  Simon,  the  wily  sorcerer,

strove so  long  with  Saint  Peter,  until  he  was  cast  down,

when he  desired  to  fly  to  heaven,  so  that  he  burst  into  four  parts,

and so  that  impious  man  departed  in  torment  to  hell.

Many others  have  perished  who  followed  sorcery,

even as  we  read  in  books,  but  their  story  is  tedious.

Neither shall  the  Christian  enquire  of  the  foul  witch

concerning his  health,  though  she  may  be  able  to  tell

something through  the  devil,  for  it  will  be  harmful,

and all  will  be  poisonous  which  cometh  from  him,

and all  his  followers  shall  perish  in  the  end.

Some men  are  so  blinded,  that  they  bring  their  offerings

to an  earth-fast  stone,  and  eke  to  trees,

and to  well-springs,  even  as  witches  teach,

and will  not  understand  how  foolishly  they  act,

or how  the  dead  stone  or  the  dumb  tree