Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/405

 and his  son  Isaac,  and  also  Jacob,

manifest this  day  that  Thou  art  the  true  God,

that this  people  may  know  assuredly  by  faith

that Thou  art  the  Lord  God  who  turnest  their  hearts.'

After this  invocation  came  fire  from  Heaven

and burned  up  the  ox,  and  all  the  wood,

and the  twelve  stones  which  stood  under  the  ox.

Then fell  down  all  the  people,  terrified,  in  prayer,

and cried  with  faith  to  the  living  God,

'The Lord  Himself  is  God,  the  Lord  Himself  is  God.'

Then Elijah  said  to  them,  '  Seize  the  prophets

who have  served  Baal,  that  none  of  them  escape.'

So they  were  seized  and  brought  to  Elijah,

and he  slew  them,  that  none  of  them  remained  alive.

Then he  went  up  quickly  to  a  mountain,

and on  bended  knees  besought  the  Almighty  God,

That He  would  give  rains  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth;

and bade  his  servant  meanwhile  look  toward  the  sea,

if any  mist  were  rising  out  of  the  great  ocean.

Then the  servant  returned  to  him  seven  times,

and on  the  seventh  return  said  to  the  prophet,

that, 'behold  there  ariseth  one  little  cloud

out of  the  wide-reaching  sea,  in  the  stainless  sky.'

Lo! then the  wind  arose,  and  the  clouds  grew  dark,

and there  came  a  very  great  shower  from  the  sky.

Then the  king  went  away,  with  the  rain,

and told  his  wife  the  prophet's  deeds,

and how  he  had  slain  the  idolaters.

Then Jezebel  sent  [men]  to  meet  Elijah,

and swore  by  her  gods  with  treacherous  mind,

that Elijah  should  die  for  this  in  the  morning,

and become  like  one  of  her  false  prophets.

Then Elijah  fled  away  from  that  wicked  woman,