Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/411

 and his  blood  flowed  into  the  chariot,

so that  the  dogs  licked  it  when  they  had  come  home.

Then his  son  straightway  succeeded  to  his  kingdom,

called Ahaziah,  a  very  evil  doer.

He walked  even  as  his  infamous  father  and  his  wicked   mother

had set  him  the  evil  example,  and  within  two  years

he lost  his  life,  and  his  fleeting  kingdom.

He fell  off  a  staircase,  and  so  lay  sick.

He sent  to  the  idol-god,  to  enquire  of  him,

and Elijah  met  the  men  whom  he  sent,

and straightway  said  to  them  even  as  God's  angel  had  told  him,

'What,   then! is  not    the   Almighty    God    in    the    nation    of Israel,

and ye  go  to  an  idol-god,  to  seek  your  healing?

Now therefore  saith  the  Almighty,  that  the  king  shall  not  arise

from the  bed  whereon  he  lieth,  but  shall  die.'

Then the  messengers  returned  again  to  the  king,

and showed  him  what  the  prophet  had  said  to  them  by  the  way.

Then the  king  straightway  sent  fifty  men

to the  prophet  of  God,  desiring  to  call  him.

Then said  the  chief  to  the  venerable  prophet,

'Go now,  man  of  God,  from  the  grassy  hill,

the king  desireth  thee  to  come  to  him.'

Then Elijah  answered  boldly,  and  said,

'If I  am  a  man  of  God,  let  God's  fire  consume  you.'

Lo then! with these  words  fire  came  down  from  Heaven,

and consumed  the  fifty  men  with  all  their  company.

Then the  king  sent  again  other  fifty

up to  the  hill  where  Elijah  sat;

and it  happened  to  them  also  even  as  to  the  other  flock,

that they  were  all  suddenly  consumed

by the  crackling  flame  of  the  heavenly  fire.

Then sent  the  king  yet  a  third  time  to  him