Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/429

 in the  true  God,  and  renounced  heathenism,

and became  verily  a  Christian,  and  exceeding  full  of  faith.

Then the  priest  dwelt  with  the  honourable  man

until the  magistrate  who  persecuted  the  Christians

discovered him  there,  and  with  great  wrath

commanded him  to  be  fetched  before  him  speedily.

Then came  the  messengers  to  Alban's  house,

but Alban  went  out  unto  the  persecutors

with the  priest's  cloak,  as  if  he  were  he,

and would  not  betray  him  to  the  wicked  persecutors.

He was  thereupon  bound,  and  brought  straightway

to the  impious  judge,  where  he  was  offering  to  his  gods

the devilish  sacrifices,  with  all  his  associates,

Then became  the  judge  fiendishly  angry,

as soon  as  he  beheld  the  steadfast  martyr,

because he  had  received  the  fugitive  priest,

and given  himself  up  to  be  slain  for  him.

Then he  bade  men  lead  him  to  the  heathen  sacrifice,  and  said

that he  himself  should  receive  the  heavy  punishment

which  he  had   meant   for   the   priest   if  he    could    have    taken him,

unless he  quickly  submitted  to  his  shameful  gods;

but Alban  was  not  affrighted  by  his  fiendly  threats,

because he  was  girded  about  with  God's  weapons

unto the  ghostly  fight,  and  said  that  he  would  not

obey his  best,  nor  bow  to  his  idolatry.

Then asked  the  judge  immediately,  and  said,

'Of what  family  art  thou,  or  of  what  rank  among  men?'

Then Alban  answered  the  wicked  man  thus:

'What concerneth  it  thee,  of  what  family  I  may  be?

but if  thou  desire  to  hear  the  truth,  I  tell  thee  quickly

that I  am  a  Christian,  and  will  ever  worship  Christ.'