Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/465

 They got  for  themselves  as  guide,  with  some  difficulty,

a dumb  boy,  and  they  came  to  the   saint,

and watched  there  for  one  night,  and  were  healed,

both the  blind  women  and  the  dumb  guide.

Then the  boy  told  it  to  the  sacristan,

and said,  that  he  had  never  before  been  able  to  speak,

praying that  they  would  sing  the  appointed  hymn  of  praise.

About the  same  time  a  certain  bondwoman  was  caught  to  be flogged

for some  very  slight  fault,  and  lay  in  custody

to be  severely  flogged  for  it  in  the  morning.

Then the  whole  night  she  kept  awake,  and  with  weeping  cried

to the  holy  Swithhun,  that  he  would  help  her,  a  poor  wretch,

and  through    [the  power  of]    God  would    deliver   her   from   the cruel  stripes.

When it  dawned,  and  they  began  to  sing  lauds,

then suddenly  the  fetters  round  her  feet  fell  from  her,

and she  ran  to  the  church  to  the  blessed  saint,

with bound  hands,  as  the  saint  willed,

and her  lord  came  after  her  and  loosed  her  hands,

and freed  her  at  once  for  the  honour  of  Saint  Swithhun.

A certain  thane  lay  a  long  time  crippled  by  paralysis,

and could  not  move  from  his  bed  for  many  years.

Then said  he  that  he  desired  to  journey  to  Winchester

if only  in  his  horse-litter,  and  pray  for  his  healing.

While he  was  saying  this  to  his  servants  and  friends,

he was  cured;  but  nevertheless  he  wended

to the  holy  saint,  travelling  on  his  feet,

foremost in  that  company  during  the  whole  journey,

and earnestly  thanked  the  saint  for  his  recovery.

Five and  twenty  men,  diversely  afflicted,

came to  the  saint,  imploring  their  health;

some were  blind,  and  some  were  halt,

some also  deaf,  and  some  dumb,