Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/477

 Then the  sick  man  reflected  that  he  did  not  wish  to  do  evil

save only  to  those  who  before  had  done  evil  to  him,

and that  he  wished  to  do  well  to  those  who  before  had  done  well to  him.

But St.  Swithhun  knew  how  his  heart  reasoned,

and said  blithely  to  him,  '  Brother,  I  tell  thee,

do not,  as  thou  thinkest,  harm  to  any  man

though he  may  harm  thee,  but  imitate  thy  Lord,

Who would  not  curse  those  who  put  Him  to  death,

and bade  His  followers  pray  for  their  enemies.

Likewise saith  Paul  the  Apostle  to  all  Christian  men,

"If thine  enemy  hunger,  feed  him  with  meats,

or if  he  thirst,  give  thou  him  drink."  '

Then said  the  bedridden  man  again  to  the  bishop,

' Oh  sir,  tell  me  what  manner  of  man  thou  art,

since thou  canst  so  discern  men's  hearts.'

Then said  the  holy  Swithhun,  'I  am  he  who  now  newly  came,'

as if  he  had  said,  'I  was  now  newly  made  known.'

Then again  said  the  bedridden  man  to  the  bishop,

' How  art  thou  called  ] '    and  the  saint  said  to  him,

' When  thou  comest  to  Winchester,  thou  shalt  know  my  name.'

Then immediately  the  man  was  brought  again  to  his  bed,

and awoke  from  sleep,  and  told  his  wife

all the  vision  that  he  had  seen.

Then said  the  woman  to  him,  'that  it  was  Swithhun

who had  instructed  him  in  this  holy  lore,

and whom  he  had  seen  so  glorious  in  the  church.'

Then she  said  to  her  husband,  '  It  would  now  be  full  well

that men  should  carry  thee  to  church,  and  thou  shouldst  pray  to the  saint

that he  would  heal  thee  through  his  holy  merits.'

Then straightway  they  bare  him  from  his  bed  to  a  church

in the  Isle  of  Wight,  and  he  was  instantly  healed