Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/481

 wrought by  the  power  of  God  in  the  sight  of  the  people,

both on  prisoners,  and  on  sick  men,

to manifest  to  men  that  they  themselves  may

merit the  kingdom  of  heaven  by  good  works,

even as  Swithhun  did,  who  now  shineth  through  his  miracles.

The Old  church  was  hung  all  round  with  crutches,

and with  the  stools  of  cripples,  (from  one  end  to  the  other

on either  wall),  who  had  been  healed  there,

and not  even  so  could  they  put  half  of  them  up.

Such tokens  declare  that  Christ  is  Almighty  God,

Who revealed  His  Saint  by  such  good  deeds,

though the  Jews,  deceived  by  the  devil,

will not  believe  in  the  living  Christ,

until Antichrist  shall  be  destroyed  by  God.

Then shall  those  miserable  people,  with  all  who  remain

at the  end  of  this  world,  submit  themselves  with  faith  to  Christ,

and the  men  of  old  shall  be  lost  who  formerly  would  not  believe.

We have  now  spoken  thus  briefly  of  Swithhun,

and we  say  of  a  truth  that  the  time  was  blessed

and winsome  in  England,  when  King  Eadgar

furthered Christianity,  and  built  many  monasteries,

and his  kingdom  still  continued  in  peace,

so that  no  fleet  was  heard  of,

save that  of  the  people  themselves  who  held  this  land ;

and all  the  kings  of  the  Cymry  and  Scots

that were  in  this  island,  came  to  Eadgar

once upon  a  day,  being  eight  kings,

and they  all  bowed  themselves  to  Eadgar's  rule.

Then moreover  were  such  wonders  wrought

through Saint  Swithhun,  as  we  said  before,

and as  long  as  we  have  lived  frequent  miracles  were  done  there.

At that  time  there  were  also  worthy  bishops,