Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/491

 'Lord Jesus  Christ,  thou  who  didst  close  up

this man's  mouth,  that  he  might  no  longer

cry to  heathen  idols  as  if  to  help  him,

open now  his  mouth,  that  lie  may  magnify  Thy  name,

and believe  that  Thou  art  the  living. God upon  earth.'

They then  said,  '  Amen,'  and  in  that  same  moment

was his  tongue  unbound,  and  he  rejoicing  said,

' There  is  no  other  God  in  whom  to  believe,

except Him  only. Whom this  blessed  man  preacheth.'

On that  same  day,  more  than  five  hundred  of  the  people

believed in  God,  greatly  thanking  God,

and the  holy  man,  through  whom  they  had  been  enlightened.

There was  a  heathen  prefect,  named  Eufus,

who presided  over  the  city,  whose  daughter  fell  sick.

Then the  father  sent  at  once  to  the  bishop,

and as  soon  as  he  came  thither,  the  maiden  gave  up  the  ghost.

Then they  all  wept,  that  were  within,

and the  holy  man  spake  to  her  father  thus,

'Undertake now  truly,  Rufus,  and  promise  me  with  an  oath,

if thy   daughter   now   be    made    whole,    that    thou    wilt   permit  her

to follow  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  now  know  His  might.'

Rufus answered  him,  'Behold,  she  is  now  dead ;

but if  I  see  that  she  shall  again  live  in  health,

I will  then  praise  God's  power,  and  she  may  follow  Jesus.'

"While they  were  all  weeping,  he  went  up  to  the  corpse,

and cried  with  faith  to  Christ,  and  said,

' My  God,  Lord  Jesus,  Who  to  my  teacher  Peter

granted his  desire  whatsoever  he  desired  of  Thee,

raise up  now  this  maiden  from  this  cruel  death,

for that  she  is  Thy  creature  and  there  is  no  God  but  Thou.'

She arose  then  instantly,  and  with  a  cry  exclaimed,

' Great  is  the  God,  Whom  this  man  preacheth  to  us,

and there  is  no  other  God  but  He  alone.'

Then rejoiced  the  Christians  in  Christ's  praise,

and the  maiden  was  baptized,  together  with  her  mother,