Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/503

 sacrifice to  the  devil  with  him,  on  pain  of  capital  punishment; and everyone  did  so  for  dread  of  the  emperor,  and  durst  not  do otherwise ;  but  each  one  defiled  himself  miserably,  in  body  and soul, with  that  idolatry. Wheresoever any  idol  was  set  up,  all the citizens  came  together  from  day  to  day  according  to  the  emperor's commands,  and  they  slew  there  heifers  and  cattle  of  every kind; and  there  the  heathen  strewed  burning  coals  all  about,  and thereupon offered  to  the  devil;  and  the  thickness  of  the  smoke  and the smell  of  the  flesh  rose  up  on  every  side  throughout  the  city, just as  if  it  were  mist,  so  that  one  could  see  nigh  nothing  there save smoke  alone. And while  the  heathen  rejoiced  in  such  diabolic delusion, those  who  believed  in  God  wept  and  lamented,  and  continned  in  the  greatest  sadness,  to  think  that  they  should  ever  have seen with  their  eyes  such  miseries  as  they  saw  there,  and  that  the devil should  ever  have  so  great  dominion  over  mankind ;  they  knew not what  to  do  on  that  account,  nor  could  they  do  more  than  let  fall bitter tears  continually,  and  go  about  bowed  down,  and  hide  them- selves wheresoever they  could. But suddenly,  in  about  three  days, the emperor  sent  his  heralds,  and  commanded  that  men  should watch the  Christian  men  very  zealously,  and  that  each  man  should seize them  wherever  he  could  on  pain  of  death ;  and  if  they  could anywhere find  out  that  any  man  had  protected  them,  he  should  be guilty  of  death ;  and  he  who  betrayed  them  should  be  worthy  of great  reward. Then   they,    the    heralds,    and   many   others,    as  hoping  for  the  pay,  went  and  sought  the  Christians  wherever  they could find  them,  and  tried  to  please  the  emperor,  to  receive  some pay  from    him;    and  these    heathen   men,   when  they   anywhere found Christian  men,  drove   them  out,  and   carried  them  before  56 them like  little    grasshoppers,    and   brought  them  to  the  people where all  men  were  worshipping   idols  with  the   emperor,   and compelled  the    Christians    to    submit    to    the    devil    like    themselves;    and  some  of  them  did  so — so  miserable  was  their  lot ; for  when    they    saw    so    manifold    terrors    in    divers    torments, they   soon    became   disheartened,    and    fell    down    prostrate,   and sacrificed to  the  devil  before  all  the  people,  however  much  they