Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/513

 silver and  gold,  and   spent   them   all   publicly  and   privately  for the sake  of  God,  and  distributed  to  poor  men,  and  took  counsel among   themselves,   and    thus    unanimously    spoke;    "  Better    we should  free  ourselves    from   the    tumult  of  this  population ;    let  us  go  into  the  great  cave  here  beyond  on  the  Celian  Hill,  and there  let  us  pray  earnestly  to  God;  and  there  we  may  full  easily dwell  in  safety  until  the  emperor  come  again  into  this  city;  and let  him  then  decree  even  as  he  will,  and  let  nothing  in  the  world keep  us  back  from  God;  but  let  Him  do  about  us  even  as  His will  may  be,  that  we  may  through  his  aid  accomplish  martyrdom before  the    emperor,  and   receive   from  Him  the   eternal  diadem without   end   with   His  Saints." When  they  had    thus    spoken, these seven  chosen   Saints,  they  gave  each   other  a  pledge   that they would  all  hold  to  this  until  their  life's  end. And the  money which  they  still  had   left   they  took  with   them   in  the  cave   in common,  and  all  went  in  thither  and  continued  therein  many  a day,  and  with  prostrate  bodies  they  prayed  fervently  to  God  that He would  have  pity  on  them,  even  as  His  will  might  be. Then they appointed  a  faithful  steward,  and  very  discreet;  the  name  of this  blessed  man  was  Malchus  the  good,  along  of  whom  [i. e. by whose  means]  was  all  their  food;  his  office  was  to  provide  their meat at  all  times,  and  he  with  humility  undertook  that  service; and as  often  as  he  went  into  the  city  he  showed  himself  in  the appearance of  a  poor  man,  and  privately  enquired  how  it  fared  in  the  emperor's  household ;  and,  as  diligently  as  he  could,  distributed alms  to  poor  men,   and  bought    meat  for    his    companions,    and brought it  to  them ;  and  made  known  to  them  every  word  which he had    heard  spoken    anywhere  within    the  town    about    them. Then it  befell   that,  whilst  these  things  were  taking   place,  the emperor came  again  with  his  army  into  the  city  Epliesus,  and  he straightway  bade  summon  the  holy  Maximian,  and  his  six  companions  with   him,  that  they  all  together   might  sacrifice  to  the devils. When with  excessive  wrath  he    commanded  each   man, then they  all    continued   faithful,   and  oppressed  with   fear,   and everyone sought  refuge  immediately  where  he  could  find  any ;  and he, Malchus  the  faithful,  fled  instantly  from  the  city  with  awe  and