Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/531

 looked  thitherward,    and  beheld  the  holy  sign   of  the  cross  of Christ,  where   it   stood   fastened   with  honour   above   the   town-gate ;  and  thereupon  extraordinary  wondering  seized  him,  and  at the  sight  wondrous  amazement  came  upon  him,  and  he  stood  and beheld, and  it  seemed  marvellous  to  him;  and  he  beheld  everywhere  on  every  side,  and  he  gazed  at  the  rood,  and  it  seemed  all wonderful to  him ;  and  he  thought  in  his  mind  what  it  might  be. Then he  went  thence  to  another  town-gate,  and  he  again  saw  the holy  rood,   and  he  wondered  exceedingly  thereat;    and  then   he visited  all  the  town-gates,  and  saw  the  holy  rood  standing  upon each one,  and  he  was  all  full  of  wondering  and  amazement;  moreover he  saw  the  city  turned  all  into  another  kind  from  what  it  was before, and  the  dwellings  throughout  the  city  all  built  in  another fashion   from  what   they   were    before;    and   he    could    recognise no part  of  the  city,  any  more  than  the  man  who  had  never  seen it with  his  eyes. And while  he,  thus  wondering,  thought  that  he was  dreaming  in  the  night,   then  he  turned  again  to  the    same town-gate at  which  he  had  first  arrived,  and  he  thought  in  his heart and  said  to  himself,  "  Whatever  marvel  may  this  chance  to be,  that  I  see  here  so  wonderfully,  that  yesterday  evening  in  all this  city  the  sign  of  the  holy  cross  was  nowhere  visible,  and  now it  is  everywhere  manifest,  and  is  to-day  fastened  on  each  town-gate.     And   he  again    thought  in  his    mind,  and  lifted  up  his hand,  and  crossed  himself  and  thus   said;  "  God  Almighty  bless me! is it  all  true,  or  do  I  dream  in  sleep  all  the  strange  wonder that  I  see  here? "   And  he,  after  this  thought,  partly  took  comfort, and  enwrapped  his   head  with    a  cloth,   and    timidly  went   into the  town,  and  sheltered  himself  very  carefully ;  and  so  he   came very  near  to  the  market  where  all  men  sold   their  ware.     Then