Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/537

 While   he   was    speaking    thus    to  them,  and    had    thus    sadly driven his  bargain,  they  at  once  all  stood  up,  and  held  him  in  their hands, and  said  to  him :   "  Tell  us  what  manner  of  man  thou  art, or  whence  thou  art  come,  since  thou  hast  thus  found  old  money, and  thus  hast  brought  hither  old  pennies  which  were  struck  in ancient  days  in  the  time  of  our  ancestors;  tell  us  now  the  truth without  any  lie,  and  we  will  be  thy  defenders,  and  thy  advocates always ;  neither  will  we  betray  thee,  but  let  it  all  be  quiet,  so  that no  man  need  learn  it  save  ourselves." Then was  Malchus  much astonished at  their  speech  and  thought  sorrowfully  in  his  mind, and said  about  himself  to  the  chapmen,  "  Strangely  hath  it  happened to  me  alone,  and  miserably  have  I  alone  suffered  before  all  men  over  this  wide  earth ;  to  every  other  man  who  is  born  into this  life  it  is  permitted  that  he  may  support  himself  out  of  his  ancestors' treasures,  but  to  me  only,  wretch!  may  none  of  this  avail. Now  I  am  twitted  about  my  own  as  if  I  had  stolen  it,  and  they will  require  of  me  by  tortures  that  which  I  had  obtained  by  right means." Then answered  the  chapmen  and  said  to  him,  "  Nay,  nay, dear  man,  thou  canst  not  so  deceive  us  with  thy  smooth  words ; as  for  the  gold-hoard  which  thou  hast  found  and  hast  so  long  concealed,  it  cannot  be  hidden  now  it  is  thus  discovered." He knew  not what answer  he  should  give  them  on  account  of  the  great  awe  which was in  his  mind. When they  saw  that  he  stood  there  still,  and answered them  nothing,  forthwith  they  took  him,  and  knitted  a  twist  all  about  his  neck,  and  all  dragged  him  thence  into  the  midst of the  market,  and  they  held  him  thus  bound  amidst  the  city,  and it spread  everywhere,  and  was  straightway  widely  known,  and  all men over  the  city  immediately  ran  thither,  and  with  clamour  each