Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/541

 whom he  was  able  to   recognise ;  but  while  he  stood  there  thus mournfully alone  amidst  all  the  people,  every  man  throughout  the city spake  it  about  him  much  more,  until  it  became  known  in  the holy church,  at  the   bishop's   throne ;  and   they  told  the   bishop Marinus and  the  town-reeve  the  same  news. And they  both  bade men keep  Malchus  very  warily,  that  he  might  not  escape ;  and  they brought him  to  them  with  great  haste,  and  his  pennies  also  with him which  he  had  brought  with  him  thither;  and  the  men  who had seized  Malchus  in  the  market  took  him  away  thence  immediately, and  led  him  to  the  church ;  and  he  still  expected  nothing else but  that  they  would  lead  him  to  Decius  the   emperor. He then came  to  the  church,  and  looked  about  on  every  side  whereever  he  could,  and  the  gazing  people  pressed  upon  him  all  about, and he  earnestly  looked  on  every  side  wherever  he  could,  and  the people regarded  him  as  evilly  as  if  he  were  guilty  of  something, and all  men  dragged  him  from  place  to  place  and  wonderfully  insulted him;  and  he  was  very  uneasy  among  them,  and  his  eyes all overflowed  and  let  fall  bitter  tears. Then the  bishop  and  the town-reeve   took    his   pennies   and    scrutinised    them    before    the people, and  wondered  exceedingly  at  them,  because  they  had  never before  seen  with  their  eyes  such  coin,  which  was  struck  in  old days in  Decius  the  emperor's  time,  and  his  likeness  was  engraven thereon and   his  name  written  there  all  round. Then said  the town-reeve to  Malchus,  "  Tell  us  now  where  the  old  treasure  is which  thou  hast  secretly  found,  and  concealed  it  all  until  now. Lest  thou  shouldst  deny  it,  here  is  the  man  full  close  at  hand, who  has  some  of  the  money  in  his  hands  which  thou  broughtest  hither,  and    thou    gavest    it    to    him    out    of   thy  hands." Then answered Malchus   and  said  to  them   all,   "  I   say  all  truth  here before  all  you  people,  and  if  it  is  your  will  ye  may  believe  me, that  I  never  yet  found   a  gold-hoard  such  as  ye  impute  to  me. But  I  know  certainly  of  a  truth,  that  from  the  possessions  of  my parents  this  money  came  into  my  hands,  and  in  the  traffic  of  this