Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/545

 emperor began  to  reign;  and  now  there  is  no  piece  of  such  money anywhere among  the  money  which  we  in  these  days  make  use of,  and   buy  our  necessaries  with. And  as   to  those  of  whom thou erewhile  didst  tell,  and  name  as  thy  kinsmen,  they  lived  so long  ago  in  olden  times  that  there  is  no  man  so  old  that  he  can now at  this  time  recollect    them,  or  for  many  years  previously could remember  so  long  ago   as  they,  thy  parents,  lived. Now standest thou  here,  a  young  man,  and  desirest  to  delude  with  thy deceit the  old  counsellors  of  this  city. But thou  shalt  be  taught otherwise, that  thou  needest  no  longer  uphold  us  with  thy  lies. I will  give  orders  that  they  shall  bind  thee  very  fast,  both  hands and feet,  and    scourge   thee   often    and  repeatedly,   even    as    the statute-book teacheth  concerning  such  men,  and  afflict  thee  with every sorrow;  then  shalt  thou,  in  spite  of  thyself,  reveal  the  treasure  which  thou  wouldest  not  before  make  known  of  thine  own will."

"When Malchus  heard  these  words   which  the   town-reeve  was speaking    to  him    so    angrily,  he,   affrighted,   cast    himself   down  straightway  and  prostrated  himself  before  all  the  people,  and  then said  to  them  all,  with  weeping  voice,  "  Lo,  Masters! I pray  you this charity  that  I  may  ask  one  thing,  and  I  will  at  once  make known to  you  all  that  I  think  in  my  thought. This, master,  I would  ask,  if  ye  would  tell  me,  where  is  Decius  the  emperor,  he who  was  here  in  this   city?"      Then   answered  him  the  bishop Marinus,  and  said  to  Malchus;  "  My  dear  child,  there  is  not  today the  emperor  living  on  earth  who  is  named  Decius;  the  emperor  whom  thou  askest  about,  he  lived  in  the  world  long  ago, and very  many  years  are  now  past  since   he  departed  from  this life."    Then  said  Malchus  to  the  bishop  in  answer,  "  That  is  the one thing,  dear  lord,  which  oppresses  me  all  day,  and  that  is  the one fear  which  so  greatly  afflicts  me  in  my  mind,  and  no  man  will believe my  words;  but  I  pray  you  now  humbly  that  ye  will  follow after me  a  little  while. I have  very  near  at  hand  a  few  companions;  they  are  here,  yonder  in  the  cave  on  the  Celian  Hill ;  ye may  believe  without  doubt  the  meaning  of  all  this. Nevertheless, I know  it  to  be  a  true  thing,  that  we  all  fled  together  from  Decius