Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/551

 of all  men  is  now  made  known  to  us  through  open  signs,  and God's holy  martyrs  are   arisen,  and  have   speech  with   mankind concerning  it."     When  the   good  emperor  Theodosius  had  read the  letter,  he  arose  from  the  floor  and  from  the   mean  sacking upon  which  he  had  long  been  sitting  sadly,  and  he  thanked  God Almighty  and  cried  aloud,  "  We  thank  Thee,  great  Creator,  Thou Who art  King  and  Ruler  in  heaven  and  earth;  we  confess  Thee, dear Saviour,  Thou  Who  only  art  the  Son  of  the  living  God;  we glorify  Thee  with  inward  heart  that  Thou  hast  willed  to  show  us on  earth  the  sun  of  Thy  righteousness,  and  to  enlighten  us  in  our exile with  the  light  of  Thy  great  mercy. Thou wouldest  not. Lord, permit that   the  lantern  of  my  confession  should    be  quenched, which began  to  shine  from  the  lantern  of  my  fathers;   [viz.]   of Constantinus,  the  noble  one,  and  Thy  chosen  one. Lord, [as]  we  believe."     And  he  immediately  went  swiftly  with  great  haste  in his  chariot  from  the  city  Constantinople  to  Ephesus,  and  all  the citizens  went  down  together  towards  the  emperor's  coming,  and the  bishop  very  humbly  went  to  meet  him,  and,  with  the  chiefest men,  led  him  to  the  cave.     And  then   they  ascended  the  Celian Hill  with  the  emperor,  and  approached  the  Saints  who  were  in  the cave :  and  they,  the  holy  martyrs,  went  then  to  meet  the  emperor ; and  as  soon  as  they  looked  upon  him,  all  their  countenances  began to  shine  like  the   thoroughly  bright  sun;  and  he,  the  emperor, then   went  in,   and  there  prostrated  himself  before    the    Saints. And  they  raised  him  from  the  floor,  and  he  then  embraced  them all,  and  for  the  great  bliss  he  wept  over  each  one  severally,  and  his heart was  rejoiced,  and  with  the  greatest  gladness  he  said  to  the Saints, "  It  quite  seemeth  to  me,  since  I  see  you  here  thus  before me,  as  if  I  were  very  nigh  at  hand  to  the  Saviour  Our  Lord,  and beheld  Him  with  my  eyesight  when  He  awaked  Lazarus  from  the tomb:  and  now  it  seemeth  to  me  just  as  if  I  stand  visibly  before