Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/127

 greatly to  thank,  that  he  might  (be  allowed  to)  live;

and commanded     him  to  tell,  in  his  country  at  home,

God's miracle  upon  him;    and  then  departed  from  him.

Heliodorus then  revived,  and  offered  his  sacrifice

to the  Almighty  God  with  his  inmost  heart,

because he  was  allowed  to  be  alive,  and  thanked  Onias,

and so  fared  thence  with  all  his  army,

and told  his  lord  and  all  his  people  the  Almighty's  might,

as he  himself  saw  (it),  and  how  he  was  switched.

Again the  king  asked  Heliodorus,  and  quoth,

' Whom  may  we  send  for  the  aforesaid  treasure? '

Then quoth  Heliodorus,  'if  thou  hast   any  enemy,  send  him  for the  treasure,

and he  shall  be  well  switched,  or  certainly  dead,

because that  the  Almighty  God  protecteth  the  place,

and then  strikes  and  puts  to  shame  them  that  will  there  do  injury.'

Oft is  it  manifested  how  God  protected  the  people

against their  opponents,  if  they  worshipped  him;

and as  often  as  they  bent  aside  from  His  worship  in  any  wise,

then were  they  put  to  shame,  and  greatly  punished.

Be glory  and  praise  to  the  benevolent  God,

ever to  eternity;    we  will  say — Amen.

It is,  however,  to  wit,  that  in  this  world

there are  three  orders,  set  in  unity,

these are — ''labourers,  headsmen,  soldiers. ''

Labourers are  they  who  obtain  with  toil  our  subsistence;