Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/165

 praying  for  forgiveness  with  weeping  and  lamentation.

Then forthwith  he  saw  with  sound  eyes,

being  enlightened   by  the   same  (Being)    who  had   before   made him  blind.

And then  the  judge  sumptuously  buried

the body  of  Longinus,  and  believed  on  Christ,

ever glorifying  God  until  he  departed  this  life.

Glory and  praise  be  to  the  benevolent  God,

who reigneth  ever  eternally. AMEN.

There was  a  certain  heathen  Emperor  hight  Maximian,

who fared  with  a  great  force  to  the  Frankish  land  [Gaul],

desiring to  subdue  by  war  the  tribes

who were  rebellious  and  had  renounced  his  rule.

The Emperor  was  keen  and  cruel,

and practised  idolatry,  living  as  a  heretic,

and killed  God's  servants  with  great  cruelty.

There were  in  the  array  many  Christian  men

and one  especial  Legion  from  Eastern  nations,

very Christian  men,  following  the  Emperor,

because they  had  to  serve  in  the  wars  even  as  all  people  did.

A Legion  is  said  in  the  old  reckoning  [to  be]

six thousand  men  and  six  hundred  and  six  and  sixty.

So many  men  were  there  in  the  aforesaid  legion,

firmly believing  on  the  living  God,

though their  lord  was,  to  a  mad  extent,  a  heathen.

In this  flock  the  foremost  men

were Maurice the  chief,  and  Exuperius,