Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/169

 Then Maximian  became  inflamed  with  great  anger,

and bade  the  heathen  go  and  slay  the  saints,

that men  might  see  how  Maximian  would  avenge

his own  dishonour  and  eke  that  of  his  gods.

And they  therewith  went  quickly  to  fulfil  his  commands.

Then Maurice,  the  illustrious  servant  of  God,

and Exuperius,  filled  with  humility,

exhorted their  companions  to  be  fearless,

and requested  them  to  cast  their  weapons  away  from  them,

and for  Christ's  faith  to  submit  to  their  executioners,

[going]   joyfully   to    death,    even    as    He    [Christ]   Himself    set them  the  example

when He  bade  Peter  to  sheathe  his  sword.

In the  midst  of  these  exhortations  the  heathen  hastened

with formidable  weapons  to  the  pious  company,

and slew  the  Christians,  even  as  the  Emperor  had  commanded,

with their  weapons  furiously,  as  one  heweth  wood;

and the  servants  of  God  hastened  with  gladness,

stretched out  their  necks  to  the  death  for  Christ,

and would  not  with  their  weapons  strive  against  them,

but hastened  with  emulation  to  the  terrible  swords.

After that  the  Emperor  sent  to  the  executioners,

and bade  that  they  should  not  leave  of  that  faithful  band

one man  alive  who  believed  in  Christ;

and they  so  did  as  the  devil's  worshipper

savagely bade,  and  killed  the  servants  of  God,

so that  not  one  was  left  of  the  company.

Many of  God's  angels  from  heaven  straightway

received their  souls  with  great  joy,

even as  God's  well-instructed  servants  sing  in  hymns.

Then the  soldiers  divided  Christ's  martyrs'

weapons and  garments,  because  the  bloodthirsty  one  bade

that each  of  them  should  have  as  spoil

that man's  clothes  whom  he  had  killed  with  his  weapons.

After this  dividing  the  presumptuous  murderers

sat down  together  with  great  merriment,