Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/185

 wheresoever thou  turnest,  even  as  He  verily  was

with the  blessed  Peter  and  Paul  in  their  lives.

Flinch not  in  any  wise  on  account  of  the  savage  people;

by   how  much    the    more    a    man   toileth,    so    much   the   better reward  shall  he  receive.'

Then   he    provided    himself    with     companions,    and    he    went courageous

through the  Holy  Ghost,  preaching  to  the  heathen

Christianity and  baptism,  until  he  came  to  a  city

called Paris,  amidst  the  heathen

in the  Franks'  kingdom,  and  the  Saviour  succoured  him

with signs  and  wonders,  so  that  he  subdued  the  heathen,

and very  speedily  converted  the  citizens  to  the  faith.

Then he  bought  land  of  a  believing  man,

and there  quickly  raised  a  church  by  his  skill,

and consecrated  God's  servants,  that  they  might  serve

the heavenly  God  in  monastic  life.

Then Dionysius  daily  converted

many to  the  faith  by  his  fair  lore,

and   subjected  to  his  Lord   those  whom  he    snatched    from    the devil,

and men  sought  the  church  eagerly  with  faith.

So many  wonders  wrought  the  allwielding  God

by the  holy  man,  that  the  wonders  converted

the opposing  heathen  to  the  Saviour's  faith

quite as  much  as  his  preaching,  as  books  tell  us.

He sent  some  of  his  companions  to  Spain,

and to  other  lands,  to  sow  God's  lore,

and he  himself  continued  fearlessly  with  the  Franks,

who especially  erred  in  the  devil's  worship.

Often the  idolaters  who  were  there  the  fiercest

assembled their  congregations  and  stirred  up  a  tumult,

and came  armed  to  the  venerable  man.

But as  soon  as  they  saw  his  shining  countenance