Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/189

 desiring that  no  man  who  was  a  Christian  should  be  left.

He sent  also  immediately  a  certain  prefect

called Sisinnius  [Fescenninus?],  an  exceeding  fierce  devil,

with many  companions,  to  the  Franks'  kingdom,

that they  should  kill  Dionysius,  God's  servant,  with  weapons,

unless he  would  bow  to  the  shameful  gods.

Whereupon Sisinnius  journeyed  with  great  array

until he  came  to  the  city  wherein  was  the  bishop

teaching the  lay  folk  zealously  in  the  faith.

Then the  cruel  prefect  bade  men  bind  the  holy  man

and a  mass-priest  whom  he  found  with  him,

named Rusticus,  and  a  certain  arch-deacon

called Eleutherius,  (all)  together  with  hard  knots.

These holy  men  had  ever  lived  with  the  bishop,

until they  all  departed  to  God  together.

Then Sisinnius  immediately  asked  the  holy  man

with a  great  threat  what  God  he  worshipped.

Then said  they  all  three  as  if  with  one  mouth;

'We confess  with  mouth  and  believe  in  mind

in the  Holy  Trinity,  Who  is  heavenly  God,

that is  Father  and  Son,  and  the  Comforting  Spirit,

and we  preach  to  men  the  world's  redemption

through the  holy  Son  whom  the  Heavenly  Father

of His  own  will  sent  to  be  slain  for  us.'

Then said  Sisinnius,  '  Say  if  ye  will

obey the  Caesar,  and  believe  on  his  gods;

if then  ye  will  not,  I  will  not  longer  by  words,

but by  hard  stripes,  make  known  his  bests  to  you.'

Then he  bade  men  strip  the  holy  bishop,

and scourge  him  unmercifully,  and  he  sang  his  prayers

amidst the  tortures,  glorifying  his  Lord,

Who could  easily  have  delivered  him  from  those  wicked  men;