Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/193

 and many  angels  with  Him,  where  they  were  looking  on,

and took  the  housel  which  was  there  consecrated,

and said  to  the  bishop  with  blithe  aspect,

'My beloved,  receive  this,  and  I  with  my  Father

will for  thee  fulfil  these  mysteries  with  perfection,

because with  Me  there  is  a  great  reward  to  thyself,

and to  those  who  hear  (thee)  there  is  salvation  in  My  kingdom.

Now   do    valiantly,    and   thy   memory    shall    remain   in   (men's) praise;

and as  for  the  love  and  benignity  which  dwell  in  thy  breast,

for whomsoever  they  plead,  they  shall  always  obtain  (their  boon).'

And after  these  words  He  returned  to  heaven.

Then soon  after,  Sisinnius  commanded  in  the  morning

the Saints  to  be  fetched  out  of  the  foul  dungeon,

and ordered  (them)  to  offer  their  sacrifices  to  the  lifeless  gods,

if they  recked  of  their  life  or  were  reasonable.

But the  Saints  continued  in  the  Saviour's  faith,

and the  infuriated  judge  desired  yet  again  to  try,

if he  might,  to  turn  them  from  God's  worship;

he commanded  men  to  scourge  them  all  again  severely  with  rods,

and afterward  to  behead  them  for  the  Saviour's  faith.

Then the  heathen  led  the  Saints  to  death,

and Dionysius  thanked  his  Lord  with  praise

for all  the  wonders  which  He  had  wrought  through  him;

and they  were  beheaded,  as  the  savage  prefect  had  ordered,

with sharp  axes;    and  there  God  manifested

a very  great  wonder  through  the  illustrious  bishop.

For there  came  a  great  light  to  the  martyrs'  bodies,

and the  bishop's  body  arose  with  that  light,

and took  his  own  head,  which  was  hewn  off

upon the  hill,  and  went  him  forth  thence

over two  miles,  while  the  men  were  looking  on,

praising his  Lord  with  holy  hymns;