Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/199

 who are  worthy  of  Him,  did  not  despise  his  good  works,  nor  would He   that   his    benevolent   disposition,    very    deserving    in    God's sight,  should  be  let  go  without  meed,  and  be  covered  over  by  the darkness of  devil-worship;  but  according  to  that  which  is  written, 'that  in    every   nation   he   who    worketh   righteousness   shall   be acceptable  with  Him,'  He  condescended  to  this  benevolent  mercy, and healed  him  with  a  like  measure  (of  it). It happened  one  day that he  went  out  hunting  with  all  his  company  and  array;  then he saw  a  great  flock  of  harts,  and  disposed  his  company,  as  was customary to  him,   in    order   to  take   them  by   hunting. When they were    all  busied    about   the    hunting,   then    there    appeared to himself  an  immense  hart,  which  was  of  exceeding  bigness  above all the  others,  and  beautiful;  and  then  he  turned  from  the  flock, and rushed  into  the  wood  where  it  was  thickest. When Placidas saw that,  he  desired  to  take  it  and  zealously  went  after  it  with a few  companions;  then  at  last  they  were  all  tired,  and  he  alone, unweary, followed  after  it. Verily through  God's  predestination neither his  horse  nor  himself  was  wearied,  nor  did  he  stop  for  the roughness of  the  way,  but  he  went  long  after  (it),  and  departed far from  his  companions. Then indeed  the  hart  mounted  up  on  a high  rock  and  there  stood. Then Placidas  stood  long  and  beheld the hart,  and  wondered  at  its  size,  and  ceased  his  pursuit. Then God revealed  to  him   that  he   should   not   fear   such  power,   nor wonder at  the  greatness  of  his  might. Behold, between  the  hart's horns  glittered  the  likeness  of  Christ's   holy  rood,  brighter  than the sun's  beam,  and  the  image  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;    and  He sent   human   speech   into   the   hart,    and   cried   to   Placidas,   thus saying,  '  Oh   Placidas! why  persecutest  thou  Me? Lo! for thy sake I  am  now  come  that  I,  by  means  of  this  beast,  might  show myself to  thee. I  am   the   Christ   whom   thou   ignorantly   worshippest;  the  alms  which  thou  doest  to  the  poor  are  before  Me, and I  came  that  I  might  reveal  Myself  to  thee  through  this  hart, and instead  of  it  might  hunt  and  take  thee  with  the  nets  of  My mercy. It is  not  right  that  my  beloved  servant,  in  requital  for his good  works,  should  serve  unclean  devils  and  the  unreasoning idols; wherefore  I  came  to  the  earth  in  this  form,  such  as  thou