Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/201

 now seest  Me,  that  I  might  heal  mankind.'     "When  Placidas  heard this,  then  was  he  affrighted  with  the  utmost  awe,  and  fell  off  his horse  to  the  earth,  and  lay  there  for  about  an  hour  of  the  day,  and then  arose  again  and  desired  to  know  more  certainly  about  the revelation  which  had  appeared  to  him,  and  said  to  himself;  '  What is  this  vision  which  has  here  appeared  to  me?   Dear  Lord,  reveal to  me  what  thou  spakest  to   me,  that  I  may  believe  on   Thee.' Then  said  Christ  to  him,  '  Listen  now,  Placidas;  I  am  Jesus  Christ, Who  wrought  heaven  and  earth  out  of  nothing,  and  caused  light to  spring  up,  and  divided  the  darkness;  and  I  am  He  Who  set days  and  seasons  and  years;  and  I  am  He  Who  formed  man  out of  the  earth,  and  for  mankind's   salvation  I  came  to  earth  and took flesh,  and  was  crucified  and  was  buried,  and  the  third  day arose from  the  dead.'

When Placidas  heard  this,  then  fell  he  again  immediately  on  the    earth    and   said,    '  I   believe,   Lord,   that   Thou  art   He   Who wroughtest all  things,  and  convertest  the  erring,  and  quickenest the dead.'     Then  said  the  Lord  to  him,  '  If  thou  believest  on  Me, go to  the  city,  to  the  bishop  of  Christian  men,  and  pray  him  for baptism.'    Then    said    Placidas,    'Dear   Lord,  may    I   make    this known to  my  wife  and  to  my  children,  that  they  may  believe  on Thee "?'  Then  said  the  Lord  to  him,  '  Go  now  and  bid  them  receive baptism,   and    ye    shall   then    be   cleansed  from   the   pollution   of idolatry;  and  come  hither  again,  and  I  will  show  thee  more  fully, and  make  known  to  thee  those  things  which  are  to  be,  and  will reveal  the  holy  mysteries.'

Behold, then! Placidas went  home  thence  at  night,  and  told  his wife all  that  he  had  seen. As soon  as  she  heard  it,  then  she  said; ' My    lord,    thou    sawest    the    God    Who    was    crucified. Whom Christian men  worship;    He  truly  is  the  one  true  God  Who  by such  signs  calleth  to  Him  those  who  believe  on  Him;  and  in  this night I  saw  Him,  and  He  said  to  me,  "  Now,  to-morrow  thou  and thy  husband,  and  thy  sons  shall  come  to  Me." And now  I  have perceived that  He  Himself  ever  is  the  Saviour  Christ. Verily He desired  to  show,  under  such  a  form,  a  wonderful  spectacle  by  means of the  hart,  that  thou  mightest  wonder  the  more  at  His  might,