Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/21

 for the  hope  of  the  reward  for  which  thou  hast  so  greatly  toiled. Stand and  give  me  the  blessing  of  thy  prayer,  through  the  God who rejecteth  no  man  from  Him.'     These  words  Zosimus  verily pronounced with  tears.

Then came  she,  running,  to  a  certain  place,  in  which  were  signs as it  were  of  a  dried  up  burn  [stream];    when  they   had  come thither, then  she  shot  into  the  burn,  and  again  up  on  the  other  side. Then  Zosimus    crying   aloud,  and  in   no   direction    advancing  (?) forwards, stood  there  on  the  other  side  of  the  burn  which  was  there visible, and  added  tears  to  tears,  and  multiplied  sighs  upon  sighs, so that  nothing  was  heard  there  save  the  lamentation  of  mourning. Then indeed  the  figure  which  fled  there  sent  forth  this  voice  and thus   spake,  'Thou,  Abbot  Zosimus,  have  pity  on  me  for  God's sake,  I  pray  thee,  because    I    cannot   show   myself  to    thee  and turn towards  thee;  for  I  am  a  person  of  female  sex,  and  totally bereaved of  bodily  clothing,  even  as  thou  thyself  seest,  and  having the shame  of  my  body  uncovered. But if  thou  desirest  to  grant me, a  poor  evil-doer,  thy  salutary  prayers,  then  cast  me  hither thy mantle  with  which   thou  art  clothed,  that   I   may  cover  my womanly  weakness,  and  turn  to  thee  and  receive  thy  prayers.'

Then indeed  a  great  awe  and  fright    seized  Zosimus,  because he heard  her  name  him  by  his  name,  whom  she  had  never  before seen, nor  had  ever  heard  tell  it  before,  except  that  he  manifestly perceived  that   she  was    enlightened  with  divine    foreknowledge. Then   he    confidently    did    even    as    she    had    prayed   him,   ungirded  the  mantle  with  which  he  was  clothed,  and,  turning  his back, threw  it  to  her. This she  then  received,  and  covered  her body, and  girded  herself  about  the  part  that  she  most  required to do,  and  [which  there]  was  most  need  to  conceal. Then  she turned to  Zosimus  and  said  to  him,  '  Why  hadst  thou,  oh  Abbot Zosimus,   so    great    need   to    see    me,   a   sinful   woman,   or  what desirest thou  to  have  from   me  or  to  know,  that  thou  hast  not slacked to  perform  so  great  labour  on  my  account?'     Then  he straightway  prostrated  himself  on  the   earth,  and  besought  her blessing; she  in  turn  prostrated  herself  and  besought  his  blessing. Then after  the  space  of  many  hours  the  woman  said  to  Zosimus,