Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/217

 mother, nor  knew  they  that  she  was  their  mother;  neither  knew she that  they  were  her  sons. Then one  morning  time  they  spake betwixt themselves  therein  about  their  childhood,  and  their  mother sat earnestly  listening  to  their  tale. Then said  the  elder  brother, ' The  earliest  thing  that  I  can  remember  is,  that  my  father  was the tribune  of  the  soldiers,  and  my  mother  was  very  fair  of  countenance;  and  they  had  two  sons,  me  and  another  younger  one; and one  night  they  went  out,  and  took  us  too,  and  went  to  sea and rowed  out;  when  we  came  up  [i.e.  landed],  then  our  mother was not  with  us,  I  know  not  wherefore;    then  our  father  took us two,  and  bare  us  forth  weeping  on  his  way;   then  we  came to a  river,  and  he   went  into   the  water   and   bare   my   younger brother and  left  me. When he   returned,  wishing  to  fetch  me, there came  a  wolf  and  seized  my  brother;   and  before  he  could come  to   me,   suddenly  there    came    from   the   wood   a   lion,   and gripped  me,  and  ran  to  the  wood;    and  the  shepherds  who  were there at  hand  rescued  me,  and  I  was  there  reared  in  the  town, even  as  thou  knowest,  and  I  knew  not  how  my  father  and  my  brother  had  fared.'

When the  younger  brother  had  heard  all  this  from  the  elder brother, then  he  arose  and  caught  him  by  the  neck,  and  kissed  and embraced him,  and  said, '  By  the  God  whom  Christians  worship  I  am  thy  brother  by  thy  tale,  because  those  who  reared  me  told  me  that they had  saved  me  from  the  wolf.'    When  their  mother  heard  these words, then  all  her  heart  and  all  her  inward  thoughts  were  stirred, and  she  thought  whether  it  could   be  her  sons,  because  he  had said that  their  father  was  a  military  tribune,  and  eke  that  their mother was  left  behind  in  the  ship. Then the  next  day  she  sought the tribune  of  the  soldiers,  thus  saying,  'I  pray  thee,  dear  lord, that thou  wilt  bring  me  to  my  country. I am  truly  a  Roman,  and I was  brought  hither  in  captivity.'     Then  in  the  meanwhile  she looked at  him  very  earnestly,  and  recognised  the  signs  which  were on his   neck,  and  she   was  thereupon  affrighted,  and   could  not bear to  conceal  it  longer,  but  fell  at  his  feet,  and  said,  '  I  beseech thee, dear  lord,  that  thou  be  not  wrath  with  thy  servant;  but,  for thy clemency,  hear  me    and    tell   me    what    thou    art. I   ween,