Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/241

 waiting undismayed  the  granting  of  his  prayers.

Then after  two  hours  the  dead  stirred

in all  his  limbs  and  began  to  look  up;

whereupon Martin  cried  out,  fervently  thanking  God.

And those  who  stood  there  outside  stepped  in  instantly,

greatly amazed;    because  they  saw  him  living

whom they  had  before  left  dead.

Then was  he  straightway  baptized,  and  lived  afterwards

for many  years,  and  related  to  men

that he  had  been  brought  before  the  throne  of  the  highest  judge,

and there  he  was  condemned  to  a  dim  place

where he  dwelt  joyless  with  worldly  men

in torments  for  a  while;    and  then  it  was  made  known

by two  angels  to  the  almighty  judge

that he  was  the  man  for  whom  Martin  had  prayed,

and after  that  it  was   commanded    that,  by  means  of  the  same angels,

he should  be  brought  to  life  again

and restored  to  Martin;    and  so  it  thus  befell.

Then Martins  fame  sprang  widely  throughout  the  land,

so   that    he    who    was    holy    in    works    was    believed    to    be   an apostolic  man.

VI. Again after  some  time  the  holy  man  was  journeying

over a  nobleman's  land,  called  Lupicinus,

when he  heard  suddenly  far  off  the  cry

of a  weeping  multitude,  and  he  stood  still

enquiring anxiously  what  that  wonder  might  be.

Then was  it  told  him  that  some  unlucky  man

of the  household  had  hung  himself;

and thus  hanging  had  destroyed  himself.

Then Martin  entered  where  the  man  lay  dead,