Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/251

 greatly wondering  why  it  should  thus  befall  them.

But when  Martin  understood  that  they  were  travelling  with  a  corpse,

not with  an  idol,  then  he  lifted  up  his  hand,

and gave  them  leave  to  journey  forward

and to  bear  the  body  to  the  tomb  as  they  had  intended.

Thus the  holy  bishop  bound  them  with  a  word,

and again,  when  he  would,  let  then;  go  away.

X.    The  holy  Martin  overthrew  an  idol

on a  certain  occasion,   in  a  certain  place;

and there  was  a  pine-tree  close  to  the  temple,  protected

and accounted  very  holy  in  heathen  wise.

Then desired  he  also  to  cut  down  the  tree;

but the  idolaters  opposed  the  saint,

saying that  they  could  not  find  it  in  their  mind

that he  should  cut  down  the  tree,  although  he  had  overthrown their  temple.

Then said  the  holy  bishop  that  there  was  in  that  tree

no peculiar  holiness,  and  told  the  heathen

that they  ought  rather  to  worship  the  true  God,

and hew  down  the  tree  which  was  consecrated  to  the  devil.

Then said  one  of  the  heathen  to  the  holy  bishop;

'If thou  hast  any  trust  in  thy  God,

we will  cut  down  the  tree,  and  thou  shalt  receive  it  when  falling;

and if  thy  God  is  with  thee,  thou  wilt  go  away  safe.'

Then Martin,  undismayed,  and  firmly  confident  in  God,

promised that  he  would  fulfil  that  (condition)  by  his  deeds.

Then they  all  with  glad  minds  began  to  cut  down

the high  pine-tree,  and  it  was  inclined

all to  one  side,  so  that  one  might  easily  know

whither it  would  settle;    and  they  set  Martin

there right  opposite  to  it,  that  it  might  fall  upon  him.

Then his  monks  were  wondrously  affrighted,

and thought  nothing  else  but  that  he  should  there  be  crushed;