Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/255

 Then Martin  departed  not  very  far  from  thence,

and clothed  himself  with  haircloth,  and  bestrewed  himself  with ashes,

fasting three  days,  and  besought  his  Lord

that he  would  (destroy)  the  heathen  temple  by  heavenly  might,

since he,  by  his  power,  could  not  crush  it.

After that  fasting  there  came  suddenly  to  him

two shining  angels  with  spears  and  shields,

as if  in  the  likeness  of  a  heavenly  army,

saying to  the  saint  that  the  Saviour  had  sent  them,

that they  might  confound  the  churlish  folk,

and succour  Martin  so  that  they  should  not  withstand  him.

Then Martin  went  to  the  aforesaid  idol,

and with  the  succour  of  the  angels,  while  men  were  looking  on,

utterly destroyed  the  temple  and  the  altar  to  dust,

and all  the  images  of  their  venerated  gods.

Then the  heathen  could  not  resist  Martin,

but were  greatly  terrified  by  the  divine  might,

and believed  in  God,  crying  with  faith

that   that    God  was    to    be   worshipped    Whom    the    holy  man preached,

and their  gods  were  to  be  forsaken  who  could  not  profit  them.

XIII. Once, on  a  certain  occasion,  even  as  the  story  telleth  us,

the holy  bishop  was  overthrowing  a  vast  idol;

then came  down  straightway  upon  him  the  churlish  folk,

fiercely raging,  because  they  were  heathen,

and one  of  them  instantly  drew  his  sword.

The bishop,  going  towards  him,  took  off  his  cape,

and stretched  forth  his  neck  to  the  murderous  heathen;

and therewith  the  heathen,  when  he  would  have  slain  him,

fell backwards,  seized  with  terror,