Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/269

 Then the  bishop  went  even  as  the  angel  bade  him,

and every  gate  was  opened  before  him

until he  suddenly  stood  before  the  emperor.

Then the  emperor  was  angry  at  his  entrance,

and would  not  welcome  him,  but  there  appeared  a  miracle  of  God,

so that  heavenly  fire  hung  over  his  throne,

and set  light  to  the  throne,  and  would  have  done  the  same  to  himself

if he  had  not  very  quickly  arisen,  his  anger  being  cast  away;

and, being  divinely  terrified,  kissed  the  bishop

whom he  had  before  determined  to  scorn  with  insult.

Then he  promised  amendment  forthwith  to  the  bishop,

and granted  him  all  that  he  required

before he  asked  him,  and  spake  friendly  to  him

and offered  him  many  gifts;    but  he  would  not  receive  them,

XXIII. Often Martin  saw  angels  come  to  him

so that  they  spake  familiarly  to  the  saint;

and on  one  occasion  an  angel  told  him

what the  other  bishops  had  spoken  in  their  synod,

and thus  the  saint  knew  what  they  had  there  decreed,

by the  angel's  saying,  though  he  himself  went  not  thither.

The holy  apostles  Peter  and  Paul  he  saw  frequently,

even as  he  said  himself  to  Sulpicius  the  writer,

who durst  ask  him  anything  that  he  would.

The same  Sulpicius  and  another  brother

sat one  day,  greatly  afraid,

before Martin's  room,  and  he  knew  not  that  they  were  outside;

then heard  they  some  one  conferring  with  Martin  a  long  while,

and he  had  previously  been  locked  in  alone  in  the  house.

Afterwards, as  he  came  out,  Sulpicius  asked

and humbly  besought  him  that  he  would  reveal  to  him

who had  been  speaking  with  him;    then  he  hesitated  long