Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/27

 holy baptism;    and  I  am  no  spirit,  but  embers  and  ashes,   and all   flesh,    and    [having    no    spiritual    appearance.'       When    she had  thus  said],  she  blessed   her  face  with  the  holy  sign  of  the cross, and   she  fortified  her    eyes    and  lips  and  even   her  breast with the  sign  of  blessing,  and  thus  said:  '  God  deliver  us. Abbot Zosimus, from  our  adversary  and  from  his   instigations,  because that great  is  his  spite  against  us.'     The  old  man,  hearing  these words, prostrated  himself,  [and  seized  her  feet,  saying  with  tears: 'I conjure  thee,  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  our  true  Lord,  who condescended to  be  born  of  a  virgin,  for  whose  sake   thou  hast wasted this  thy  flesh,  to  hide  nothing  from  thy  servant,  as  to  who thou art,  and  whence,  and  when  or  for  what  reason  thou  didst first dwell  in  this  solitude;  but  tell  me  all  things  about  thyself, that thou  mayest  make   manifest  the  wondrous  doings  of  God. For as  to  hidden  wisdom  and  a  hidden  treasure,  what  use  is  there in either,  as  it  is  written? Tell me  everything  for  God's  sake; for thou  wilt  not  say  anything  for  vainglory  or  ostentation,  but to satisfy  me,  who  am  a  sinner  and  unworthy. For I  trust  in God,  for  whom  thou  livest  and  with  whom   thou  hast  converse, that for  this  very  cause  I  was  directed  to  this  wilderness,  that God might  make  manifest  the  things  concerning  thee. For it  is not  in  our  power  to  resist  the  judgments  of  God. Unless it  had been acceptable  to  Christ  the  Lord  to  make  known  both  thee  and thy strivings,  He  would  neither  have  permitted  thee  to  be  seen by any  one,  nor  would  He  have  strengthened  me  to  set  out  on so  long  a  journey,  who  was  not    able   to  travel  anywhere,   nor strong enough  to  walk  beyond  my  cell.'

Chap. XII. Whilst he  was  speaking  thus,  and  saying  other things besides,  the  woman  lifted  him  up,  and  said:  "  Of  a  truth I  blush — pardon  me,  father  abbot — to  tell  thee  the  vileness  of my  deeds;  yet,  since  thou  hast  seen  my  body  naked,  I  will  also lay  bare  to  thee  the  very  performances  of  my  deeds,  that  thou  mayest  know  how  replete  is  my  soul  with  vile  lechery  and  shame of  confusion.  For,  as  thou  hast  thyself  truly  supposed,  I  do  not wish  to  tell  the  things  concerning  myself  out  of  any  vainglory.