Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/287

 in a  royal  car,  and  they  did  not  know  Martin.

Martin rode  quickly  towards  them  poorly  clad

in black  clothes;    then  the  mules  which  drew  the  chariot

drew aside  quickly,  being  frightened  at  his  approach,

and entangled  the  traces,  so  that  they  could  not  pull.

Then the  soldiers  were  madly  incensed

and seized  Martin,  and  scourged  him  a  long  while

with whips  and  with  staves;    and  he  was  alway  silent

as if  he  felt  their  blows  nowhit,

and at  this  they  were  the  madder  against  him,

and more  furiously  beat  the  holy  man.

Then came  his  companions  and  found  him  lying

with bleeding  limbs  and  beaten  body,

and quickly  raised  him  up  upon  his  ass,

and hastened  to  get  away  from  the  place.

Then the  soldiers  desired  to  go  forward  with  the  chariot,

but all  the  mules  became  alike  immoveable,

fastened to  the  earth  as  if  they  were  brazen.

Then they  beat  all  the  mules  alike

with whips  and  rods,  but  they  ever  stood

in the  same  place  as  if  they  had  been  images.

Then at  length  the  soldiers  understood  by  means  of  the  beasts

that they  had  been  set  fast  by  divine  might,

and began  to  enquire  of  other  wayfarers

who the  man  might  be  whom  they  had  so  savagely  beaten.

Then it  was  told  them  that  it  was  Martin,

and they  forthwith  all  ran  after  him,

bestrewed with  dust  and  drearily  weeping

that they  had  so  shamefully  maltreated  the  holy  man,

and lay  at  his  feet  prostrate  with  fear,

beseeching his  clemency  that  they  might  proceed,

and saying  that  they  themselves  rather  deserved

to stand  stiffened  in  the  likeness  of  stones,

or that  the  earth  should  swallow  them  all.