Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/291

 in the  wide  field,  since  they  believed  on  Christ,

but he  admitted  them  all  straightway  on  the  spot  as  catechumens.

XXXIV. Again   on    a    certain    occasion,  as    Martin    was    travelling

with his  companions,  there  came  there  suddenly  running

an exceeding  mad  cow,  and  those  that  followed  her

cried to  the  holy  man  to  take  care,

because she  gored  badly  every  one  whom  she  met.

Then she  came  running  with  awful  eyes,

but the  holy  man  instantly  commanded  her  to  stand  still,

and she  straightway  obeyed  his  best  and  stood  there.

Then the  holy  man  saw  that  there  sat  a  devil

on the  cow's  back,  and  said  to  the  demon;

'Depart, thou  cruel  one,  away  from  the  beast,

and cease  to  vex  this  innocent  heifer.'

Then the  evil  spirit  obeyed  Martin,

and departed  from  the  cow,  and  she  immediately  knew

that she  was  delivered,  and  lay  outstretched

before his  feet,  her  quiet  being  restored.

Then the  holy  man  commanded  her  to  go  back  to  the  herd,

and she,  innocent  as  a  sheep,  returned  to  the  drove.

XXXV. Martin also  once  met  a  hunter;

their dogs  were  furiously  chasing  a  hare

over the  broad  field,  and  it  doubled  repeatedly,

thinking by  the  doubling  to  escape  death.

Then the  saint  had  ruth  of  the  hare's  peril,

and commanded  the  hounds  to  desist  from  running,

and to  let  the  hare  escape  by  flight.

Then the  dogs  stood,  at  the  first  word,

as if  their  feet  were  fastened  to  the  earth,

and the  hare  got  away  safely  from  the  dogs.