Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/295

 after her  husband's  departure,  and  that  shall  be  her  strength,

and perfect  victory,  that  she  be  not  seen  abroad.

XXXVII. The holy  bishop  was  once  in  the  city  of  Chartres

with two  other  bishops,  when  a  certain  man  brought

his daughter  to  him,  who  was  born  dumb,

a maiden  of  twelve  winters,  and    besought  Martin

that he  through  his  merits  would   unloose  her  tongue.

Then the  bishop  hesitated,  but  the  others  begged  him,

and assisted  the  father  that  he  should  perform  his  request.

Then Martin  bade  the  multitude  go  out,

save the  bishops  only  and  her  own  father;

then lie  prostrated  himself,  as  his  wont  was,

in private  prayers,  and  afterward  arose,

and blessed  some  oil  and  poured  it  on  her  mouth,

and with  his  fingers  held  her  tongue  forward,

and after  that  asked  her  what  her  father  was  called.

Then the  maiden  at  once  said  her  father's  name,

and had  her  speech  with  healed  tongue.

XXXVIII. The holy  man  once  blessed  for  a  woman  some  oil

in a  vessel  which  we  call  ampulla,

for the  need  of  sick  men,  as  she  herself  besought;

and after  the  blessing  the  oil  was  carried  to  her.

Then the  oil  increased  all  along  the  way

so that  it  overflowed,  and  nevertheless  came  to  her  full;

other oil  he  blessed  in  a  glass  ampulla,

and set  the  oil  in  a  window;

and a  boy  knocked  down  the  vessel  unwarily

upon the  marble,  but  it  could  not  break

nor could  it  lose  Martin's  blessing.

XXXIX. Likewise other  men  in  Martin's  name

performed miracles,  even  as  the  writer  said

that a  hound  was  barking  furiously  at  a  man;

then in  Martin's  name  he  commanded  the  hound  to  hold  his  peace,

and he  was  instantly  silent  as  if  he  were  dumb.