Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/301

 feared, because  they  knew  of  his  coming,

and straightway  the  possessed  men,  with  horrible  roaring,

were filled  with  dread,   even  as  condemned  thieves

tremble, being  in  dread,  at  the  judge's  coming.

So Martin's  coming  was  made  known  to  the  priests

through the  devil's  roaring,  though  they  knew  it  not  before.

As often  as  he  desired  to  cast  out  devils  from  the  insane,

he prostrated  himself  on  the  church-floor,

clothed with  hair-cloth  and  bestrewed  with  ashes,

lying in  his  prayers  with  locked  doors,

and the  devils  afterward  were  immediately  driven

from the  afflicted  men  with  wonderful  gesticulations;

that the  saying  might  be  fulfilled  in  Martin,

that holy  men  shall  judge  angels.

XLIIII. At that  time  there  was  a  town  in  the  province  of  the Senones

which was  usually  devastated  every  year  by  hail;

so that  their  fields  were  spoiled  before

any reaper  had  gathered  the  harvest.

Then the  town-council  sent  a  trusty  messenger

to the  holy  Martin,  praying  for  his  help.

Then Martin  entreated  the  merciful  Lord

for the  afflicted  men;    and  from  that  day  forth,

for the  space  of  twenty  years,  while  he  continued  in  life,

there came  not  again  into  that  country  any  hail;

but in  the  first  year  after  he  was  dead

the hail  came  back,  and  evilly  afflicted  them,

that this  earth  might  know  of  Martin's  departure,

and weep  for  his  death,  as  it  had  rejoiced  in  his  life.

XLV. There was  a  certain  idol-temple  very  firmly  built,

and craftily  wrought  with  wondrously  hewn  stones,

and there  many  brothers  dwelt  afterward

in Martin's  time. Then he  ordered  a  mass-priest

called Marcellus,  who  had  his  dwelling  there,

to overthrow  that  wondrous  temple.