Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/307

 saying that  their  food  and  clothing  were  scanty.

Then said  the  holy  man  to  them  in  answer:

' Let  our  church  feed  us  and  let  our  church  clothe  us,

and we  will  keep  nought  for  ourselves  of  this  gift.'

What shall  we  longer  write  concerning  Martin's  miracles,

since Sulpicius  said  that  they  were  numberless,

and no  speech  can  reckon  his  miracles,

because he  had  greater  power  in  his  monkhood

than in  the  episcopal  office,  according  to  what  he  himself  said

But we  will  now  speak  concerning  his  departure.

LI. The blessed  Martin  knew  of  his  ending

long before  he  departed  from  this  life  to  Christ;

and he  announced  his  death  to  some  of  his  brothers.

There were  at  that  time  in  the  monastery  at  Candes

some priests  at  variance,  and  he  journeyed  thither,

desiring to  reconcile  them  before  his  departure,

and to  leave  God's  congregation  at  peace.

So he  travelled  thitherward  with  some  brothers,

when he  saw  some  diver-birds  swimming  in  a  river,

and repeatedly  dipping  down  to  the  bottom,

pursuing the  fish  with  ravenous  greediness.

Then spake  the  holy  man  to  his  companions  thus;

'These birds  have  a  likeness  to  fiends

who ever  lay  snares  about  the  unwary,

and greedily  take  them,  and  destroy  them  when  taken,

and are  not  filled  with  the  prey  that  they  take.'

Then Martin  bade  the  greedy  divers

desist from  fishing  and  journey  to  the  wilderness;

and the  birds  thereupon  went  away  to  the  wood,