Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/31

 thus lived,  I  saw  at  a  certain  season  a  great  multitude  of  Africans and Egyptians  running  together  as  it  were  towards  the  sea. Then I suddenly  met  one  of  them,  and  asked  him  whither  he  supposed that the  multitude  desired   to    hasten. He   answered    me,  and spake thus,  saying,  that  they  wished  to  go  to  Jerusalem  out  of  reverence  for  the    Holy  Rood,  which  should  receive  due  honour not many  days  afterward. Then said  I  to  him:  "Thinkest  thou that  they  will  take  me  too,  if  I  wish  to  go  with  them? "     Then said he:    "If  thou  hast  the  passage-money,  none  of  them  will  refuse  you." Then said    I  to  him:    "  Brother,  verily   I  have  no passage-money  to  give;   but  I  wish  to  go  and  embark  in  one  of the  ships,  and  they  shall  support  me,  though  they  do  not  wish  it; and  I  will  entrust  myself  to  them;  and  let  them  have  my  body  at  their  pleasure   for  the  passage-money,  that    they  may  the   more readily  receive  me." Pity me,  abbot,  because  I  desired  to  go  with them, that  I  might  have  the  more  associates  in  the  passion  of  my desires. I said  before  to  thee,  "pity  me,  thou 'holy  man;"  in  order that thou  shouldst  not  compel  me  to  recount  my  shame. God knoweth that  I  fear  my  own  words,  because  I  know  that  these words  of   mine  pollute   both   thee   and  the   very   air.'     Zosimus indeed, bedewing  the    earth  with  his   tears,  said    to  her:    '  Ah, thou spiritual  mother,  say  on,  I  pray  thee,  for  God's  sake,  and be not  silent  as  to  the  sequel  of  so  sanctifying  a  history.'     And then she  said  thus:   '  The  young  man  soon  heard  the  shamefulness of my  words,  and  departed  from  me,  laughing. Thereupon I  soon cast from  me  the  flax-stick  [better,  spindle]  which  I  was  seldom wont to  have  in  my  hands,  and  ran  to  the  sea,  where  I  saw  them assembled. Then I  saw  ten  young  men  standing  together  on  the