Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/319

 and the  citizens  of  both  towns  kept  close  by  the  saint;

and the  Poitevins  purposed  in  the  morning

to take  the  saint  violently  away  from  the  others  by  force.

Then at  midnight,  as  Martin  willed,

the Poitevins  were  so  wondrously  asleep

that of  all  the  multitude  not  one  man  watched.

Then the  men  of  Tours  saw  how  the  others  slept,

and took  the  body  which  lay  there  on  the  floor,

and bare  it  to  the  ship  with  exceeding  joy,

and hastened  by  rowing  on  the  river  Vienne,

and thence  into  the  Loire,  very  loudly  singing,

until they  came  to  the  city  of  Tours.

Then the  others  were  aroused  by  the  song,

and were  possessing  naught  of  their  treasure

which they  should  have  guarded,  but  they  returned  home

with great  confusion  that  it  had  so  befallen  them.

Then the  holy  body  was  laid  in  a  sepulchre

in the  same  city  where  he  had  been  bishop,

with great  solemnity,  and  there  afterward

many miracles  were  performed  for  the  sake  of  his  merits.

Six and  twenty  winters  he  was  bishop  there,

and the  city  was  long  without  a  bishop

before Martin  was  consecrated  as  bishop,

on account  of  the  heathenism  which  the  people  then  practised.

Be glory  and  praise  to  the  benign  Creator

Who so  adorned  His  holy  priest  with  miracles;

Who reigneth  in  eternity. Almighty Ruler. Amen.