Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/33

 shore, sufficiently  comely   in   body  and  in   demeanour,  and  very suitable, methought,  for  my  bodily  lust. Then I  shamelessly,  as  I was  wont,  went  amongst  them,  and  said  to  them:    "  Take  me  with you  on  your  voyage;  I  shall  not   be  displeasing  to  you." And I soon  excited  them  all  to   wicked  vices  and  shameful  jestings, with   many    other    filthy    and    lewd    expressions. Then   they, seeing my  shameless  behaviour,  took  me  with  them  in  their  ship, and rowed  away. Oh, Zosimus,  how  can  I  relate  to  you,  or  what tongue may  say,  or  what  ear  hear,  the  evil  deeds  that  took  place upon the  voyage,  and  that  were  done  in  the  passage;  and  how I   compelled   to    sin   both   the    wretches    who  were  willing    and the wretches  who  gave  me  money. There is   no  description  of lewdness,   utterable  or   unutterable,   which    I   did   not  allure  to and   teach,   and   first    performed. Be  now   satisfied   with   this; for  I   wonder   how    the    sea    could   suffer    and    endure   my    unrighteous desires,  or  how  the  earth  at  any  rate  did  not  open  her mouth, and  sink  me  all  alive  down  into  hell,  who  led  so  many  408 souls into  the  snare  of  perdition,  except  that  I  suppose  God  sought my repentance. He who  suffereth  none  to  perish,  but  saveth  all who believe  upon  Him. For verily  He  desireth  not  the  death  of the  sinner,  but  patiently  expecteth  his  conversion. Thus we,  with great haste,  journeyed  on  to  Jerusalem;  and  as  many  days  as  I lived  in  the  city  before  the  day  of  the  festival  [of  the  Rood],  I  associated myself  with  similar,  and  even  worse,  foul  deeds. I did  not restrict myself  to  the  young  men  who  associated  with  me  on  the  sea or on  the  journey,  but  I  also  gathered  together  many  of  the  strangers and citizens  in  the  deeds  of  my  sins,  and  betrayed  and  contaminated