Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/337

 one on  a  ladder,  one  bent  down  to  his  digging,

and each  was  fast  bound  in  his  own  work.

Then they  were  all  brought  to  the  bishop,

and he  commanded  men  to  hang  them  all  on  a  high  gallows;

but he  was  not  mindful  how  the  merciful  God

spake through  His  prophet  the  words  which  here  stand;

 Eos  qui  ducuntur  ad  mortem  eruere  ne  cesses

those who  are  led  to  death  deliver  thou  alway.

And also  the  holy  canons  forbid  clerics,

both bishops  and  priests,  to  be  concerned  about  thieves,

because it  becometh  not  them  that  are  chosen

to serve  God,  that  they  should  consent

to any  man's  death,  if  they  be  the  Lord's  servants.

Then Theodred  the  bishop,  after  he  had  searched  his  books,

rued   with    lamentation    that    he    had    awarded    such    a    cruel  doom

to these  unhappy  thieves,  and  ever  deplored  it

to his  life's  end;    and  earnestly  prayed  the  people

to fast  with  him  fully  three  days,

praying the  Almighty  that  He  would  have  pity  upon  him.

In that  land  was  a  certain  man  called  Leofstan,

rich in  worldly  things,  and  ignorant  towards  God,

who rode  with  great  insolence  to  the  saint's  shrine,

and very  arrogantly  commanded  them  to  show  him

the holy  saint,  (to  see)  whether  he  were  incorrupt;

but as  soon  as  he  saw  the  saint's  body,

then he  straightway  raved  and  roared  horribly,

and miserably  ended  by  an  evil  death.