Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/339

 This is  like  that  which  the  orthodox  pope,

Gregory by  name,  said  in  his  writing

concerning the  holy  Lawrence  who  lieth  in  the  city  of  Rome,

that men  were  always  wishing  to  see  how  he  lay,

both good  and  evil,  but  God  checked  them,

so that  there  died  in  the  looking  all  at  once

seven men  together;    so  the  others  desisted

from looking  at  the  martyr  with  human  error.

We have  heard  of  many  wonders  in  the  popular  talk

about the  holy  Edmund  which  we  will  not  here

set down  in  writing;    but  every  one  knoweth  them.

By this  saint  is  it  manifest  and  by  others  like  him,

that Almighty  God  can  raise  man

again, in  the  day  of  judgement,  incorruptible  from  the  earth,

He who  preserveth  Edmund  whole  in  his  body

until the  great  day,  though  he  was  made  of  earth.

Worthy is  the  place  for  the  sake  of  the  venerable  saint

that men  should  venerate  it,  and  well  provide  it

with God's  pure  servants,  to  Christ's  service,

because the  saint  is  greater  than  men  may  imagine.

The English  nation  is  not  deprived  of  the  Lord's  saints,

since in  English  land  lie  such  saints

as this  holy  king,  and  the  blessed  Cuthbert,

and saint  Æthelthryth  in  Ely,  and  also  her  sister,

incorrupt in  body,  for  the  confirmation  of  the  faith.

There are  also  many  other  saints  among  the  English,