Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/399

 was taken  to  prison,  as  the  emperor  commanded,

that he,  with  Daria,  for  their  faith  in  God,

might be  martyred  by  divers  tortures.

The prison  was  filled  with  foul  filth,

and without  any  light,  stinking  horribly;

the blessed  Daria  was  confined  apart

from the  venerable  man;    and  they  then  sent  her

to a  house  of  harlots,  for  the  sport  of  the  wicked;

but God  shielded  her  against  the  shameful  heathen. '

The fearful  prison  wherein  Chrysanthus  was

immediately became  wondrously  lighted  up  by  God;

and there  a  winsome  breath  sweetly  steamed.

And a  lioness  escaped  out  of  the  lion's  enclosure,

and ran  to  Daria,  by  the  Lord's  sending,

where she  lay  in  prayers,  and  bowed  down  to  the  earth

with outstretched  limbs  before  the  faithful  maiden.

Then the  heathen  desired  to  have  her  to  disgrace  her,

and knew  not  that  the  lioness  lay  within  beside  her.

So one  of  them  went  in  unto  the  maiden,

but the  lioness  seized  him  and  laid  him  down,

and looked  at  Daria  as  if  it  would  ask  her

what she  would  wish  to  be  done  with  him,  as  he  lay  overpowered.

Then Daria  spake  to  the  beast  thus:

' I  adjure  thee  by  Christ  that  thou  hurt  not  the  youth,

but let  him,  without  fear,  listen  to  my  speech.'

Then the  lioness  let  go  the  unbelieving  youth,

and stood  against  the  door,  that  he  might  speak  with  Daria,

and that  no  other  man  might  come  in  unto  them,

Then Daria  said  to  the  terrified  man:

' behold  this  cruel  lioness  honoureth  now  God,

and thou,  a  rational  man,  destroyest  thyself,

and thou  rejoicest,  miserable  one,  in  thy  foul  lust

through which  thou  shalt  weep  and  suffer  torment.'

Then he  advanced  towards  her,  and  said  with  fear:

'let me  go  out  safe,  and  afterwards  I  will  preach