Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/401

 to men  the  Saviour,  whom  thou  magnifiest  and  worshippest.'

Then Daria  bade  the  beast  make  way  for  him  out,

and he  ran  out,  extolling  God

and the  holy  maiden,  making  known  her  power.

Then the  heathen  would  have  attacked  the  lioness,

but it  always  caught  them,  one  by  one,

and brought  them  to  Daria,  through  the  Lord's  might.

Then spake  the  maiden  to  the  men  thus:

' If  ye  will  believe  on  the  living  Christ,

then may  ye  go  hence  all  unmarred;

but if  ye  will  not  accept  the  true  faith,

I know  not  whether  your  gods  can  help  you.'

Then they  all  cried  as  if  with  one  voice:  S

' He  who  will  not  believe  on  Christ,  let  him  not  come  hence  alive.'

And thereupon  they  all  went  out,  crying;

'Oh! ye Roman  people,  believe  ye  of  a  truth

that there  is  none  other  god  but  Christ  alone.'

Then the  prefect  was  bitterly  enraged,

and bade  kindle  a  fire  before  the  door

where Daria  was  within,  together  with  the  beast,

desiring to  burn  them  both  together.

Then the  lioness  feared  exceedingly  because  of  the  fire,

but Daria  spake  to  the  beast  thus:

' be  not  thou  afraid,  this  fire  shall  not  hurt  thee,

neither shalt  thou  be  slain  until  thou  die  of  thyself;

go thou  now  securely  away,  and  God  will  save  thee,

Whom thou  hast  glorified  by  thy  works  to-day.'

Then went  the  lioness  freely  away,

with bowed  head,  through  the  midst  of  the  people;

and those  whom  it  had  previously  seized  were  baptized

after they  had  acknowledged  Christ  through  the  lioness.

Then was  this  soon  made  known  to  the  emperor,

and he  angrily  commanded  his  prefect  to  take

Chrysanthus and  Daria,  and  kill  them  by  tortures,

if they  would  not  sacrifice  to  the  evil  gods.

Then the  prefect  bade  men  stretch  the  holy  Chrysanthus