Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/43

 is seven  and  forty  years,  as  I  suppose,  since  I  went  forth  from  the holy city.'     Zosimus  said  to  her:   'And  what  mightest  thou  find for thee  to  eat,  or  upon  what  food  hast  thou  fed  thee  until  now?' She answered  him:  '  I  brought  hither  two  and  a  half  loaves  with  me when  I  passed  over  Jordan;  in  no  short  time,  they  became  dried  up and  hardened,  like  stone;  and  these  I  partook  of,  using  them  for some time.'     Zosimus  said  to  her:  'And  couldst  thou  pass  through the   length  of  so  many  seasons  without  loving  the   burning   of fleshly  inclination?'     She  then,  as    if  troubled,  answered   him: ' Now  thou  askest  me  of  the  things  that  I  myself  greatly  dread, whenever all  the  perils  that  I  underwent  recur  to  my  memory, and the  foolish  thoughts  that  often  disturbed  me,  so  that  I  again endure  some   misery  from   such  thoughts.'     Zosimus  said:    'Ah, lady, do  not  leave  anything  that  thou  wilt  not  tell  me,  but  disclose all  things  in  due  order.'     Then  said  she:    'Abbot,  believe me,  for   seventeen   years    I   fought    against   the   desires    of  the appetites   of   the   gentle    and    irrational  wild   animals. When I  began  to  hunger,  then  the  flesh-meats  came  amongst  my  desires; I yearned  for  the  fishes  that  were  in  Egypt;    I  longed  for  the wine, wherein  I  formerly  delighted  to  indulge  unto  intemperance; and even  now  it  is  extremely  among  my  desires,  because  I  formerly indulged in  it  beyond  measure  when  I  was  in  the  world. Even here I  was  extremely  athirst  on  account    of  the  want  of  water in this  wilderness,   scarcely  enduring  my  terrible  necessity. It was as  if  an  excessive  longing  after  wanton  poems  troubled  me, when they  brought  it  into  my  mind  to  sing  the  devilish  song  which I formerly  learnt  in  the  world;  but  thereupon  I,  weeping  and knocking my  breast  with  my  hands,  reminded  myself  of  my  promise and of  the  protection  that  I  had  before  chosen;  and  so,  transporting myself in   my   thoughts    beyond    this    desert,    I    arrived    before the  likeness    of    the   good    and   holy   mother   of   God    who    for