Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/431

 Then said   Thomas  to  him:    'God  did   not   this  for  me,  but  for thee  rather,

that thou  so  at  least  mightest  believe  on  the  living  God.

Verily he  can  give  me  the  power

that I,  without  water,  may  not  dread  thy  torture.'

Then Mazdai  the  king  bade  men  put  the  man  of  God

in boiling  water;    then  it  became  cool;

and no  brand  would  burn  beneath  the  water.

Then he  was  led  to  the  lifeless  gods,

that he  might  lay  his  gift  before  them  in  offering,

and bow  his  knees  to  the  shameful  images.

Then Thomas  boldly  commended  himself  to  his  Lord,

and bade  the  devil  who  dwelt  in  the  magic  work

that he  should  come  out  of  the  image  to  him,

and commanded  him  in  God's  name  to  overthrow  the  images,

and the  devil's  temple,  so  that  it  should  hurt  no  one.

Then came  the  devil  out  of  the  image,

and destroyed  it  instantly,  even  as  wax  melteth  away,

so that  not  one  limb  of  it  remained  whole.

Then cried  the  idolaters  and  furiously  roared,

and one  of  them  immediately  slew  the  apostle

with a  drawn  sword,  saying  that  he  would

avenge the  insult  to  his  god;    and  the  king  went  thence,

because his  people  desired  to  avenge  the  apostle.

Then they  carried  his  body  faithfully  to  church,

and reverently  buried  it,  to  the  glory  of  the  Almighty.

There miracles  were  frequently  performed;

madmen were  there  restored  to  their  senses,

and all  manner  of  infirmities  from  time  to  time  were  healed  there

by help  of  God;    and  God's  apostle

was afterwards  carried  to  the  Syrian  land

with great  honour,  to  the  praise  of  the  Almighty,

who reigneth  in  eternity,  gloriously  mighty. Amen.