Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/433



In the  Hispanian  land  of  the  Spanish  people,

was the  holy  martyr,  who  was  named  Vincentius,

born among  men,  and  by  his  kinsmen  nourished

in much  Christianity;  and  he  in  Christ's  lore

was greatly  advancing,  until  he  became  ordained

as a  holy  deacon,  serving  the  Saviour

with the  illustrious  bishop  Valerius,

who was  the  illustrions  teacher  in  the  Hispanian  land,

as the  narrative  tells  us  in  the  Latin  tongue.

Then arose  the  persecution  of  impious  tormentors

wide throughout  the  world,  very  madly,

against belief  in  Christ,  and  against  Christian  men;

because that  the  devil  would  quench  that  belief

with great  persecutions  and  unmeasured  torments;

but the  more  one  slew  of  the  martyrs  then,

so the  more  believed,  through  the  great  wonders

which the  saints  wrought  through  the  Saviour's  might;

because that  the  true  belief  in  the  very  God

shall never  be  quenched  through  devilish  persecution,

but shall  be  rather  increased,  as  books  tell  us.