Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/439

 that he  drank  first,  to  his  own  bale.

Let him  contend  with  me  in  this  strife  now,

and let  him  fight  against  me  in  his  fiendly  confidence,

and he  shall  see  verily  that  I  am  the  stronger.

When I  am  tormented,  then  he  will  torment  thee,

because that  himself  shall  suffer  heavier  torments,

and he  shall  be  overpowered  in  my  tribulation.'

Then was  vexed  straightway  the  profane  Datianus,

and saith  to  his  servants  and  to  his  tormentors  thus: —

'Let alone  this  bishop,  and  bring  into  torments

Vincentius the  rebel,  who  so  vexes  us  with  words.

Hang him  up  in  the  rack,  and  severely  stretch

all his  limbs,  that  his  joints  may  give  way.'

Then the  tormentors  fastened  the  servant  of  Christ

in the  hard  rack,  and  severely  stretched  him

as a  man  stretches  a  web,  and  the  cruel  one  says  to  him,

'What sayest  thou  now,  Vincentius? What dost  thou  think    of thyself,

and of  thy  poor  body  in  these  evil  torments?'

The holy  man  then  saith  to  the  cruel  one  thus: —

'This I  desired  and  ever  wished  for.

Nothing is  liefer  to  me  that  (ever)  happened  to  me  in  my  life,

and thou  agreest  very  much  with  my  own  desire.

I wish  not  that  thou  shouldst  cease,  since  I  myself  am  ready

to suffer  torments  for  the  glorious  Lord.

I wish  not  that  thou  shouldst  diminish  my  glory  before  God;

and when  thou  tormentest  me,  thou  art  thyself  tormented.'

Datianus then  became  fiendishly  angry,

and began  to  strike  severely  with  rods

his own  tormentors,  who  tormented  the  holy  man,

that they  the  more  severely  might  afflict  him.

The holy  man  then  saith,  '  Now  thou  wreakest  on  them

the torments  that  I  suffer  because  of  thy  cruelty,

as if  thou  thyself  wouldst  avenge  me  on  them. '