Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/53

 he doubted  in  his  mind,  how  she  should  cross  over  the  waters  of Jordan.

Then indeed  he  saw  that  she  blessed  the  waters  of  Jordan  with the sign  of  the  cross  of  Christ;  then  the  brightness  of  the  moon illuminated all  the  darkness  of  the  night,  as  soon  as  she  dipped into the  water  with  the  sign  of  the  cross. So she  went  towards him, walking  on  the  soft  waves  as  if  on  dry  land. Zosimus wondering  and  endeavouring  to  bend  his  knees  before  her,  she  began  to cry  aloud  from  the  waters  and  to  forbid  him,  and  spake  thus: ' What  art  thou  doing,  abbot? Know that  thou  art  God's  priest, and  hast   with    thee    the    divine    mysteries.'     He    then,  obeying her, at  once  rose  up. As soon   as  she  came  off  the  water,  she said to  him:  '  Father,  bless  me.'    Verily,  extreme  amazement  came upon him  at  so  wondrous  a  miracle,  and  he  thus  spake:   '  Oh! thou truthful one,  good  is  he  who  promises  for  those  who  early  purify themselves to  be  like  Himself;  glory  be  to  Thee,  O  Lord  God,  who has shewn  me,  by  means  of  this  Thy  handmaid,  how  much,  by  my own  perception,  I  [fail]  in  the  measure  of  the  perfection  of  others. Then, she,  Mary,  begged  that  she  might  begin  the  true  prayer  of  belief,  that  is  to  say,  credo  in  deum;    and,  after  that,  the  Lord's Prayer,  the  pater-noster.  These  ended,  she  gave  the  old  man  the  kiss of peace,  as  the  custom  is,  and  then  received  the  holy  mysteries, Christ's Body  and  Blood,  with  extended  hands;  and,  looking  up  to  heaven,  and  mourning  with  tears,  thus  spake:  '  Lord,  now  let  thy handmaid depart  in  peace,  according  to  Thy  word;    for  mine  eyes have seen  Thy  salvation.'     Again  she  said  to  the  old  man:   '  Pity me, abbot,  and  now  fulfil  the  second  request  of  my  prayer;  go  now straightway to  thy  minster  with  God's  peace;  and  come  again,  in about  a  year's  space,  to  the  bourn  where  we  first  spake  to  each other. I pray  thee,  for  God's  sake,  not  to  draw  back  from  this, but to  come;  and  then  thou  shalt  see  me,  even  as  God  will.'     Then said he  to  her:    '  Oh! that it  were  permitted  me  to  follow  thy footsteps, and  to  enjoy  the  sight  of  thine  honoured  countenance! But I  pray  thee,  mother,  to  grant  me,  an  old  man,  a  small  request, namely, that  thou  deign  to  receive  from  me  just  a  little  of  that