Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/59

 the old  man,  and  greeted  him  with  its  moving  limbs. Then Zosimus said to  the  lion:   '  O  thou  huge  wild  beast,  if  thou  wert  sent  hither by God  that  thou  mightest  enclose  in  the  earth  the  body  of  this holy handmaiden  of  God,  fulfil  now  the  work  of  thy  service. I verily am  weakened  by  age,  so  that  I  cannot  dig,  nor  have  I  anything suitable  for  undertaking  this  work;  nor  can  I  speed  on  so great  a  journey,  to  bring  [tools]  hither. But do  thou  now  perform this work,  at  the  divine  behest,  with  thy  claws,  until  that  we  two enclose this  holy  body  in  the  earth.'    Immediately  after  his  words, the lioness,  by  means  of  her  claws,  wrought  a  grave  with  her  arms, as great  as   sufficed  to  bury  the  saint  in. And he  with  his  tears washed her  feet,  and  with  prayers  that  poured  forth  continually prayed that  she  would  intercede  for  them  all;  and  so  he  covered the body  over  within  the  earth,  as  naked  as  when  he  first  saw her, except  for  the  protection  of  the  torn   strip  which  Zosimus formerly threw  to  her,  wherewith  Mary  had  covered  a  part  of  her body. Then they  at  the  same  time  departed;  the  lioness  [going]  to the  remoter  part  of  the  desert  like  the  gentlest  lamb;    whilst  Zosimus departed  to  his  minster,  glorifying  God  and  blessing  Him,  and praising Him  with  praises. As soon  as  he  came  to  the  minster, he related  to  them  all  every  circumstance  from  the  beginning,  and concealed none  of  all  the  things  that  he  had  seen  or  heard;  so  that they all  worshipped  the  wonders  done  by  God,  and  magnified  the day of  her  happy  departure  with  awe  and  love  and  much  faith. Afterwards John  perceived  how  to  amend  some  of  the  customs  of the  minster,  as  the  saint  had  predicted;  but,  with  God's  help,  he soon   amended   them. And  Zosimus  continued   serving   in  the minster for  a  hundred  years,  and  then  departed  to  God. Glory be to  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  liveth  and  reigneth,  ever  world without end. Amen.