Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/67

 who hath  come  to  men  amid  the  Jewish  people.

I have  heard  concerning  Thee  how  Thou  healest  the  sick,

blind, and  halt,  and  raisest  the  bedridden,

[how] Thou  cleanest  lepers,  and  puttest  to  flight  unclean  spirits

out of  men  possessed,  and  awakest  the  dead.

Now I  said  in  my  mind  that  Thou  art  Almighty  God,

or God's  Son,  who  Thyself  hast  come  to  men,

that Thou  mayest  work  these  wonders,  and  I  would  pray  Thee

that Thou  wouldst  vouchsafe  Thyself  to  journey  to  me

and heal  my  infirmity,  because  I  am  evilly  afflicted.

It is  also  told  me  that  the  Jewish  people  lay  snares,

and conspire  among  themselves  how  they  may  dispossess  Thee;

and I  have  a  city  which  will  suffice  for  us  both.'

Then the  Saviour  Himself  wrote  this  letter,

and sent  it  to  the  king,  thus  saying  to  him;

' Beatus es  qui  credidisti  in  me,  cum  ipse  me  non  uideris,

Scrictum est  enim  de  me,  quia  hii  qui  me  uident  non  credent

in me,  et  qui  non  uident  me,  ijpsi  credent  et  uiuent.

De eo  autem  quod  scrijysisti  mihi,  ut  ueniam  ad  te,

oportet me  omnia  propter  quae  missus  sum  hie  explere;

et postea  quam  connpleuero,  recipi  me  ad  eum  a  quo  missus  sum.

Cum ergo  fuero  assum,ptus,  mittam  tihi  aliquem,

ex discipulis  meis,  ut  curet  cegritudinem  tuam,

et uitam  tihi  atque  his  qui  tecum  sunt  prestet.

That is,  in  the  English  language,  '  Blessed  art  thou,  Abgar,

thou who  believedst  on  Me  when  thou  hadst  not  seen  Me.

It is  written  concerning  Me  in  the  books  of  prophecy,

that they  who  see  Me  will  not  believe  in  Me,

and they  who  see  Me  not  will  believe  and  live.

Concerning that  which  thou  has  written  to   Me  that  I  should come  to  thee,

I must  first  fulfil  the  things  for  which  I  am  sent,

and I  must  afterward  be  taken  to  the  same  who  sent  Me;

and I  will  send  to  thee  after  I  am  taken  up