Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/69

 one of  my  disciples  who  shall  heal  thy  infirmity,

and prepare  [eternal]  life  for  thee  and  those  that  believe  with  thee.'

Then this  letter  came  straightway  to  the  king,

and the  Saviour  provided,  after  He  had  ascended  to  Heaven,

that He  should  send  to  the  king,  as  He  had  before  spoken,

one of  the  seventy  whom  He  had  chosen  to  preach,

who was  called  Thaddeus,  that  he  might  heal  the  king.

He came  then,  by  God's  commission,  to  the  aforesaid  city,

and healed  the  afflicted  king  in  the  Saviour's  might,

so that  the  citizens  greatly  wondered  thereat.

Then the   king   remembered  what   Christ   had   before   promised him,

and bade  men  fetch  to  him  the  aforesaid  Thaddeus,

who was  also  called  by  a  second  name,  Judas.

And when  he  entered,  then  arose  the  king

and fell  at  his  feet  before  his  thanes,

because he  saw  a  shining  brightness

on the  face  of  Judas  through  God's  revelation,

and said  that  he  was  verily  Christ's  disciple

sent to  heal  him,  even  as  He  himself  had  promised.

Then Thaddeus  answered  the  venerable  king  thus,

'Because thou  hast  rightly  believed  on  Him  who  sent  me,

therefore am  I  sent  to  thee  that  thou  mayest  be  whole;

and, if  thou  continuest  in  His  faith. He will  grant  thee

thy heart's  desires  besides  thy  health.'

Abgarus answered  him  steadfastly,  and  said,

'To that  degree  I  believe  on  the  living  Saviour

that I  would  slay,  if  so  it  might  be,

those who  fastened  Him  on  the  gibbet  of  the  cross.'

Then Thaddeus  said  to  him,  'Christ  our  Saviour  desired

to fulfil  His  Father's  will,  and  again  to  go  to  Him.'

Abgarus said  to  him  again,  'I  know  all  about  that,