Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/85

 much worldly  wealth,  if  he  would  submit  to  him,

and prayed  also  the  mother  to  exhort  her  child,

that heat  least  should  alone  submit,though  his  brothers  would  not.

And the  mother  promised  him  that  she  would  teach  him.

Then bent  down  the  mother  to  her  bairn,  and  quoth,

'Pity me,  my  son,  I  bore  thee  as  a  man;

look up  now  to  the  heavens,  and  behold  this  earth,

and all  the  creatures  that  are  now  thereon,

and understand  by  them  how  the  Almighty  God

shaped them  all,  without  material,  of  nothing;

and fear  not  thou  only  because  of  this  fiendlike  murderer,

but receive  the  death,  even  as  thy  brothers  did,

that I  may  again  receive  thee  in  blessedness  with  them.'

Then called  the  youngster  to  the  tormentors  thus,  and  quoth,

'What are  ye  waiting  for? I shall  not  be

in no  wise  [any  wise]  obedient  to  the  king's  behest,

but to  God's  commandments  which  He  commanded  by  Moses.

And thou,  king  full  of  evil,  for  thy  pride  shalt

soothly, in  God's  doom,  suffer  torment.

I offer  my  own  life  and  my  body  together

for God's  ordinances,  even  as  did  my  six  brothers;

and I  cry  to  God  that  He  will  pity  our  kindred,

and that  He   may  cause,  by  torments,  that   thou   mayst  know  that  He  is  God  alone.'

Then became  the  king  infuriated  against  the  boy

over all  the  others  that  he  before  had  killed

for that  contemptuousness;    and  the  sainted  boy

amid the  fierce  torments  departed  then  from  life

with full  belief;    and  the  faithful  mother

was also  killed  before  the  king,

after her  seven  sons,  happily,  for  [the  sake  of]  God.

The commemoration  of  these  martyrs  is  on  Lammas  day,

as far  and  wide  as  God's  servants  pay  heed  to  God's  service.