and himself bare his offering, and laid it upon the altar.
Then Florus bade men bring forth his fair treasures
in gold and silver, and he offered them to God,
and freed his serfs before the altar,
and threw away his weapons, and was there shorn
in the presence of the king, for the service of Christ;
and the king rejoiced, and was blithe in mood
for the thane's conversion and true faith.
Again, after the feast, the noble king bade
that Florus should speak with him, ere he went thence,
and he came immediately with some other monks,
clad in monkish-wise. Then the king wept,
and thanked God for his good will,
and earnestly exhorted him to be zealous
in the spiritual life, and in God's service,
as he had before lived prudently in the things of the world;
and the king afterwards journeyed thence.
After this, in the morning, rode Maurus to the estate,
which the king had given him, and a bed-ridden man sought him,
who had lain seven year with relaxed limbs,
and was borne thither to pray for his healing.
Then Maurus blessed [signed] the bedridden man,
and he immediately rose up by himself sound,
so that it could not be perceived that he had been sick.
Then all the nobly-born men devoted themselves
to the monastic work in Maurus' monastery;
some also committed their sons to him
for God's service, until there were gathered together
one hundred and forty monks in all.
Then said the abbot and all the brothers,
that no more monks could dwell there,
lest victuals should fail the brothers,
but that the tale (of 140) should always continue,
neither less nor more, in the monastic life.
