Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/189

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After that he said again to the wise maiden,

Listen to my counsel, if thou lovest virginity,

that thou submit quickly to the worship loo

of the goddess Vesta, who hateth impurity.'

Then Agnes answered the wicked man, and said,

' I refused thy son, who truly is a man,

and I can in no wise regard the beauty of his countenance

for the love of my Christ; how can I, to His dishonour,

humble myself to the dead image '

Then said the Prefect to the holy maiden,

' I have borne with thee hitherto because thou art yet a child;

thou insultest our gods, yet do not anger them.'

Agnes answered him, ' The Almighty approveth

the minds of men rather than their great age;

and faith is not in years, but dwells in prudent understandings.

Let thy gods be angry if they can do aught.

Let themselves command us to worship them ;

if thou canst not accomplish this, afflict us, lo! how thou wilt.'

Then said Sempronius, the shameful judge,

' Choose thee now, Agnes, one of these two things;

either thou shalt, among the virgins of the mighty Vesta,

offer thy sacrifice, or thou shalt be associated

with loathly harlots and foully dishonoured,

and the Christians will not then be able to deliver thee.'

Then Agnes answered with great resolution,

'If thou knewest my God, thou wouldest not say these words.

Without care, I despise thy threatenings,

because I well know my Lord's might.

I trust in Him because He is

to me a strong wall, and an unfailing defence,

so that I need not sacrifice to thy accursed gods;

neither by pollution from without [can I]

ever be defiled among foul harlots.

I have God's holy angel with me;

thy gods are molten of [mere] brass,