to signify that we ought to repent
of our sins during our Lenten fast.
There was a certain foolish man with bishop AElfstan
in Wiltshire, in his household : this man would not go
to the ashes on the Wednesday, as other men did,
who attended at mass ; then his companions begged
that he would go to the mass-priest,
and receive the sacred mysteries which they had received.
He said, 'I will not.' They still prayed him.
He said that he would not, and spake strangely in his talk,
and said that he would use his wife
at the forbidden time. Then they left him so.
It befell that the heretic was riding in that week about some errand,
when hounds attacked him very fiercely,
and he defended himself until his spear-shaft
stood up before him, and the horse carried him forward
so that the spear went right through him, and he fell dying.
He was then buried, and there lay upon him
many loads of earth within seven nights,
because he had refused those few ashes.
In that same week came a certain buffoon to the bishop's household,
who heeded no Lenten fast, but went to the kitchen,
while the bishop was saying mass, and began to eat;
then fell he, at the first morsel,
backward in a swoon, and spat blood,
but his life, nevertheless, was with difficulty preserved.
Likewise Athelwold, the holy bishop,
