Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/475

This page needs to be proofread.

that he would help the man through the great Swithhun ;

he cried eke to Swithhun, thus saying in his lamentation,

' Oh thou holy Swithhun, pray to Jesus

that He may grant life to this sick servant,

and I will be for this the faithfuller to the living God

all my days, if He does this through thee.'

Then the servant arose, made whole through St. Swithhun.

The lord rejoiced thereat, and with faith praised God.

A certain old thane in the Isle of "Wight was also afflicted,

so that he lay bedridden some nine years,

and could not leave the bed unless he were carried,

To him came in a dream two shining saints,

and bade him quickly run with them.

Then quoth the sick man, ' How can I run with you

when I have not arisen from this bed alone,

without some man's help, now for nine years? '

Then said the saints, ' Thou shalt come to that place,

if thou goest with us now, where thou shalt receive thy health.'

He was then very glad, and desired to go with them;

but when he could not journey with them,

then flew they through the air, and bare the sick man

until they came to a solitary field, brightly blooming,

and there was a church, of shining gold

and of precious stones, standing in the field;

and St. Swithhun, in shining eucharistic vestments,

stood before the altar, as if about to say mass.

Then said Swithhun straightway to the sick man,

'I tell thee, brother, that henceforth thou must not

do evil to any man, nor curse any man,

nor §peak evil of any man, nor be malicious,

nor consent to manslayers, nor connive at wicked

robbers and thieves, nor join in evil deeds,

but rather help, as best thou canst,

needy men with thine own goods,

and thou thyself shalt be healed by the power of God.'