Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/533

he heard how the men spake amongst themselves, and often and frequently swore allegiance to Christ, and they used no speech there save ever about Christ's name. When he heard such speech, then Malchus feared exceedingly, and he was utterly frightened thereat, and said in his mind, " Lo! whatever can this be that I hear wondrously here? At first I saw a great wonder, now I hear one still greater; yesterday evening no man could name Christ's name with safety, and now to-day on every man's tongue Christ's name is ever in the chief place." Then said he again to himself, " Truly it never seemeth to me that it can be true that this is the city of Ephesus, because it is all ordered in another manner and all built with other dwellings; neither does any man here speak in the manner of heathen men, but all after the customs of Christian men." Then he changed his thoughts again, and answered himself thus, " But again I know not, neither knew I ever yet, that any other city was near to us except Ephesus alone, here just beside the Celian Hill; " and he stood there still a little while, and thought within himself what truth there might be in it. Then he saw a young man, and went to the same, and began to ask him, and said, " Lo! well may it be with thee, good man! I earnestly desire to know from thee the right name of this city, if thou wilt inform me." Then said the young man to him, " I will tell thee full quickly; this city is called Ephesus, and it was thus called from a very early time." Then he thought in his mind, and said to himself, "Now I was in the right way in my inward thought, but better will it be that I go out of this town again lest I be too greatly bewildered, and so may not come to my comrades who ere while sent me here; certainly I have here perceived that the over anxiety of my mind hath here seized me, so that I know not very certainly why I thus act." (He, Malchus,