Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/349

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to a husband; but I would not (ever) defile myself thereby. And I dare not be disobedient to my father, and I know not what to do as to this; verily all this night I continued alone, praying God that He would show His mercy to my miserable soul; and so, this dawning day, it liked me to get one of you to come to me, that I might hear God's word from him. Now pray I thee, for the sake of the reward of thy soul, that thou instruct me in those things which pertain to God.' Then said the brother, ' the Lord said in His gospel, " Whosoever will not forsake father and mother and all his kindred, and moreover his own soul, he cannot be My disciple." I know not what I can say to thee more; nevertheless, if thou canst withstand the temptations of thy flesh, then abandon thou all that thou ownest and depart hence; thy father's riches will find heirs enough.' The maiden said to him: ' I trust in God's assistance and in thine, that I shall attain to my soul's salvation.' Then said the brother, ' thou must not let such desires grow slack, verily thou knowest that it is now the time of repentance.' Then said she, ' therefore I summoned thee hither for that I desired that thou shouldest bless me, and afterward cut off my hair.' Then the brother invested her with the monastic habit, and blessed her and thus said: 'the Lord, who hath delivered His saints, preserve thee from all evil.' He then after this joyfully went home, glorifying God. Then Euphrosyne thought thus, saying; ' if I go now to a women's convent, then my father will seek me there, and will find me there; and then he will take me thence by force for my bridegroom's sake; but I will go to a man's minster where no man will suspect me.' Then she put off her womanly garb from her, and clothed herself with a man's; and in the eventide departed from her ha^ll, and took, with her fifty mancuses, and that night she hid herself in a secret place. Then afterward in the morning came Paplmutius to the city, and then, according to God's will, he went into the church. Meanwhile Euphrosyne arrived at the minster which her father visited; then the porter went to the abbot and said to him: ' father, here is