Ælfric

“ But as soon as they saw his shining countenance
with its heavenly light, then the heathen laid
their weapons down, and, with wondering, prostrated themselves
to the holy bishop, entreating forgiveness.
Or if any of them would not even then believe,
then was he terrified and fled away.
Wondrous (is) God's grace, that these savage men
could not withstand with weapons the weaponless man ”

“ He, Dionysius, had seen, with some other philosophers,
in the land of the Egyptians, where they were studying,
how the sun grew dim unto swart night
from midday to nones ( 3 p.m.) when our Lord was suffering
for mankind's redemption, and they greatly wondered thereat.
Then said Dionysius, ' This dark night betokeneth
a great light to come upon all the earth
which God Himself will verily manifest to mankind.'
He was then a young man, when that this happened,
and that light came to him through Paul's lore afterward,
even as we shall here say in this true reading. ”

“ Then he bought land of a believing man,
and there quickly raised a church by his skill,
and consecrated God's servants, that they might serve
the heavenly God in monastic life.
Then Dionysius daily converted
many to the faith by his fair lore,
and subjected to his Lord those whom he snatched from the devil,
and men sought the church eagerly with faith.
So many wonders wrought the allwielding God
by the holy man, that the wonders converted
the opposing heathen to the Saviour's faith
quite as much as his preaching, as books tell us. ”