Page:Goldenlegendlive00jaco.djvu/60

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46
SS. Adrian and Natalie

so noble, by leave of the emperor he sent women to her because she should consent to him by marriage. To whom Natalie answered: 'Who is he that may do me so much honour that I may be joined to him by marriage? but I require you that I may have term of three days to array and make me ready.' And this she said to the end that she might flee away. Then began she to pray our Lord that he would keep her from touching of man. And then suddenly she fell asleep, and one of the martyrs appeared to her and comforted her sweetly, and commanded her that she should go to the place where the holy bodies were. And when she awoke she took the hand of Adrian only with her, and entered into a ship with many christian men, and when the judge heard it he followed after with many knights, and then the wind came contrary to them, and drowned many, and constrained the others to return. And then in the night the devil appeared to them in guise of a mariner in a ship of phantasm, and said to them: 'From whence come ye, and whither go ye?' And the christian men said: 'We come from Nicomedia and go unto Constantinople.' And he said: 'Ye err; go towards the left side and ye shall sail more right.' And he said so because he would have drowned them in the sea. And as they followed the stars, anon suddenly Adrian appeared to them in a boat, and bade them sail as they did before, and told to them that it was a wicked spirit that had spoken to them, and then he went tofore them and showed them the way; and when Natalie saw him go tofore them she was replenished with joy, so that tofore