another siffled, and another cried, and another brayed and assailed S. Anthony, that one with the horns, the others with their teeth, and the others with their paws and ongles, and disturned and all to-rent his body that he supposed well to die. Then came a clear brightness, and all the beasts fled away, and S. Anthony understood that in this great light our Lord came, and he said twice: 'Who art thou?' The good Jesu answered: 'I am here Anthony.' Then said S. Anthony: 'O good Jesu! where hast thou been so long? why wert thou not here with me at the beginning to help me and to heal my wounds?' Then our Lord said: 'I was here: but I would see and abide to see thy battle; and because thou hast manly fought and well maintained thy battle, I shall make thy name to be spread through all the world.'
S. Anthony was of so great fervour and burning love to God, that when Maximus, the emperor, slew and martyred christian men, he followed the martyrs that he might be a martyr with them and deserve it, and was sorry that martyrdom was not given to him.
After this, as S. Anthony went in desert he found a platter of silver in his way; then he thought whence this platter should come, seeing it was in no way for any man to pass, and also if it had fallen from any man he should have heard it sound in the falling. Then saw he well that the devil had laid it there for to tempt him, and said: 'Ha! devil, thou ween est to tempt me and deceive me, but it shall not be in thy power.' Then the platter vanished away as a little smoke. And in likewise it happed him of a mass of
