that they myght not take neither meat ne drinke as long as they were
there, but as soon as they were out, they took both meat and drinke.
And one Daria, a noble and wise virgin of the goddess Vesta, arrayed her
nobly with clothes as she had been a goddess, and prayed that she myght
be letten enter in to Crysant and that she would restore him to the
idols and to his father. And when she was come in, Crysant reproved her
of the pride of her vesture. And she answered that she had not done it
for pride but for to draw him to do sacrifyce to the idols and restore
him to his father. And then Crysant reproved her because she worshipped
them as gods. For they had been in their times evil and sinners. And
Daria answered, the philosophers called the elements by the names of
men. And Crysant said to her, if one worship the earth as a goddess,
and another work and labour the earth as a churl or ploughman, to whom
giveth the earth most? It is plain that it giveth more to the ploughman
than to him that worshippeth it. And in like wise he said of the sea
and of the other elements. And then Crysant and Daria converted to him,
coupled them together by the grace of the Holy Ghost, and feigned to be
joined by carnal marriage, and converted many others to our Lord. For
Claudian, who had been one of their persecutors, they converted to the
faith of our Lord, with his wife and children and many other knights.
And after this Crysant was enclosed in a stinking prison by the
commandment of Numerian, but the stink turned anon into a right sweet
odour and savour. And Daria was brought to the bordel, but a lion that
was in the amphitheatre came and kept the door of the bordel. And then
there was sent thither a man to befoul and corrupt the virgin, but anon
he was taken by the lion, and the lion began to look at the virgin like
as he demanded what he should do with the caitiff. And the virgin
commanded that he should do him no hurt but let him go. And anon he was
converted and ran through the city, and began to cry that Daria was a
goddess. And then hunters were sent thither to take the lion. And they