*

into eternal life. For he thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but humbled himself, taking upon him the form of a servant, and being found in the fashion of man, he humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross." Hence, also, these Christbearing martyrs, zealously strove to attain unto better gifts, and endured every kind of trial, every series of tortures not merely once, but once and again, the second time; and though the guards assailed them with every kind of threat, not merely in words, but vied with one another in violent acts, they did not surrender their faith, because "perfect love casteth out fear.” And what language would suffice to recount their virtues, and their fortitude under every trial? For as every one had the liberty to abuse them, some beat them with clubs, some with rods, some with scourges, others again with thongs, others with ropes. And the sight of these torments was varied and multiplied, exhibiting excessive malignity. For some had their hands tied behind them, and were suspended on the rack,† and every limb was stretched with machines. Then the torturers, according to their orders, applied the pincers to the whole body, not merely as in the case of murderers, to the sides, but also to the stomach and knees and cheeks. Some, indeed, were suspended on high by one hand, from the portico, whose sufferings by reason of the distention of their joints and limbs, were more dreadful than any. Others were bound face to face to pillars, not resting

* The original here is the expressive epithet xpTop, Christ-bearing, Christophori; as they bore all for the sake of Christ, by a strong synecdoche, they were said to bear Christ himself, the voluntary object of their love; and thus the indirect cause of these sufferings in which they rejoiced. We must indulge such anomalous compounds, as this, in our language, when a novel idea seems to require it. The composition itself is not more singular than the idea which it expresses. Valesius, though he does not follow the idea in his version, explains the word as meaning full of Christ, and refers to the epithet Theophorus given to Ignatius. Shorting has rendered it, therefore, full of Christ. But by such a version and etymology, the allusion in the context is entirely lost. The martyrs were called by a strong figure, Christophori, because they bore, and Ignatius was called Theophorus for the same reason.

†The instrument of torture here mentioned, appears to have been the Roman eculeus. It was so constructed, that the person was suspended on it, and his limbs stretched by screws. It was applied at first only to slaves.

upon their feet, but forced down by the weight of the body, whilst the pressure of their weight also increased the tension of their cords. And this they endured, not merely as long as the governor spoke to them, or as long merely as he had leisure to hear, but nearly the whole day. For when he passed on to others, he left some of his subordinate officers to attend to the former, to observe whether any of them seemed overcome by the torments, to surrender. But he gave orders to proceed without sparing, to bind with bonds, and afterwards, when they had breathed out their life, to drag them on the ground. For they said that there should not the least regard be paid to us, but that they should think and act with us as if we were nothing at all.

Our enemies, therefore, had devised this second torture beside the scourging. But there were some, also, after the tortures, placed in the stocks, stretched by both feet to the fourth hole. So that they were of necessity obliged to keep in a lying posture on their back, not being able to have any command of their mangled bodies, in consequence of the blows and scourges they had received. Others, again, being cast on the ground, lay prostrated by the accumulated tortures which they had endured, exhibiting a still more dreadful spectacle in that condition than when under the actual infliction of the torture, and bearing on their bodies the various and multiplied proofs of the ingenuity of their tor

turers.

Whilst these things were doing, some indeed died under their torments, covering their enemies with shame by their perseverance. Others, again, almost dead, were thrust into prison, and before many days ended their life through incessant pain. The rest, however, somewhat recovering by the application of remedies, by time and their long detention in prison, became more confident. Thus, then, when ordered to take their choice, either by touching the unholy sacrifice, to remain without further molestation, and to obtain the execrable sentence of liberation from them, or else, without sacrificing, to expect the sentence of death, they without delay cheerfully embraced death. They well knew what had been anciently prescribed in the sacred Scriptures: "For he that offereth sacrifice to other gods," saith the Scrip

tures, "shall be destroyed." And, again," thou shalt have none other gods but me." These are the expressions of a martyr, who was at once a sound philosopher and one devoted to God. These he addressed before the final sentence, whilst yet in prison, to the brethren of his church, at the same time representing his own condition, and exhorting them to adhere firmly, even after his death, which was close at hand, to the Christian religion. But why should we say much, and add one new species of struggle after another, as they were endured by these pious martyrs throughout the world; especially when they were no longer assailed in a common way, but regularly invaded as in war?

CHAPTER XI.

The events in Phrygia.

INDEED the armed soldiery surrounded a certain Christian town in Phrygia, together with the garrison, and hurling fire into it, burnt them, together with women and children, calling upon Christ the God of all. And this, because all the inhabitants of this town, even the very governor and magistrate, with all the men of rank, and the whole people, confessed themselves Christians, and would not obey, in any degree, those that commanded them to offer sacrifices.

Another one, also, of Roman dignity, Adanetus by name, of a noble Italian family, a man that had been advanced through every grade of dignity by the emperors, and had reputably filled the offices of general administrator, called by them the master of the revenue, and prime minister. And yet with all this he was pre-eminent, also, for his pious acts, and his profession of Christ, and was nobly crowned with martyrdom; nobly enduring the conflict in the cause of piety whilst he was yet clad with the office of prime minister.

CHAPTER XII.

Of many others, both men and women, who suffered in different

ways.

WHY should I now mention the names of others, or number the multitude of men, or picture the various torments of the admir able martyrs of Christ; some of whom were slain with the axe, as in Arabia; some had their limbs fractured, as in Cappadocia ; and some were suspended by the feet, and a little raised from the ground, with their heads downward, were suffocated with the ascending smoke of a gentle fire kindled below, as was done to those in Mesopotamia; some were mutilated by having their noses, ears, and hands cut off, and the rest of their limbs, and parts of their body cut to pieces, as was the case at Alexandria? Why should we revive the recollection of those at Antioch, who were roasted on grates of fire, not to kill immediately, but torture them with a lingering punishment? Others, again, rather resolved to thrust their arm into the fire, than touch the unholy sacrifice; some shrinking from the trial, sooner than be taken and fall into the hands of their enemies, cast themselves headlong from the lofty houses, considering death an advantage compared with the malignity of these impious persecutors. A certain holy and admirable female, admirable for her virtue, and illustrious above all at Antioch for her wealth, family, and reputation, had educated her two daughters, who were now in the bloom of life, noted for their beauty, in the principles of piety. As they had excited great envy among many, every measure was tried to trace them in their concealment; but when it was discovered that they were abroad, they were, with a deep-laid scheme, called to Antioch. They were now caught in the toils of the soldiery. The mother, therefore, being at a loss for herself and daughters, knowing what dreadful outrages they would suffer from the men, represented their situation to them, and, above all, the threatened violation of their chastity, an evil more to be dreaded than any other, to which neither she nor they should even listen for a moment. At

the same time declaring, that to surrender their souls to the sla. very of dæmons was worse than death and destruction. From all these, she suggested there was only one way to be delivered, to betake themselves to the aid of Christ. After this, all agreeing to the same thing, and having requested the guards a little time to retire on the way, they decently adjusted their garments, and cast themselves into the flowing river. These, then, destroyed themselves.

Another pair of virgins at this same Antioch, distinguished for piety, and truly sisters in all respects, illustrious in family, wealth, youth, and beauty, but no less so for their serious minds, their pious deportment, and their admirable zeal, as if the earth could not bear such excellence, were ordered by the worshippers of dæmons to be thrown into the sea. Such were the facts that occurred at Antioch. Others at Pontus, endured torments that are too horrible to relate. Some had their fingers pierced with sharp reeds thrust under their nails. Others, having masses of melted lead, bubbling and boiling with heat, poured down their backs, and roasted, especially in the most sensitive* parts of the body. Others, also, endured insufferable torments on their bowels and other parts, such as decency forbids to describe, which those generous and equitable judges, with a view to display their own cruelty, devised as some pre-eminence in wisdom, worthy their ambition. Thus constantly inventing new tortures, they vied with one another, as if there were prizes proposed in the contest, who should invent the greatest cruelties. But as to the last of these calamities, when the judges now had despaired of inventing any thing more effectual, and were weary with slaughter, and had surfeited themselves with shedding of blood, they then applied themselves to what they considered kindness and humanity, so that they seemed disposed to exercise no further cruelty against us. For said they, the cities should not be polluted with blood any more, and the government of the sovereigns which was so kind and merciful toward all, should not be defamed for exces

Rufimus translates, or rather paraphrases, with much elegance, Usque ad loca pudenda quibus naturalis egestio procurari solet.