Part 38

After this the chief officer sent, and commanded Hippolytus to lead Lawrence to the king's court. Hippolytus with humble speech made known that command to the blessed Lawrence. He said, "Let us go, for glory is prepared for me and for thee." They went quickly, and stood fearless before him. Then said Valerianus to the holy martyr, "Cast away now thy obstinacy, and give up the treasures." The martyr of God answered him, "On God's poor I have spent them, and they are the everlasting treasures which will never be diminished." The officer said, "Why playest thou with words? Offer thy gift to our gods, and forsake the magic {425} in which thou trustest." Lawrence said, "For what reason does the devil compel you to urge christian men to his worship? If it be right that we should pray to devils rather than to the Almighty God, judge which is worthy of that honour, he who is made, or he who created all things." The emperor then answered, "What is he who is made, or what is he who made?" God's martyr said, "The Almighty Father of our Saviour is the Creator of all creatures, and thou sayest that I shall pray to dumb stones, which are carved by the hands of men." The emperor was then wroth, and commanded the deacon to be unclothed in his sight, and cruelly scourged, and the emperor himself cried, "Insult not our gods." The blessed Lawrence said in torments, "Verily I thank my God, who has vouchsafed to number me with his holy; and thou, wretch, art afflicted in thy foolishness." Decius said to the executioners, "Raise him up, and manifest to his sight all the torture-tools." Then were quickly brought forth iron plates, and iron claws, and an iron bed, and leaden whips, and other leaded whips. Then said the emperor, "Offer thy gift to our gods, or thou shalt be tortured with all these torture-tools." The blessed deacon said, "Thou unblessed, these luxuries I have ever desired; they will be to me a glory, and to thee a torment." The emperor said, "Declare to us all the wicked thy like, that this city may be cleansed; and do thou thyself offer to our gods, and trust thou in no wise to thy treasures." Then said the holy martyr, "Verily I trust, and I am careless for my treasures." Decius answered, "Thinkest thou then that thou wilt be redeemed by thy treasures from these torments?" and then in angry mood commanded the executioners to beat him with stout clubs. But Lawrence, during the beating, cried, "Thou wretch, know at least that I triumph regarding Christ's treasures, and I feel not thy torments." Decius said, "Lay the {427} iron plates glowing hot to his side." The blessed martyr then was praying to his Lord, and said, "Saviour Christ, God of God, have mercy on thy servant, for, accused, I denied thee not; questioned, I acknowledged thee." Then the emperor commanded him to be raised, and said, "I see that thou, through thy magic, mockest these torments; nevertheless thou shalt not mock me. I swear by all the gods and goddesses, that thou shalt offer, or I will slay thee by divers tortures." Lawrence then boldly cried, "I, in the name of my Lord, in no wise fear thy torments, which are transitory: cease thou not from what thou hast begun."

Then was the emperor excited with violent fury, and commanded the holy deacon to be scourged a long time with leaden whips. Lawrence then cried, "Saviour Christ, thou who hast vouchsafed to be born a mortal man, and hast redeemed us from the devil's thraldom, receive my spirit." At the same time an answer came to him from heaven, thus saying, "Yet thou shalt have much affliction in thy martyrdom." Decius then furious cried, "Roman men, heard ye the comfort of the devils to this impious, who dreads not our irritated gods, nor the devised torments? Stretch him, and, scourging with leaded whips, afflict him." Lawrence then, stretched on the cross, with laughing mouth thanked his Lord, "Lord God, Father of Jesus Christ, be thou blessed, who hast given us thy mercy; manifest now thy favour, that these standing about may know that thou comfortest thy servants." At that time one of the soldiers, whose name was Romanus, believed, and said to the martyr of God, "Lawrence, I see God's angel standing before thee with a hand-cloth, and wiping thy sweating limbs. I now beseech thee, through God, that thou forsake me not." Then was Decius filled with guile, and said to his chief officer, "Methinks that we are overcome by magic." And he then ordered the holy deacon to be loosened from the cross, and delivered to the town-reeve Hippolytus, and knew not yet that he was a christian.

{429} Then meanwhile the believing soldier Romanus brought a jugful of water, and with weeping sought the feet of the holy Lawrence, craving baptism. Lawrence then quickly hallowed the water, and baptized the believing servant. When Decius heard of it, he ordered him to be stript of his garments and beaten with stout staves. Romanus then unasked cried in the emperor's presence, "I am a christian." At the same time the fierce executioner ordered him to fall under the sword's edge. Again, on the same night, after the soldier's martyrdom, Decius went to the hot baths, opposite the house of Sallust, and commanded the holy Lawrence to be fetched to him. Then Hippolytus began sorely to lament, and said, "I will go with thee, and with loud voice cry that I am a christian, and lie with thee." Lawrence said, "Weep not, but rather be silent and rejoice, for I go to God's glory. After a little time hence, when I call, hear my voice, and come to me."

Decius then commanded all the torture-tools to be prepared, before his doom-seat, and Lawrence was led to him. Decius said, "Cast away trust in thy magic, and recount to us of thy family." The blessed Lawrence answered, "According to human birth I am Spanish, a Roman foster-child, and a christian from my cradle, trained up in all divine law." Decius answered, "In sooth the law is divine, which has so emboldened thee that thou wilt not worship our gods, nor dreadest any kind of torment." Lawrence said, "In the name of Christ I fear not for thy torments." The cruel emperor then said, "If thou offerest not to our gods, all this night shall be spent on thee with divers tortures." Lawrence said, "My night has no darkness, but shines with bright light." Then the cruel one commanded the mouth of the saint to be struck with stones. But Lawrence was strengthened through the grace of God, and said with laughing mouth, "Lord, be to thee praise, for thou of all things art God." Decius said to the executioners, "Raise the iron bed to the {431} fire, that the proud Lawrence may rest thereon." They straightways bereft him of his garments, and stretched him on the hard bed, and filled the bed underneath with burning coals, and from above pierced him with iron forks.

Decius said to the martyr of God, "Offer now to our gods." Lawrence answered, "I will offer myself to the Almighty God, in the odour of pleasantness; for the afflicted spirit is an acceptable sacrifice to God." But the executioners drew the burning coals constantly under the bed, and from above pierced him with their forks. Then said Lawrence, "O ye unblessed, understand ye not that your glowing embers cause no heat to my body, but rather cooling?" He then again with the most beautiful countenance said, "Saviour Christ, I thank thee that thou wilt strengthen me." He then looked towards the emperor, thus saying, "Behold, thou, wretch, hast roasted one part of my body, turn now the other, and eat." He then said again, "Saviour Christ, I thank thee with inward heart, that I may go into thy kingdom." And with these words he gave up his ghost, and with such martyrdom went to the realm on high, in which he dwelleth with God through all eternity. The cruel emperor then left the holy body on the iron hurdle, and with his chief officer hastened to the house of Tiberius.

Hippolytus then buried the holy body with great reverence in the burial-place of the widow Quiriaca, on this present day. But at the grave there watched a great many christian men with great lamentation. The holy priest Justin celebrated mass to and houseled them all. After this Hippolytus returned to his home, and with God's peace kissed his family, and houseled them all. Then suddenly, while he was sitting, the emperor's soldiers came, and seized him, and led him to the executioner. Decius then asked him with smiling mouth, "What, art thou turned magician, since thou hast buried {433} Lawrence?" He answered, "I did not that as a magician, but as a christian." Decius then in wrath ordered his mouth to be stricken with stones, and him to be stript, and said, "How, wast thou not a diligent worshiper of our gods? and now thou art become so foolish that thou art not ashamed of thy nakedness." Hippolytus answered, "I was foolish, and I am now wise and a christian. Through ignorance I believed in the error in which thou believest." Decius said, "Offer to the gods, lest, as Lawrence, thou perish by torments." He answered, "O, if I might imitate the blessed Lawrence!" Decius said, "Stretch him thus naked, and beat him with strong clubs." When he had long been beaten he thanked God. Decius said, "Hippolytus mocks your staves, scourge him with leaded whips." They then did so, till they were worn out. Hippolytus cried with a loud voice, "I am a christian." So the fierce emperor, when he could not, by any torments, seduce him from belief in Christ, commanded his chief officer to slay him by the most cruel death.

On the same day Valerianus took an account of his property, and found nineteen men and women of his family, who had been baptized at the hands of the blessed Lawrence. To them said Valerianus, "Consider your age, and have regard for your life, lest ye perish together with your lord Hippolytus." They unanimously answered, "We desire to die purely with our lord, rather than to live impurely with you." Then was Valerianus greatly irritated, and ordered Hippolytus to be led from the city with his household. The blessed Hippolytus then cheered his household, and said, "My brothers, be ye not sad nor afraid, for I and ye have one Lord, God Almighty." So Valerianus ordered, in the sight of Hippolytus, all his domestics to be beheaded, and himself he ordered to be tied by the feet to the necks of untamed horses, and so to be drawn through thorns and brambles: and he with that binding gave up his ghost on the thirteenth day of {435} this month. On the same night the holy Justin gathered the bodies of them all and buried them.

But after the passion of those saints, Decius and Valerianus went together in a golden chariot to their temple, that they might force the christians to their wicked offerings. Then became Decius suddenly frantic with a fiendlike spirit, and cried, "O thou, Hippolytus, whither drawest thou me bound with sharp chains?" Valerianus also frantic cried, "O thou, Lawrence, unsoftly thou drawest me bound with burning chains." And he forthwith died. But Decius became horribly frantic, and for three days, with fiendlike voice, constantly cried, "I beseech thee, Lawrence, cease somewhat of those torments." Hereupon great lamentation and sore weeping arose in the dwelling, and the emperor's wife ordered all the christians who were in prison to be led out, and on the third day Decius in great torments departed.

But the queen Tryphonia, together with her daughter Cyrilla, sought the feet of the holy priest Justin with bitter tears, praying for holy baptism. Justin then with great joy received them, and enjoined them a fast of seven days, and afterwards, by the holy baptismal bath, washed them from all their sins. When the emperor's thanes heard that the queen Tryphonia and the daughter of Decius, Cyrilla, had turned to the faith of Christ and to the salutary baptism, they with their wives sought the holy priest, and prayed for mercy and baptism. The blessed Justin, these things being done, took counsel with the christians, whom they would choose for bishop in the chair of Sixtus. They then unanimously chose a venerable man whose name was Dionysius, whom the bishop Maximus, of the city of Ostia, consecrated to the Roman episcopal see with honour.

Let us now pray with humble voice the holy martyr of God, Lawrence, whose festival this present day makes known to all the faithful church, that he intercede for us with the {437} Heavenly King, for whose name he suffered with bold mind many torments, with whom he free from care glorieth to eternity. Amen.

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XVIII. K[=L]. SEPT.

DE ASSUMPTIONE BEATAE MARIAE.

Hieronimus se halga sacerd awr['a]t aenne pistol be fordhsidhe thaere eadigan MARIAN, Godes cennestran, to sumum halgan maedene, hyre nama waes Eustochium, and to hyre meder Paulam, seo waes gehalgod wydewe. To thysum twam wifmannum awr['a]t se ylca Hieronimus, menigfealde traht-bec, fordhan dhe hi waeron haliges lifes men, and swidhe gecneordlaecende on boclicum smeagungum. Thes Hieronimus waes halig sacerd, and getogen on Hebreiscum gereorde, and on Greciscum, and on Ledenum fulfremedlice; and he awende ure bibliothecan of Hebreiscum bocum to Leden spraece. He is se fyrmesta wealhstod betwux Hebreiscum, and Grecum, and Ledenwarum. Twa and hund-seofontig boca thaere ealdan ['ae] and thaere niwan he awende on Leden to anre Bibliothecan, buton odhrum menigfealdum traht-bocum dhe he mid gecneordum andgite deopdhancollice asmeade. Dha aet nextan he dihte thisne pistol to thaere halgan wydewan Paulam, and to tham Godes maedene Eustochium, hyre dehter, and to eallum tham maedenlicum werode, the him mid drohtnigende waeron, thus cwedhende:

Witodlice ge neadiadh me thaet ic eow recce hu seo eadige Maria, on dhisum daegdherlicum daege to heofonlicere wununge genumen waes, thaet eower maedenlica heap haebbe thas lac Ledenre spraece, hu thes maera freolsdaeg geond aeghwylces geares ymbryne beo aspend mid heofonlicum lofe, and mid gastlicere blisse gemaersode sy, thylaes the eow on hand {438} becume seo lease gesetnys dhe thurh gedwolmen wide tosawen is, and ge thonne tha gehiwedan leasunge for sodhre race underfon.

Sodhlice fram anginne thaes halgan godspelles ge geleornodon hu se heah-engel Gabriel tham eadigan maedene Marian thaes heofonlican Aedhelinges acennednysse gecydde, and thaes Haelendes wundra, and thaere gesaeligan Godes cennestran thenunge, and hyre lifes daeda on tham feower godspellicum bocum geswutollice oncneowon. Iohannes se Godspellere awr['a]t on Cristes throwunge, thaet he sylf and Maria stodon mid dreorigum mode widh dhaere halgan rode, the se Haelend on gefaestnod waes. Dha cwaedh he to his agenre meder, "Dhu faemne, efne her is thin sunu." Eft he cwaedh to Iohanne, "Loca nu, her stent thin modor." Sydhdhan, of tham daege, haefde se Godspellere Iohannes gymene thaere halgan Marian, and mid carfulre thenunge, swa swa agenre meder, gehyrsumode.

Drihten, thurh his arfaestnysse, betaehte thaet eadige maeden his cennestran tham claenan men Iohanne, sedhe on claenum maegdhhade symle wunode; and he fordhy synderlice tham Drihtne leof waes, to dhan swidhe, thaet he him thone deorwurdhan madhm, ealles middangeardes cw['e]ne, betaecan wolde; gewislice thaet hire claenesta maegdhh['a]d tham claenan men getheod waere mid gecwemre geferraedene on wynsumre drohtnunge. On him b['a]m waes an miht ansundes maegdhhades, ac odher intinga on Marian; on hire is waestmbaere maegdhh['a]d, swa swa on nanum odhrum. Nis on nanum odhrum men maegdhh['a]d, gif thaer bidh waestmbaernys; ne waestmbaernys, gif thaer bidh ansund maegdhh['a]d. Nu is fordhi gehalgod aegdher ge Marian maegdhh['a]d ge hyre waestmbaernys thurh tha godcundlican acennednysse; and heo ealle odhre oferstihdh on maegdhhade and on waestmbaernysse. Dheah-hwaedhere, theah heo synderlice Iohannes gymene betaeht waere, hwaedhere heo drohtnode gemaenelice, aefter Cristes upstige, mid tham apostolicum werode, infarende and utfarende betwux him, and hi ealle mid micelre arwurdhnysse and lufe hire thenodon, and heo him {440} cudhlice ealle thing ymbe Cristes menniscnysse gewissode; fordhan the heo fram frymdhe gewislice thurh thone Halgan Gast hi ealle geleornode, and mid agenre gesihdhe geseah; theah dhe tha apostoli thurh thone ylcan Gast ealle thing undergeaton, and on ealre sodhfaestnysse gelaerede wurdon. Se heah-engel Gabriel hi ungewemmede geheold, and heo wunode on Iohannes and on ealra thaera apostola gymene, on thaere heofonlican scole, embe Godes ['ae] smeagende, odhthaet God on thysum daege hi genam to dham heofonlican thrymsetle, and hi ofer engla weredum geufrode.

Nis geraed on nanre bec nan swutelre gewissung be hire geendunge, buton thaet heo nu to-daeg wuldorfullice of tham lichaman gew['a]t. Hyre byrigen is swutol eallum onlociendum odh thysne andweardan daeg, on middan thaere dene Iosaphat. Seo dene is betwux thaere dune Sion and tham munte Oliueti, and seo byrigen is aeteowed open and emtig, and thaer on-uppon on hire wurdhmynte is araered maere cyrce mid wundorlicum st['a]n-geweorce. Nis nanum deadlicum men cudh h['u], odhdhe on hwylcere tide hyre halga lichama thanon gebroden waere, odhdhe hwider he ahafen sy, odhdhe hwaedher heo of deadhe arise: cwaedon theah gehwylce lareowas, thaet hyre Sunu, sedhe on tham thriddan daege mihtilice of deadhe ar['a]s, thaet he eac his moder lichaman of deadhe araerde, and mid undeadlicum wuldre on heofonan rice gelogode. Eac swa gelice forwel menige lareowas on heora bocum setton, be dham ge-edcucedum mannum the mid Criste of deadhe arison, thaet hi ecelice araerede synd. Witodlice hi andetton thaet dha araeredan men naeron sodhfaeste gewitan Cristes aeristes, buton hi waeron ecelice araerede. Ne widhcwedhe we be thaere eadigan Marian tha ecan aeriste, theah, for waerscipe gehealdenum geleafan, us gedafenadh thaet we hit wenon swidhor thonne we unraedlice hit gesethan thaet dhe is uncudh buton aelcere fraecednysse.

We raedadh gehwaer on bocum, thaet forwel oft englas comon to godra manna fordhsidhe, and mid gastlicum lofsangum heora sawla to heofonum gelaeddon. And, thaet gyt swutollicor is, {442} men gehyrdon on tham fordhsidhe waepmanna sang and wifmanna sang, mid micclum leohte and swetum bredhe: on dham is cudh thaet tha halgan men the to Godes rice thurh gode geearnunga becomon, thaet hi on odhra manna fordhsidhe heora sawla underfodh, and mid micelre blisse to reste gelaedadh. Nu gif se Haelend swilcne wurdhmynt on his halgena fordhsidhe oft geswutelode, and heora gastas mid heofonlicum lofsange to him gefeccan het, hu miccle swidhor wenst thu thaet he nu to-daeg thaet heofonlice werod togeanes his agenre meder sendan wolde, thaet hi mid ormaetum leohte and unasecgendlicum lofsangum hi to tham thrymsetle gelaeddon the hire gegearcod waes fram frymdhe middangeardes.

Nis nan twynung thaet eall heofonlic thrym tha mid unasecgendlicere blisse hire to-cymes faegnian wolde. Sodhlice eac we gelyfadh thaet Drihten sylf hire togeanes come, and wynsumlice mid gefean to him on his thrymsetle hi gesette: witodlice he wolde gefyllan thurh hine sylfne thaet he on his ['ae] bebead, thus cwedhende, "Arwurdha thinne faeder and thine moder." He is his agen gewita thaet he his Faeder gearwurdhode, swa swa he cwaedh to tham Iudeiscum, "Ic arwurdhige minne Faeder, and ge unarwurdhiadh me." On his menniscnysse he arwurdhode his moder, thadha he waes, swa swa thaet halige godspel segdh, hire underdheod on his geogodhhade. Micele swidhor is to gelyfenne thaet he his modor mid unasecgendlicere arwurdhnysse on his rice gewurdhode, thadha he wolde aefter dhaere menniscnysse on thysum life hyre gehyrsumian.

Dhes symbel-daeg oferstihdh unwidhmetenlice ealra odhra halgena maesse-dagas swa micclum swa this halige maeden, Godes modor, is unwidhmetenlic eallum odhrum maedenum. Dhes freolsdaeg is us gearlic, ac he is heofonwarum singallic. Be dhysre heofonlican cw['e]ne upstige wundrode se Halga Gast on lofsangum, dhus befrinende, "Hwaet is dheos dhe her astihdh swilce arisende daeg-rima, swa wlitig swa m['o]na, swa gecoren swa sunne, and swa egeslic swa fyrd-truma?" Se Halga Gast wundrode, fordhan dhe he dyde thaet eal heofonwaru {444} wundrode dhysre faemnan upfaereldes. Maria is wlitigre dhonne se m['o]na, fordhan dhe heo scindh buton aeteorunge hire beorhtnysse. Heo is gecoren swa swa sunne mid leoman healicra mihta, fordhan dhe Drihten, sedhe is rihtwisnysse sunne, h['i] geceas him to cennestran. Hire faer is widhmeten fyrdlicum truman, fordhan dhe heo waes mid halgum maegnum ymbtrymed, and mid engla threatum.

Be dhissere heofonlican cw['e]ne is gecweden gyt thurh dhone ylcan Godes Gast: he cwaedh, "Ic geseah dha wlitegan swilce culfran astigende ofer streamlicum ridhum, and unasecgendlic braedh stemde of hire gyrlum; and, swa swa on lengctenlicere tide, rosena blostman and lilian hi ymtrymedon." Dhaera rosena blostman getacniadh mid heora readnysse martyrdom, and dha lilian mid heora hwitnysse getacniadh dha scinendan claennysse ansundes maegdhh['a]des. Ealle dha gecorenan dhe Gode gethugon dhurh martyrdom odhdhe thurh claennysse, ealle hi gesidhodon mid thaere eadigan cw['e]ne; fordhan dhe heo sylf is aegdher ge martyr ge maeden. Heo is swa wlitig swa culfre, fordhan dhe heo lufode dha bilewitnysse, the se Halga Gast getacnode, dhadha he waes gesewen on culfran gelicnysse ofer Criste on his fulluhte. Odhre martyras on heora lichaman throwodon martyrdom for Cristes geleafan, ac seo eadige Maria naes na lichamlice gemartyrod, ac hire sawul waes swidhe geangsumod mid micelre throwunge, thadha heo stod dreorig foran ongean Cristes rode, and hire leofe cild geseah mid isenum naeglum on heardum treowe gefaestnod. Nu is heo mare thonne martyr, fordhan dhe heo dhrowode thone martyrdom on hire sawle dhe odhre martyras dhrowodon on heora lichaman. Heo lufode Crist ofer ealle odhre men, and fordhy waes eac hire sarnys be him toforan odhra manna, and heo dyde his deadh hire agenne deadh, fordhan dhe his dhrowung swa swa swurd dhurhferde hire sawle.

Nis heo nanes haliges maegnes bedaeled, ne nanes wlites, ne nanre beorhtnysse; and fordhy heo waes ymbtrymed mid rosan and lilian, thaet hyre mihta waeron mid mihtum {446} underwridhode, and hire faegernys mid claennysse wlite waere geyht. Godes gecorenan scinadh on heofonlicum wuldre aelc be his gedhingcdhum; nu is geleaflic thaet seo eadige] cw['e]n mid swa micclum wuldre and beorhtnysse odhre oferstige, swa micclum swa hire gedhincdhu odhra halgena unwidhmetenlice sind.

Drihten cwaedh aer his upstige, thaet on his Faeder huse sindon fela wununga: sodhlice we gelyfadh thaet he nu to-daeg tha wynsumestan wununge his leofan meder forgeafe. Godes gecorenra wuldor is gemetegod be heora geearnungum, and nis hwaedhere n['a]n ceorung ne ['a]nda on heora aenigum, ac h['i] ealle wuniadh on sodhre lufe and healicere sibbe, and aelc blissadh on odhres gedhincdhum swa swa on his agenum.

Ic bidde eow, blissiadh on dhyssere freols-tide: witodlice nu to-daeg thaet wuldorfulle maeden heofonas astah, thaet heo unasecgendlice mid Criste ahafen on ecnysse rixige. Seo heofenlice cw['e]n weardh to-daeg generod fram dhyssere m['a]nfullan worulde. Eft ic cwedhe, faegniadh fordhan dhe heo becom orsorhlice to dham heofonlicum botle. Blissige eal middangeard, fordhan dhe nu to-daeg us eallum is dhurh hire geearnunga h['ae]l geyht. Thurh ure ealdan modor Euan us weardh heofonan rices geat belocen, and eft dhurh Marian hit is us geopenod, thurh thaet heo sylf nu to-daeg wuldorfullice inn-ferde.