Ælfric's Lives of Saints/05seb eng

There was a holy servant of God, called Sebastian, who was a long time in the city of Milan for education, and was baptized into Christ with full faith.

He was a very prudent man, truthful in word, righteous in judgment, in counsel foreseeing, trusty in need, a prevailing intercessor, shining in goodness, and in all his ways honourable.

Daily he fulfilled his Lord's service zealously, but he concealed, nevertheless, his deeds from the emperor Diocletian, who was the devil's worshipper.

He loved the holy man, notwithstanding, and knew not that he believed in the living God.

He set him as prefect over a cohort, and bade that he should always be in his presence ; and all the household held him as a father, and honoured him with love, because God loved him.

He followed the emperor, unknown to him, however, not as if he durst not suffer forhis Lord, but he desired to encourage those whom the heathen emperor daily killed for their faith in Christ. Then Sebastian perceived how some of the Christians were ready to lapse because of the exceeding tortures ; and strengthened their minds in the faith of Jesus, and brought those to God whom the Devil desired to seduce. There were two brothers, nobly born as to this world, Marcus and Marcellianus, greatly afflicted with bonds and stripes for the true faith.

They were to undergo the naked sword, but their friends begged of the prefect a respite of thirty nights, that they might turn them again to the heathenism, which they themselves honoured.

Then the prefect Chromatius delivered the youths to a certain officer to keep, who was hight Nicostratus.

The father of these saints was named Tranquillinus, and their mother was called Martia, heathens as yet, and they came thither, with great sorrow, where their sons were detained, and, with grievous lamentations, sought to pervert their faith, and stay the tortures.

There came also their kinsfolk, and, with many persuasions endeavoured to shake the fortitude of the youths from faith in Christ; as if they were acting wisely. Their wives also brought their children to them in their hands, and asked with weeping, why they acted so cruelly, that they recked neither of friends nor father nor mother, and cast off their wives, and forsook their children, and obstinately prepared their necks for slaughter. Well then, behold! God's champions began to yield, and to turn their thought on their kinsmen's anguish. Then Sebastian soon perceived that, how God's champions began to yield by reason of the great conflict, and he was soon in their midst, and said to the youths with courageous faith, O ye, God's soldiers, ye are come to the victory, and now do ye cast aside your crown from you, for the miserable blandishments of these wailers. Cast not away, I entreat you, your glorious victory for wives' caresses, or for children's tears.

Raise your standard of victory above earthly desires, and begin your fight against the invisible fiend.

Those who here now weep, would rejoice with you, if they assuredly knew that which ye now know; of a truth they think that there is this life alone, and know not that other which will be everlasting; this life is so false that it ever deceiveth those that most love it, and have trust in it.

This life's desire leadeth the unstable (or innocent) into many sins, and divers perils. Then said he to the kinsfolk who were seducing the martyrs, 'If now these brothers, at your prayers, turn back from their Saviour to your heathenism, then they shall be with you in a short bliss, and afterwards will be parted, so that ye shall never again see them except in fierce torments in the vast fire, where dragons and adders with devilish teeth horribly chew the breasts of the heathen; there is weeping and wailing, and of this will be no end. Grant, I pray you, now to these brothers that they may avoid these torments, and endeavour ye to do the same. Let them now go to the predestined crown, and be ye not afraid ; they shall not be divided from you, but they shall go to heaven to Jesus Christ, and receive verily celestial dwellings, in which ye yourselves may ever abide with them, secure from every evil in eternal bliss.' After this exhortation, and other lengthy counsels, came a light from heaven to the holy man, and with that light appeared an angel opposite him.

Then they were all astonished at that miracle; and the wife of the officer, who had charge of the brothers, for six years, through a severe sickness, had been deprived of her speech, and she fell down at Sebastian's feet, with full faith. Then said Sebastian, 'If I am God's true servant, and if that is true which I have said to you, then may the Almighty Saviour open this woman's mouth, that she may speak, He (I mean) who opened His great prophet Zechariah's mouth by a prophecy, when he wrote “John." » Then spake the dumb woman, her name was Zoe, and said that she had seen the radiant angel coming from Heaven to the holy man; and that he held a book before his eyes, and from that book Sebastian taught the lore. Then again said Zoe to Sebastian, ' Blessed are those that believe thy word, and those are accursed that doubt this. Even as the dawn driveth away the dim dusk, and enlighteneth men's eyes that were blind in the night, so did thy teaching drive away the unbelief from me, and opened my mouth and enlightened my mind.' Then Nicostratus was greatly afraid, when he saw the miracle wrought on his wife, and straightway fell down at Sebastian's feet, praying forgiveness, that he had detained the brothers; and unbound their hands, and begged that they would escape, but they nevertheless continued in that warfare till death. Then began their kinsmen sorely to repent, that they had ever wished to misteach the martyrs, and in the end they all believed in Christ.

Then Sebastian bade the heathen officer bring the captives whom he held in the prison, to his instruction, desiring to convert them to Christ.

Afterwards he went and fetched a mass-priest, bight Polycarp, a holy man and wise, that he might wash the new converts by baptism.

There were baptized the aforesaid Nicostratus, with his wife Zoe, and three and thirty men, who had followed them before, and were baptized with them.

After this were baptized, with joy, the martyr's father Tranquillinus, and his wife Martia, with their household, and their son's wives; next, the captives whom Sebastian had bidden to bring out of the prison, sixteen in all.

The father of the martyrs Marcellianus and Marcus, was afflicted for eleven years before his baptism with a grievous foot-disease, and had no power of walking, nor even could he lay hold of his food for himself, by reason of the horrible knots which grew on his members ; but as soon as he confessed with all his heart the Holy Trinity, in the baptismal font, then was he healed of all his pains, and praised the Saviour who had granted him his health.

There were likewise two other afflicted youths, one was dropsical, the other all over sores, but they were healed of their disease at the moment when the mass-priest washed them with the baptismal water.

Then all were encouraged by these miracles, and occupied themselves in God's praises, and prepared their minds for martyrdom, boldly to contend for the faith of Christ.

Then Chromatius, the powerful prefect, who governed the Roman city under the emperor, bade Tranquillinus to come to him, desiring to know of him what his sons had decided on during the thirty nights that he had allowed them for respite; whether they would bow to the infamous gods, or remain in the tortures for Christ's sake.

He came thus summoned to the prefect, and moreover concealed not that he believed in the Lord.

160 Then said the prefect, who was yet a heathen, and quite as badly tormented as Tranquillinus was before, Methinketh that thou askedst the respite for thy children to the end that thou mightest believe their lying heresies. ' Then spake Tranquillinus to Chromatius thus, “The gods whom ye worship were wicked men, evilly born, and infamous in life, filled with crime, and died miserably.

Lo! thou sayest that there was no god living before Saturn devoured his sons, and ate their flesh in the Island of Crete.

Again, his son Jove, whom ye worship as a god, who desired to kill his unclean father that devoured his brothers as soon as they were born, this Jove was filled with foul lust, and took his own sister to his unclean wedlock, even as ye read in your histories.

Look whether or no thou errest, who believest in this deceit, and honourest these wicked men as gods ; thou forsakest the Almighty God who dwelleth in Heaven, and sayest to the stone, Thou art my god.

Then turned Tranquillinus away after this, but the prefect bade men fetch him privily by night, and offered him in secret a golden wedge, if only he would teach him the great leech-craft which had so mightily healed him.

Then said Tranquillinus, that Christ's gift might not be given in exchange for money, nor thus bought; but believe in Jesus, and thou shalt be as whole as Chromatius then begged him to bring him the man who had baptized him and healed him from the disease.

So Tranquillinus went to the venerable priest, told how they had conversed, and brought him at once to the prefect, and he [Chromatius] said to him [Polycarp]: “Though the emperor's persecution vexeth the Christians, yet for my healing I will give you half of all my possessions, if ye can by any means cure my deformed limbs of these hard knots. ' Then laughed Polycarp, and said to the sick man, ' Christ can enlighten thy ignorance through His mercy, and easily manifest that He is thy Restorer.

He that receiveth money, and selleth God's gift, he destroyeth his own soul, and the sick is not healed; but believe in Jesus, and let thyself be baptized, and thou shalt be as sound as this Tranquillinus. ' Then Polycarp enjoined on him a three days' fast, and he straightway told the same to Sebastian.

Then they both prayed to God during that space, that He would make manifest His truth in the sick man's healing Afterwards they came to him, and kindly greeted him ; and Sebastian said amongst other words, Thou must not for thy health's sake alone turn to the Lord, nor for thy body only let thyself be baptized ; but rather for hope of the eternal health, and for everlasting life, thou must believe on God.

Make thy mind pure, that thou mayest learn through true discernment who is thy Creator; else thou canst not have the healing that thou seekst. ' Then said Chromatius, 'Some Christians there are, men simple to that degree, that thou canst not find one in a thousand who is able fittingly to speak their speech or to learn.

How should these come to the faith of Christ ?' Sebastian said, Christ chose, from the beginning, shepherds and husbandmen, and simple fishers, and afterwards taught them, and set them for teachers.

Thou worshippest many gods, and many goddesses ; unless thou cast them all out of thy heart, and acknowledge the true God who created thee, thou canst not have healing, or the heavenly life.

But let us now seek thy shameful gods, and break in pieces the stone ones, and burn up the wooden ones, and melt down those of silver, and likewise the golden, and afterwards deal to the poor the molten masses. ' Chromatius said, 'Go ye not into harm, but I will command my servants that they break them all in pieces. ' Sebastian said, “They know not the faith, nor even how to sign themselves; and the devil will be ready (seeking) how he may injure them, for some secret guilt; and the heathen will say that they were hurt because they durst ever break in pieces the images.

Those that have faith, and have learned to fight fearlessly against the treacherous fiend by God's help, and have Christ's armour, they may break in pieces the gods. ' Then said Chromatius to the brave servant of God, God's will, and yours also, be done in this. ' Then forthwith they both begirt [begyrdon] themselves vigorously, and prayed to God, and brake in pieces the images, more than two hundred, greatly thanking God.

Chromatius had hidden in his secret chamber an excellent work of mechanical contrivance, of glass, and of gold, and of glistening crystal.

This instrument was designed to show with certainty by the stars what should happen to every man in the course of his life; but it was so formed according to heathen error.

Then came Sebastian and the priest Polycarp again to Chromatius, and found him sick, and said that he had something unbroken which hindered his healing through cruel spells.

He said then, 'I have in my treasure-chest a wonderful instrument, for my information, according to the position of the stars as they stand in the heavens.

On that instrument Tranquillinus my father spent, of red gold alone, more than two hundred pounds. ' Then quoth Sebastian, the blessed martyr, If thou keep back this instrument, thou shalt thyself be diseased. ' Chromatius said, “How doth this hurt any one ? We worship it not with the accustomed offerings, but it teacheth us, by wise instruction, as to the yearly seasons, and the circuits of the planets. Polycarp said, “This we contemn; therein is a likeness of truth, but it is false nevertheless. Sebastian said, “This is manifest error, and lying vanity, even as we learned of Christ.

Many men are drowned in one day together, who at divers seasons came into the world.

Often in one fight fall very many men, who erst were not born under one planet.

Again at one time two maiden-children come, and the one will be modest and the other will be shameless; the pure is not laudable nor the wanton blameable if the stars assigned them so to live.

Therefore laws are fixed that men may live rightly, and that the righteous be praised and the unrighteous shamed. Then wondered Chromatius at their wise words, and said, 'He is the true God who has such discerning worshippers. Then he consented that they should destroy the instrument.

But his son Tiburtius immediately with a threat said that he would not in anywise suffer them ever to break up so costly a work, unless the saints were thrown into two hot ovens, if his father were not healed after the breaking.

Then the father forbade the wicked command ; but the saints begged that the ovens might be kindled, and commended themselves to God, and brake the instrument.

Lo then came suddenly a fair angel of God, and said to Chromatius, Christ sent me to thee, in whom thou believest that thy limbs may be healed. ' After this word he was entirely cured, and ran to the angel, desiring to kiss his feet.

The angel said to him, 'kiss not thou my feet, neither do thou touch me, for that thou art not yet baptized. ' When the son saw that, he sought the priest's feet, and the father fell at Sebastian's feet, both crying, 'Christ is true God, and the son of Almighty God, whom ye two servants of God preach. ' Then were baptized father and son, with their household servants, and men on their estates, persons of either sex, more than a thousand.

Then said Chromatius, the Christian thane, that he pardoned all who had ever angered him, and forgave all who owed him aught; and if he had plundered any one, that he would repay it him.

He freed all his slaves, and distributed money to them, and said that he renounced all the alluring pleasures of this world, which is transitory.

His son Tiburtius, the prudent youth, said, 'I have turned my will from all worldly things to ghostly works, now that I am God's man, one of the tale that shall receive the everlasting life. ' In those days there was a certain wise pope in Rome, Caius by name, a man of holy life ; with him Chromatius took counsel, and by his advice received all the Christians into his residence, and provided them with victuals, because of the fierce persecution which sprang up anew after the murder of Carinus.

It was not yet known to the Emperor that Chromatius was a Christian, and he obtained leave to go out of the country.

Then the pope bade the priest Polycarp to depart from Rome with the munificent thane, and proclaimed to the Christians who were with Chromatius, “Our Saviour permitted that a man should preserve his life; go now, he who will, forth with Chromatius, and remain, he who will, with me in this city. ' Then prayed Tiburtius that he might be with the pope, saying, that it would be sweet to him to be slain, if he might, a thousand times, for the true faith, and earn the everlasting life which never endeth.

There remained in the city, with the pope, Sebastian, and the young Tiburtius, and the two brothers Marcus and Marcellianus, with their father Tranquillinus, Nicostratus, with his brother and his wife Zoe, Victorinus, with his brother, and his brother's son; these remained in Rome in the fierce persecution, and all the others at last went away with Chromatius, even as Christ instructed them.

Then the Pope ordained Tranquillinus priest, his two sons deacons, and the others subdeacons.

Sebastian he constituted protector of them all.

Then were they all engaged in prayer, day and night, praising their Lord, praying with weeping, that they might be worthy to suffer for Christ and to come to his saints.

They healed the sick by holy prayers, and enlightened the blind by their faith, and out of possessed men cast the unclean devils.

Tiburtius found a man fallen down, so that he had fractured his skull, and moreover crushed the bone.

Then he sang over him the Pater-noster, and the Credo, and the man immediately arose sound, and submitted to baptism with his father and mother.

After this was apprehended the blessed Zoe, and slain for Christ, and she departed to his saints.

The others were all likewise martyred ; Tranquillinus was stoned with stones; the noble Nicostratus was afterwards seized, with four of his companions, and brought before the judge called Fabianus, who succeeded to the province after Chromatius, and was hostile to the Christians.

He asked the emperor how he should deal with them; then that wicked man commanded to torture them all five.

Fabianus then, the fiend-like judge, when he could not turn the men from Christ through the cruel tortures, bade them be cast into the sea.

After this the faithful Tiburtius was taken ; then Fabianus ordered that he should offer incense to the foul Jove, or himself walk over burning coals with bare feet.

And lo! Tibertius went boldly over the burning coals with unburnt feet, and said that it seemed to him as if he were walking over flowers.

Wherefore Fabianus, the servant of the devil, commanded the holy Tiburtius to be beheaded, and afterwards killed the holy Castulus, who had hospitably entertained all these saints.

Again thereafter he put the sons of Tranquillinus, Marcellianus and Marcus, in a great pillory, and · made fast the soles of their feet with iron nails, saying that they should stand thus, upon the nails, until they offered their sacrifice to the gods.

They sung then immediately this psalm between them, Ecce bonum et quam   quam iocundum habitare fratres in unum, et cetera. 'Behold how great good it is, and how great pleasure, wherever brethren dwell in unity!' Then said the prefect, who was so bitter against them, O ye unhappy and truly miserable beings, lay aside your madness, and release yourself from torments. ' The brothers said, that they for the love of Christ were fastened there, with full happiness, and were never before in their lives among such delights, and wished that they might so remain until the end.

So they stood still, fast in the pillory, all day and all night, praising their Lord.

Then bade Fabianus, in exceeding fury, that they should both be thrust through, where they stood in prayer, and they thus gloriously departed to Christ.

Then Fabianus wickedly accused the noble Sebastian to the impious emperor Diocletian, who ruled in those days.

Then bade the emperor fetch him speedily, and said to him straightway with treacherous mind, 'I held thee amongst the foremost of my household servants, and thou hast lurked until now in that hateful Christianity, to the dishonour of the gods, and to my disadvantage. ' Sebastian said, 'Christ I worshipped ever, and interceded for thee, and for thy people; I pray to the God who dwelleth ever in the heavens in excellent glory.

He is mad who asketh of blind stones any assistance amidst his dangers. ' Then became Diocletian fiendishly angry, and commanded him to be led out, in hard bonds, into a field, and there to be bound, and assailed with arrows until he gave up his life.

Then the soldiers led away the servant of Christ, and set him for a mark, even as the wicked man commanded, and fastened their arrows into him before and behind, as thickly on every side as a hedgehog's bristles, and so left him alone, lying for dead.

Then came a certain widow, who was a martyr's relict, in the same night, where he lay sorely wounded, desiring to bury his body, and found him living.

Then she brought him to her house alive, and within a few days entirely healed him.

Then came the Christians, and urged the Christian) warrior, that he ought to depart far away from the city.

But Sebastian commended himself to God, and went up to the staircase, which stood against the emperor's palace, and when the emperor came, thus cried to him; ' Your idol-priests who dwell in your temples tell you many lies concerning the Christians, saying that they are verily adversaries to your kingdom, and also to your people; but your kingdom prospereth through their good merits, because they pray for the Roman people and for your dominion, without ceasing. ' Then looked Diocletian, the fiendish murderer, towards the holy man, who stood there so loftily, and said haughtily, Art not thou that Sebastian, whom I before commanded to be slain with arrows ?' Sebastian said, “Christ raised me up again to the end that I might declare to thee before all the people 452 your unrighteous persecution against the Christians. ' Then bade the emperor that the soldier of God should be beaten to death with clubs within his own city.

Then the murderers did even as the emperor commanded, and by night hid his holy corpse in a foul sewer, saying amongst themselves, that at least the Christians should not get at his body, and make him into a martyr afterwards.

Then appeared Sebastian in a dream to a widow, named Lucina, a very pious person, and told her where his body lay in the sewer, bade her go thither, and bear him thence, even to the catacombs, where Christ's apostles Peter and Paul were first buried, and lay his body close at their feet.

Lucina then went to the aforesaid sewer at midnight, together with her servants, and found his body, and carried it reverently to the very place which he had himself ordered, and with great carefulness there buried him, to the glory of the Almighty, who ruleth over all things, reigning for ever, King of eternal glory.