Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/63

 Then on  the  second  day  the  emperor  Decius  bade  men

let loose  lions  and  bears  against  the  believing  kings,

that they  might  devour  them  unless  they  would  submit  to  his  gods,

and committed  this  duty  to  the  cruel  Valerian,

Then spake  Valerian  to  the  kings  thus,

' Preserve  your  rank,  and  submit  to  our  gods,

and offer  them  sacrifice  that  ye  may  live;

if ye  will  not  do  this,  beasts  shall  devour  you.'

Abdon and  Sennes  said  to  the  wicked  man,

'We pray  to  the  Lord  with  bowed  limbs,

and we  will  never  bow  down  to  the  shameful  images

of men's  handiwork,  which  ye  have  for  gods.*

Then Valerian  bade  men  unclothe  the  saints,

and bring  them  thus  naked  to  the  image  of  the  sun,

because they  worshipped  the  sun  as  God;

and commanded  his  soldiers  to  compel  the  Christian  kings,

by awful  tortures,  to  offer  the  sacrifice.

Then spake  the  kings  to  the  executioner  thus;

'Do that  thou  wilt  do.'     And  the  judge  bade  him

to scourge  the  saints  very  furiously

with leaden  whips,  and  he  led  them  afterwards

to the  amphitheatre  where  the  beasts  abode,

bears and  Lions,  who  were  to  devour  them;

and bade  men  let  loose  upon  them  two  lions

and four  bears  within  the  theatre.

Then ran  the  beasts,  awfully  roaring,

to the  Saints'  feet,  as  if  they  prayed  for  protection,

and would  not  go  away;  but  they  protected  them  rather,

so that no  man  durst,  by  reason  of  the  beasts'  guard,

approach the  Saints  or  go  into  the  arena.

Then spake  Valerian  to  the  soldiers  thus,

'Their sorcery  is  manifestly  seen  in  this.'