Page:Tracts for the Times Vol 1.djvu/478

 of the eternal misery of hell; and declared, in contradiction of the blasphemers, "How should those devour children, with whom it is not allowed even to eat the blood of brute animals?" And from this time she confessed herself to be a Christian, and was added to the number of the Martyrs.

But, when these tyrannical cruelties were confounded by through the patience of the Blessed Martyrs, the Devil imagined other devices, such as confinement in prison, in the darkest and most loathsome dungeon; and stretching their feet in the stocks, even to the fifth hole; and all other such insults, as the underkeepers, when enraged, (and these same men filled with the Evil Spirit) are accustomed to put upon their prisoners; so that many were suffocated in the prison, those whom the  willed thus to escape, showing forth His glory. Some there were who had been bitterly tormented, so that it should have seemed that with all possible care they could scarce have lived, who stayed in prison; deprived indeed of human care, but revived and strengthened by the in body and soul, and exciting and comforting the rest. But the young, and those newly apprehended, whose bodies had suffered no previous mangling, could not endure the pressure of this confinement, but died in prison.

But the blessed Pothinus, who was entrusted with the bishoprick of the Church in Lyons, above ninety years of age, and quite worn out in body, scarce able to breathe from his previous infirmity, but renewed in strength by the readiness of his spirit, in his earnest desire of martyrdom, himself also was dragged to the tribunal; his body worn out with age and disease; but his life being still kept in him, that might triumph through it:—who, when brought by the soldiers to the tribunal, all the authorities of the city following him, and all the crowd, as though he had been  Himself, uttering all sorts of cries against him, bore a good testimony. And when asked by the Governor, who might be the of the Christians? he said, "If thou be worthy, thou shalt know." After this he was dragged about without mercy, and suffered all kinds of buffeting, those who were near him insulting him with their hands and feet, without regard to his age; and those at a distance throwing at him whatever came to hand; and all thinking any one guilty of a great fault and impiety, who should be wanting in insolence towards him. For they considered that they should thus avenge