Page:Tracts for the Times Vol 1.djvu/482

 be thus as it were in travail for them. But the multitude, being enraged at hearing these confess again, who had before denied, cried out against Alexander, as if he had been the cause of it. And the Governor turning upon him, and asking who he was, he answered "A Christian;" upon which the other, in a rage, condemned him to be given to the beasts. And next day he came in with Attalus. For the Governor, to please the people, gave up Attalus also again to the wild beasts. But they, in the Amphitheatre, having passed through all the instruments of torture, that ever were invented, and endured a most severe conflict, were at last put to death. Alexander without uttering a groan or a syllable, but conversing in his heart with. But Attalus, when he was placed on the iron seat, and scorched, when the vapour went up from his body, said to the crowd, in the Roman tongue; "Behold this is man-eating, which yourselves do; but we neither eat men, nor do any other evil thing." And when asked what name hath, he answered, " hath not a name, as a man hath."

And after all these things, on the last remaining day of the combats, Blandina was brought in again, with a boy from Pontus, of about fifteen years old; (who had been also brought in every day to see the tortures of the others;) and were commanded to swear by their idols. And because they remained constant, and set them at nought, the multitude was enraged against them; so that they neither pitied the youth of the boy, nor respected the female; but they put them to all the most dreadful tortures, and made them pass through the whole course of inflictions, demanding of them again and again to swear, (by the heathen gods,) but unable to make them do so. For the youth of Pontus, encouraged by our sister, so that even the heathen saw that she was forwarding and confirming him, having nobly endured all his torments, gave up the ghost. But the blessed Blandina, last of all, like a noble mother, having stirred up her children, and sent them forward victorious to the king; and having herself gone through all the same conflicts with her children, hastened after them, rejoicing and exulting in her departure, as if called to a marriage supper, instead of being thrown to wild beasts. And after the scourging, after the wild beasts, after the scorching, at last she was placed in a basket, and thrown to a