our Lord stood near and held converse with them; and they, intent on Christ's favor, despised this world's torments, that they might by one hour's anguish purchase redemption from eternal chastisement. The fire of their cruel tormentors felt cold to them, for they had before their eyes the fleeing from the eternal fire that never shall be quenched, and with the eyes of their heart they looked to the good things reserved for them that endure; the things that ear hath not heard, nor eye seen, neither have they entered into the heart of man; but which were already half shown by the Lord to them, who were men no more, but already angels. In like manner also did those who were condemned to the wild beasts endure long time, in their confinement, fearful punishments; for they lay long stretched on sharp shells, and were buffeted with divers other torments, that, if he were able, the tyrant might, by continued punishment, turn them to a denial of the faith.

For many were the contrivances which the devil wrought against them; but, (thanks be to God,) he prevailed not over them. For the heroic Germanicus gave courage to their fearfulness by the patient endurance that was in him; who fought with the wild beasts notably : for when the Proconsul endeavored to persuade him, and besought him to compassionate his years, he provoked the animal, and drew it upon himself, wishing to be sooner freed from an unjust and lawless race. Upon this the whole multitude were struck with wonder at the Christians' noble love and devotion to their God, and shouted, "away with the godless men, look for Polycarp.'

But one Phrygian, Quintus by name, who had newly arrived from Phrygia, when he saw the wild beasts, played the coward; yet this was the man who had prevailed on himself and others to offer themselves voluntarily for apprehension. Him the Proconsul, after much urging, persuaded to take the oath and offer sacrifice; wherefore, brethren, we commend not those who give themselves up, since the Gospel doth not so teach.

Now the truly admirable Polycarp, when he first heard of these clamors, was nowise troubled, but wished to remain in the city. The greater part of us, however, persuaded him to withdraw, and he withdrew to a small villa, not far distant from the city, and there remained with a few brethren, doing nothing else, night and day, but praying for all men, and for the Churches throughout the world, as was his practice. And as he prayed, three days before his apprehension, he saw his pillow, in a vision, on fire. Turning therefore to those who were with him, he said prophetically, "I must be burnt alive."

His pursuers persevering in their endeavors, he removed to another villa; and immediately they came to the first place, and when they found him not, they took hold of two young slaves, one of whom being put to the torture confessed. And truly it was impossible that he should remain concealed, when they who betrayed him were his own

*

servants; and the Irenarch, who is also called the Distributor of lots, Herod by name, hastened to bring him to the theatre, that Polycarp might accomplish his lot, being made partaker of Christ; but they who betrayed him might undergo the penalties of Judas.

Taking therefore the lad with them, on the day of preparation, about the hour of supper, the search-officers and horsemen set forth with their ordinary wepoans, as though they were pursuing a felon; and entering late in the evening, they found him lying down in a small chamber at the top of the house. From thence he might have got away to another place, but would not, saying, "The Lord's will be done;" but, on hearing that they were come, he descended from his chamber, and conversed with them. And they who were there mar. velling at his age and vigor, some said, "Was there such a mighty work about arresting an old man like this?" And he gave orders immediately to set before them meat and drink as much as they would, and besought them to give him an hour's free space to pray. And when they permitted him, standing up he prayed, being full of the grace of God, so that for two whole hours he could not cease; and they that heard him were astonished, and many repented that they had come out against such a divine old man.

After he had done praying, having made mention of all with whom he had ever met, great and small, noble and obscure, and of the whole Catholic Church throughout the world; when the hour of going forth arrived, they set him on an ass, and led him into the city, it being the day of the great Sabbath. As he went, the Irenarch Herod and his father Nicetes, who were driving forth, happened to meet him, and transferred him into their chariot; and sitting by him argued with him, saying, "What harm is there in saying, Lord Cæsar? and in sacrificing, and so saving your life?" with the other usual sort of arguments. At first he gave them no answer: but on their persevering he only said, "I will not do what you counsel me." So they, when they found their endeavors to persuade him fruitless, railed at him, and pushed him down from the chariot so hastily, that in his descent his shin was laid open. But he, nowise moved, passed on readily and speedily as though he had received no injury, being led by the attendants to the theatre.

As he entered it, though the tumult there was so great that many heard not, a voice came to Polycarp from Heaven, "Be strong, Polycarp, and play the man." Him that spake, not one of us saw; but the voice, those of ourselves who were present heard. On his being led to the tribunal, there was immense clamor at the news

*This office seems to have answered to that of Provost Marshal.

"Then they brought a faggot, kindled with fire, and laid the same down at Dr. Ridley's feet. To whom Master Latimer spake in this manner, ‘Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out."-Fox's Book of Martyrs.

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that Polycarp had been apprehended. At last, when he was brought near, the Proconsul asked him, if he were Polycarp; and, on his acknowledging it, he began to persuade him to deny the faith, saying, "Compassionate thine years;" and other similar expressions, which it is their wont to use. "Swear by the fortune of Cæsar; think better of the matter; say, Away with the godless men." But Polycarp regarded with a sad countenance the whole multitude of lawless heathen in the theatre; and waving his hand towards them, groaned, and looking up to heaven said, "Away with the godless men." And when the Governor urged him further, and said, "Swear, and I will dismiss thee; revile Christ:" Polycarp replied, Eighty and six years have I been his servant, and he hath wronged me in nothing, and how can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour." And on his pressing him again, saying, "Swear by the fortune of Cæsar," Polycarp replied, "If ye vainly suppose that I shall swear by Cæsar's fortune, as ye call it, pretending to be ignorant of my real character, let me tell you plainly, I am a Christian; and if ye wish to hear the Christian doctrine appoint me a time, and hear me." The Proconsul answered, "Persuade the people." Polycarp replied, "To you I thought it right to give account, for we have been taught to give to rulers and the powers ordained of God such fitting honor as hurteth not our souls; but them I deem not worthy, that I should defend myself before them." The Proconsul said unto him, "I have wild beasts in readiness, to them. will I throw thee, if thou wilt not change thy mind." But he said, "Bring them forth then, for the change of mind from better to worsc I will never make. From cruelty to righteousness it were good to change." Again he said unto him, "I will have thee consumed by fire, since thou despiseth the wild beasts, except thou change thy mind." Polycarp answered, "Thou threatenest me with a fire that burnest for an hour, and is speedily quenched; for thou knowest not of the fire of future judgment and eternal punishment reserved for the ungodly. But why tarriest thou? Bring what thou wilt."

As he spake these and other words, he was filled with confidence and joy, and his countenance was overspread with grace; so that not only was he not overthrown and confounded with what was said to him, but the Proconsul on the contrary was wonderstruck, and sent the herald to proclaim three times in the middle of the Stadium, that Polycarp had confessed himself to be a Christian. When this had been announced by the herald, the whole multitude, both of Gen

* Literally, Atheists; for such, because they denied the heathen deities, the Christians were called; and such, because they denied the ONE TRUE GOD, Polycarp terms the unbelievers.

This must not be understood of his age, (for then he could have been only seventeen when St. John died, and consequently could not have been consecrated Bishop by him, as is almost universally believed,) but of his conversion to Christianity.

tiles and of Jews, who were settled in Smyrna, shouted with uncontrollable rage, and in a loud voice, "This man is the teacher of all Asia, the father of the Christians, who pulleth down our gods, who teacheth many neither to pay incense nor homage to them. With these words they called upon Philip the Asiarch,* to let out a lion upon Polycarp. But he answered, he could not do that, as the show of wild beasts was concluded. Then it occurred to them with one accord, to demand that he should burn Polycarp alive. For it was necessary that the vision which had been shown to him upon his pillow should be fulfilled; when he saw it on fire as he prayed, and turned to the believers who were with him, and prophetically declared, "I must needs be burnt alive."

This, therefore, was no sooner said than done, for the multitude collected immediately wood and faggots from the shops and the baths, the Jews especially, as is their wont, being very zealous in assisting to this end. But, when the pile was ready, without any aid he laid aside his garments, and after unloosing his girdle, endeavored to unbind his sandals too, a thing he had never done before, because that each of the faithful was ever pressing to be the first to touch his person. For he had ever been highly honored on account of his virtuous conversation, even before his head had grown hoary.

Straightway then they arranged about his person all that was requisitet for the pile. But when they were about also to nail him to the stake, he said, "Leave me as I am, for He who giveth me to endure the fire will also give me power, without the security of your nails, to remain untroubled upon the pile." They forbore, therefore, to nail him, but only bound him with cords. He therefore placed his hands behind him, and being bound to the stake, even as the chief ram taken from a large flock, to be a burnt-offering acceptable to God, lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "O Lord God Almighty, Father of Thy well-beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have attained to the knowledge of Thee; Thou God of Angels and of Powers, and of every creature, and of the whole generation of the just who live before Thee; I bless Thee that Thou hast accounted me worthy of this day and hour, that I might receive my portion in the number of thy witnesses, and drink of the cup of Thine Anointed, unto the resurrection of both body and soul unto eternal life through the incorruption of the Holy Spirit; amongst which blessed martyrs may I be accepted before Thee this day for a rich and acceptable sacrifice, even as thou hast foreor

* Not the Proconsul, for his name was Quadratus,but, as it appears below, the Pagan High Priest, to whom it had fallen to provide the wild beasts, and shows of gladiators, on that occasion.

+ That is, probably, the shirt besmeared with pitch and tar, in which we elsewhere learn it was usual to clothe the Christian confessors, the stake to which they were fastened, and the cords used so to fasten them.

Matt. xx. 22, 23; xxvi. 39, 42. John xviii. 11.

dained, foreshown, and now accomplished, the true and unfailing God. For this, and for all Thy doings, I praise Thee, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee, through the eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ, Thy wellbeloved Son, through whom be glory to Thee with Him in the Holy Spirit, both now and for evermore. Amen.'

And when he had pronounced in a loud voice his Amen, having finished his prayer, they whose office it was kindled the fire, and a great flame flashed forth; and we to whom the sight was vouchsafed, beheld truly a mighty marvel, who have been to this end preserved, that we might declare to the rest the things which were done. For the fire taking the shape of a dome, like the sail of a ship when filled with wind, compassed all round the body of the martyr; and he appeared in the middle, not like burning flesh, but like gold and silver tried in the furnace. Yea, we perceived too such a sweet odor as from the breath of frankincense, or some other precious perfume.

In the end, therefore, when the ungodly saw that his body could not be consumed of the fire, they commanded an executioner to go near to him, and thrust his sword into him. Which when he had done, there issued forth such a stream of blood, that it quenched the fire; and all the multitude marvelled that there was such a difference between the unbelievers and the elect. Of them was this man one, and the most remarkable in all our time, being Bishop of the Catholic Church that is in Smyrna, and an Apostolic and prophetic Teacher. For never word came from his mouth, but it has been, or shall be fulfilled.

But the envious and wicked Adversary of the generation of the righteous, when he saw the mightiness of his testimony, and his blameless conversation from the first, and how that he was now crowned with the crown of immortality, and had borne away a prize that could not be spoken against, contrived that his poor body might not be obtained by us, though many much desired to secure it, and to communicate* over his holy remains. For some suggested to Nicetes, the father of Herod, and brother to Alce, that he should persuade the governor not to give up his body, "lest," said he, “they leave the Crucified and take to worshipping this fellow." And these things they said, as instigated and supported by the Jews, who even watched us when some of us were about to take his body from the fire, for they little knew how impossible it was for us either to forsake the worship of Christ, who suffered for the salvation of the whole world of them that be saved, or to pay worship to any other. For to him truly we pay adoration, forasmuch as He was the Son of God; but the martyrs, as the disciples and followers of the Lord, we revere as they deserve, for their incomparable loyalty to their King

That is, probably, to meet for prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist with the body in their sight. The same feeling has shown itself almost in all ages, in the interment of the dead in the church and churchyard.