hand on, and had double more punishment then the others had. MarginaliaThe cōfort of the godlye stāding in their confession.These men were refreshed with the ioye of Martyrdome, the hope of Gods promises, the loue toward Christ, and the spirite of God: MarginaliaThe denyers of their confession comfortles & notwythstanding punished.The other, their conscience accused them, and that very sore, in so much that by theyr gate, their countenaunces bewraied vnto the rest their giltye cōsciences. For the Christians went foorth, hauing cherefull countenances, verye muche adourned with glory and grace, in so much that the very bondes wherwith they wer tyed, set them out as men in semelye apparel: and like as brides when they be decked in gorgeous and gay garments, and therwith all sauored as of the redolent smell of Christ, so that it mighte be supposed them to be annoynted wyth some sweete balme: wheras the other were doubtful and sad, abiect, ilfauored, fylled with all shame, and furthermore reuiled of the Gentiles them selues, as wretches degenerate, hauing the crime of homicide, and destitute of the moste precious, glorious, and liuelye calling of the Christian name. And trulye by these sightes the rest were confirmed, and being apprehended, confessed Christ without any stackering, not hauing so muche as the thought of any such diuelish mynde of deniall. And in the same Epistle of the foresaide brethren of Fraunce, writing to the brethren of Asia, it followeth in thys maner: After these thinges done, the martyrdom of these holy saintes were deuided diuerslye into diuers kindes and formes, as they offering to God the Father a garlande decked with diuers and sundry kindes of coulors and floures. For it so behoued the worthy Champions of God, after they had suffered diuers kindes of tormentes, and so winning a triumphant victorye to obtayne great rewarde of immortality.

MarginaliaThe spiteful hādling of Gods people.Then Maturus, Blandina, and Attalus together were brought to the common scaffolde, there in the face of the people to be caste and deuoured of the beastes. MarginaliaMarturus & Sanctus martyred.And Marturus with Sanctus being brought the second tyme to the scaffolde, suffered agayne all kyndes of tormentes, as though hetherto they had suffered nothing at all, yea rather as though the aduersary being oftentimes put to the worste, they as striuing for þ^e crowne, suffered again more scourgings, the tearing of wild beastes, and what thing els so euer the frantyke people, on euery side cryed for and willed. And aboue all the reast they broughte an yron chayre, in the which their bodyes being set, were so fryed & scorched as on a grydiron fryed vpon þ^e coales, filled with the sauour of the frying al the people þ^t stoode by. And yet for all that the tormentors ceased not, but waxed more fierce and mad agaynst them, labouring to ouercome the patience of the Sainctes. Notwithstāding all this they coulde not get out of Sanctus mouth any other thing but the confession which at the beginning he declared. And thus these holy men, after they had longe continued alyue in thys their most horrible conflicte, at the length were slayne, being made all that whole day a spectacle vnto the world in place and stede of the games and sightes, which were wont to be exhibited to the people. And thus much concerning Maturus and Sanctus.

MarginaliaBlandina brought forth againNow concerning Blandina, who being fastened vpon a stake, was cast to the rauening beasts to be deuoured, which thing was not done without the determinate wil of God: to this end that while she semed to hang vpon a crosse (as it were) by the feruentnes of her prayer, she muche comforted the rest of the Sainctes, as beholdyng in her Christ, with their bodilye eyes, which in þ^e agonie suffered for them all: and that all which beleue in him, & suffer for the glorye of Christ, mighte be assured to liue with him for euer. And when they sawe that no beast would come nere her thus hanging, they toke her down from the tree, and caste her agayne into prison till an other time, that she hauing the victorye of many battels, might triumphe ouer that ougly serpent the deuill, andthat she being a weake and sely womā, and not regarded, armed with Christ þ^e inuincible conquerour, might incourage her brethren, and by the induring of this battaile might wynne a crowne of incorruptible glorye.

Now to Attalus, who being also required and cald for of the people to punishment, alreadye prepared (for his conscience sake) commeth forth to the fight. For he being worthelye exercised in the Christian profession, was alwayes a wytnes and a mayntayner of our doctrine. Therefore when the presse of people were about the scaffold, and the table caryed before hym, wherein was written in the Romane toung, This is Attalus the Christian: Then the people was in a marueilous rage against him, MarginaliaAttalus commaūded agayn to pryson.but the Gouernour vnderstanding that he was a Romane, commaunded him agayne to prison, with the rest of his prison fellowes: wherof he wrote to the Emperour, and wayted for an aunswer what hys pleasure herein was. The prisoners were not idle in the meane season, nor vnprofitable to their brethrē, but by theyr pacience the vnspeakeable mercy of Christ shined out. For those which were dead before, were nowe reuiued by them that lyued, and they which were Martyrs, profited them which were none, and the church did much reioyce, as receiuing them agayne alyue, whom before she had lost as dead. MarginaliaThe deniers returning againe to theyr confession.For manye of them whych before had denied, now by their deniall was restored & stirred vp, & learned to be confessors. And now being reuiued and strengthened, and tasting the sweetenes of hym which desireth not the death of a sinner, but is merciful to the penitent, came of their owne accorde to the iudgement seate agayne, that they might be examined of the Iudge. And for that the Emperour had wrytten backe agayne to him, that al the Confessours should be punished, and the other let go, and that the Sessions or Sises were now begonne, which for the multitude that had repayre thether out of euery quarter, was marueilous great: he caused al the holy Martyrs to be brought thether, that the multitude might beholde thē, and once agayne examined them, and as manye of them as he thought had the Romane freedome, he beheaded, the residue he gaue to the beastes to be deuoured. And truelye Christ was much glorified by those which a litle before had denied him, which agayne contrarye to the expectaciō of the Infidels, confessed him euen to the death. For they wer examined apart from the rest, bicuase of their deliuery, which being founde Confessors, were ioyned to the company of the Martyrs, and had with thē their part. But there were then abroade, which had no fayth at all, neither yet so much as the feeling of the wedding garment, nor any cogitacion at al, of the feare of God, but blasphemed his wayes, by the leud conuersacion of their life: euen such as were the children of damnation. All the residue ioyned them selues to the congregacion: which when they wer examined, MarginaliaAlexander the Phrygian martyred.one Alexander a Phrigian borne, and a Phisicion, which had dwelt long in Fraunce, and knowen almost of euerye man, for the loue he had to God, and boldnes of speaking (neyther was he voyde of the apostolicall loue,) thys Alexander standing somewhat neare to the barre, by signes and beckes perswaded suche as were examined to confesse Christe: so that by hys countenuance sometime reioysing, and some other while sorowing, he was discryed of the standers by. The people not taking in good part to see those which now recanted, by and by agayne to sticke to their first confession: they cryed out agaynste Alexander, as one that was the cause of al this matter. And when he was inforced by the Iudge, and demaunded what religion he was of, he answered: I am a Christian. He had no sooner spoken the woorde, but he was iudged to the beastes, of them to be deuoured.

The next day following, Attalus, of whom I made mention a little before, and Alexander, where broughte