spirit of his God cōquering all? But let vs in few wordes reherse þ^e degrees of hys tormēts, though the paynes therof in many words cannot be expressed.MarginaliaThe tormēts exercised vpon Vincentius. First Dacianus caused the martir to be layd vpon the torture, and all the ioyntes of his body to be distended and racked out, vntll they crackte agayne. This being done in most extreme and cruell maner, all the members of his paynfull and pitifull body were greuously endented with deadly woundes. Thirdly (that hys dolors & griefes might be augmented) they miserably vexed hys flesh with yron combes sharply filed. And to the end the tormentors might vomit out all their vengeaunce on the meeke and milde Martyrs flesh, the tormentours thēselues also were vily scourged at the Presidentes commaundement. And least his passion through want of paynes might seeme imperfect, or els too easy, they laid his body beyng all out of ioynt, on a grate of yron, which body when they had opened with yron hookes, they seared it with firye plates: with hote burning salt sprinckling the same. Last of all into a vile dongeon was this mighty Martyr drawen, the floure whereof first was thicke spredde with the sharpest shels that might be gotten, hys feete then beyng fast locked in the stockes, there was he left alone without all worldly comfort:MarginaliaThe comfort of the Lord vpon hys Saintes. but the Lord his God was with hym, the holye spirit of god (whose office is to comfort the godly afflicted) fulfilled his hart with ioy and gladnes. Hast thou prepared a terrible racke (O cruell tyrant, O deuouring Lyon) for the Martirs bed? the Lord shall make that bed softe and sweete vnto hym. Rackest thou his bones and ioyntes all a sunder? His bones, his ioyntes, his heares are all numbred. Tormētest thou his flesh with mortal woundes? the Lord shall poure aboundantly into all his sores of his oile of gladnes. Thy scraping combes, thy sharpe fleshhookes, thyne whote searing yrons, thy parched salte, thy stinckyng pryson, thy cutting shelles, thy pinchyng stockes shall turne to this pacient Martyr to the best. Altogether shall woorke contrary to thine expectation, great plenty of ioy shall he reape into the barne of his soule, out of this mighty haruest of paynes that thou hast brought him into. Yea, thou shalte proue hym Vincentius in deede: that is, a vanquisher, a triumpher, a conqueror subduyng thy madnesse, by his mekenesse, thy tiranny, by his patience, thy manifolde meanes of tortures, by the manifold graces of God, wherewith he is plentifully enriched.

MarginaliaPhiloromus, Martyr. In thys cataloge or company of such holy martyrs, as suffered in thys foresayd. x. persecution, many moe and almost innumerable there be expressed in authors, beside them whom we haue hetherto comprehended, as Philoromus a man of noble byrth, and great possessions in Alexandria, who beyng perswaded by his friendes to fauour hymselfe, to respect hys wyfe, to consider his children and familie: did not onely reiecte the counsels of them, but also neglected the threates and tormentes of the Iudge,MarginaliaThe confession and martyrdome of Philoromus. to keepe the confession of Christ inuiolate vnto the death, & losing of his head. Euseb. Lib. 8. cap. 9. Niceph. Lib. 7. cap. 9. of whom Eusebius beareth witnes, that he was there present hymselfe.

MarginaliaProcopius, Martyr. Of lyke estate and dignitie was also Procopius in Palestina, who after hys conuersion brake hys images of siluer and golde, and distributed the same to the poore,MarginaliaThe tormēts and constancie of Procopius, to death. and after all kynde of tormentes, of racking, of cordyng, of tearyng hys fleshe, of goring, and stabbing in, of fiering, at length had hys head also smitten of, as witnesseth Niceph. Lib. 7. cap. 15.

MarginaliaGeorgius Martyr. To this may be adioyned also Georgius, a younge man of Capadocia, who stoutly inueighing agaynst the impyous idolatry of the Emperours, was apprehended, and cast in prison,MarginaliaThe sundry tormentes of Georgius. then torne wyth hoked yrons, burnt wyth hoate lyme, stretched with cordes, after that his handes and feete wyth other members of hys body beyng cut of, at last wyth a sworde had his head cutte of. Niceph. ibid.

MarginaliaSergius,
Bacchius,
Panthaleon,
Theodorus,
Faustus,
Gereon. wyth 318. fellowes.
Hermogenes,
Menas a man of Athens.
Eugraphus.
Samonas,
Gurias'
Abibus,
Hieron, wyth hys fellowes.
Iudes.
Domuas. Wyth these aforenamed adde also Sergius, and Bacchius, Panthaleon a phisicion in Nicomedia, mentioned in Supplem Lib. 8. Theodorus of the Citie Amasia in Hellesp. mentioned of Vincentius. Lib. 3. Faustus a martyr of Egypt, mentioned of Niceph. Lib, 8. cap. 5. Gereon with. 318 fellow Martyrs which suffered about Colour. Petr. de nat. Lib. 9. cap. 49. Hermogenes the president of Athens, who beyng conuerted by the constancie of one Menas, and Eugraphus in their tormentes, suffered also for the lyke fayth. Item, Samonas, Gurias, and Abibus, mentioned in Symeon Metaphraste. Hieron also wyth certayne hys confessors, vnder Maximinus mentioned in Metaphrastes. Iudes, and Domuas, who suffered with 20000. Martyrs aboue mentioned, at Nicomedia, as recordeth Metaphrastes. Euelasius, and Maximinus the Emperours officers, whom Fausta the virgine in her tormentes conuerted. Also Thyrsus, Lucius, Callinicus, Apollonius, Philemon, Asilas, Leonides, with Arrianus president of Thebaide. Cyprianus, lykewise a Ci- tizen of Antioche, who after he had continued MarginaliaEuelasius. Maximinus, Thyrsus, Lucius, Callinicus, Apollonius, Philemon, Asilias, Leonides, Arrianus the President. Cyprianus, Byshop of Antioche. Iustina, Glycerius, Felix Priest. Fortunatus and Achilleus Deacons, Carpophorus, Abundus his Deacon. Claudius, Syrinus Antonius, Cucusatus, Felix Bishop. Adauctus, and Ianuarius, Fortunatus, Septimus, Martyrs. a long tyme a filthy Magician, or sorcerer, at length was conuerted, and made a Deacon, then a Priest, and at last the Byshop of Antioche. Vincent. lib. 12. cap. 120. of whom partly wee touched somwhat before. Pag. 72. Thys Cyprian with Iustina a virgine suffered among the Martyrs. Item, Glycerius at Nicomedia, Felix a minister, Fortunatus, Achilleus, Deacons in the Citie of Valent. Arthemius of Rome Cyriacus Deacon to Marcellus the Byshop. Carpophorus priest at Thuscia, wyth Abundus his Deacon. Item Claudius, Syrinus, Antonius, which suffered with Marcellinus the Byshop. Sabell. Enead. 7. Lib. 8. Cucusatus, in the citie Barcinona. Felix Byshop of Apulia, wyth Adauctus and Ianuarius hys priestes, Fortunatus and Septimus, hys readers, who suffered in the Citie Venusina, vnder Dioclesian. Bergom. Lib. 8.

MarginaliaThe Lamentable story of Cassianus Martyr.
Ex Aurel. prudentio. lib. peristephanō. It were to long a trauyale or trouble to recite all and singular names of them particularly, whom thys persecution of Dioclesian dyd consume.  

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Cassianus to Justina and Tecla

The Foxe Project was not able to complete the commentary on this section of text by the date by which this online edition was compiled (23 September 2008).

1 THrough Forum, as in Italy,
I passed once to Roome:
Into a Church by chaunce came I,
And stoode for by a toome.
2 VVhich church sometime a place had bene,
VVhere causes great in lavve:
VVere scand and tryde, and iudgement geuen,
To keepe brute men in avve.
3 Thys place Sylla Cornelius,
Fyrst built: he raysde the frame:
And called the same Forum, and thus,
that Citye tooke the name.
4 In prayer feruent as I stoode,
castyng myne eye aside:
A picture in full pitious moode,
(Imbrude) by chaunce I spyde.
5 A thousand vvounded markes full bad,
All mangled, rent, and torne:
The skinne appearde, as thoughe it had,
Bene iagde and prickte vvyth thorne.
6 A scull of pictured boyes did bande,
About that lothsome sight:
That vvyth theyr sharpened gads in hande,
Hys members thus had dight.
7 These gads vvere but their pens vvherevvith,
Their Tables vvritten vvere:
And such as scholers often sith,
Vnto the scholes do beare.
8 VVhom thou seest here thus picturde sitte,
And firmely doost behold:
No fable is, I do thee vvitte,
Vnaskt a Prelate tolde
9 That vvalkt therby: but doth declare
The history of one,
VVhich vvritten, vvould good record beare,
VVhat fayth vvas long agone.
10 A skilfull scholemaister this vvas,
that here sometyme did teache:
The bishop once of Brixia as,
And Christ full playne dyd preache.
11 He knevv vvell hovv to comphrehend,
Long talke in fevve lynes:
And it at length hovv to amend,
By order and by tymes.
12 His sharpe precepts, and stearne lookes,
His beardlesse boyes did feare:
VVhen hate in harte (yet for their bookes)
Full deadly they did beare.
13 The childe that learnes, I do ye vveete,
Tearmes, aye, hys tutor crule:
No discipline in youth seemes svveete,
Counte this a common rule.
14 Behold the ragyng tyme novv here,
Oppressing sore the fayth:
Doth persecute gods chyldren deare,
And all that Christ bevvrayth.
15 This trusty teacher of the svvarme,
Profest the lyuyng God: