" Moreover, in all the torments which this unvanquished
champion of God endured, he sent forth no cry, he uttered no groan, he
opposed neither his arm nor his garment to the man who struck him, but
held his head, which he had bent towards the swords, unmoved till the
consummation came; prostrated as if for prayer, he fell asleep in the
Lord. The perpetrators of the crime, returning into the palace of the
holy prelate, that they might make the passion of the servant more fully
resemble the passion of his Lord, divided among them his garments, the
gold and silver and precious vessels, choice horses, and whatever of
value they could find, allotting what each should take. These things
therefore the soldiers did. Who, without weeping, can relate the rest?
So great was the sorrow of all, so great the laments of each, that you
would think the prophecy were a second time fulfilled, "A voice is heard
in Rama, lamentation and great mourning." Nevertheless the divine mercy,
when temptation was multiplied, made a way to escape; and by certain
visions, giving as it were a prelude to the future miracles, [declared
that] the martyr was thereafter to be glorified by wonders, that joy
would return after sorrow, {211} and a crowd of sick would obtain the
grace of benefits.
[Footnote 74: I have already suggested a comparison between this
prayer and the commendatory prayer of the Martyr Polycarp, page
92.
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