and is throwa PAUL AND THECLA. to wild beasts, wild beasts: 4 a she-lion shewn, Trifina took Thecla licks her feet. 5 Trifina home with her, and they went upon a vision of her decea- to bed; and behold, the daughsed daughter, adopts Thec-ter of Trifina, who was dead, la, 11 who is taken to the appeared to her mother, and amphitheatre again. said; Mother, let the young HICH when the peo-woman, Thecla, be reputed by ple saw, they said: you as your daughter in my The judgments passed in this stead; and desire her that she city are unjust. But Thecla would pray for me, that I may desired the favour of the gov-be translated to a state of hapernor, that her chastity might piness. W not be attacked, but preserved 6 Upon which Trifina,with till she should be cast to the a mournful air, said, My beasts. daughter Falconilla has ap 2 The governor then inqui-peared to me, and ordered me red, Who would entertain her; to receive you in her room; upon which a certain very wherefore I desire, Thecla, rich widow named Trifina, that you would pray for my whose daughter was lately daughter, that she may be dead, desired that she might translated into a state of haphave the keeping of her; and piness, and to life eternal. she began to treat her in her 7 When Thecla heard this, house as her own daughter. she immediately prayed to the 3 At length a day came, Lord, and said: O Lord God when the beasts were to be of heaven and earth, Jesus brought forth to be seen; and Christ, thou Son of the Most Thecla was brought to the am- High, grant that her daughter phitheatre, and put into a den, Falconilla may live for ever. in which was an exceeding Trifina hearing this, groaned fierce she-lion, in the presence again, and said: O unrightof a multitude of spectators. eous judgments! O unreason 4 Trifina, without any sur-able wickedness! that such a prise,accompanied Thecla,and creature should (again) be cast the she-lion licked the feet of to the beasts! at Thecla. The title written 8 On the morrow which denotes her crime, was, break of day, Alexander came Sacrilege. Then the women to Trifina's house, and said: cried out, O God, the judg-The governor and the people ments of this city are unright- are waiting; bring the criminal forth. eous. 5 After the beasts had been 9 But Trifina ran in so viq The beasts refuse PAUL AND THECLA. to destroy her. CHAP. IX. lently upon him, that he was this vile action. Kill us all, affrighted, and ran away. Tri-O governor. O cruel sight! fina was one of the royal fam-O unrighteous judgment ! ily; and she thus expressed her sorrow, and said: Alas!|1 I have trouble in my house on two accounts, and there is no one who will relieve me, either under the loss of daughter, or my being unable to save Thecla. But now, O Lord God, be thou the helper of Thecla thy servant. my Thecla thrown naked to the wild bulls. 13 Miraculous- 10 While she was thus en- HEN Thecla was taken gaged, the governor sent one out of the hand of Triof his own officers to bring fina, stripped naked, had a Thecla. Trifina took her by girdle put on, and thrown into the hand, and, going with her, the place appointed for fightsaid: I went with Falconilla ing with the beasts: and the to her grave, and now must go lions and the bears were let with Thecla to the beasts. loose upon her. 11 When Thecla heard 2 But a she-lion, which was this, she weeping prayed, and of all the most fierce, ran to said: O Lord God, whom I Thecla, and fell down at her have made my confidence and feet. Upon which the multirefuge, reward Trifina for her tude of women shouted aloud. compassion to me, and pre- 3 Then a she-bear ran serving my chastity. fiercely towards her; but the 12 Upon this there was a she-lion met the bear, and tore great noise in the amphithea- it in pieces. tre; the beasts roared, and the people cried out, Bring in the criminal. 4 Again, a he-lion, who had been wont to devour men, and which belonged to Alexander, 13 But the women cried ran towards her; but the sheout, and said: Let the whole lion encountered the he-lion, city suffer for such crimes; and they killed each other. and order all of us, O govern- 5 Then the women were or, to the same punishment. O under a greater concern, beunjust judgment! O cruel cause the she-lion, which had sight! helped Thecla, was dead. 14 Others said, Let the 6 Afterwards they brought whole city be destroyed for out many other wild beasts; Saved and PAUL AND THECLA. released. but Thecla stood with herty of ointment was large, in hands stretched towards heav- proportion to the number of en, and prayed; and when people; and upon this all the she had done praying, she beasts lay as though they had turned about, and saw a pit of been fast asleep, and did not water, and said, Now it is a touch Thecla. proper time for me to be bap- 11 Whereupon Alexander said to the governor, I have tized. 7 Accordingly she threw some very terrible bulls; let herself into the water, and us bind her to them. Το said, In thy name, O my Lord which the governor, with conJesus Christ, I am this last cern, replied, You may do day baptized. The women what you think fit. and the people seeing this, 12 Then they put a cord cried out, and said, Do not round Thecla's waist, which throw yourself into the water. bound also her feet, and with And the governor himself cri- it tied her to the bulls, to ed out, to think that the fish whose privy-parts they appli(sea-calves) were like to de-ed red-hot irons, that so they vour so much beauty. being the more tormented, 8 Notwithstanding all might more violently drag this, Thecla threw herself into Thecla about, till they had the water in the name of our killed her. Lord Jesus Christ. 13 The bulls accordingly 9 But the fish (sea-calves,) tore about, making a most when they saw the lightning hideous noise; but the flame and fire, were killed, and swam which was about Thecla, dead upon the surface of the burnt off the cords which were water, and a cloud of fire sur-fastened to the members of the rounded Thecla; so that as bulls, and she stood in the the beasts could not come near middle of the stage, as unconher, so the people could not cerned as if she had not been see her nakedness. bound. 10 Yet they turned other 14 But in the mean time wild beasts upon her; upon Trifina, who sat upon one of which they made a very mourn- the benches fainted away and ful outcry; and some of them died; upon which the whole scattered spikenard, others city was under a very great cassia, others amomus (a sort concern. of spikenard, or the herb Jer 15 And Alexander himself usalem, or ladies-rose) others was afraid, and desired the ointment; so that the quanti-governor, saying: I intreat Entertained PAUL AND THECLA. by Trifina. you, take compassion on me that God who clothed me and the city, and release this when I was naked among the woman, who has fought with beasts, in the day of judgment the beasts; lest both you and clothe your soul with the robe I, and the whole city, be of salvation. Then she took destroyed: her clothes, and put them on; 16 For if Cæsar should and the governor immediately have any account of what has published an order in these passed now, he will certainly words: I release to you Thecla immediately destroy the city, the servant of God. because Trifina, a person of 22 Upon which the women royal extract, and a relation of all cried out together with a his, is dead upon her seat. loud voice, and with one ac 17 Upon this the governor cord gave praise unto God, called Thecla from among the and said: There is but one beasts to him, and said to her, God, who is the God of ThecWho art thou? and what are la; the one God, who hath dethy circumstances, that not one livered Thecla. of the beasts will touch thee?i 23 So loud were their voic18 Thecla replied to him:es, that the whole city seemed I am a servant of the living to be shaken; and Trifina herGod; and as to my state, I self heard the glad tidings, and am a believer on Jesus Christ arose again, and ran with the his Son, in whom God is well pleased; and for that reason none of the beasts could touch me. multitude to meet Thecla ; and embracing her, said: Now I believe there shall be a resurrection of the dead; now I am 19 He alone is the way to persuaded that my daughter is eternal salvation, and the alive. Come therefore home foundation of eternal life. He with me, my daughter Thecla, is a refuge to those who are in and I will make over all that distress; a support to the af- I have to you. flicted, hope and defence to 24 So Thecla went with those who are hopeless; and Trifina, and was entertained in a word, all those who do there a few days, teaching her not believe on him, shall not the word of the Lord, whereby live, but suffer eternal death. many young women were con20 When the governor verted; and there was great heard these things, he ordered joy in the family of Trifina. her clothes to be brought, and 25 But Thecla ionged to said to her, Put on your clothes. see Paul, and inquired and 21 Thecla replied: May sent every where to find him & A Thecla visits PAUL AND THECLA. Paul, &c. 5 But Trifina had sent large sums of money to Paul, and also clothing by the hands of Thecla, for the relief of the poor. 6 ¶ So Thecla went to IcoAnd when she came and when at length she was informed that he was at Myra in Lycia, she took with he many young men and women ; and putting on a girdle, and dressing herself in the habit of a man, she went to him to nium. Myra in Lycia, and there to the house of Onesiphorus, found Paul preaching the word she fell down on the floor of God; and she stood by him where Paul had sat and preachamong the throng. ed, and, mixing tears with her prayers, she praised and glo1 Thecla visits Paul, 6 visits rified God in the following Onesiphorus, 8 visits her words: B CHAP. X. mother, who repulses her, 7 Oh Lord, the God of this 12 Is tempted by the devil, house, in which I was first en16 works miracles. lightened by thee; O Jesus, UT it was no small sur- son of the living God, who prise to Paul, when he wast my helper before the govsaw her and the people with ernor, my helper in the fire, her; for he imagined some and my helper among the fresh trial was coming upon beasts; thou alone art God them; forever and ever, Amen. 2 Which when Thecla per- 8 ¶ Thecla now (on her ceived, she said to him: I return) found Thamyris dead, have been baptized, O Paul; but her mother living. So callfor he who assists you in ing her mother, she said to her: preaching, has assisted me to Theoclia, my mother, is it baptize. possible for you to be brought 3 Then Paul took her, and to a belief, that there is but one led her to the house of Hermes; Lord God, who dwells in the and Thecla related to Paul all heavens? If you desire great that had befallen her in Anti-riches, God will give them to och, insomuch that Paul ex-yon by me; if you want your ceedingly wondered; and all daughter again, here I am. who heard were confirmed in 9 These and many other the faith, and prayed for Tri- things she represented to her fina's happiness. mother, (endeavouring) to persuade her (to her own opinion.) But her mother Theoclia gave no credit to the things which were said by the martyr Thecla, 4 Thecla arose, and said to Paul, I am going to Iconium. Paul replied to her: Go, and teach the word of the Lord. 130 |