University of Virginia Library

But pass we now the Pyren-Hills to France
And see that Martyre that the Truth Advance
Much slaughter needs must be within the Same
If we but weigh how Maximinian came
Unto Marselles and Decrees proclaim'd
That all should worship idols or be bain'd
And hence the Noble Souldier Victor old
Because no idoll Gods he Worship would
Is by the Tyrant butcherd at Millain
And Lucian too at Belvack is there slain
Sebastian Lieutenant Generall
Of Dioclessians Vangard on did Call
The Martyres to be Constant to the Faith
Is apprehended and this Wage he hath
Gi'n by the Tyrant that his souldiers stick
Him full of arrows, and in sinck him kick
With whom Nicantrate and Zoe's spouse
Did fall, and Traglin (oh the scowling brows)
Tranquillines and Martia his Wife
Claud, Castor, and Tibertius in this strife,
Castellus Marcus and one Marcelline
With many more were martyrd at that time
And at Triders there Rectionarius playes
His game so well: so many Christians slayes
That there did run such streams of Pretious blood
As dide greate Rivers red with this red flood.
And out he did such Cursed orders send
That wheresoere they any Christians kend
They should fall on forthwith and slay them so
Without all further orders thereunto.
And also did it rage o'th'German Cost
For neer to Colen Gordon and his host
Above three hundred souls all martyr'd were
Agrippina and Augustina fell there.
Agricola and so Vitalis come
To Bulloign, thirsting after Martyrdome,
Vitalis first they handle wily doe
And him enveagle's faith to overthrow,
Which when they Could not then their rage aspires
And doth attempt with tortures him to tire
In which he faithfully attends Christ name
And dies by martyredom with glorious fame.
Agricola his Master now they treate
Whose Candid Life seems for to dint some feat
Upon them that they seem but slow to spill
His blood, and hence they him delay untill
He did provoke them not to make delay
But to dispatch the matter hence they slay,
But to conclude Brave Maurice now is brought
From Syria and's Thebane Legion fraught
With Christian piety, Maximian
The Emperour did call them, ery man,
Against the Reballs in pretence: they Come
Through Rome, Macellus, bishop before in Spain
Did strengthen them, they take an oath that they
Would dy before deny their Faith or slay
The Christians. Hence over the Alps they go
After the Emperour to France unto
The Agaun Downs that is by Rhone strong streams
The Emperour at Ottodor there means
To make his West and Eastern souldiers all
With him up on his idoll Worship fall.
Orders this thing, sends for his Theban host
To serve his gods and Christian foes d--- host
They do refuse to Come to Ottodor
To worship thus, nor will their swords begore
With Christian blood; the Tyrant mad doth then
Take out each tenth and doth bebutcher them.
Hence Maurice brave doth besteel the rest
With pious Exhortations t'yield their breast
Unto the sword, and neck unto the stroke
Rather than Christians slay or faith revoke,
Doth tell the Emperour they swords on put
To fight for justice, and the foes off cut
Of all the Empire and of justice they
Were Christian, said, and could not ---y
Nor worship divell-idolls. Hence in rage
He tithes them as before then doth engage
Them all with horse and foot, and on do fall
To hack and hew; they throw their arms down all
Fall on their knees while them the others flay
Who are as lambs most vilely made away
And thus this Christian Legion slaine fall
Sixty six hundred sixty six in all.