University of Virginia Library

The death of S. Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna, and disciple to saint Iohn.

When fierce Alecto moued the mindes
of gracelesse wicked men,
To persecute the sacred Church
of Christ beginning then,
And all the furies breaking loose
from hell with cancred spite,
Did seeke by all the meanes they could,
to quench that heauenly light,
The poore afflicted Christian flocke
was spoyled on euerie side,
And euerie woluish tongue and tooth,
in bloud of saints was dide.
Ech vertuous man tormented was,
and godly men were slaine,
And hauocke made of holy harts,
with hatred and disdaine,
The worthie father Polycarp,
a man of auncient yeares,
With aged countnance beautified,
and deckt with siluer heares,
Was sought for now and followed fast
with foote of cruell foe,
No place of safegard left for him,
nor path of peace to goe,
In euerie place was watch and warde,
and spials out were sent,
By bloudie suite to ouerthrow
and trap the innocent,
But he not moued with all this rage,
In quiet doth remaine,
Accounting life and pleasures lost,
for Christ his chiefest gaine,
Yet following counsell of his frendes,
vnto a secret place,
He doth depart, and quietly
remaining there a space,
With humble heart doth call to God,
and prayeth continually,
For christian Church, his friends and such
as liue in miserie,
For thus he used euermore
throughout all his life to praye,
Continuing with his godly friends,
in prayer night and daye.
Thus three dayes hole in prayer past,
he takes at length his rest,
And whilst vpon his bed he lies,
with quiet sleepe possest,
Him seemeth in his dreame hee sees
the Pillow all on flame,
That round about encompasseth
his head vpon the same,
Which blasing round about the bed
with firie countnance bright,
In little time as thought him then,
consumes the Bolster quight,
Awaking from this fearefull dreame,
He lifteth vp his hed.
Declareth that this vision straunge
of firie flaming bed,
Doth plainly show that shortly he
must lose his life in fire,
And leaue his aged limmes in flame,
for Christ his chiefe desire,
Yet once againe at friends request,
from thence he flies away,
In seeking out some couert place,
the safer for to pray,
Yet ceaseth not the tyrants foote
for to pursue him still,
But ransacking in euerie place,
the guiltlesse bloud to spill,
Findes out at length the happie house
wherin this father good,
Had entred for to scape the hands
of Sathans cursed brood,
The day was almost at an ende
and sunne declining fast,
Upon the foming Occean seas,
his eyes began to cast,
When as the cursed Catchpolles found
this sacred secret place,
They make no more, but vp they hie,
with swift and hastie pace.
A Garret was there placed aloft,
where as this vertuous man,
Lay quietly vpon his bed,
not fearing daunger than,
The aged father riseth vp
and meetes his enimies,
With countance comly to beholde,
in sweete and pleasant guise,
Whereat the messengers amased
doe wonder verie much,
That such a worthie father olde,
of grace and goodnes such,
Should thus be sought for in this sort
by cruell tyrannie,
And well deseruing long to liue,
should thus vntimely die.
His youth in vertue alwayes spent,
his age in honor led,
Deserued with better quietnesse,
to rest his horie head,
But he not weying force of man,
nor cruell enimie,
Embracing tokens true of death,
determineth to die,
Such was his loue to Christ his Lorde,
that through this vale of strife,
By death he rather followes him,
than him forsakes for life.
No torment of the tyrants hand,
nor feare of cruell smart,
Could once amase his vertuous minde,
nor daunt his sacred hart,
He willes them straight to lay the borde,
and for to bring him meate,
And to his foes as to his friends,
Appointeth ghostly seate,
Desiring them but libertie
to pray an houres space,
Which once obtainde he falleth downe,
and groueling on his face,
In such a comly sort he prayes,
that all that present stood,
Amased were, and euen those
that sought to shed his blood,
To take him there repented much,
that they had trauailde so,
In hunting for so good a man,
of force commaunded tho,
They soried much that they should take
and bring to cruell paine
So sweete a seruant of the Lordes,
so vertuous and so plaine,
His prayer fully finished then,
His time was now at hand,
Upon an Asse they hoyst him vp,
and compast with their bande,
They lead him toward the citie streight,
vpon the Sabboth day.
Thus in his iourney trauailing,
there meetes him on the way,
One Herode that Lieutenant was,
Nicetas eke with him,
That father of this Herod was,
and causing him come in,
Unto the chariot where they sat,
still passing on their way,
They him perswade to cast off Christ,
and on this sort they say,
What hurt or perill can it be,
what yll can thus arise,
In calling of the Emperour God,
and offring sacrifice.
Lo this is all that thou shalt doe,
what matter great is this?
What fault can herewithall be found,
what thing is here amisse?
By doing thus thou sauest thy life,
and all thy friends shalt please,
And spend thy aged yeares in rest,
and passe thy time in ease.
These words with silence first he heard,
and as they yet proceede,
What needes more words than these, saith he,
I will not doe this deede,
Ne will I call your Emprour God,
nor offer sacrifice,
In vaine you me disswade, my minde
is settled otherwise.
Offended with this aunswere much,
they both began to frowne,
And with despite from out the Coche
they threw him headlong downe,
The fall did hurt him verie sore,
but nothing him dismay,
For chearfully as voyde of hurt,
he holdeth on his way
Unto the place where he should die,
beset on euerie hand,
With swarmes and throng of people rude,
that gasing on him stand,
Whereto as soone as he was come,
this voyce from heauen fell,
Be of good comfort Polycarpe
and keepe thy conscience well.
No kinde of thing coulde there be seene,
yet many heard the voyce
That louing him and fearing God
did much thereat reioyce,
The beastly people rayled at him
when as he came in sight,
And blasphemed God, defacing him
with words of great despight.
Thus brought among these gredie wolues
the simple sheepe doth stand,
The Iudge commaunding silence streight,
with lifting vp his hand,
Demaundes if that be he that Po-
lycarpus hath to name,
Whereto he boldly aunsweres him,
I am the verie same.
Then of thy selfe haue some regarde,
good father olde, sayth hee,
And haue respect vnto thy yeares
and to thine owne degree.
Thy reuerent age deserues good lucke
cast not thy selfe away,
But worship thou the Emperour
and wish him well alway,
And crie away with all such beasts
as doe no God regarde,
Then turning to the people streight,
and willing to be harde,
Olde Polycarpe with frowning looke
and hand held vp to skies,
Cries out amaine away with such
as God doe here despise,
The Ruler speaking still and saying,
loue Cesar with thy hart,
And blaspheme Christ, then shalt thou at
thy pleasure hence depart.
I haue, sayth Polycarpus, serued
Christ fourescore yeares and more,
And vnto mee in all this space,
he did no hurt. Wherfore
Should I then him blaspheme that hath
bene all this while my frende,
Whose blessed ayde from euerie harme,
did alwayes me defend,
I can not serue him in such sort,
that hath so friendly delt
With me through all my life, by whom
I haue such goodnesse felt,
I am a Christian I confesse,
a Christian will I die,
Come paine or ioy, come death or life,
I will it not denie,
And if thou seekest the happie state,
of Christians for to know,
Their whole beliefe, and vertuous sect,
I plainly will thee show,
Whensoeuer thou shalt appoint the time.
Nay sayth the Iudge, declare
Before the people present here,
in all things how they fare,
Quoth he, I haue thee answerde full,
in scriptures are we tought,
To giue you Rulers honor such,
as vnto you we ought,
We worship Princes euermore,
as Gods Lieutenants here,
And them obey, so that they bid
not things repugnant cleare
Against the lawes of God himselfe,
but for to come t'account,
Before these raging people rude,
whose madnesse doth surmount,
Their senselesse wits, it is no part
of mine I you assure,
Nor neuer will I doe it whilst
my life doth here endure.
Wild beasts here haue I quoth the Shrife,
whereto thou shalt be cast,
Then let them lose sayth he, my words
shall stand as they haue past,
I can not chaunge from good to euyll,
more meete this sinfull brood,
Should leaue their lewde and beastly life,
and chaunge from euill to good.
Well quoth the Shrife offended much
and boyling all in ire,
Though thou regardst not force of beasts,
thou shalt be burnt with fire,
Thy aged bones and werish limmes,
consumde to coales shall bee,
And life (the fruite of thy contempt)
shall passe in flame from thee.
Thou threatnest me (quoth he againe)
with feeble fire and vaine,
Which as it quickly kindleth here,
so quickly dies againe,
Not knowing of the dreadfull flames
that burne continually,
Prepared for the wicked sort,
that here in sinne doe die.
But wherefore seemest thou thus to stay?
put beasts or fire to me,
With torments I nor fearefull sights
can neuer moued be.
These words and other like to these
him Polycarpus tolde,
With ioyfull looke. The Shrife amased,
to heare his aunsweres bolde,
A Baily to the people sent,
and willes him to proclaime
That Polycarpe had thrice confest
himselfe a Christian plaine.
Which when the multitude had heard
of Iewes and Gentiles vaine,
That present were with furie great,
thus crie they out amaine,
Lo this is he that doth seduce
all Asia round about,
The father and the chiefest guide,
of all the Christian rout,
The great defacer of our Gods,
who teacheth not to make
Nor offer sacrifice, but Gods
and goodnesse to forsake.
This sayd, they crie for fire streight,
and here and there they run,
And ech man busieth much himselfe,
to see the slaughter done,
And wood from euerie place they bring,
and reedes in order laye,
And pile vp fagots fast thereon,
With all the hast they may,
And thus the stake is streight preparde,
the father brought thereto,
With willing minde and ioyfull hart,
his garments doth vndo,
And stripes himselfe into his shirt,
while as the standers by,
Doe driue in staples to the stake.
the safer him to tie.
These chaines, quoth he, are needlesse here
for he that me doth make
To abide the fire, shall giue me grace
to stand vntide at stake,
Wherewith they let the chaines alone,
and tie him slenderly.
With little Hempen cordes that were
prepared speedily.
Thus like a Ram drawne from the flocke
for sacrifice he stands,
And to the heauens casting vp
his eyes and holy hands,
These words with feruent mind he spake,
O God of power benine
That Father art of Iesus Christ,
by which deare sonne of thine,
Of thee the knowledge we attaine
thou Lord of Aungels all,
Of powers and strengths & euery wight,
that vnto thee doe call,
The only God of righteous men,
to thee great thanks I giue
That thus thou hast permitted me,
vntill this day to liue,
Whereby of Christ thy only sonne,
I shall a witnesse bee
With whom I trust, and thorow him,
thy blessed face to see,
The chiefest comfort of my soule,
and longing of my sprite,
Wherein eche poore afflicted hart,
doth set his whole delight,
A pleasing sacrifice I trust,
I shalbe vnto thee,
That doth respect the louing hart
and minde of eche degree,
My soule through flames to thee I yeelde
that art my only light,
Receiue it Lord and graunt it rest,
before thy sacred sprite,
Euen as thou hast appointed, and
determind long ago,
Ech thing thou hast performed here,
and all things ordred so,
O God thou righteous art and iust,
deceite is none with thee,
Therefore I render thankes and prayse,
vnto thy maiestie,
Through Iesus Christ the eternall God,
thy deare and only sonne,
Whose presence here to iudge the world,
I trust shall shortly come.
To whom with thee and the holy sprite,
be prayse both now and then,
And laude and glory yeelded vp,
for euermore. Amen.
No sooner had he done but that
These wretches voyde of grace,
Thrust fire in on euerie side,
and kindling it apace,
The flame a loft beginnes to mount,
and threates the hawtie skies,
With crooked compasse to enclose,
the martyr standing there,
Whose bodie seemed to giue the showe
of golde in fornace cleare,
From whence beside there round about
a pleasant odor past.
As if some Baume or Frankincense,
had bene in fire cast,
The sinfull sort perceyuing thus,
the body to remaine
Untoucht of fire, and that their toyle
and trauaile was in vaine,
Doe straight commaund the hangman with
his sword to thrust him in,
Wherwith the bloud with purple streams
apace begins to spin,
And gusheth out so fast abrode,
that euen the raging flame
In diuers places of the pile
was quenched with the same,
The people all amased, depart,
the corse neglected lies,
The soule reioycing at this day,
vnto the heauen flies.