University of Virginia Library

2

Under Arcadius whose reign appears
After Christs birth about four hundred years
When Holy Chrysostom in exile went
God on Constantinople-City sent,
A dismall fire burning a Temple down
And Curious Wealthy work of Court and town
This darkning blot stuck on his jacket bright
His pagan Captain reckens it the spite
Of John Chrysostoms Friends, who in a rage
Had thus avengde his Exile. Hence engage
He doth against them, taketh Tygrius
Their godly minister, and tares him thus
With Scourges over all his body sore
Doth binde and rack him dreadfully more o're
Untill his joynts and limbs disjoynted are
Nicephorus his story doth declare.
Eutropius the Lecturer's out ta'ne
Adjudged another raiser of this flame
His body's rackt, beaten with Clubs and lashes,
Bones broke with mauls, his limbs are cut with gashes
His sides and Cheeks are furrowed with Claws
His neather parts bunt till all parcht (What cause?)
And thus cast into prison where he lies,
(Though a young tender branch) untill he dies.
Sisinnius Martyrius also
With Alexander, godly Greeks do goe
For France and study learning to obtain
Under the famous Ambrose of Millain
From whom they pass to Trent and ordain'd are
By their Vigilius Christ to declare.
And in the Vally of Anonia
Now Hanault they a Church Collect, and stay
Untill the people do for fruitfullness
To Saturn sacrifice. Oh wickedness.
Which when these Worthies bright would not attend
These barb'rous Clowns their fury on them spend.
They scourge them grievously, then breake the Head
With a brass trumpet of Silonius, shed
His pious blood then with an hatchet do
Then with the Hatchet hack Martyrius too,
On Stakes do fix him and him have away
Unto their idoll, but Death spoils their play.
But Alexander to inter their Dead
Doth take them on his back, but off they're had
And cast before their idoll in the fire
And Alexander's scourgd, till he expire.
While Martian holds the helm whose Crown began
Four hundred fifty years from Christ, up sprung
The Duke of Cornwall's Daughter, Vesula
When Maximus the Brittain bore great sway
In Little Brittain she Espoused to
Duke Conan, doth attempt the seas, to go
Now with eleven hundred more to him
And by a storm are cast away therein
And such of them as swome ashore were slain
By tyrants of a quite Contrary grain.
When Leo reignd whose Empire first began
Fourhundred Sixtyfour, Victorian
The richest Adeumetine Citizen
No wealthier in Affrick rose up then:
King Hunerick the Vandall sought all means
To bring him off to swim in's muddy streams
To whom he saith, Determin what thou please
In Christ my Lord and God I'm safe at ease
I'st be the worst that ere the sun did see
If I should be unkinde to him for thee.
At which the tyrant was so mad he had
Them torture him with torments mostly sad
In middst of which he being by them triede
He breathed out his Spirits upon Christ.
Now Liberatus, Bonifacius
With Servia, Rusticus and Septimus
Rogatus, Maximus of Carthage all
The Tyrant eggs, his flatteries do them call.
With promises of Glory great great Pleasures
With royall favour and all store of treasures
To stamp their plate in th'Arian mint but when
These golden baits fish not from Christ these men
He loads them then with heavy Irons hard
In darkesom Dungeon cast them, kept in ward
Yet gaining nothing: he doth use this trick
(An artist at all mischiefe) he'l them ship
In a dry hulk incargo'de with drie sheavs:
And out doth sayle and fires it in the seas.
Yet all in vain: Fire won't their down bed burn
Though many a time he lights it, it dies (strange turn)
Then out he takes them as out of his Cage
And dashes out their brains in hellish rage.
When Crescus Captain of the Vandalls made
France feel his heavy hand and did envade
Langress, the bishop Desiderius
From off the Wall entreated him not to crush
But spare Christs Flock and thence he did repare
Into the Temple where in earnest pray're
To Christ they tooke him and tooke off his head
Thus with his blood they dide their garments red.
Antidius the Bishop doth at Tours
Stick close to Christ while that these hellish powers
Do wound his face and loade his back with wounds
All ore and off his head tooke. Oh harsh sounds.
Now while such dirty startups worne beare sway
And Hellish spawns in velvet lead the way
And Justice blacks away as strangled by
Convulsion fits Twisting her joynts awry:
And Grace in Sackcloath lies (oh mournfull story)
These sandy wisps give Patiences mettall glory.