moderation toward us, burst forth into bitter
indignation against our people. Thus was fulfilled that which had been
prophesied by the Lord: 'The time cometh when whosoever shall kill you
shall think that he doeth God service.' Since that day the holy martyrs
have suffered tortures that no words can express.

"The fury of the multitude, of the governor, and of the soldiers fell
chiefly upon Sanctus, a deacon of Vienne; upon Maturus, a neophyte
still, but already a valiant champion of Christ; upon Attalus also, born
at Pergamus, but who hath ever been one of the pillars of our Church;
upon Blandina, lastly, in whom Christ hath made it appear that persons
who seem vile and despised of men are just those whom God holds in the
highest honor by reason of the excellent love they bear him, which is
manifested in their firm virtue and not in vain show. All of us, and
even Blandina's mistress here below, who fought valiantly with the other
martyrs, feared that this poor slave, so weak of body, would not be in a
condition to freely confess her faith; but she was sustained by such
vigor of soul that the executioners, who from morn till eve put her to
all manner of torture, failed in their efforts, and declared themselves
beaten, not knowing what further punishment to inflict, and marvelling
that she still lived, with her body pierced through and through, and
torn piecemeal by so many tortures, of which a single one should have
sufficed to kill her. But that blessed saint, like a valiant athlete,
took fresh courage and strength from the confession of her faith; all
feeling of pain vanished, and ease returned to her at the mere utterance
of the words, 'I am a Christian, and no evil is wrought among us.'

"As for Sanctus, the executioners hoped that in the midst of the
tortures inflicted upon him--the most atrocious which man could
devise--they would hear him say something unseemly or unlawful; but so
firmly did he resist them, that, without even saying his name, or that
of his nation or city, or whether he was bond or free, he only replied
in the Roman tongue, to all questions, 'I am a Christian.' Therein was,
for him, his name, his country, his condition, his whole being; and
never could the Gentiles wrest from him another word. The fury of the
governor and the executioners was redoubled against him; and, not
knowing how to torment him further, they applied to his most tender
members bars of red-hot iron. His members burned; but h