r 230 years they were discovered, and awoke,
but died within a few days, and were taken in a large stone coffin to
Marseilles. Visitors are still shown, in St. Victor's Church, the stone
coffin.

If there is any truth at all in the legend, it amounts to this: In A.D.
250, some youths (three or seven) suffered martyrdom under the Emperor
Decius, "fell asleep in the Lord," and were buried in a cave of Mount
Celion. In 479 (the reign of Theodosius) their bodies were discovered,
and, being consecrated as holy relics, were removed to Marseilles.

(2) According to the _Oriental Tales_. Six Grecian youths were slaves in
the palace of Daki[=a]nos (_Decianus_, _Decius_). This Dakianos had
risen from low degrees to kingly honors, and gave himself out to be a
god. Jemlikha was led to doubt the divinity of his master, because he
was unable to keep off a fly which persistently tormented him, and being
roused to reflection, came to the conclusion that there must be a god to
whom both Dakianos and the fly were subject. He communicated his
thoughts to his companions, and they all fled from the Ephesian court
till they met the shepherd Keschetiouch, whom they converted, and who
showed them a cave, which no one but himself knew of. Here they fell
asleep, and Dakianos, having discovered them, commanded the mouth of the
cave to be closed up. Here the sleepers remained 309 years, at the
expiration of which time they all awoke, but died a few hours
afterwards.

_The Dog of the Seven Sleepers._ In the notes of the _Kor[^a]n_, by
Sale, the dog's name is Kratim, Kratimer, or Katmir. In the _Oriental
Tales_ it is Catnier, which looks like a clerical blunder for Catmer,
only it occurs frequently. It is one of the ten animals admitted into
Mahomet's paradise. The _Kor[^a]n_ tells us that the dog followed the
seven young men into the cave, but they tried to drive him away, and
even broke three of its legs with stones, when the dog said to them, "I
love those who love God. Sleep, masters, and I will keep guard." In the
_Oriental Tales_ the dog is made to say, "You go to seek God, but am not
I also a child of God?" Hearing this, the young men were so astounded,
they went immediately, and carried the dog into the cave.

_The Place of Sepulture of the Seven Sleepers._ Gregory of Tours tells
us that the bodies were removed from Mount Celion in a stone coffin to
Marseilles. The _Kor[^a]n_, with Sale's notes, informs us they were buried
in the cave, a