nd, and the son
renied his father, and the father the son. And then in this city were
founden seven Christian men, that is to wit, Maximian, Malchus,
Marcianus, Denis, John, Serapion, and Constantine. And when they saw
this, they had much sorrow, and because they were the first in the
palace that despised the sacrifices, they hid them in their houses, and
were in fastings and in prayers. And then they were accused tofore
Decius, and came thither, and were found very Christian men. Then was
given to them space for to repent them, unto the coming again of Decius.
And in the meanwhile they dispended their patrimony in alms to the poor
people; and assembled them together, and took counsel, and went to the
mount of Celion, and there ordained to be more secretly, and there hid
them long time. And one of them administered and served them always.
And when he went into the city, he clothed him in the habit of a beggar.

When Decius was come again, he commanded that they should be fetched,
and then Malchus, which was their servant and ministered to them meat
and drink, returned in great dread to his fellows, and told and showed
to them the great fury and woodness of them, and then were they sore
afraid. And Malchus set tofore them the loaves of bread that he had
brought, so that they were comforted of the meat, and were more strong
for to suffer torments. And when they had taken their refection and sat
in weeping and wailings, suddenly, as God would, they slept, and when it
came on the morn they were sought and could not be found. Wherefore
Decius was sorrowful because he had lost such young men. And then they
were accused that they were hid in the mount of Celion, and had given
their goods to poor men, and yet abode in their purpose. And then
commanded Decius that their kindred should come to him, and menaced them
to the death if they said not of them all that they knew. And they
accused them, and complained that they had dispended all their riches.
Then Decius thought what he should do with them, and, as our Lord would,
he inclosed the mouth of the cave wherein they were with stones, to the
end that they should die therein for hunger and fault of meat. Then the
ministers and two Christian men, Theodorus and Rufinus, wrote their
martyrdom and laid it subtlely among the stones. And when Decius was
dead, and all that generation, three hundred and sixty-two years after,
and the thirtieth year of Theodosius the emperor, when the here