lf afterwards on our account:
when he was got to the top of the ladder, he turned towards me and said:
'Perpetua, I wait for you; but take care lest the dragon bite you.' I
answered: 'In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, he shall not hurt me.'
Then the dragon, as if afraid of me, gently lifted his head from under
the ladder, and I, having got upon the first step, set my foot upon his
head. Thus I mounted to the top, and there {535} I saw a garden of an
immense space, and in the middle of it a tall man sitting down dressed
like a shepherd, having white hair. He was milking his sheep, surrounded
with many thousands of persons clad in white. He called me by my name,
bid me welcome, and gave me some curds made of the milk which he had
drawn: I put my hands together and took and ate them; and all that were
present said aloud, Amen. The noise awaked me, chewing something very
sweet. As soon as I had related to my brother this vision, we both
concluded that we should suffer death.

"After some days, a rumor being spread that we were to be examined, my
father came from the city to the prison overwhelmed with grief:
'Daughter,' said he, 'have pity on my gray hairs, have compassion on
your father, if I yet deserve to be called your father; if I myself have
brought you up to this age: if you consider that my extreme love of you,
made me always prefer you to all your brothers, make me not a reproach
to mankind. Have respect for your mother and your aunt; have compassion
on your child that cannot survive you; lay aside this resolution, this
obstinacy, lest you ruin us all: for not one of us will dare open his
lips any more if any misfortune befall you.' He took me by the hands at
the same time and kissed them; he threw himself at my feet in tears, and
called me no longer daughter, but, my lady. I confess, I was pierced
with sharp sorrow when I considered that my father was the only person
of our family that would not rejoice at my martyrdom. I endeavored to
comfort him, saying: 'Father, grieve not; nothing will happen but what
pleases God; for we are not at our own disposal.' He then departed very
much concerned. The next day, while we were at dinner, a person came all
on a sudden to summon us to examination. The report of this was soon
spread, and brought together a vast crowd of people into the
audience-chamber. We were placed on a sort of scaffold before the judge,
who was Hilarian, procurator of the province, the proconsul being