the station, or fast
of that day, with the patriarchs and prophets in heaven. When they were
come into the amphitheatre, Augustalis, the bishop's lector, came to him
weeping, and begged he would permit him to pull off his shoes. The
martyr said he could easily put them off himself, which he did. Felix, a
Christian soldier, stepped in, and desired he would remember him in his
prayers. Fructuosus said aloud: "I am bound to pray for the whole
Catholic church spread over the world from the east to the west;" as if
he had said, as St. Austin observes, who much applauds this sentence:[3]
"Remain always in the bosom of the Catholic church, and you will have a
share in my prayers." Martial, one of his flock, desired him to speak
some words of comfort to his desolate church. The bishop, turning to the
Christians, said, "My brethren, the Lord will not leave you a flock
without a pastor. He is faithful to his promises. Do not grieve for me.
The hour of my suffering is short." The martyrs were fastened to wooden
stakes to be burnt; but the flame seemed at first to respect their
bodies, having consumed only the bands with which their hands were tied,
giving them liberty to stretch out their arms in the form of a cross in
prayer, in which posture they gave up their souls to God before the fire
had touched them. Babylas and Mygdone, two Christian servants of the
governor, saw the heavens open, and the saints carried up with crowns on
their heads. The faithful came in the night, extinguished the fire, and
took out the half-burnt bodies. Every one carried some part of their
remains home with them; but being admonished from heaven, brought them
back and laid them in the same monument. St. Austin has left us a
panegyric on St. Fructuosus, pronounced on the anniversary day of his
martyrdom, on which his name has been always famous in the western
church, especially in Spain and Africa.

Footnotes:
1. Beneficiarii were soldiers distinguished by certain privileges, and
who stood for promotion, as Vege{tius} informs us, l. 2, c. 7.
2. Wednesdays and Fridays were fast-days at that time; but only till
none, that is, three in the afternoon, and called the fast of the
stations.
3. Serm. 273.

{192}

ST. VIMIN, OR VIVIAN, B.C., IN SCOTLAND.

BY the fervent practices of the most perfect monastic discipline in one
of the famous abbeys in Fifeshire, he qualified himself to become, by
word and example, a guide and director to ma