Miscellaneous Coptic Texts in the Dialect of Upper Egypt, Part 1

Miscellaneous Coptic Texts in the Dialect of Upper Egypt, Part 1

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IX. The Martyrdom of Saint Mercurius

1 (Brit. Mus. MS. Oriental, No. 6801) The martyrdom of saint mercurius the general, the holy martyr of the christ, which he completed this day, that is to say, the twenty-[fifth] day of the month athôr, in peace. AMEN. 2 At the time when Decius and Valerianus were reigning in the great city of Rome they promulgated a decree, and issued a general order to compel every one, in every place, to offer up sacrifices and to pour out libations to the gods. And they summoned all the nobles of senatorial rank, and they set before them the terms which they had thought out concerning this general law, and the Emperors found that the nobles were of the same opinion as themselves, and they rejoiced exceedingly, saying, 'We give thanks unto you, O ye immortal gods, who have revealed this same opinion.' And in that hour they ordered an ordinance to be drafted to this effect, and it was written in the imperial writing and ran as follows: 'Decius and Valerianus, the pious Emperors with absolute power, and all the nobles of senatorial rank in Rome, [hereby] write unto those who dwell in every place, and we consider that it is incumbent upon us to make you to know the things that seem good in our sight. Now for a very long time past we have been sure that it is the gods of our fathers who maintain our own kingdom, and who graciously bestow benefits upon every one who is under our dominion, and we know their benevolent goodness and the benefits which they give according to what hath been said.

3 And, moreover, it is through their means that we enjoy victory over all nations, and not this only, but they also supply us with crops and fruit in very great abundance, through our temperate climate. For these reasons we and all the men of senatorial rank have, with great readiness, drawn up a general ordinance which is to compel every one, in every place, both freemen and bondmen, and soldiers and rustics, to bring sacrifices to the gods and to pour out libations to them, and to make prayers and supplications unto them. If, however, there be any man who shall wilfully reject this our holy ordinance, which we have promulgated by common consent, our authority ordereth that he shall be forthwith committed to a dark prison, where he shall be delivered over to the most severe punishments. And whosoever shall hearken unto our decree shall receive very great honour at our hands. If there be any man who shall shew himself disobedient to us and to our ordinance they shall deliver him over to the death penalty by the sword or by water, or they shall give him to be the food for wild beasts and birds of prey; and Christians especially shall be liable to death sentences of this kind. And those who shall hearken to our ordinance shall continue to live in a state of happiness.

4 And when this Imperial Edict was published the whole of the city of Rome was filled with quaking and fear, and not only was the city of Rome troubled, but likewise all the other cities, because this general order was dispatched also to them. And the governors of all the cities commanded the multitudes to do what they were ordered to do with all possible speed. 5 And it came to pass at that time that war broke out among the Barbarians, who attacked the Romans. And the Romans equipped their ships, and made them ready to receive their troops, to [go and] fight against them. And [the Emperors] 6 ordered regiments from every district and every city to come and give them help; and when they had arrived from all the various remote cities they prepared [for war] with all diligence. And there came also the regiment which was called the 'Martusian', which had served formerly in Armenia, and which was commanded by a tribune whose name was Sardonicus. And Decius came out to the war, but Valerianus remained in Rome directing the affairs of the kingdom. And the battle waxed fierce between the Barbarians and the Romans, and each army resisted the other. And when they had continued to do this for many days, a certain man in the regiment which was called 'Martusian', whose name was Mercurius, saw the vision of a man of light; and the man was tall, and he was dressed in gorgeous apparel, and he held a drawn sword in his right hand. And the man of light said unto him, 'O Mercurius, fear not, neither be cast down, for I have been sent to help thee, and to enable thee to shew thyself the conqueror. Take this sword from my hand, and go and attack the Barbarians, and thou shalt conquer them. Forget thou not the Lord thy God.' Now these things happened to him in an ecstasy, and he thought that it was one of the Emperor's chief governors who had spoken to him. And having taken the sword, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, he dashed into the midst of the Barbarians, and slew the captain who commanded them and so large a number of the men who were with him that his arm became tired and fell [by his side]; and the quantity of blood [which he shed] was so great that his hand slipped up and down on the handle of the sword. This was how the Barbarians were put to flight, and how they were vanquished before the Romans.

7 And when Decius learned concerning the valour of this mighty man of war he summoned him to his presence, and promoted him to honour, and he made him a general, and commander-in-chief of his whole army. And Decius thought that he had conquered in the war through the Providence of c God, and he rejoiced exceedingly, and he distributed a large amount of money among the soldiers on that day, and the troops were dispatched to their own quarters. And Decius celebrated a festival in every city which he passed through as he was marching to Rome. And it came to pass in the night season, whilst the army was asleep, that the angel stood by the side of Mercurius in the form of the man whom he had seen in the battle, and he touched his side, and woke him; and when Mercurius saw the angel he was afraid. And the angel said unto him, 'Dost thou remember the words which I spake unto thee during the fight, O Mercurius? See that thou dost not forget the Lord thy God, for needs must that thou shalt suffer for His Holy Name. And thou shalt receive the crown of victory of the kingdom in the heavens, which is prepared for all those who love Him.' And when the angel had said these words he straightway withdrew himself from him. And when the blessed man had recovered his senses he remembered the words, and he marvelled at the strength of God's love for man.

8 Now Mercurius had heard about the Christian faith through his parents. His father [was called] Gordianus, and he was the commander of the First Regiment; and Mercurius was, at that time, a young man, about twenty years of age. And many and many a time he heard his father say, 'Blessed is the man who is a soldier in the service of the King of heaven, [for] God shall bestow upon him great honours, which shall never pass away, and he shall fight for Him against His enemies. And that King is He Who created the universe by His words. The heavens He hath stablished like a canopy, which He hath adorned with light-giving stars. He made the earth and the multitudes of flowers which produce sweet odours, and they are [intended] for the gratification and the healing of men. He made the sea that ships might sail thereon, and He made it to be a place for the rearing of fish. And also, it is He Who shall come to judge the living and the dead, and He shall give unto each man according to his works.' And when Saint Mercurius remembered within himself the words of his father, and the revelation which he had seen, he was greatly moved, and he began to weep and to heave sighs, saying, 'Woe unto me, a sinner! I am like a tree which is without fruit, and which, even though it hath abundant foliage, hath no root, that is to say, the knowledge of the glory of God.'

9 And whilst he was saying [these things], straightway the king sent two of the messengers who are called 'Silentiarii', and a few other attendants with them, to summon him into his presence, because he was in the habit of taking counsel with him. And Mercurius begged to be excused from going, saying, 'My body hath no strength'; and the Emperor held his peace that day. And on the following day likewise Decius sent messengers to fetch him, and when Mercurius had entered his presence they took counsel together concerning the matter which was before them. And the Emperor said unto him, 'Let us [go], O Mercurius, to the great temple of Artemis, and we will offer unto her sacrifice.' And when the Emperor set out on the road a great crowd of people followed him. And the blessed Mercurius turned back, and hid himself in the praetorium. And a certain man, wishing to stir up a quarrel between Mercurius and the Emperor, said, 'O great and powerful Emperor, victorious and pious, who hast been chosen by the gods to govern the whole kingdom of Rome, give me permission and let me speak, and do thou hearken unto me graciously.

10 Mercurius, whom thy mighty right hand hath exalted, and whom thou hast made most honourable in the kingdom of the Romans, hath not, in accordance with thy command, come with us to offer up sacrifice in the temple of the great goddess Artemis, and to bring offerings unto her, according to thy mighty command.' And the Emperor answered and said, 'Who is this man?' And [the slanderer] said, 'It is Mercurius, unto whom thou didst ascribe victory and greatness yesterday and the day before. And thou didst promote him to high rank, and especially to greatness. And this is not all, for he hath not only made himself disobedient to thy Majesty, but he hath made bold (? to persuade many folk to cease to worship the gods. If thou wilt make enquiries thou wilt find full proof of the things which I have said unto thee.' 11 And Decius said unto him, 'Perhaps thou art envious of the man in thy heart, and dost therefore say these things against him. However, I will not believe thee except I know the truth of a certainty, and I see the matter absolutely with my own eyes, face to face; for the sight of the eyes rather than the hearing of the ears is what usually maketh one believe. Be silent then, and do not utter another word against the man. If thou hast made these accusations against him through jealousy, as I have already told thee, know thou that thou shalt very soon receive severe punishment; if the things which thou hast spoken are really true thou shalt receive great gifts from my hands, since thou art of one mind with us in respect to the gods, and art [well disposed] towards the Emperors.' And Decius commanded [his servants] to bring Saint Mercurius into his presence with the honour which was his due. And when he had come into his presence the

12 Emperor said unto him, 'Mercurius, was it not I who bestowed upon thee this great honour and promotion? Did I not make thee general over all the governors because of thine intelligence, and because of the victory which the gods bestowed upon us in the war? Why shouldst thou change this great affection which is in me towards thee into bitter hatred? These great honours [which I bestowed upon thee] thou hast turned into nothingness. By such behaviour thou dost treat the gods with contempt, according as we have been informed concerning thy piety (?).' Then the truly noble soldier of the Christ stripped himself of the old man and his works, according to the word of Paul the Apostle, and put on himself the new man, which through God was created in him by baptism. And the holy man answered with gentleness and courage, and said, 'Let this honour be unto thee, for even though I did go out to the war and fight, it was not I who conquered, but God, Who hath

13 been gracious unto me in Christ. Furthermore, take back thine honour about which thou hast spoken, for when I came forth from my mother's womb I was naked, and I will depart hence naked.' And having said these words he stripped off his military cloak, and took off his belt, and he threw them at the feet of the Emperor, and he cried out, saying, 'I am a Christian. Hear, O all ye people, I am a Christian.' Then Decius became like unto one of the stupefied, and he stared into the face of Mercurius for a long time. And he marvelled at the youthful beauty of Mercurius, for the blessed man was of a most goodly presence, and his countenance was very handsome, and his complexion was red and white, and his hair was red. His body was adorned with beauty and strength, and the looks of many were directed after him, and the people admired him. And after these things the Emperor Decius shook his head, and he commanded [his men] to cast him

14 into the prison, saying, 'Let now the man who cannot appreciate honour obtain some experience of disgrace.' And this he said thinking that his ordinary good sense would return to him. So they took the martyr of the Christ to prison, and he rejoiced and was glad in the Spirit, and glorified God. And that night an angel stood by him, and said unto him, 'Mercurius, be of good cheer, and fear thou not the revilings of the tyrant. Believe thou on the Christ God, and confess that He is the Christ God, for He is able to save thee from every tribulation.' And the martyr was greatly strengthened by these words. These were the words which the angel spake unto him when he appeared unto him. ix 15 ie And on the following day Decius took his seat on the tribune, and he commanded that the blessed man should be brought before him. And he said unto him, 'Peradventure the honour which thou hast just received from me, that is to say, the disgrace which thou alone didst choose for thyself, is the kind of honour which suiteth thee?' And the blessed man answered and said [unto him], 'It suiteth me exceedingly well, for I have received a mark of honour which is indestructible.' And the Emperor said unto him, 'Tell me concerning thy family and thy native city, for I would know from what grade of life thou hast sprung.' And Saint Mercurius said unto him, 'If thou wishest to know about my family and my native city I will tell thee. As to my father according to the flesh, he was a native of Scythia, and his name was Kordianus (Gordianus). He once served as a soldier in the Martusian regiment, but at the present time he is acting as the chief officer of this same Regiment.

16 My father is a follower of the True God, and my city is the Jerusalem of heaven, the city of the Great King.' And the Emperor said unto him, 'Wast thou called by this name of Mercurius by thy parents or did some of the soldiers give it unto thee?' And Saint Mercurius said, 'My father used to call me Philopator, the interpretation of which is "lover of his parents", but when I became a soldier I was called Mercurius because the captain called me thus.' And the Emperor said unto him, 'Mercurius, consider well what thou art going to say. Wilt thou do according to our ordinance which we have published abroad for every man, and bow down to the gods, and take again thy former rank and honour in the army or not? Consider what thou art going to say, and tell us what it is quickly, for thou knowest well that thou hast been brought to this place for this very purpose.' And the martyr answered and said, 'Inasmuch as I have come to this place I shall conquer thee and thy father Satan, through whom all evil existeth. And when I shall have conquered a crown will be set upon my head by the true Master of the contest, my Lord Jesus the Christ. Therefore whatsoever thou wishest to do unto me that do quickly, and make no long tarrying.

17 For I have upon me the whole armour of God, and the breastplate of faith, by means of which things I shall overcome all thy designs and all thy crafty arts in respect of me.' 18 Then the Emperor was filled with wrath and said, 'Although this man saith "I have upon me the whole armour for work", he is nevertheless standing naked. I therefore command that he be fastened to four stakes, and that he be stretched at the height of a cubit above the ground.' And when they had done these things unto him the Emperor said, 'Where now is the armour wherein thou didst put thy trust? By the great god Zeus they shall stretch thee well.' And the holy man looked up into heaven and said, 'My Lord, help Thou me, Thy servant.' And the Emperor further commanded them to make gashes in his body with sharp knives instead of with scourges, and afterwards to scatter red-hot coals upon him so that he might be consumed; but little by little the flames of the coals were extinguished by the blood of the righteous man which was flowing freely. And the holy man bore himself with great bravery under this severe torture. And Decius commanded him to be released in order that he might not die [too] quickly, and to remove him at once to a dark place, and to set a strict watch over him. And the soldiers lifted him up, and he was half dead, but there was still a little breath left in him, although they thought he was dying. And after a very little time the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, 'Peace be unto thee, O valiant athlete!' And having said these words the angel healed the wounds which were in his body, and he made him so sound and whole that he rose, and stood up, and glorified God Who had helped him.

19 And after these things the Emperor commanded the soldiers to set him up before the tribune, and when he saw him he said unto him, 'When thou wast taken away from me [last night] thou wast half dead; how is it now that thou art able to walk? Perhaps there are no wounds in thy body at all.' Then Decius commanded his spear-bearers to make a thorough examination of his body, [and when they had done so] these men said unto the Emperor, 'We swear by thy might, O pious Emperor, that his whole body is sound, and that there is no diseased spot in it, and that it is like that of one whose body hath never been touched by a finger.' And Decius said, 'Assuredly will he say, It is the Christ Who hath made me sound and hath healed me. But did ye not take a physician into the prison to treat him?' And they said unto the Emperor, 'We swear by thy glorious majesty which ruleth the whole world, that assuredly no physician treated him, and, moreover, we thought that he would die. Now in what way he hath maintained his life, or in what way he hath been healed, we know not.' And Decins said unto them, 'Ye know now what the magic of the Christians is like! How is it that yesterday he was only fit for burial, and yet to-day he is standing up well and whole?' And Decius was filled with wrath, and he said unto Mercurius, 'Who was it that healed thee without magic?' And Saint Mercurius answered, saying, 'It was my Lord Jesus

20 the Christ, the True Physician of our souls and of our bodies, Who was pleased to bestow healing upon me, even as I have said. The dealers in magical drugs, and those who use enchantments, and the worshippers of idols, are strangers unto Him. And He will bind them in bonds which can never be loosed, and He will deliver them over unto the fire of Gehenna, because they do not recognize the True God Who created them.' 21 And the Emperor said, 'I am now going to make an end of thy body by means of severe torturings; let me see if the Christ, in Whom thou trustest, will heal thee.' And the saint said, 'I believe in my Lord Jesus the Christ, and though thou mayest bring upon me multitudes of punishments thou wilt not be able to disturb me. For He saith, "Fear not those who can kill the body, but cannot kill your souls; but fear ye rather Him that hath the power to destroy [both] your souls and your bodies in the Gehenna of fire."' Then the Emperor commanded the soldiers to bring a red-hot iron instrument and to thrust it under his members, and after that to apply blazing torches to his sides. And when they had done this, instead of smoke, a strong, sweet odour was spread abroad to every one who was in that place; and, although he was suffering the most agonizing tortures, Mercurius neither uttered a groan nor dropped a tear. And Decius said unto him, 'Where now is thy physician? Let him come and heal thee. And moreover, thou didst say, He hath power to raise me up if I die.' And Saint Mercurius said unto him, 'Do whatsoever pleaseth thee. Thou hast power over my body, but as concerning my soul God is its master.

22 And even if thou destroy my body, my soul shall endure, for it is incorruptible.' And the Emperor then commanded the soldiers to hang him upon a tree head downwards, and to suspend a large stone from his neck, in order that it might cause him to suffocate and to die quickly; but as the power of God and His grace dwelt in the martyr, he was able to bear this torture for a long space of time. And when Decius saw that the martyr was enduring the punishment valiantly, and that no manner of torture had any fatal effect upon him, he commanded them to remove the stone from his neck, and to bring a leather whip with four thongs, and to flog him with it until the ground was saturated with his blood. And the noble man was like unto a stone of adamant, and he bore this torture gravely, and he said, 'I give thanks unto Thee, my Lord, that

23 c Thou hast held me to be worthy to suffer for Thy Holy Name.' And when the Emperor saw that his determination was immovable, and that he was unable to persuade him to offer sacrifice, and having, moreover, received advice that he himself must make haste to go to Rome, he passed sentence of death upon him, and ordered him to be slain by the sword, saying: 'The head of this man Mercurius, who hath treated the gods with contempt, and hath despised [our] holy and gracious ordinance, and hath slighted our Majesty, shall be taken off in the country of Cappadocia, in that place where every one shall see him. Stripes shall be given unto him that, having received glory from the Emperor, speaketh against his commands, and finally they shall deliver him over into the hand of the sword.' 24 And those who were appointed to carry Mercurius away took him up, and set him upon a beast, and tied him on it, because the body of the martyr swayed about on all sides, and it was like unto a dead body. And they travelled on the road, which was long, and after a few days' journeying they arrived at the city of Kaisaria (Caesarca), and in this way, little by little, they brought him down. And the Lord stood by him, and said unto him, 'O Mercurius, come thou and rest with Me, for thou hast finished thy course. Thou hast kept the faith. Receive thou the warrior's crown, which it hath been appointed for thee to inherit.' And when the Lord appeared unto him the martyr gained strength, and he said unto those who were near him, 'Do what ye have been commanded to do quickly, and the Lord Who inviteth every one to repentance shall make you worthy of His grace, for He is rich, and He sheweth grace unto those who go to Him with a gift and without envy.' And when he had said these words they took off his head, and he completed a good confession of our Saviour on the twentieth day of the month of November, that is to say, the month Athôr. And a very great miracle took place which is worthy of mention. After the martyr had finished [his course] his body became as white as snow, and it exhaled a sweet odour like unto that of the choicest incense and aromatic herbs. Now because of this sign very many men became Christians. And they laid the holy man in a shrine in a prominent place (?), where very many miracles and cures took place to the glory of God the Father, and of His Only-begotten Son Jesus the Christ our Lord, and of the Holy Spirit, for ever. Amen.

25 [This is] the miracle which was manifested through Saint Mercurius, and how the saint smote Julian, the lawless Emperor, with his spear; and the [account] thereof is written in the ninth [section] of the History of the Church. Amen. Now at that time, when Cyril was bishop of Jerusalem, a mighty sign of the Christ was made manifest. From the third until the ninth hour of the day a great cross of light appeared standing above the grave of the Saviour, in the sight of all flesh, both believers and unbelievers, Barbarians and Romans. [It was so wonderful] that all the multitudes who lived in the city gathered together with their meat, and their drink, and their wine, [and whilst they were eating they gazed upon] the cross until it ascended into heaven [about] the ninth hour. And the eyes of every one were gazing after it. And Cyril, the Bishop of Jerusalem, wrote [an account of] the miracle which had taken place, and he wrote a letter, and sent it to the Emperor Kōstos (Constantius), to the Province wherein was the town of Athanasius. Now Athanasius ruled over the Church of Rakote (Alexandria) for twenty years consecutively, and no strife whatsoever rose up against him; and the time which he passed in his diocese and in exile was twenty-two years. And when the Emperor Kōstos died Julian became Emperor in his place. He was a lawless pagan, and was descended from the sister of Constantine the Great, whose husband was a pagan. And the sons of Constantine saw that the young man had a strong voice, and fearing that he could not endure the …of the empire …

26 they gave him to the Church, and made him a reader. And certain men of his father's household led him into paganism, and when Kōstos was dead Julian reigned in his stead. And Julian gave himself over to paganism straightway, and he sought to open the temples with the general consent of the public. Now he dwelt in the palace of Antioch, for he was unworthy to take up his abode in the buildings which had been occupied by Constantine. And he went into a place (i.e. shrine) of the pagans and their idols, and he took a hawk, and gave it to the priest, who offered it up as a sacrifice to the demon; and the priest took out the liver and gave it to Julian, who ate it up. And Julian was the son of his sister, and the empire was confided to him. And when he saw the purpose of the brother of his mother he seized Theodorichus the presbyter and steward of the church, and put him to death. And Julian came and received a report concerning him, and he was exceedingly angry, and said,

27 'Though thou disturbest me I do not wish to put the people to death, in order that they may not boast themselves and say, We have been made martyrs by thee. But when I shall come into the country of Persia I will impose a law upon them, namely, the Christians [shall pay] each year three oboli of the pagan per head, and the councillor three ouggia. And these things he did so that he might harass the Christians by every means possible. At that time the Church was rich in the valour of the men who were arrayed in the Spirit, and it was supported by four pillars, and these were they: Athanasius of Rakote, and Anthony and Pachomius in the southern country, and Basilius in Cappadocia. Basilius was a friend of Julian, because they had passed their childhood together at school. 28 And when Basilius heard of Julian's evil deeds he went to visit him, together with certain God-worshipping friends who belonged to his diocese. And when they had entered into Julian's presence, and he saw the humility of their condition, and that their beards were grown long, he said unto them, 'What are these men seeking after?' And Basilius answered and said, 'We are seeking after a shepherd who will be good to his flocks.' And the Emperor said unto Basilius, 'Where hast thou left the Son of the carpenter, that thou comest here?' And Basilius said unto him, 'I have left Him making a chest (?) for thee wherein thou shalt be cast [into hell].' And the Emperor said unto him, 'I am not going to enter upon a philosophical discussion with thee, because thou art my friend, and I do not want to have thy head taken off.' And Basilius said unto him, 'Thou art not a philosopher. If thou wert a philosopher thou wouldst not cast behind thy back the wisdom which thou didst learn when thou wast a reader of the Books of the true wisdom.' The Emperor said unto

29 him, 'I read them, and I understood them.' And Basilius said [unto the Emperor], 'Thou didst neither read them carefully, nor didst thou understand them, for if thou hadst understood them thou wouldst never have reviled them.' And the Emperor said unto them, 'I will shut you up until I have arrived in Persia, and I will make you to know what it is to oppose the Emperor. Ye shall be filled with affliction in the place of restraint.' And Basilius said, 'If thou shalt go into Persia and shalt return, then hath God not spoken by Basilius.' And Julian said, 'What shall I do to the Galilean, the liar? For He said in His heart, They shall not leave one stone upon another in the Temple of the Jews. I myself will build an imperial palace, and I will make His word to be a lie, and I will make you to know that He is a liar.'

30 Ac And the Emperor commanded Basilius and the other two men who were with him to be shut up in prison, and he betook himself to his expedition into Persia. And he came to Jerusalem, and he saw the ruins of the Temple, and that there was not one wall standing round about it; and it was in the same state as when Vespasian destroyed it at the time of the destruction which he wrought against the Jews. And Julian commanded his servants to clear out the place in order that he might build an exceedingly splendid palace thereon. And he appointed a count over the Temple who should clear the site so that he might lay the foundations and build [the palace]. And he betook himself to Persia, and waged war there, and he left the holy men shut up in prison. And they cleared out the ruins of the Temple, of which not one stone remained that had not been torn away from the other, according to the word of our Saviour; and they began to

31 build, and they used to work on the building from sunrise to sunset. [When] the workmen arrived in the morning they used to find the portion which had been built up [the day before] thrown down, but this was not done by the hand of man. And they continued to work for two months of days with the same result, and they were miserable, for their work did not progress, according to the Divine Providence that hindered them. And the Jews there spake to the workmen, saying, 'Burn the tombs in which the Christians have buried [bodies], and then ye will be able to build'; and they hearkened unto them, and burned the tombs. And when they came to the tombs wherein were John the Baptist and Elisha the Prophet the fire would not touch them. And for many, many days the fire filled the region round about them, but it would not touch them. And certain of the brethren gave

32 unto him (i.e. the count?) money, and entreated him to allow them to take away the bones of the holy men; and he took the money and did even as they spake unto him. And he let them have their will, and made them come by night and carry away the bones of the holy men John the Baptist and Elisha the Prophet. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and they were moved [thereby] to take the bones to Egypt unto Athanasius, because he very much desired to see them. And they came to the sea, and they embarked in a ship hurriedly, and they sailed and came to Rakote very quickly, and they gave the bones to Athanasius, and he rejoiced over them as if he could see them, that is to say, as if he were looking upon John the Baptist and Elisha in the flesh. And he hid the bones in the baptistery, and looked forward to the time when he would be able to build a martyrium over them.

33 And Saint Athanasius used to eat by day in the garden of our fathers with the brethren, and daily he invited the chief clergy [to come there], and he ate with those who came to him of their own accord. And they did not only eat, but they hearkened also unto the words of the wisdom which God had given unto him, according to that which is written, 'Everything to the glory of God.' Whether at the moment of fasting, or at the moment of eating and of drinking, he ate [and] he drank by the word of God at all times. He ate then with the brethren, and with the clergy, and with the chief 'lovers of work' of the Church in the garden which he had in the quarter of the city which was called 'Hermes', [and which was situated] to the south of the city. It was open towards (i. e. faced) the dunghills and the open spaces formed by waste ground. And he was wont to say, 'If I can find the time I will clear away the dunghills and will build on the site where they stand a martyrium to John the Baptist.' And at that moment Theophilus was standing by the table eating, because he acted as secretary to him, and he

34 1 Cor. x. 31. heard the words which Athanasius said, and kept them in his heart. And Julian, according as he was impelled by wrath to go to Persia, [went thither], and the Christ Jesus God gave him into the hands of the Persians because he had left the holy men shut up in prison when he departed to Persia. And the death that he died took place thus: He saw one night a multitude of soldiers coming against him in the air, and, behold, a spear transfixed him in his loins, and he knew that they (i. e. the soldiers) were the holy men (Mercurius and his friends). And he took his blood and threw it up towards heaven, saying, 'Take this, O Christ, for Thou hast taken the whole world.' And having uttered [this] blasphemy he straightway fell down, and God took away his rule from the people, and delivered us, and the Romans occupied their country. Three days before the death of Julian, Basilius in prison saw a vision, and he awoke and spake unto his companions, saying, 'This night I have seen the holy martyr Saint Mercurius. He went into his martyrium, and drawing forth his spear said, "Shall I permit this lawless man to blaspheme the God of heaven in this manner?" And having said these words he departed, and I ceased to see him.' And the two companions of Basilius answered, saying, 'In very truth we also ourselves have just seen this very same vision.' And when they perceived this purpose which God had shewn

35 them they believed, and they said unto each other, 'Let us send in to the martyrium of Saint Mercurius and see if his spear is fixed in its place or not.' And they sent, and finding not the spear they believed in the vision. And after three days letters were sent to Antioch, saying, 'The king hath died in battle.' And as the result of a vote [directed] by God the whole Senate took Jovianus and made him Emperor in place of Julian; now Jovianus was a believer, and he had been a man of God from his youth. And he set at liberty immediately the holy men, Basilius, the pillar of truth, the Cappadocian, and the brethren. Thus then, according to the word of Basilius, Julian did not return. In the peace of God. May the prayer and supplication of this great general, Saint Mercurius, come upon us, and may we all be saved [thereby].

36 [Here follow in the MS. the extracts from the Psalms and the passages from the Holy Scriptures which are to be sung and read on the day of the festival of Saint Mercurius. These are: Ps. viii. 6, 7;. 4, 5; Luke xiv. 25-35; Matt. ii. 1-12; Mark i. 1-11; and Matt. viii. 5-13. The Colophon states that the MS. was written by the most miserable of sinners and the most wretched and unworthy among men, Aurillios (Aurelius) Victor, the deacon, the son of the blessed Mercurius, deacon of the church of Saint Mercurius, the great General, in the city of Asna in Upper Egypt, who asks for the prayers of those who shall read the book, &c.]