CCLXXXIII.
Dormiencium septem.
We rede in þer Legend̛, when̛ Decius þe Emperour persewid̛ Cristen̛ men̛, þer was vij yong Cristen̛ men̛, & þai fled̛ aƚƚ samen for drede off þis Decius vnto þe mownt of Celion̛ beside þe cetie of Ephesim, whar þai war born̛, & þer þai hid̛ þaim in a den̛. And þai warr accusid̛ vnto Decius Cesar at þai war þer, & he garte close vp þe den mouthe at þai sulde not com̛ oute, bod at þai sulde dy þer. And as God wold̛, sodanlie þai feƚƚ on̛ slepe; and þer was oþer privay Cristen̛ men̛ þat wrate þer martirdom̛ & put it betwix ij stonys. And þan̛ when̛ Decius & aƚƚ his kynrid̛ was dead̛ ccclxxij [yeris], after þe xxxti yere of Theodoce þe Emperour, þat was a Cristenman̛ & made grete sorow for ane heresye þat þan̛ began̛ at rise in þaim þat trustid̛ not in vprysyng of flessℏ, almighti God raysid̛ þaim in þis maner of wyse. Ther̛ was in þe cetie of Ephesie a cetisyn̛ þat went vnto þis mownt & þoght to make þer a stable for his cateƚƚ. And he oppynd̛ þis den̛, and when̛ it was oppyn̛, thies Saynttis rase vp and trowed̛ at þai had slepid̛ bod a nyght; and one of þaim þat hight Malchus, þat vsid̛ to seriff þaim, þai sent hym̛ in-to þe cetie to by þaim bread̛, & for to witt whatt Decius sayde. And he tuke with hym̛ v soldi of þer money. And when̛ he come att þe cetie yate, he saw a cros set vp̛ þer-opon̛, & he had grete mervayle; and þan̛ he went vnto euer-ilk yate, & he fand̛ it so. And þan he went agayn̛ vnto þe furste yate, & he trowid̛ þat he had dremyd̛, and with grete ferdnes he went into þe cetie. And when̛ he hard̛ þat euer-ilk man̛ was a Cristen̛ man̛, and [purseyvid] at þe cetie was oþerwice biggid̛; & at he cuthe know no man̛ at he saw, he askid̛ if þat was þe cetie of Ephesim; and ane ansswerd̛ hym̛ & sayd̛ ya. & he tuke oute his syluer to by bread with, & he was taken̛ onone, & þai Page 196 sayd̛ at he had fon̛ a tresur, & þai putt a rape aboute his nekk & harlid̛ hym̛ *. [MS. þaim.] þurgℏ þe cetie to þer bisshop̛; & he trowid̛ at þai had drawen̛ hym̛ vnto Decius Cesar. And when̛ þe bisshop̛ askid̛ hym̛ if he had fon̛ any tresurrie, he ansswerd̛ & sayd̛ þat he had þat syluer of his fadur & his moder. And þan̛ he askid̛ hym̛ whyne he was, & who was his fadur & his moder; & he said̛; "þai dweƚƚ in þis Cetie, in suche a place, & here-in I was born̛ & þis be Ephesim." And þer was no man̛ þat kend̛ nowder his fadur nor his moder; & he luked̛ aboute hym̛ if he saw any of his cussyns, and he was evyn̛ emang þaim as he had bene fond̛. And þan̛ þe bisshopp̛ said̛ vnto hym̛; "How may it be trew at þou had̛ þis syluer of þi fadur, & þe scriptur of þaim is mor̛ þan̛ ccclxxij yere old̛, & þai hafe þe figur of Decius Cesar made opon̛ þaim?" And þan̛ he had grete merveƚƚ & sayd̛; "Liffis not Decius Cesar yit?" And þe bisshop̛ sayd̛; "Nay, son̛, þer is none now in aƚƚ þis land̛ þat is callid̛ Decius, bod here hase bene a noder emperour of long tyme." And þan̛ þis Malchus; "In þis I hafe a grete mervayle, ffor yisterday I saw Decius com̛ into þis cetie, & þis be Ephesim, bod no man̛ trowis me; bod folow me & ye saƚƚ trow my felows." And þan̛ þe bisshopp̛ vmthoght hym̛, & sayd̛ vnto þe iustice; "þis is som̛ vision̛ att God wiƚƚ shew vs." And̛ þai rase vp̛ & fand̛ betwix ij stonys letters selid̛ with gold̛; & þe bisshop̛ garte semble þe peple, & red it befor̛ þaim. And when̛ þai come at þe den̛, þai lukid̛ opon̛ þies Sayntis *. [Harl. MS. videntesque facies sanctorum in spelunca quasi rosas florentes, procidentes glorificauerunt deum.] , and þai feƚƚ evyn̛ down̛ in-to wele-saueryng rosis. And when̛ þe Emperour hard̛ teƚƚ of þis, he come vnto þaim & he saw þer facis shyne, & feƚƚ down̛ on̛ kneis befor þaim & wepid̛, and̛ halsid̛ þaim & þankid̛ God̛. And þan̛ Maximian̛ said̛ vnto hym̛; "For þe almyghti God̛ hase raysid̛ vs, þat þou may trow vndowtable at þe rysyng of deade folk saƚƚ be trew. For now we hafe ryssyn̛ & liffid̛, and we wer evyn̛ as a childe is in his moder wambe, bod slepid̛ & felid̛ no hurte." And with þis þai lenyd̛ þaim down̛, þat aƚƚ folk saw, & yeldid̛ vp̛ þer sawlis vnto aƚƚmighti God̛. et c̛. Page 197
