she is burned with fire and consumed to ashes▪ the report goeth that Aquila the iudge commaun∣ded her whole body to be scurged ouer, and that very sore, and threatned her, he woulde deliuer her body shamefully to be abused of Fencers and ruffians: and after she had muzed a while with her selfe, and they demaunding an answere, to haue sayd such thinges as pleased not the Gentiles, and therefore immediatly after sentence pronounced, to haue bene taken and ledd of Basilides (a souldier of authority among the hoast) to execution. When the multitude molested her sore, spite∣fully handling her with opprobrious termes: Basilides repressed and rebuked their rayling spea∣ches, pytying her very much, and practising great curtesie towardes her. she of the other side ap∣proued and acknowledged his curteous dealing towards her, and bad him be of good cheere, say∣ing: that after her departure she woulde entreate her Lorde for him, and shortly requite the cur∣tesie shewed vnto her. When she had ended this communication, pitche scalding hott was powred by a litle and a litle ouer all her body, from the crowne of her heade to the soule of her foote, the which she manfully endured in the Lorde, and such was the sore combatt which this worthy vir∣gine sustayned. but not long after, Basilides being required of his fellowe souldiers to sweare for some occasion or other, affirmed plainely it was not lawfull for him to sweare, for he sayd he was a Christian, and that he woulde in very deede protest the same. at the first he was thought to daly, but when he constantly auoutched it, he is brought before the iudge, and there hauing confessed the same, is clapt in prison. but when the brethren had visited him, & demaunded of him the cause of his sodaine and maruelous alteration, the report goeth he declared them how that Potamiaena three daies after her martirdome, appeared vnto him by night, & couered his head with a crowne and sayd: she had entreated the Lorde for him, and obtayned her purpose, and that not long after he shoulde ende this life. after these sayinges, and the seale of the Lorde receaued by the brethren he was beheaded, and so suffered martyrdome. they write that many others in Alexandria, embra∣ced plentifully the doctrine of Christ, for that Potamiaena appeared vnto them in sleepe, & called them to the fayth. of these thinges thus much.
The translator vnto the reader, for the remouing of suspicion rising of two thinges which Eusebius layd downe in the chapiter going before.
THere are two things in this former chapiter of Eusebius with good aduisement to be considered. The first whether Potamiaena after her martyrdome prayed for Basilides. the second whether after her martirdome she appeared vnto him, & to others, as Eusebius (by heare say) laieth downe. Toutching the first if we may credit Augustine: The soules of the departed are in such a place vvhere they see not those thinges vvhich are done, & vvhich happen vnto men in this life, he sayth further that they haue a care ouer vs, as we haue ouer them, although vve are altogether ignorant vvhat they doe. Peter Martyrs opinion, is this: although I could easily graunt, that the Sainctes in heauen do vvish vvith most feruent desires the saluation of the elect, yet for all that, I dare not affirme that they pray for vs, in so much that the Scripture hath no vvhere layde that dovvne. Potamiaena this holy virgine and martyr, seeing the kindnes this souldier shewed vnto her, was greatly pleased with him, and in the feruency of her christian loue towards him sayde: that she woulde entreate the Lorde for him af∣ter her departure. In the like sorte also I reade that Cyprian Bishop of Carthage moued Cornelius Bi∣shop of Rome, that whether of them both shoulde first departe this life, the same without intermission shoulde pray vnto God for the other. suche was the feruencye of loue betwene them. In the like sense men commonly say: God haue mercy on his soule. which saying the learned and zelous doe not so well like of for though the good motion (as they say) & disposition of the minde be expressed therby yet doth it the dead no good at all: when as his soule being already in the hands of God, needeth not our prayer. God no doubt was as redy to graūt Basilides the light of his spirit, as Potamiaena was to pray for him. Toutch∣ing the seconde, whether she appeared vnto him after her deathe the godly can iudge. Sainct Augustine sayth: If the soules of the deade departed, vvere present at the affayres of the liuinge, then vvoulde they speake vnto vs, vvhen vve see them in our sleepe, and to omitte others, mine ovvne tender mother, vvoulde forsake me neuer a nighte, vvhich follovved by sea and by lande, to the ende she might liue together vvith me. God forbid that she shoulde become cruell in the happier lyfe, so that (if ought at any tyme greeue my harte) she comforte not her sorovvfull sonne, vvhome she loued entyrely, vvhome she vvoulde neuer see, sadd. but in