incensed agaynst the Christians. therefore vpon a sodayne the letters of Maximinus were sent to rayse persecution agaynst vs into all and euery of the prouinces. Whereupon the Presidents and the graunde captayne of the Emperours whole hoste, gaue out commaundement, by writts, by Epistles, and publicke decrees vnto the wardens throughout euery citye, vnto the gouer∣nours and rulers of garrisons, vnto auditors, and recorders, that the Emperours edict with all speede might take effect: and charged moreouer that with all celeritye they shoulde repaire, and baylde agayne the Idoll groues, and temples of deuills, lately gone to ruine: and also they shoulde bring to passe that men, and women, their housholds and families, their sonnes and their seruants, together with the tender sucklinges, hanging at their mothers breastes, shoulde sacrifice, and in very deede taste of the sacrifices them selues: that the vi••tuals bought, and solde in the markett, the meate in the shambles, shoulde be defiled and stayned with these im∣pure oblations: and that there shoulde be porters assigned for the bathes to see that such as pur∣ged their filthe and bayned them selues within, shoulde afterwardes without, pollute them sel∣ues, with those detestable and cursed sacrifices. These thinges being come to this passe, and the Christians being (as it is moste like) altogether dismayed at these sadd and sorowfull plun∣ges wherewith they were helde: and the Gentiles and Ethnicks them selues complayned of the intollerable, absurde, and toe toe shamefull a dealing (for they were clo••ed with to much cru∣eltie and tyrannye) and this lamentable season hanging euery where ouer our heades: the di∣uine power of our Lorde and Sauiour agayne, gaue vnto these his champions, such valiant courage of minde, and inspyred them as it were from aboue, that (being neyther compelled, neyther forced to yelde an accompt of their fayth) they shoulde voluntarily offer them selues set at nought, treade downe, and stampe vnder foote, all the terrors and threats whiche the e∣nemye coulde deuise. Three therefore of the faythfull Christians lincked together in one minde, leapt vnto the President, as he sacrificed, and with a loude voy••e, exhorted him, to reforme him selfe, to reuoke his error, and to leaue his folly, affirming there was none other God but he, who was the author and finisher of all thing••••▪ And being demaunded who and what they were? boldly made aunswere that they were Christians. whereat Firmilianus being vehemently moued, without any more adoe or farther punishment commaunded forthwith they shoulde be beheaded. of the which the first was a minister by name Antonius, the seconde Zebinas of Eleuthe∣ropolis, the thirde Germanus. These circumstances which concerned them were done the 13. day of the moneth Dius, to wete in y• Ides of Nouember. The selfe same day a certayne woman called Ennathas of Scythopolis, bedecked wt the glistering floure of glorious virginitie, came thither to∣gether wt these martyrs, she offred not her self voluntarily as they did, but was by force drawen & brought before y• iudge. Wherupon after stripes, after greuous & reprochful torments, which the iudge enioyned her to endure, a certain tribune by name Maxis, whose office & charg was at hand a man as in appellation, so in condition very wicked: & as otherwise he was impiously and pernici∣ously geuen, so was he in body bigge set & wonderful strong, in behauiour beastly & toe toe cruel, & among al such as knew him, noted for an infamous person: this wicked tribune without y• authority of y• higher power, tooke in hand this blessed virgin, put of all her apparell, so that her whole bo∣dy (sauing from girdle downewards) was seene all bare. this mayde he ledd throughout all the ci∣tie of Caesarea, and with great pleasure lashed her with whipps (he was delited with the sounde of the lashe) throughout all the market place and the open streetes. The which standing at the barre, (after all those infinite torments) where the President vsed to pronounce sentence, shewing forth y• great constancy of her mind in the defence of her faith, the iudg commaunded she should be burned quicke. but he proceeding in cruelty and daily encreasing his sauadge woodnes against y• Saincts of God, passed the boundes of nature, shamefully forbidding the senselesse carkasses of y• holy sain∣ctes to enioy solempe barial, and therefore he commaunded y• the dead coarses, should be kept day & night aboue grounde, to the ende wilde beasts might rent them in peeces. so y• ye might see, for the space of many dayes, no small number of men, obeying this cruell and vnnaturall commaunde∣ment. and moreouer some watched diligently, kenning from ••owres, casements, and high places (as if hereby they had done vnto God good seruice) lest the dead carkasses were priuely conueyed and stolen away. Wherfore the brutish beasts, the rauenous doggs and griping ••oule of the ayre, tore in peeces mans flesh, lugging here and there, their quartered members, & the whole city was euery where strawed with the torne bowells and bruised bones of the blessed Martyrs, so that they whiche afore tyme were egerly bent agaynst vs, nowe confessed playnely that they neuer sawe