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The Life and Passion of Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr. By Pontius the Deacon

Pontius the Deacon

Section 12

About this work

Author: Pontius the Deacon

12. And now let us return with

‹ Section 11 Section 13 ›

thankfulness

to

what

I

had

suggested

in

the

second

place

,

that

for

the

soul

of

such

a

man

there

was

divinely

provided

a

sunny

and

suitable

spot

,

a

dwelling

,

secret

as

he

wished

,

and

all

that

has

before

been

promised

to

be

added

to

those

who

seek

the

kingdom

and

righteousness

of

God

.

And

,

not

to

mention

the

number

of

the

brethren

who

visited

him

,

and

then

the

kindness

of

the

citizens

themselves

,

which

supplied

to

him

everything

whereof

he

appeared

to

be

deprived

,

I

will

not

pass

over

God’s

wonderful

visitation

,

whereby

He

wished

His

priest

in

exile

to

be

so

certain

of

his

passion

that

was

to

follow

,

that

in

his

full

confidence

of

the

threatening

martyrdom

,

Curubis

possessed

not

only

an

exile

,

but

a

martyr

too

.

For

on

that

day

whereon

we

first

abode

in

the

place

of

banishment

(

for

the

condescension

of

his

love

had

chosen

me

among

his

household

companions

to

a

voluntary

exile

:

would

that

he

could

also

have

chosen

me

to

share

his

passion

!

)

,

“

there

appeared

to

me

,

”

said

he

,

“

ere

yet

I

was

sunk

in

the

repose

of

slumber

,

a

young

man

of

unusual

stature

,

who

,

as

it

were

,

led

me

to

the

prætorium

,

where

I

seemed

to

myself

to

be

led

before

the

tribunal

of

the

proconsul

,

then

sitting

.

When

he

looked

upon

me

,

he

began

at

once

to

note

down

a

sentence

on

his

tablet

,

which

I

knew

not

,

for

he

had

asked

nothing

of

me

with

the

accustomed

interrogation

.

But

the

youth

,

who

was

standing

at

his

back

,

very

anxiously

read

what

had

been

noted

down

.

And

because

he

could

not

then

declare

it

in

words

,

he

showed

me

by

an

intelligible

sign

what

was

contained

in

the

writing

of

that

tablet

.

For

,

with

hand

expanded

and

flattened

like

a

blade

,

he

imitated

the

stroke

of

the

accustomed

punishment

,

and

expressed

what

he

wished

to

be

understood

as

clearly

as

by

speech

,

—

I

understood

the

future

sentence

of

my

passion

.

I

began

to

ask

and

to

beg

immediately

that

a

delay

of

at

least

one

day

should

be

accorded

me

,

until

I

should

have

arranged

my

property

in

some

reasonable

order

.

And

when

I

had

urgently

repeated

my

entreaty

,

he

began

again

to

note

down

,

I

know

not

what

,

on

his

tablet

.

But

I

perceived

from

the

calmness

of

his

countenance

that

the

judge’s

mind

was

moved

by

my

petition

,

as

being

a

just

one

.

Moreover

,

that

youth

,

who

already

had

disclosed

to

me

the

intelligence

of

my

passion

by

gesture

rather

than

by

words

,

hastened

to

signify

repeatedly

by

secret

signal

that

the

delay

was

granted

which

had

been

asked

for

until

the

morrow

,

twisting

his

fingers

one

behind

the

other

.

And

I

,

although

the

sentence

had

not

been

read

,

although

I

rejoiced

with

very

glad

heart

with

joy

at

the

delay

accorded

,

yet

trembled

so

with

fear

of

the

uncertainty

of

the

interpretation

,

that

the

remains

of

fear

still

set

my

exulting

heart

beating

with

excessive

agitation

.

”

Notes

11
[Pontius is said to have followed his beloved bishop, a.d. 258, dying a martyr.]