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

Pontius the Deacon

Section 18

About this work

Author: Pontius the Deacon

18. And when he left the doors

‹ Section 17 Section 19 ›

of

the

prætorium

,

a

crowd

of

soldiery

accompanied

him

;

and

that

nothing

might

be

wanting

in

his

passion

,

centurions

and

tribunes

guarded

his

side

.

Now

the

place

itself

where

he

was

about

to

suffer

is

level

,

so

that

it

affords

a

noble

spectacle

,

with

its

trees

thickly

planted

on

all

sides

.

But

as

,

by

the

extent

of

the

space

beyond

,

the

view

was

not

attainable

to

the

confused

crowd

,

persons

who

favoured

him

had

climbed

up

into

the

branches

of

the

trees

,

that

there

might

not

even

be

wanting

to

him

(

what

happened

in

the

case

of

Zacchæus

)

,

that

he

was

gazed

upon

from

the

trees

.

And

now

,

having

with

his

own

hands

bound

his

eyes

,

he

tried

to

hasten

the

slowness

of

the

executioner

,

whose

office

was

to

wield

the

sword

,

and

who

with

difficulty

clasped

the

blade

in

his

failing

right

hand

with

trembling

fingers

,

until

the

mature

hour

of

glorification

strengthened

the

hand

of

the

centurion

with

power

granted

from

above

to

accomplish

the

death

of

the

excellent

man

,

and

at

length

supplied

him

with

the

permitted

strength

.

O

blessed

people

of

the

Church

,

who

as

well

in

sight

as

in

feeling

,

and

,

what

is

more

,

in

outspoken

words

,

suffered

with

such

a

bishop

as

theirs

;

and

,

as

they

had

ever

heard

him

in

his

own

discourses

,

were

crowned

by

God

the

Judge

!

For

although

that

which

the

general

wish

desired

could

not

occur

,

viz

.

,

that

the

entire

congregation

should

suffer

at

once

in

the

fellowship

of

a

like

glory

,

yet

whoever

under

the

eyes

of

Christ

beholding

,

and

in

the

hearing

of

the

priest

,

eagerly

desired

to

suffer

,

by

the

sufficient

testimony

of

that

desire

did

in

some

sort

send

a

missive

to

God

,

as

his

ambassador

.