Chapter 10. Interrogatory of Valerian

"Valerian," said the prefect, "your brother's head is evidently crazed ; you, I hope, will be able to give me a sensible reply." " There is one only physician," answered Valerian, "who has deigned to take charge of my brother's head and of mine. He is Christ, the Son of the living God."§ "Come," said Almachius. "speak with wisdom." "Your ear is false," replied Valerian, "you cannot understand our language."

• 1 Cor. ii. 14. f 1 Cor. ii. 15.

t Tunc ridens Prsefectus jussit amoveri Tibnrtium et applicari Valerianum. Acta S. Ccecilce.

§ Cui Praefectus dixit : Valeriana, quoniarn non est sani capitis frater tuus, saltern credo quod tu mini poteris dare sapienter responsum. Valerianus dixit: Unas est medieus, qui fratris . mei caput et meum sua Sapientia fovet, qui est Christus Filiua Dei vivi. Acta S. Ccecilce.

The prefect restrained himself, and refusing to accept the spontaneous confession of Christianity which the two brothers were eager to make before his tribunal, he endeavored to defend the Pagan sensualism to which the Caesars were indebted for the passive submission of their people. " It is you who are in error," he said, " and more than any one. You leave necessary and useful things to pursue folly. You disdain pleasures, reject happiness, despise all that constitutes the charm of existence ; in a word, you have no attraction but for that which is opposed to the comforts and luxuries of life." Valerian calmly replied, " I have seen, during the winter, men traversing the country with songs and merriment, abandoning themselves to every kind of pleasure. At the same time, I have seen peasants in the field, industriously ploughing the ground, planting the vine, inserting rose bushes upon the eglantine ; others grafting fruit trees, or thinning the underbush, which might injure their plantations ; all, in fine, energetically devoting themselves to the culture of the earth. The men of pleasure, after looking at the peasants, commenced to deride their painful work." " Miserable creatures [" they exclaimed, " abandon this superfluous labor ; come, rejoice with us, and share our amusements. Why fatigue yourselves with painful toil ? "Why spend your lives in such tiresome occupations?" They accompanied these words with shouts of laughter, clapping of hands, and cruel insults.

" Spring followed the cold and rainy season, and behold ! the fields cultivated with so much care, were covered with luxuriant foliage ; the bushes perfumed the air with their exquisite roses, the grapes hung in festoons from the vines, and the trees groaned under the weight of their luscious fruits. The peasants, whose labor had appeared so senseless, were filled with joy, but the frivolous young men who had boasted of their wisdom, were reduced to a frightful famine, and regretting too late their effeminate sloth, said one to the other, L Look at those people whom we ridiculed. Their industry seemed to us a disgrace ; we shuddered at their mode of life, and thought it contemptible. Their very persons we considered vile, their society despicable. The result has proved that they were wise, and we, miserable, proud, and foolish. We would not labor, we would not even assist them in their work ; in the midst of our pleasures we scorned and ridiculed them ; and now, behold them surrounded with flowers, crowned with glory."* Thus the young patrician, whose grave and gentle character offered a striking contrast to the impetuous nature of his brother, imitated the language of Solomon, and condemned the vanities of the world, in the very bosom of the proudest and most voluptuous of cities. Almachius had listened to his discourse without interrupting him. Resuming the conversation in his turn, he said: " You have spoken eloquently, I acknowledge ; but I do not see that you have answered my question." " Permit me to finish," replied Valerian, "you have treated us as fools, because we bestow our riches upon the poor, receive strangers with hospitality, succor widows and orphans, and give the bodies of the martyrs honorable burial. According

• Acta S. CivcilUv, 9 to your doctrine, our folly consists in refusing to indulge in voluptuous pleasures, and in disdaining to avail ourselves of the prerogatives of our birth. A time will come when we shall reap the fruit of our privations. We shall then rejoice, but those who now revel in enjoyment, will weep. The present time is given us to sow seed ; now, those who sow in joy in this life, will reap sighs and tears in the next ; whilst those, who in this life, sow fleeting tears, shall reap in the future, an abundant harvest of endless happiness."

"And so," replied the prefect, " we and our invincible princes, will have tears and mourning for our portion, whilst you will possess eternal felicity?"

"And who are you and your princes ?" cried Valerian; "you are but mortals, born upon the day appointed for you, and destined to die when your hour shall come. Moreover, you will have to render to God, a rigorous account of the sovereign power which he has placed in your hands."*

The interrogatory had already exceeded the prefect's designs. In endeavoring to justify his tyranny . against the faithful, he had involved himself in unexpected embarrassments. Two patricians had appeared at his bar, and through his imprudence, had given vent to expressions insulting to the imperial dignity ; moreover the two brothers had solemnly professed Christianity in the very sanctuary of the law. Almachius hoped to extricate himself from this difficult

• Quid enim vos estis ? aut quid principes vestri ? liouiunciones estis, tempore vestro nati, tempore vestro expleto morituri ; tantam Deo reddituri rationem, quantum summse vobis tradidit potestatls. Acta S. Ccecilim.

m situation by making to them a proposition, which, should they accept it, would justify him in releasing them without delay. He therefore said : " Enough of these long, useless discourses. Offer libations t<y the gods, and you shall retire without undergoing any punishment."

There was no question either of burning incense to the idols, or of taking part in a sacrifice ; a simple libation, scarcely perceptible to those present, would release the two brothers, and shield the magistrate's dignity. Valerian and Tiburtius replied in the same breath : " Every day we offer sacrifice to God, but not to idols."* " To what God?" enquired the prefect, " do you pay homage ?" " Is there then any other," answered the brothers, "that you should ask such a question in regard to God ? Is there more than one ?f" " But at least tell me the name of this one God, of whom you speak." " The name of God, neither you nor any mortal can discover, even had you wings and could mount to the highest clouds.":}: " Jupiter, then, is not the name of a god?" "You are mistaken, Almachius," said Valerian, " Jupiter is the name of a corrupter, a libertine. Your own authors represent him as a homicide, a man guilty of every vice, and you dare to call him a God ! I am astonished at your audacity, for the name of God can only belong to a being who has nothing in common

• Nos non diis sed Deo quotidie sacrificium exhibemus. Acta S. C(Ecili(B, t Et quis est Dcus alius, ut de Deo nos interroges ? Est alius prseter unum ? Ibid.

X Nomcn Dei non invenies etiamsi pennis volare possis. Ibid.

100 LIFE OF SAINT CECILIA. % with sin, and who possesses every virtue."* "And so," replied Almacliius, " the entire universe is in error ; you and your brother alone know the true God."

Valerian's heart was agitated with noble and holy pride at these words of the prefect, and proclaiming before this haughty magistrate, the immense progress of Christianity which Tertullian had so lately announced to the Eoman Senate, in his apology, he exclaimed : " Do not deceive yourself, Almachius! The Christians, followers of this holy doctrine^are already innumerable in the empire. You Pagans will soon form the minority ; you are like the planks which float upon the sea after a shipwreck, and which have no other destination than to be burned."f

Almachius, irritated at Valerian's generous boldness, ordered him to be scourged with rods ; he still hesitated to condemn him to death. The lictors immediately stripped the young man, who expressed his joy at suffering for the name of Christ, by these courageous words : " The happy moment has at last arrived for which I have so ardently longed ; this day is more delightful to me than all the festivals of the world." $ During the infliction of the cruel punish-

• Erras Prsefecte ; Jovis nomen non est liominis corruptoris, atque stupratoris ? Homicidam ilium vestri auctores commemorant, et eriminosum ilium literae vestra? demonstrant ; hunc tu Deum dicis ? miror qua fronte locutus sis ; cum Deus dici non possit, nisi unus qui est ab omni peccato alienus, et omnibus virtutibus plenus. Acta S. Ccecilice.

f Innumerabilis multitudo Christianitatis est, quae sanctitatem suscepit ; sed magis vos pauci estis, qui sicut astulae de naufragio remansistis ad nihil aliud, nisi ut igni tradamini. Ibid.

$ Ecce bora, quam sitienter optavi ; ecce dies omni mihi festivitate jucundior. Ibid.

merit, a herald made the following proclamation:* " Beware of blaspheming the gods and goddesses." Meanwhile, in clear and powerful tones, that were distinctly heard amid the noise occasioned by the strokes of the whip, Valerian addressed the multitude : " Citizens of Eome," he cried, " let not the view of these torments prevent you from confessing the truth ; be firm in your faith ; believe in the Lord, who alone is holy. Destroy the gods of wood and stone to which Almachius burns his incense; crush them into dust, and know that they who adore them will be eternally tormented."f

Almachius was agitated by this scene. What would be the issue of this trial which he had so imprudently undertaken ? Instead of two young men whom he had hoped to intimidate, he found himself confronted by two courageous Christians, who were worthy of being compared to the most heroic of the

• Deos, Deasque blasphemare noli. Acta S. Cvecelice.

This proclamation, made by a public crier during the chastisement of a culprit, is prescribed in the Code, and in the Pandect, where it is based upon an edict of Gordian, and a sentence of Ulpian, both of the 3d century. Many examples are to be found among the ancient authors. Spartianus, in his Historian Augustve, quotes the proclamation made during the scourging of a plebian who had dared to embrace Severus, the proconsul of Africa. Legatum populi Romani homo plebius temere amplccti noli, Lampridus relates that under the reign of Alexander Severus, » herald proclaimed the following words during the chastisement of a court intriguer : Fumo punitur qui vendidit fumum.

f Gives Romani, videte ne vos a veritate ista mea tormenta revocent, sed state viriliter credentes in Sancto Domino, et Deos quos colit Almachius lapideos et ligneos in calcem convertite, hoc scientes, scquia interna tribulation© erunt onines qui colunt eos. Acta S» Caicilioz.

9*

martyrs whom he had recently condemned to death. Should he release these men after a trivial punishment, when they had insulted the divinities of the empire, and defied the magistrate on his bench ? or should he declare them guilty of death ? A perfidious counsel addressed to his cupidity, settled his doubts; his assessor, Tarquinius, whispered to him : " Condemn them to death ; the occasion is a favorable one. If you delay, they will continue to distribute their riches to the poor, and when they shall finally suffer capital punishment, there will be nothing left for you to confiscate."

Almachius understood this language. He was personally interested in confiscated property, and therefore resolved that his prey should not escape. The two brothers were again brought before him ; Valerian, his body mangled by the whips, and Tiburtius, piously jealous that his brother had been preferred to him in the honor of suffering for Christ. The sentence was immediately pronounced : the two brothers were to be conducted to the Pagus Triopius on the Appian Way, near the fourth mile-stone.* At the

• According to the law of the XII. tables, executions took place outside the city, and not within its walls. Many examples of the application of this law can be found in ancient authors and in the acts of the martyrs. This custom was also observed among the Jews. St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Hebrews xii., 11-14, remarks that our Saviour was crucified outside the city gates, and he explains the mystery of this circumstance of the Passion. We find no difficulty in asserting that the Pagus Triopius to which our martyrs were conducted was upon the Appian Way ; their being buried here give us reason to draw this conclusion. The martyrs of Rome were generally buried in the Crypts of the Way upon which they died, the faithful who end of the route, there was a temple of Jupiter which served as an entrance to the Pagus* Here Valerian and Tiburtius were to be invited to burn incense before the idols, and in case of their refusal, were to be beheaded.