JAN. 9.
PASSION OF ST. JULIAN AND HIS WIFE BASILISSA.
A certain noble servant of God was called Julian in the land of Egypt, in the city of Antioch, who was nobly born of pious parents and instructed in Christ's lore from his youth.
Then his father desired, and all his friends likewise, that he should marry, when he was eighteen years old.
But Julian said that he wished to find out his Lord's will, how He willed concerning him.
Then was he busied in his prayers for seven nights, and prayed the almighty Christ that He would preserve his chastity.
Then the Saviour shewed himself in a dream to the noble knight on the eighth night, and said that he must verily take a maiden as a mate for himself, who would not sever him from his pure life, such as he had chosen.
Jesus said to him, 'I myself will be with thee, and will quench in thee all desire, and will incline the maiden also to love of Me.
And in your bride-bed I will be manifested to you, and through you the purity of many others shall be hallowed unto Me, and I will receive thee, with thy maiden, to heaven.' Then awoke Julian, instructed by his Lord, and said to his friends that he would take a maiden for his spouse; and they were greatly glad of it..
Then his kinsmen found a certain nobly-born maiden, named Basilissa, and obtained her for him.
Then was prepared the marriage, according to custom, and they two came into one bed together.
Well, then ! Julian eagerly prayed to Jesus Christ, that He would preserve him against all desire and evil temptation.
Then was the bride-bed filled with fragrance just as though a lily and a rose were lying there.
Then said Basilissa to the pure bridegroom, 'It is now winter-time, and I greatly wonder whence this fragrance of flowers thus wonderfully rises; and now I have no desire for any sinfulness, but (feel) only desire for the Saviour, with preserved chastity.' Julian answered the noble maiden, This winsome fragrance, at which thou greatly wonderest, hath no beginning, nor eke any end.
This fragrance is from Christ who is lover of purity; if we two continue in unbroken chastity and purely love Him, then shall we come to His kingdom, and we two shall never be severed, but shall rejoice for ever.' Basilissa said that she desired to continue in pure maidenhood, because of that winsome promise, so as to have the life eternal, and the Saviour for her bride groom.' Then cried Julian on his knees, in his prayers, thus: ' Confirm this, O Lord, that thou hast wrought in us,' &c., Confirm this, Saviour, that thou workest in us.
And soon Basilissa did even the like.
Then the bride-bed shook, and a bright light shone there, and Christ was visible, with a shining host, and His mother Mary with her virgin train. Christ called out then to the pure knight, and said that he had overcome worldly luxury and the angry fiend.
By Mary's host it was thus spoken, Blessed art thou, Basilissa, because thou didst incline thy mind to salutary admonitions, and wholly despisest worldly delight, and preparest thyself for glory.' Then came to the bed a book from the Saviour, and two of His saints, with two crowns, then raised them up, and bade them read.
Then read Julian in the book this word, 'He that for my sake despiseth the world be verily shall be counted among the unsullied saints that never in their lives were polluted with women.
Basilissa shall be counted among the number of virgins who follow Mary, the Saviour's mother.' After this reading and other persuasions the saints returned back to the Saviour.
Thus Julian kept his bride unpolluted, and they were associated in true chastity, increasing in the spirit, in testimony to God.
Their parents bad been Christians long before; and it soon happened that they departed this life, and left their possessions to the noble pair.
Julian then distributed, by the Lord's instruction, the wealth of their land that was left to them, and reared for himself a minster, and for his bride another, Then he became a father over many monks, and Basilissa a mother over many nuns, and they, under God, instructed the ghostly host in daily lore according to their Lord's will, until the cruel persecution came upon the land of Egypt from the bloodthirsty emperor, who was named Diocletian.
Then prayed the saints to the Saviour, and He sent them this comfort, thus saying : Lo! thou Basilissa, thy prayers are fulfilled, that all thy maidens shall depart from the world, before the cruel persecution shall come upon you, that ye be not polluted by the mad persecutors.' It was soon fulfilled, even as God foretold to them, that all the women that followed Basilissa departed from this world to the glorious Saviour, and Basilissa afterward, truly invited, departed in virginity from the world to Christ, and Julian, with joy, with his monks buried her, and himself continued in life with his dear brethren, eagerly persuading them to the future conflict.
Then came Martianus the wicked tormentor into Antioch, the Egyptian city, with immeasurable cruelty, from the impious Emperor.
He made a decree, that no man might buy or sell anything, unless he offered sacrifice to the false idols and forsook his Lord.
Then was (all) told him about the true belief that Julianus held, together with his holy brethren ; and he sent to that company, and bade them bow down to his idols, unless they were to be judged guilty.
But Julianus recked not of the savage threat, nor was one of his companions afraid in his mind, but (all) were desirous, for their dear Lord, to suffer torments, and even cruel death.
Then returned the messenger, and told this to the judge.
Martianus then bade the holy Julianus to be sent for to himself, for lingering tortures, and then commanded all his brethren to be burnt together within the very house wherein they offered their prayers.
Then was the holy company offered up to the Saviour, and went to the kingdom of heaven through the hot fire.
On that spot are healed any sick people (that come) through the merits of the martyrs who suffered in that place.
Well, then, Martianus, the evil tormentor, had a long contest with the noble Julianus, and said that he had formerly known his high rank, and I therefore exhort thee, offer to the gods according to thy quality, that they may be kind to thee.' Julianus said to him, “Thou art verily blinded by thy evil mind, and therefore dost thus flatter me.
Ye have many gods and many goddesses ; we however honour one true God only.
Your gods are cast in a mould or sculptured, how can they be gladdened by any acts of worship? or how shall they show mercy on them that erroneously honour them ?' (This story is very tedious, to tell it all, but we tell it you in the briefest way.) Well, then, Martianus bad bis wicked tormentors beat the saint with hard rods.
Then one of the rods broke into a beater's eye, so that his eye rolled out, by means of the stroke.
This man was very necessary to the judge, and well-known to the emperor, and well-pleasing to them all.
Then said Martianus in great anger, 'So great is thy sorcery that thou feelest these strokes not at all, and moreover thou blindest him who is told to beat thee.' Julianus then spake thus to the cruel one, ' Cry to your gods and to all your goddesses that they will now heal this heathen's eye ! And if they cannot, I will heal him through Christ.' Then went the idol-worshippers into their temple, crying aloud to the false god.
Then answered the devils, out of the dead images, Depart from us, we are fiercely tormented and consumed with fire, for Julian's sake, ever since the day that ye first vexed him.
How can we blind ones heal the blind ?' Then said Julianus, who knew all that, to Martianus, with great joy, ‘Go in unto thy gods, they call thee to themselves !' Then went the persecutor into the temple, and saw the images all broken in pieces, both of gold and of silver, and some of amber, and some of crystal, wholly shattered.
Then said Martianus that the true gods patiently endured that shameful injury, that so they might incline Julianus to them.
Nevertheless he prayed Julianus to fulfil his boast, and to heal the servant's eye through his Christ.
Then Julianus marked the man's eye with the sign of Christ's cross, and the servant was healed, just as if his eye had never been hurt.
Then cried the servant, and said to Martianus, “That God is to be believed in, on whom the Christians believe, and thy gods are verily devils.' Then Martianus ordered him to be beheaded, because he believed on the living God who enlightened his eye and his heart also.
He also bad men torture with severe torments the holy Julianus, and bad them lead him through all the city bound with fetters.
Martianus had, ere this, committed his son to worldly instruction and philosophy in the very town through which the prisoner went.
His name was Celsus, and he saw the saint, and how God's angels flew along beside him.
Then he threw away his book of instruction, and with (full) belief ran to the holy man, and sought his feet, and said that he forsook the base gods, and acknowledged Christ with all his heart.
No man could turn him aside from the faith, nor by any means withdraw him from Julianus. Then was Martianus, and also Celsus' mother sorrowful in mind, and all their men; and Martianus asked the illustrious Julianus, ' Why wouldst thou destroy my only son by thy sorcery, and seduce him to thy Christ ? Behold our sorrow, and let our son go, and I will intercede for thee to our emperor.' Celsus, the son, said thus to the treacherous father, 'I renounce thee, father, for thy error, and I believe on Christ who hath chosen me.
Torture, if thou wilt, with cruel torments thine own son, for the worship of thy gods.
If thou wilt not slay me, send me to the emperor, that I may there suffer death for my Lord Christ.' The saints were then cast into a blind prison, by Martianus' command, where men's bodies lay, that were long ere this killed in the prison, which swarmed all with worms, and stank horribly.
Then God's grace provided that there shone a great light, and the stench was turned into a pleasant fragrance, and all the unpleasantness turned, for them, into happiness.
Then said the soldiers whom the tormentor set as guards over the saints, of whom there were twenty, It will be wrong for us, if we again should turn from this bright light to blind darkness, from life to death, from truth to falsehood.' Then fell they all at Julianus' feet, praising with faith the name of Jesus.
Julianus then prayed fervently to his Lord, that he would provide for their being baptized.
There were within the city seven Christian brothers, of the emperor's kindred, and their father was a Christian, whom the emperor had permitted to keep their Christianity without any persecution, for their noble birth.
They had one mass-priest of very illustrious life, named Antonius, who sang masses for them.
These men Jesus visited, and bade them go to the prison together with their mass-priest, that the men might be baptized.
They went then by night, and God's angel led them, and opened the prison with the touch of his hands.
Then said the brethren, that Jesus sent them with their mass-priest, to baptize the men.
Julianus immediately thanked God for it, and the aforesaid young man was then baptized, and his father's soldiers in Christ's name likewise.
This was then made known to the tormentor Martianus, that the seven brethren, without any persecution, were willing for Christ's name to suffer in the prison.
Then the tormentor bade them be led from the prison, and asked why they wished, without persecution, to suffer.
Then said the eldest brother to the impious judge, · Hateful is the tree that is always sprouting into leaf and never bears any fruit for its Creator; so are we Christians, if our Christianity be not known.' Then bade the persecutor to lead them to prison, and sent his letter to the cruel emperor, 'Help our gods, and command men to bring thee this sorcerer Julianus, who hath utterly broken the images of our gods, and hath perverted my son from me to his Christ, and the seven knights also who by thy permission lived free from persecution in this city, on account of their high rank.' Then sent the emperor this reply in return; 'If Julianus continues in this mind, together with his fellows, take so many tuns, and place them therein, burn them all afterwards, for an example to others.
And if by his witchcraft he can quench the fire, torment them all, behold, how thou wilt.' Then Martianus bade them fetch the men of God, and asked Julianus whether they had thought of anything for their own profit meanwhile, up to the present time.
Julianus said, 'our opinion is just as it was ; if thou hast thought of any torment, we are ready for it.
Then, with that word, men carried along the street a heathen man's body, and the hard-hearted judge bade them bear the dead man to his judgment-seat.
He said then to Julian, “Your Christ raised up the dead to life, let it now be proved if He be true God, and do thou raise up this man.' Then answered Julianus to the impious judge, 'What profiteth the bright sun-beam to the blind man? It is, however, time that God's might be made manifest.' Then Julianus lifted up his eyes to heaven, praying his Lord that He would raise the dead.
Then, after a time, the dead man arose, and cried aloud Lo, how acceptable is the prayer, and what pure virginity is in this noble Julianus ! Behold, whither I was led and whence I am now brought !' Then Martianus commanded, with contemptuous words, that he would fully declare his journey to them all.
Then said the revived man—There came to me Ethiopians of terrible appearance, as tall as giants with burning eyes and horrible teeth.
Their arms were like immense beams, their claws sharp, and themselves merciless.
These, such as they were, were drawing me to the dark hell.
Then, even as Julianus was praying to his Lord that he would raise me up again, the hosts of hell were grieved, and from God's throne were thus addressed: 'Let the man be led back, for my dear Julian's sake, I will not cause him a displeasure on any account.' Then came two angels, and took me from the devils, and brought me to life, so that I now believe in God, after my death, whom I formerly renounced.' Then was Martianus greatly troubled, and bade them all to be taken back to the prison, and bade men prepare the tuns for their burning, even as the emperor bade by means of his letter.
Then was the revived man baptized amongst them, within the prison, and abode with the Christians until Martianus fetched them out to martyrdom.
They were then brought, bound in fetters, all to the tung, and to the conflagration.
Then said Martianus with great anguish to the holy men and to his own son, Behold, what obstinacy and desperate self-will is yours, whereby this fair youth must now perish! Behold, thou Julianus ! thou pervertest my son so that he accounts not of me, nor even of his mother!' Then came the mother with great sorrow, and all those of her household to that lamentation, and many other men to the great spectacle.
Then quoth the judge's son to his mournful father, .
Thou needest not bemoan us, nor weep at our departure ; weep for yourselves; we journey to heaven.
We go through the fire intrepidly, by God's help, and we shall appear again, unharmed, to your sight.
When thou shalt see me again, unharmed, out of the fire, grant that my mother may speak to me, and that she for about three nights may discourse with me; I ween that thou wilt lose neither her nor me.' Then was the mother joyful in mind, and the father said that he would perform the young man's will, if he came out of the fire.
Then the judge commanded his officer to do this ", and went with his wife away to his house, in order that he might not see how his son was burnt.
Then the under-reeve commanded them all to be brought (and placed) in the tuns, and to set them on fire with oakum (tow), and surround them with wood, so that the flame ascended more than thirty fathoms, in the people's sight, until the pile was burnt up, and all the tuns.
Then the saints stood there uninjured by the fire, glittering like gold, and thus praising God : ' Transivimus per ignem et aquam, et eduxisti nos in refrigerium: We have passed through fire and water, and thou hast led us into a cool place.
This the judge heard of, and hastened thither with his wife, and after a long discourse let the mother go to her son, into a private apartment, that she might persuade her son.
Then the saints prayed, within the prison, for the heathen woman, that Jesus would pity her.
Then was there an earthquake, and all the place trembled, and there shone a great light, and a great odour was diffused there, so that the woman wondered at the winsome fragrance, and said that she never before smelt anything like it.
Then soon believed she on the living God, and was baptized by the aforesaid priest, and was fully converted to the true faith.
Then the judge ascertained that this was so accomplished, and commanded them all to be led to his hateful presence, and angrily said to his son Celsus, ' Thou didst ask for a conversation with thy mother, that thou mightest convert her from me to thy worship.' The young man thanked God, who so inclined her to his true faith, that she might not perish with him (i.e. the judge).
Then Martianus bade that men should seize her, but they that began to fulfil) his command were blinded.
After this the hard-hearted judge commanded to behead the soldiers who believed on Christ, and the seven brethren he commanded to be all burnt; and still kept the four, with the aforesaid woman, and wished to lead them to his very dear gods that were left remaining to him, when the others perished, that they might at least offer their sacrifices to the gods.
He bade then the devil's temple to be prepared, and the saints to come thither in bonds, and all the idol-worshippers that took care of the house to come to the temple, to meet the Christians.
Then Julianus prayed, on bended knees, with his fellows, to the God of heaven, that He would display his might, to make men believe, and overthrow the temple with its accursed gods.
After the prayer the earth clave asunder and the temple sank down, with all its priests, and many of the heathen perished with them.
Then spake Julianus to the tormentor thus : ' Where is now the fairness of thy adorned temple, where are the images that thou didst glory in ? Even as they sunk into the dark abyss, so shall ye heathen sink into the abyss of hell, where shall ever be eternal fire, and the deathless worm that shall chew your body, and yet ye shall not die, but ever shall your body be renewed for the torture.
There shall ye pray for mercy, but it shall be denied you.' Still Martianus, on account of his evil nature, would not believe on God, but was filled with anger, and said that he would avenge his gods.
Then he commanded men to wind round their hands and feet with greased flax, and to kindle fire thereunder.
Then burnt the fire and the bonds together, and the bodies of the saints remained unharmed.
Then desired the wicked one variously to torture them, but God delivered them from the cruel torments, and even blinded some of the blasphemous servants.
Then the impious one saw his endeavour was frustrated, and yet desired he to try one (more) kind of torment, by means of wild animals, when his savageness could not by means of men perform what he would.
He commanded then to be brought lions and bears, many and strong, to the holy martyrs ; but the wild animals durst not touch them, but inclined their heads to the feet of the saints, and licked their limbs with their lithe tongues.
Then commanded Martianus his wicked tormentors, to behead the saints, and they rejoiced thereat, thanking God for all His favours.
Julianus then, and the young knight, Martianus' son, and his mother also, Antonius the priest, and the resuscitated man, were all slain together for Christ's sake, and went with glory to the kind Saviour, and to their companions who preceded them, that is, Basilissa, with her bright maidens, and the holy company that were burnt in the house, and the twenty warders, whom the cruel one beheaded, and the seven brethren, whom he commanded to be burnt; and all they now rejoice before God for ever.
It happened then, as soon as they were slain, that a great lightning-flash fell upon the wicked heathen, and a mighty earthquake, and terrible thunder, so that of the wicked ones a great many perished, and no place remained standing with the gods of stone, nor did the hail leave any heathen place of worship.
Then fled Martianus, very nearly slain, and he was consumed (with disease) after a few days, so that worms crept alive out of his body, and the impious one departed, with torture to hell.
The saints' bodies by believing men were soon buried with gladness within God's church.
To Him aye be glory for ever and ever! and we say, Amen!