NOTE TO THE DRAMA.
For the better understanding of different allusions in the foregoing drama, I beg to transcribe a few passages from Fox's History of Martyrs, taken from Book I., which contains an account of the ten persecutions of the primitive church.
He says, on the authority of Justin Martyr,—"And whether earthquake, pestilence, or whatever public calamity befell, it was attributed to the Christians;" (then is added) "over and beside all these, a great occasion that stirred up the emperors against the Christians came by one Publius Tarquinius, the chief prelate of the idolatrous sacrifices, and Mamertinus, the chief governor of the city, in the time of Trajanus, who, partly with money, partly with sinister, pestilent counsaile, partly with infamous accusations, (as witnesseth Nauclerus,) incensed the mind of the emperor so much against God's people."
In the account of the third persecution (an. 100), Eustasius, a great and victorious captain, is mentioned as suffering martyrdom, by order of the Emperor Adrian, who went to meet him on his return from conquest over the barbarians, but, upon Eustasius's refusing on the way to do sacrifice to Apollo for his victory, brought him to Rome and had him put to death.
In the fourth persecution (an. 162), it is mentioned that many Christian soldiers were found in the army of Marcus Aurelius:—
"As these aforesaid were going to their execution, there was a certain souldiour who in their defence took part against those who rayled upon them, for the which cause the people crying out against him, he was apprehended, and being constant in his profession, was forthwith beheaded."
In the persecutions of Decius, several soldiers are mentioned as martyrs, some of whom had before concealed their faith; and in the tenth persecution, Mauritius, the captain of the Theban band, with his soldiers, to the number of 6666 (a number probably greatly exaggerated), are recorded as having been slain as martyrs by the order of Maximinian.
Tertullian, in his Apology for the Christians, mentions the slanderous accusations against them, of putting to death children and worshipping an ass's head. And when we consider how fond the ignorant are of excitement arising from cruel, absurd, and wonderful stories, and how easily a misapprehended and detached expression may be shaped by conjecture into a detailed transaction, such accusations were very probable and might be naturally expected; particularly when the unoffending meekness of their behaviour made supposed hidden atrocities more necessary for the justification of their persecutors.
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
(BEING THE FOURTH VOLUME OF THE SERIES OF PLAYS ON THE PASSIONS,—THE FIRST OF THE PRESENT PUBLICATION)
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