and began their feast with foul hands.
Then, anon, there came riding thereto a certain Christian man,
hoary and old, who was named Victor.
Then began the murderers to call the old man
to their feast; but he quickly asked
for what cause they were so wonderfully blithe,
or how they could taste any meat
in the midst of the slain? Then said one of them
that those were Christians, and the Emperor had commanded
to slay them all for an example to others.
Then the old Victor inwardly groaned,
and cried aloud; 'Oh I that I had come earlier,
that I might end my life with such men,
and shed my old blood with this Legion,
that I might not be deprived of their honour! '
Then the heathen beset him around,
and with fierce threatening bade him say
if he were a Christian, since he desired such a thing.
Then he looked up to Heaven, and said with grief,
' All the earth is encompassed with the mist
of deep brutishness, except the Lord Jesus Christ
either give us His light or lead us away;
and may Christ now grant me, after this confession,
that ye may not let me go from these slain Saints!'
After these words the infuriated multitude
slew this Victor, so that he fell and died;
and thus he earned the bliss eternal,
with the holy men, even as he himself had wished.
Wherefore should we further relate how the unblessed Emperor
ended his expedition, seeing that he perished in the end
But let us think earnestly, when we hear the like,
that we may be the better by means of bookish lore.
We have to toil, and overcome evil habits
by a good service, to earn God's kingdom;
that we may rejoice with the saints
