to men the Saviour, whom thou magnifiest and worshippest.'
Then Daria bade the beast make way for him out,
and he ran out, extolling God
and the holy maiden, making known her power.
Then the heathen would have attacked the lioness,
but it always caught them, one by one,
and brought them to Daria, through the Lord's might.
Then spake the maiden to the men thus:
' If ye will believe on the living Christ,
then may ye go hence all unmarred;
but if ye will not accept the true faith,
I know not whether your gods can help you.'
Then they all cried as if with one voice: S
' He who will not believe on Christ, let him not come hence alive.'
And thereupon they all went out, crying;
'Oh! ye Roman people, believe ye of a truth
that there is none other god but Christ alone.'
Then the prefect was bitterly enraged,
and bade kindle a fire before the door
where Daria was within, together with the beast,
desiring to burn them both together.
Then the lioness feared exceedingly because of the fire,
but Daria spake to the beast thus:
' be not thou afraid, this fire shall not hurt thee,
neither shalt thou be slain until thou die of thyself;
go thou now securely away, and God will save thee,
Whom thou hast glorified by thy works to-day.'
Then went the lioness freely away,
with bowed head, through the midst of the people;
and those whom it had previously seized were baptized
after they had acknowledged Christ through the lioness.
Then was this soon made known to the emperor,
and he angrily commanded his prefect to take
Chrysanthus and Daria, and kill them by tortures,
if they would not sacrifice to the evil gods.
Then the prefect bade men stretch the holy Chrysanthus
