Then on the second day the emperor Decius bade men
let loose lions and bears against the believing kings,
that they might devour them unless they would submit to his gods,
and committed this duty to the cruel Valerian,
Then spake Valerian to the kings thus,
' Preserve your rank, and submit to our gods,
and offer them sacrifice that ye may live;
if ye will not do this, beasts shall devour you.'
Abdon and Sennes said to the wicked man,
'We pray to the Lord with bowed limbs,
and we will never bow down to the shameful images
of men's handiwork, which ye have for gods.*
Then Valerian bade men unclothe the saints,
and bring them thus naked to the image of the sun,
because they worshipped the sun as God;
and commanded his soldiers to compel the Christian kings,
by awful tortures, to offer the sacrifice.
Then spake the kings to the executioner thus;
'Do that thou wilt do.' And the judge bade him
to scourge the saints very furiously
with leaden whips, and he led them afterwards
to the amphitheatre where the beasts abode,
bears and Lions, who were to devour them;
and bade men let loose upon them two lions
and four bears within the theatre.
Then ran the beasts, awfully roaring,
to the Saints' feet, as if they prayed for protection,
and would not go away; but they protected them rather,
so that no man durst, by reason of the beasts' guard,
approach the Saints or go into the arena.
Then spake Valerian to the soldiers thus,
'Their sorcery is manifestly seen in this.'
