Quintianus said, ' Thou sayest that thou hast chosen
to suffer the tortures, since thou repeatest insults against me.'
The maiden answered him, 'Greatly I wonder
that thou, a wise man, hast stooped to such folly,
that thou esteemest as gods such as it shameth thee to resemble.
If they be true gods, I wish thee to be as a god,
if thou dost abhor them, then we two speak alike.
Call them so evil and so unclean,
that if thou wouldest curse any one, thou shouldest wish him thus,
that his life be like to thy loathly gods.'
Quintianus said to her, ' Why speakest thou so much idle talk
Sacrifice to the gods, that I may not cruelly destroy thee.'
Then Agatha answered the judge fearlessly,
'If thou wilt now bait me with wild beasts,
they shall straightway be tamed to my hand through the name of Jesus.
If thou preparest fire for me, there shall suddenly come to me from heaven
a healing dew by the Lord's angels.
If thou orderest me stripes, I have the Holy Spirit
through whom I despise all thy stripes.'
Then the judge shook his fiendish head,
and commanded to bring her into a dark prison,
and bade that she should bethink herself
how she might escape from the cruel tortures.
Then said Agatha, 'Thou, miserable, bethink thyself
how thou mayest escape the everlasting torments.'
Then went she blithely into the dark dungeon,
as if she were invited to a pleasant banquet,
and committed her conflict to the benevolent Lord.
So then in the morning the wicked judge
bade Agatha to be brought into his hateful presence,
and enquired what she had devised for her safety.
Agatha said to him, 'Christ is my salvation.'
