Then in the early morning came the wicked heathen,
and knitted his neck a second time with a rope,
and dragged him again, even as they did before,
shamefully speaking about the holy man;
and the blessed Mark greatly thanked
the Saviour Christ for this, and said this prayer :
In manus tuas, domine, commendo sinritum, meum;
Into Thine hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.'
And with these words he departed from the world to God,
with Whom he ever rejoiceth without weariness.
Then the heathen desired to burn his body,
and made a great pyre, but it was extinguished;
for God sent a very great rain
during the whole day, with awful thunder,
so that many houses fell with violence,
and also many men died by the thunder,
and the rest fled, seized with terror.
Then soon after came the Christians,
pious men, and they bare away
the Evangelist's body, and laid it in a coffin,
and buried it honourably, with prayers giving thanks,
(that they might have with them such a saint
to be their protector), to the Almighty God,
to Whom be glory and praise for ever and ever. Amen.
OTHER THINGS (THE FOUR EVANGELISTS).
We have now related briefly in this writing
how the holy Mark was martyred.
Now will we tell you how the holy Jerome wrote
concerning the four Evangelists who are chosen of God,
