praying for forgiveness with weeping and lamentation.
Then forthwith he saw with sound eyes,
being enlightened by the same (Being) who had before made him blind.
And then the judge sumptuously buried
the body of Longinus, and believed on Christ,
ever glorifying God until he departed this life.
Glory and praise be to the benevolent God,
who reigneth ever eternally. AMEN.
XXVIII.
SEPT. 22. ST. MAURICE AND HIS COMPANIONS
(THE THEBEAN LEGION).
There was a certain heathen Emperor hight Maximian,
who fared with a great force to the Frankish land [Gaul],
desiring to subdue by war the tribes
who were rebellious and had renounced his rule.
The Emperor was keen and cruel,
and practised idolatry, living as a heretic,
and killed God's servants with great cruelty.
There were in the array many Christian men
and one especial Legion from Eastern nations,
very Christian men, following the Emperor,
because they had to serve in the wars even as all people did.
A Legion is said in the old reckoning [to be]
six thousand men and six hundred and six and sixty.
So many men were there in the aforesaid legion,
firmly believing on the living God,
though their lord was, to a mad extent, a heathen.
In this flock the foremost men
were Maurice the chief, and Exuperius,
