' We believe that Christ, God's Son, is truly God
who hath in this way received thee as His handmaid in the world.'
Then were baptized four hundred men
in Caecilia's house to the praise of the Saviour,
and the pope said mass for the men frequently
in the same house, and heathenism waned.
Then the wicked Almachius bade quickly fetch
the blessed Caecilia, and at once asked her
of what family she was, and they disputed long
until her boldness vexed the judge,
and he said arrogantly again to the maiden;
' knowest thou not my might?' And the maiden said to him:
' I will say, if thou biddest me, what sort of might thou hast.
Every man's might who walketh in pride
is verily like as if a man should sew up
a bladder, and blow it full of wind,
and afterward make a hole, when it is puffed out,
then, in its greatness, the might departeth.'
Almachius said to her as they strove with words:
'Oh thou, unhappy one! knowest thou not that power
is given to me to slay and to make alive again.
And thou speakest so proudly, scorning my might.'
The maiden said to him: 'pride is one thing;
steadfastness is another, and I spake steadfastly,
not at all proudly, because we altogether
abhor pride.' And again she said to him:
' thou saidest that thou hadst power to kill .
and to make alive again; but I say that thou canst
destroy the living, but thou canst not give life
again to the dead; but thou liest openly.'
Almachius answered her: 'cast away thy presumption,
and offer to the gods reverent sacrifice.'
Caecilia said to him: ' test by grasping
whether they are stones, and stony images,
