Section 356
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 325 place, and the dungeons, formerly destined for murderers and the vilest criminals, were then filled with bishops, and presbyters, and deacons, readers and exorcists, so that there was no room left for those condemned for crime. But when the former edict was followed by another, in which it was ordered that the pri soners should be permitted to have their liberty if they sacrificed, but persisting they should be punished with the most excruciating tortures, who could tell the number of those martyrs in every province, and particularly in Mauritania, Thebais, and Egypt, that suffered death for their religion ? From the last place, es pecially, many went to other cities and provinces, and became illustrious for their martyrdom. CHAPTER VII. The Egyptians that suffered in Phaznice. WE are already acquainted with those of them that shone conspicuous in Palestine, and know also those in Tyre and Phcenice ; and at the sight of whom, who would not himself be struck with astonishment at the numberless blows inflicted, and the perseverance of those truly admirable wrestlers for the true religion ? Who can behold, without amazement, all this : their conflicts, after scourging, with bloody beasts of prey, when they were cast as food to leopards and bears, wild boars and bulls, goaded with fire, and branded with glowing iron against them ? And in each of these, who can fail to admire the wonderful pa tience of these noble martyrs 1 At these scenes we have been present ourselves, when we also observed the divine power of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ himself present, and effectually displayed in them ; when, for a long time, the devouring wild beasts would not dare either to touch or to approach the bodies of these pious men, but directed their violence against others that