and met with the same treatment. Philip, the third brother was then brought forward, and told the emperor's orders, were, that he should facrifice to Mars; to which he replied, " that the God which had given him courage in battle, he had facrificed to every day; and whilst he had life, he would never quit his ftandard, nor by a base desertion gain his fafety here, by the lofs of immortality." In this manner, they all perfifted in their adherence to Chriftianity. But the governor had fome hopes of prevailing with the youngest, as he was as yet but a mere youth, and confequently unable to refute the objections which could be brought against his opinions. There was, therefore, every method tried to influence him: he was told, that the emperor had a right to challenge his obedience preferable to his mother, and had it in his power to exact it under fevere penalties. But the young Christian replied, that, "It was true he owed the emperor his duty, bat that his God challenged it firft; that gratitude, juftice, and every other motive, confpired to make him the fervant first of an heavenly Mafter; and when his duties to him were fulfilled, that then he should discharge all that was due to his temporal fovereign."

In this manner they were brought to and from the tribunal for several days, and allowed in their prison nothing but bread and water; yet ftill they continued fixed in their refolutions of dying, and encouraged each other in fetting an example of heroic, or rather, of Christian fortitude. At length however the empe ror's orders for their execution arrived, and they were

all

all taken from prifon; the mother to be beheaded, and the fons whipped to death, with cords loaded with plummets of lead.

The terrible proceffion began from the prifon gates; the mother, with a firm and refolute countenance, marched first, and the fons followed, laden with chains, and attended by the executioners, with the inftruments of death in their hands. This was a very different proceffion, from that in which they had fome years before traversed the streets of Rome, when they were crowned with garlands, and faluted with acclamations in every ftreet. Yet those very looks which, after their return from victory, were fo modeft, now affumed a noble majestic severity; and they walked forward through pitying multitudes; their eyes directed to that heaven to which these honourable martyrs were hastening.

When arrived at the place of execution, they were unbound, in order to take leave of each other; and the mother, fondly hanging on the face of her eldest son, who was first to undergo the torture, is faid to have spoken in the following manner: "I thought myself "once happy in having fo many children to present to my country, I am now much happier, in having fo many to offer to my God. Bleft, bleft be the day in "which you were born, and the pangs which I felt in bringing you into the world. Oh, my boy, my "foldier, my hero, my Chriftian! this, this is your "day of triumph; I fhall foon have more reason to rejoice at your groans and fufferings, than when, crowned with conqueft, you triumphantly entered

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"the

"the streets of Rome. As for my own life, it is worn

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to the very last dregs, and cannot be an offering fo "acceptable to heaven as thine: perfevere to the laft, " and we shall in a few minutes meet together, where we fhall fear no future disturbance from men, and ro "ingratitude from our country."

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The executioner now began to inflict the dreadful punishment, and the mother, without fainting or betraying the leaft weaknesses of her fex, continued to look on. Januarius kept his eye ftill directed to heaven, nor could the feverity of his torture, nor the infults from his executioners, draw from him a fingle groan. In the fame manner the rest of her children took leave, and even the spectators, averse as they were to the Chriftians, could not refrain from shedding tears on this horrid oc

cafion.

Felicitas ftill looked on with a steady and noble countenance, till it came to the turn of her youngest child, who, with looks ftill blooming with youth and beauty, came to take his last farewel of her. Upon his coming up to embrace her, her spirits could no longer contain, but she burst into a flood of tears, and hung upon his neck for fometime, in a tranfport of unfpeakable forrow. At last refuming her former fortitude: "thou," faid fhe, "my all that's now left me, my

youngest, last, dear child, resist but a few moments "and we shall foon be together. I have now but one "fhort pang, and all will be over. All mankind are

fet against us, and what have we to do amongst them? "No,

"No, my child, let us go to a place of endlefs ref "where the good shall meet with friends like them"felves, and the wicked cannot intrude to moleft us. "Look upon the poor mangled bodies of your already happy brethren! What is there terrible in death, "when attended with thofe rewards which fhall crown "the righteous? They now are looking on, with hap"piness, upon us two miferable creatures, as we are, thus ftruggling under, thus loaded with earthly "calamity."

When all the fons were tortured to death, at last it came to the matron's turn to fuffer; but their fortitude feemed nothing, when compared to hers: fhe received the stroke with greater looks of joy than she had ever before teftified, and bravely fet the furviving world a pattern of conftancy, piety, and maternal tenderness. ›

St. Gregory obferves, that she feemed as much afraid of leaving her children in the world, as other parents are of furviving them.

LETTER S.

A LETTER FROM ONE LADY TO ANOTHER,

ON THE NECESSITY OF AN EARLY APPPICATION TO THE CULTIVATION OF KNOWLEDGE.

Now let me affure my dear Charlotte, it is neceffary to habituate our minds, in our younger years, to some employment, which may engage our thoughts, and fill the capacity of the foul at a riper age. For, however we may roam in youth from folly to folly, too volatile for reft, too foft and effeminate for industry, ever ambitious to make a fplendid