"Ars Quatcor Coronatorum."*

them terrible things and all sorts of instruments of martyrdom . When they had entered he turned to them and said—Hearken unto me and avoid martyrdom , and be submissive and friendly ( cari et amici ) to the noble prince , and sacrifice to the Sun-god , for hereafter I may not speak unto you in gentle words .

LECTIO VIII . Respondit Claudius . Claudius and Ins fellows answered with great confidence—This may tho Emperor Diocletian know , that verily we are Christians , and turn not aside from the worship of our God . Exasperated at this reply , the tribune Lampadius commanded them to be stripped naked and scourged with scorpions , while the herald proclaimed—Ye shall uot contemn the commands of the prince . In that same hour Lampadius was seized with an evil spirit ; he was rent asunder with cramps and died in his chair of judgment . LECTIO IX . Hoc aiuiicns n-mr . When his wife and household hoard these things they ran to the philosophers with a great outcry , so that it came to the ears of Diocletian . And

when he heard of the occurrence he said—Make leaden coffins , put them alive into the same , and cast them alive into the river ! Thereupon Nicetins , a Senator ( togatns ) , the coadjutor of Lampadius , did that which Diocletian had commanded . He caused leaden coffins to be made , put them alive therein , and ordered them to be cast into the river .

Here ends the Legend iu the " Breviarum Romannm , " 1477 . The edition of 1474 agrees exactly with the above in Lectio I . to III ., but varies slightly in the concluding portion . The translations of the "Romish German Breviary , " by Jacob "Wog , Venice , 1518 , likewise agrees with the above version , with the exception of the passages noted in our text , and concludes with the following additional paragraph : — .

When , however , the holy Cyril heard these things , being m prison , he was filled with grief because of the death of these saints , and departed thus from this world to the Lord The Legend , as contained in the "Breviarum Spirense , " 1478 , is as follows : LECTIO IV . Claudius , Castorius , Nicostratus , and Sinrphorianus , ingenious artists in the art of . cutting stone and sculpture ( mirifiei qnadrandi et sculpendi artifices ) , being secretly Christians , obeyed the commands of God , aud made all their work in the name of Christ .

A certain Simplicius , who was also experienced in tho same art , marvelled much at their skill and works , for they surpassed all the architects of the Emperor , who were six hundred and twenty-two iu number . He was himself still a pagan , and when he worked with them his work succeeded not , but his iron tools broke daily . Therefore he said unto Claudius—I pray thee , sharpen my tools so that they break not . Claudius took the tools into his hands aud said—In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ , be this iron strong and proper for the work . From that hour Simplicius finished everything that belouged to the ars quadrataria with his iron tools , as did the others , and brought it to completion .

LECTIO V . He then asked Symphorianus in what manner he had sharpened them , for the edge of his tools never broke , as had previously been the case . Symphorianus and Castorius answered and said—God , who is the Creator and Lord of all things , has made his creation strong . Simplicius asked—Has not god Zeus done all this ? Then answered Claudius and said—Hepent , my brother , for yon have blasphemed God , who has created all things , and whom we acknowledge ; but we do not acknowledge as God him whom onr hands have made . With these and words like unto them they converted Simplicius to the faith of Christ ; so that he , despising all the images of the gods , went with , them to the Bishop Cyril , of Antioch , who

was then lying bound in prison because of the name of Christ , and had for three years been tortured by many blows , in order to be baptized by him . When they were returned , and he had again resumed his work , they all worked together and made the sign of the cross in the name of Christ while they worked . They were , however , accused by the philosophers of being Christians , because they would not make a statue of Asclepius , of marble , as the emperor had commanded . Whereupon Diocletian , filled with rage , spoke—Make leaden coffins , and shut them up alive therein , and cast them into the river . But Nicodemu ' s , a Christian , after forty-two days raised the chests aud the bodies and brought them to his

house . LECTIO VI . The four crowned martyrs were so called because their names were not known . For when Diocletian commanded that all should sacrifice to Asclepius , who was called the god of health , because he had been a good physician , these four refused , whereupon they were scourged to death with leaden scourges and their bodies east into the streets to be devoured by dogs . So they laid five days aud were buried by St . Sebastian and the Bishop Melchiades . Their names were afterwards revealed as follows—Severus , ' Severianus , Carpophorns , Victorianus ; before which time , however , the holy Melchiades ordained that the anniversary of their martyrdom should be kept on the same day with that of the holy-Claudius , Nicostratus , Symphorianus , Castorius , and Simplicius , who were cast into the river in Iparmn coffins .