imperii. Quorum tempore Carausius quidam, genere quidem infimus sed consilio et manu promtus, cum ad observanda oceani litora, quæ tunc Franci et Saxones infestabant, positus, plus in perniciem quam in provectum reipublicæ ageret, ereptam prædonibus prædam nulla ex parte restituendo dominis, sed sibi soli vindicando; accedens suspicionem, quia ipsos quoque hostes ad incursandos fines artifici negligentia permitteret. Quam ob rem a Maximiano jussus occidi purpuram sumsit, ac Britannias occupavit; quibus sibi per septem annos fortissime vindicatis ac retentis, tandem fraude Allecti socii sui interfectus est. Allectus postea ereptam Carausio insulam per triennium tenuit, quem Asclepiodotus præfectus Prætorio oppressit, Britanniamque post decem annos recepit. Interea Diocletianus in oriente, Maximianus Herculius in occidente, vastari ecclesias, affligi interficique Christianos, decimo post Neronem loco, præceperunt; quæ persecutio omnibus fere ante actis diuturnior atque immanior fuit, nam per decem annos incendiis ecclesiarum, proscriptionibus innocentum, cædibus martyrum, incessabiliter acta est. Denique etiam Britanniam tum plurima confessionis Deo devotæ gloria sublimavit. CAP. VII.-PASSIO SANCTI ALBANI ET SOCIORUM EJUS, QUI EODEM TEMPORE PRO DOMINO SANGUINEM FUDERUNT. SIQUIDEM in ea passus est sanctus Albanus, de quo presbyter Fortunatus in Laude Virginum, cum beatorum martyrum, qui de toto orbe ad Dominum venirent, mentionem faceret, ait; Albanum egregium fecunda Britannia profert. their time, one Carausius, of very mean birth, but an Carausius. expert and able soldier, being appointed to guard the sea-coasts, then infested by the Franks and Saxons, acted more to the prejudice than to the advantage of the commonwealth; and from his not restoring the booty taken from the robbers to its owners, but keeping all to himself, it was suspected that by intentional neglect he suffered the enemy to infest the frontiers. Hearing, therefore, that an order was sent by Maximian that he should be put to death, he took upon him the imperial robes, and possessed himself of Britain, and having most valiantly retained it for the space of seven years, he was at length put to death by the treachery of his associate, Allectus. The usurper, having thus got the island from Allectus. Carausius, held it three years, and was then vanquished by Asclepiodotus, the captain of the Prætorian bands, who thus at the end of ten years restored Britain to the Roman empire. Meanwhile, Diocletian in the east, and Maximian Herculius in the west, commanded the churches to be destroyed, and the Christians to be slain. This persecution was the tenth since the reign of Nero, and was more lasting and bloody than all the others before it; for it was carried on incessantly for the space of ten years, with burning of churches, outlawing of innocent persons, and the slaughter of martyrs. At length, it reached Britain also, and many persons, with the constancy of martyrs, died in the confession of their faith. CHAP. VII.-THE PASSION OF ST. ALBAN AND HIS COM- martyred. AT that time suffered St. Alban, of whom the priest St. Alban Fortunatus, in the Praise of Virgins, where he makes A.D. 305. mention of the blessed martyrs that came to the Lord from all parts of the world, says- In Britain's isle was holy Alban born. Qui videlicet Albanus paganus adhuc, cum perfidorum principum mandata adversum Christianos sævirent, clericum quendam persecutores fugientem hospitio recepit; quem dum orationibus continuis ac vigiliis die noctuque studere conspiceret, subito Divina gratia respectus, exemplum fidei ac pietatis illius cœpit æmulari, ac salutaribus ejus exhortationibus paulatim edoctus, relictis idololatriæ tenebris, Christianus integro ex corde factus est. Cumque præfatus clericus aliquot diebus apud eum hospitaretur, pervenit ad aures nefandi principis confessorem Christi, cui necdum fuerat locus martyrii deputatus, penes Albanum latere. Unde statim jussit milites eum diligentius inquirere ; qui cum ad tugurium martyris pervenissent, mox se sanctus Albanus pro hospite ac magistro suo, ipsius habitu, id est, caracalla, qua vestiebatur indutus, militibus exhibuit, atque ad judicem vinctus perductus est. Contigit autem judicem ea hora, qua ad eum Albanus adducebatur, aris assistere ac dæmonibus hostias offerre; cumque vidisset Albanum, mox ira succensus nimia quod se ille ultro pro hospite, quem susceperat, militibus offerre ac discrimini dare præsumsisset, ad simulacra dæmonum, quibus assistebat, eum jussit pertrahi; "Quia rebellem,' inquiens, "ac sacrilegum celare quam militibus reddere maluisti, ut contemtor divum meritam blasphemiæ suæ pœnam lueret, quæcumque illi debebantur supplicia tu solvere habes, si a cultu nostræ religionis discedere tentas." At sanctus Albanus, qui se ultro persecutoribus fidei Christianum esse prodiderat, nequaquam minas principis metuit; sed accinctus armis militiæ spiritualis, palam se jussis illius parere nolle pronunciabat. Tum judex, "Cujus," inquit, "familiæ vel generis es?" Al This Alban being yet a Pagan, at the time when the cruelties of wicked princes were raging against Christians, gave entertainment in his house to a certain clergyman, flying from the persecutors. This man he observed to be engaged in continual prayer and watching day and night; when on a sudden the Divine grace shining on him, he began to imitate the example of faith and piety which was set before him, and being gradually instructed by his wholesome admonitions, he cast off the darkness of idolatry, and became a Christian in all sincerity of heart. The aforesaid clergyman having been some days entertained by him, it came to the ears of the wicked prince, that this holy confessor of Christ, whose time of martyrdom had not yet come, was concealed at Alban's house. Whereupon he sent some soldiers to make a strict search after him. When they came to the martyr's house, St. Alban immediately presented himself to the soldiers, instead of his guest and master, in the habit or long coat which he wore, and was led bound before the judge. It happened that the judge, at the time when Alban was carried before him, was standing at the altar, and offering sacrifice to devils. When he saw Alban, being much enraged that he should thus, of his own accord, put himself into the hands of the soldiers, and incur such A.D. 305. danger in behalf of his guest, he commanded him to be dragged up to the images of the devils, before which he stood, saying, "Because you have chosen to conceal a rebellious and sacrilegious person, rather than to deliver him up to the soldiers, that his contempt of the gods might meet with the penalty due to such blasphemy, you shall undergo all the punishment that was due to him, if you abandon the worship of our religion." But St. Alban, who had voluntarily declared himself a Christian to the persecutors of the faith, was not at all daunted at the prince's threats, but putting on the armour of spiritual warfare, publicly declared that he would not obey the commands. Then said the judge, "Of what family a banus respondit, "Quid ad te pertinet qua sim stirpe genitus? sed si veritatem religionis audire desideras, Christianum jam me esse Christianisque officiis vacare cognosce." Ait judex, "Nomen tuum quæro, quod sine mora mihi insinua.” Et ille, "Albanus," inquit, parentibus vocor, et Deum verum ac vivum, qui universa creavit, adoro semper et colo." Tum judex repletus iracundia dixit, "Si vis perennis vitæ felicitate perfrui, diis magnis sacrificare ne differas." Albanus respondit, "Sacrificia hæc, quæ a vobis redduntur dæmonibus, nec auxiliari subjectis possunt, nec supplicantium sibi desideria vel vota complere; quin immo, quicunque his sacrificia simulacris obtulerit æternas inferni pœnas pro mercede recipiet." His auditis, judex nimio furore commotus, cædi sanctum Dei confessorem a tortoribus præcepit, autumans se verberibus, quam verbis non poterat, cordis ejus emollire constantiam; qui cum tormentis afficeretur acerrimis, patienter hæc pro Domino, immo gaudenter, ferebat. At ubi judex tormentis illum superari, vel a cultu Christianæ religionis revocari, non posse persensit, capite eum plecti jussit. Cumque ad mortem duceretur, pervenit ad flumen quod muro et arena, ubi feriendus erat, meatu rapidissimo dividebatur; viditque ibi non parvam hominum multitudinem utriusque sexus, conditionis diversæ et ætatis, quæ, sine dubio, Divinitatis instinctu ad obsequium beatissimi confessoris ac martyris vocabatur, et ita fluminis ipsius occupabat pontem, ut intra vesperam transire vix posset; denique, cunctis pene egressis, judex sine obsequio in civitate substiterat. Igitur sanctus Albanus, cui ardens inerat devotio mentis ad martyrium ocius pervenire, accessit ad torrentem, et dirigens ad cœlum oculos, |