The Life of Saint Quiriacus

Here followeth the Passion of Saint Quiriacus.

In the time that Julian the apostate went for to fight against them of Persia, he came into Jerusalem and did do seek Saint Quiriacus the bishop, which of his friends was called Judas, but the Queen, Saint Helen, after he was baptized did do call him Quiriacus. And when he was brought tofore Julian, he promised to him many riches and honours so that he would do sacrifice unto the idol of Jupiter, and because Quiriacus would not do it, Julian commanded to strain him on a bank, and with a fork of iron he made to open his mouth and put in molten lead burning, for to burn his entrails. Quiriacus suffered it much patiently without making of any cry, looking always up toward heaven. And about two hours after, when they that were there supposed he had been dead, he lifted up his voice saying: Jesus, Father eternal, resplendent light which never may be extinct, I bless thee, for thou hast made me worthy to have participation with thy friends. Therefore I require thee that the pride and elation of this evil tyrant may not overcome me, but that thy puissance always confirm me in steadfast constancy of faith. And when he had accomplished his orison, Julian said to him: Quiriacus, lo ! how I let thee jangle! I have heard oft such words; do sacrifice to our lord Jupiter and then thou shalt do wisely. Then Quiriacus answered to him: I believe and have believed him that is very God that shall destroy thee and thy pride. Then Julian did do bring a grabat of copper, and did do lay and stretch out the body thereon, and put under it burning coals, and did do strew salt on the body, and above that did do beat him with rods, to the end that his belly and entrails should have the more pain and travail. And after, they turned his belly towards the fire and beat his back with rods, and then he with a high voice began to pray in Hebrew. The tyrant was much amarvelled of the great patience that he had, and did do shut him in a little house unto the time that he had devised of what death he might make him to die. And about two years after, Saint Anne, the mother of Saint Quiriacus, came to him and exhorted him to suffer patiently for the love of God. Anon the ministers of the devil went and told to the tyrant, the which commanded that she should be brought to him. And when he saw that she would in no wise do sacrifice to the idols, he commanded that she should be hanged by the hair, and as she hung, he made to tear off all her nails or ongles, and in this torment she was four hours without speaking. Then Julian said to her: What is this that they do to thine ongles? And then she answered to him: O hound out of thy wit, worker of all iniquity, if thou have any greater torments give them to me, for I am all ready to fight against thy father the devil, over whom I have hope to have victory, moyenant on him the name of Jesu Christ. Then the tyrant commanded to take great lamps burning and setting them to her sides; the holy woman cried unto God, and making her prayers she rendered up her spirit unto our Lord. The christian people that were there buried her. After this Julian commanded that Quiriacus should be brought tofore him, and said to him: Quiriacus, say to me of what enchantments and what evil craft hast thou used by which it seemeth that thou feelest no torment, and therefore thou wilt not sacrifice to the idols? Then Quiriacus answered to him: O cursed fool and indigne hound that pervertest the might of God to enchantments and evil works, wherefore thou shalt be beaten by wound celestial. Then commanded Julian to make a great pit, and by enchanters did do assemble all manner of serpents and venomous beasts, and did do put them into the pit. And after, he made to cast the holy man in the midst of them, and as they threw him therein he began to say: Right sweet Jesus, I yield to thee grace and thankings for not only in thee wouldst thou verify and apply the prophecy of David, but in us that be thy little creatures which thou hast created and hast willed to have thy grace, for lo! here it pleaseth thee, that we go upon the serpents, and that we march and tread on the lion and on the dragon. And as he said so, Julian commanded to burn all the beasts. Then a knight called Amon said to the Emperor Julian: O king out of thy wit and wood, how hast thou the will to put this man to death? Thine enchanters and thy gods which be deceivable may not make the marvels that he doth, and in truth now forthon I am certain that the God of christian men is much mighty. For which words, Julian commanded to smite off his head; and as he was led unto the place for to be beheaded, he began to say: Jesu Christ, which art the God of Quiriacus, receive my soul in peace, and so saying he stretched forth his neck and was beheaded and thus finished his martyrdom. Julian called Quiriacus, and prayed him and exhorted him that he should reny the crucifix. Then Quiriacus answered trim: O heart perverted, evil and without pity, that seest nothing, that wouldst that I should leave my God which giveth to me and to other creatures so many goods, and that I should become mechant and semblable to thee. Then Julian was much angry, and commanded to hang a great caldron of oil upon the fire which oil was so hot that they were there about unnethe might endure the fume that issued. And he commanded to set Saint Quiriacus therein, which entered therein in making the sign of the cross, and said: Lord Jesu Christ which hast sanctified the flom Jordan and hast given to me the holy sacrament of baptism by water, see now where I shall be yet baptized in oil. Yet have I the third martyrdom to do by the washing of effusion of blood, which I have long tarried for. Then the tyrant, replenished of wrath and of ire more than tofore, commanded that he should be smitten with a sharp dart into the breast. And as he was so smitten he prayed God that he might depart out of the world, and then gave up his soul unto our Lord, which was the fourth nones of May. This Saint Quiriacus of whom we speak, was the same Judas properly by whom Saint Helen found the very holy cross. And after that he was baptized Saint Helen recommended him unto the bishopric of Jerusalem, which was at that time when the said bishop was dead. Helen that then was in Jerusalem went to Rome to the pope Eusebius, which ordained Judas to be bishop of Jerusalem in changing his name and called him Quiriacus. To whom God gave so much grace that he enchased away the fiends by his prayer. Saint Helen delivered to him many fair gifts for to distribute and depart to the poor. And at the prayer and request also of her was made a fair feast of the Invention of the holy cross. And ye ought to know that when the very cross was found, and by virtue thereof a dead man was raised, the devil, which is of all good envious, was heard crying in the air: O Judas! by thee I am chased out and diminished, but I know well that I shall be avenged against thee. I shall raise another king that shall reny the crucifix, the which by my counsel and by my exhortment shall make thee to suffer so many torments that thou thyself shalt reny the crucifix. Then said Judas to him: He that properly hath power to raise dead men, put thee in the deep bottom of hell in fire perdurable. Saint Quiriacus suffered martyrdom, as said is, for the love of our Lord, by which he hath gotten the glory perdurable, the which he grant to us that for us suffered death and passion. Amen.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 381