1   Forsothe it bifelle, that seuene britheren takun togidere with the modir, weren constreyned of the kyng for to taaste a&yogh;ens the lawe swynes fleischis; and weren turmentid with scourgyngis, and turment maad of bole lether. 2   Forsothe oon of hem, that was the first, seide thus, What sekist thou? and what wolt thou lerne of vs? we ben redi for to die, more than to breke the fadris lawes of God. 3   Therfor the kyng was wroth, and comaundide `pannes of bras, and brasun pottis for to be maad ful hoot. And whan tho anoon werin maad ful hoot, 4   he comaundide the tunge for to be kit of fro hym that spak bifore; and whanne the skynne of the heed was drawun awei, he bad bothe the hi&yogh;este partis of hondis and of feet `of hym for to be kit of, the while othere britheren and the modir `of hym bihelden. 5   And whanne he was maad thanne vnprofitable bi alle thingis, he comaundide fier for to be brou&yogh;t to him, and &yogh;it `al quik brethinge for to be brent in the brasun panne; in which whanne he was longe turmentid, the othere togidere with the modir, `coumfortiden hem togidere for to die strongli, 6   seiynge, The Lord God schal biholde treuthe, and schal `&yogh;yue solace in vs, as Moises declaride `in bifore

witnessyng of song, and among his seruauntis he schal &yogh;ife coumforte. 7   Therfor whanne thilke firste was deed in this maner, thei ledden forth the nexte for to be scornyd; and whanne the skyn of his heed was drawun of, with the heeris, thei axiden, if he wolde ete, bifore that he were punyschid in al the bodi, bi alle membris bi hem silf. 8   And he answeride bi the vois of fadris ^note, and seide, Y schal not do it. For which `cause this also, in a place faste bi, resseyuede lijk turmentis of the firste. 9   And whanne he was ordeyned in the laste spirit, he seide thus, Sotheli thou most wickid lesist vs in this lijf, but the kyng of the world schal reise `vs that ben deede for his lawis, in a&yogh;enrisinge of euerlastinge lijf. 10   After this the thridde was scorned; and whanne he was bede, he `profride soone forth the tunge, and stidfastli helde forth the hondis, 11   and `seide, Of God of heuene Y welde these lymes, but for the lawis of God now Y dispise these same; for Y hope, that Y schal resseyue tho of him. 12   So that the kyng, and thei that weren with hym, wondriden on the wisdom of the &yogh;onge man, that he ledde the turmentis as nou&yogh;t. 13   And whanne this was thus deed, thei traueliden the fourthe, and turmentiden in lijk maner. 14   And whanne he was thanne at the deth, he seide thus, `Wel the rather it is ned, that men &yogh;ouun to deth of men, abide hope of God, that schulen be reisid a&yogh;en `eft of him; for a&yogh;en risyng to lijf ^note schal not be to thee. 15   And whanne thei hadden brou&yogh;t the fyuethe, thei traueliden hym. And he bihelde in to hym, 16   and seide, Thou hast power among men, `and thou&yogh; thou be corruptible,

thou doist what thou wolt; but nyl thou gesse, that oure kyn is forsakun of God. 17   But abide thou pacientli, and thou schalt se the greet power of hym, hou he schal turmente thee, and thi seed. 18   After thei ledden also the sixte; and this bigan for to die, and seide thus, Nyle thou erre idili; for we suffren these thingis for vs silf, synnynge a&yogh;ens oure God, and thingis worthi of wondryng ben maad in vs; 19   but deme thou not, that it schal be with out peyne to thee, that thou hast temptid for to fi&yogh;te a&yogh;ens God. 20   Forsothe the `merueylous moder of hem, and worthi the mynde of goode men, which bihelde seuene sones perischynge vndur the tyme of o day, `and suffride aboue manere with good wille, for the hope that sche hadde in to God; 21   sche monestide ech of hem bi vois of fadris, `that is, acordynge to the techyng of hooli fadris, and was strongli fillid with wisdom, and settide mannus witte to wommanys thou&yogh;t, 22   and seide to hem, Sones, Y woot not hou &yogh;e apperiden in my wombe; for nether Y haue &yogh;ouun to &yogh;ou spirit, and soule, and lijf, and Y my silf ioynede not togidere the membris of ech; 23   but the makere of nou&yogh;t of the world, that fourmyde natiuyte of man, and foond bigynnyng of alle, schal &yogh;elde eft to &yogh;ou spirit, and lijf, with merci, as now &yogh;e dispisen &yogh;ou silf for the lawis of hym. 24   Forsothe Antiok demyde hym for to be dispisid, and also bi dispisable vois of a repreuere, and whanne &yogh;it the &yogh;ongere was `on lyue, not oneli he monestide bi wordis, but and with an ooth he affirmyde, to make hym riche and blissful, and to haue frend, translatid fro lawis of fadris, and to &yogh;yue `to hym nedeful thingis. 25   But whanne the &yogh;onge man was not bowid to these

thingis, the kyng clepide the modir, and softli counselide hir, that sche schulde be maad to the &yogh;onge man in to helth. 26   Forsothe whanne he monestide hir bi many wordis, sche bihi&yogh;te hir for to counsele hir sone. 27   Therfor sche bowide down to hym, and scornyde the cruel tiraunt, and seide in cuntrei vois, Sone, haue merci on me, that bar thee in wombe nyne monethis, and &yogh;af mylk bi thre &yogh;eer, and nurschide, and fulli brou&yogh;te in to this age. 28   Y axe, child, that thou biholde to heuene and erthe, and alle thingis that ben in hem, and vnderstonde, that God made hem of nou&yogh;t, and the kynde of men. 29   So it schal be don, that thou drede not this turmentour, but be thou maad worthi to thi britheren, and resseyue deth, that in that merci doyng Y resseyue thee with thi britheren. 30   Whanne sche seide &yogh;it these thingis, the &yogh;ong man seide, Whom abiden &yogh;e? Y obeie not to biddyng of the kyng, but to comaundement of the lawe, that was &yogh;ouun to vs bi Moises. 31   Forsothe thou, that art maad fyndere of al malice a&yogh;ens Ebrewis, schalt not ascape the hond of God. 32   For we suffren these thingis for oure synnes; 33   thou&yogh; oure Lord be a litil wroth to vs for blamyng and chastisyng, but eft he schal be recounselid to hise seruauntis. 34   Forsothe thou cursid, and most flagiciouse, ether fulleste of yuel doyngis, and stiryngis, of alle men, nyle thou veynli be enhaunsid, that art enflaumyd bi veyn hope a&yogh;ens his seruauntis; 35   for thou hast not scapid &yogh;it the dom of almy&yogh;ti God, and biholdynge alle thingis. 36   `For whi my britheren suffriden now a litil sorewe, and ben maad vndur testament of euerlastynge lijf; thou sotheli bi dom of God schalt paie iust peynes of pride. 37   Sotheli `Y as my britheren,

bitake my soule and bodi for lawis of fadris; and Y clepe God to help, that more ripeli he be maad helpful to oure folc, and that thou knouleche with turmentis `and betyngis, that he is God aloone. 38   Forsothe the wraththe of Almy&yogh;ti schal faile in me and in my britheren, which is iustli brou&yogh;te in on al oure kyn. 39   Thanne the kyng was kyndlid with wrath, and was fers a&yogh;ens hym more crueli aboue alle; and bar vnworthili, `ether heuyli, hym silf scorned. 40   Therfor and this was clene, and diede, tristynge bi alle thingis in the Lord. 41   Forsothe at the laste also the modir was wastid, after the sones. 42   Therfor of sacrifices, and ouer greet crueltees, is ynow&yogh; seid.

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