Who hast so good a servant Thee to serve;

This with one voice we say, nor will we swerve." -

Almachius, who heard of this same thing,

Commanded that they bring her him to see,

And when she came, this was his questioning:

"What manner of woman are you?" then asked he.

"I am a noblewoman born," said she.

"I ask," said he, "though to your harm and grief,

Of your religion and of your belief." -

"You have begun your questions foolishly,"

Said she, "who would two answers so include

In one demand; you asked me ignorantly."

Almachius answered that exactitude:

"Whence comes your answering so rough and rude?"

"Whence?" asked she, when that she was thus constrained,

"From conscience and from simple faith unfeigned." -

Almachius said: "And do you take no heed

Of power I wield?" And she replied like this:

"Your might," said she, "is scarce a thing to dread;

For power of every mortal man but is

Like to a bladder full of wind, ywis.

For with a needle's point, when it is blown,

Prick it, and all the pride of it comes down." -

"Erroneously have you begun," said he,

"And deep in error do you still remain;

Know you not how our mighty princes free

Have ordered us such error to restrain,

That every Christian man shall suffer pain,

Unless his Christianity he deny?

He shall be free if he'll do that, say I." -

"Your princes err, and your nobility,"

Cecilia said, "and with a mad sentence

Condemn our guilt all guiltless though we be;

And you, who know full well our innocence,

Merely because we do our. reverence

To Christ and bear ourselves the Christian name,

You thus impute to us a crime and blame. -

"But we, who know far better than can you

Its virtue, will not once the name gainsay."

Almachius said: "Choose one of these things two:

Deny that faith, or sacrifice today,

That you may now escape from death that way."

Whereat the holy, blessed, lovely maid

Began to laugh, and to the judge she said: -

"O judge, convicted by your own folly,

Will you that I deny my innocence

And make myself a criminal?" asked she.

"Lo, he dissimulates in audience,

He glares and rages in his violence!"

To whom Almachius: "O unhappy wretch,

Do you not know how far my might may stretch? -

"Did not our mighty princes to me give,

Aye, both the power and authority

To give to people death or make them live?

Why do you speak so proudly then to me?"

"I speak to you but steadfastly," said she,

"Not proudly, for I say, upon my side,

We've deadly hatred for the vice of pride. -

"And if to hear a truth you do not fear,

Then will I show, all openly, by right,

That you have said a full great falsehood here.

You say, your princes have you given the might

Both to condemn and give life to a wight;

But you can merely him of life bereave,

You have no other power or other leave! -

"You may but say, your princes did declare

You were death's officer; if more you claim,

You lie, for of more power you are bare."

"This bold speech drop!" Almachius did exclaim,

"And do your sacrifice in our gods' name.

I care not what you wrongfully impute;

Like a philosopher I'll bear it, mute; -

"But those same wrongs which I cannot endure

Are those you speak against our gods," said he.

Cecilia replied: "O vain creature,

You've nothing said, since speaking first to me,

That I've not learned thereby your great folly,

And that you were and are, in every wise,

An ignorant officer and vain justice. -

"There is no proving, by your outward eye,

That you're not blind; what can be seen by all,

That it is stone- that men see well, say I-

Yet that same stone a god you think and call.

I charge you, let your hand upon it fall,

And test it well, and 'twill be stone, you'll find,

Since you can see it not with your eyes blind. -

"It is a shame that all the people shall

So scorn you, judge, and laugh at your folly;

For commonly men know it above all

That mighty God is in His heaven high,

And idols such as these, they testify,

May bring no profit to themselves or you-

They have no power, nothing can they do." -

These words and many other such said she,

And he grew wroth and bade she should be led

Home to her house. "And in her house," said he,

"Boil her in bath heated by great flames red."

And as he bade, so was it done, 'tis said;

For in a bath they locked her and began

(All night and day) a great fire there to fan. -

The long night through, and a long day also,

For all the fire and all the bath's great heat,

She sat there cool and calm and felt no woe,

Nor did it make her any drop to sweat.

But in that bath her life should she lose yet;