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Cypriánus, primum magus, póstea Martyr, cum Justínam,
christiánam Vírginem, quam júvenis quidam ardénter amábat, cantiónibus ac
venefíciis ad ejus libídinis assénsum allícere conarétur, dæmonem
consúluit quanam id re cónsequi posset. Cui dæmon respóndit nullam
illi artem processúram advérsus eos, qui vere Christum cólerent. Quo
respónso commótus Cypriánus, veheménter dolére cœpit vitæ superióris
institútum. Itaque, relíctis mágicis ártibus, se totum ad Christi
Dómini fidem convértit. Quam ob causam una cum Vírgine Justína
comprehénsus est, et ambo cólaphis flagellísque cæsi sunt ; mox in cárcerem conjécti, si forte senténtiam commutárent. Verum, inde
póstea emíssi, cum in christiána religióne constantíssimi reperiréntur, in
sartáginem plenam fervéntis picis, ádipis et ceræ injécti sunt.
Demum Nicomedíæ secúri feriúntur. Quorum projécta córpora cum sex
dies inhumáta jacuíssent noctu quidam nautæ clam ea in navem impósita
Romam portavérunt. Ac primum in prædio Rufínæ nóbilis féminæ sepúlta
sunt ; póstea, transláta in Urbem, in basílica Constantiniána cóndita sunt
prope baptistérium. |
Cyprian was firstly a warlock and lastly a Martyr.
A certain young man having a violent lust after a Christian maiden named
Justina, employed him to excite her to join in this lewdness, by dint of
incantations and philters. Cyprian thereupon asked counsel of the
devil, how he might best gain that end. But the devil answered him
that these arts are only thrown away upon true worshippers of Christ.
This answer troubled Cyprian, and he began to repent heartily of the
course of life he had hitherto led. And then he forsook his arts
magic, and gave himself wholly up to the faith of the Lord Christ.
For this cause, he and the Virgin Justina were arrested together, beaten
with blows and scourging, and cast into prison, if haply they might change
their mind. Being brought out of the prison, but still standing fast
in their Christian religion, they were dipped in a vessel full of hot
pitch, fat, and wax, and in the end beheaded, at Nicomedia. Their
bodies were thrown out, and lay unburied for the space of six days, at the
end of which time some sailors took them secretly by night on board a
ship, and carried them to Rome. They were first buried on the farm
of the noble lady Rufina, but afterwards brought into the city, where they
lie hard by the Baptistery in the Church of the Saviour, built by
Constantine. |
