The Legend Of The "Quatuor Coronati."

Augustus exinde ad Syrmem . Post dies vero quadrag'iuta duos quidam Nichodemus Christianus levavit loculos cum corporibus sanctorum , et posuit in clomo sua . Veniens vero Dioclitianus ex Syrmi post menses

undecim ingressus est Romam , et statim jussit in thermis Trajani templum Asclepii eclificari et simulacrum fieri ex lapicle preconisso .

Quod cum factum fuisset , jussit ut omnes militie venientes ad simulacrum Asclepii . sacrificiis ad thurifieandum compellarentur ; maxime urbane prefecture milites . Cumque omnes ad sacrificia compellerenturqnattuor

, quidam cornicnlarii compellebantur ad sacrificandum . Illis autem reluctantibus , nuntiatum est Dioclitiano Augusto . Quos jussit ante ipsum simulacrum ictu plnmbatarum cleficere . Qui cum din cederentur

, emiserunt spiritum . Quorum corpora jussit Dioclitianus in platea canibus jactari . Que etiam corpora jacuernnt diebus quinque .

Tunc beatus Sebastianus noctii cum Saucto Melchiade episcopo collegit corpora , et sepilivit in via Lavicana miliario ab urbe tercio , cum Sanctis aliis in arenario . Quod dum eodem tempore sed post duos annos evenisset

, id est sexto Idus Novembi'is et nomiiia eorum minime reppariri potuissent ; jussit beatus Molchiades episcopus ut sub nominibus sanctorum martyrnni Claudii , Nicostrati , Simphoriani , Simplicii et Casfcoriianniyersaria

, dies eorum recoleretur , regnante domino nostro Jhesu Christo , qui cum patre et spiritu sancto vivit et regnat cleus per omnia secuia seculorum . Amen .

gustns journeyed from thence to Syrme . But after forty-two clays a certain Nichodemus , a Christian , raised the coffins with the bodies of the saints , ' ancl placed them in the house . But Diocletian Augustus , coming from Syrme after eleven months

entered Rome , ancl immediately commanded a temple of iEsculapius to bo built in the baths of Trajan , and an image to be made from the [ preconisso ] squared stone . When this had been done , he

commanded that all the soldiery coming to the image of iEsculapius should be compelled to offer incense with sacrifices , especially the city militia . And when all were compelled to sacrificecertain four

, [ cornicnlarii ] wing-officers were compelled , but when they resisted it was told Diocletian Augustus . Ancl he ordered them to be put to death in front of the image itself with strokes of the

plumbata * Ancl when they were beaten for a long time they gave up the ghost , whose bodies Diocletian ordered to be cast into the street to the dogs . And their bodies lay there five clays . Then the blessed Sebastian , with the holy bishop Melehiaclescollected

, their bodies by night , ancl buried them on the road to Lavica , three miles from the city , with the other holy men in the cemetery . Wliilst at the same time this had happened—namely , on the 6 th of the Ides of November ; but two

years later ancl their names could with difficulty be found . The blessed Melehiacles the bishop ordered that under the names of the holy martyrs Claudius , Nicostratus , Simphorian , Simplicinsand Castoriustheir

anniver-, , sary should be observed , our Lord Jesus Christ reigning , who with the Father and Hol y Spirit livetk and reigneth , God through all eternity . Amen .

THE END .