he benches,
fainted away and died; upon which
the whole city was under a very
great concern.

15 And Alexander himself was
afraid, and desired the governor,
saying: I entreat you, take
compassion on me and the city,
and release this woman, who has
fought with the beasts; lest both
you and I, and the whole city,
be destroyed;

16 For if Caesar should have any
account of what has passed now,
he will certainly immediately
destroy the city, because Trifina,
a person of royal extract, and a
relation of his, is dead upon her
seat.

17 Upon this the governor called
Thecla from among the beasts to him,
and said to her, Who art thou? and
what are thy circumstances, that not
one of the beasts will touch thee?

18 Thecla replied to him; I am
a servant of the living God; and
as to my state, I am a believer on
Jesus Christ his Son, in whom
God is well pleased; and for that
reason none of the beasts could
touch me.

19 He alone is the way to eternal
salvation, and the foundation of
eternal life. He is a refuge to
those who are in distress; a support
to the afflicted, hope and defence
to those who are hopeless; and in
a word, all those who do not
believe on him, shall not live,
but suffer eternal death.

20 When the governor heard these
things, he ordered her clothes
to be brought, and said to her,
Put on your clothes.

21 Thecla replied: May that God
who clothed me when I was naked
among the beasts, in the day of
judgment clothe your soul with
the robe of salvation. Then she
took her clothes, and put them
on; and the governor immediately
published an order in these words:
I release to you Thecla the servant
of God.

22 Upon which the women cried
out together with a loud voice,
and with one accord gave praise
unto God, and said; There is but
one God, who is the God of Thecla;
the one God who hath delivered
Thecla.

23 So loud were their voices,
that the whole city seemed to be
shaken; and Trifina herself heard
the glad tidings, and arose again,
and ran with the multitude to
meet Thecla; and embracing her,
said: Now I believe there shall
be a resurrection of the dead;
now I am persuaded that my daughter
is alive. Come therefore home
with me, my daughter Thecla, and
I will make all over that I have
to you.

24 So Thecla went with Trifina,
and was entertained there a few
days, teaching her the word of the
Lord, whereby many young women
were converted; and there was
great joy i