young man, truly and
wisely answering to thee? Trust verily we serve that same King Almighty.
And when Nero heard that he put them in prison, for strongly to torment
them, whom he much had loved. Then he made to inquire and to take all
Christian men, and without examination made them to be tormented with
overgreat torments. Then was Paul among others bound and brought tofore
Nero, to whom Nero said: O thou man, servant of the great King, bound
tofore me, why withdrawest thou my knights and drawest them to thee? To
whom Paul said: Not only from thy corner I have gathered knights, but
also I gather from the universal world to my Lord, to whom our king
giveth such gifts that never shall fail, and granteth that they shall be
excluded from all indigence and need; and if thou wilt be to him
subject, thou shalt be safe, for he is of so great power that he shall
come and judge all the world, and destroy the figure thereof by fire.
And when Nero heard that he should destroy the figure of the world by
fire, he commanded that all the Christian men should be burned by fire,
and Paul to be beheaded, as he that is guilty against his majesty. And
so great a multitude of Christian people were slain then, that the
people of Rome brake up his palace and cried and moved sedition against
him, saying: Caesar, amend thy manners and attemper thy commandments, for
these be our people that thou destroyest, and defend the empire of Rome.
The emperor then dreading the noise of the people, changed his decree
and edict that no man should touch ne hurt no Christian man till the
emperor had otherwise ordained, wherefore Paul was brought again tofore
Nero, whom as soon as Nero saw, he cried and said: Take away this wicked
man and behead him, and suffer him no longer to live upon the earth. To
whom Paul said: Nero, I shall suffer a little while, but I shall live
eternally with my Lord Jesu Christ. Nero said: Smite off his head, that
he may understand me stronger than his king, that when he is overcome we
may see whether he may live after. To whom Paul said: To the end that
thou know me to live everlastingly, when my head shall be smitten off, I
shall appear to thee living, and then thou mayst know that Christ is God
of life and of death. And when he had said this he was led to the place
of his martyrdom, and as he was led, the three knights that led him said
to him: Tell to us, Paul, who is he your king that ye love so much that
for his love ye had liefe