-ending infamy. But so did
the divine vengeance rage against the persecutors of the martyr, that in
a short time, being carried away from the midst, they nowhere appeared.
And some, without confession, or the viaticum, were suddenly snatched
away; others tearing piecemeal their own fingers or tongues; others
pining with hunger, and corrupting in their whole body, and racked with
unheard-of tortures before their death, and broken up by paralysis;
others bereft of their intellects; others expiring with madness;--left
manifest proofs that they were suffering the penalty of unjust
persecution and premeditated murder. Let, therefore, the Virgin Mother,
the Church, rejoice that the new martyr has borne away the triumph over
the {214} enemies. Let her rejoice that a new Zacharias has been for her
freedom sacrificed in the temple. Let her rejoice that a new Abel's
blood hath cried unto God for her against the men of blood. For the
voice of his blood shed, the-voice of his brain scattered by the swords
of those deadly satellites, hath filled heaven at once and the world
with its far-famed cry.

Thomas shines with new miracles;
He adorns with sight those who had lost their eyes;
He cleanses those who were stained with the spots of leprosy;

He looses those that were bound with the bonds of death.

_Ninth Lesson._

For at the cry of this blood the earth was moved and trembled. Nay,
moreover, the powers of the heavens were moved; so that, as if for the
avenging of innocent blood, nation rose against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom; nay, a kingdom was divided against itself, and terrors
from heaven and great signs took place. Yet, from the first period of
his martyrdom, the martyr began to shine forth with miracles, restoring
sight to the blind, walking to the lame, hearing to the deaf, language
to the dumb. Afterwards, cleansing the lepers, making the paralytic
sound, healing the dropsy, and all kinds of incurable diseases;
restoring the dead to life; in a wonderful manner commanding the devils
and all the elements: he also put forth his hand to unwonted and
unheard-of signs of his own power; for persons deprived of their eyes
merited by his merits to obtain new members. But some {215} who presumed
to disparage his miracles, struck on a sudden, were compelled to publish
them even unwillingly. At length, against all his enemies the martyr so
far prevailed, that almost every day you might see that to be repeated
in t