emperor began to reign; and now there is no piece of such money anywhere among the money which we in these days make use of, and buy our necessaries with. And as to those of whom thou erewhile didst tell, and name as thy kinsmen, they lived so long ago in olden times that there is no man so old that he can now at this time recollect them, or for many years previously could remember so long ago as they, thy parents, lived. Now standest thou here, a young man, and desirest to delude with thy deceit the old counsellors of this city. But thou shalt be taught otherwise, that thou needest no longer uphold us with thy lies. I will give orders that they shall bind thee very fast, both hands and feet, and scourge thee often and repeatedly, even as the statute-book teacheth concerning such men, and afflict thee with every sorrow; then shalt thou, in spite of thyself, reveal the treasure which thou wouldest not before make known of thine own will."
"When Malchus heard these words which the town-reeve was speaking to him so angrily, he, affrighted, cast himself down straightway and prostrated himself before all the people, and then said to them all, with weeping voice, " Lo, Masters! I pray you this charity that I may ask one thing, and I will at once make known to you all that I think in my thought. This, master, I would ask, if ye would tell me, where is Decius the emperor, he who was here in this city?" Then answered him the bishop Marinus, and said to Malchus; " My dear child, there is not today the emperor living on earth who is named Decius; the emperor whom thou askest about, he lived in the world long ago, and very many years are now past since he departed from this life." Then said Malchus to the bishop in answer, " That is the one thing, dear lord, which oppresses me all day, and that is the one fear which so greatly afflicts me in my mind, and no man will believe my words; but I pray you now humbly that ye will follow after me a little while. I have very near at hand a few companions; they are here, yonder in the cave on the Celian Hill ; ye may believe without doubt the meaning of all this. Nevertheless, I know it to be a true thing, that we all fled together from Decius
