Christopher saw that, he set him down in prayer, and when he was constrained by them that embraced him to move, he arose and said: 'What seek ye? For what cause be ye come hither?' And they, which were afraid of his cheer and clearness of his visage, said: 'Holy saint of God, have pity of us so that we may believe in that God that thou preachest.' And when the king heard that, he commanded that they should be let out and brought tofore him, to whom he said: 'Ye be deceived, but I swear to you by my gods that, if ye do no sacrifice to my gods, ye shall anon perish by evil death.' And they said to him: 'If thou wilt that we shall do sacrifice, command that the places may be made clean, and that all the people may assemble at the temple.' And when this was done they entered in to the temple, and took their girdles, and put them about the necks of their gods, and drew them to the earth, and brake them all in pieces, and said to them that were there: 'Go and call physicians and leeches for to heal your gods.' And then, by the commandment of the king, Aquilina was hanged, and a right great and heavy stone was hanged at her feet, so that her members were much despitously broken. And when she was dead, and passed to our Lord, her sister Nicæa was cast into a great fire, but she issued out without harm all whole, and then he made to smite off her head; and so suffered death.
After this Christopher was brought tofore the king, and the king commanded that he should be beaten with rods of iron, and that there should be set upon his head a cross of iron red hot and
