Emilius, a Scipio, placed all their reliance on the deity of the Capitol; Pompey marched to battle imploring the divine assistance; Caesar pretended to be of celestial descent; Cato, his rival, was convinced of the immortality of the soul; Bru tus, his assassin, believed in the existence of supernatural powers; and Augustus, his successor, reigned only in the name of the gods. 3 In modern times was that .aliant Sicambrian, the conueror of Rome and of the Culs, an unbeliever, who, falling at the feet of a priest, laid the foundation of the empire of France? Was St. Louis, the arbiter of kings,-revered by infidels themselves, -an unbeliever? Was the valorous Du Guesclin, whose coffin was sufficient for the capture of cities, -the Chevalier Bayard, without fear and without reproach, -the old Constable de Montmorenci, who recited his beads in the camp,-were these men without religion? But, more wonderful still, was the great Turenne, whom Bossuet brought back to the bosom of the Church, an unbeliever? 4. No character is more admirable than that of the Christian hero. The people whom he defends look up to him as a father; he protects the husbandman and the produce of his fields; he is an angel of war sent by God to mitigate the horrors of that scourge. Cities open their gates at the mere report of his justice; ramparts fall before his virtue; he is beloved by the soldier, he is idolized by nations; with the courage of the warrior he combines the charity of the gospel; his conversation is impressive and instructing; his words are full of simplicity; you are astonished to find sach gentleness in a man accustomed to live in the midst of dangers. Thus the honey is hidden under the rugged bark of an ak which has braved the tempests of ages. We may safely conclude tha' i › respect whatever is atheism profitable for the soldier 158. JAPANESE MARTYRS. CADDELL. CALIA MARY CADDELL-an English authoress, who has male many raceful and interesting contributions to the Catholic literature of our ay. Among others, "Tales of the Festivals," "Miner's Daughter," 'Blanche Leslie," and "Missions in Japan and Paraguay." 1. SCARCELY had the exiles reached this hospitable asylum ere another edict was published in Figo, commanding all the remaining Christians to repair to the house of a bonze appointed for the purpose, and in his presence to perform a certain ceremony, which was to be considered as a declaration of their belief in his teaching. Death was to be the penalty of a refusal; and two noblemen, named John and Simon, were chosen as examples of severity to the rest. Both were friends of the governor, to whom the order had been intrusted, and he did what he could to save them. 2. "If they would but feign compliance with the king's decree," or "have the ceremony privately performed at their own houses," or "bribe the bonze to allow it to be supposed he had received their recantation,”—each of these alternatives was as eagerly urged as it was indignantly rejected; and when a band of ruffians dragged John to the bonze's house, and set the superstitious book which was to be the token of his apostasy by main force upon his head, he protested so loudly and vehemently against the violence done to his will, that nothing rcmained but to sentence him to death. The execution took place in the presence of the governor; and from the chamber, still reeking with the blood of one friend, he went to the house of the other on a similar mission, and with equal reluctance. 3. Simon was quietly conversing with his mother when the governor entered; and the latter could not refrain from weeping as he besought that lady to have pity upon them both. and, by advising compliance with the king's commands, to spare herself the anguish of losing a son, and himself that of inbruing his hands in the blood of a friend. Touching as was the appeal, it was made in vain; for in her answer the Christian mother proved true to her faith; so that the governor left the house, indignantly declaring that by her obstinacy she was guilty of the death of her son. 4. Another nobleman entered soon afterwards, charged with the personal execution of the sentence. This was no unusual method of proceeding, since every Japanese nobleman, strange to say, may at any moment be called upon to officiate in such cases, it being a favor often granted to persons of rank to die by the hand of a friend or a servant, rather than by that of the ordinary headsman. Jotivava was a friend of Simon's, and he proceeded with what heart he might to his sad and revolting duty. 5. Knowing his errand well, Simon received him with an affectionate smile, and then prostrated himself in prayer before an image of our Saviour crowned with thorns, while his wife and mother called for warm water that he might wash,—a ceremony the Japanese always observe upon joyful occasions. Tears of natural regret would flow, indeed, even in the midst of this generous exultation; and Agnes, falling upon her knees, besought her husband to cut off her hair, as a sign that she never would marry again. 6. After a little hesitation, he complied with this request; prophesying, however, that she and his mother would soon follow him to heaven; and then, accompanied by the three Giffiaques, or officers of the Confraternity of Mercy, whom he had summoned to be present at the execution, they all entered the hall where it was intended to take place. Michael, one of the Giffiaques, carried a crucifix; the other two bore lighted torches; and Simon walked between his wife and mother, while his disconsolate servants brought up the rear. 7. An unhappy renegade met them at the entrance, to take leave of Simon; but struck by the contrast between his own conduct and that of the martyr, he burst into tears, and wa unable to speak. Most eloquently did Simon urge him to repentance, unconsciously using almost the very words of his Divine Master, as he bade him weep, "not for his own approaching fate, but for the fell apostasy by which he, a renegade, had rendered himself guilty of hell-fire ;" then, distrib uting his rosaries and other objects of devotion as memorials among his friends, he refused to give to the apostate a single bead, urgently as he besought it of him, unless he would make a solemn promise of repentance and amendment. 8. The condition was at length accepted, and Simon joyfully returned to his prayers. He and his friends recited the litany; and then, bowing before a picture of our Saviour till nis forehead touched the ground, the nobleman who acted as executioner took off his head at a single blow. It fell at the feet of one of the Giffiaques; but his mother, with the courage of a Machabee, took it in her hands, exclaiming, “Oh, dear head, resplendent now with celestial glory! Oh, happy Simon, who hast had the honor of dying for Him who died for thee! My God! Thou didst give me Thy Son; take now this son of mine, sacrificed for the love of Thee !” 9. After the mother came poor Agnes, weeping some softer tears over the relics of her husband; and then, foreseeing that her own death would speedily follow upon his, she and he mother betook themselves to prayer, the three Giffiaques re maining in attendance, in order to be able to assist at their execution; and, in fact, twenty-four hours had not elapsed before it was told them they were to die; the officer who came to acquaint them with their sentence bringing with him Magdalen, the wife of John, and Lewis, a little child whom the latter had adopted as his own, both of whom were condemned to a similar fate. 159. JAPANESE MARTYRS-continued. 1. WITH eager joy the prisoners embraced each other, praising, blessing, and thanking God, not only that they were to suffer for Jesus, but also that they were to suffer on a cross like Jesus; and then, robed in their best attire, they set off for the place of execution in palanquins which the guards had provided for the purpose. The Giffiaques walked at their side; but small need had they to offer motives for constancy to these heroic souls, burning with the desire of martyrdom, and eager to enter the path by which their nearest and dearest had already ascended to heaven. 2. Jane, the mother of Simon, besought the executioner to bind her limbs as tightly as possible, that she might thus share the anguish which the nails inflicted upon those of Je sus; and she preached from her cross with so much force and eloquence, that the presiding officer, fearing the effects of her words upon the people, had her stabbed without waiting for the rest of the victims. Lewis and Magdalen were tied up next. They bound the child so violently that he could not refrain from shrieking; but when they asked him if he was afraid to die, he said he was not; and so they took and set him up directly opposite his mother. 3. For a brief interval, the martyr and her adopted child gazed silently on each other; then, summoning all her strength, she said, "Son, we are going to heaven: take courage, and cry, 'Jesas, Mary!' with your latest breath." And again the child replied, as he had done before when, on leaving their own home, she had made him a similar exhortation, "Mother, you shall be obeyed!" The executioner struck at him first, but missed his aim; and more than ever fearing for his constancy, Magdalen exhorted him from her cross, while Michael, standing at its foot spoke words of comfort to him. 4. But the child needed not their urging; he did not shriek again, nor did he shrink, but waited patiently until a second blow had pierced him through and through; and the lance, yet reeking with his blood, was directly afterwards plunged into the heart of his mother, whose sharpest pang had probably already passed on the instant when the son of her love expired before her. And now the fair and youthful Agnes alone remained, kneeling, as when she first had reached the place of execution; for no one had yet had the courage approach her. to that 5. Like the headsman of her namesake, the loveliest child of Christian story, her very executioners could only weep they were bid to mar the beauty of any thing so fair; their hands were powerless to do their office; and finding at last that no one sought to bind her, she went herself and laid her J |