they

And yet consider; supposing some amongst them to have been faint-hearted and cowardly, what sort of language would they have used? would it not have been to this effect?

For they were despisers of the passions and masters over pain.

But if the old men of the Hebrews endured the tortures for righteousness' sake, yea, until they died, more befittingly will we young men die despising the torments of thy compulsion, over which he our aged teacher also triumphed.

But when they had scourged him till they were weary, and gained nothing thereby, they cast him upon the wheel.

But when they had scourged him till they were weary, and gained nothing thereby, they cast him upon the wheel.

But when they had scourged him till they were weary, and gained nothing thereby, they cast him upon the wheel.

As he thus spake they set hot coals upon him besides, and intensifying the torture strained him yet tighter on the wheel.

But while all were wondering at his constancy of soul, the guards brought forward the second in age of the. sons, and grappling him with sharp-clawed hands of iron they fastened him to the engines and the catapult.

But when they heard his noble resolve in answer to their question, 'Would he eat rather than he tortured?' these panther-like beasts tore at his sinews with claws of iron, and rent away all the flesh from his cheeks, and tore off the skin from his head.

But they were greatly angered at the bold speech of the man, and they dislocated his hands and his feet with their dislocating engines, and wrenched his limbs out of their sockets, and unstrung them; and they twisted round his fingers, and his arms, and his legs, and his elbow-joints.

But they were greatly angered at the bold speech of the man, and they dislocated his hands and his feet with their dislocating engines, and wrenched his limbs out of their sockets, and unstrung them; and they twisted round his fingers, and his arms, and his legs, and his elbow-joints.

But they were greatly angered at the bold speech of the man, and they dislocated his hands and his feet with their dislocating engines, and wrenched his limbs out of their sockets, and unstrung them; and they twisted round his fingers, and his arms, and his legs, and his elbow-joints.

And in no wise being able to strangle his spirit they stripped off his skin, taking the points of the fingers with it, and tore in Scythian fashion the scalp from his head, and straightway brought him to the wheel.

And on this they twisted his spine till he saw his own flesh hanging in strips and great gouts of blood pouring down from his entrails.

And when' this man had died worthily of his brothers, they brought up the fourth, and said to him, 'Be not thou also mad with the same madness as thy brethren, but obey the king and save thyself.'

As he spake thus the guards bound him and brought him before the catapult; and they tied him thereto on his knees, and, fastening them there with iron clamps, they wrenched his loins over the rolling 'wedge' so that he was completely curled back like a scorpion and every joint was disjointed.

As he spake thus the guards bound him and brought him before the catapult; and they tied him thereto on his knees, and, fastening them there with iron clamps, they wrenched his loins over the rolling 'wedge' so that he was completely curled back like a scorpion and every joint was disjointed.

As he spake these words they brought him to the wheel, and with care they stretched him out and dislocated the bones of his back and set fire under him.

As he spake these words they brought him to the wheel, and with care they stretched him out and dislocated the bones of his back and set fire under him.

And they made sharp skewers red-hot and ran them into his back, and piercing through his sides they burned away his entrails also.

And they made sharp skewers red-hot and ran them into his back, and piercing through his sides they burned away his entrails also.

But the tyrant, although fiercely exasperated by his brethren, felt pity for the boy, and seeing him there already bound he had him brought near, and sought to persuade him, saying: 'Thou seest the end of the folly of thy brethren; for through their disobedience they have been racked to death. Thou, too, if thou dost not obey, wilt thyself also be miserably tortured and put to death before thy time; but if thou dost obey thou shalt be my friend, and thou shalt be advanced to high office in the business of the kingdom.'

And they, rejoicing at the boy's request, made haste to loose him.

But while they have fulfilled their righteousness towards God in their noble deaths, thou shalt miserably cry "Woe is met" for thy unjust slaying of the champions of virtue.'

For if they had yielded to their passions or sufferings and eaten unclean meat we should have said that they had been conquered thereby.

For if they had yielded to their passions or sufferings and eaten unclean meat we should have said that they had been conquered thereby.

But in this cam it was not so; on the contrary by their Reason, which was commended in the sight of God, they rose superior to their passions.

And it is impossible to deny the supremacy of the mind; for they won the victory over their passions and their pains. 19 How can we do otherwise than admit right Reason's mastery over passion with these men who shrank not before the agonies of burning?

They formed a holy choir of righteousness as they cheered one another on, saying:

They formed a holy choir of righteousness as they cheered one another on, saying:

And to each separate one of the brothers, as they were dragged off, those whose turn was yet to come said, 'Do not disgrace us, brother, nor be false to our brethren already dead.'

You are not ignorant of the love of brethren, whereof the divine and all-wise Providence has given an inheritance to those who are begotten though their fathers, implanting it in them even through the mother's womb; wherein brethren do dwell the like period, and take their form during the same time, and are nourished from the same blood, and are quickened with the same soul, and are brought into the world after the same space, and they draw milk from the same founts, whereby their fraternal souls are nursed together in arms at the breast; and they are knit yet closer through a common nurture and daily companionship and other education, and through our discipline under the Law of God.

You are not ignorant of the love of brethren, whereof the divine and all-wise Providence has given an inheritance to those who are begotten though their fathers, implanting it in them even through the mother's womb; wherein brethren do dwell the like period, and take their form during the same time, and are nourished from the same blood, and are quickened with the same soul, and are brought into the world after the same space, and they draw milk from the same founts, whereby their fraternal souls are nursed together in arms at the breast; and they are knit yet closer through a common nurture and daily companionship and other education, and through our discipline under the Law of God.

The feeling of brotherly love being thus naturally strong, the seven brethren had their mutual concord made yet stronger. For trained in the same Law, and disciplined in the same virtues, and brought up together in the upright life, they loved one another the more abundantly. Their common zeal for moral beauty and goodness heightened their mutual concord, for in conjunction with their piety it rendered their brotherly love more fervent.

But though nature, companionship, and their virtuous disposition increased the ardour of their brotherly love, nevertheless the surviving sons through their religion supported the sight of their brethren, who were on the rack, being tortured to death; nay more, they even encouraged them to face the agony, so as not only to despise their own tortures, but also to conquer their passion of brotherly affection for their brethren. 34 O Reasoning minds, more kingly than kings, than freemen more free, of the harmony of the seven brethren, holy and well attuned to the keynote of piety!

We now shudder when we hear of the suffering of those youths; but they, not only seeing it with their eyes, nor merely hearing the spoken, imminent threat, but actually feeling the pang, endured it through; and that in the torture by fire, than which what greater agony can be found?

And then, if they be unable to drive him away, they flutter around the nestlings in a passion of love, calling to them in their own speech, and they give succour to their young ones in whatever fashion they can.

And then, if they be unable to drive him away, they flutter around the nestlings in a passion of love, calling to them in their own speech, and they give succour to their young ones in whatever fashion they can.

And then, if they be unable to drive him away, they flutter around the nestlings in a passion of love, calling to them in their own speech, and they give succour to their young ones in whatever fashion they can.

And then, if they be unable to drive him away, they flutter around the nestlings in a passion of love, calling to them in their own speech, and they give succour to their young ones in whatever fashion they can.

For women are softer of soul than men, and the more children they bear the more do they abound in love for them.

For women are softer of soul than men, and the more children they bear the more do they abound in love for them.

For they were just, and temperate, and brave and great-souled, and lovers of each other and of their mother in such manner that they obeyed her in the keeping of the Law even unto death.

For they were just, and temperate, and brave and great-souled, and lovers of each other and of their mother in such manner that they obeyed her in the keeping of the Law even unto death.

But by her religion-guided Reason the mother quenched her passions, many and strong as they were.

But the holy and God-fearing mother wailed not with this lamentation over any one of them, neither besought she any to escape death, nor lamented over them as dying men; but, as though she had a soul of adamant and were bringing forth the number of her sons, for a second time, into immortal life, she besought rather and entreated of them that they should die for religion's sake.

And Daniel, the just man, was cast to the lions, and Ananias, Azarias, and Mishael were flung into the furnace of fire, and they endured for God's sake.

With these words the mother of the seven encouraged every single one of her sons to die rather than transgress the ordinance of God; they themselves also knowing well that men dying for God live unto God, as live Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the patriarchs.

Who were not amazed at them? The tyrant himself and his whole council admired their endurance, whereby they now do both Stand beside the throne of God and live the blessed age.

And these men, therefore, having sanctified themselves for God's sake, not only have received this honour, but also the honour that through them the enemy had no more power over our people, and the tyrant suffered punishment, and our country was purified, they having as it were become a ransom for our nation's sin; and through the blood of these righteous men and the propitiation of their death, the divine Providence delivered Israel that before was evil entreated.

They wove for me a crown of truth, and it caused thy branches to bud in me.

Thy fruits are full-grown and perfect, they are full of thy salvation.

And they shall have no light to see: they may not take hold upon me.

And they shall have no light to see: they may not take hold upon me.

For they have devised a counsel, and it did not succeed:

They have assuaged the dry lips, and the will that had fainted they have raised up;

They have assuaged the dry lips, and the will that had fainted they have raised up;

And souls that were near departing they have caught back from death:

And limbs that had fallen they straightened and set up:

They gave strength for their feebleness and light to their eyes:

For everyone knew them in the Lord, and they lived by the water of life for ever. Hallelujah.

He hath given Him to be seen of them that are His, in order that they may recognize Him that made them: and that they might not suppose that they came of themselves:

He hath given Him to be seen of them that are His, in order that they may recognize Him that made them: and that they might not suppose that they came of themselves:

He hath given Him to be seen of them that are His, in order that they may recognize Him that made them: and that they might not suppose that they came of themselves:

That they may go forth to meet Him, and may sing to Him with joy and with the harp of many tones:

The seers shall come before Him and they shall be seen before Him,

And they shall praise the Lord for His love: because He is near and beholdeth.

They who make songs shall sing the grace of the Lord Most High;

And they shall bring their songs, and their heart shall be like the day: and like the excellent beauty of the Lord their pleasant song:

For I know them, and before they came into being I took knowledge of them, and on their faces I set my seal:

I fashioned their members: my own breasts I prepared for them, that they might drink my holy milk and live thereby.

For my workmanship are they and the strength of my thoughts:

I willed and fashioned mind and heart: and they are mine, and by my own right hand I set my elect ones:

And my righteousness goeth before them and they shall not be deprived of my name, for it is with them.

And they that are saved in Him that was saved;

An everlasting crown for ever is Truth. Blessed are they who set it on their heads:

And I was unpolluted by my love for them, because they confessed me in high places: and the traces of the light were set upon their heart:

And they walked in my life and were saved and became my people for ever and ever. Hallelujah.

And I worshipped the Lord on account of His glory; and I said, Blessed, O Lord, are they who are planted in thy land! and those who have a place in thy Paradise;

And they grow by the fruits of the trees. And they have changed from darkness to light.

And they grow by the fruits of the trees. And they have changed from darkness to light.

And they have turned back the bitterness of the trees from them, when they were planted in thy, land;

And they have turned back the bitterness of the trees from them, when they were planted in thy, land;

And from it came love and concord; and they spake one to the other whatever was theirs; and they were penetrated by the Word;

And from it came love and concord; and they spake one to the other whatever was theirs; and they were penetrated by the Word;

And they knew Him who made them, because they were in concord; for the mouth of the Most High spake to them; and His explanation ran by means of it:

And they knew Him who made them, because they were in concord; for the mouth of the Most High spake to them; and His explanation ran by means of it:

Blessed are they who by means thereof have understood everything, and have known the Lord in His truth. Hallelujah.

And they know not how to stand and be idle; and His heavenly hosts are subject to His word.

And I sowed my fruits in hearts, and transformed them into myself: and they received my blessing and lived;

And they were gathered to me and were saved; because they were to me as my own members and I was their head. Glory to thee our head, the Lord Messiah. Hallelujah.

And they were gathered to me and were saved; because they were to me as my own members and I was their head. Glory to thee our head, the Lord Messiah. Hallelujah.

My members were strengthened that they might not fall from His strength.

And they supposed of that vain thing that it was something great;

And they too came in likeness of it and became vain; and those have understood who have known and meditated;

And they have not been corrupt in their imagination; for such were in the mind of the Lord;

And they mocked at them that were walking in error;

And they spake truth from the inspiration which the Most High breathed into them; Praise and great comeliness to His name Hallelujah.

And they who receive in its fulness are the ones on the right hand.

They were motionless, and thou didst give them energy for life.