Alban

me immediately. I am call'd Alban by my Parents, reply'd he, and ever worship and adore the True and Living God, who created all Things. Then the Judge inflam'd with Anger faid, If you will enjoy the happiness of eternal Life, do not delay to offer Sacrifice to the great Gods. rejoin'd, Thefe Sacrifices which by you are offer'd to Devils, neither can they avail the Subjects, nor anfwer the Wishes or Defires of thofe that offer up their Supplications to them. On the contrary, whofoever fall offer Sacrifice to thefe Images, fhall receive the everlasting Pains of Hell for his Reward, The Judge hearing thefe Words, and being much incens'd, order'd the holy Confeffor of God to be scourg'd by the Executioners, believing he might by Stripes fhake that Conftancy of his Heart, on which he could not prevail by Words. He being most cruelly tortur'd, bore the fame patiently, or rather joyfully, for our Lord. When the Judge perceiv'd that he was not to be overcome by Tortures, or withdrawn from the Worship of the Chriftian Religion, he order'd him to be put to Death. Being led to Execution, he came to the River, which was divided, at the Place where the Stroke was to be given him, with a Wall and Sand, the Stream being most rapid. He there faw a multitude of Perfons of both Sexes, and of feveral Ages and Conditions, which was doubtlefs affembled by divine Inftinct, to attend the most bleffed Confeffor and Martyr, and had fo taken up the Bridge on the River, that he could fcarce pafs over that Evening. At length, almost all being gon out, the Judge remain'd in the City without Attendance. St. Alban therefore, whofe Mind

was

was poffefs'd with an ardent Devotion to arrive quickly at Martyrdom, drew near to the Stream, and lifting up his Eyes to Heaven, the Channel being immediately a dry'd up, he perceiv'd that the Water had departed and given way for him to pafs. The bExecutioner who was to have put him to Death, obferving this among the reft, hafted to meet him at the Place of Execution, being mov'd by divine Infpiration, and cafting down the Sword which he had carried, ready drawn, fell down at his Feet, earnestly praying, that he might rather Suffer with, or for the Martyr, whom he was order'd to execute. Whilft he of a Perfecutor was become a Companion in the Truth and Faith, and the Sword being laid down, there was fome Hefitation among the Executioners, the moft reverend Confeffor of God afcended the Hill with the Throng, the which decently pleasant agreeable Place is almoft 500 Paces from the River, embellifh'd with feveral forts of Flowers,

or

a The Paffage of drying up the River is mention'd by Gildas, but the other two are not, the latter indeed of the Executioner lofing his Sight, Hiericus, a French Writer, about the 9th Century, mentions; but it is likely Bede had thefe by Tradition, or fome ancient Book of St. Alban's, for Harpsfield fays, there was one in the British Language written before his Time, but then if that had the Relation of the Clergyman's Martyrdom, Alban's Inftru&tor, I wonder Bede fhould be filent, both as to his Death and Name. The latter of which Geoffrey of Monmouth gives us, and calls him Amphibalus, he is said to (uffer at Rudburn, three Miles from St. Alban's, and Thomas of Rudburn in the 15th Century, fays, they had two large Knives in that Place, which were us'd upon that Occafion.

This Officer Capgrave calls Heraclius, others Araclius and Aracle.

or rather quite cover'd with them; wherein there is no Part upright, or fteep, nor any

thing craggy, but the fides ftretching out far about is levell'd by Nature like the Sea, which of old it had render'd worthy to be enrich'd with the Martyr's Blood for its beautiful Appearance. On the Top of this Hill, St. Alban pray'd that God would give him Water, and immediately a living Spring broke out before his Feet, the Courfe being confin'd, fo that all Men perceiv'd, that even the Stream had been fubfervient to the Martyr. Nor could it be that the Martyr fhould ask Water, which he had not left in the River, on the high top of the Hill had he not been fenfible that it was convenient. That River having perform'd the Service, and fulfill'd the Devotion, return'd to its natural Course, leaving a Testimony of its Obedience. The most couragious Martyr having his Head ftruck off, receiv'd there the Crown of Life, which God has promis'd to thofe that love him. But he who gave the wicked Stroke, was not permitted to rejoice over the Deceas'd; for his Eyes dropp'd upon the Ground together with the bleffcd Martyr's Head. At the fame Time was alfo beheaded there the Soldier, who before, through the Divine Admonition, refus'd to give the Stroke to the Holy Confeffor of God. Of whom it is apparent, that tho' he was not regenerated by Baptifm, yet he was cleans'd by the washing of his own Blood, and render'd worthy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The Judge, then aftonifh'd at the Novelty of fo many Heavenly Miracles, order'd the Perfecution to ccafe immediately, beginning to honour the Death

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Death of the Saints, by which he before. thought they might have been diverted from the Devotion of the Chriftian Faith. The bleffed Alban fuffer'd on the 10th Day of the Kalends of July, near the City of Verolam, which is now by the English Nation call'd Uverlamaceftir, or Uvarlingacefter, where afterwards when peaceable Chriftian Times were reftor'd, a Church of wonderful Workmanship, and fuitable to his Martyrdom, was erected. In which Place, there ceafes not to this Day the Cure of fick Perfons, and the frequent working of Wonders. At the fame Time fuffer'd AaYon and Julius, Citizens of Chefter, and many more of both Sexes in feveral Places; wha having endur'd fundry Torments, and their Limbs torn after an unheard of manner, fent their Souls by perfect Combat to the Joys of the Heavenly City,

The Place where St. Alban fuffer'd, was call'd Holarhurft, in the Saxon, fignifying a woody Place, near the City of Verolamium or Verolam, where Bede fays there was a beautiful Church in his Time; fince when, Offa, King of the Mercians, Anno 793. founded in this Place the stately Monaftery of St. Alban, and procur'd and granted it extraordinary Privileges upon which arofe the Town of St. Al ban's in Hertfordshire. As the Saint of this Church was the first Martyr in England, Pope Honorius granted the Abbat a Superiority over all others. In the Time of Henry VIII. it fell with the reft, but the Townsmen preferv'd the Church from Ruin, by a Purchase of 400 l. The Ruins of the ancient Verolam are even now to be seen; and the Church is built out of them, being, as Biflop Gibfon obferves, of British Bricks.

CHAP

Ann. 313.

CHAP. VIII.

That the aforefaid Perfecution ceafing, the Church in Britain enjoy'd fome Peace, till the Time of the Arian Heref.

W

HEN the Storm of Perfecution had ceas'd, the faithful Chriftians, who, during the Time of Danger, had hid themselves in Woods and Deferts, and hidden Caves, appearing in Publick, rebuilt the Churches laid level with the Ground, founded, erected and finifh'd the Temples of the Holy Martyrs, and as it were display'd their conquering Enfigns in all Places; celebrated Feftivals, and perform'd the facred Rites with clean Hearts and Mouths. This Peace continu'd in the Churches of CHRIST, that were in Britain, till the Time of the Arian Diftraction, which having corrupted the whole World, infected this Island also, so far remov'd from the rest of the Globe, with the Poifon of its Errors; and this Paffage of the Plague being made across the Sea, all the Venom of every Herefy immediately rufh'd into the Ifland, ever fond of fomething new, and never holding firm to any thing. At this time Conftantius, who, whilft Dioclefian was alive, govern'd Gaul and Spain, a Man of extraordinary Meekness and Courtefy, dy'd in Britain. This Man left his Son Conftantine, begotten on Helen his Concu

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