Here follow the Lives of SS. Quirine and
Juliet.
Quirine was son of a noble lady of Iconium, which lady would
flee the persecution, and she went with her son Quirine, which then was but
three years old, into the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. And she was there
presented to Alexander the provost, and bare her child in her arms, which when
her two chamberers saw that, anon they fled and left her alone. Then the
provost took the child in his arms, and Juliet his mother refusing to do
sacrifice, he made her to be scourged with raw sinews. And when the child saw
his mother beaten he wept bitterly and made a lamentable noise, but the provost
took it in his arms and danced it upon his knees, and would fain please the
child with kissings and fair words. The child, alway beholding his mother,
abhorred the kissings of the provost, and turned his head away from him with
great indignation and scratched his face with his nails, and gave his cries
consonant into his mother, as he should have said: And I am also christian.
Then he bit the provost, and wrestling with him all to-scratched him. Then the
provost, having indignation hereof and in a great anger, threw down the child
off the steps whereas he sat in judgment, that the tender brain fell abroad out
of his head upon the steps. Then Juliet seeing her son go to heaven tofore her,
gave thankings unto God, and she was thereof right glad. Then it was commanded
that Juliet should be flayed, and burning pitch cast on her, and at the last
her head to be smitten off. And it is found in another legend that Quirine
despised the tyrant as well when he glosed him as when he blamed him, and
confessed him to be christian, howbeit that he was over-young to speak but the
Holy Ghost spake in him. When then the provost demanded of him who had so
taught him, he answered and said: O thou provost I marvel much thy folly which
seest me so young of age, not being yet three years old, and demandest who hath
taught me this divine wisdom; thou mayst clearly see that it cometh from God.
When the child was beaten he cried: I am christian; and the more that he cried,
the more strength among the torments he received. And the judge did do
dismember the mother with the child, and all to-hew them in pieces, and because
their members should not be buried of the christian people, he commanded that
they should be cast and disperpled abroad. But not withstanding they were of an
angel gathered together, and in the night buried by the christian people; whose
bodies were showed in the time of Constantine the Great when peace was in the
Church, by a maid which had been one of her chamberers, that then yet lived,
and were had of all the people in great devotion. They suffered martyrdom about
the year of our Lord three hundred and thirty under Alexander.
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