* Or Caerleon.

11. The first of these martyrs, St. Alban, for charity's sake
saved another confessor who was pursued by his persecutors, and
was on the point of being seized, by hiding him in his house, and
then by changing clothes with him, imitating in this example of
Christ, who laid down his life for his sheep, and exposing himself
in the other's clothes to be pursued in his stead. So pleasing
to God was this conduct, that between his confession and martyrdom,
he was honoured with the performance of wonderful miracles in
presence of the impious blasphemers who were carrying the Roman
standards, and like the Israelites of old, who trod dry-foot an
unfrequented path whilst the ark of the covenant stood some time
on the sands in the midst of Jordan; so also the martyr, with a
thousand others, opened a path across the noble river Thames,
whose waters stood abrupt like precipices on either side; and
seeing this, the first of his executors was stricken with awe,
and from a wolf became a lamb; so that he thirsted for martyrdom,
and boldly underwent that for which he thirsted. The other holy
martyrs were tormented with divers sufferings, and their limbs
were racked in such unheard of ways, that they, without delay,
erected the trophies of their glorious martyrdom even in the gates
of the city of Jerusalem. For those who survived, hid themselves
in woods and deserts, and secret caves, waiting until God, who
is the righteous judge of all, should reward their persecutors
with judgment, and themselves with protection of their lives.

12. In less than ten years, therefore, of the above-named persecution,
and when these bloody decrees began to fail in consequence of the
death of their authors, all Christ's young disciples, after so