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Qui videlicet Albanus paganus adhuc, cum perfidorum principum mandata adversum Christianos sævirent, clericum quendam persecutores fugientem hospitio recepit; quem dum orationibus continuis ac vigiliis die noctuque studere conspiceret, subito Divina gratia respectus, exemplum fidei ac pietatis illius cœpit æmulari, ac salutaribus ejus exhortationibus paulatim edoctus, relictis idololatriæ tenebris, Christianus integro ex corde factus est. Cumque præfatus clericus aliquot diebus apud eum hospitaretur, pervenit ad aures nefandi principis confessorem Christi, cui necdum fuerat locus martyrii deputatus, penes Albanum latere. Unde statim jussit milites eum diligentius inquirere; qui cum ad tugurium martyris pervenissent, mox se sanctus Albanus pro hospite ac magistro suo, ipsius habitu, id est, caracalla, qua vestiebatur indutus, militibus exhibuit, atque ad judicem vinctus perductus est.

Contigit autem judicem ea hora, qua ad eum Albanus adducebatur, aris assistere ac dæmonibus hostias offerre; cumque vidisset Albanum, mox ira succensus nimia quod se ille ultro pro hospite, quem susceperat, militibus offerre ac discrimini dare præsumsisset, ad simulacra dæmonum, quibus assistebat, eum jussit pertrahi; "Quia rebellem," inquiens, "ac sacrilegum celare quam militibus reddere maluisti, ut contemtor divum meritam blasphemiæ suæ pœnam lueret, quæcumque illi debebantur supplicia tu solvere habes, si a cultu nostræ religionis discedere tentas." At sanctus Albanus, qui se ultro persecutoribus fidei Christianum esse prodiderat, nequaquam minas principis metuit; sed accinctus armis militiæ spiritualis, palam se jussis illius parere nolle pronunciabat. Tum judex, "Cujus," inquit, “familiæ vel generis es?" AlThis Alban being yet a Pagan, at the time when the cruelties of wicked princes were raging against Christians, gave entertainment in his house to a certain clergyman, flying from the persecutors. This man he observed to be engaged in continual prayer and watching day and night; when on a sudden the Divine grace shining on him, he began to imitate the example of faith and piety which was set before him, and being gradually instructed by his wholesome admonitions, he cast off the darkness of idolatry, and became a Christian in all sincerity of heart. The aforesaid clergyman having been some days entertained by him, it came to the ears of the wicked prince, that this holy confessor of Christ, whose time of martyrdom had not yet come, was concealed at Alban's house. Whereupon he sent some soldiers to make a strict search after him. When they came to the martyr's house, St. Alban immediately presented himself to the soldiers, instead of his guest and master, in the habit or long coat which he wore, and was led bound before the judge.

It happened that the judge, at the time when Alban was carried before him, was standing at the altar, and offering sacrifice to devils. When he saw Alban, being much enraged that he should thus, of his own accord, put himself into the hands of the soldiers, and incur such A.D. 305. danger in behalf of his guest, he commanded him to be dragged up to the images of the devils, before which he stood, saying, "Because you have chosen to conceal a rebellious and sacrilegious person, rather than to deliver him up to the soldiers, that his contempt of the gods might meet with the penalty due to such blasphemy, you shall undergo all the punishment that was due to him, if you abandon the worship of our religion." But St. Alban, who had voluntarily declared himself a Christian to the persecutors of the faith, was not at all daunted at the prince's threats, but putting on the armour of spiritual warfare, publicly declared that he would not obey the commands. Then said the judge, " Of what family

banus respondit, "Quid ad te pertinet qua sim stirpe genitus? sed si veritatem religionis audire desideras, Christianum jam me esse Christianisque officiis vacare cognosce." Ait judex, "Nomen tuum quæro, quod sine mora mihi insinua." Et ille, “Albanus," inquit, "a parentibus vocor, et Deum verum ac vivum, qui universa creavit, adoro semper et colo." Tum judex repletus iracundia dixit, "Si vis perennis vitæ felicitate perfrui, diis magnis sacrificare ne differas." Albanus respondit, "Sacrificia hæc, quæ a vobis redduntur dæmonibus, nec auxiliari subjectis possunt, nec supplicantium sibi desideria vel vota complere; quin immo, quicunque his sacrificia simulacris obtulerit æternas inferni pœnas pro mercede recipiet."

His auditis, judex nimio furore commotus, cædi sanctum Dei confessorem a tortoribus præcepit, autumans se verberibus, quam verbis non poterat, cordis ejus emollire constantiam; qui cum tormentis afficeretur acerrimis, patienter hæc pro Domino, immo gaudenter, ferebat. At ubi judex tormentis illum superari, vel a cultu Christianæ religionis revocari, non posse persensit, capite eum plecti jussit. Cumque ad mortem duceretur, pervenit ad flumen quod muro et arena, ubi feriendus erat, meatu rapidissimo dividebatur; viditque ibi non parvam hominum multitudinem utriusque sexus, conditionis diverse et ætatis, quæ, sine dubio, Divinitatis instinctu ad obsequium beatissimi confessoris ac martyris vocabatur, et ita fluminis ipsius occupabat pontem, ut intra vesperam transire vix posset; denique, cunctis pene egressis, judex sine obsequio in civitate substiterat. Igitur sanctus Albanus, cui ardens inerat devotio mentis ad martyrium ocius pervenire, accessit ad torrentem, et dirigens ad cælum oculos, or race are you?"-" What does it concern you," answered Alban, " of what stock I am? If you desire to hear the truth of my religion, be it known to you, that I am now a Christian, and bound by Christian duties.""I ask your name?" said the judge; "tell me it immediately."-" I am called Alban by my parents," replied. he; "and I worship and adore the true and living God, who created all things." Then the judge, inflamed with anger, said, " If you will enjoy the happiness of eternal life, do not delay to offer sacrifice to the great gods." Alban rejoined, "These sacrifices, which by you are offered to devils, neither can avail the subjects, nor answer the wishes or desires of those that offer up their supplications to them. On the contrary, whosoever shall offer sacrifice to these images, shall receive the everlasting pains of hell for his reward."

The judge, hearing these words, and being much incensed, ordered this holy confessor of God to be scourged by the executioners, believing he might by stripes shake that constancy of heart, on which he could not prevail by words. He, being most cruelly tortured, bore the same patiently, or rather joyfully, for our Lord's sake. When the judge perceived that he was not to be overcome by tortures, or withdrawn from the exercise of the Christian religion, he ordered him to be put to death. Being led to execution, he came to a river, which, with a most rapid course, ran between the wall of the town and the arena where he was to be executed. He there saw a multitude of persons of both sexes, and of several ages and conditions, which was doubtlessly assembled by Divine instinct, to attend the blessed confessor and martyr, and had so taken up the bridge on the river, that he could scarce pass over that evening. In short, almost all had gone out, so that the judge remained in the city without attendance. St. Alban, therefore, urged by an ardent and devout wish to arrive quickly at martyrdom, drew near to the stream, and on lifting up his illico siccato alveo, vidit undam suis cessisse ac viam dedisse vestigiis. Quod cum inter alios etiam ipse carnifex, qui eum percussurus erat, vidisset, festinavit ei, ubi ad locum destinatum morti venerat, occurrere; Divino nimirum admonitus instinctu, projectoque ense, quem strictum tenuerat, pedibus ejus advolvitur, multum desiderans ut cum martyre, vel pro martyre, quem percutere jubebatur, ipse potius mereretur percuti.

Dum ergo is ex persecutore factus esset collega veritatis et fidei, ac, jacente ferro, esset inter carnifices justa cunctatio, montem cum turbis reverendissimus Dei confessor ascendit; qui opportune lætus, gratia decentissima, quingentis fere passibus ab arena situs est, variis herbarum floribus depictus, immo usquequaque vestitus; in quo nihil repente arduum, nihil præceps, nihil abruptum, quem lateribus longe lateque deductum in modum æquoris natura complanat, dignum videlicet eum, pro insita sibi specie venustatis, jam olim reddens, qui beati martyris cruore dicaretur. In hujus ergo vertice sanctus Albanus dari sibi a Deo aquam rogavit, statimque, incluso meatu, ante pedes ejus fons perennis exortus est, ut omnes agnoscerent etiam torrentem martyri obsequium detulisse; neque enim fieri poterat ut in arduo montis cacumine martyr aquam, quam in fluvio non reliquerat, peteret, si hoc opportunum esse non videret. Qui videlicet fluvius, ministerio persoluto, devotione completa, officii testimonium relinquens, reversus est ad naturam. Decollatus itaque martyr fortissimus ibidem accepit coronam vitæ, quam repromisit Deus diligentibus se; sed ille, qui piis cervicibus impias intulit manus, gaudere super mortuum non est permissus, namque oculi ejus in terram una cum beati martyris capite deciderunt.

Decollatus est ibi tum etiam cum eo miles ille, qui antea, superno nutu correptus, sanctum Dei confessorem ferire

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