The Proconsul commanded them, to take his cloak off him, strip him, rack him, and scourge him with raw thongs. While they scourged him, Demetrius, the captain, said: “O wretched man! behold, how thy blood is spilled upon the earth.”
Probus replied: “My body is in your hands; but all these torments are a precious balm to me.”
After he was scourged, the Proconsul said to him: “Thou wretch! wilt thou not yet cease from thy folly? and dost thou still persist in thy obstinacy?”
Probus answered: “I am not vain, but more courageous in the Lord, than you people are.”
The President said to his servants: “Turn him over, and scourge him on his stomach.”
Probus prayed, saying: “O Lord, come and succor thy servant.”
Maximus, the Proconsul, said to the executioners: “While you scourge him, ask him, saying: ‘Where is thy helper?’”
Probus replied as they scourged him: “He has helped me, and shall still help me.”
The President said: “Thou wretched man! do spare thine own body; for the earth is soaked with thy blood.”
Probus answered: “Be assured, the more my body suffers for the name of Christ, the more my soul is healed and quickened.”
After he had been thus scourged and tortured, the Proconsul commanded them to fetter his hands and feet with irons, and thus keep him in prison; however to bring before him another.
_Andronicus examined._--Demetrius, the Centurion, placed Andronicus before Maximus’ judgment seat, saying: “Sir, here is the third one.”
The Proconsul said: “What is thy name?”
Andronicus answered: “Wouldst thou openly know who I am? I am a Christian.”
Maximus said: “Those who have preceded thee have gained nothing by this name; therefore thou must answer me aright.”
Andronicus replied: “Men generally call me Andronicus.”
Maximus asked him of what nationality he was.
Andronicus answered: “Of noble blood.”
Maximus said: “Spare thyself, and hearken to me, as to thy father; for those who have prated such nonsense before thee have gained nothing by it. But honor thou the princes and the fathers, and be obedient to our gods.”
Andronicus replied: “Thou didst well call them fathers; for thou art of the father, the devil, and, having become one of his children, thou doest his works.”
Maximus said: “Wilt thou, a stripling, despise and mock me? Knowest thou not, what torments are ready for thee?”
Andronicus said: “Dost thou think I am a fool, that I should be willing to be found inferior to my predecessors, in suffering? I stand prepared to endure all thy torments.”
The Proconsul commanded that he should be stripped, ungirded, and suspended to the torture-stake. Demetrius, the Captain, moved by pity, said: “Listen to me, wretched man, before thy body be racked.”
Andronicus answered: “It is better that my body perish, than that thou shouldst do with my soul according to thy pleasure.”
Maximus said: “Take advice, and sacrifice, before thou be tortured to death.”
Andronicus replied: “Never from my youth up did I sacrifice, and do still not wish to do so, though thou constrain me.”
Maximus said: “Lay on, and rack him well.”
Anaximus, the horn-blower, who was to execute the sentence, spoke to Andronicus, saying: “I am old enough to be thy father; I advise thee to the best: do what the Proconsul commands thee.”
Andronicus replied: “Because thou art older, and hast no understanding, therefore thou advisest me to sacrifice to stones and evil spirits.”
While he was being tormented, the Proconsul said: “Thou wretched man! Dost thou not feel any torments, seeing thou hast no compassion upon thyself, and dost not forsake thy folly, which cannot save thee?”
Andronicus answered: “My sincere confession, which thou callest a vain folly, is perfectly good, as putting all hope and confidence upon the Lord our God; but thy temporal wisdom shall die forever.”
The President asked: “Who is it that has taught thee this folly?”