But before he allowed matters to proceed so far, he addressed her with these soft words: “How gladly would I spare thee! O that thou mightest renounce before thy death thy perverse views of the Christian religion? Reflect once, what great joy awaits thee, which thou mayest expect in the honorable state of matrimony. Behold, all thy friends weep for thee, and thy sorrow-stricken, well-born kindred sigh over thee, that thou art to die in the tender bloom of thy young life. See, the servants stand ready to torture thee to death with all sorts of torments; for thou shalt either be beheaded with the sword, or torn by the wild beasts, or singed with torches, which will cause thee to howl and wail, because thou wilt not be able to endure the pain; or, lastly be burned with fire. Thou canst escape all these tortures with little trouble, if thou wilt only take a few grains of salt and incense on the tips of thy fingers, and sacrifice it. Daughter, consent to this, and thou shalt thereby escape all these severe punishments.”
This faithful martyr did not think it worth the trouble to reply either to the entreating or the threatening words of the Judge, but, to say it briefly, pushed far away from her and upset[113] the images, the altar, censor, sacrificial book, etc.
[113] A certain author speaks of her having spit into the face of the tyrant; which is to be understood of the image or idol.
Instantly two executioners came forward, who tore her tender limbs, and with cutting hooks or claws cut open her sides to the very ribs.
Eulalia, counting and recounting the gashes on her body, said: “Behold, Lord Jesus Christ! thy name is being written on my body; what great delight it affords me to read these letters, because they are signs of thy victory! Behold, my purple blood confesses thy holy name.”
This she spoke with an undaunted and happy countenance, evincing not the least sign of distress, though the blood flowed like a fountain from her body. After she had been pierced through to her ribs with pincers, they applied burning lamps and torches to the wounds in her sides, and to her abdomen. Finally the hair of her head was ignited by the flame, and taking it in her mouth, she was suffocated by it. This was the end of this heroine, young in years, but old in Christ, who loved the doctrine of her Savior more than her own life. _A. Mell., 1st book, fol. 105, col. 4, and fol. 106, col. 1, 2_, compared with _J. Gys., fol. 23, col. 3, ex Prudent. Steph. Hym. 3_.
This happened in Lusitania, at Emerita, now called Merida or Medina del Rio Sacco, in the uttermost or lowest part of Spain, under the Emperor Maximian and the Proconsul Dacian, as may clearly be seen in ancient writers, and also in the aforementioned authors.
EUCRATIS, A VIRTUOUS MAIDEN, DIED IN PRISON, AT CÆSAR AUGUSTA, AFTER RECEIVING MANY STRIPES AND WOUNDS, FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS, HER SAVIOR, A. D. 302.
After the death of Eulalia an account is given (from Prudentius) of another Christian maiden, called Eucratis, who by her steadfastness in suffering, and the violence with which she took the kingdom of heaven, put to shame the spirit of this world, at Cæsar Augusta. The ancients tell us in what manner this heroine of Jesus Christ was martyred, namely, that she was not only tormented on her sides with rods and other iron instruments, but that her breasts were cut off, so that her liver could be seen; hence, having been put back into prison, she very miserably died (yet with a glad hope), in consequence of the putrefaction of the wounds, which she had received for the name of Jesus Christ. See _Mell._ as cited above, from _Steph. Hym. 4. Flos. Sanct. Hisp. Mart. Rom., 16 April_.