The Lives of the Saints Volume 1 - St. Patrick's Basilica

him. This holy man had seen the invincible courage and patience of the
five Egyptian martyrs at Cæsarea, and, going to the prisons, made use of
their example to encourage the other confessors, and prepare them for
the like battles. Firmilian, vexed at this conduct of an old favorite
servant, sent for him, reproached him strongly with ingratitude, and,
without hearing his defence, condemned him to be crucified. Theodulus
received the sentence with joy, and went with transports to a death
which was speedily to unite him to his Saviour, and in which he was
thought worthy to bear a near resemblance to him. Julian, who shared the
glory of that day with the other martyrs, was a Cappadocian, as was also
St. Seleucus; he was only a catechumen, though highly esteemed by the
faithful for his many great virtues, and he was just then come to
Cæsarea. At his arrival, hearing of the conflicts of the martyrs, he ran
to the place, and finding the execution over, expressed his veneration
for them, by kissing and embracing the bodies which had been animated by
those heroic and happy souls. The guards apprehended {426} him, and
carried him to the governor, who, finding him as inflexible as the rest,
would not lose his time in useless interrogatories, but immediately
ordered him to be burnt. Julian, now master of all he wished for, gave
God thanks for the honor done him by this sentence, and begged he would
be pleased to accept of his life as a voluntary sacrifice. The courage
and cheerfulness which he maintained to his last moment, filled his
executioners with surprise and confusion. See Eusebius, an eye-witness,
l. de Mart. Palæst. c. 12, p. 337.
ST. SILVIN OF AUCHY, B.C.
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HE was born of a considerable family in the territory of Thoulouse, and
passed his first years at the court of two successive kings, Childeric
II. and Theodoric III. Every thing was ready for his marriage, when,
powerfully touched by divine grace, he renounced all worldly prospects,
and retired from court. His thoughts were now bent upon Jesus Christ
alone, and he longed for nothing so much as to enjoy silence and
solitude. After several devout penitential pilgrimages to Jerusalem and
other places, he took orders at Rome, and was consecrated bishop, some
say of Thoulouse, others of Terouenne. But his name is not found in any
ancient register of either of those churches, and it is now agreed,
among the most judicious critics, that he was ordained a regionary
bishop to preach the gospel to infidels. His zeal carried him into the
north of France, and he spent most of his time in the diocese of
Terouenne, which was then full of Pagans, and Christians but one remove
from them. He was indefatigable in preaching to them the great truths
and essential obligations of our holy faith, and taught them to despise
and renounce the pleasures of this life, by appearing on all occasions a
strong lesson of self-denial and mortification. Instructing them thus,
both by words and actions, he gathered a large harvest in a wild and