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Cyprian of Carthage. A. D. 248. 13
• to the gods, and a seducer of the people ; and then read
' his sentence out of a tablet : " It is decreed, that Thascius
' Cyprian be beheaded." CJyprian the bishop said, " God
' be thanked." ' This is the account given in the Acts of St.
Cyprian's passion ; and^ Pontius writes to the like purpose.
Cyprian'' aa as then led away to the field of Sexti, a' large
level spot of ground, encompassed with trees, the boughs of
which M ere then loaded with spectators ; and, in the presence
of a great number of people, Cyprian was there beheaded,
according to the sentence pronounced upon him.
Lactantius, who himself^ greatly conmiends the style of
St. Cyprian's works, says they were despised by the learned
heatliens that had looked into them : and informs us, that' he
had heard a person, a man of considerable eloquence, altering*
one of the letters of his name, call him Coprian ; thereby
intimating, that when he was a man of good parts, and quali-
fied for great things, he had followed silly fables. But it
seems to me reasonable to suppose, that Cyprian, who was
a man of bright natural parts, and no inconsiderable acquired
abilities, had well informed himself, and had received some
good evidence, of those principles, for the sake of which he
abandoned a reputable and profitable employment, if not an
honourable and plentiful station, without any worldly prospects
whatever ; and in the service of which he spent ten
years, during his episcopate, in great labour and much opposition
; and at length cheerfully resigned his life, as a confirmation
of the truth of them, and as an example of constancy,
by which his people, persons whom he tenderly
loved, might be induced to suffer any thing rather than deny
them. The whole tenor of Cyprian's life, after his conver-
sion, was peaceable, charitable, and beneficial to men of all
characters in distress ; the manner of his death, undaunted,
willing", and ready, without seeking it, are a very valuable
P Pont. p. 9. f, 10. init. i Et die idem Cyprianus in agrum Sexti
productus est. Act. Pass. p. 13. Ipse autem locus aequalis est ubi
pati contigit, ut arboribus ex omni parte densatis sublime spectaculum prasbeat.
Sed per enormitatem spatii longioris visu denegato per confusam nimis turbam,
personae faventes in ramos arborum repserant. Pont. p. 10. * Unus
igitur prsecipuus, et clarus extitit Cyprianus, quoniam et magnam sibi gloriam
ex artis oratoriae professione qusesierat Erat enim ingenio facili, copioso,
suavi, et (quae sermonis maxima est virtus) aperto ; ut discemere nequeas,
utrumne ornatior in eloquendo, an facilior in explicando, an potentior in persuadendo
fuerit. Lact. Divin. Inst. lib. v. cap. 1. sub. fin.
* Hie tamen placere ultra verba, sacramentum ignorantibus non potest
Denique a doctis hujus seculi, quibus forte ejus scripta innotuerunt, derideri
solet. Audivi ego quemdam hominera sane disertum, qui eum immutata una
litera Coprianum voceret ; quasi quod elegans ingenium, et melioribus rebus
aptum, ad aniles fabulas contulisset. ib.