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474 DARKNESS AND DAWN
Nero, as he had promised, was present to see the new sight.
While the cross was being prepared, Peter caught sight of
the Emperor, and lifting the right hand, which for a moment
the executioner had loosened, tixed his gaze on him till
he shrank.
He spoke not, but one of the Christians, who had noticed
the Emperor's alarm, exclaimed
'
murderer of the saints, yet a little time hence, and thou,
too, shalt be summoned before the bar of God.'
'
'
'
Crucify him ! said Nero, passionately. Stop his illomened
and blaspheming mouth !
'
But the speaker had shrunk back into the dense multitude.
They nailed St. Peter to the cross, and lifted it with his
but while the brutal heathen laughed, and
head downwards ;
the fear of death could not suppress the wail of the Christians,
he said only and they were the last words of the great
'
Apostle I rejoice that ye crucify me thus, for niy Master's
sake. I am much unworthy to die in the same manner as
He died.'
The old man passed speedily and almost painlessly away,
and in the glimmeriug, flashing sky, over which, in the far
distance, began to roll the chariot wheels of gathering storm,
the brethren thought that they saw the wings of angels and
shadows of the avengers.
The Christians always perplexed and irritated their pagan
persecutors by behaviug in a mariner the very opposite to
what was expected. After their first shuddering emotion at
witnessing the martyrdom of their great Apostle, they seemed
rather radiant than depressed. But the reason for this was
that their young deacon, Clemens, speaking to them in Greek,
said, ' I see him, not head downwards, but upright on the
cross, and the angels crown him with roses and lilies, and
the Lord is putting a book into his hands from which he
reads.'
It was natural that they should desire to keep his mortal
remains. Marcellus, who had been a pupil of Simon Magus,
but whom Peter had converted, obtained his body from the
executioner for a great sum of money, bathed it in milk and
wine, and had it embalmed. That night they conveyed
it to
a spot, secretly remembered, at the foot of the Vatican hill.