Baring-Gould’s sources: By the Greeks on April 5th. Ado, Usuardus, and Maurolycus. Roman Martyrology. Authority: — The genuine Acts in Greek, partly copied from the public register, and the rest written by an eye-witness.] Eustratius Proculus 9, Augustal prefect of Alexandria, ordered the virgin Theodora to be led before him. He began the interrogatory by asking of what condition she 1 Glry gives this story, and adds, M It is taken from the Martyrology of Da Saussaye, who derived it from the traditions and monuments of the Church of Besiers,” and this with Hcaschenius's dissection of the fable, showing whence each scrap was derived, — before his eyes 1 allowed to govern In Egypt. No one above the rank of Knight was Augustal Praefect. was. She replied, “I am a Christian.” The Prefect. — “ Are you a slave, or a free woman? 1 ' Theodora. — “Jesus Christ hath set me free. But my parents were free, as you call it" The Prefect. — “ Call the town curator.” Then he asked him concerning the virgin, and learned that she was of good family. Turning to Theodora he asked, “Why art thou not married?” Theodora. — “I prefer serving Jesus Christ" The Prtfect. — “If thou wilt not sacrifice, according to the imperial command, I will have thee put in a place of infamy.” Iheodora. — “ If I resolve to keep my soul undefiled, I shall not be guilty of the violence to which I may be exposed.” Eustratius. — “ Thy birth and beauty inspire me with pity. Sacrifice, or thou becomest a scandal to thy family, and to all decent folk.” Theodora. — “I trust myself to my God. He will protect me. Jesus Christ will snatch his dove out of the grasp of the falcon.” The Prefect. — “ I pity thee, and I give thee three days in which to consider the matter.” Theodora. — “ Then suffer me to spend these three days in peace, unassailed by any.” Eustratius. — “ It is just Go, treat Theodora with respect, as becomes her birth, till the three days are expired.” Now when this space of reprieve was ended, and Theodora was still in the same mind, the prefect ordered her to be taken to the public stews. And as she entered the den of infamy, she raised her eyes to heaven and prayed; “God most mighty, Father of Jesus Christ my Lord, succour thy child, and deliver me from this evil place unhurt Thou didst bring Peter out of prison, watch and guard my innocence, that all the world may know that I am thine.”

Now there was a young Christian, named Didymus, at Alexandria, who had heard the sentence, and he was full of zeal for God, and resolved to deliver the virgin from the place of wickedness and peril. Therefore he went to April *8-1 S. Cronan.

where she was, dressed in soldier’s clothes and armour, and shutting the door behind him, he said, “ Fear not, my sister, I am thy brother in Jesus Christ I am come to save thee. Change clothes with me.” So she disguised herself in his cuirass and greaves, and went forth. But the agony of fear, and the sudden reaction was too great for her tender spirit to bear, and she fell down, and her soul escaped to God, and was at rest Then Didymus was taken, and brought before the prefect, and at his command his head was smitten 0$ and his body consumed in a fire.