308 MATTHEW OF WESTMIX8TEB. A.D. 654. should allow them to he given to me to put to death." And as the king dissembled his feelings, and this man was continually instigating him to sanction the deed, and the king forbade it in such a lukewarm manner, at last Thunder came to such a pitch of audacious rashness, that he determined on the destruction of these innocent persons. In short, the whirlwind, named Thunder, is armed with diabolical fury, and in the absence of the king, he basely murdered the beforementioned innocents, and shamefully buried the bodies of these holy youths in the royal palace, under the king's chair. When the king returned, the night was very stormy, and a column of light, sent forth from heaven, Med the royal palace with inconceivable brightness. And the servants of the king's household beholding this, fell in terror to the earth, and were almost driven to madness. And when the king waked at the noise made by the guards, and was ignorant of the cause of the uproar, he got up, according to his custom, to hear matins. And having gone forth from his palace, he saw an orb of unusual splendour, shining with rays. And the king recollected the conversation which he had had with that minister of wickedness on the subject of murdering the boys, and was greatly grieved ; and having summoned to his presence the author of the wickedness, he asked him where his kinsmen were, who were accustomed to stand in his presence every day, and whom he had not seen the day before ? And he, like Cain, answered the king, " I know not ; am I the children's keeper ?" But the king said to him, " Thou wicked servant, you always foretold to me evil things concerning them, therefore, thou wretch, you must tell me where they are ; " and when that wicked man, full of haughty pride, had told the king what had happened, he was greatly enraged. But when he recovered himself, he took all the blame of the crime on himself, and, being immoderately agitated, passed the whole night in tears, At last, when the day dawned, he ordered Adeodatus, the archbishop, and what nobles he could assemble, to be summoned, and related to them the whole matter from beginning to end, and how the pillar of light had been sent from heaven, and had descended on the bodies of these holy youths. The archbishop advised that the bodies of the innocent victims should be carried to the metropolitan church, and there be buried in royal fashion. And as soon as they came to the place, they found the holy remains indecorously placed under