Daily national Democrat., 1859-02-01
Thecla. of Anfinch.

An ecclesiastical historian who wrote
about the year 500, relates that when the
! Emperor Zeno had abdicated his throne he
had vision of the martyr Theca. who
promised its restoration, and after magnii
cent temple at Salencia in honor of the mar
| tyr The story, of which the following is Il
condensation, is preserved in q Greek manu-
script at Oxford. and is id to have been the
work of q presbyter Of Asia, contemporary
with accredited writings of primitive Chris
tians.
When Panl was preaching in private
house at Iconium. beautiful young girl sat
at an opposite window and became so trans
fixed with the eloquence of the Apostle that
she refused to be removed or even to recog-
Mise any of her friends. Having been be
trothed to a citizen of Ieonium, she refused
to receive him, and resolved on life long
chastity Thamyrs, the rejected suitor, caus-
ed the Apostle to be driven out of the city,
but the virgin Thecla abandoned her rela-
tives, and, with the family Of n neighbor,
| followed the preacher to cave. But. pre-
viously Thecla had been tried for sacrilege,
and surrendered by her mother to he burnt
| Ihecla ascended the pile of wood and straw
but the flames inclined away from her per-
son, until miraculous shower of rain and
hail put out the fire, and the prosecutors, in
terror let her go. Following Paul to Anti
och, certain magistrate, Alexander, fell in
! love with Thecla, and having publicly kissed
her, she tore his coat and the crown from his
head and made him look ridiculous before
the people, for which he ordered her to be
thrown to the wild beasts in the amphithea-
ter But Thecla found female friend in
her trouble-lritina. a rich widow of An
tioch, who lodged and treated her kindly.
Trihna had lost her daughter, and Icing 80
admonished by the spirit Of her child, in n
| dream adopted Theca the condemned, and
went with her to execution, saying: 81 went
with my daughter Faeoniln to the grave, and
now must | 90 with Thecla to the beasts
The rabble in the amphitheatre clamored
for the spectacle but when the women saw
the beautiful victim, they cried out with i'm
precautions on the cruelty of the city But
rhecla, nearly naked stepped courageously
into the arena, and Immediately fierce she
lion ran and laid down at her feet then
huge bear came towards her, but the she
lion tore the bear to pieces; then he lion
noted for having killed may prisoners, sprang
in, but the shelton encountered him and
they fought till both lay dead At the death
Of Thecla's friend all the women again cried
out in terror and sorrow, but as other beasts
were let in, the girl stood with her hands
stretched u Heaven and they harmed her
not Afterwards she was tied to fierce bulls,
which were tortured with hot irons but
miraculous flames burned off the cords, and
Thecla was saved. In the meantime Triina,
Theeas widowed friend. fell in terror from
her seat among the spectators, and was taken
up for dead, at " hich there was great con-
sternation, for Trifna was kinswoman OF
Caesar, who they said, would avenge her
death by the Guys destruction. Theea was
ordered from the arena by the Governor who
commanded her clothes to be put on. to
whom the triumphant prisoner eaid: "May
that God who clothed me when was naked
among the beasts, in the day of judgment
clothe your soul with the robe Of salvation 7
Then all the women shouted for Joy until tn,
|, whole city seemed to be shaken by the sound
aud the cry brought TrihnA to life.
Thecla returned TO her native city, auC
found her betro+hed dead, but ber mother re