CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT FROM
Alfred C. Barnes
The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029308503
THE
FOURTH BOOK
OF MACCABEES:
CONTAINING
REFLECTIONS ON RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLE: LIKEWISE, AN ACCOUNT OF HELIODORUS’ ATTEMPT TO PLUNDER THE TEMPLE: AND THE HISTORY OF ELEAZAR AND THE SEVEN BRETHREN PERSECUTED EVEN TO DEATH FOR THEIR ADHERENCE TO RELIGION.
CHAPTER XV
B.C. 167
An eulogy of the mother, for her most noble behavior.
Nevertheless a, sympathy for her children did not move aside from her fixed purpose the mother of the young men, who had a spirit b equal to that of her forefather Abraham. O Principle, sovereign of the passions! And Piety, dearer to a mother than even her children! The mother, when two things were set before her; religion, or the saving of her sons for a time, according to the tyrant’s promise; rather chose religion, which saveth eternal lifec with God.
O ! In what way can I morally portray d the afflictions of parents to their children? Which wondrously stamp e a similarity, both of mind and form, on that small distinctive character which each possesses, namely, of being a child! As mothers especially sympathise more strongly than fathers in the sufferings of their children. For since mothers are more tender-minded and more fond f of that which is born of them, so much more affection do they bear towards their children. But this mother of the seven youths was more fond of her children than all mothers: who, growing in affection towards them through seven childbirths, and forced by her many pains with each one to have a sympathy of feeling with them;
yet through the fear of God regarded not the temporary saving of her sons g?
Not but that, on account of her sons’ noble conduct, and their obedience to the law, she felt a still greater yearning of affection towards them. For they were both just, and temperate, and brave, and high-minded, and fond of their brothers and fond of their mother to such a degree that they obeyed her even unto death, by keeping the injunctions of the law. But although there were so many circumstances of affection which drew on a mother to sympathy: in the case of no one of them were the various tortures able to turn astray her principle. But each child separately, and all of them together, the mother encouraged to the death for religion’s sake.
O holy disposition, and charms of parental love, and affectionate feeling h, and the influence i of having bred up children, and the indomitable affections of mothers ! The mother beholding k them one by one racked and burned, changed not herself, through religion. She beheld the flesh of her children consuming in the fire, and their toes and fingers quivering on the ground, and the flesh of their heads stripped off l, even down to the beards, and hanging down like masks.
O mother, who at this instant was tried by severer pangs than in thy bearing of them! O thou woman, who alone hast brought forth entire holiness! thee: Thy first-born expiring did not move nor the second, piteously regarding thee in his torments: nor the third, yielding up his breath. Nor, when thou didst behold the eyes of each of them fiercely glaring on m the tortures destined for them, and their nostrils snuffing up the gale n of their own death, —didst thou weep when thou beheld flesh upon flesh of thy children chopped in pieces, hands after hands ampupated, and heads upon heads cut off, and corpse falling upon corpse; and sawist the lately happy band of thy children made a common sepulchre o by these tortures,—thou didst not shed one tear.
Not so powerfully do the melodies of the sirens nor the notes of swans attract the hearers to listening, as did the voices of these children in torments calling on their mother. With what and how great tortures was the mother herself tormented, while her sons were being tortured by
racks and burning irons ! But religious principle, having in the midst of sufferings manfully nerved her mind, gave her energy to look beyond the temporary calls of parental love. Though she beheld the destruction of seven sons p: the noble mother stripped off all these feelings, through her faith towards God. For perceiving in her own mind, as in a council-chamber, powerful advisers, namely, nature, and parentage, and maternal affection, and the rackings of her children; the mother, holding two votes q! One fatal to her children, the other preservative of them, decided not for a preservation which would save her seven sons for a short time; but, being a true daughter of Abraham, she was mindful of religious constancy r.
O mother of a nation, avenger of the law, champion of religion, and conqueress in a struggle of affections ! O thou who was more noble in endurance than males, more manly than men in patience! For, as the ark of Noah in the universal deluge, bearing in it the entire world, sustained the violent waves: so thou, observer of the law, though overwhelmed on all sides by a deluge of troubles, and hard pressed by violent winds, namely, the tortures of thy sons, —didst nobly sustain the storms for religion’s sake.
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