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266 ROMAN DA YS.
ter, as he once saw himself environed by people, to whom
the Saviour was a demagogue, and His teaching folly.
Thousands upon thousands do as he did, when to find
favor with, or from fear of, men, they deny the ideals of
their heart or mind ; but how many are there who, like
the apostle, weep bitterly over their weakness, find in
tears of repentance a bath to strengthen the soul, and
from defeat go forward, with hardened will, to fight and
suffer for their conviction ?
After a lapse of nine months, the sentence was passed.
Paul and Peter, as chiefs of the pretended party of incen-
diaries, were condemned to death ; Paul by the sword, for
he was a Roman citizen, and as such exempt from a
shameful execution, but Peter, to suffer the dishonoring
punishment of crucifixion—dishonoring in the eyes of the
Romans, but encircled by a halo of glory to the Chris-
tians, ever since the Lord gave up his life upon the cross.
The night before the day when the servants of the
law, who were to bring the sentence, were expected, Peter
lay awake, a prey to restlessness, and leaned his fevered
brow against the pillar to which he was chained. Paul,
who had slept a while, had wakened, and was holding his
friend’s hand in his. Suddenly, the jailors Processus and
Martinianus stood before them, unloosed their chains and
said to them :
" Fly ! The doors are open ! To-morrow
it will be too late. To us and all our brethren your lives
are too dear, that the tyrant should take them. The
angel of the Lord freed you before, from chains and im-
prisonment. In the name of the Lord, ye are free, even
now !
When Peter heard this, he arose. ’*
Fly !
" he heard
around him ; "fly! " said his own trembling heart. The
fear of death bewildered his senses—and when he again
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