56 



The crucifying of Philip was a great pity ; 

 And the flaying of Partholan.* 

 With a bright, blue, sharp sword 

 Was fiercely killed Thomas.f 



Matthew the Evangelist, my favourite, 



One single soldier was found to kill him.f 

 By a coloured, red-pointed stone 

 I grieve that Thaddeus fell.§ 



James, son of Alpheus, awful deed ! 

 Was killed by a weighty mallet.|| 

 Andrew, the guiltless Apostle, 

 Upon a cross received an unfair death.^f 



James, the son of Cleopas and Mary, 



The head of the noble illustrious Apostles.** 

 James the son of Zebedee the guiltless, — 

 To kill him was a dreadful deed. 



John of the lands and of the housesff 

 Quickly was he cut off by the sword ; 



* An Irish form of the name Bartholomew. See Butler, Aug. 24. 



f The tradition is that he was pierced with a lance. Dec. 21. 



% Tradition says he was thrust through with a spear, while at the altar, 

 by order of King Hircanus. 



§ This is St. Jude, called by St. Matthew " Lebbseus, whose surname 

 was Thaddaeus." Greek writers state that he was shot with arrows, and 

 others add, while on a cross. Octob. 28. 



|| Kai \a[3wv tiq cctt' avrSiv tig tu>v Kva<peu)v to ZvXov iv $ ctTreTrU^e ra 



l/iaria, -ijvtyicc Kara rrjg Ktcpakfjg rov Sucaiov Euseb. Hist. Eccl. ii. 23; also, 



ii. i. " Fullonis fuste, quo uda vestimenta extorqueri solent, in cerebro per- 

 cussus interiit." — Hieronym. de Scriptor. Eccles. Butler, May 1. 



If So Hieronym. Catalogus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum. 



** These two lines refer to the subject of the preceding quatrain, namely, 

 James the Less, whose father Alpheus was supposed to be the same as Cleo- 

 pas, and whose rank among the Apostles is implied in Acts, xv. 13, 19. 



tf This designation may be per antiphrasim, or an application of the pro- 

 mise in Mark, x. 29, 30. In a preceding verse it is said "John the Baptist 

 was not poor." 



