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Life of St Porphyry, Bishop of Gaza

Mark the Deacon, tr. Hill, 1913

Chapter 67

And this marvel came also unto the hearing of the holy bishop, and stretching forth his hands to heaven he glorified God and said, ‘Glory be unto thee, Holy Father, that thou hast hid these things¹ from the wise and understanding and hast revealed them unto babes.’ And he commanded that the child and his mother, after the people had been dismissed from the church,² should be present in the bishop’s house; and having put the child apart, he said to the woman: ‘I adjure thee by the Son of the living God to say whether it was thou or some other, thou knowing him, who did put it into the mind of thy child to utter those words which he said concerning the Marneion.’ And the woman said: ‘I yield myself up unto the terrible and dreadful judgement-seat of Christ, if I foreknew aught of the things which my son did utter this day. But, if it seem good unto thee, lo! take the child and examine him with threats, and if any one hath put it into his mind to speak these words, he will be afraid and confess, but if he will say nothing else, it is manifest that he was filled with the Holy Ghost.’ And the bishop having heard the speech of the woman and thought it good, said that she should be taken apart for a little, and the child be brought in; and the boy being set there he said unto him: ‘Who put it into thy mind to utter in the church those things which thou spakest concerning the Marneion? ‘And the child was silent. Then the most holy bishop commanded that a scourge should be brought, and the child be stretched out, that he might be made afraid. And he that held the scourge lifted up his voice and cried out, saying: ‘Who told thee to speak? Say, lest thou be smitten with the scourge.’ But the boy stood dumb, uttering no word. Then we that stood around him said the same to him with threats; but he was not moved.

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