Volume 6 — The Legend Of The Seven Sleepers. A.D. 439.

The slaves of Adolius went forth on the hill, And in toiling and talking got half through their day. The sun was declining; the landscape was still, As it stretched far beneath. While they delved in the clay, And uncovered the rocks by command of their master, Their stories and comments came faster and faster— "How hot it became about noon!" "How the olives were prospering greatly!" That "the figs and the grapes would be plentiful soon—" And "what changes had happened in Ephesus lately." They wandered a century back, ay, and more, To the time when the edict of Decius went out, As they heard from their fathers. How fiercely it bore On the Christians! Their blood in the streets flowed about How the fame of Diana, whose beauty they knew By description, those martyrs with horror did view! How the Goth with his merciless torch From the Euxine had rushed, an invincible foeman, And spurning the goddess, had fired her high porch, Despite of the wide-sweeping blade of the Roman. Then one ceased his work, who was wrinkled and gray, And, his hand on his mattock, he said: "It appears Now since Decius did reign, from what wise people say, To be clear of one hundred and eighty good years. When his cruelty flourished, I'm told there were seven Good youths of our city—so long gone to heaven— Who fled to these parts and were pent By the emperor's soldiers, who came on a sally, And built up the cave." To his mattock he bent, And a rock that he loosened rolled down to the valley. They found a large rent where the rock had its bed, Which with eager assault they made larger by delving; And a cave was disclosed like a home of the dead— It was horrid and cold, it was rugged and shelving. The foulness of ages, unused to the light, Seemed grimly reclaiming its curtain of night. But look! as the mist grows more clear, There's a form moving outward—of hell or of heaven— The slaves did not question, but fled in their fear; But in truth this was Iamblichus, one of the seven. He paused at the mouth; placed his hands on his eyes; Then he looked toward Ephesus, bathèd in light; And he journeyed in haste, till with speechless surprise A cross on the grand city gate met his sight. He wondered, he doubted, he hearkened the din Of the city; and kissing the symbol, passed in; This place he so lately had known Was transformed—had grown foreign, and altered, and cold; He was famished for bread, and his wishes were shown; But they liked not his accents, his dress, or his gold. "Away to the judge with this madman or worse!" "He has treasure that must be accounted." They went. "I'm a Christian," he said, "and am wealthy; my purse I have offered for bread. Should it be your intent To enroll me a martyr, my life I'll lay down: Take my life! Take my wealth in exchange for the crown." Then the judge when he looked and saw clearly That Decius' head on the coin did appear, Declared, while he doubted, "this youth must be nearly Two hundred years older than any one here!" The bishop was sent for, and Iamblichus spoke: "Six others and he had but yesterday fled; They had slept in a cave, and this morning awoke; And he had been sent to the city for bread." "True sons," said the bishop, "of God's predilection! These men are all saints who have found resurrection. Resurrection indeed but from sleep, Which the God of all nature prolonging had shed, Like a life-saving balsam, to guard and to keep Those whose memory had passed with the ancient and dead." The city was emptied the emperor came, The people, the magnates and all, in a throng, Beat a broad hardened path to that cavern of fame, Where the young men of Ephesus slumbered so long. And when Iamblichus shouted, they came at his call; And the seven stood together amidst of them all. But nature asserted her sway, Which a special design had for once set aside; And they lived but to gaze on the light of the day, And imparting their blessing, they painlessly died. Through the wide Roman empire their fame travelled round; The East and the West have adopted the story; In Syriac, in Greek, and in Latin 'tis found; The Romans and Russians agree in their glory Where Mahomet conquered, they're known unto all, And are reverenced as saints from Algiers to Bengal. The cavilling sceptic may doubt; But sooner shall earth to destruction be hurled, Than Iamblichus' name be dethroned or die out, Or the tale of the sleepers depart from the world.