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Edmond Cannon, condemned and died in Newgate. John Wigmore, als. Turner, condemned, reprieved by the king, and is in custodie in Newgate. Andrew Ffryer, alias Herne, als. Richmond, condemned and died in Newgate. Augustian Abbot, als. Rivers, condemned, reprieved by the king, and died in Newgate. John Goodman, condemned and died in Newgate. Peter Welford, condemned and died in Newgate.
Vinicius had no weapons; he had left Antium just as the news of the fire had reached him in Cæsar's villa. At the fountain of Mercury, however, he saw a centurion who was known to him. This man, at the head of a few tens of soldiers, was defending the precinct of the temple; he commanded him to follow. Recognizing a tribune and an Augustian, the centurion did not dare to disobey the order.
In the crush some one wounded his horse with a hammer; the beast threw up its bloody head, reared, and refused obedience. The crowd recognized in Vinicius an Augustian by his rich tunic, and at once cries were raised round about: "Death to Nero and his incendiaries!"
"Ursus, guard her as the sight in thy eye, for she is my domina as well as thine." Seizing her hand then, he pressed it with his lips, to the great astonishment of the crowd, who could not understand signs of such honor from a brilliant Augustian to a maiden arrayed in simple garments, almost those of a slave. "Farewell!"
This man, at the head of a few tens of soldiers, was defending the precinct of the temple; he commanded him to follow. Recognizing a tribune and an Augustian, the centurion did not dare to disobey the order. He and his men were followed by curses and a shower of stones; but to these he gave no heed, caring only to reach freer spaces at the earliest. Still he advanced with the greatest effort.
Hearing this, they began to take counsel, thinking with delight of the victory of their religion, and of the significance for the pagan world which the conversion of an Augustian, and a descendant of one of the oldest Roman families, would have.
Vinicius, seeing a detachment of ten mounted pretorians, going evidently with news from the city to Antium, sprang toward them. "What part of the city is on fire?" inquired he. "Who art thou?" asked the decurion. "Vinicius, a tribune of the army, an Augustian. Answer on thy head!" "The fire broke out in the shops near the Circus Maximus.
Was it for this that she had hidden so long in wretched parts of the city? Who was that Vinicius? An Augustian, a soldier, a courtier of Nero! Moreover he took part in his profligacy and madness, as was shown by that feast, which she could not forget; and he went with others to the temples, and made offerings to vile gods, in whom he did not believe, perhaps, but still he gave them official honor.
The penitent Crispus began humbly to explain himself; "I have sinned against mercy," said he; "but I thought that by admitting to her heart an earthly love she had denied Christ." "I denied Him thrice," answered Peter, "and still He forgave me, and commanded me to feed His sheep." "And because," concluded Crispus, "Vinicius is an Augustian."
Crispus had wished to transform her into an angel, to raise her to heights where love for Christ alone existed, and she had fallen in love with an Augustian. The very thought of that filled his heart with horror, strengthened by a feeling of disillusion and disappointment. No, no, he could not forgive her.
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