Immaculate, illumined; who e’er knew

Disdain could wear a look so like to Love’s?

And thrice Eustratius Proculus read out

Sentence, whereby the virgin Theodora,

A Christian obdurate and impious,

Must die indeed, but first must be immured,

Until the day break, in the house of shame.

He ended: “May thy God for thee achieve

The best He can!” She added: “Ay, He will.

As Daniel from the lions, from the deeps