Trajan lived not to welcome home his honored general; his successor, however, spared not to receive Eustace with the honors his achievements deserved. The banquet-hall was gorgeous with ornaments; and the banquet replete with delicacies and curiosities. On the emperor’s right hand sat Eustace, and his sons occupied no mean place in the banquet-hall.
“To-morrow,” said the emperor, “we will sacrifice to the great gods of war, and offer our thanks for this thy victory.”
“As my lord pleases,” said Eustace; “one thing I pray, that my lord will not regard my absence from the temple as an intentional slight on his royal person.”
“Absence, sir!” exclaimed the emperor; “I command your attendance; see that you and yours are before the altar of Mars at noon to-morrow; thou shalt offer there with thine own hands.”
“I will cut off the hand that so offends,” replied Eustace.
“Ah! a Christian—be it so—sacrifice or die!”
“Death then, my lord; I worship Christ, not idols.”
“Let him save thee from the lions’ mouths,” exclaimed the impious emperor. “Ho, guards! this Christian and his sons to the beasts’ den; come, my guests, to the arena.”
“And me to my lord,” said Theosbyta, advancing from the lower part of the hall.
“As thou wilt: come, sirs; our lions will be well fed.”