Page 29 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

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THIRD BOOK OF
ALTER'NATELY, ad., in reciprocal succession. L. alterne, om alter, L., the other.
PER'sECUTED, a., harassed. L. persecutus, om sequor, I llow, I pursue.
MAR'TYRDOM, n., the death of a martyr. L. martyri m, om martyr, L. and G., a witness.
0B1STINACY, n., persistency. L. obstinatio, om stino, I x.
1. JORA MAcATA, a noble Christian of Japan, be· ing condemned to death on account of his religion, bade a last and mourn l rewell to his wife, his children, and his domestics, and exhorted them to seek their sa ty in ight. As soon as he was alone, he prostrated himself be re a gure of his cruci ed Lord, and there continued in fervent prayer. Even· ing approached, and with it came two hundred armed men to execute the sentence of his death. They came thus prepared, as they expected to en­ counter the numerous f ends of Macata, assembled to protect him, or to die in his de nce. For a long time they remained drawn up around the house, won­ dering at the lonely silence that reigned there, till, at length, one of the party entered, and nding all
abandoned, returned to his companions, and said, "Macatahas ed!" Buthe,atthatmomentappear· ing, exclaimed aloud, "Macata bas not ed-be is here, and impatient r the happiness to die r Je­ sus Christ." The barbarians rushed upon him and grati ed his longings by severing his head om his body.
2. Again, let us open the history of the same age and nation. Titus, a virtuous Christian of Bungo, had been tempted by his idolatrous soverei to abandon his ith in Jesus Christ. Promises and in· timidation were alternately employed, but in vain. He was then commanded to surrender his young son, Matthew, to the will of his prince. ,Amidst threats