Here followeth the life of S. Nicasius.

In that time that the Vandals wasted and destroyed many cities and lands, they came to the city of Rheims in France, in which city S. Nicasius was archbishop. He preached the faith of Jesu Christ and comforted the people, and admonished them to receive in patience the persecution of the Vandals, which had then destroyed the country and land all about the city. And as this people called Vandals approached the city, the folk came to the archbishop and demanded counsel if they should yield them or go and fight for the city. S. Nicasius, to whom God had showed tofore that the Vandals came, that all the city should be destroyed, impetered and had grant of our Lord that this tribulation and this death should be to the health of the souls of them that to their power should be repentant of their sins, and sith said to them: Let us go surely to the peril of death, and let us abide the mercy of God. I am ready to set my soul for my people; let us pray for our enemies, and let us desire of their souls like as of our own. Thus as he spake to the people, S. Eutropia, his sister, exhorted as much as she might the people to receive martyrdom, which was ready.

After the orisons and the enseignments that they had made to the people, they issued out against the Vandals, and S. Nicasius said to them: If ye will slay my people, slay me first tofore. And after he preached to them the faith of Jesu Christ, and taught them how they might be saved; but they would not understand it. Then the holy man set him to prayer, and while he prayed his enemies smote off his head. And after that the head was smitten off he made an end of his prayer, and said in his tongue this verse of the psalter: Adhesit pavimento, etc. When S. Eutropia saw her brother martyred, and saw that no man made her ready to be martyred, but strove for her beauty, she ran to him that had slain her brother, and would have scratched his eyes out of his head; and anon she was martyred and many others with her. Then the Vandals saw a great company of chivalry of heaven come for to avenge the great felony that they had done, and heard a great sound in the church; and they had so great fear and dread that they left all their armours and fled. And there appeared a great light and clearness upon the bodies, that it was seen far by night.

Then came again some burgesses of them that had fled, and saw the clearness, and felt a great odour about the martyrs, and buried them about the city, and thanked our Lord and served him more perfectly than they had done tofore. Let us pray then to the holy S. Nicasius and to S. Eutropia that they will get us grace of our Lord and that they bring us into their company. Amen.