11. And yet, though there were so many circumstances connected with love of children to draw on a mother to sympathy, in the case of none of them were the various tortures able to pervert her principle.
12. But she inclined each one separately and all together to death for religion.
13. O holy nature and parental feeling, and reward of bringing up children, and unconquerable maternal affection!
14. At the racking and roasting of each one of them, the observant mother was prevented by religion from changing.
15. She saw her children’s flesh dissolving around the fire; and their extremities quivering on the ground, and the flesh of their heads dropped forwards down to their beards, like masks.
16. O you mother, who was tried at this time with bitterer pangs than those of parturition!
17. O you only woman who have brought forth perfect holiness!