1
O reasoning of the sons, lord over the passions, and religion more desirable to a mother than progeny!
2
The mother, when two things were set before here, religion and the safety of her seven sons for a time, on the conditional promise of a tyrant,
3
rather elected the religion which according to God preserves to eternal life.
4
O in what way can I describe ethically the affections of parents toward their children, the resemblance of soul and of form engrafted into the small type of a child in a wonderful manner, especially through the greater sympathy of mothers with the feelings of those born of them!
5
for by how much mothers are by nature weak in disposition and prolific in offspring, by so much the fonder they are of children.
6
And of all mothers the mother of the seven was the fondest of children, who in seven childbirths had deeply engendered love toward them;
7
and through her many pains undergone in connection with each one, was compelled to feel sympathy with them;
8
yet, through fear of God, she neglected the temporary salvation of her children.
9
Not but that, on account of the excellent disposition to the law, her maternal affection toward them was increased.
10
For they were both just and temperate, and manly, and high-minded, and fond of their brethren, and so fond of their mother that even unto death they obeyed her by observing the law.
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.