And Marcellus not asking leave of any, for it was not possible, when he saw that Peter had given
up the ghost, took him down from the cross with his own hands and washed him in milk and
wine: and cut fine seven minae of mastic, and of myrrh and aloes and indian leaf other fifty, and
perfumed (embalmed) his body and filled a coffin of marble of great price with Attic honey and
laid it in his own tomb.
But Peter by night appeared unto Marcellus and said: Marcellus, hast thou heard that the Lord
saith: Let the dead be buried of their own dead? And when Marcellus said: Yea, Peter said to
him: That, then, which thou hast spent on the dead, thou hast lost: for thou being alive hast like a
dead man cared for the dead. And Marcellus awoke and told the brethren of the appearing of
Peter: and he was with them that had been stablished in the faith of Christ by Peter, himself also
being stablished yet more until the coming of Paul unto Rome.
XLI. [This last chapter, and the last sentence of XL, are thought by Vouaux to be an addition by
the author of i-iii, in other words by the compiler of the Greek original of the Vercelli Acts.]
But Nero, learning thereafter that Peter was departed out of this life, blamed the prefect Agrippa,
because he had been put to death without his knowledge; for he desired to punish him more
sorely and with greater torment, because Peter had made disciples of certain of them that served
him, and had caused them to depart from him: so that he was very wrathful and for a long season
spake not unto Agrippa: for he sought to destroy all them that had been made disciples by Peter.
And he beheld by night one that scourged him and said unto him: Nero, thou canst not now
persecute nor destroy the servants of Christ: refrain therefore thine hands from them. And so
Nero, being greatly affrighted by such a vision, abstained from harming the disciples at that time
when Peter also departed this life.
And thenceforth the brethren were rejoicing with one mind and exulting in the Lord, glorifying
the God and Saviour (Father?) of our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Ghost, unto whom be
glory, world without end. Amen.
ron
(Ron)
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