her own chamber to meet him as she was wont. And her handmaids said to him: She is not well.
And he entered quickly into the chamber and found her Lying on the bed and veiled: and he
unveiled her and kissed her, saying: Wherefore art thou sorrowful to-day? And she said: I am not
well. And he said unto her: Wherefore then didst thou not keep the guise of thy freedom (Syr.
pay proper respect to thy position as a free woman) and remain in thy house, but didst go and
listen unto vain speeches and look upon works of sorcery? but rise up and dine with me, for I
cannot dine without thee. But she said to him: To-day I decline it, for I am greatly afeared.
90 And when Charisius heard this of Mygdonia, he would not go forth to dinner, but bade his
servants bring her to dine with him (Syr. bring food to him that he might sup in her presence):
when then they brought it in, he desired her to dine with him, but she excused herself; since then
she would not, he dined alone, saying unto her: On thine account I refused to dine with Misdaeus
the king, and thou, wast thou not willing to dine with me? but she said: It is because I am not
well. Charisius therefore rose up as he was wont and would sleep with her, but she said: Did I
not tell thee that for today I refused it?
91 When he heard that he went to another bed and slept; and awaking out of sleep he said: My
lady Mygdonia, hearken to the dream which I have seen. I saw myself lie at meat near to
Misdaeus the king, and a dish of all sorts was set before us: and I saw an eagle come down from
heaven and carry off from before me and the king two partridges, which he set against his heart;
and again he came over us and flew about above us, and the king bade a bow to be brought to
him; and the eagle again caught away from before us a pigeon and a dove, and the king shot an
arrow at him, and it passed through him from one side to the other and hurt him not; and he
being unscathed rose up into his own nest. And I awoke, and I am full of fear and sore vexed,
because I had tasted of the partridge, and he suffered me not to put it to my mouth again. And
Mygdonia said unto him: Thy dream is good: for thou every day eatest partridges, but this eagle
had not tasted of a partridge until now.
92 And when it was morning Charisius went and dressed himself and shod his right foot with his
left shoe; and he stopped, and said to Mygdonia: What then is this matter? for look, the dream
and this action of mine! But Mygdonia said to him: And this also is not evil, but seemeth to me
very good; for from an unlucky act there will be a change unto the better. And he washed his
hands and went to salute Misdaeus the king.
93 And likewise Mygdonia rose up early and went to salute Judas Thomas the apostle, and she
found him discoursing with the captain and all the multitude, and he was advising them and
speaking of the woman which had received the Lord in her soul, whose wife she was; and the
captain said: She is the wife of Charisius the kinsman of Misdaeus the king. And: Her husband is
a hard man, and in every thing that he saith to the king he obeyeth him: and he will not suffer her
to continue in this mind which she hath promised; for often-times hath he praised her before the
king, saying that there is none other like her in love: all things therefore that thou speakest unto
her are strange unto her. And the apostle said: If verily and surely the Lord hath risen upon her
soul and she hath received the seed that was cast on her, she will have no care of this temporal
life, nor fear death, neither will Charisius be able to harm her at all: for greater is he whom she
hath received into her soul, if she have received him indeed.
94 And Mygdonia hearing this said unto the apostle: In truth, my lord, I have received the seed
of thy words, and I will bear fruit like unto such seed. The apostle saith: Our souls give praise
and thanks unto thee, O Lord, for they are thine: our bodies give thanks unto thee, which thou
ron
(Ron)
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