But wretched and unhappy is the man who would have something more than sufficeth him: for of
this come heats of fevers rigours of cold, divers pains in all the members of the body, and he can
neither be fed with food nor sated with drink, that covetousness may learn that money will not
profit it, which being laid up bringeth to the keepers thereof anxiety by day and night, and
suffereth them not even for an hour to be quiet and secure. For while they guard their houses
against thieves, till their estate, ply the plough, pay taxes, build storehouses, strive for gain, try to
baffle the attacks of the strong, and to strip the weak, exercise their wrath on whom they can, and
hardly bear it from others, shrink not from playing at tables and from public shows, fear not to
defile or to be defiled, suddenly do they depart out of this world, naked, bearing only their own
sins with them, for which they shall suffer eternal punishment.
XVII. While the apostle was thus speaking, behold there was brought to him by his mother, who
was a widow, a young man who thirty days before had first married a vvife. And the people
which were waiting upon the burial came with the widowed mother and cast themselves at the
apostle's feet all together with groans, weeping, and mourning, and besought him that in the
name of his God, as he had done with Drusiana, so he would raise up this young man also. And
there was so great weeping of them all that the apostle himself could hardly refrain from crying
and tears. He cast himself down, therefore, in prayer, and wept a long time: and rising from
prayer spread out his hands to heaven, and for a long space prayed within himself. And when he
had so done thrice, he commanded the body which was swathed to be loosed, and said: Thou
youth Stacteus, who for love of thy flesh hast quickly lost thy soul: thou youth which knewest
not thy creator nor perceivedst the Saviour of men, and wast ignorant of thy true friend, and
therefore didst fall into the snare of the worst enemy: behold, I have poured out tears and prayers
unto my Lord for thine ignorance, that thou mayest rise from the dead, the bands of death being
loosed, and declare unto these two, to Atticus and Eugenius, how great glory they have lost, and
how great punishment they have incurred. Then Stacteus arose and worshipped the apostle, and
began to reproach his disciples, saying: I beheld your angels vveeping, and the angels of Satan
rejoicing at your overthrow. For now in a little time ye have lost the kingdom that was prepared
for you, and the dwellingplaces builded of shining stones, full of joy, of feasting and delights,
full of everlasting life and eternal light: and have gotten yourselves places of darkness, full of
dragons, of roaring flames, of torments, and punishments unsurpassable, of pains and anguish,
fear and horrible trembling. Ye have lost the places full of unfading flowers, shining, full of the
sounds of instruments of music (organs), and have gotten on the other hand places wherein
roaring and howling and mourning ceaseth not day nor night. Nothing else remaineth for you
save to ask the apostle of the Lord that like as he hath raised me to life, he would raise you also
from death unto salvation and bring back your souls which now are blotted out of the book of
life.
XVIII. Then both he that had been raised and all the people together with Atticus and Eugenius,
cast themselves at the apostle's feet and besought him to intercede for them with the Lord. Unto
whom the holy apostle gave this answer: that for thirty days they should offer penitence to God,
and in that space pray especially that the rods of gold might return to their nature and likewise
the stones return to the meanness wherein they were made. And it came to pass that after thirty
days were accomplished, and neither the rods were turncd into wood nor the gems into pebbles,
Atticus and Eugenius came and said to the apostle: Thou hast always taught mercy, and preached
forgiveness, and bidden that one man should spare another. And if God willeth that a man should
ron
(Ron)
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