gave him speech that he might talk was able to cause that he should not die; and I raise him not,
not as being unable, but because this is that which is expedient and profitable for him. And he
bade them that were present to dig a trench and bury his body and they did as they were
commanded.
The Fifth Act: Concerning the devil that took up his abode in the woman
42 And the apostle entered into the city and all the multitude followed him. And he thought to go
unto the parents of the young man whom he had made alive when he was slain by the serpent:
for they earnestly besought him to come unto them and enter into their house. But a very
beautiful woman on a sudden uttered an exceeding loud cry, saying: O Apostle of the new God
that art come into India, and servant of that holy and only good God; for by thee is he preached,
the Saviour of the souls that come unto him, and by thee are healed the bodies of them that are
tormented by the enemy, and thou art he that is become an occasion of life unto all that turn unto
him: command me to be brought before thee that I may tell thee what hath befallen me, and
peradventure of thee I may have hope, and these that stand by thee may be more confident in the
God whom thou preachest. For I am not a little tormented by the adversary now this five years'
space [one Greek MS. And the apostle bade her come unto him, and the woman stood before him
and said: I, O servant of him that is indeed God am a woman: the rest have, As a woman] I was
sitting at the first in quiet, and peace encompassed me on every side and I had no care for
anything, for I took no thought for any other. 43 And it fell out one day that as I came out from
the bath there met me a man troubled and disturbed, and his voice and speech seemed to me
exceeding faint and dim; and he stood before me and said: I and thou will be in one love and we
will have intercourse together as a man with his wife; And I answered and said to him: I never
had to do with my betrothed, for I refused to marry, and how shall I yield myself to thee that
wouldest have intercourse with me in adulterous wise? And having so said, I passed on, and I
said to my handmaid that was with me: Sawest thou that youth and his shamelessness, how
boldly he spake with me, and had no shame? but she said to me: I saw an old man speaking to
thee. And when I was in mine house and had dined my soul suggested unto me some suspicion
and especially because he was seen of me in two forms; and having this in my mind I fell asleep.
He came, therefore, in that night and was joined unto me in his foul intercourse. And when it was
day I saw him and fled from him, and on the night following that he came and abused me; and
now as thou seest me I have spent five years being troubled by him, and he hath not departed
from me. But I know and am persuaded that both devils and spirits and destroyers are subject
unto thee and are filled with trembling at thy prayers: pray thou therefore for me and drive away
from me the devil that ever troubleth me, that I also may be set free and be gathered unto the
nature that is mine from the beginning, and receive the grace that hath been given unto my
kindred.
44 And the apostle said: O evil that cannot be restrained! O shamelessness of the enemy! O
envious one that art never at rest! O hideous one that subduest the comely! O thou of many
forms! As he will he appeareth, but his essence cannot be changed. O the crafty and faithless
one! O the bitter tree whose fruits are like unto him! O the devil that overcometh them that are
alien to him! O the deceit that useth impudence! O the wickedness that creepeth like a serpent,
and that is of his kindred! (Syr. wrongly adds a clause bidding the devil show himself.) And
when the apostle said this, the malicious one came and stood before him, no man seeing him
save the woman and the apostle, and with an exceeding loud voice said in the hearing of all: 45
ron
(Ron)
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