hast accounted worthy to become the dwelling-place of thy heavenly gift. And he said also to
them that stood by: Blessed are the holy, whose souls have never condemned them, for they have
gained them and are not divided against themselves: blessed are the spirits of the pure, and they
that have received the heavenly crown whole from the world (age) which hath been appointed
them: blessed are the bodies of the holy, for they have been made worthy to become temples of
God, that Christ may dwell in them: blessed are ye, for ye have power to forgive sins: blessed are
ye if ye lose not that which is committed unto you, but rejoicing and departing bear it away with
you: blessed are ye the holy, for unto you it is given to ask and receive: blessed are ye meek for
you hath God counted worthy to become heirs of the heavenly kingdom. Blessed are ye meek,
for ye are they that have overcome the enemy: blessed are ye meek, for ye shall see the face of
the Lord. Blessed are ye that hunger for the Lord's sake for for you is rest laid up, and your souls
rejoice from henceforth. Blessed are ye that are quiet, (for ye have been counted worthy) to be
set free from sin [and from the exchange of clean and unclean beasts]. And when the apostle had
said these things in the hearing of all the multitude, Mygdonia was the more confirmed in the
faith and glory and greatness of Christ.
95 But Charisius the kinsman and friend of Misdaeus the king came to his breakfast and found
not his wife in the house; and he inquired of all that were in his house: Whither is your mistress
gone? And one of them answered and said: She is gone unto that stranger. And when he heard
this of his servant, he was wroth with the other servants because they had not straightway told
him what was done: and he sat down and waited for her. And when it was evening and she was
come into the house he said to her: Where wast thou? And she answered and said: With the
physician. And he said: Is that stranger a physician? And she said: Yea, he is a physician of
souls: for most physicians do heal bodies that are dissolved, but he souls that are not destroyed.
Charisius, hearing this, was very angry in his mind with Mygdonia because of the apostle, but he
answered her nothing, for he was afraid; for she was above him both in wealth and birth: but he
departed to dinner, and she went into her chamber. And he said to the servants: Call her to
dinner. But she would not come.
96 And when he heard that she would not come out of her chamber, he went in and said unto her:
Wherefore wilt thou not dine with me and perchance not sleep with me as the wont is? yea,
concerning this I have the greater suspicion, for I have heard that that sorcerer and deceiver
teacheth that a man should not live with his wife, and that which nature requireth and the
godhead hath ordained he overthroweth. When Charisius said these things, Mygdonia kept
silence. He saith to her again: My lady and consort Mygdonia, be not led astray by deceitful and
vain words, nor by the works of sorcery which I have heard that this man performeth in the name
of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; for it was never yet heard in the world that any raised the dead,
and, as I hear, it is reported of this man that he raiseth dead men. And for that he neither eateth
nor drinketh, think not that for righteousness sake he neither eateth nor drinketh but this he doth
because he possesseth nought, for what should he do which hath not even his daily bread? And
he hath one garment because he is poor, and as for his not receiving aught of any (he doth so, to
be sure, because he knoweth in himself that he doth not verily heal any man, Syr.).
97 And when Charisius so said, Mygdonia was silent as any stone, but she prayed, asking when
it should be day, that she might go to the apostle of Christ. And he withdrew from her and went
to dinner heavy in mind, for he thought to sleep with her according to the wont. And when he
was gone out, she bowed her knees and prayed, saying: Lord God and Master, merciful Father,
ron
(Ron)
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