into affliction: but go thou to that man, and believe him, and thou shalt live unto the end. And
when Misdaeus heard these things of his wife, he smote his face with his hands and rent his
clothes and said: May the soul of Charisius find no rest, for he hath hurt me to the soul; and may
he have no hope, for he hath taken away my hope. And he went out greatly vexed.
138 And he found Charisius his friend in the market-place, and said unto him: Why hast thou
cast me into hell to be another companion to thyself? why hast thou emptied and defrauded me to
gain nought? why hast thou hurt me and profited thyself not at all? why hast thou slain me and
thyself not lived? Why hast thou wronged me and thyself not got justice? why didst thou not
suffer me to destroy that sorcerer before he corrupted my house with his wickedness? And he
kept hold upon (was upbraiding, Syr.) Charisius. And Charisius saith: Why, what hath befallen
thee? Misdaeus said: He hath bewitched Tertia. And they went both of them unto the house of
Siphor the captain, and found Judas sitting and teaching. And all they that were there rose up
before the king, but he arose not. And Misdaeus perceived that it was he, and took hold of the
seat and overset it, and took up the seat with both his hands and smote his head so that he
wounded it, and delivered him to his soldiers, saying: Take him away, and hale him with
violence and not gently, that his shame may be manifest unto all men. And they haled him and
took him to the place where Misdaeus judged, and he stood there, held of the soldiers of
Misdaeus.
The Twelfth Act: Concerning Ouazanes (Iuzanes) the son of Misdaeus.
139 And Ouazanes (Iuzanes, P; Vizan, Syr.) the son of Misdaeus came unto the soldiers and
said: Give me him that I may speak with him until the king cometh. And they gave him up, and
he brought him in where the king gave judgement. And Iuzanes saith: Knowest thou not that I
am the son of Misdaeus the king, and I have power to say unto the king what I will, and he will
suffer thee to live? tell me then, who is thy God, and what power dost thou claim and glory in it?
for if it be some power or art of magic, tell it me and teach me, and I will let thee go. Judas saith
unto him: Thou art the son of Misdacus the king who is king for a time, but I am the servant of
Jesus Christ the eternal king, and thou hast power to say to thy father to save whom thou wilt in
the temporal life wherein men continue not, which thou and thy father grant, but I beseech my
Lord and intercede for men, and he giveth them a new life which is altogether enduring. And
thou boastest thyself of possessions and servants and robes and luxury and unclean chamberings,
but I boast myself of poverty and philosophy and humility and lasting and prayer and the
fellowship of the Holy Ghost and of my brethren that are worthy of God: and I boast myself of
eternal life. And thou reliest on (hast taken refuge with) a man like unto thyself and not able to
save his own soul from judgement and death, but I rely upon the living God, upon the saviour of
kings and princes, who is the judge of all men. And ye indeed to-day perchance are, and to-
morrow are no more, but I have taken refuge with him that abideth for ever and knoweth all our
seasons and times. And if thou wilt become the servant of this God thou shalt soon do so; but
show that thou wilt be a servant worthy of him hereby: first by holiness (purity), which is the
head of all good things, and then by fellowship with this God whom I preach, and philosophy
and simplicity and love and faith and [GOOD hope] in him, and unity of pure food (simplicity of
pure i e, Syr.).
140 And the young man was persuaded by the Lord and sought occasion how he might let Judas
escape: but while he thought thereon, the king came, and the soldiers took Judas and led him
forth. And Iuzanes went forth with him and stood beside him. And when the king was set he
ron
(Ron)
#1