to his former state of health, he said, My son, what has happened to thee, and by what means wert thou cured?

19. The son answered, When the devils seized me, I went into the inn, and there found a very handsome woman with a boy, whose swaddling clothes she had just before washed, and hanged out upon a post.

20 One of these I took, and put it upon my head, and immediately the devils left me, and fled away.

21 At this the father exceedingly rejoiced, and said, My son, perhaps this boy is the son of the living God, who made the heavens and the earth.

22 For as soon as he came amongst us, the idol was broken, and all the gods fell down, and were destroyed by a greater power.

20 Then was fulfilled the prophecy which saith, Out of Egypt I have called

my son.

CHAP. V.

1 Joseph and Mary leave Egypt. 3 Go to the haunts of robbers, 4 who hearing a mighty noise as of a great army fee

away.

NOW Joseph and Mary, when they

heard that the idol was fallen down and destroyed, were seized with fear and trembling, and said, When we were in the land of Israel, Herod, intending to kill Jesus, slew for that purpose all the infants at Bethlehem, and that neighbourhood.

2 And there is no doubt but the Egyptians, if they come to hear that this idol is broken and fallen down, will burn us with fire.

3 They went therefore hence to the secret places of robbers, who robbed travellers, as they pass by, of their carriages and their clothes, and carried them away bound.

4 These thieves upon their coming heard a great noise, such as the noise of a king with a great army, and many horse, and the trumpets sounding, at his departure from his own city; as to leave all their booty behind them, and fly away in haste.

5 Upon this the prisoners arose, and loosed each other's bonds, and taking each man his bags, they went away, and saw Joseph and Mary coming towards them, and inquired, Where is that king, the noise of whose approach the robbers heard, and have left us so that we are now come off safe?

No. 23, Vol. X.

6 Joseph answered, He will come after us.

CHAP. VI.

1 Mary looks upon a woman in whom Satan had taken up his abode, and she be · comes dispossessed. 5 Christ kissed by a bride made dumb by sorcerers, cures her, 11 miraculously cures a gentlewoman in whom Satan had taken up his abode. 16 A leprous girl cured by the water in which he was washed, and becomes the servunt of Joseph and Mary. 20 The leprous son of a prince's wife cured in the like manner. 37 His mother offers large gifts to Mary and dismisses her with respect.

THEN they went into the city, where there was a woman possessed with a devil, and in whom Satan that cursed rebel, had taken up his abode.

2 One night when she went to fetch water, she could neither endure her clothes on nor to be in any house; but as often as they tied her with chains or cords, she brake them and went out into desert places, and sometimes standing where roads crossed, and in church-yards, would throw stones at men.

3 When St. Mary saw this woman, she pitied her; whereupon Satan presently left her, and fled away in the form of a young man, saying, Wo to me, because of thee, Mary, and thy son.

4 So the woman was delivered from her torment; but considering and perceiving herself naked, she blushed, and avoided seeing any man, and having put on her clothes, went home, and gave an account of her case to her father and relations, who as they were the best of the city, entertained St. Mary and Joseph with the greatest respect.

5 The next morning having received a sufficient supply of provisions for the road, they went from them, and about the evening of the day arrived at another town, where a marriage was then about to be solemnized; but by the arts of Satan, and the practices of tome socerers, the bride was become so dumb, that she could not so much as open her mouth.

6 But when this dumb bride saw the Lady St. Mary entering into the town, and carrying the Lord Christ in her arms, she stretched out her hands to the Lord Christ, and took him in her arms, and closely hugging him, very often kissed him, continually moving and pressing him to her body.

7 Straightway the string of her tongue was loosed, and her ears were open

ed, and she began to sing praises unto God, who had restored her.

8 So there was great joy among the inhabitants of the town that night, who thought that God and his angels were come down among them.

9¶ In this place they abode three days, meeting with the greatest respect, and most splendid entertainment;

10 And being then furnished by the people with provisions for the road, they departed and went to another city, in in which they were inclined to lodge, because it was a famous place.

11 There was in this city a gentlewoman, who, as she went down one day to the river to bathe, behold cursed Satan leaped upon her in the form of a serpent,

12 And folded himself about her belly, and every night lay upon her.

13 This woman, seeing the Lady St. Mary, and the Lord Christ the infant in her bosom, asken the Lady St. Mary, that she would give her the child to kiss, and carry in her arms.

14 When she had consented, and as soon as the woman had moved the child, Satan left her, and fled away, nor did the woman ever afterwards see him.

15 Hereupon all the neighbours praised the supreme God, and the woman rewarded them with ample beneficence.

16 On the morrow the same woman brought perfumed water to wash Lord Jesus; and when she had washed him, she preserved the water.

17 And there was a girl there, whose body wes white with a leprosy, who being sprinkled with this water, and washed, was instantly cleansed from her leprosy.

18 The people therefore said, Without doubt Joseph and Mary, and that boy, are Gods, for they do not look like mortals.

19 And when they were making ready to go away, the girl, who had been troubled with the leprosy, came and desired they would permit her to go along with them: so they consented, and the girl went with them till they came to a city, in which was the palace of a great king, and whose house was nor far from the inn.

20 Here they staid, and when the girl went one day to the prince's wife, and found her in a sorrowful and mournful condition, she asked her the reason of her tears.

21 She replied, Wonder not at my groans, for I am under a great misfortune, of which I dare not tell any one.

22 But, says the girl, if you will entrust me with your private grievance, perhaps I may find you a remedy for it.

23 Thou, therefore, says the prince's wife, shalt keep the secret, and not discover it to any one alive!

24 I have been married to this prince, who rules as king over large dominions, and lived long with him before he had any child by me.

25 At length I conceived by him, but alas! I brought forth a leprous son; which, when he saw, he would not own to be his, but said to me,

26 Either do thou kill him, or send him to some nurse in such a place, that he may be never heard of; and now take care of yourself; I will never see

you more.

27 So here I pine lamenting my wretched and miserable circumstances. Alas, my son! Alas my husband! Have I disclosed it to you

?

28 The girl replied, I have found a remedy for your disease, which I promise you, for I also was leprous, but God hath cleansed me, even he who is called Jesus, the son of the Lady Mary.

29 The woman inquiring, where that God was, whom she spake of; the girl answered He lodges with you here in the same house.

30 But how can this be? says she: where is he? Behold, replied the girl, Joseph and Mary; and the infant who is with them is called Jesus; and it is he who delivered me from my disease and torment:

31 But by what means, says she, were you cleansed from your leprosy; Will not you tell me that?

32 Why not? says the girl: I took the water with which his body had been washed, and poured it upon me, and my leprosy vanished.

33 The prince's wife then arose, and entertained them, providing a great feast for Joseph among a large company of men;

34 and the next day took perfumed water to wash the Lord Jesus, and afterwards poured the same water upon her son, whom she had brought with her, and her son was instantly cleansed from his leprosy.

35 Then she sang thanks and praises unto God, and said, Blessed is the mother that bare thee, O Jesus!

36 Dost thou thus cure men of the came nature with thyself, with the water with which thy body is washed?

37 She then offered very large gifts

to the Lady Mary, and sent her away with all imaginable respect. CHAP. VII.

1 A man who could not enjoy his wife, freed from his disorder. 5 A young man who had been bewitched, and turned into a mule, miraculously cured by Christ being put on his back, 28 and is married to the girl who had been cured of leprosy.

THEY

came afterwards to another city, and had a mind to lodge there.

2 Accordingly they went to a man's house, who was newly married, but by the influence of sorcerers could not enjoy his wife:

3 But they lodging at his house that night, the man was freed of his disorder;

4 And when they were preparing early in the morning to go forward on their journey, the new married person hindered them, and provided a noble entertainment for them.

5 But going forward on the morrow, they came to another city, and saw three women going from a certain grave with great weeping.

6 When St. Mary saw them, she spake to the girl who was their companion, saying, Go and inquire of them what is the matter with them and what misfortune has befallen them?

7 When the girl asked them, they made her no answer, but asked her again, Who are ye, and where are ye going? For the day is far spent, and night is at hand.

8 We are travellers, saith the girl, and are seeking for an inn to lodge at.

9 They replied, Go along with us, and lodge with us.

10 They then followed them, and were introduced into a new house, well furnished with all sorts of furniture.

11 It was now winter-time, and the girl went into the parlour where these women were, and found them weeping and lamenting, as before,

12 By them stood a mule, covered over with silk, and an ebony collar hanging down from his neck, whom they kissed, and were feeding.

13 But when the girl said, How handsome, ladies, that mule is! they replied with tears, and said, This mule, which you see, was our brother, born of this same mother as we;

14 For when our father died, and left us a very large estate, and we had only this brother, and we endeavoured to procure him a suitable match, and thought he should be married as other men, some

giddy and jealous women bewitched him without our knowledge;

15 And we, one night, a little before day, while the doors of the house were all fast shut, saw this our brother was changed into a mule, such as you now see him to be:

16 And we, in the melancholy condition in which you see us, having no father to comfort us, have applied to all the wise men, magicians, and diviners in the world, but they have been of no service to us.

17 As often therefore as we find ourselves oppressed with grief, we rise and go with this our mother to our father's tomb, where when we have cried sufficiently, we return home.

18 When the girl had heard this, she said, Take courage, and cease your fears for you have a remedy for your afflictions near at hand, even among you, and in the midst of your house.

19 For I was also leprous; but when I saw this woman, and this little infant. with her, whose name is Jesus, I sprinkled my body with the water with which his mother had washed him, and I was presently made well.

20 And I am certain that he is also capable of relieving you under your distress. Wherefore arise, go to my mistress Mary, and when you have brought her into your own parlour, disclose to her the secret, at the same time earnestly beseeching her to compassionate your

case.

21 As soon as the women had heard the girl's discourse, they hastened away to the Lady St. Mary, introduced themselves to her, and sitting down before her, they wept,

22 And said, O our Lady St. Mary, pity your handmaids, for we have no head of our family, no one elder than us; no father or brother to go in and out before us;

23 But this mule, which you see, was our brother, which some woman by witchcraft have brought into this condition which you see; we therefore entreat you to compassionate us.

24 Hereupon St. Mary was grieved at their case, and taking the Lord Jesus, put him upon the back of the mule,

25 And said to her son, O Jesus Christ, restore (or heal) according to thy extraordinary power this mule and grant him to have again the shape of a man and a rational creature, as he had formerly.

26 This was scarce said by the Lady

St. Mary, but the mule immedaitely passed into a human form, and became a young man without any deformity.

27 Then he and his mother and the sisters worshipped the Lady St. Mary, and lifting the child upon their heads, they kissed him, and said Blessed is thy mother, O Jesus, O Saviour of the world! Blessed are the eyes which are so happy as to see thee.

28 Then both the sisters told their mother, saying, Of a truth our brother is restored to his former shape by the help of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the kindness of that girl, who told us of Mary and her son.

29 And inasmuch as our brother is unmarried, it is fit that we marry him to this girl their servant.

30 When they had consulted St. Mary in this matter, and she had given her consent, they made a splendid wedding for this girl,

31 And so their sorrow being turned into gladness, and their mourning into mirth, they began to rejoice, and make merry, and sing, being dressed in their richest attire with bracelets,

32 Afterwards they glorified and praised God, saying, O Jesus son of, David, who changest sorrow into gładness, and mourning into mirth.

33 After this Joseph and Mary tarried there ten days, and then went away, having received great respect from those people;

34 Who when they took their leave of them, and returned home, cried, 35 But especially the girl. CHAP VIII.

1 Joseph and Mary pass through a country infested by robbers. 3 Titus a humane thief, offers Dumachus, his comrade, forty groats to let Joseph and Mary pass unmolested. 6 Jesus prophecies that the thieves Dumachus and Titus shall be crucified with him, and that Titus shall go before him into Paradise. 10 Christ causes a well to spring from a sycamore tree, and Mary washes his coat in it. 11 A balsam grows there from his sweat. They go to Memphis, where Christ works more miracles. 14 Return to Judea. 15 Being warned, depart from Nazareth. IN their country from hence they came

into a desert country, and were told it was infested with robbers; so Joseph and St. Mary prepared to pass through it in the night:

2 And as they were going along, behold they saw two robbers asleep in the

road, and with them a great number of robbers, who were their confederates, also asleep.

3 The names of these two were Titus and Dumachus; and Titus said to Dumachus, I beseech thee let those persons go along quietly, that our company may not perceive any thing of them;

4 But Dumachus refusing, Titus again said, I will give thee forty groats, and as a pledge take my girdle, which he gave him before he had done speaking that he might not open his mouth, or make a noise.

5 When the Lady St. Mary saw the kindness which this robber did shew them, she said to him, The Lord God will receive thee to his right hand, and grant thee the pardon of thy sins.

6 Then the Lord Jesus answered, and said to his mother, When thirty years are expired, O mother, the Jews will crucify me at Jerusalem;

7 And these two thieves shall be with me at the same time upon the cross, Titus on my right hand, and Dumachus on my left, and from that time Titus shall go before me into Paradise;

8 And when she had said, God forbid this should be thy lot, O my son, they went on to a city, in which there were several idols; which, as soon as they came near to it, was turned into hills of sand.

9 Hence they went to that sycamore tree, which is now called Materea; 10 And in Matarea the Lord Jesus caused a well to spring forth, in which St. Mary washed his coat;

11 And a balsam is produced, or grows, in that country, from the sweat which ran down there from the Lord Jesus.

12 Thence they proceeded to Memphis, and saw Pharoah, and abode three years in Egypt,

13 And the Lord Jesus did very many miracles in Egypt, which are neither to be found in the Gospel of the Infancy, nor in the Gospel of Perfection.

14 At the end of three years he returned out of Egypt, and when he came near to Judæ, Joseph was afraid to enter;

15 For hearing that Herod was dead, and that Archelaus his son reigned in his stead, he was afraid;

16 And when he went to Judæ, an angel of God appeared to him, and said, O Joseph, go into the city Nazaretli, and abide there.

17 It is strange indeed, that he, who is the Lord of all countries, should be

thus carried backward and forward through so many countries. CHAP. IX.

2 Two sick children cured by water wherein Christ was washed.

WHEN they came afterwards into

the city Bethlehem, they found there several very desperate distempers, which became so troublesome to children by seeing them, that most of them died.

2 There was there a woman, who had a sick son, whom she brought, when he was at the point of death to the Lady St. Mary, who saw her' when she was washing Jesus Christ.

3 Then said the woman, my Lady Mary, look down upon this my son, who is afflicted with most dreadful pains.

4 St. Mary hearing her, said, Take a little of that water with which 1 have washed my son, and sprinkle it upon him.

5 Then she took a little of that water, as St. Mary had commanded, and sprinkled it upon her son, who being wearied with his violent pains, was fallen asleep; and after he had slept a little, awaked perfectly well and recovered.

6 The mother being abundantly glad of this success, went again to St. Mary, and St. Mary said to her, Give the praise to God, who hath cured this thy son.

7 There was in the same place another woman, a neighbour of her, whose son was now cured.

8 This woman's son was afflicted with the same disease, and his eyes were now almost quite shut, and she was lamenting for him day and night.

9 The mother of the child which was cured said to her, Why do you not bring your son to St. Mary, as I brought my son to her, when he was in the very agonies of death; and he was cured by that water, with which the body of her son Jesus was washed?

10 When the woman heard her say this, she also went, and having procured the same water, washed her son with it, whereupon his body and his eyes were instantly restored to their former

pet, and Caleb is cured; but the son of the other wife dies, 4 which occasions a difference between the women. 5 The other wife puts Caleb into a hot oven, and he is miraculously preserved, 9 she afterwards throws him into a well, and he is again preserved; 11 his mother appeals to the virgiu against the other wife, 12 whose downfall the Virgin prophecies, 13 and who accordingly falls into the well, 14 therein fulfilling a saying of old. THERE were in the same city two

wives of one man, who had each a son sick. One of them was called Mary, and her son's name was Caleb.

2 She arose, aud taking her son went to the Lady St. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and offered her a very handsome carpet, saying, O my Lady Mary, accept this carpet of me, and instead of it give me a small swaddling cloth.

3 To this Mary agreed; and when the mother of Caleb was gone, she made a coat for her son of the swadling cloth, and put it on him, and his disease was cured; but the son of the other wife died.

4 ¶ Hereupon there arose between them a difference in doing the business of the family hy turns, each her week;

5 And when the turn of Mary the mother of Caleb came, and she was heating the oven to bake bread, and went away to fetch the meal, she left her son Caleb by the oven;

6 Whom the other wife, her rival, seeing to be by himself, took and cast him into the oven, which was very hot, and then went away.

7 Mary on her return saw her son Caleb lying in the middle of the oven laughing, and the oven quite as cold as though it had not been before heated, and knew that her rival the other wife had thrown him into the fire.

8 When she took him out, she brought him to the Lady St. Mary, and told her the story; to whom she replied, Be quiet, for I am concerned lest thou shouldest make this matter known.

9 After this her rival, the other wife, as she was drawing water at the well, and saw Caleb playing by the well, and that no one was near, took him, and and threw him into the well.

10 And when some men came to fetch water from the well, they saw the boy sitting on the superfices of the water, and drew him out with ropes, and were exceedingly surprised at the child, and praised God.