were continually at prayers. Whereupon the fire burnt about the house, but straightways God's angel appeared with the apostle Matthew, and said to the maiden, "Be steadfast, Effigenia, and fearless; this fire shall return to him that sent it." Whereupon the Lord raised a great wind, and it caught all the flame, and bare it to the king's dwelling, so that there remained nothing to him unburnt, and he himself with difficulty escaped from the fire. Yet better had it been for him to have been burnt than to have escaped; for his only-begotten son forthwith became mad, and the great disease attacked himself, which leeches call elephantinus morbus, with which he was afflicted from the crown above to the soles of his feet below. He saw then that no leech might heal him, and set his sword's point against his belly, and fell upon it, so that it pierced him through. Rightly so that he should receive that before him at his own hands, which he had commanded to be done to the holy apostle behind his back!

The people then set Effigenia's brother, called Ugor, as king, who had before been blessed at the apostle's hands. He reigned in the kingdom sixty-three years, and afterwards set his one son as ealdorman, and the other as king. That kingdom has since continued in true belief until this present day, to the praise of Almighty God, who is of all nations King. There are performed many miracles frequently, through the merit of the blessed apostle, through might of God, for comfort to men. Be therefore praise to God to all eternity. Amen.

OCTOBER XXVIII.

THE PASSION OF THE HOLY APOSTLES SIMON AND JUDE.

MEN most beloved, we will say to you the passion of the apostles whom we to-day honour, SIMON AND JUDE.

HOM. VOL. II.

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Hí ferdon, þurh wissunge þæs Halgan Gastes, to dam earde þe is gehâten Persida, and þær gemetton da twegen drýmen, Zaroen and Arfaxað, þe ætflugon dam apostole Matheo, of Særa Silhearwena lande, and mid mislicum scyncræfton þæt folc dwelodon. pa hæfde se cyning Xerxes gecweden gefeoht ongean da Indiscan, and sende his ealdorman pam here togeanes. Se ealdorman da offrode his lac pam hæðenum godum, ac da deoflu þe on dam anlicnyssum sticodon ne mihton nane andsware syllan, swa swa heora gewuna wæs. Da ferdon hi to oðrum deofolgilde, and þær befrunon, hwĩ heora godas him andwyrdan ne mihton? pa andwyrde se deofol, and cwæð, þæt heora godas ne mihton him andsware syllan for dam twẩm apostolum de pær cumene wæron, an Særa hatte Simon, oder Iudas. "Das habbad swa micele mihte fram Gode, pet nan deofol ne dear on heora andwerdnysse sprecan." pa het se ealdorman Uuarardah hî him to gelangian, and hĩ befran hwæt hí wæron, o Xe hwanon hi comon, oppe hwî hî dider comon? Da apostoli cwædon, "We sind Ebreisce, Hælendes Cristes peowan, and we comon hider for eowere hæle, pæt ge eowere deofolgild forlæton, and oncnawon pone soðan God þe on heofonum is." Da dydon hí, purh pæs ealdormannes bene, þæt da deoflu spræcon, swa swa heora gewuna wæs, and sædon þæt þær wære micel gefeoht toweard, and on ægöre healfe [manega] sceoldon feallan.

Hwæt da apostoli ða hlogon þæra deofla leasunga, and se ealdorman cwæd, "Me stent ege pysse andsware, and ge hlihað." Ɖa apostoli him andwyrdon, "Ablinne din ege, forðan de sib com mid ús to dissere scyre. Beo de stille dæglanges ðinre fyrdinge, and to-merigen, ymbe undern, cumað þine ærendracan de du asendest, and cyðað þe þæt ða Indiscan willað beōn eowere gafol-gylderas, and mid ealre sibbe eow underdeodan." Hwæt ða hæðengyldan, ða de pæet tempel and þæra goda gymdon, cwædon to pam ealdormen mid micclum graman, "La leof, ne scealt du da árwurdan godas de de sod secgad, forseón, for dissera leasra manna

They went, through direction of the Holy Ghost, to the country which is called Persia, and there met the two wizards, Zaroes and Arphaxat, who had fled from the apostle Matthew from the Ethiopians' land, and with divers magic arts deceived the people. At that time the king Xerxes had declared war against the Indians, and sent his general against their army. The general then offered his gifts to the heathen gods, but the devils that abode in the images might not give any answer, as had been their wont. They then went to another idol, and there inquired, why their gods might not answer him? Then the devil answered, and said, that their gods might not give him an answer because of the two apostles that were come there, one of whom was named Simon, the other Jude. "These have so great might from God, that no devil dare speak in their presence." Then the general Warardach commanded them to be brought to him, and asked them who they were, or whence they came, or why they came thither? The apostles said, "We are Hebrews, servants of Jesus Christ, and we are come hither for your salvation, that ye may forsake your idols, and know the true God that is in heaven." They did then, at the prayer of the general, so that the devils spake, as was their wont, and said that a great fight was at hand, and on either side [many] should fall.

Hereupon the apostles laughed at the devils' leasings, and the general said, "Awe seizes me through this answer, and ye laugh." The apostles answered him, "Let thine awe cease, for peace is come with us to this province. Be still for a day's space from thy march, and to-morrow, about the third hour, thy messengers will come whom thou hast sent, and announce to thee that the Indians will be your tributaries, and with all peace submit to you." Hereupon the idolaters, who had care of the temple and the gods, said to the general with great anger, "O Sir, thou shouldst not despise the venerable gods who say the truth to thee, because

and ældeodigra segene; ac hat hí healdan, þy-læs de hí fleames cepon." Da andwyrde se heretoga, "Ic hate healdan hi and cow, odpæt heora sagu afándod sy; sidðan we witon hwilce we sceolon gearwurdian, hwilce fordeman."

Hit weard ða gelæst on merigen swa swa da apostoli behéton, þæt da bodan comon fram dam Indiscum, mid gafole and mid fulre sibbe. pa het se ealdorman onælan ormæte ád, and wolde da hædengildan forbærnan, de dam apostolum widewædon; ac da apostoli begen hí astrehton æt pas ealdormannes fotum, biddende þæt hí næron for heora intingan acwealde: "We comon for manna hælðe hider; nu sind we geðuhte þæt we men acwellon." Hí lagon forð astrehte, and dydon dust uppon heora heafod. Da cwæð se ealdorman, "Wundor me diucd eower dingræden; and hí sealdon sceattas minum degenum, to di þæt ic eow cuce forbærnde." pa apostoli cwædon, "pis is ures lareowes Cristes regol. Odre men hatiað heora fynd, and yfel mid yfele forgyldað, we soðlice lufiað ure fynd, and þam teala doð þe ús hâtiað." Da andwyrde se ealdorman, "Geðafiað huru þæt man ealle heora ahta eow sylle.” And he hét Xa mid pam worde sceawian heora æhta. pa wurdon dær getealde an hund þæra hæðengylda þe ðdæs temples gymdon, and nan man ne mihte heora æhta geriman, on golde and on seolfre, on orfe and on reafe.

Da bead se ealdorman da æhta þam apostolum, ac hí wiðsocon, dus cwedende, "Nis ús alyfed æhta to hæbbenne ofer eordan, forðan de ure æhta sind ece on heofenum, þær dær undeadlicnys ricsað." Se ealdorman cwæð, "Underfoð sum ding, fordan de ge sind ældeodige and dearfan." pa apostoli andwyrdon, "Ne sind we na dearfan, forðan de we habbað heofenlice welan. Ac gif du wilt pæt pis feoh becume to dinre sawle dearfe, todæl hit donne dearfum and wanhalum, wydewum and steop-bearnum, and hafenleasum gafelgyldrum:

of the saying of these lying men and foreigners; but bid them be held, lest they take to flight." Then answered the leader, "I will order them and you to be held, until their saying be proved; afterwards we shall know which we shall reverence, which condemn.”

It then took place on the morrow as the apostles had promised, that messengers came from the Indians, with tribute and with full peace. The general then commanded an immense pile to be kindled, and would burn the idolaters, who had gainsaid the apostles; but both the apostles stretched themselves at the general's feet, praying that for their sake they might not be killed: "We are come hither for the salvation of men; now it seems to us that we kill men." They continued lying prostrate, and put dust on their heads. Then said the general, "Your intercession seems to me a wonder; and they gave money to my servants, that I might burn you alive." The apostles said, "This is the rule of our teacher Christ. Other men hate their foes, and requite evil with evil, but we love our foes, and do good unto them that hate us." The general then answered, "Consent at least that all their possessions be given to you." And he then with that speech commanded them to view their possessions. There were then reckoned an hundred of the idolaters that had charge of the temple, and no man could number their possessions in gold and in silver, in cattle and in raiment.

Then bade the general those possessions be given to the apostles, but they refused, thus saying, "It is not allowed us to have possessions on earth, because our possessions are eternal in heaven, where immortality reigns.' The general said, "Receive something, because ye are strangers and poor." The apostles answered, "We are not poor, for we have heavenly riches. But if thou wilt that this money turn to thy soul's need, distribute it to the poor and the sick, to widows and step-children, and indigent tributaries: but we