Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/407

 and respect it as being most uncorrupted and true. And therefore I desire to pass over that circumstance, and to translate the other matters which are contained in his Passion, even as the venerable lord AEthelwerd persistently requested me to do.

After the  Saviour's  passion  and  resurrection  from  death

and ascension  into  heaven,  when  His  apostles

travelled throught  this  earth,  then  came  Thomas

to the  city  of  Caesarea,  and  the  Saviour  Himself

came to  him  from  heaven,  thus  saying: —

' The  king  of  the  Indians,  who  is  called  Gondophorus,

hath sent  his  steward  to  the  Syrian  land

to seek  a  workman  who  is  well  skilled  in  his  craft;

come now,  I  will  straightway  send  thee  forth  with  him.'

Then answered  Thomas:    '  Oh! thou my  Lord,

send me  whither  Thou  wilt,  save  to  the  Indians.'

The Saviour  said  to  him: — '  Go  now,  and  I  will  be  with  thee,

and will  not  forsake  thee;

and after  that  thou  hast  gained  for  Me  the  Indians,

thou shalt  come  to  Me  with  the  glorious  crown  of  martyrdom.'

Thomas answered  Him:    '  Thou  art  my  Lord,

and I  am  Thy  servant;    Thy  will  be  done.'

Lo then! the steward,  who  was  named  Abbanes,

(come) from  the  Indian  king,  rowed  to  land,

and went  through  the  province  seeking  his  errand.

Then Christ  went  to  him,  and  said  openly,

' What  buyest  thou,  youth? '    He  answered  and  said:

' My  lord,  the  king  of  the  Indies,

hath sent  me  to  this  country  to  inquire  for  workmen,

that I  may  hire  them  home  for  his  work;

or I  will  buy  them,  if  they  are  slaves;

such as  are  cunning  in  stone,  and  are  approved  of  in  wood,