Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/27

Rh "The holy apostle and the minister of the King Gondaphorus embarked; and Thomas converted on the way a great number of infidels, especially at Aden, a town situated at the entrance of the Red Sea, where they stopped some time. They arrived at length on the coast of India; and in the first city they entered, they were present at the marriage of the king's daughter. St. Thomas preached the Gospel, and performed many wonderful miracles, which effected numerous conversions, and amongst others that of the king; and the newly-married pair also received baptism. A long time afterwards the princess, who had been named Pelagiana, took the holy veil, and suffered martyrdom. The husband, called Denis, was consecrated bishop of the town.

"The Apostle and Abbas, however, went on their way to King Gondaphorus. Thomas was presented to him as an architect; and the king entrusted him with great treasures, in order to provide for the expenses of a magnificent palace, which he ordered him to construct. Gondaphorus then departed into another province; and Thomas, instead of busying himself about the construction of the palace, traversed the country, preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, and distributing the treasures to the poor, for the space of two years, during which the king remained absent. He converted to the faith an innumerable multitude. When Gondaphorus came back and asked him about the palace, the apostle said, 'the palace is built, but thou wilt only inhabit it in eternity;' and thereupon the king, who regarded him as a magician, ordered him to be flung into a horrible dungeon, flayed alive, and burnt.

"In the meantime, however, Sud, the brother of King