Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 7, 1896.djvu/138

116 they said: "He hath lived a long time, and is therefore grown weak in body and hath lost his strength; and so he hath no power any more in body, but hath lost his strength. And thus he hath no more any power, but is brought low, as thou perceivest."

Jovasaph said: "What will become of him?" And they answered: "Death will release him from such afflictions as are his."

Jovasaph said: "What is death?" And they answered: "It is death which severs the spirit from the flesh, and the flesh remains lifeless."

Jovasaph sai : "Is death lord over all alike or over this man only?" And they answered, that if death were not to remove men, the earth would not suffice to contain mankind. But death was to come unto all alike.

Jovasaph said: "And after how many years cometh death unto man?" And they answered: "Death waits not upon time, but cometh upon every age suddenly, on old man and child, on the humble and great, on the rich and poor alike."

Jovasaph said: "And is it possible for anyone to escape from death?" And they said: "No, for it must needs be that all should die."

But Jovasaph when he heard all this said: "Then bitter and brief is the life of this world." And after thinking upon it he desired to learn what would become of man after death. And as touching this he was daily full of care, and he took no rest, but wished to find someone who could teach him the way of salvation. But he that knoweth the heart and revealeth the secrets of men; who desireth that every man should live and come to a knowledge of the truth, shewed unto him the way of life in his most merciful loving kindness as follows:

And it came to pass in those days there was a man learned and wise among the aged Eremites. He was acquainted with God's commands, and versed in the Old and New Testaments, very eloquent and erudite, and his name was Baralam. Now by the intimation of the Holy Spirit he knew about the son of the king; and he arose and came into that city in the guise of a merchant. And having entered the city he abode there many days, until he became known to the servant of the king's son, who full often went in and out confidentially. And the old man took him aside and said: "Know, my lord, that I am a trader come hither from a far land, and I have a precious jewel of great price, such as no man hath ever seen the like of. And I have desired to shew it unto thee alone, because I know thee to be a wise man and trusted by thy master, the son of the great king. And I would fain be brought by thee before the king's son, that I may shew unto him the beautiful pearl. For this pearl hath power to give sight unto the blind, to the dumb to speak, and to the deaf to hear, to the hall to walk, and