Page:Suppressed Gospels and Epistles.djvu/41

 and made it deep, but fell themselves into the pit which they prepared.

1  Bartholomew, when a child and sick, miraculously restored by being laid on Christ's bed.

ANOTHER woman in that city had. likewise two son's sick.

2 And when one was dead, the other, who lay at the point of death, she took in her arms to the Lady St. Mary, and in a flood of tears addressed herself to her, saying,

3 O my Lady, help and relieve me; for I had two sons, the one I have just now buried, the other I see is fast at the point of death behold how I (earnestly) seek for your from God, and pray to him.

4 Then she said, O Lord, thou art gracious, and merciful, and kind; thou, hast given me two sons; one of them thou halt taken to thyself, O spare me this other.

5 St. Mary then perceiving the greatness of her sorrow, pitied her and said, Do thou place thy son in my son's bed, and cover him with his clothes.

6 And when she had placed him in the bed wherein Christ lay, at the moment when his eyes were just closed by death; as soon as ever the small of the garments of the Lord Jesus Christ reached the boy, his eyes were opened, and calling with a loud voice to his mother, he asked for bread, and when he had received it, he sucked it.

7 Than his mother said, O Lady Mary, now I am assured that the powers of God do dwell in you, so that thy son can cure children who are of the same sort as himself, as soon as they touch his garments.

8 This boy, who was thus cured, is the same who in the Gospel is called Bartholomew.

A leprous woman healed by Christ's washing water. 7  A princess healed by it and restored to her husband.

AGAIN, there was a leprous woman who went to the Lady St. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and said, O my Lady, help me.

2 St. Mary replied, What help does thou desire? Is it gold or silver, or that thy body be cured of its leprosy?

3 Who, says the woman, can grant me this?

4 St. Mary replied to her, Wait a little till I have washed my son Jesus, and put him to bed.

5 The woman waited, as she was commanded; and Mary when she had put Jesus in bed, giving her the water with which she had washed his body, said, Take some of the water, and pour it upon thy body;

6 Which when she had done, she instantly became clean, and praised God, and gave thanks to him.

7 Then she went away, after she had abode with her three days;

8 And going into the city, she saw a certain prince, who had married another princes daughter;

9 But when he came to see her, he perceived between her eyes the signs of leprosy like a star, and thereupon declared the marriage dissolved and void.

10 When the woman saw these persons in this condition, exceeding sorrowful, and shedding abundance of tears, she inquired of them the reason of their crying;

11 They replied, inquire not into our circumstances; for we are not able to declare our misfortunes to any, person, whatsoever.

12 But she still pressed and desired them to communicate their case to her; intimating, that she might be able to direct them to a remedy.

13 So when they showed the young woman to her, and the signs