Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/257

 pulleys, and boats, and oars and masts; in stone monuments, temples, and royal palaces." And the King said, "Wilt thou build me a palace?" And he answered, "Yes, I shall build it, and finish it; for because of this I have come, to build and to do carpenter's work."

18. And the King having accepted him, took him out of the gates of the city, and began to talk with him on the way about the building of the palace, and how the foundations should be laid, till they came to the place where the building was to be carried out. And he said, "Here I wish the building to be!" And the apostle said, "Yes, for this place is appropriate for the building." For the place was like a wood, and much water was there. And the King says, "Begin at once!" And he answered, "Now I cannot commence." Says the King, "When wilt thou?" He said, "I shall begin in November and finish in April." And the King was surprised, and said, "Each building is built in the summer, but canst thou build and finish a palace in the winter?" And the apostle says, "Thus it must be done, and otherwise it is impossible." And the King said, "If thou hast resolved upon this, mark out for me how the work is to be done, since I shall come here after some time." And the Apostle took a reed, measured the place, and marked it out; the doors to be set towards the rising of the sun, to look to the light, the windows toward the west, to the winds; the bakehouse he made toward the south, and the water-pipes necessary