Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/39

 Son, whose gospel I preach and teach, that in him men have hope; who alone has had compassion upon a world led astray, that men may be no longer under judgment, but may have faith and fear of God and knowledge of honesty and love of truth. If, therefore, I teach what has been revealed to me by God, what wrong am I doing, O proconsul?" When the proconsul heard this, he ordered Paul to be bound and sent to prison, until he had time to hear him more attentively.

18. And Thecla, by night, took off her bracelet and gave it to the gatekeeper; and the door being opened to her, she went into the prison. To the jailer she gave a silver mirror, and was thus enabled to go in beside Paul, and sitting at his feet, she heard the great deeds of God. And Paul was afraid of nothing, but trusted in God. And her faith also increased and she kissed his bonds.

19. And when Thecla was missed by her friends and Thamyris, they were running up and down the streets, as if she had been lost, and one of the gatekeeper's fellow-slaves informed them that she had gone out by night. And they examined the gatekeeper, who said to them, " She has gone to the foreigner into the prison." And having gone, they found her, as it were, enchained by affection. And having gone forth thence, they incited the people, and informed the governor what had happened.

20. And he ordered Paul to be brought before the tribunal ; but Thecla was wallowing on the place where Paul had sat whilst in prison. And the Governor