δήμοι ἐπιβῆναι τῇ πυρᾷ ἡ δὲ τὸν τύπον σαυρός ποιησα μένη, ἐπέβη τῶν ξύλων. Οἱ δὲ δήμιοι ὑφῆψαν τὸ πῦρ καὶ μεγάλης πυρᾶς ἐκλαμψάσης, ἐχ ἥψατο αὐτῆς τὸ πῦρ. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς σπλαγ χνισθεὶς ἐπ' αὐτὴν, ἦχον ὑπόγειον ἐποίησεν· καὶ νεφέλη ἄνωθεν ὑπεσκίασεν ὕδατος πλήρης καὶ χαλάζης· καὶ ἐξεχύθη πᾶν τὸ κύτος το ἐδάφες, ὡς πολλὲς κινδυνεύ σαι καὶ ἀποθανεῖν, καὶ τὸ μὲν πῦρ σβεσθῆναι, τὴν δὲ Θέκλαν σωθῆναι.

wood in order, the people commanded her to go upon it; which the did, frft makThen the people fet fire to ing the fign of the cross. the pile; though the fame was exceeding large, it did not touch her; for God took compaffion on her, and caufed a great eruption from the earth beneath, and a cloud from above to pour down great quantities of rain and hail, infomuch that by the rupture of the earth, very many were in great danger, and fome were killed, the fre was extinguished, and Thecla preferved.

CHAP. XVI.

In the mean time Paul, together with Onefiphorus, his wife and children, was keeping a faft in a certain cave,

which was in the road from

Iconium to Daphne. And when they had fafted for feveral days, the children faid to Paul, Father, we are bungry, and have not wherewithal to buy bread; for Onefiphorus had left all his fub

ftance, to follow Paul with his family. Then Paul, taking of his coat, faid to the boy, Go, child, and buy bread,

and

“Υπαγε, τέκνον, αγόρασον ἄρτες πλείονας, καὶ φέρε. Ως δὲ ἠγόρασεν ὁ παῖς τὰς ἄρτας, ἴδεν Θέκλαν τὴν γείτονα αὐτῆ, καὶ ἐθαμβήθη, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· Θέκλα, πε πορεύη; Ἡ δὲ εἶπεν· Παῦλον διώκω, ἐκ πυρὸς σωθεῖσα. Καὶ ὁ παῖς εἶπεν αὐτῇ· Δεῦ ρο, ἀπαγάγω σὲ πρὸς αὐτόν· σε σενάζει γὰρ περὶ σᾶς καὶ προσεύχεται, καὶ νηςεύει ἤδη ἡμέρας ἕξι

CAP. XVII.

Ως δὲ ἐπέση ἡ Θέκλα ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, Παύλε τα γόνατα κεκλικότος, καὶ προσευχομένε, καὶ λέγοντος· Πάτερ ἅγιε, Κύριε Ιησέ Χρισέ, μὴ ἁψάσθω τὸ πῦρ Θέκλας, ἀλλὰ παράςηθι αὐτῇ, ὅτι δέλη σε ἐσιν. Ἡ δὲ ὄπισθεν ἑςῶσα ἐβόησε λέγεσα· Δέσποτα Κύριε, ὁ ποιήσας τὸν ἐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, ὁ τὸ ἀγαπητᾶ καὶ αγία παιδίς σε πάτερ, εὐλογῶ σε, ὅτι ἔσωσας με ἐκ πυρὸς, ἵνα Παῦλον ἴδω. Καὶ ἀναςὰς Παῦλος ἴδεν αὐτὴν, καὶ εἶπεν· Θεέ καρδιογνώςα, πάτερ τ8 Κυρία με Ιησε Χρισέ, εὐλογῶ σε, ὅτι ὃ ἠρώτησα, ἔδωκάς μοι.

and bring it hither. But while the boy was buying the bread, he faw his neigh bour Thecla, and was furprized, and faid to her, Thecla, where are you going ? She replied, I am in purfuit of Paul, having been delivered from the fames. The boy then faid, I will bring you to him, for he is under great concern on your account, and has been in prayer and fafting these fix days.

CHAP. XVII.

When Thecla came to the

cave, the found Paul upon his knees praying, and faying, Ο holy Father, Ο Lord Jefus Chrift, grant that the fire may not touch Thecla; but be her helper, for fe is thy fervant. Thecla then fanding behind him, cried out in the following words: O fovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the Father of thy beloved and holy Son, I praise thee that thou haft preferved me from the fire, to fee Paul again. Paul then arofe, and when he faw her, faid, Ο God, wbo fearcheft the heart, Father of Lord Jefus Chrift, I praise thee that thou haft anfwered

my

my prayer.

CHAP.

CAP. XVIII. Καὶ ἦν ἔσω ἐν τῷ μνημείῳ ἀγάπη πολλὴ, Παύλε αγαλλιωμένα, καὶ Ονησιφόρε, και

πάντων τῶν σὺν αὐτοῖς. Εἶ χον δὲ πέντε ἄρτες, καὶ λάχανα, καὶ ὕδωρ, καὶ εὐφραίνοντο ἐπὶ τοῖς ὁσίοις ἔργοις το Χρις. Καὶ εἶπεν Θέκλα πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον Περιχαρο, καὶ ακολεθήσω σοι, ὅπε δ ̓ ἂν πορεύῃ. Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· Ὁ καιρὸς αἰσχρὸς, καὶ σὺ γυνὴ εύμορφος μή σε άλλος πει βασμὸς λάβοι χείρων τα πρώτ τε, καὶ ἐχ ὑπομενεῖς, ἀλλὰ δειλιάσεις. Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Θέκλα Μόνον δός τὴν ἐν μοι Χρισῷ σφραγῖδα, καὶ ἐχ άψεταί με πειρασμός. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Παῦλος τῇ Θέκλα. Μακροθύμησον, καὶ λήψῃ τὴν δω ρεάν το Χρίση.

CAP. XIX.

εν

Καὶ ἀπέπεμψε Παῦλος τὸν Ονησιφόρον εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτῇ πανοικεί· αὐτὸς δὲ λαβόμενος τὴν Θέκλαν, εἰς ̓Αντιόχειαν ἀπίει. Αμα δὲ τῷ ἔρχεσθαι αὐτὲς ἐν τῇ πόλει, Σύρος της, ̓Αλέξανδρος ονόματι, Αντιοχέων πρωτοπολίτης, πολλά ποιῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ Vol. II.

CHAP. XVIII. And there prevailed among them in the cave an entire affection to each other ; Paul, Onefiphorus, and all that were with them being filled with joy. They had five loaves, fome herbs, and water, and they folaced each other in refeltions flections upon the holy works of Chrift. Then faid Thecla to Paul, If you be pleafed with it, I will follow you whitherm her, Perfons are now much foever you go. He replied to given to fornication, and you being handfome, I am afraid left you hould meet with greater temptation than the former, and fhould not withstand, but be overcome by it. Thecla replied, Grant me only the feal hall afect me. Paul anfwered of Chrift, and no temptation Thecla, Wait with patience, and you shall receive the gift of Chrift.

ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ αὐτῇ· καὶ ἰδὼν τὴν Θέκλαν, ἐφίλησεν αὐτήν· καὶ ἐξελιπάρει τὸν Παῦλον χρήμασι καὶ δώροις πολλοῖς. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Οὐκ οἶδα τὴν γυναῖκα ταύτην, ἣν λέγεις, ἐδὲ γάρ ἐσιν ἐμή. Ὁ δὲ πολὺ δυνάμενος εἰς ̓Αντιόχειαν, αὐτὸς αὐτῇ περιε πλάκη, φιλῶν αὐτὴν ἐν τῷ ἀμφόδῳ. Ἡ δὲ Θέκλα ἐκ ἠνέσχετο, ἀλλὰ Παῦλον ἐζήτε, καὶ ἀνέκραξε πικρῶς ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλη, λέγεσα· Μὴ βιάση με την ξένην, μὴ βιάση με τὴν τῇ Θεῖ δέλην. Ικωνιέων εἰμὶ πρώτη, καὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ θέλειν με γαμηθῆναι Θα μύριδι, ἐκβέβλημαι τῆς πό

λεως με.

αυτό

Καὶ ἐπιλαβομένη τὸν ̓Αλέξανδρον, περιέσχισεν αὐτῇ τὴν χλαμύδα, καὶ τὸν σέφανον ἀφείλετο ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτῆ, καὶ ἔζησεν αὐτὸν θρίαμβον ἐπὶ πάντων. Ὁ

δὲ ̓Αλέξανδρος, ἅμα μὲν φι λῶν αὐτὴν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ αἰσχυνόμενος τὸ γεγονὸς, προσήγαγεν τῷ ἡγεμόνι αὐτήν· κακείνης ὁμολογησάσης ταῦτα πεπραχέναι, κατέκρινεν

****

* There being fomewhat wanting here in the old Greek MS. I chofe rather to fupply it out of the old Latin Verfion, which is in the

during his magiftracy, faw Thecla, and fell in love with her, and endeavoured by many rich presents to engage Paul in his intereft. But Paul

told him, I know not the woman of whom you speak, nor does The belong to me. But he being a perfon of great power in Antioch, feized her in the ftreet, and kiffed her; which Thecla would not bear, but looking about for Paul, cried out in a diftreffed loud tone, Force me not, who am a ftranger; force me not, who am a fervant of God; I am one of the principal perfons of Iconium, and was obliged to leave that city, because I would not be married to Thamyris. Then

the laid hold on Alexander, tore his coat, and took his crown of his head, and made him appear ridiculous before all the people. But Alexander, partly as he loved her, and partly being afhamed of what had been done, led her to the governor, and upon her confeffion of what the had done * he condemned her to be thrown among the beafts.

Bodleian Library, Cod. Digb. 39. than out of Simeon Metaphraftes, a writer of the eleventh century.

CHAP.