shore, sufficiently comely in body and in demeanour, and very suitable, methought, for my bodily lust. Then I shamelessly, as I was wont, went amongst them, and said to them: " Take me with you on your voyage; I shall not be displeasing to you." And I soon excited them all to wicked vices and shameful jestings, with many other filthy and lewd expressions. Then they, seeing my shameless behaviour, took me with them in their ship, and rowed away. Oh, Zosimus, how can I relate to you, or what tongue may say, or what ear hear, the evil deeds that took place upon the voyage, and that were done in the passage; and how I compelled to sin both the wretches who were willing and the wretches who gave me money. There is no description of lewdness, utterable or unutterable, which I did not allure to and teach, and first performed. Be now satisfied with this; for I wonder how the sea could suffer and endure my unrighteous desires, or how the earth at any rate did not open her mouth, and sink me all alive down into hell, who led so many 408 souls into the snare of perdition, except that I suppose God sought my repentance. He who suffereth none to perish, but saveth all who believe upon Him. For verily He desireth not the death of the sinner, but patiently expecteth his conversion. Thus we, with great haste, journeyed on to Jerusalem; and as many days as I lived in the city before the day of the festival [of the Rood], I associated myself with similar, and even worse, foul deeds. I did not restrict myself to the young men who associated with me on the sea or on the journey, but I also gathered together many of the strangers and citizens in the deeds of my sins, and betrayed and contaminated
