Page:The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas.djvu/331

And took off my garment wrought in gold and jeweled
Which they had made in their love,
And the cloak as yellow as gold,
Which answered my size.
And they agreed with me
And wrote it into my heart, that I should not forget it;
'When thou goest down into Egypt
To fetch thence the one pearl
Which is there < in the midst of the sea, >
Which the devouring serpent surrounds—
Thou shalt put on the jeweled garment
And the cloak, which thou hast enjoyed,
And with thy brother <our nearest kin, >
Thou shalt be heir in our kingdom.'

109. I came from the East < and went down >
On a difficult, dangerous road,
Accompanied by two guides,
For I was unexperienced, to travel on it.
I passed by the border of Mesene,
The stopping place of the merchants of the East,
Came into the land of the Babylonians
< And entered within the walls of Sarbug. >
And when I had come to Egypt,
The guides, my fellow-travelers, left me,
I betook myself by the shortest road to the serpent,
Settled about its cave,
And waited till it slept
That I might secretly take my pearl.
And when I was alone