Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

A CHRISTIAN ROMANCE. 443
day, the words of the Book of the Law wherein Address to
.
Moses commandeth, saying, "The woman that
"falleth into sin with any man except her husband
"shall be stoned;"' and again [he saith], "If a
"woman in the time of her virginity fall into sin
"and transgress, she shall be slain together with
"him that made her to sin.'"' And yet thou, O
woman, who hearest these words from priests,
both new and old, with understanding, dost swear
falsely and dost curse our mother Eve, wishing
to justify thyself, and sayest, "This is what our
"mother Eve wrought for us. She hath brought
"upon us curse, and tribulation, and sickness, and
"death, and uncleanness, and sorrow of heart,
"and in pain must we bring forth children; our
"entreaty must be to^ our husband, and he must
"be our place of refuge, and he is lord over us
*'and over our children."
And thus thou sayest, O woman, and thus dost
thou curse thy mother [Eve] who understood not
the first battle with the Adversary, and who knew
neither the words of the Prophets, nor the preach-
ing of the Apostles and Evangelists, who water
with their doctrine all those who will hearken unto
their admonitions, and those who will listen to
their words, whether they be those who are in
the bonds of matrimony, or those who are in the
state of virgins, or those who are widowers, or
' Deuteronomy xxii. 22.
^ Deuteronomy xxii. 23, 24. ^ Read 'llfl '
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women.