Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

A CHRISTIAN ROMANCE. 455
"dary which Thou hast defined for it. Things
"which are visible and things which are invisible,
"and demons, and vipers and snakes, and all spiri-
"tual things which can neither be felt or touched
"with a hand of earth, are subject unto Thee.
"And now, O God, inasmuch as the generations
"of the children of men are aweary, work Thou
"so that they may not be terrified either at the
"faces of these terrible peoples, or at their bitter Alexander's
"words. And if Thou wilt not do this, and Jf'"'^^"'
"Thou dost not give them strength to resist these
"nations, why should men be afraid either at the
"sound of wild animals, or at the noise of the
"thunder, or at the earthquake, or at the winds,
"or at the sound of fire, or at the serpent, or when
"they see a sign in the heavens, or a wonder on
"the earth [p. 273] or in the sea? Thou, O God,
"shewest mercy upon man, even as a father when
"he shaveth the head of his child, and even as his
"mother who giveth him suck that he may not
"weep and be beaten. And again, if Thou wilt
"not do this, why, O God, should not the life of
"man be destroyed by the water floods, or by the
"desert, or by the sun, or by the heat, or by the
"want of meat and drink, or by the excessive in-
"crease of the wild animals and beasts of the desert
"which strike fear into him? And, moreover, men
"would be afraid of their prey if Thou hadst put
"fear into their hearts, or they would be over-
"come by it, and if Thou hadst not given them
"strength they would be afraid of the dog and the