Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

A CHRISTIAN ROMANCE. 535
"O Father of the orphan, Stay of the widow,
"Comforter of the sorrowful, Helper of him that
"hath no helper, Creator of all men, Vivifier of
"all men, Who makest to boast those who take
"refuge in Thy name, be Thou to my son Alexander
"a place of rest and a habitation of delight. He
"bore no fruit in [this] world in order that he
"might bear fruit unto Thee, for he preferred to
"do [Thy] work. He had no child to leave, behind
"to become my son by Thy goodness, and he
"never married a wife who could have wept with
"me. He never took pleasure in the sinful riches
"of Sheol, and he heaped up no wealth to leave
"behind, as rich men are wont to do, for he
"wished to have treasure in heaven. Therefore be The lament
"not Thou ashamed, O God, of the treasure ofas.
^''"
"Thy help, for he hearkened unto Thy com-
"mandments, and kept Thy will, and he never
"served other gods besides Thee. Be Thou to
"him merciful, be Thou to him a helper, and
"receive Thou him in peace, for praise is meet
"for Thee. Reject not, O God, the voice of Thy
"sorrowful, and miserable, and sad handmaiden."
And she ceased not to say these and such like
words, and she was shedding tears as it were
rivers of water, and as she wept she mourned
and lamented through love for her son, and she
could not be comforted for him by reason of
the great sorrow which was in her heart.
Now when Alexander saw the sign for which
he had asked formerly he knew concerning his