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Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

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A CHRISTIAN ROMANCE. 537<br />

"then a man? And must thou also die, even as The lament<br />

"other men die who have defiled their bodies and"' '^^'"^*'-<br />

"who are strangers unto God Almighty? No man<br />

"born of a woman hath ever kept his body in<br />

"subjection like <strong>Alexander</strong>, and no ruler of a<br />

"kingdom hath ever turned aside from his lust<br />

"as he hath done. <strong>Alexander</strong> the king hath wrought<br />

"a [p- 339] great and marvellous thing, and no<br />

"man can be compared with him except Elijah,<br />

"the prophet of God Almighty, who went up to<br />

"heaven in his virginity, who set a bridle upon<br />

"heaven by his prayer and who blotted out the<br />

"shrines of fiends and devils. And thou art like<br />

"unto him, O my lord. What words can I utter?<br />

"Whither shall I flee? And who shall be my<br />

"helper this day in my affliction? If it were any<br />

"visible person I would stand up against him in<br />

"armour with my attendant, and I would never<br />

"let go my adversary until my spirit passed from<br />

"my body; but what can I do against Him whom<br />

"I have neither seen nor heard whence He cometh,<br />

"or whither He goeth, or where is His habitation?<br />

"No man can resist Him, and although sages have<br />

"in times of old sought it, they have never found<br />

"the trace of the way by which He carrieth off<br />

"their souls. All things exist by His word, and<br />

"the soul of every man is in His hand, and He<br />

"bringeth back everything to Himself; to Him be<br />

"praise everlastingly from the mouth of all created<br />

"things."<br />

And <strong>Alexander</strong> answered and said unto him,<br />

YYY

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