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the girts of the saddle broke.

      6 And now he drew near to a great

       city, in which there was an idol,

       to which the priests of the other

       idols and gods of Egypt brought

       their offerings and vows.

      7 And there was by this idol a

       priest ministering to it, who, as

       often as Satan spoke out of that

       idol, related the things he said to

       the inhabitants of Egypt, and those

       countries.

      8 This priest had a son three

       years old, who was possessed with

       a great multitude of devils, who

       uttered many strange things and

       when the devils seized him, walked

       about naked with his clothes torn,

       throwing stones at those whom

       he saw.

      9 Near to that idol was the inn

       of the city, into which when Joseph

       and St. Mary were come, and had

       turned into that inn, all the

       inhabitants of the city were

       astonished.

      10 And all the magistrates and

       priests of the idols assembled

       before that idol, and made inquiry

       there, saying, What means all this

       consternation, and dread, which

       has fallen upon all our country?

      11 The idol answered them,

       The unknown God is come thither,

       who is truly God; nor is there any

       one besides him, who is worthy of

       divine worship for he is truly the

       Son of God.

      12 At the fame of him this

       country trembled, and at his

       coming it is under the present

       commotion and consternation, and

       we ourselves are afrighted by the

       greatness of his power.

      13 And at the same instant this

       idol fell down, and at his fall all

       the inhabitants of Egypt, besides

       others ran together.

      14 But the son of the priest,

       when his usual disorder came upon

       him going into the inn, found

       there Joseph and St. Mary, whom

       all the rest had left behind and

       forsook.

      15 And when the Lady St. Mary

       had washed the swaddling clothes

       of the Lord Christ, and hanged

       them out to dry upon a post, the

       boy possessed with the devil took

       down one of them, and put it upon

       his head.

      16 And presently the devils

       began to come out of his mouth,

       and fly away in the shape of crows

       and serpents.

      17 From that time the boy was

       healed by the power of the Lord

       Christ and he began to sing

       praises, and give thanks to the

       Lord who had healed him.

      18 When his father saw him

       restored to his former state of

       health, he said, My son, what has

       happened to thee, and by what

       means wert thou cured?

      19 The son answered, When the

       devils seized me, I went into the

       inn, and there found a very

       handsome woman with a boy, whose

       swaddling clothes she had just

       before washed, and hanged out upon

       a post.

      20 One of these I took, and put

       it upon my head, and immediately

       the devils left me, and fled away.

      21 At this the father exceedingly

       rejoiced, and said, My son,

       perhaps this boy is the son of the

       living God, who made the heavens

       and the earth.

      22 For as soon as he came

       amongst us, the idol was broken,

       and all the gods fell down, and

       were destroyed by a greater power.

      23 Then was fulfilled the prophecy

       which saith, Out of Egypt I have

       called my son.

      CHAPTER V.

      1 Joseph and Mary leave Egypt.

       3 Go to the Haunts of robbers,

       4 Who hearing a mighty noise,

       as of a great army flee away.

      NOW Joseph and Mary when

       they heard that the idol was

       fallen down and destroyed, were

       seized with fear and, trembling,

       and said, When we Were in the

       land of Israel, Herod, intending

       to kill Jesus, slew for that purpose

       all the infants at Bethlehem, and

       that neighbourhood.

      2 And there is no doubt but

       the Egyptians if they come to

       hear that this idol is broken and

       fallen down, will burn us with fire.

      3 They went therefore hence to

       the secret places of robbers, who

       robbed travellers as they pass by,

       of their carriages and their clothes

       and carried them away bound.

      4 These thieves upon their

       coming heard a great noise such

       as the noise of a king with a great

       army, and many horse and the

       trumpets sounding at his departure

       from his own city, at which they

       were so affrighted, as to leave

       all their booty behind them and

       fly away in haste.

      5 Upon this the prisoners arose,

       and loosed each other's bonds,

       and taking each man his bags,

      

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