Page:Barlaam and Josaphat. English lives of Buddha.djvu/159

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LẎF OF SAẎNT BALLAM.
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was thenne dede toward god and I nombre not the yerys of dethe / wyth the yerys of lyf / and whan Joſaphat wold haue folowed hym in to deſerte balaam ſayd to hym/ yf thou do ſo/ I ſhal not haue thy companye / and I ſhial be thenne thanctor of perſecucyon to my brethern / but whan thou ſeeſt tyme couenable / thou ſhalt come to me/ and thenne balaam baptyſed the kynges ſone/ and enformed hym wel in the feythe/ and after retorned in to his celle/ and a lytel whyle after the kynge herde ſaye that hys ſone was cryſtened/ wherfore he was moche ſorowful / and one that was his frende named Arachys recomfortyng hym ſayd/ Syr kynge I knowe right well an olde hermyte that reſembleth moche balaam / and he is of our ſecte / He ſhal fayne hym as he were balaam / & ſhal deffende fyrſte the feyth of cryſten men/ and after dial leue and retorne fro it / and thus your ſone ſhal retorne to you / and thenne the kynge wente in to deſerte as it were to feche balaam and toke thys hermyte and fayned that he had taken balaam / and whan the kynges ſone herde that balaam was taken he wepte bytterlye / but afterwarde he knewe by reuelacyon deuyne that it was not he / Thenne the kynge wente to his ſone and ſayd to hym thou haſt put me in grete heuyneſſe/ thou haſt dyſhonoured myn

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