"A certain king was grieved and exceeding sad at heart, because that he
had no male issue, deeming this no small misfortune. While he was in
this condition, there was born to him a son, and the king's soul was
filled with joy thereat. Then they that were learned amongst his
physicians told him that, if for the first twelve years the boy saw the
sun or fire, he should entirely lose his sight, for this was proved by
the condition of his eyes. Hearing this, the king, they say, caused a
little house, full of dark chambers, to be hewn out of the rock, and
therein enclosed his child together with the men that nursed him, and,
until the twelve years were past, never suffered him to see the least
ray of light. After the fulfilment of the twelve years, the king
brought forth from his little house his son that had never seen a
single object, and ordered his waiting men to show the boy everything
after his kind; men in one place, women in another; elsewhere gold and
silver; in another place, pearls and precious stones, fine and
ornamental vestments, splendid chariots with horses from the royal
stables, with golden bridles and purple caparisons, mounted by armed
soldiers; also droves of oxen and flocks of sheep. In brief, row after
row, they showed the boy everything. Now, as he asked what each ox
these was called, the king's esquires and guards made known unto him
each by name: but, when he desired to learn what women were called, the
king's spearman, they say, wittily replied that they were called,
"Devils that deceive men." But the boy's heart was smitten with the
love of these above all the rest. So, when they had gone round
everywhere and brought him again unto the king, the king asked, which
of all these sights had pleased him most. "What," answered the boy,
"but the Devils that deceive men? Nothing that I have seen to-day hath
fired my heart with such love as these." The king was astonished at the
saying of the boy, to think how masterful a thing the love of women is.
Therefore think not to subdue thy son in any other way than this."
The king heard this tale gladly; and there were brought before him some
chosen damsels, young and exceeding beautiful. These he bedizened with
dazzling ornaments and trained in all winsome ways: and then he turned
out of the palace all his son's squires and serving men, and set these
women in their stead. These flocked around the prince, embraced him,
and provoked him to filthy wantonness, by their walk and talk inviting
him to dalliaunce. Besides these, he had no man at whom to look, or
with whom to converse or break his fast, for these damsels were his
all. Thus did the king. But Theudas went home to his evil den, and,
dipping into his books that had virtue to work such magic, he called up
one of his wicked spirits and sent him forth, for to battle with the
soldier of the army of Christ. But the wretch little knew what
laughter he should create against himself, and to what shame he should
be put, with the whole devilish troop under him. So the evil spirit,
taking to him other spirits more wicked than himself, entered the
bed-chamber of this noble youth, and attacked him by kindling right
furiously the furnace of his flesh. The evil one plied the bellows
from within, while the damsels, fair of face, but uncomely of soul,
supplied the evil fuel from without.
But Ioasaph's pure soul was disturbed to feel the touch of evil, and to
see the warlike host of strange thoughts that was charging down upon
him. And he sought to find deliverance from this great mischief, and
to present himself pure unto Christ, and not defile in the mire of
sinful lust that holy apparel, wherein the grace of holy Baptism had
clothed him. Immediately he set love against love, the divine against
the lascivious; and he called to remembrance the beauty and unspeakable
glory of Christ, the immortal bridegroom of virgin souls, and of that
bride chamber and marriage, from whence they that have stained their
wedding-garment are piteously cast out, bound hand and foot, into outer
darkness. When he had thought thereon, and shed bitter tears, he smote
upon his breast, driving out evil thoughts, as good-for-nothing drones
from the hive. When he rose, and spread out his hands unto heaven,
with fervent tears and groans calling upon God to help him, and he
said, "Lord Almighty, who alone art powerful and merciful, the hope of
the hopeless, and the help of the helpless, remember me thine
unprofitable servant at this hour, and look upon me with a gracious
countenance, and deliver my soul from the sword of the devil, and my
darling from the paw of the dog: suffer me not to fall into the hands
of mine enemies, and let not them that hate me triumph over me. Leave
me not to be destroyed in iniquities, and to dishonour my body which I
swore to present unto thee chaste. For for thee I yearn; thee I
worship, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, now and for
evermore, and world without end." When he had added the Amen, he felt
heavenly comfort stealing over him from above, and the evil thoughts
withdrew, and he continued in prayer until early morn. Being ware of
the devices of the crafty foe, he began more and more to afflict his
body by abstinence from meat and drink, and by other severities,
standing in prayer all the night long, and reminding himself of his
covenants made with God, and picturing in his mind the glory of the
righteous yonder, and recounting to himself the full terrors of the
Gehenna wherewith the wicked are threatened; all this, that the enemy
might not find his soul lying fallow and untilled, and thus easily sow
therein the seeds of evil thoughts, and befoul the cleanness of his
mind. So, when the enemy was in great straits on every side, and
altogether in despair of taking this noble youth, like a cunning knave,
he proceeded to another more subtil device, he that is for ever wicked,
and never stinteth to contrive mischief and hurt. For he made furious
endeavour to carry out the orders that Theudas had given him, and once
more prepared his drugs, and on this wise.
The devil entered into the heart of one of the young damsels. Of all
she was the most seemly, a king's daughter, carried away captive from
her own country, given to king Abenner as a great prize, and sent by
him, being of ripe beauty, to his own son, for to cause him to slip or
to trip. Of her the deceiver took possession, and whispered in her ear
suggestions that plainly showed the wisdom and understanding of her
mind; for the evil one easily pursueth all devices that make for
wickedness. Then the evil spirit attacked the king's son on the right
hand, and gave him a potion to make him love the maiden, by reason--so
he pretended--of her prudence and discretion and of her nobility and
royal blood that yet had not saved her from banishment and loss of
glory. Moreover the devil secretly sowed in Ioasaph's heart thoughts
that he might recover her from idolatry, and make her a Christian.
But these were all stratagems of the wily serpent. For the king's son,
being in this frame of mind, could see in himself no unclean thought or
passionate affection for the damsel, but only sympathy and pity for her
misfortune, and the ruin of her soul, and knew not that this matter was
a device of the devil; for verily he is darkness, and feigneth to be
light. So he began to commune with the damsel, and talk with her over
the oracles of the knowledge of God, and said, "Lady, be thou
acquainted with the ever-living God, and perish not in the error of
these idols; but know thy Lord, and the Maker of all this world, and
thou shalt be happy, the bride of the immortal bridegroom." While he
exhorted her with many such-like words, immediately the evil spirit
whispered to the girl that she should spread under his feet the nets of
deceit to drag his blessed soul into the pit of lust, as he once did to
our first parent by means of Eve, thus miserably banishing him, alas!
from Paradise and God, and making him to become subject to death in
lieu of bliss and everlasting life.
When the damsel heard Ioasaph's words fulfilled with all wisdom, being
without understanding, she understood them not, but made answer thus,
becoming the tongue and mouth-piece of the evil one: "If, sir, thou
takest thought for my salvation, and desirest to bring me to thy God,
and to save my poor soul, do thou also thyself grant me one request,
and straightway I will bid good-bye to my fathers' gods, and join thy
God, serving him until my last breath; and thou shalt receive
recompense for my salvation, and for my turning to God-ward."
"Lady, and what is thy request?" said he. But she, setting her whole
self, figure, look and voice in a fashion to charm him, answered, "Be
thou joined with me in the bonds of wedlock, and I will joyfully follow
out thy behests."
"In vain, O Lady," said he, "hast thou made this hard request. For
though I earnestly care for thy salvation, and long to heave thee from
the depth of perdition, yet to pollute my body through unclean union is
grievous for me, and utterly impossible."
She, seeking to make the way straight and smooth for him, cried, "Why
dost thou, who are so wise, talk thus? Wherefore speakest thou of it
as of defilement and shameful intercourse? I am not unacquainted with
the Christian books: nay, I have met with many volumes in mine own
country, and have heard the discourses of many Christians. What, is it
not written in one of your books, 'Marriage is honourable, and the bed
undefiled'? and, 'It is better to marry than to burn'? and again,
'What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder'? Do not your
Scriptures teach that all the righteous men of old, patriarchs and
prophets, were wedded? Is it not written that the mighty Peter, whom
ye call Prince of the Apostles, was a married man? Who, then, hath
persuaded thee to call this defilement? Methink, sir, thou strayest
utterly away from the truth of your doctrines."
"Yea, Lady," said he, "all this is even as thou sayest. It is
permitted to all who will to live in wedlock, but not to them that have
once made promise to Christ to be virgins. For myself, ever since I
was cleansed in the laver of Holy Baptism from the sins of my youth and
ignorance, I have resolved to present myself pure to Christ, and how
shall I dare break my covenants with God?"
Again quoth the damsel, "Let this also be thy pleasure, as thou wilt.
But fulfil me one other small and trivial desire of mine, if thou art
in very truth minded for to save my soul. Keep company with me this
one night only, and grant me to revel in thy beauty, and do thou in
turn take thy fill of my comeliness. And I give thee my word, that,
with daybreak, I will become a Christian, and forsake all the worship
of my gods. Not only shalt thou be pardoned for this dealing, but thou
shalt receive recompense from thy God because of my salvation, for thy
Scripture saith, 'There is joy in heaven over one sinner that
repenteth.' If, therefore, there is joy in heaven over the conversion
of a sinner, shall not great recompense be due to the causer of that
conversion? Yea, so it is: and dispute it not. Did not even the
Apostles, the leaders of your religion, do many a thing by
dispensation, at times transgressing a commandment on account of a
greater one? Is not Paul said to have circumcised Timothy on account
of a greater dispensation? And yet circumcision hath been reckoned by
Christians as unlawful, but yet he did not decline so to do. And many
other such things shalt thou find in thy Scriptures. If then in very
sooth, as thou sayest, thou seekest to save my soul, fulfil me this my
small desire. And although I seek to be joined with thee in the full
estate of matrimony, yet, sith this is contrary to thy mind, I will
never constrain thee again, but will do everything that liketh thee.
For the rest, do not thou utterly abhor me; but hearken to me for the
nonce, and thou shalt deliver me from superstitious error, and thou
shalt do whatever seemeth thee good hereafter all the days of thy life."
Thus spake she; for indeed she had, for her adviser, one to whom she
lent a privy ear, and the pirate was well versed in Scripture, being
verily the creator and teacher of iniquity. Thus then she spake with
fawning words entangling him, right and left, around with her toils and
meshes, and she began to shake the citadel of his soul, and to slacken
his tension of purpose, and to soften the temper of his mind. Then the
sower of these evil tares, and enemy of the righteous, when he saw the
young man's heart wavering, was full of joy, and straightway called to
the evil spirits that were with him, crying, "Look you how yond damsel
hasteth to bring to pass all that we were unable to accomplish!
Hither! fall we now furiously upon him: for we shall find none other
season so favourable to perform the will of him that sent us." Thus
spake this crafty spirit to his hounds: and straightway they lept on
that soldier of Christ, disquieting all the powers of his soul,
inspiring him with vehement love for the damsel, and kindling within
him the fiercest fire of lust.
When Ioasaph saw that he was greatly inflamed, and was being led
captive into sin, and perceived that his thoughts about the salvation
of the damsel and her conversion to God had been set like bait on hook
to hide the deed which she purposed, and were troubling him with the
suggestion of the enemy, that, for the salvation of a soul, it was not
sin for once to lie with a woman, then in the agony of his soul he drew
a deep and lamentable groan, and nerved himself to pray, and, with
streams of tears running down his cheeks, he cried aloud to him that is
able to save them that trust in him, saying, "On thee, O Lord, have I
set my trust: let me not be confounded for ever; neither let mine
enemies triumph over me, that hold by thy right hand. But stand thou
by me at this hour, and according to thy will make straight my path,
that thy glorious and dreadful name may be glorified in me thy servant,
because thou art blessed for ever. Amen."
Now when he had prayed in tears for many hours, and often bent the
knee, he sunk down upon the pavement. After he had slumbered awhile,
he saw himself carried off by certain dread men, and passing through
places which he had never heretofore beheld. He stood in a mighty
plain, all a-bloom with fresh and fragrant flowers, where he descried
all manner of plants of divers colours, charged with strange and
marvellous fruits, pleasant to the eye and inviting to the touch. The
leaves of the trees rustled clearly in a gentle breeze, and, as they
shook, sent forth a gracious perfume that cloyed not the sense.
Thrones were set there, fashioned of the purest gold and costly stones,
throwing out never so bright a lustre, and radiant settles among
wondrous couches too beautiful to be described. And beside them there
were running waters exceeding clear, and delightful to the eye. When
these dread men had led him through this great and wondrous plain, they
brought him to a city that glistered with light unspeakable, whose
walls were of dazzling gold, with high uprear'd parapets, built of gems
such as man hath never seen. Ah! who could describe the beauty and
brightness of that city? Light, ever shooting from above, filled all
her streets with bright rays; and winged squadrons, each of them itself
a light, dwelt in this city, making such melody as mortal ear ne'er
heard. And Ioasaph heard a voice crying, "This is the rest of the
righteous: this the gladness of them that have pleased the Lord." When
these dread men had carried him out from thence, they spake of taking
him back to earth. But he, that had lost his heart to that scene of
joyaunce and heartsease, exclaimed, "Reave me not, reave me not, I pray
you, of this unspeakable joy, but grant me also to dwell in one corner
of this mighty city." But they said, "It is impossible for thee to be
there now; but, with much toil and sweat, thou shalt come hither, if
thou constrain thyself."
Thus spake they; and again they crossed that mighty plain, and bare him
to regions of darkness and utter woe, where sorrow matched the
brightness which he had seen above. There was darkness without a ray
of light, and utter gloom, and the whole place was full of tribulation
and trouble. There blazed a glowing furnace of fire, and there crept
the worm of torment. Revengeful powers were set over the furnace, and
there were some that were burning piteously in the fire, and a voice
was heard, saying, "This is the place of sinners; this the punishment
for them that have defiled themselves by foul practices." Hereupon
Ioasaph was carried thence by his guides; and, when he came to himself,
immediately he trembled from head to foot, and, like a river, his eyes
dropped tears, and all the comeliness of that wanton damsel and her
fellows was grown more loathsome to him than filth and rottenness. And
as he mused in his heart on the memory of the visions, in longing for
the good and in terror of the evil, he lay on his bed utterly unable to
arise.
Then was the king informed of his son's sickness; and he came and asked
what ailed him. And Ioasaph told him his vision, and said, "Wherefore
hast thou laid a net for my feet, and bowed down my soul? If the Lord
had not helped me, my soul had well nigh dwelt in hell. But how loving
is God unto Israel, even unto such as are of a true heart! He hath
delivered me that am lowly from the midst of the dogs. For I was sore
troubled and I fell on sleep: but God my Saviour from on high hath
visited me, and showed me what joy they lose that provoke him and to
what punishments they subject themselves. And now, O my father, since
thou hast stopped thine ears not to hear the voice that will charm thee
to good, at least forbid me not to walk the straight road. For this I
desire, this I long for, to forsake all, and reach that place, where
Barlaam the servant of Christ hath his dwelling, and with him to finish
what remaineth of my life. But if thou keep me back by force, thou
shalt quickly see me die of grief and despair, and thou shalt be no
more called father, nor have me to thy son."