points, which of them were without, why one letter preceded another; and began to narrate and elucidate many other things which the master had never heard nor read in any book. Then the Lord Jesus said to the master, Attend to what I say to thee; and he began clearly and distinctly to recite Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, unto the end of the alphabet. At which the master wondering, said, This child might be reckoned Noah's ancestor; and turning to Joseph, said, Thou hast brought me a child for instruction, who is more learned than all the masters; and to Holy Mary, This, thy son, needs no instruction.

And when Jesus was twelve years old, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem at the feast; and when the feast was ended, they returned, but the Lord Jesus remained behind in the temple among the doctors and elders and the scribes of the children of Israel, enquiring of them relating to various sciences, and replying to them. He said to them, Whose son is the Messiah? They replied, David's son. Why then, he said, does he in the spirit call him his Lord: when he says-The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool. The chief of the masters then enquired if he had read the scriptures; and the Lord Jesus said, I have read the scriptures, and what is contained in them; and he explained the scriptures, and the laws and precepts, and statutes, and mysteries, which are contained in the books of the prophets; things which no creature understood. The master therefore said, Hitherto I have neither seen nor heard such knowledge, what may we suppose this child will be?

And a philosopher who was a skilful astronomer came and enquired if the Lord Jesus had studied astronomy. And the Lord Jesus replied to him, and explained the number of the spheres and celestial bodies, their natures and operations, oppositions, trine, quadrate, and sextile

aspects, their computations and prognostications, and other things, of which no man had thoroughly investigated the laws.

And among these philosophers was one who greatly excelled in medicine and the natural sciences, who enquired if the Lord Jesus had studied medicine. He, in replying, explained physics and metaphysics, hyperphysics and hypophysics, the powers and humors of the body, and their effects; the number of the members and bones, veins, arteries, and nerves; temperaments hot and dry, cold and humid, and what arose from them; the operations of the soul in the body, and its sensations and powers; the faculties of speaking being angry and desiring; and then of congregations and dissipations, and of other things as was understood by no man. Then this philosopher arose, and adored the Lord Jesus, and said, O Lord Jesus, from this time I will be thy disciple and servant.

And from this day he began to conceal his miracles and mysteries, and perform the works of the law, until the completion of his thirtieth year; when his Father publicly declared by a voice from heaven, at Jordan, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased; and the Holy Spirit was present in the form of a resplendent dove.

Joseph is supposed to have died before the commencement of Christ's ministry; and a fabulous history of his life attributed to Jesus,* after describing his illness and death, represents Jesus saying, And turning towards the

Historiæ Josephi fabri lignarii Liber Apocryphus. Published from an Arabic MS. in the Royal Parisian Library, by George Wallin, a Swede, in Arabic and Latin. Leipsig, 1772, 4to. The exordium gives the history of the work. In the name of God-one in his essence, and three in his per. The history of the death of our father, the holy senior Joseph the Carpenter. May his blessings and prayers avail us all, O brethren! Amen. The whole of his life was one hundred and eleven years. His departure from this world happened on the 26th day of the month Abib, which corresponds with the month Ab. (July and August) May his prayers avail us.

son.

south, I saw with my eyes death already arrived, and hell surrounded by his armies and sattellites, and their garments, and countenances, and mouths emitted fire. And when my father, Joseph, saw these advancing strait towards him, his eyes were dissolved in tears, and at the same time he lamented in a wonderful manner; and seeing his vehement sighs, I repelled death and all the host of attendants that accompanied him. And I prayed to my good Father, saying, O Father of all clemency, who has eyes that see, and ears that hear, hear my supplications and prayers for the senior Joseph, and send Michael the prince of thy angels, and Gabriel the herald of light, and all the angels of light; and let all their orders walk with the soul of my father Joseph, until they conduct it to thee. This is the hour in which my father has need of mercy. And I say unto Thee, that all the saints, yea, as many men as are born into the world, whether they are just or perverse, must necessarily taste death. And Michael and Gabriel went to the soul of my father Joseph, and took it, and involved it in an envelope of light, and so committed his spirit into the hands of my good Father, who imparted peace to it. And none of his children knew that he slept. And the angels preserved his soul from the demons of darkness which were in the way, and praised God until they had led him to the habitations of the just.

The history of Mary's glorious and happy death, ascribed

Amen. And it was the Lord Jesus himself who related this history to his disciples while in the world, on the mount of Olives, and all Joseph's labors, and the consummation of his days. The holy apostles preserved this relation and reduced it to writing; and it remains in the library at Jeru salem. May their prayers avail us. Amen. have been originally written in Hebrew, in the in the Oriental Churches on St. Joseph's day. been translated into Latin in 1360. Acta Tom. 3. Vita Josephi.

This history is supposed to apostolic age, and was read Part of it is said to have Sanctorum Mensis Martii.

to Melitus, Bishop of Sardis, furnishes a curious and striking contrast to Joseph's.*

In the twenty-second year after Christ had conquered death and ascended to heaven, as Mary was one day alone in the house, burning with desire for Christ, and weeping for that place of comfort, behold an angel descended before her with great light and resplendent clothing, and addressed her with the accustomed salutation, saying, Hail blessed of the Lord! receive that salutation which was sent to Jacob by his prophets. Behold a palm branch I have brought to thee from the paradise of God, which thou shalt have carried before thy bier; for in the third day from this thou wilt be taken from the body. Behold thy Son waits for thee, with the thrones, and angels, and all the heavenly powers. Then Mary said to the angel, I pray thee therefore to collect all the apostles of my Lord Jesus Christ to me. To which the angel said, Behold, to day, by the power of my Lord Jesus Christ, all the apostles shall be taken up and brought here to thee. And Mary said to him, I pray that thou wilt bestow thy blessing on ine, that none of the infernal powers may meet me in that hour when my soul will forsake the body, and that I may not see the Prince of Darkness. And the angel said to her, None of the infernal powers shall injure thee; and the Lord thy God, whose servant and messenger I am, gives

Sancti Melitonis Episcopi Sardensis de transitu Virginis Mariæ liber. Printed in the Maxima Bibliotheca veterum patrum. Tom. 2, pars 2, 212 seq. The introduction to this apocryphal narration mentions, that Melitus received the history from St. John, and wrote it in consequence of Lucius describing it in an impious manner. It is, however, agreed, that Melitus did not write the account; and its author has remained unknown. There is also an account in the name of John of Thessalonica, differing but little from that of Melitus; and one in St. Jerome's works, sometimes attributed to his friend Sophronius, but written by neither, which was introduced into the old office of the catholic church. Greek MSS. exist in various Libraries relating to Mary's assumption, falsly ascribed to St. John, or St. James, the brother of our Lord.

thee an eternal blessing; and thy not seeing the Prince of Darkness may not be supposed to be effected by me, but by him whom thou broughtest into the world, for his is all power for ever and ever. And saying this he disappeared with great splendour. The palm also shone with wonderful light.

Then Mary, first putting off her garments, and putting on better, and taking the palm which she had received from the angel's hand, went out into the Mount of Olives and began to pray, saying, I was not worthy to receive thee O Lord, yet thou wast merciful to me; but as I preserved the treasure which thou committedst to me, I therefore pray to thee, O King of glory, that the powers of hell may not injure me for as heaven and the angels tremble before thee daily, how much more shall man, made of the earth, in whom resides nothing good, except what he receives from thy goodness. Thou art the Lord God, blessed for ever. And when she had said this she returned to her

house.

And, behold, suddenly, while blessed John was preaching in Ephesus on the Lord's-day, at the third hour of the day there was a great earthquake; and the clouds elevated him, and received him from the eyes of all, and carried him to the door of the house where was Mary, the virgin mother of God. And knocking at the door, he immediately went in. And when the most holy virgin Mary saw him, she exulted with joy, and said, I pray thee, my son John, remember the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, thy master, which commended me to thee. Behold, on the third day I shall leave the body; and I heard the council of the Jews saying, Let us wait 'till the day that she dies, when those who carry her shall be circumvented, and we will burn her body with fire.-She therefore called the holy apostle John, and introduced him into the secret part of the house, and shewed him her grave clothes,