when the fire was put out,
they took forth the swaddling cloth
unhurt, as much as if the fire had
not touched it.

9 Then they began to kiss it,
and put it upon their heads and
their eyes saying, This is certainly
an undoubted truth, and it is really
surprising that the fire could not
burn it, and consume it.

10 Then they took it, and with
the greatest respect laid it up
among their treasures.

CHAPTER IV.

1 Herod intends to put Christ to death.
3 An angel warns Joseph to take the child
and his mother into Egypt.
6 Consternation on their arrival.
13 The idols fall down.
15 Mary washes Christ's swaddling clothes, hangs them to
dry on a post, and the son of a priest puts one on his head;
16 And being possessed of devils they leave him.

NOW Herod perceiving that the
wise men did delay and not return
to him, called together the priest
and wise men, and said, Tell me in
what place the Christ should be born.

2 And when they replied, in
Bethlehem,--a city of Judaea, he
began to contrive in his own mind
the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 But an angel of the Lord
appeared to Joseph in his sleep,
and said, Arise, take the child and
his mother, and go into Egypt as soon
as the cock crows. So he arose,
and went.

4 And as he was considering
with himself about his journey,
the morning came upon him.

5 In the length of the journey
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