she took, therefore, a good loaf of her own and gave it to him.  But he was aware of what had happened, and said to her, “Go back, unfaithful servant, and fetch me the bread that was given to you to give to me!” And she wept and said, “You say well that I am an unfaithful servant, for I have not done that which I was commanded.”  Then she brought him the burnt bread, saying, “Thus says my master, ’You shall eat no more of my bread, for I am estranged from you.  This I give you only that you may not have it to say that I refused to give aught to my enemy when he asked of me.’” Satan took the bread, and sent back the maid with this message, “As this bread is burnt and blackened, so will I make thy body; in one hour I will lay thee and thy house desolate.”  And I answered him, “That thou doest, do quickly; for I am ready to bear whatsoever thou canst bring upon me.”

Then Satan went up straightway under the firmament of the heaven, and asked of the Lord authority over me and my possessions.  And the Lord granted it to him, but not at that time.

Now I must tell you, my children, of my manner of life, and my goods that I had, before I was despoiled.  I had 130,000 sheep, of which 7000 were set apart for the clothing of the fatherless, and widows, and poor; and a pack of 800 dogs guarded them.  I had 9000 camels; 3000 to traffic with the cities of the earth, which I laded with good things, and sent them out among the towns and villages, and had their loads distributed to the poor.  I had also 130,000 asses; 500 of them were set apart that their foals might be sold, and the price given to the poor.

Also the four gates of my house were always left open to this end, that if any poor man came to beg, and saw me sitting at one of the gates, he might not turn back abashed, but might go round to another of the gates, and enter in and receive what he needed.

Within the house also I had always thirty tables ready prepared for the entertainment of strangers, and other twelve tables appointed for the widows.  None left my house with his purse empty, and whenever any came to ask help, he was constrained first of all to sit down and dine.  I had fifty bakehouses, and of these, twelve served the tables of the poor.

And so it was that many strangers came to my house, and some of them desired to follow my way of life and minister to the poor, but they were in need of money to furnish them therefor.  And to such men I freely lent the money, taking no security of them, but only a written acknowledgment.  And sometimes they prospered in their merchandise and gained money to give to the poor; but sometimes they failed and came back to me, saying, “Have patience with us.”  And thereupon I would destroy the bill of their debt before them, and forgive them that which they owed me.

Sometimes also there would come to me a man of a kindly heart who would say, “I have not wherewith to help the poor, but let me wait upon them to-day at your table.”  And at evening, when he was departing, I used to say to him, “I know that you are a labouring man, and look to your wages.”  And so I paid him wages for the day and let him go.