Ethiopic Didascalia

Ethiopic Didascalia — Platt English translation page 10

things, thou shalt abide in the right faith, and find grace and favour with Jesus Christ ; for thou art become one of his members. Thou moreover, when thou wilt bathe thyself, enter not into the bath where the women wash themselves, lest they see the beauty of thy youth and the fairness of thy flesh, and thou be a stumbling-block to them, and thyself also shouldst sin and fall into error with them. My children, let us hear and understand the voice of the holy man, who said, "Observe ye my commandment. Say unto Wisdom, Thou art my sister ; and make Knowledge thy familiar friend, that she may keep thee from the strange and evil woman, though she bring unto thee enticing words. For she looketh out from the windows of her house into the streets ; and if she seeth one of the foolish children, a young man void of under- standing, who walketh in the corners of the paths of her house, and talketh at even in the darkness of night, when the quietness and darkness of night is come on, then the woman cometh upon him, having the ornaments of adultery, which she puts on to make the hearts of young men flutter. She is rambling and wan- ton, and her feet rest not in her house : at times she wanders about out of doors a little, and at times is in the streets and in every corner, and waits. Then she takes hold of him and kisses him, and with a shameless face says to him, * I have a peace-ofFering ; to-day I pay my vows ; therefore came I out to meet 10