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Life and Conduct of the Holy Women, Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca

Unknown

Section 35

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Author: Unknown

XXXV. The prefect therefore carried Polyxena to the

‹ Section 34 Section 36 ›

city

where

he

stayed

,

and

ordered

her

to

be

shut

up

in

a

chamber

.

And

one

of

the

soldiers

seized

Rebecca

,

but

the

maid

secretly

escaping

fled

into

the

house

of

an

old

woman

,

who

received

the

maiden

kindly

and

entreated

her

well

.

And

sitting

down

she

wept

,

saying

,

Alas

,

my

sister

Polyxena

,

I

wretched

one

did

not

think

that

anyone

was

oppressed

like

myself

,

but

now

I

am

persuaded

and

know

that

all

my

misfortunes

and

tribulations

do

not

compare

with

one

day

of

thine

.

And

most

grievous

of

all

,

behold

I

have

been

separated

from

thee

and

am

again

a

captive

,

but

do

thou

search

for

me

even

into

the

next

world

,

my

sister

Polyxena

.

The

old

woman

said

to

her

,

What

ails

thee

,

daughter

,

that

thou

weepest

thus

bitterly

?

Rebecca

said

,

Suffer

me

,

mother

,

to

be

distressed

and

to

lament

the

great

and

incurable

pain

of

my

heart

.

The

old

woman

greatly

compassionating

her

wept

exceedingly

,

for

the

maid

had

told

her

all

that

had

happened

to

her

,

and

how

through

Polyxena

she

had

believed

in

Christ

.

So

too

Polyxena

,

shut

up

in

the

chamber

,

said

,

Woe

is

me

,

wretched

one

;

alas

for

me

miserable

one

;

now

I

know

clearly

how

the

devil

hates

virginity

,

but

O

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

God

of

all

,

since

I

dare

not

beseech

thee

of

myself

,

I

bring

to

thee

the

prayers

of

thy

holy

preacher

Paul

,

that

thou

mayst

not

suffer

my

virginity

to

be

destroyed

by

any

one

.