The second book of wonders

they make of my Gospel? And now come further to the words of Paul.”

1 Timothy ii. 5, 6, 13, 14, 15. “For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.— Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, was in the transgression. Nevertheless, she shall be saved in child-bearing, if they continue in faith and charity, and holiness with sobriety.”

“Let the learned answer how they will explain this. I have already explained it to you in part.

“Now come to my Gospel. Mark xiv. 3, 9. ‘And being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at a meal, a woman came having an alabaster box of very precious ointment of spikenard; and she broke the box and poured it on his head. And some were indignant within themselves and said, why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence and given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, let her alone, why do you trouble her? She has performed a good work on me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish, you may do them good; but you do not always have me. She has done what she could: she has come beforehand to anoint my body for burial. Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, what she has done shall also be spoken of as a memorial of her.’

“Here, let the learned answer what good work the woman performed on ME? Or what need did I have of the woman to anoint my head?”