The History of the Maiden Alexandra
There was a certain maiden of Alexandria whose name
was Alexandra, and she left the city and shut herself up in
a tomb until the end of her life; she used to receive her
food and whatever she needed through a window, and no
man and no woman saw her face, neither did she see the
face of any man, for twelve years. And a few days
afterwards she yielded up her soul, and she lay down and
went to her rest in peace. Now when her serving woman
went to visit her according to her wont, she knocked at the
window, but Alexandra gave her no answer, and
straightway she knew that she was dead, and she came
and made known unto us concerning her mistress. And
we took off the door of her cell and we found her body
dried up.
Now the blessed woman Melha also related unto us
the story of Alexandra, saying, “I have never seen her
face to face. And I stood outside the cell, close to the
window, and entreated her to tell me for what reason
she had shut herself up in the grave. And Alexandra
answered and said unto me, “Inasmuch as the thought
of the love of God was present in my mind, I prayed
before the Lord, and I entreated Him to permit me to
offer unto Him my virginity in the state in which it had
been borne with me. Now a certain young man regarded
me in his thoughts, and looked upon me, and desired
me, and sought to destroy me. But because I did not
want to grieve him, or to say what was evil unto him, or
to be to him an occasion of sin, I chose rather to shut
myself up alive in this grave than to cause a man who
was made in the form of the image of God to stumble!
And I said unto her, “How can’st thou bear to live
here not seeing the face of any man without being driven
to despair? Then she answered and said unto me, “I
occupy myself with my prayers and with the work of
my hands, and I have no idle moments. From morn
until the ninth hour I weave linen, and recite the Psalms and pray; and during the rest of the day I commemorate
in my heart the Holy Fathers, and I revolve in my
thoughts the histories of all the Prophets and Apostles,
and Martyrs; and during the remaining hours I work
with my hands and eat my bread, and by means of these
things I am comforted whilst I await the end of my life
in good hope.”
These things we have heard from the blessed woman Melha who told the story of the maiden Alexandra. But in
this history I must not undertake those who have toiled in
the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of the perfect
and to the admonition of those who hear.
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