now seest Me, that I might heal mankind.' "When Placidas heard this, then was he affrighted with the utmost awe, and fell off his horse to the earth, and lay there for about an hour of the day, and then arose again and desired to know more certainly about the revelation which had appeared to him, and said to himself; ' What is this vision which has here appeared to me? Dear Lord, reveal to me what thou spakest to me, that I may believe on Thee.' Then said Christ to him, ' Listen now, Placidas; I am Jesus Christ, Who wrought heaven and earth out of nothing, and caused light to spring up, and divided the darkness; and I am He Who set days and seasons and years; and I am He Who formed man out of the earth, and for mankind's salvation I came to earth and took flesh, and was crucified and was buried, and the third day arose from the dead.'
When Placidas heard this, then fell he again immediately on the earth and said, ' I believe, Lord, that Thou art He Who wroughtest all things, and convertest the erring, and quickenest the dead.' Then said the Lord to him, ' If thou believest on Me, go to the city, to the bishop of Christian men, and pray him for baptism.' Then said Placidas, 'Dear Lord, may I make this known to my wife and to my children, that they may believe on Thee "?' Then said the Lord to him, ' Go now and bid them receive baptism, and ye shall then be cleansed from the pollution of idolatry; and come hither again, and I will show thee more fully, and make known to thee those things which are to be, and will reveal the holy mysteries.'
Behold, then! Placidas went home thence at night, and told his wife all that he had seen. As soon as she heard it, then she said; ' My lord, thou sawest the God Who was crucified. Whom Christian men worship; He truly is the one true God Who by such signs calleth to Him those who believe on Him; and in this night I saw Him, and He said to me, " Now, to-morrow thou and thy husband, and thy sons shall come to Me." And now I have perceived that He Himself ever is the Saviour Christ. Verily He desired to show, under such a form, a wonderful spectacle by means of the hart, that thou mightest wonder the more at His might,
