Chapter XXXVI.—The Sons’ Pleading.

But she declared with an oath, in presence of my lord Peter’s wife, that from the time she recognised her son, she had been unable to take any food from excess of joy, excepting only that yesterday she drank a cup of water.  Peter’s wife also bore witness, saying that it was even so.  Then Aquila said:  “What, then, hinders her being baptized?”  Then Peter, smiling, said:  “But this is not the fast of baptism, for it was not done in order to baptism.”  Then Niceta said:  “But perhaps God, wishing that our mother, on our recognition, should not be separated even for one day from participation of our table, pre-ordained this fasting.  For as in her ignorance she preserved her chastity, that it might profit her in order to the grace of baptism; so she fasted before she knew the reason of fasting, that it might profit her in order to baptism, and that immediately, from the beginning of our acquaintance, she might enjoy communion of the table with us.”