But there are many other gospels, some of which have been known for centuries and some of which have been more recently discovered. I thought I should look at them, too. One view of these other texts is that of M?R James, the great writer of ghost stories, who published a translation of various apocryphal gospels in 1924. He wrote: ‘People may still be heard to say, “After all, these Apocryphal Gospels and Acts, as you call them, are just as interesting as the old ones. It was only by accident or caprice that they were not put into the New Testament.” The best answer to such loose talk has always been, and is now, to produce the writings and let them tell their own story. It will very quickly be seen that there is no question of anyone’s having excluded them from the New Testament; they have excluded themselves.’ In other words, they’re just not very good. And it’s true: for the most part, the apocryphal gospels in James’s selection have nothing like the clarity and force of Matthew, Mark and Luke, or the poetry of John. They include some remarkable fragments, but also a welter of undistinguished narratives, sayings, exhortations and fairy tales that make pretty hard reading.