The Sayings of the Desert Fathers — Apophthegmata Patrum

BWb aaain, we begin, bv tbe power of our Xorb, tbe Gbtrb (eic) part witb tbe Counsels of tbe Dolv ©lb /Den. anb tbe Questions anb tbe answers [wbtcb tbe» gave) to tbe J5retbren

Booft tbe fivet

flftapter f. ©f jf Itabt from fl&en, and of Silent (Ton* temptation, and of Dwelling contlnuallj? in tbe Cell, [aworft]wWcb was composed b» JBtebop pallaMus for tbe prefect Xausus

WHEN AbbA Arsenius was in the palace, he prayed to God, and said, " O Lord, direct me how to live"; and a voice came to him, saying, "Arsenius, flee from "men, and thou shalt live."

Z And when Arsenius was living the ascetic life in the monastery, he prayed to God the same prayer, and again he heard a voice saying unto him, " Arsenius, flee, keep silence, "and lead a life of silent contemplation, for these are the fun- " damental causes which prevent a man from committing sin."

3. A certain man said that there were once three men who loved labours, and they were monks. The first one chose to go about and see where there was strife, which he turned into peace ; the second chose to go about and visit the sick ; but the third departed to the desert that he might dwell in quiet- ness. Finally the first man, who had chosen to still the con- tentions of men, was unable to make every man to be at peace with his neighbour, and his spirit was sad ; and he went to the man who had chosen to visit the sick, and he found him in affliction because he was not able to fulfil the law which he had laid down for himself. Then the two of them went to the monk in the desert, and seeing each other they rejoiced, and the two men related to the third the tribulations which had befallen them in the world, and entreated him to tell them how he had lived in the desert. And he was silent, but after a little he said unto them, " Come, let each of us go and fill a vessel " of water and after they had filled the vessel, he said unto them, " Pour out some of the water into a basin, and look "down to the bottom through it," and they did so. And he said unto them, " What do ye see ? " and they said, " We see "nothing." And after the water in the basin had ceased to move, he said to them a second time, " Look into the water," and they looked, and he said unto them, " What do ye see ? " And they said unto him, " We see our own faces distinctly "; and he said unto them, " Thus is it with the man who dwell- "eth with men, for by reason of the disturbance caused by "this affair of the world he cannot see his sins ; but if he live

3 ii-ia

Zbc Saunas of tbe twls jf atbers

" in the peace and quietness of the desert he is able to see God " clearly."

4. On one occasion Abbd Ammon came during the season of winter to AbbA Sisoes, and he saw that the old man was grieved because he had left the desert; and Abbd Ammon said unto him, " Why art thou distressed, O father ? For what " wast thou able to do in the desert in thine old age? " And the old man Sisoes looked at him fiercely, and said, " What " sayest thou to me, Ammon? Are not the mere thoughts of the " freedom which is in the desert better for us [than living out "of it]?"

For what " wast thou able to do in the desert in thine old age? " And the old man Sisoes looked at him fiercely, and said, " What " sayest thou to me, Ammon? Are not the mere thoughts of the " freedom which is in the desert better for us [than living out "of it]? "

5. There were two brethren in the desert who were the equals of each other in the spiritual life, and they led a life of ascetic self-denial, and performed the exalted works which belong to spiritual excellence. And it happened that one of them was called to be the head of a habitation of the brethren, but the other remained in the desert, where he became a man perfect in self-denial. And he was held by God to be worthy of the gift of healing those who were possessed of devils, and he knew beforehand the things which were about to happen, and he made whole the sick. Now when he who had become the head of a habitation of brethren (i.e., a coenobium, or monastery) heard these things, he decided in his mind that his fellow monk must have acquired these powers suddenly, and he lived a life of silence and ceased from converse with men for three weeks, and he made supplication unto God continually that He would shew him how the monk in the desert wrought these mighty works, while he had not received even one of the gifts which he had. And an angel appeared and said unto him, " He who "dwellethin the desert maketh supplication to God both by " night and by day, and his pain and anxiety are for our

' ' Lord's sake ; but thou hast care for many things, and thou "hast converse with many, and the consolation and encou- " ragement of the children of men must be sufficient for thee. "

6. Abb& Arsenius on one occasion went to the brethren in a certain place where there were some reeds growing, and the wind blew upon them, and they were shaken. And the old man said, "What is this rustling sound?" and they said unto him, " It is that caused by the reeds which are being " shaken by the wind." And he said unto them, " Verily I say " unto you, if the man who dwelleth in silence heareth but the " twittering of a sparrow, he shall not be able to acquire that " repose in his heart which he seeketh; how much less then " can ye do so with all this rustling of the reeds about you? "

7 # A certain brother came to Abba Arsenius, and said unto him, " My thoughts vex me, and say, 4 Thou canst not fast;

Digitized SyViiOOgie'

<J>n Ketreat from tbe Worlfr ant> Contemplation

7 # A certain brother came to Abba Arsenius, and said unto him, " My thoughts vex me, and say, 4 Thou canst not fast;

Digitized SyViiOOgie'

<J>n Ketreat from tbe Worlfr ant> Contemplation

" ' and thou art not able to labour, therefore visit the sick, "' which is a great commandment.'" Then Abb A Arsenius, after the manner of one who was well acquainted with the war of devils, said unto him, " Eat, drink, and sleep, and toil not, " but on no account go out of thy cell "; for the old man knew that dwelling constantly in the cell induceth all the habits of the solitary life. And when the brother had done these things for three days he became weary of idleness, and finding a few palm leaves on the ground, he took them and began to split them up, and on the following day he dipped them in water and be- gan to work (i.e., to weave baskets) ; and when he felt hungry he said, " I will finish one more small piece of work, and then " I will eat." And when he was reading in the Book, he said, " I will sing a few Psalms and say a few prayers, and then I " shall eat without any compunction." Thus little by little, by the agency of God, he advanced in the ascetic life until he reached the first rank, and received the power to resist the thoughts and to vanquish them.

8. When Abb& Sisoes was dwelling in the mountain of Abb& Anthony, the man who used to minister unto him departed and remained away for a period of ten months and did not come [back] to him, and he saw no man. And afterwards, as he was walking in the mountains, he saw a man hunting wild animals, and the old man said to him, " Whence comest thou? "And how long hast thou been here?" And the man said unto him, " Father, I have been in this mountain eleven months, "and I have seen no man except thyself." Then the old man having heard these things went into his cell, and smote upon his face, and said, "Behold, O Sisoes, well mayest thou think " that thou hast done nothing, for thou hast not made thyself "even like unto this man who is in the world, and is not a "monk."

" Then the old man having heard these things went into his cell, and smote upon his face, and said, "Behold, O Sisoes, well mayest thou think " that thou hast done nothing, for thou hast not made thyself "even like unto this man who is in the world, and is not a "monk. "

9. 1 once asked Abbd Sarmdtd a question, and said unto him, " What shall I do, O my father, for I do nothing which the " monks do ? On the contrary, I am negligent, and I eat, and " drink, and sleep, and I think many filthy thoughts, and my "mind is ever disturbed, and I depart from one work to an- " other, and from one group of thoughts to another. What "shall I do, then ? For I am troubled, and my soul is little." And AIM Sarmdti said unto him: " Sit thou in thy cell, and "whatsoever thou canst do, that do, and trouble not thyself. "For I wish thee to do now a little, even as did Abb A An- " thony in the mountain, and I believe that by sitting in [thy] " cell for the sake of the Name of God, thou also wilt be found " in the same place as Abbi Anthony." 10. On one occasion the brethren went up from Scete to go 5

XTbe Salinas of tbe t>ol$ fathers

to Abbd Anthony, and having embarked in a boat to journey to him, they found [there] a certain old man, who was also going to visit him, and they were not acquainted with him. And as they were sitting in the boat, they spake now and again a word of the Fathers, or a word from the Book, or they talked about the work of their hands; and the old man listened unto all they said, but held his peace. Then, having crossed the ferry, the old man was found to be going also to Abb£ Anthony. And when they had all arrived at the place where he was, he said unto them, "Ye found excellent com- " pany in this old man"; and to the old man himself he said, "Thou didst find excellent brethren to travel with thee, O " father." And the old man said, "They are excellent brethren, " but they have no door to their house, and whosoever wisheth "can go into the stable, and untie the ass, and go whither- " soever he pleaseth on him." Now this he said because they uttered every word which came into their mouths.

11. A certain brother asked Abba* Sisoes, saying, "Father, "how was it that thou didst leave Scete where thou wast " with Abbd Macarius, and didst come here?" And the old man said unto him, " When Scete began to be filled [with monks] " I heard that AbbA Antonius had fallen asleep, and I came to " the mountain here, and found that this place was quiet, and " I lived here for a little time." The brother said unto him, "How long hast thou been here?" and the old man said, " Behold, I have been here seventy years this day."

" The brother said unto him, "How long hast thou been here? " and the old man said, " Behold, I have been here seventy years this day. "

12. They used to say concerning AbbA Theodore and AbbA Luk that they passed fifty years with disturbed minds, and were troubled the whole time about changing their place [of abode]; and they said, "Behold, we will change in the winter"; and when the winter arrived, they said, " We will change in " the summer"; and thus they did unto the end of their lives.

13. A certain father came to Abbd Arsenius, and he knocked at the door, and the old man opened unto him thinking that it was his servant [who had knocked]; and when he saw who it was, he cast himself upon his face, and the father entreated him, saying, "Stand up, O father, that I may give thee the "salutation of peace." But Arsenius disputed with him, say- ing, "I will not stand up until thou hast departed "; and though he entreated him to do so often he would not stand up, and the father left him and departed.

14. AbbA Battimion said, "When I went down to Scete " they gave me some apples to take to the brethren, and when " I had knocked at the door of Abbk Abhil&, he said to me " when he saw me, * If these apples had been of gold I would " 'not have wished thee to knock at my door; and moreover, do

©n iRetreat from tbe Merit* ant> Contemplation

" 'not knock at the door of any other brother'; so I returned "and placed the apples in the church and departed."

15. They said concerning Abbd Sisoes that when the church began [to fill] he fled quickly to his cell, and, [though] the brethren said, "He hath a devil," he was performing the work of God.

16. Abbd Joseph said to Abbd Nestfr, "What shall I do "with my tongue, for I cannot conquer it?" Abbd Nestfr said unto him, "If thou talkest wilt thou have relief from this " [trouble]?" And he said unto him, " Nay." The old man said unto him, " If then thou hast no relief when thou talkest, why "dost thou talk?" Abbd Joseph said unto him, " What shall " I do? For I cannot stand against it." The old man said unto him, "Wilt thou have relief then?" and he said unto him, "Nay." The old man said unto him, " If thou canst not gain "relief by talking, then hold thy peace."

" Abbd Joseph said unto him, " What shall " I do? For I cannot stand against it. " The old man said unto him, "Wilt thou have relief then? " and he said unto him, "Nay. " The old man said unto him, " If thou canst not gain "relief by talking, then hold thy peace. "

17. A certain brother went to Abbd Poemen on the second Sunday in the Fast of Forty Days and repeated unto him his thoughts, and sighing over what the old man had told him, he said unto him, "I had almost kept myself from coming here "to-day"; and the old man said, " Why?" Then the brother said, "I said in my mind, Perad venture during the fast the "door will be closed against thee"; and Abbd Poemen said unto him, "We do not learn to shut a door made of wood, "but to close the door of the tongue."

18. When a certain brother in Scete was going to the har- vest, he went to Abbd Moses, the Black, and said unto him, "Father, tell me what I shall do; shall I go to the harvest?" and Abbi Moses said unto him, " If I tell thee, wilt thou be "persuaded to do as I say?" And the brother said unto him, "Yea, I will hearken unto thee." The old man said unto him, "If thou wilt be persuaded by me, rise up, go, and release "thyself from going to the harvest, and come unto me, and I "will tell thee what thou shalt do." The brother therefore departed and obtained his release from his companions, as the old man had told him, and then he came to him. And the old man said unto him, "Go into thy cell and keep Pentecost, and " thou shalt eat dry bread and salt once a day [only], and after " thou hast done this I will tell thee something else to do later " on"; and he went and did as the old man had told him, and then came to him again. Now when the old man saw that he was one who worked with his hands, he shewed him the proper way to live in his cell; and the brother went to his cell, and fell on his face upon the ground, and for three whole days and nights he wept before God. And after these things, when his

thoughts were saying unto him, "Thou art now an exalted

XTbe Savings of tbe Doll? fatbcte

And after these things, when his

thoughts were saying unto him, "Thou art now an exalted

XTbe Savings of tbe Doll? fatbcte

" person, and thou hast become a great man," he used to con- tradict them, and set before his eyes his former shortcomings, [and say], "Thus were all thine offences." And again, when they used to say to him, 4 4 Thou hast performed many things "negligently," he would say, "Nevertheless I do small ser- vices for God, and He sheweth His mercy upon me." And when by such means as these the spirits had been overcome, they appeared unto him in the form of corporeal creatures, and said unto him, " We have been vanquished by thee"; and he said unto them, "Why?" and they said unto him, "If we "humble thee, we are raised up by thee to an exalted posi- tion, and if we exalt thee we are accounted by thee for "humility."

19. There was a certain brother in the monastery who worked hard, and the brethren who were in Scete heard about him, and came to see him, and they entered into the place where he used to work; and having received them, and saluted them, he turned round and began to work again. And when the bre- thren saw what he did, they said unto him, "John gave thee " the garb of the monk, and made thee a dweller in a mona- " stery, but he did not teach thee to receive a blessing {literally "prayer) from the brethren, or to give one, or to say to them, " 'Pray ye,' or, 'Sit ye down/" And John said unto them, " Nay, a sinner is not sufficient for these things."

20. Abbzt Anthony said, "As a fish when it is lifted up out ' ' of the water dieth, even so doth the monk who tarrieth out- ride his cell. "

21. They tell the story of a certain brother who came to Scete to see Abb& Arsenius, and who went into the church and entreated the clergy to take him to see him; and the clergy said unto him, "Refresh thyself a little, and thou shalt see "him." And the brother said unto them, "I will eat nothing " before I meet him and see him"; and when the clergy heard this they sent a brother with him to shew him Abb£ Arsenius, because his cell was some distance away. And when they had arrived there, they knocked at the door and went inside, and having saluted him, and prayed, they sat down and held their peace ; and the brother who was from the church answered and said, " I will depart, pray ye for me." But when the other brother saw that he possessed not freedom of speech with the old man, he said unto the brother from the church, "I also " will go with thee," and they departed together.

Then he entreated him, saying, "Take me also to Abb£ " Moses who was a thief," and when they went to him, the old man received them with joy, and having refreshed them greatly he dismissed them in peace. And the brother who had

<$>n iRetreat from tbe Merit* ant> Contemplation

brought the visitor to Abb& Moses said unto him, " Behold, " I brought thee to a man from a foreign land, and to an " Egyptian, which of the two pleaseth thee? " And he answered and said unto him, " The Egyptian who hath just received me, "and refreshed me." And when one of the old men heard what had happened, he prayed to God, and said, "O Lord, shew "me this matter; one fleeth from the world for Thy Name's "sake, and another receiveth and is gracious for Thy Name's "sake," And behold, suddenly there appeared unto him on the river two great boats, and lo, Abbd Arsenius and the Spirit of God were travelling in silence in the one, and Abbd Moses and the angels of God were in the other, and they were feeding the monk with honey from the comb.

22. A certain brother asked Abbd Poemen a question, say- ing, "If 1 see something done, dost thou wish me to tell it "abroad?" The old man said unto him, "It is written, 'Who- " 'soever shall declare a matter incorrectly, it is a disgrace to "'him and [a subjedl for] mockery.' And if thou art asked, "speak; and if thou art not asked, hold thy peace."

23. On one occasion there was an assembly in a great church, and all the old men were asked in a body, "What striving is "the mightiest against the monks?" And they all agreed that there was none stronger than that which would make a man leave his cell and depart, for when this striving is overcome, all the rest can quite easily be brought low.

24. They say concerning Abbi Ap6s, who afterwards be- came Bishop of Oxyrhyncus, that when he was a monk he la- boured with great toil in the ascetic life, and that he was moved every hour by Divine Grace, but that after he became Bishop, though he wished to perform the same labours, he was not able to do so. And he cast himself before God, and made supplication unto Him, saying, " Peradventure, O my "Lord, it is because of the Bishopric that Thou hast removed "Thy grace from me," and it was said unto him, "It is not "so, but formerly thou wast in the desert, and there were no "men there, and God took care of thee; here, however, thou " art in a portion of the world which is inhabited, and men care "for thee."

25. A certain brother from the Cells soaked some palm leaves in water, and then sat down to weave ropes, and his mind said unto him, " Go and visit such and such a brother" ; and he pondered on the matter, and said, "I will go after a "few days." And again his mind said unto him, " Supposing "thou shouldst die, what wilt thou do? for thou wouldst not "see thy brother"; and once again he satisfied his mind by saying, "I will go after such and such a time." Now when the

Ubc Savings of tbe ftolu fathers

summer had come, he said within himself, "To-day is not the " right time for going," and again he said to his mind, " As " soon as thou hast cut off the end of the palm leaves it will 4 'be time for thee to go"; and he said to himself, " I will " finish these leaves, and then I will go." And once again his mind urged him and said, "The weather is beautiful to-day," and he rose up straightway and left the palm leaves soaking in the water, and he picked up a cloak and ran off on his way. Now he had as a neighbour a certain old man who used to see visions, and as soon as this man saw the brother running, he cried out, and said unto him, "Prisoner, prisoner, come "hither"; and when he had gone in the old man said unto him, " Go back to thy cell," and the brother went back, and he related unto him the whole story of his war. And having entered his own cell, he offered up repentance unto God, and the devils cried out with a loud voice, saying, ' ' Thou hast " vanquished us, thou hast vanquished us, O monk." Now he had a palm-leaf mat under him, and it was charred as if it had been burned in the fire, and the devils vanished like smoke ; then straightway the brother perceived their wiles, and he gave thanks unto God.

26. AbbA Poemen said: A certain brother asked Abb£ Smi&n, and said, "If I go out from my cell, and I find a brother ab- sorbed and immersed in matters unnecessary for salvation, "shall I associate myself also with him? And supposing also " that I should find him laughing, and that I also should laugh, " when I have gone into my cell again shall I not be forgiven " my relaxation?" And the old man said unto him, "What " dost thou wish? Dost thou mean that having gone out of thy " cell and having found a man who was laughing, and laughed "with him, and having found a man who was talking, and " talked with him, thou canst go back to thy cell and find thy- " self as thou wast before thou didst go out?" And the brother said unto him, "If not, how then?" Then the old man an- swered and said unto him, " It is right for thee to keep a care- " ful watch both within and without."

27. An old man said, "One man is thought to be silent, and "yet his heart judgeth and condemneth others, and the man " who a<Steth thus speaketh continually; another man speak- " eth from morning till evening, and yet keepeth silence, that " is to say, he speaketh nothing which is not helpful."

28. There were two excellent brethren in the Cells, and they were held to be worthy to see things of mystery, and each one of them saw the might which was sent down by God upon his brethren. Now it happened that one of them came on Friday to the coenobium, and as he was outside, he saw that some of the

<$>n iRetreat from tbe Worto ant> Contemplation

brethren were eating from the morning [upwards], and he said unto them, "Is it possible that ye eat at this time on Friday? "And do ye usually hold a congregation at the turn of the " day?" And as his brother looked upon him, he saw that the might of God was going away from him, and he was grieved, for he was accustomed to see it upon him. And when they had come to their own cell he said unto him, " What hast thou "done, O my brother? Or what thoughts hast thou had? For " I do not see upon thee as usual the might of God." And the brother made answer and said, "I know not; I do not feel "that I have any filthy thoughts in me, and I do not perceive "in my soul that any evil a<S hath been committed by me." His brother said unto him, " Perad venture some vain and "empty word hath gone forth from thy mouth." Then that brother recalled the matter to his mind, and said, "Yea, "yesterday I saw certain men outside the coenobium eating, "and I said unto them, 'Do ye eat at this time on Friday?' "This then is my sin. But I entreat thee to labour with me "for two weeks, and thou and I will beg God to forgive me." And they did even as he had said, and after two weeks his brother saw that might which is of the goodness of God come upon him as usual.

29. The old men used to say about the blessed Abbd Arse- nius, and Abbd Theodore of Parmfi, that they possessed in a far greater degree than many monks a hatred of the admira- tion of men; Abbd Arsenius was never pleased at meeting and conversing with a man, and AbbA Theodore, even though he was willing to meet a man, was as sharp as a sword in his conversation.

30. Abb£ Macarius said unto the brethren when the service in the church was ended, 4 'Flee ye, O brethren"; and one of the old men said, "Father, whither can we flee farther than "this desert?" Then Macarius laid his hand upon his mouth, saying, "Flee in this manner," and straightway he went to his cell and, shutting the door, sat down.

31. Abbd Poemen said: — Abb£ Moses asked Abbi Zechariah a question when he was about to die, and said unto him, "Father, is it good that we should hold our peace?" And Zechariah said unto him, "Yea, my son, hold thy peace." And at the time of his death, whilst Abb& Isidore was sitting with him, Abbk Moses looked up to heaven, and said, "Re- " joice and be glad, O my son Zechariah, for the gates of heaven "have been opened."

" And Zechariah said unto him, "Yea, my son, hold thy peace. " And at the time of his death, whilst Abb& Isidore was sitting with him, Abbk Moses looked up to heaven, and said, "Re- " joice and be glad, O my son Zechariah, for the gates of heaven "have been opened. "

32. A brother asked an old man, saying, "What is humi- "lity?" And the old man answered and said unto him, "That "thou payest not back evil for evil." That brother said unto

Ubc Swsims of tbe Dols fathers

him, " And supposing that a man cannot attain to this mea- " sure, what must we do?" The old man said unto him, "Let "us flee and follow after silence."

33. And an old man said, "Lay hold upon silence. Look " carefully into and scrutinize the manner in which thou train- " est thyself, both when thou art lying down, and when thou " art standing up. Meditate upon the fear of God, and be not "afraid of the attack of sinners. Consent not to everything. " Be swift to hear and slow to believe."

34. An old man said: "The man, who hath learned by expe- dience the sweetness of the quietness which is in his cell, " doth not flee from meeting his neighbour because he is as one " who despiseth him, but because of the fruits which he pluck- "eth from silence."

35. Abb£ Moses used to say, "The man who fleeth from the "world is like unto ripe grapes, but he who dwelleth among "the attractions of the children of men is like unto sour "grapes."

36. An old man said: "Human care and worry and anxiety " about the things of the body destroy the faculties of know- ledge and expression in a man, and leave him like unto a " piece of dry wood."

37. They used to say about Abb£ Nastfr that the old man was like unto the serpent which Moses made for the healing of the people (Numbers xxi, 96°.), and that he was perfect in all spiritual excellences, and that, although he kept silence, he healed every man.

37. They used to say about Abb£ Nastfr that the old man was like unto the serpent which Moses made for the healing of the people (Numbers xxi, 96°. ), and that he was perfect in all spiritual excellences, and that, although he kept silence, he healed every man.

38. A certain brother asked an old man a question, and said unto him, "Father, what shall I do? For, although my body "is in my cell, my thoughts wander about into every place, " and because of this they vex me greatly, saying, 'Thou hast " ' no benefit whatsoever, for though thy body is shut up in the "'cell, thy thoughts wander and are scattered abroad.' And " they bring me to despair, and counsel me to go back to the " world as one who has not the ability to acquire the rule of " life which is proper for the ascetic monk." The old man said unto him, " Thou must know, O my son, that this is an attack " of Satan, but go, and continue to abide in thy cell, and go " not out of it at any time, and pray to God that He may give " thee the power to endure patiently, and then thy mind shall "collect itself in thee. For the matter is like unto that of a "she-ass which hath a sucking foal. If she be tied up, how- " ever much the foal may gambol about or wander hither and "thither, he will come back to her eventually, either because "he is hungry, or for other reasons which drive him to her; " but if it happen that his mother be also roaming about

Digitized by

<$>n IRetreat from tbe THUorlfc an& Contemplation

" loose, both animals will go to destruction. And thus is it in " the matter of the monk. If the body remain continually in its "cell, the mind thereof will certainly come back to it after all "its wanderings, for many reasons which will come upon it, " but if the body as well as the soul wander outside the cell, " both will become a prey and a thing of joy to the enemy."

39. A certain brother belonging to a habitation of brethren said to Abba Bessarion, "What shall I do?" The old man said unto him, "Keep silence, and consider thyself to be "nothing."

40. Abba Moses besought Abba* Zechariah, saying, "Speak "a word of consolation to the brethren"; and Zechariah took his cloak, and placed it under his feet, saying, ' ' Except a man "die thus he cannot be a monk."

41. Abba Poemen said, "The rule of the monk is this — to bear at all times his own blame."

42. AbbA Poemen said, " If thou boldest thyself in thine "own sight to be of no account, thou mayest dwell where "thou pleasest, and find rest."

43. The same old man used to say, "A man will be always " tripped up by that thing which he will not cut off from him- "self."

42. AbbA Poemen said, " If thou boldest thyself in thine "own sight to be of no account, thou mayest dwell where "thou pleasest, and find rest. "

43. The same old man used to say, "A man will be always " tripped up by that thing which he will not cut off from him- "self. "

44. Abbd Aldnfs said, "If a man will only remember that "which is written, 'Thou shalt be justified by thy words, and "shalt be condemned by thy words' (St. Matthew xii, 37), he "would know that it is right to hold his peace."

45. Abbd Poemen said, " If thou wishest to acquire the "power to keep silence, think not and say not within thyself " that thou art doing the works of spiritual excellence, but say, "' I am not even worthy to speak.'"

46. Abbd Anthony said, " He who liveth in the desert is free "from three kinds of spiritual attacks, that is to say, those "which arise through the ears, speech, and sight; he hath only "one kind to fight, namely, that of the heart."

47. Abba Aldnis said, "Unless a man saith in his heart, 'Only God and myself exist in this world,' he will not find "rest."

48. Abba Sisoes used to say, " It is well for a man to dwell "in his cell, and if he suffer with patient endurance he will "find blessings of every kind."

49. A certain brother asked Abba Panbd (Pambo), "Is it a "good thing for a man to praise his neighbour?" Saith the old man, " It is a much better thing for a man to hold his peace. "

50. Abba Poemen said, "In all the labour which cometh " upon a man, his victory is only assured when he holdeth his "peace."

TLbe Savings of tbc Don? fatbcve

51. A certain brother said unto an old man, "If a brother " bringeth unto me news from the outer world, dost thou wish " me to tell him not to bring it to me?" The old man said unto him, " Nay," and the brother said unto him, " Why?" The old man said unto him, "Because not even we are able to flee " from this. For having told our neighbour that he must not "do this, we ourselves afterwards may be found doing the " very same thing." And that brother said unto him, "What "then is the right [course of action]?" Then the old man said unto him, "If we take upon ourselves to hold our peace, the "example alone will be sufficient to make our neighbour do "the same."

52. The blessed Theophilus, Archbishop of Alexandria, once went with a certain judge to Abbd Arsenius, and begged the old man to let him hear some saying from him; and the old man held his peace for a little, and then answered him, and said, " If I speak a word to you will ye observe it?" And they pro- mised to keep it. The old man said unto them, "In whatsoever "place ye hear that Arsenius is, come not nigh thereunto."

" And they pro- mised to keep it. The old man said unto them, "In whatsoever "place ye hear that Arsenius is, come not nigh thereunto. "

53. Abb£ Macarius said unto Abbd Arsenius, " Why fleest " thou from us?" And the old man said unto him, "God know- " eth that I love you, but I cannot be both with God and with "men. The thousands and ten thousands of beings who are " above have only one will, but men have many wills: I can- "not, therefore, leave God and be with men." And the old man was always uttering these words, "Arsenius, for this "thou didst go forth." And he used to say thus: "I have " many times repented that I spoke, but that I held my peace "I have never repented."

54. Abbd Anthony said, "The cell of a monk is the furnace "of Babylon wherein the Three Children found the Son of " God, and it is also the pillar of cloud wherefrom God spake "with Moses."

55. On one occasion the Fathers in Scete were gathered together, and because certain folk were wishing to see Abb£ Moses, they treated him with contumely, saying, "Why doth "this Ethiopian come and go in our midst?" But Moses hearing this held his peace. And when the congregation was dismissed, they said unto him, "Abbd Moses, wast thou not "afraid?" And he said unto them, "Although I was afraid I " uttered not a word."

56. On one occasion certain brethren came unto John the Less to tempt him, for they had heard that he never permitted his mind to think about any of the affairs of this world, and that he never spoke about them. And they said unto him, " Father, we thank God because He hath brought down this

<S>n ttetreat from tbc Wotlb ant> Contemplation

" year rain in abundance, and the palms are thriving and are " flourishing beautifully, and work for the hands of the bre- "thren is abundant." The old man John saith unto them, "Even thus is it with the Holy Spirit of God, for when It "descendeth upon the hearts of holy men they blossom and " bring forth the fruit of the fear of God. "

57. A certain brother came to take some baskets from John the Less, and when he had knocked at the door, the old man came out to him, and said unto him, "What seekest thou?" And the brother said unto him, "Father, I want baskets." And John the Less went in to bring them out to him, but he for- got to do so, and sat down, and went on plaiting. And the brother knocked at the door again, and when Abb& John went forth to answer him, he said unto him, "Wilt thou bring out "the baskets to me, Father?" And again John went in, and sat down, and went on plaiting, and when the brother knocked again, John went forth and said unto him, "Brother, what "seekest thou?" And he said unto John, "Baskets, Father"; and John took his hand and led him inside, saying, "If thou "wish est for baskets take them and get thee gone, for I am "not able [to bring them to you]."

58. Some time ago AbbA Evagrius went to Scete to a cer- tain father and said unto him, "Speak some word whereby I "may be able to save myself." The old man saith unto him, " If thou wishest to be saved, when thou goest unto any man " speak not before he asketh thee a question." Now Evagrius was sorry about this sentence, and shewed regret because he had asked the question, saying, "Verily I have read many " books, and I cannot accept instruction of this kind"; and having profited greatly he went forth from him.

59. On one occasion there was a congregation in the Cells concerning a certain matter, and Abbd Evagrius spoke. And a certain elder said unto him, "We know, Abb&, that hadst "thou been in thine own country where thou art a bishop and "the governor of many, [thou wouldst have been right in "speaking]; but in this place thou sittest [as] a stranger." Now Evagrius was sorry, but he was not offended, and he shook his head, and bent his gaze downwards, and he wrote with his finger and said unto them, "Verily, it is even as thou "sayest, O my fathers; I have spoken once, but I will not do "it a second time."

60. AbM John, who was in prison, said that there was a man sitting in his cell who always made mention of God, and in this was fulfilled that which is written, "I was in prison, "and ye came unto Me" (St. Matthew xxv, 36).

61. They used to say about AbbH Agathon that for a period

XTbe Salinas of tbe Doll? jfatbers

of three years he placed a stone in his mouth [and kept it there], until he had learned thoroughly how to hold his peace.

Matthew xxv, 36). 61. They used to say about AbbH Agathon that for a period

XTbe Salinas of tbe Doll? jfatbers

of three years he placed a stone in his mouth [and kept it there], until he had learned thoroughly how to hold his peace.

62. A certain brother went to Abb£ Moses in Scete, and asked him to speak a word; and the old man said unto him, " Get thee gone, and sit in thy cell, and thy cell shall teach " thee everything."

Cbapter it ©f fasting an& Bbstinence an& of otbct [similar] labours

THEY used to say about Abb& Paphnutius that he would not readily drink wine, and that on one occasion he came by chance upon a band of thieves, and found them

63. drinking; and the captain of the thieves recognized him, and knew that he never drank wine; and he looked closely at him [and saw that] he was a man of great ascetic works. And the captain filled a cup with wine and, taking a sword in his hand, he said unto the old man, "If thou wilt not drink I will slay " thee"; and the old man knew that the grace of God wished to work on the captain of the thieves through him, and sought to do good to him, so he took [the cup] and drank [the wine]. Then the captain made excuse to him and said, " Forgive me, "father, for having distressed thee"; and the old man said unto him, " I believe, by God, that through this cup God will " forgive thee thy sins." And the captain of thieves said unto him, "I believe, by God; from this time forth I will never vex "any man." Thus, because for God's sake Paphnutius gave up his own wish, he was able to do good to all that band of thieves.

64. A certain old man came unto one of the holy men who was a companion of his, and who cooked a few lentiles; and one of the two said unto his fellow, "Shall we sing a part of " the service?" And he sang the whole of the Psalms of David, and his companion repeated two books of the Great Prophets, and when it was morning the old man departed to his own place, and they forgot all about the food. And the old man went another evening and found the food which had been cooked, and he was sorry and said, "Oh! how was it that we " came to forget that little mess of lentiles, and did not eat it?"

65. On one occasion a brother came to Abbi Isaiah, who threw a handful of lentiles into a saucepan to boil, but when they had just begun to boil he took them off the fire; and the brother said unto him, "Are they not yet cooked, O father?" And the old man said unto him, "Is it not sufficient for thee " to have seen the fire? For this [alone] is great refreshing."

" And the old man said unto him, "Is it not sufficient for thee " to have seen the fire? For this [alone] is great refreshing. "

66. A certain old man became very seriously ill, for he suf- fered from some disease of the stomach, and much blood came

®n fasttttQ mb abstinence

away from him; and one of the brethren had some dried prunes, and because of the severe illness of the old man he cooked a little food, and put some of the prunes in it, and brought it to him, and entreated him, saying, " Father, do [me] an a<Sl of "grace, and take a little of this stew, for perhaps it will do "thee good." And the old man lifted up his eyes and looked ^ at him, and said, "In which of the Scriptures hast thou found "this thing? Verily I have wished that God would leave me " in this illness for the last thirty years, for when I am weak "then am I strong"; and the old man, although he was grievously sick, would not take even a little of the food, and when the brother saw [this] he took it and went back to his cell.

67. They used to say concerning Abb& Macarius, the Egyp- tian, that if it happened that he ate with the brethren, he would make an agreement with himself that if there was wine [on the table] and he drank one cup of it, he would drink no water for a whole day; now the brethren, wishing him to be refreshed (or pleased), used to give him wine, and the old man took it joy- fully so that he might torment his body. And when his disciple saw this thing, he said unto the brethren, " I entreat you, for " our Lord's sake, not to give him wine to drink, for if he "drinketh it he will go to his cell and afflict himself because " thereof"; and when the brethren knew this they did not give him any more wine to drink.

68. There was a certain old man who made a vow not to drink any water during the Fast of Forty Days; and when he became thirsty (literally, hot) he would wash a potter's vessel, and fill it with water, and hang it up in front of him. Then the brethren asked him why and wherefore he acted thus, and he said, * 1 That " I may labour the more, and receive a reward from God " ; now he said this that he might incite them to great labours.

69. A brother asked an old man questions about comforts [or pleasures], and the old man said unto him, "Eat grass, wear "grass, and sleep on grass, and then thy heart will become like "iron."

69. A brother asked an old man questions about comforts [or pleasures], and the old man said unto him, "Eat grass, wear "grass, and sleep on grass, and then thy heart will become like "iron. "

70. A certain brother was hungry one morning, and he fought against his inclination and determined not to eat until the third hour; and when the third hour had passed, he dipped his bread in water, and sat down to eat, but he forced himself to wait until the sixth hour arrived, when he said within him- self, " Let us wait till the ninth hour." And when the ninth hour had come, he prayed, and saw the working of Satan rising- up before him like smoke, and he suppressed his desire [to eat], and his hunger passed away from him.

71. A certain brother from the Cells brought some new bread, and he invited all the old men who were under vows at

17 11-2

ttbc Savings of tbe ftols jfatbers

Scete to partake of a meal; and when each of them had eaten two bread-cakes, they ceased eating. Then the brother, who knew their labours of abstinence, and that they did not usually eat, and never satisfied themselves, made excuses to them, saying, "Eat ye this day, for our Lord's sake, until ye are 44 satisfied"; and hearing this each ate ten cakes more. All this [sheweth] how much they afflicted themselves in not satisfying themselves with any kind of food.

72. On one occasion two old men were going up from Scete to Egypt, and because of the fatigue of the way they sat down on the bank of the river to eat some food, and one of them took his bread-cake in his hand and dipped it in the water; and he answered and said unto his companion, 44 Wilt thou not dip 44 thy cake in water, O father?" And his companion answered and said unto him, 44 Itis written, When a possession increaseth 44 set not thy heart upon it " (Psalm lxii, 10).

73. They used to say about Abb& Isaac, the priest of the Cells, that he ate the ashes of the censer which was before the altar with his bread.

74. On one occasion there was an offering [made] in the mountain of Abb£ Anthony, and a skin of wine was there, and one of the monks took some of it in a small vessel, and with a cup in his hand he went and carried it to Abb& Sisoes. And he mixed him a cupful, and he drank it, and he mixed him a second cupful, and he took it and drank it, but when he mixed him a third cupful Abb& Sisoes refused to drink it, saying, 14 Stay thy hand, brother, knowest thou not that [the third cup] 44 is of Satan?"

And he mixed him a cupful, and he drank it, and he mixed him a second cupful, and he took it and drank it, but when he mixed him a third cupful Abb& Sisoes refused to drink it, saying, 14 Stay thy hand, brother, knowest thou not that [the third cup] 44 is of Satan? "

75. Abb£ John said, " If a king wishes to subdue a city be- 44 longing to enemies, he first of all keepeth them without 44 bread and water, and the enemy being in this wise harassed 44 by hunger becometh subject unto him; and thus it is in respedl 44 of the hostile passions, for if a man endureth fasting and 44 hunger regularly, his enemies become stricken with weak- 44 ness in the soul."

76. They used to say about Abb£ Dioscurus that his bread was made of barley and lentiles, and that at the beginning of each year he would set himself some [new] task of ascetic ex- cellence, saying, 44 This year I will not hold converse with (or 44 visit) any man," or, 44 1 will not speak at all," or, 44 1 will not 44 eat food which hath been boiled," or, 44 I will not eat fruit," or, 44 1 will not eat vegetables." He began each year with re- solutions of this kind and carried them out, and each year he set himself some new task.

77. On one occasion when certain brethren went to the church during the Easter Festival, they gave a brother a cup

Digitized by

On fasting an& abstinence

of wine, and when they urged him to drink it, he said to them, " Forgive me, O my fathers, but ye did the same thing to me "last year, and I drank a cup of wine, and I was greatly " troubled thereby for a long time."

78. The monks were celebrating a festival in Scete, and they gave a certain old man a cup of wine, and he handed it back, saying, " Take this death away from me"; and when the others who were eating with him saw him [do this] they also would not take the wine.

79. And again on another occasion certain first-fruits of wine were sent that it might be given to the brethren cup by cup, (i.e., a cup each). And one of the brethren went up to a roof, that he might escape from drinking, and it parted asunder be- neath him, and he fell through it; and when the sound came [tothebrethren] they wentand found him lying [on theground], and they began to think about him, and said, " O lover of vain- " glory, this hath befallen thee rightly." And an old man laid him out, saying unto them, " Forgive ye my son, for he hath " done a good work. And, as the Lord liveth, this breach shall "not be built up in my days, for all the world shall know that " because of a cup of wine a schism hath taken place in Scete. "

80. It was reported to Abbd Poemen about a certain brother that he would not drink wine, and the old man Poemen said, "The nature of wine is not such as to make it useful to the " dwellers in monasteries."

81. They used to say about Abbd Sisoes the Theban that he never ate bread. During the Easter Festival the brethren came to him, and having made excuses they entreated him to eat with them; and he answered and said, " I will do one [of two] " things; I will either eat bread and bread alone, or I will eat " of the meats which ye have boiled." And they said unto him, " Then eat bread only."

82. A certain old man said, " Reduce thy knowledge of the "things of man, and thy belly also, and thou shalt find all " [manner of] delights. "

83. Abb£ Poemen used to say, "The Spirit of God never "entereth into the house wherein there are delights and "pleasures."

84. A brother asked AbbA Sisoes, "What [good do] I do "in going to church, for often [the devils] recognize me and "seize me?" The old man saith unto him, "There is work in "the matter."

85. Abraham his disciple thereupon said unto him, "Father, if there happen to be a congregation on the Sabbath, or on Sunday, and a brother drink three cups of wine, is that too "much?" The old man saith unto him, "If Satan did not

Ubc Saunas of tbe ftolu jfatbers

" exist three cups would not be too much to drink, but since "he doth exist three cups are too much. ,,

86. On one occasion some early grapes were sent to Abb£ Macarius because he longed for them, and to give a proof of his abstinence, he sent them to another brother who was sick, and who craved for grapes; and having received them, he re- joiced over them greatly, and then he despised his desire, and sent them on to another brother, as one who had no wish for food of any kind, and who held his self-denial in contempt. Now when the brother had received the grapes, although he desired greatly to eat them, he did the same as the other brother had done, and no man wished to eat them. And after they had gone about among many of the brethren, the last one who received them sent them to the blessed Macarius as a gift of great honour; and when the blessed Macarius saw the grapes he marvelled at the extent of the self-denial of the brethren, and gave thanks unto God, and he did not eat them.

87. On one occasion certain monks went down from Egypt to visit the Fathers, and when they saw that they were eating — now it was after prolonged hunger and very much fasting, and continual abstinence, — they were greatly offended; and when the elder of the coenobium learned [about this] he came to quiet their minds. And he proclaimed in the church of the congregation, saying, i 'Ye shall fast in your customary man- ner, and honour your ascetic rule of life, so that your vol- untary abstinence may not be held in contempt." Now the Egyptian strangers wished to depart, but the monks shut them in cells. And when they had fasted the whole of the first day they began to feel faint, but notwithstanding this the monks made them to fast two days at a time; now the monks who were in Scete used to fast for a week at a time. And when the day of the Sabbath came, the Egyptians sat down to eat with the old men, and when one of the Egyptians began to eat hurriedly and voraciously, one of the old men caught hold of his hands, saying, "Eat moderately, (or according to rule) " like the monks." Then one of the others clutched at the old man's hand, saying, "Let me eat so that I may not die, for "behold, I have not eaten a piece of boiled food for a whole " week. " And the old man said unto him, " If now ye have be- "come so very weak after having fasted but one night only, " why were ye offended at the brethren who live a life of self- " denial for long periods of time, and who fulfil their seasons " with voluntary abstinence?" And straightway those Egyptians made excuses to the old men, and they were edified by their patient endurance, and departed rejoicing.

88. Once Abba Agathon had two disciples, and they sepa-

" And straightway those Egyptians made excuses to the old men, and they were edified by their patient endurance, and departed rejoicing. 88. Once Abba Agathon had two disciples, and they sepa-

rated from him, and each of them dwelt in a place by himself. One day he asked one of them, and said, " How dost thou live in thy cell?" And the disciple answered and said, "I fast until " evening, and then I eat two bread-cakes"; and AbbA Aga- thon said unto him, "It is a beautiful way of living, but it is "very laborious." Then AbbH Agathon said unto the other disciple, "And how dost thou live?" And the disciple answered and said unto him, "I fast two days at a time, and after each " fast I eat two bread-cakes." Then the old man said unto him, "Thou toilest greatly, and maintainest a twofold strife. For "one man eateth every day and filleth not his belly, and an- other fasteth two days at a time and taketh whatsoever he " needeth; but thou, though thou dost fast two days at a time, "dost not fill thy belly."

89. Abbd Abraham went to Abb£ Areus, and as they were sitting down, another brother came to Abbd, and asked him, saying, "Tell me what I shall do to live?" And he said unto him, "Go and pass the whole week in plaiting palm leaves and "twisting ropes thereof, and eat bread and salt once each day "in the evening, and then come again to me, and I will tell "thee [what else to do]." And the brother went away and did as he had told him to do, and when AbbA Abraham heard this he wondered. Now when the week was ended that brother came again to the old man Areus, with whom there happened to be also AbbA Abraham. And the old man said unto the brother, "Get thee gone, and pass thou the whole week in fasting "two days at a time." And when that brother had gone, Abbd Abraham said unto Abbd Areus, "Why dost thou com- "mand all the other brethren to bear a light burden, but " layest aheavy load upon the brother who was here ? " Then the old man said unto him, "The other brethren as they come, ask, "and according as they ask they receive and depart; but this " brother cometh for God's sake, that he may hear the word of "profit, for he is a worker, and whatsoever I say unto him he "performeth with care and diligence.' '

90. Abbd Theodotus used to say, "Abstinence from bread "quieteth the body of the monk."

' '

90. Abbd Theodotus used to say, "Abstinence from bread "quieteth the body of the monk. "

91. A certain old man used to say, "I knew Abbd Pater- "muthis in the cells, and he did not drink wine, but when they "took some wine and mixed it with water, and urged him "to drink [it], he said, 'Believe me, O my brethren, I hold it to " 'be a most beautiful thing.' And he blamed himself and con- demned himself because of the mixing, and at the same time "he gave thanks unto God and accepted His gracious gift."

92. They used to say about Abb£ Paphnutius that he did not drink wine readily, even though he was sick.

Google

XCbe Saunas of tbe f)ols jf atbers

93. Abbd Poemen said, "The soul can be humbled by no- " thing except thou enfeeble it by the eating of [little] bread. ,,

94. They used to say about Abb& Sarndds that he laboured exceedingly hard, and that he only ate two bread-cakes each day. And when he came to Abb£ Job, who was a man that was perfedl in the laborious work of adtive excellence, and who was also a man that pradlised stri<5t self-denial and abstinence r he said unto him, "As long as I live in my cell I can observe "my rule of life, but if I go outside my cell I make openly "submission because of the brethren." Then Abbd Sarnads said unto him, "To be able to keep hold upon thy rule of life * ' only so long as thou art in thy cell is no great a<Sl of spiritual "excellence, but it would be if thou couldst do so when thou " didst go forth outside thy cell."

95. Abb£ Poemen used to say, "As smoke driveth away bees, "and men take the sweetness of their labour, even so also "doth ease of the body drive away the fear of God from the " heart, and it carrieth away all the good [effedl] of its labour."

96. On one occasion Abb£ Sylvanus and Zechariah his dis- ciple were going to a monastery, and they prepared a little food to eat before they set out on their journey. And when they had gone forth his disciple found water on the way, and he wished to drink, but the old man said unto him, "Zechariah, to-day is " a fast day," but the disciple said, "Nay, O father, for behold "we have eaten." Then Abb& Sylvanus said unto him, "The "food which we ate was obligatory, but let us keep the fast, "O my son."

97. Abbd Poemen said, "Every corporeal pleasure is con- "temptible before the Lord."

" Then Abb& Sylvanus said unto him, "The "food which we ate was obligatory, but let us keep the fast, "O my son. "

97. Abbd Poemen said, "Every corporeal pleasure is con- "temptible before the Lord. "

98. The disciple of Abb& Sisoes had to say unto him several times, " Rise up and let us eat." And he used to say unto him, " My son, have we not eaten? " And the disciple would say unto him, "Nay, father." Then the old man would say unto him, " If we have not eaten, bring the food and let us eat."

99. Abbd Daniel used to say, " In proportion as the body "groweth, the soul becometh enfeebled; and the more the ' ' body becometh emaciated, the more the soul groweth. "

100. Abb£ Benjamin, the priest of the Cells, said, " On one " occasion we went to a certain old man in Scete, and we "wanted to give him a little oil ; and he said unto us, 'Be- " ' hold, that little vessel of oil which ye brought to me three " 'years ago is still lying in the place where ye put it, and it " ' hath remained in the same state as that wherein ye brought " ' it. ' And when we heard [this] we marvelled at the old man's ( i manner of life. "

101. Abbd Benjamin also said, " We went to another old

$n fastim anb abstinence

"man, and he took some food which we were going to eat, "and threw into it a little oil of radishes. And we said unto "him, 'Father, throw into our food a little sweet oil, 1 but " when he heard these words, he made the sign of the Cross " over himself, and said, ' If there be any other oil besides this "'I know not of it'"

102. AbbA Joseph asked AbbA Poemen what was the proper way in which to fast, and Abbd Poemen said unto him, " I "prefer the man who eateth every day a very small quantity "of food, and who doth not satisfy his cravings for food." And Abbi Joseph said unto him, " When thou wast a young " man didst thou not fast two days at a time, O father? " Then the old man said unto him, " Yea, I did, and three days at a "time, and four days at a time, and even a week at a time; "and the old men, like men of might, have tried all these by " experience, but they have found that it is beneficial for a man "to eat an exceedingly small quantity of food each day, and " because of this they have delivered unto us an easy way to "the kingdom."

103. One of the fathers said, " I knew a brother in the Cells " who used to fast the whole of the Great Sabbath, and when "the brethren were assembled in the evening he used to flee "to his cell in order that he might eat nothing in the church; "and he would eat a few plantains with salt, and without "bread, that be might conceal his abstinence."

104. They used to tell about a certain monk who, having gone forth from the world, and lived in the coenobium for a number of years, was gracious unto every man in his humility, and all the brethren marvelled at his abstinence from meats ; then he went to the barren desert, and lived there for many years, eating for food wild herbs. And afterwards he entreated God to inform him what reward He would give him, and it was said unto him by an angel, " Go forth from this desert and "get thee along the road, and behold a certain shepherd shall " meet thee, and according to [what he saith] so shalt thou " receive." Now when he had made ready to depart, the shep- herd of whom he had been told by the angel met him, and saluted him, and having sat down to hold converse with each other, the monk saw in the shepherd's bag some green herbs, and he asked him, saying, " What is this? And the shepherd said unto him, " It is my food." And the monk said unto him, "How long hast thou been feeding thyself on these green "herbs?" And the shepherd said unto him, " Behold, for the " last thirty years, more or less, and I have never tasted any- " thing else except these herbs which I have eaten once a day, "and I drink as much water as my food requireth; and the

tTbe Saunas of tbe twls tfatbers

" And the monk said unto him, "How long hast thou been feeding thyself on these green "herbs? " And the shepherd said unto him, " Behold, for the " last thirty years, more or less, and I have never tasted any- " thing else except these herbs which I have eaten once a day, "and I drink as much water as my food requireth; and the

tTbe Saunas of tbe twls tfatbers

" wages which are given to me by the owner of the sheep "I give unto the poor." Now when the monk heard these things he fell down at the feet of the shepherd, and said, " I "imagined that I had laid hold upon abstinence, but thou " through thy well-ordered life art worthy of a greater reward "than I, because I have eaten every kind of green thing im- " mediately it came in my way." Then the shepherd said unto him, "It is not right that rational men should make them- " selves like unto the beasts, but they should eat whatsoever is " prepared for them at the seasons which are duly ordered and "appointed forthem, and afterwards they should fast fromevery- " thing until an appointed time." And the monk profited by these words, and he added to his labour and became perfect, and he praised God, and marvelled how many were the saints in the world who were not known to the children of men.

Cbapter tf f ♦ ©f tbe IReaMng of tbe Scriptures, anb of watcbing vv IFUgbt, anb of tbe Service of tbe psalms, anb of constant Erasers

THEY used to say about Abbd Arsenius that no man was able to attain to the manner of life in his abode. And they also said about him that on the night of the Sabbath IOS# which would end in the dawn of Sunday, he would leave the sun behind him, and would stretch out his hands to- wards heaven, and would pray [in this position] until the sun rose in his face, when he would satisfy his eyes with a little slumber.

106. A certain old man was complete in all perfection, and he could see what was happening from a very long way off ; and he said, " I once saw in a monastery a certain brother who " was meditating on the study of God in his cell, and behold, " a devil came and stood outside, and he wanted to go in, but " he could not do so, so long as the brother was meditating. " Finally, however, when the monk ceased his contemplation " the devil was able to enter his cell, for his power is notable " to vanquish those whose converse is with God."

107. An old man said, "Whensoever a man readeth the "Divine Books, the devils are afraid."

" Finally, however, when the monk ceased his contemplation " the devil was able to enter his cell, for his power is notable " to vanquish those whose converse is with God. "

107. An old man said, "Whensoever a man readeth the "Divine Books, the devils are afraid. "

108. They used to say about Abbd Pachomius that he spent much time in striving with devils like a true athlete, and after the manner of Saint Anthony. And because many devils came against him in the night season, he asked God to keep away sleep from him both by day and by night, so that he might not sleep at all, and might be able to bring low the might of the Enemy, even according to that which is written, " I will " not turn back until I have made an end of them "; for they

$f K?eabin& anb fcraset

are powerless against the faith which is in the Lord. Now this gift was given unto him, even as he had asked, for a certain time, and because he was pure, his heart used to see God, Who is invisible, as in a mirror.

109. They used to say about Abbi Pachomius and Abbi John that they lived together in the same religious house (now John was larger in stature than Pachomius), but both had adopted a life of poverty voluntarily, and they possessed nothing whatsoever except the fear of God. Whatsoever they gained by the work of their hands they gave to those who were in need, and they kept for themselves only what was sufficient for their bare necessities ; in respect of clothes they were well- nigh destitute, and they had so few of them that they were obliged to wash those which they wore [and put them on again]. Now AbbS. Pachomius always wore a garment made of hair, because of the toil of his body. And whensoever they wished to refresh their bodies by a little sleep after their vigil and prayer, each of them would sit down in the middle of the cell, and, without leaning against a wall, would go to sleep. And they continued to do this for fifteen years, and many of the fathers heard of them, and saw them living thus, and they also strove in like manner to humble their bodies for the re- demption of their souls.

110. They used to say about Abbi Joseph that when he was about to die, and the old men were sitting about him, he looked at the window and saw Satan sitting there; and he cried out to his disciple and said, " Bring me a stick here, for " this devil thinketh that I have become old, and that I am "no longer able to stand up against him," and as soon as he grasped the stick in his hand, Satan, in the form of a dog, threw himself from the window, and the old man saw him tak- ing to flight

111. They used to relate concerning Abbk Sisoes that if he did not bring down his hands swiftly when he was standing up in prayer, his mind would be carried off on high ; but when- soever it chanced that one of the brethren was with him he would bring his hands down hurriedly lest peradventure his mind should be carried off, and he should be left alone.

112. Abba" Isaiah, the elder of the church, rebuked the brethren when they were eating that which had been prepared for them because they began to talk with each other, and he said to them, " Hold ye your peace, O my brethren. I know " a brother who eateth with us and drinketh with us full (?) "cups even as we do, and yet his prayer ascendeth up before "God like fire."

113. One day Abbk Arsenius called Abbi Alexander and

ttbe Savings of the fwte jf atberd

Abba Z6J14, and said unto them, " Because the devils are "striving with me, and because I do not know but that they "may carry me off during [my] sleep, toil ye here with me " this night, and keep vigil, and watch me and see if I sleep " during [my] vigil." So they sat down, one on his right hand, and the other on his left, from the evening even until the morning. And they said, ' ' We slept and we woke up, and we " did not observe that he slept at all ; but when it began to be " light there came unto us three times the sound of breathing " in his nostrils, but whether he did this purposely so that we "might think he slept or whether slumber had really fallen " upon him we know not." And he stood up and said unto us, " i Have I been asleep? " And we answered and said unto him, " We do not know, O father, for we ourselves went to sleep."

114. A brother asked Abbi Poemen, saying, " How, and in "what manner is it right for a man to walk in the path of "righteousness?" Abbi Poemen said unto him, " We have "seen Daniel, and also that his enemies were unable to bring "any accusation whatsoever against him except in respect " of his service of God."

II5 # On one occasion Abbd Sisoes was sitting in his cell, and when his disciple knocked at the door [meaning to] go in, the old man cried out, saying, "Flee, Abraham, and do not come * ' in now, for this place is not empty. "