The Sayings of the Desert Fathers — page 2 — Apophthegmata Patrum

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. "

116. They say concerning AbbA Sisoes of Babylon that, wish- ing to vanquish sleep, he stood upright upon a mountain crag, and that the angel of the Lord came and rescued him from that place, and commanded him never to do such a thing again, and not even to hand on this tradition to another.

117. An old man said, "I knew a brother who used to sit " with the brethren at the meal which is made for the coming " of the brethren, and although the brethren ate and drank, he "never made himself to be remote from converse with God in "his prayer, and he did not drink even a cup of wine. Now " this man's manner of life was marvellous, and a certain man " used to say about him, *I once wished to count the prayers " 'which he made, and I saw that he did not cease to pray " 'either by day or by night.'"

118. On one occasion a Bishop was sent secretly to Abbd Epiphanius by the head of a certain monastery in Palestine, say- ing, "We have not treated lightly thy services of prayer since "thy departure from us, but we perform most carefully the "services for the third, and sixth, and ninth hours, and also " vespers. "Then Abb& Epiphanius blamed those who sent him, and wrote a message, which he sent to them, saying, "Ye must " know that ye are indeed neglectful of the services and prayers

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" which belong to the other eight hours which are in the day, "for it is right for the monk who hath made himself to be re- " mote from the world to be occupied with prayers to God un- " ceasingly, and he should pray either in his heart, or in a care- "fully defined service, or in that service which he performeth "with his will and with understanding. For the Calumniator "addeth greatly to any small failing which he may find in a " monk, and by being with him continually he enlarge th greatly "the breach which he hath made, and by his habit of persist- "ency he acquireth his natural power, and more particularly " is this so in the case of those who are careless and lazy."

For the Calumniator "addeth greatly to any small failing which he may find in a " monk, and by being with him continually he enlarge th greatly "the breach which he hath made, and by his habit of persist- "ency he acquireth his natural power, and more particularly " is this so in the case of those who are careless and lazy. "

119. Abbd Epiphanius also said, "Whatsoever food thou " wishest to eat with gratification, that give not to thy body, " especially when thou art in good health, and that which thou "lustest after, eat not; and when thou feedest upon the things "which are sent unto thee by God, give thanks unto Him at "all seasons, and receive His gracious gift, the delights and " the pleasures which we have received through the name of "monk, [although] we do not do the works of monks. And [if] " it be that thou art a monk, wilt thou then not make thyself "strong, lest peradventure thou art arrayed in apparel which "is strange to thee? Tell me, O brother, dost thou possess the " seal of the service, that is to say, humility? For the holy man "who seeth another man sin weepeth bitterly, saying, 'It is " 'this man who sinneth now, but some time subsequently it " 'may be myself/ However much then a man may sin before " thee, condemn him not, but esteem thyself a sinner far greater " than he is, even though he may be a child of this world, and "besides there is the fa<Sl that he may have sinned greatly 'against God."

120. And he said also, "Know thyself, and thou shalt never ' fall. Give thy soul work, that is to say, constant prayer, and ' love of God, before another can give it evil [and filthy] thoughts ; ' and pray ye that the spirit of error may be remote from you."

121. And he also said, "Whatsoever ye do successfully, and ' what ye boast of, destroy, for it is not right for a monk to

boast of his fair deeds, and if he boasteth he will fall."

122. [And he also said], "When thou prayest speak unto God in a quiet voice and say, 4 How can I possess Thee, O 'Lord? Thou knowest full well that I am a beast, and that I 'know nothing. Thou hast brought me to the prime of this 'life, deliver me then for Thy mercy's sake; I am Thy ser- 'vant, and the son of Thine handmaiden, O Lord, by Thy 'will, vivify Thou me.' The old man is falsehood, and the new man is truth ; the truth is the root of good works, and false- hood is death. If the liar, and the thief, and the calumniator

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' The old man is falsehood, and the new man is truth ; the truth is the root of good works, and false- hood is death. If the liar, and the thief, and the calumniator

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" knew that they would finally be made known unto all and " [their works] revealed, they would never offend. And thus "also was it with the adulterous sons of Eli, Hophni and " Phinehas, for they were not priests of the Lord, and they feared "not God, and they perished, together with all their house. " And the man who taketh hold of, and bindeth to himself, and " shutteth within himself the memory of evil things is like unto " the man who hideth fire in straw. If thou speakest to a man " concerning life, and if thou sayest a word unto him let it be " with feeling, and penitence, and with tears ; and say thy word ' ' to the man who will hearken and will do it, but if not, speak "not, lest thou die, and thou depart from this world without " any profit from the words whereby thou didst wish to give " life unto others. For unto the sinner God saith, 'What hast " 'thou to do with the Books of My Commandments? For " 'thou hast taken My covenant in thy mouth [only]'" (Psalm 1, 16).

123. Abbd Epiphanius said, "Whensoever a thought cometh "and filleth thy bosom, that is to say, thy heart, with vain- " glory or with pride, say thou unto thyself, 'Old man, behold " ' thy fornication.'"

124. And he also said, "If we do evil things God will be un- " mindful of His longsuffering ; but if we do good things, it " will not help us greatly because we increase the advantage " of freedom, and the merchandise is not plundered thereby, " for the will rejoiceth in the striving."

125. Certain brethren entreated Abbd Epiphanius on one occasion, saying, "Father, speak unto us some word of life, " even though when thou speakest we may not grasp the seed " of thy word, because the soil is salt." Then the old man an- swered and said unto them, "Whosoever receiveth not all the "brethren, but maketh distinctions between them, cannot be- " come a perfect man. If a man revile thee, bless him, whether " it be good for both of you, or whether it be not; it will be he " who will receive a reward of blessing. This is the right way " for a monk to live, and in this way lived Abb& Arsenius, who "took care each day to stand up before God without sin, " and he drew nigh unto Him with tears like the sinful woman. " In this manner pray to the Lord God — as if He were standing "before thee, for He is nigh unto thee and He looketh upon "thee. It is right that the man who wisheth to dwell in the "desert should be [as] a teacher in his knowledge, and he must " not be in need of instruction lest he be swept away by the "devils; and he must look into his mind most minutely, " both in respedl of the things which are above, and those " which are below, lest he become a laughing-stock unto them

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" by some means or other. It is right that the manner of life "of the man who loveth God should be blameless."

126. A certain man made answer to the brethren against evil thoughts, saying, "I entreat you, O my brethren, let us cease " from ascetic works, and let us give up also anxious thoughts. " For what are we? A voice which cometh out of the dust, or "a cry which riseth from the mud? When Joseph of Ramah "had asked to be allowed to take the body of Jesus, he took "it, and wrapped it round in a sheet of clean linen, and then "he laid it in a new sepulchre of the new man " (St. Matthew xxvii, 59).

127. On one occasion a certain monk saw a devil who was calling to his fellow to come with him, so that the two together might wake up a monk for service, and might lead him into error thereby, [and cause him to think] that angels had ap- peared unto him. And the monk heard the voice of the other devil, who made answer to his fellow, saying, "I cannot do "this. For once I woke him up, and he stood up and broke "me with a terrible breaking, and [all the time he was doing "it] he sang psalms and prayed."

And the monk heard the voice of the other devil, who made answer to his fellow, saying, "I cannot do "this. For once I woke him up, and he stood up and broke "me with a terrible breaking, and [all the time he was doing "it] he sang psalms and prayed. "

128. A brother asked an old man and said, "Why is it that " when I go forth to labour I feel wearied and disgusted in my "soul, and my mind is wholly empty of spiritual thoughts?*' And the old man said unto him, " Because thou dost not de- "sire to fulfil that which is written, 'I will bless the Lord al- " ' ways, and His praises shall be ever in my mouth" (Psalm "xxxiv, 1). Therefore, whether thou art inside or outside, and " whithersoever thou goest thou must not cease from blessing "God; not only in actions, but with word and mind thou shalt "bless thy Maker. For God doth not dwell in any place which "hath bounds and limits, but He is everywhere, and by His "Divine Power He sustaineth all things, and is capable of all "things."

129. A brother asked Abb£ Poemen concerning the thoughts which invaded his mind, and he said unto him, " This matter " is like unto that of a man who hath a fire on his left hand, "and a tank of water on his right hand ; if he wisheth to ex- " tinguish the fire, he taketh the water from the tank and doeth "it, and it is right for a man to a<Sl thus every hour. Now the "fire is the evil thought, which cometh from enemies, and the "water is the pouring out of the soul before the Lord which a "man should do."

IJO. There was a certain monk who did not do any work whatsoever with his hands, but he prayed without ceasing ; and at eventide he would go into his cell and find his bread laid there [for him], and he would eat it. Now another monk came

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to him, who had upon him [materials] for the labour of his hands, and wheresoever he entered in he worked, and he made the old man, into whose cell he had entered, to work with him. And when the evening 1 had come, he wished according to his custom, to eat, but he found nothing, and he therefore lay down in sorrow ; and it was revealed unto him, saying, 44 Whilst 44 thou wast occupied in converse with Me, I fed thee, but now 44 thou hast begun to work, thou must demand thy food from 4 'the labour of thy hands."

And when the evening 1 had come, he wished according to his custom, to eat, but he found nothing, and he therefore lay down in sorrow ; and it was revealed unto him, saying, 44 Whilst 44 thou wast occupied in converse with Me, I fed thee, but now 44 thou hast begun to work, thou must demand thy food from 4 'the labour of thy hands. "

131. They tell the story that on one occasion, whilst the blessed Anthony was dwelling in the desert, thoughts of de- jection and despair rose up in his mind, and he was in deep gloom of thought, and said unto God, "Lord, I wish to live, 44 but my thoughts will not permit me to do so. What shall I 41 do in my tribulations to be saved?" And he came a little nearer [to the town] from the place where he was, and he saw a man who was like unto himself, and was in his own form, and he was sitting down and twisting palm leaves into ropes ; and this man rose up from his work, and prayed, and after- wards he sat down again and continued his work, and then he stood up once more, and prayed. Now the man was an angel who had been sent from God to correcSt and to admonish the blessed Anthony, who afterwards heard him say unto him, 44 O 44 Anthony, do thou also do this and live"; and when Anthony heard this, the blessed man had great joy, and afterwards he did as the angel had done, and lived.

132. They said concerning Abb£ John the Less that, on one occasion, he steeped the palm leaves for two baskets in water, and sewed one basket to the other without perceiving it until he came to the side of it, for his mind was led captive by the sight of God.

133. And Abbd Daniel used to say concerning Abbd Arsenius that he would pass the whole night in vigil, and when, for the sake of nature, he wished for the approach of the morning so that he might have some relief, he would struggle against sleep, and say, 4 4 Get thee gone, O wicked handmaiden"; then he would snatch a very little slumber and stand up straight- way.

134. Abb& Arsenius used to say, 4 4 One hour's sleep is suffi- 44 cient for a monk, provided that he be strenuous.

135. They used to say about a certain monk who lived in a monastery of the brotherhood, that although he kept frequent vigil and prayed he was neglectful about praying with the congregation. And one night there appeared unto him a glorious pillar of brilliant light from the place where the brethren were congregated, and it reached up into the heavens;

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and he saw a small spark which [flew] about the pillar, and sometimes it shone brightly, and sometimes it was extinguish- ed. And whilst he was wondering at the vision, it was explained to him by God, Who said, "The pillar which thou seest is "the prayers of the many [brethren] which are gathered to- gether and go up to God and gratify Him; and the spark is "the prayers of those who dwell among the congregation, "and who despise the appointed services of the brotherhood. "And now, if thou wouldst live, perform that which it is cus- tomary to perform with the brethren, and then, if thou " wishest to do so, and art able to pray separately, do so." And the monk related all these things before the brotherhood, and they glorified God.

Cbapter to. Of bow it is meet for u* to Weep for our Sins an& to dDourn for tbem always

A BROTHER asked Abb& Ammon, and said unto him, "Tell me some word whereby I may live"; and Abb& Ammon said unto him, "Go and make thy mind like

136. ' ' unto the minds of those evil-doers who are in the prison "house, and who ask those who go to them, saying, 'Where " 'is the governor? When will he come here?' And their minds "tremble in fearful expectation. Thus also is a monk bound to " wait in expectation always, and he must admonish himself, "saying, ' Woe is me! For how can I stand before the throne " 'of Christ? And how shall I be able to make answer unto "'Him? 1 If thou art able to think thus always thou wilt be "able to live."

137. Abbi Poemen was once passing through Egypt, and he saw a woman sitting in the cemetery and weeping, and he said, "If every kind of instrument of sweet music in the world "were to come [here] they would not be able to change the "grief of this woman's soul [into gladness]; even thus it is "meet for a monk to have pain (or grief) within himself."

138. Three old men once came to Abbi Sisoes because they had heard that he was a great man. And the first one said unto him, "Father, how can I escape from the river of fire?" And Abba Sisoes answered him never a word. Then the second old man said unto him, "Father, how can I escape from the "gnashing of teeth, and from the worm which never dieth?" And Abbk Sisoes answered him never a word. Then the third old man said unto him, "Father, what shall I do? For the re- membrance of the outer darkness troubleth me." And Abbi Sisoes answered and said unto them, "I never think on any "of these things, but I believe that God is Merciful, and that " He will shew mercy unto me"; then the old men went away

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grieved at the answer which Abb& Sisoes had spoken unto them. Now because he did not wish to send them away sor- rowful, he brought them back, and said unto them, 4 * Blessed " are ye, O my brethren, for I have been jealous of you"; and they said unto him, "In what matter hast thou been jealous " of us?" And he said, "The first one of you spake about a "river of fire; and the second spake about the gnashing of "teeth and the worm which dieth not; and the third spake "about the outer darkness; if remembrances of this kind "have dominion over your minds it is impossible for you to " commit sin. What can I do who am stubborn of heart? For " hardness of heart will not allow me to perceive even that " there a punishment for men existeth, and because of this " I sin every hour." And when the old men had heard these words, they made excuses to him, and said, "In very truth " according to what we have heard, even so have we seen."

139. A certain father said that on one occasion when the brethren were eating the food of grace, one of them laughed at table; and Abba Sinu saw him, and burst into tears, and said, "What can there be in the heart of this brother who " hath laughed? It is meet that he should weep because he is " eating the food of grace."

140. They say that when Abbi Sisoes was sick the old men who were sitting with him saw that he was talking [to some one], and they said unto him, "What seest thou, O father?" And he said unto them, "Some people came to take me away, " and I entreated them to leave me [here] a little longer that " I might repent." Then one of the old men said unto him, " What power hast thou in thee now for repentance?" Abb£ Sisoes said unto them, " If I can do nothing else I can sigh " and lament a little over my soul, and this will be sufficient "forme."

141. Certain brethren went to an old man and, making apolo- gies to him, they said, "Father, what shall we do, for Satan "is hunting after us?" And he said unto them, "It is right "for you to be watchful and to weep continually. My own "thoughts are always fixed upon the place where our Lord "was crucified, and I sigh and lament and weep about it "always;" and thus having received a good example of re- pentance the brethren departed and became chosen vessels.

142. A brother asked Abbi Muthues, saying, "Speak a word "to me"; and the old man replied, "Cut off from thee con- " tention concerning every matter whatsoever, and weep, and " mourn, for the time hath come."

143. Abb& Ammon said that he saw a young man who laughed, and he said unto him, "Laugh not, O brother, for if

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"thou dost, thou wilt drive the fear of God out of thy

"soul."

144. Abbd Paule used to say, "I had sunk in the mire up to "my neck, and I wept and spake before God, saying, 'Have " 'mercy on me.'"

145. They used to say that AbbA Theodore and AbbA '6r put on the skins of lambs for clothing; and they said to each other, "If God were to visit us now what should we do?" and they left [the skins], and departed to their cells weeping.

146. A blessed Archbishop, when he was about to depart from this world, said, "Blessed art thou, O Arsenius, because "thou hast remembered this hour."

147. An old man said, "God dwelleth in the man into whom "nothing alien entereth."

" and they left [the skins], and departed to their cells weeping. 146. A blessed Archbishop, when he was about to depart from this world, said, "Blessed art thou, O Arsenius, because "thou hast remembered this hour. "

147. An old man said, "God dwelleth in the man into whom "nothing alien entereth. "

148. A brother asked a certain old man, and said unto him, "My soul desireth tears, even as I have heard that the old " men [desire] them, but they will not come to me, and my soul " is vexed." And the old man said unto him, "The children of " Israel entered into the land of promise [after] forty years; " now tears are the land of promise, and since thou wouldst " enter therein thou must not henceforward be afraid of fight- " ing. For God wisheth to bring tribulation upon the soul in "this manner in order that it may at all times be wishful to "enter into that land [of promise]."

149. A brother asked Abbd Poemen a question and said unto him, "What shall I do? for my thoughts disturb me, and they "say unto me, 'Thy sins have been forgiven thee/ and they "make me to pry into the shortcomings of the brethren." Then AbbA Poemen spake to him about Abb& Isidore, who dwelt in a cell and wept over his soul, and his disciple used to dwell in another cell; and the disciple came to the old man, and finding him weeping, said unto him, "My father, why "weepest thou?" And the old man said unto him, "I am "weeping for my sins." Then the disciple said unto him, "And hast thou any sins, father?" And the old man said unto "him, "Indeed I have, my son, and if I were permitted to "see my sins, not three or even four men would suffice to "weep with me for them." Then Abbd Poemen said, " Thus "it is with the man who knoweth himself."

150. 1 have heard that the old men who lived in Nitria sent to Macarius the Great, who was living in Scete, and entreated him, saying, " In order that all the people may not be vexed, "we beseech thee, O our father, to come to us so that we may see thee before [thou departest] to our Lord. And having gone [to them] they all gathered together to him, and the old men begged and entreated him to speak unto the brethren one

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word of profit; and the holy old man wept, and said unto them, "Let us weep, O my brethren, and let us make our eyes to " overflow with tears before we go to the place where the tears " of our eyeballs will burn up our bodies." And they all wept, and they fell upon their faces, saying", "Father, pray for us."

" And they all wept, and they fell upon their faces, saying", "Father, pray for us. "

151. When the blessed Arsenius was about to deliver up his spirit the brethren saw him weeping", and they said unto him, "Art thou also afraid, O father?" And he said unto them, " The dread of this hour hath been with me in very truth from "the time when I became a monk, and was afraid." And so he died.

152. And when Abbi Poemen heard that he was dead, that is to say, that Abbi Arsenius had gone to his rest, he said, "Blessed art thou, O Abbi Arsenius, for thou didst weep ' ' over thyself in this world. For he who weepeth not for him- " self in this world must weep for ever in the next. He may " weep here voluntarily, or there because of the punishments " [which he will receive], but it is impossible for a man to " escape weeping either here or there."

153. A brother asked Abb& Poemen and said unto him, "What shall I do in the matter of my sins?" And the old man said unto him, "When Abraham went into the Land of Pro- " mise he bought himself a grave, and through the grave he " inherited the land." And the brother said unto him, "What "is a grave?" Then the old man said unto him, "Weeping " and mourning are a grave and a place [of burial]."

154. One of the brethren asked Abbd Poemen, saying, " Father, what shall I do in the matter of my sins?" The old man said unto him, " Whosoever wisheth to blot out his offences " can do so by weeping, and he who wisheth to acquire good " works can do so by means of weeping; for weeping is the " path which the Scriptures have taught us, and the fathers " have also wept continually, and there is no other path except "that of tears."

155. And the same old man (i.e., Poemen) said, "There are "two things [to remember]: We must fear our Lord, and do " good unto our neighbour."

156. Abba Noah asked Abb& Macarius, and said unto him, " Speak to me a word"; and the old man said, "Flee from the "children of men." Noah said unto him, "Father, what doth " it mean to flee from the children of men?" The old man said unto him, "Thou shalt sit in thy cell and weep for thy sins."

157. A brother asked an old man, and said unto him, "What " shall I do, father?" The old man said unto him, "It is right "that we should sigh and lament always." Now it happened that one of the old men fell asleep, and that after a long inter-

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157. A brother asked an old man, and said unto him, "What " shall I do, father? " The old man said unto him, "It is right "that we should sigh and lament always. " Now it happened that one of the old men fell asleep, and that after a long inter-

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val he came to himself again, and the brethren asked him, say- ing-, "What didst thou see there, O father?" and he said unto us with many tears, "I heard there the sound of the weeping "of many, who were crying out and wailing incessantly, and "saying, 'Woe is me! Woe is me!' And it is meet that we "should always be saying the same thing."

Cbapter x>. ©f IDoluntan? poverty

ABBA ARSENIUS once fell sick at Scete, and he was in need of a bowl of pottage ; and since this was not to be found there, he took the remains of the Eucharist

158. (or food of grace), and said, "I give thanks unto Thee, " 0 Christ, that, because of Thy name, I am able to receive the "food of grace."

159. There was a certain holy man whose name was Phila- grius, who lived in Jerusalem, and he worked with his hands and toiled [to earn] the food which he needed ; and the old man rose up to see the work of his hands, and he found a purse containing one thousand darics which had dropped from some one [on the road], and he remained in the place where he was, saying, "The man who lost this will come back seeking for "it." And behold the man did come back, and he was weep- ing, and the old man took him aside and gave him the darics ; and their owner laid hold upon him, and wished to give him some small sum of money, but the old man refused to accept anything/Then the owner of the darics began to cry out and say, "Come ye and see what the man of God hath done"; but the old man fled secretly and departed from the city, lest what he had done should become known, and men should pay him honour because of it.

100. They say that Abb£ Serapion the Bishop went on one occasion to one of the brethren, and found [in his cell] a hol- low in the wall which was filled with books; and the brother said unto him, "Speak to me one word whereby I may live." And the Bishop said unto him, "What have I to say to thee? " For thou hast taken that which belongeth to the orphans and "widows and laid it up in a hole in the wall."

" And the Bishop said unto him, "What have I to say to thee? " For thou hast taken that which belongeth to the orphans and "widows and laid it up in a hole in the wall. "

l6l. AbM Theodore of Parm6 possessed some beautiful books, and he went to Abbk Macarius and said unto him, "Father, I have three books, and I gain profit from them, "and the brethren borrow them from me, and they also have "profit from them; tell me, now, what shall I do with them?" And the old man answered and said, "Ascetic labours are " beautiful, but the greatest of them all is voluntary poverty." And when Abbk Theodore heard these words he went and sold the books and gave the price of them to the poor.

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162. They say about a certain monk that when his food came to him he was in the habit of taking so much of it as he needed, [but that if it happened that another man was brought to him he would not accept any of it], saying, "It is sufficient "for me; behold my Lord hath fed me."

163. A certain monk used to live in a cave in the desert, and a message was sent unto him by his kinsfolk, saying, "Thy "father is grievously sick, and is nigh to die, therefore come, "and inherit his possessions"; and he made answer unto them, saying, "I died to the world long before he will die, and a "dead man cannot be the heir of a living one."

164. An old man was asked by a brother the question, "How shall I live?" Then the old man took off his garment, and girded up his loins therewith, and lifted up his hands and said, " It is meet for a monk to be as naked in respect of this " world's goods as I am of clothing. And in his striving * 1 against his thoughts he must stand as upright as a vigorous "athlete, and when the athlete contendeth he also standeth " up naked, and when he is anointed with oil he is quite naked, ' ' and hath nothing upon him ; and he learneth from him that " traineth him how to contend, and when the enemy cometh " against him he throweth dust upon him, which is a matter " of this world, that he may be able to grasp him easily. In " thyself, then, O monk, thou must see the athlete, and he " who sheweth thee how to contend is God, for it is He Who " giveth the victory, and Who conquereth for us; and those " who contend are ourselves, and the striving is [our] op- ponent, and the dust is the affairs of the world. And since " thou hast seen the cunning of the Adversary, stand thou up ' * and oppose him in thy nakedness, being free from any care "which belongeth to this world, and thou shalt overcome ' * [him]. For when the mind is weighted down with the care of "the world it cannot receive the holy word of God."

165. They say concerning Abbd Arsenius that as, when he lived in the world, his apparel was finer than that of anyone else, so, when he lived in Scete, he wore raiment which was inferior to that of every one else. And when, at long intervals, he came to church, he used to sit behind a pillar so that no one might see his face, and he might not see the faces of others ; now his face was like that of an angel, and his hair was as white as snow, and as abundant as [that of] Jacob. His body was dry by reason of his labours, and his beard descended to his belly, but his eyelashes were destroyed by weeping; he was tall in stature, but somewhat bowed by old age and he ended his days when he was ninety-five years old. He lived n the world, in the palace, for forty years, in the days of

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His body was dry by reason of his labours, and his beard descended to his belly, but his eyelashes were destroyed by weeping; he was tall in stature, but somewhat bowed by old age and he ended his days when he was ninety-five years old. He lived n the world, in the palace, for forty years, in the days of

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Theodosius, the great king, who became the father of the Em- perors Honorius and Arcadius, and he lived in Scete forty years, and he lived for ten years in the Troja of Babylon which is opposite the Memphis which is in Egypt, and he dwelt for three years in Canopus of Alexandria, and during the two remaining years he came to Troja again, where he died. And he finished his career in peace and in the fear of God.

166. On one occasion a certain Bishop came to the Fathers in Scete, and a brother went forth to meet him, and having met him, he took him and brought him into his cell ; and having set before him bread and salt, he said, ' ' Forgive me, O my " father, for I have nothing else to set before thee." And the Bishop said unto him, " I wish that when I come another year " I may not find even bread and salt in thy cell."

167. One of the old men said, "If thou sittest in a place and "seest people with abundant provisions, look not at them ; " but if there be a man who is destitute, look at him as one " who hath no bread, and thou shalt find relief."

168. Abbk Isaac, the priest of the Cells, used to say that Abbd Pambd said, "The manner of the apparel which a monk " ought to wear should be such that if it were cast outside the "cell for three days no one would carry it away."

169. A certain brother asked one of the old men a question, and said unto him, "Dost thou wish me to keep two darics as "provision for the needs of the feebleness of the body? " And the old man, perceiving his mind and also that he wished to keep them, said unto him, "Yea." Now when the brother had gone to his cell, he became troubled in his mind, and he de- bated in his thoughts, saying, "Did the old man speak truth- fully or not ? " Then he rose up, and went back to the old man, and made excuses to him, and said, "For our Lord's sake, "tell me the truth, because my thoughts are troubling me " about these two darics." The old man said unto him, "I spake "to thee as I did because I saw that thy mind was to keep "them, but it is not necessary for thee to keep the two darics, "except only for the need of thy body. But why is thy hope "set upon two darics? If by chance they were lost would not "God take care of thee? Let us then cast [our] care upon "Him, for it belongeth to Him to take care of us continually."

But why is thy hope "set upon two darics? If by chance they were lost would not "God take care of thee? Let us then cast [our] care upon "Him, for it belongeth to Him to take care of us continually. "

170. Some of the old men used to tell a story about a gardener who used to work and to give away whatsoever he gained there- by in alms, but subsequently his thoughts said to him, "Gather "together a few oboli, lest when thou hast grown old thou fall " into want "; so he gathered together some money, and filled a large vessel therewith. And it fell out that he became sick, and the disease seized upon his foot, and he spent the whole

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of the money in the vessel on the physicians, and was not in the least benefited thereby. At length another physician came unto him and said, "If thou dost not cut off thy foot all thy " body will putrefy," and he came to consider the cutting off of his foot. And in the night he came to himself, and he groaned, and wept, and said, "Remember, O Lord, my former deeds," and straightway a man appeared behind him, and said untohim, i ' Where are thy oboli?" and the gardener said immediately, "I have sinned, forgive me"; and straightway the man ap- proached his leg, and it was made whole forthwith, and he rose up, and went to the garden to work. And in the morning the physician came to cut off his foot as he had said, and [the ser- vants] told him, "He went to this work in the night"; and straightway [the gardener] glorified God.

171. Abbd Agathon saw Abba Nastir wearing two shoulder wrappers, and he said unto him, " If a poor man were to come, "and ask thee for a garment, which of them wouldst thou "give him?" And Abba Nastir replied, "I would give him the "better of them"; and Abba Agathon said unto him, "And if "another poor man came, what wouldst thou give him?" Abba Nastir saith unto him, "I would give him the half of "that which remained." And Abba Agathon said unto him, "Supposing yet another beggar came, what wouldst thou "give unto him?" And Nastir said untohim, "I would cut the "half which remained into two pieces, and give one to him, "and with the other I would cover my body." And Abba Agathon said unto him, "And supposing yet another beggar " were to come?" and Nastir said, "I would give him what " was left. For though I do not wish to receive anything from 6 i any man, yet I would go and sit down in some place until " God sent me wherewith to cover myself."

" And Abba Agathon said unto him, "And supposing yet another beggar " were to come? " and Nastir said, "I would give him what " was left. For though I do not wish to receive anything from 6 i any man, yet I would go and sit down in some place until " God sent me wherewith to cover myself. "

172. The blessed woman Eugenia said, " It is right for us to * ' beg, but only we must be with Christ. He who is with Christ " becometh rich, but he who honoureth the things of the body " more than the things of the spirit shall fall both from the * * things which are first and the things which are last. "

173. One of the old men said, " How can a man teach unto " his neighbour that which he himself doth not observe?"

174. They say that Abbk Theodore excelled in the three fol- lowing things more than any other man, and that he attained in their performance a degree which was greater than that of many, namely, voluntary poverty, self-abnegation, and flight from the children of men.

175. Abba* Poemen used to say, " He who laboureth and " keepeth [the result of] his work for himself is a twofold " grief."

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176. Abbi Isaac used to say to the brethren, " Our fathers " and Abbi Panbdused to wear old garments which were much " mended and were patched with rags, but at this present ye " wear very costly apparel; get ye gone from this place, for ye "have laid the country waste, and I will not give you com- mandments, for ye will not keep them."

177. On one occasion a brother came to the church of the Cells wearing a small head-cloth which came down to his shoulders, and when Abbi Isaac saw him he followed him, and said, " Monks dwell here, but thou art a man in the world, " and thou canst not live here."

178. A certain man, having made himself remote from the world, and divided his possessions among those who were in need, left to himself the remainder of his riches. And when the blessed Anthony heard [this] he said unto him, 4 * Dost thou " wish to become a monk? If thou dost, get thee to such and " such a village, and take some meat, and lay it upon thy body, " and come hither alone"; and having done this the dogs, and the hawks and other birds of prey rent and tore his body. And when he returned to the blessed man, Saint Anthony asked him whether he had done as he had commanded him, and when the man had shewn him his body which was rent and torn, the blessed Anthony said unto him, " Even thus are those who " wish to go out from the world, and who nevertheless leave "themselves certain possessions, wherefrom arise for their " owners war and strife."

And when he returned to the blessed man, Saint Anthony asked him whether he had done as he had commanded him, and when the man had shewn him his body which was rent and torn, the blessed Anthony said unto him, " Even thus are those who " wish to go out from the world, and who nevertheless leave "themselves certain possessions, wherefrom arise for their " owners war and strife. "

179. A brother asked Abb£ Poemen the question, saying, "An inheritance hath been bequeathed to me; what shall I do "with it?" Abbd Poemen said unto him, " Go, and after three " days come unto me, and I will give theecounsel. " And the bro- ther came, and Abb& Poemen said unto him, " What counsel " shall I give thee, O brother? If I tell thee to give it to the " church, they will make feasts with it; and again, if I tell thee "to give it to thy kinsmen, thou wilt have no reward; but if I " tell thee to give it to the poor, thou wilt have no [further] " care. Therefore go and do with thine inheritance what thou "pleasest, for I am not able to advise thee rightly."

180. A certain man entreated an old man to accept from him a gift of grace for his wants, but he refused to do so because the labour of his hands was sufficient for him; and when he who asked him to accept it persisted, saying, " If thou wilt not " accept it for thine own needs, at least do so for the wants of " others," the old man answered and said unto him, " It would " be a twofold disgrace [unto me]. First, because I should ac- " cept something which I do not want, and secondly, because I " should be giving away with boasting the charity of another."

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Z8z. An old man used to say, " It is not right for a man to " have any care whatsoever except the fear of God, for," said he, " although I am forced to take care for the needs of the " body, no thought whatsoever concerning anything riseth in "my mind before the time when I shall require to make use "of it."

Z82. The same old man used to say, " When thou risest up, "in the morning, say, 'O body, work that thou mayest be " ' fed; O soul, rouse up that thou mayest inherit life. ,,>

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Z82. The same old man used to say, " When thou risest up, "in the morning, say, 'O body, work that thou mayest be " ' fed; O soul, rouse up that thou mayest inherit life. ,,>

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ON one occasion certain brethren went to Abba Agathon, because they had heard that he took the greatest possible care that his mind should not be disturbed by anything, Z83. and they sought to try him, and to see if his mind would rise [to any matter]; and they said unto him, "Art thou indeed "Agathon? We have heard that thou art a whoremonger and a "boastful man." And Agathon said unto them, "Yea, I am." And again they said unto him, " Agathon, thou art a garrulous and talkative old man"; and he said unto them, "Indeed I am." And again they said unto him, " Agathon, thou art a heretic"; and he said unto them, " I am not a heretic." Then they said unto him, " Tell us now why in answer to all these things " which we have said to thee thou hast replied, i Yea,* and that " thou hast endured them all with the exception of the accu- " sation of being a heretic." Abb& Agathon said unto them, " The earlier things I accounted as profitable to my soul, but ' i heresy meaneth separation from God, and I do not wish to "be separated from God." And when the brethren heard [these words] they marvelled at his solicitude, and went away rejoicing.

Z84. A certain father used to tell the story of a father who had a book wherein were the New Testament and the Old Testament, and the price thereof was more than eighteen darics, and he laid up the book in a hole in the wall; and there came a certain stranger and stayed there, and he coveted the book greatly, and stole it, and departed, but the old man did not go after him, although he knew that he had taken it. And the brother went to a neighbouring village and wished to sell the book, and he asked as its price sixteen darics, and the man who wanted to buy it said unto him, i ' Give it to me, that I may " shew it [to a friend]," and he took it and carried it to the old man who had lost it. Then the old man said unto him, " How " much doth he ask for it?" And when he heard how much he said to him, " It is well " (or " it is a good price"). Then the man went and said unto the brother who wished to sell the

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Then the old man said unto him, " How " much doth he ask for it? " And when he heard how much he said to him, " It is well " (or " it is a good price"). Then the man went and said unto the brother who wished to sell the

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book, "Behold, I have shewn it to Father So-and-so, and he "hath told me that thy price is dear." And the brother an- swered and said unto him, " I did not tell thee anything- to the "contrary," and the would-be buyer said, "No, thou didst "not." Said the brother, " I will not then sell thee the book," and straightway he repented, and came to the old man and made excuses to him, and offered him the book, but the old man re- fused to accept it. And the brother entreated him, saying, " Allow me [to restore it to thee], O father, for if thou dost not " accept it I cannot obtain life"; so the old man was entreated, and he took it, and that brother remained with him until his death, and through the patient endurance of the old man he gained life.

185. On one occasion certain philosophers came to the desert to try the monks. And there was living- there a man who led a life of fair works, and they said unto him, "Come "thou hither," and his anger rose and he reviled them. Now there passed by a certain great monk who was a Libyan, and they said unto him, "O thou monk who hast grown grey- " headed in iniquity, come hither "; and he went to them readily, and they smote him on one cheek, whereupon he turned the other to them. And when they saw this they rose up straight- way and worshipped him, and they said, "Verily this is a "monk"; then they set him in their midst, and asked him, saying, "What things do ye who are living in the desert do " more than we? Ye fast, and we also fast; ye lead pure lives, "and we also lead pure lives; whatsoever ye do we also do; "what do ye who live in the desert do more than we?" The Libyan said unto them, "We keep watch over our minds"; and the philosophers said unto him, "We are unable to keep "watch over our minds."

Ye fast, and we also fast; ye lead pure lives, "and we also lead pure lives; whatsoever ye do we also do; "what do ye who live in the desert do more than we? " The Libyan said unto them, "We keep watch over our minds"; and the philosophers said unto him, "We are unable to keep "watch over our minds. "

186. They say that AbbA Macarius the Egyptian on one oc- casion went up from Scete to the Nitrian mountain, and as he drew nigh unto a certain place, he said unto his disciple, "Pass "on a little in front of me"; and when he had done so there met him a certain heathen priest, who was running along and carrying some wood about the time of noon. And that brother cried out to him and said, "O minister unto devils, whither "runnest thou?" And the priest turned round and smote him with many severe blows, and he left him with but very little breath remaining in him, and he took up his wood and went on his way; and when he had gone on a little further the blessed Macarius met him on his journey, and said unto him, "Mayest "thou be helped, O man of labours?" And the priest was as- tonished, and came to him and said, "What fair thing hast " thou seen in me that thou shouldst salute me [in this gracious

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" fashion]?" And the old man said unto him, "I see that thou " toilest, and that thou dost not know that thou art toiling for " naught"; then he said unto the old man, "At thy salutation " I also was very sorry, and I learned that thou didst belong " to the Great God. But a wicked monk met me just before "thou didst, and he cursed me, and I smote him even unto " death. " And the old man knew that it was his disciple [of whom he spake], and the priest laid hold upon the feet of Ma- carius, and said unto him, "I will not let thee [go] until thou " makest me a monk"; and they came to the place where the brother was lying, and they carried him and brought him to the church of the mountain. Now when the fathers saw the heathen priest with him, they marvelled that he had been con- verted from the error which he had held; and Macarius took him and made him a monk, and through him many of the heathen became Christians. And Abba Macarius said, ' * 4 An evil 44 1 word maketh wicked even those who are good, and a good " 'word maketh good even those who are wicked,' as it is "written."

And Abba Macarius said, ' * 4 An evil 44 1 word maketh wicked even those who are good, and a good " 'word maketh good even those who are wicked,' as it is "written. "

187. On one occasion thieves came to the cell of an old man, and said unto him, "We have come to take away everything " which thou hast in thy cell"; and he said unto them, " My " sons, take whatsoever ye please"; and they took everything which they saw in his cell and departed. Now they forgot [to take] a wallet which was hanging there, and the old man took it and ran after them, and entreated them, saying, "My sons, " take this wallet which ye have left behind in your cell." And when the thieves saw this they marvelled at the good disposi- tion of the old man, and they gave back everything which they had taken from his cell, and they repented, and said to each other, "Verily, this man is a man of God."

188. Abbi Macarius the monk loved money so little that, on one occasion when thieves came to his cell by night, and took out whatsoever they could find in it, as soon as he perceived what they were doing, he helped them in their work and also to carry [their plunder] out of the desert.

189. They say that once when Abb£ Macarius was absent a thief entered his cell, and that when he returned and found a thief therein loading upon a camel everything which he had in his cell, he also went in and took some of the things and laid them on the camel; and when the thief had loaded the camel, he began to beat it in order to make it rise up, but it would not move. Now when Abbi Macarius saw that the beast would not stand up, he took a basket which was remaining, and brought it out and laid it on the camel, and said, "The camel * ' wisheth to carry off this also, O brother, and because of this

"it would not stand up." Then the old man cried out to the camel, "Stand up," and straightway, because of the old man's words, it stood up; but when it had gone forward for a little it lay down again, and it would not rise up until the thief had emptied the whole of its load.

190. And another of the fathers when he was being plun- dered said unto the thieves, "Make haste, and be quick, before "the brethren come."

191. On one occasion when some men of iniquity, and doers of wickedness, and thieves, rose up against him on the eve of the day of the congregation, an old man said unto the brethren, " Let them do their work, and let us do ours."

192. And when certain evil-doers rose up against one of the brethren in his cell, he brought forth a basin and entreated them to wash their feet, and the thieves were ashamed and re- pented.

193. And another brother who was travelling on a journey, and did not know the road, asked a man to shew him the way and to direft him; now the man whom he had asked was an evil-doer, and he led the brother out of his road into a waste place, and he made him to arrive at the river Nile, which he commanded the brother to cross over. And when he began to cross over, behold a crocodile was swiftly pursuing the man who was a thief, but the servant of God, not being unmindful of him, cried out to him, and made known to him concerning the fierce attack which the animal was about to make. Then, the thief having been delivered from death, gave thanks to that brother, and marvelled at his affection, and protected him.

194. The blessed Pi6r was on one occasion working for a man in the fields in the summer time, and he was weary, and reminded the lord of his hire about his wages, and when he delayed [in paying him] Abbd Pt6r returned to his monastery. And on another occasion, when the time of harvest had ar- rived, Abb& Pidr went to the same man, and reaped his crops with a good will, and he returned to his monastery, the man having given him nothing. And again in the third year Abb& Pt6r came and helped him to harvest his crops, and when he had made an end of the work of harvest according to custom, and yet received nothing, he departed again to his monastery. Meanwhile the man, who was worthy of blessing, laboured according to his custom in the life and works of spiritual ex- cellence, and rejoiced that he had been defrauded of his hire. And Christ worked upon the lord of his hire in his house, and he took the wages of the blessed man, and went round about among the monasteries seeking for him, and when, after the greatest difficulty, he had found him, he fell at his feet and

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entreated him to receive his hire. But when the holy man re- fused the wages and said, ' ' Perhaps thou hast need of them, " and as for me God will give me my hire," the man increased his supplications unto him, and finally the holy man permitted him to give the money to the church.

195. An old man used to say, "We do not advance because "we do not know our capacity, and we have not sufficient " patience in the work which we begin, and we wish to pos- " sess spiritual excellences without working for them, and we " go from place to place, and expedl to find some spot where " Satan is not, and when we see the temptation of Satan in " that place whereunto we have been called, he who knoweth "what the war is will remain in God. For the kingdom of "heaven is within you."

196. An old man used to say, "If it should happen that a "sickness of the body overtake thee, let it not be grievous " unto thee, for if thy Lord wisheth thee to be sick in the body, " who art thou that thou shouldst be in despair? Doth He not "take care for thee in everything? Couldst thou live without " Him? Be patient, and entreat thou Him to give thee such " things as are helpful, and which are according to His will; " and besides this eat thou His food of grace with long-sufFer- "ing."

I97« Abb£ Poemen used to say, "The certain sign that " a monk is a monk is made known by trials (or temp- tations)."

198. A certain brother was estranged from a fellow monk, and he came to Abbi Sisoes the Theban, and said unto him, " I am estranged from a fellow monk, and I wish to take ven- "geance for myself"; and the old man said, " Let us pray." And whilst he was praying, he said in his prayer, "O God, " henceforward we have no need of Thee to take care ot us, " for we will take vengeance for ourselves"; and when the brother heard these words he fell down at the feet of the old man straightway, and said unto him, "Henceforward I will "not enter into judgement with that brother. Forgive me, " O Father." And thus Abb£ Sisoes healed that brother.

199. They say that Abbd John the Less, the Theban, the disciple of Abbi Ammon, ministered unto the Abb£ in his sick- ness for twelve years, and he sat by him when the old man was in a state of exhaustion, and he persevered and endured so patiently, even whilst he was performing great labours, that the old man never once said unto him, "Rest, my son; rest, my " son ! " And when the old man was about to die, and the other old men were sitting before him, Abbd Ammon took his hand, and said unto him, "Live, my son, live!" Then he committed

him to the old men and said unto them, "This is an angel, and "not a man."

" And when the old man was about to die, and the other old men were sitting before him, Abbd Ammon took his hand, and said unto him, "Live, my son, live! " Then he committed

him to the old men and said unto them, "This is an angel, and "not a man. "

200. Abbd PaulS and Tfrn&th his brother dwelt in Scete, and there was contention between them frequently; and AbbA Paulfi said, "How long are we to remain thus?" Abbd TfrnAth said unto him, "When I come upon thee bear with me; and when "thou comest upon me I will bear with thee." And from that time they were at peace.

201. Certain brethren asked Abbd Sisoes a question, and said unto him, "If we are going along a road, and he who is "conducting us forgetteth the way, is it necessary for us to "tell him?" And Abbd Sisoes said unto them, "No." Then a brother said unto him, "Are we then to let him lead us "astray?" And the old man said unto him, "What then? "Thou hast a stick, canst thou not take it and smite him? "Now I knew twelve brethren who were travelling along the " road, and in the night time he who was leading them lost the "way, and all the brethren knew that he had done so; and "every one of them struggled with his thoughts, [and de- cided] not to tell him. And when the day had come he who " had been leading them learned that he had wandered off the " road, and he made excuses and said unto them, ' Forgive me " i because I lost the way'; and they all said, * We all of us " ' knew it, brother, but we held our peace. ' And when he heard "this he marvelled, saying, ' The brethren would endure even "'unto death and would utter never a word'; and he glorified "God. Now the distance which they had wandered from the "road was twelve miles."

' And when he heard "this he marvelled, saying, ' The brethren would endure even "'unto death and would utter never a word'; and he glorified "God. Now the distance which they had wandered from the "road was twelve miles. "

202. Certain brethren came unto Abbd Anthony, and said unto him, "Speak unto us a word whereby we may live"; and the old man said unto them, "Behold, ye have heard the "Scriptures, and they are sufficient for you," and the brethren said, "We wish to hear [a word] from thee also, O father." Abbi Anthony said unto them, "It is said in the Gospel, 'If a "'man smite thee on the [one] cheek, turn to him the other '"also*" (St. Luke vi, 29); and they said unto him, "We can- "not do this. " Abbd Anthony said unto them, " If ye cannot turn "the other cheek, continue [to be smitten] on the one cheek"; and they said to him, "And this we cannot do." The old man said unto them, "If ye cannot do even this, do not pay back " blows in return for the smiting which ye have received "; and they said, "We cannot even do this." Then the old man said unto his disciples, "Make then for the brethren a little boiled " food, for they are ill "; and he said to them, " If ye cannot do "this, and ye are unable to do the other things, prayers are " necessary forthwith. "

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203. They used to say that Mother Sard, who dwelt above the river and was sixty years old, had never looked out [from her abode] and seen the river.

204. A certain old man dwelt in the desert at a distance of ten miles from the monastery, wherefrom he had always to draw water, and on one occasion the matter became very wearisome to him, and he said, * 4 What is the necessity for " me to labour so much? I will come and will take up my " abode by the side of this stream." And having said this, he turned behind him and he saw a man coming after him, and he was counting his footsteps, and he asked him, saying, " Who art thou?" And he answered and said unto him, "I am " an angel of the Lord, and I have been sent to count thy foot- * ' steps, and to give thee thy reward"; and having heard this the old man was consoled greatly, and he went five miles further from the place wherein he was, and took up his abode there.

205. They say that three thieves went into the cell of Abbd Theodore, and that two of them laid hold upon him whilst the third carried off the things which he had in his cell; and having taken out even the books which he had there, they were going to carry away his cloak, when he said unto them, "Leave me " this"; and as they refused to do so, he moved his arms and hands and hurled the two men who were holding him from him, and when they saw this they were afraid. Then the old man said unto them, "Fear ye not, but divide what ye have taken " into four parts, and take three of them, and leave me one."

206. They used to say that the cave in Patdrd which be- longed to Abbd Chaeremon who was in Scete, was forty miles distant from the church, and twelve miles further from a spring of water. And he used to bring to the church, with the labour of his hands, two pitchers of water, one for each day, and when he was tired he would set one down by the roadside and go back afterwards and fetch it.

207. They used to say that the cell of the blessed Arsenius also was two and thirty miles from the church, but he never went anywhere and others brought him whatsoever he required.

208. The blessed Arsenius never changed the water [wherein he soaked] the leaves which he twisted into ropes except once a year, but he used to add frequently to it, for he twisted palm leaves and sewed them together until the sixth hour [daily]. And the fathers entreated him, saying, i i Tell us why thou dost "not change the water of the leaves, for it is very foul"; then the old man answered, and said, " It is right that I should en- "dure this foul smell in return for the odours of the sweet "scents, and oils, and delightful odours, which I enjoyed when " I was in the world."

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209* It is related of a certain old man that if he heard a brother speak evilly to him he would labour very hard to make something which would please the brother who had spoken to him, and that if that brother did not live with him, the old man would send whatsoever he had made to the place where he was,

210. A certain old man used to say, " It is a disgrace for a "monk to enter into judgement with the man who hath done "him an injury."

A certain old man used to say, " It is a disgrace for a "monk to enter into judgement with the man who hath done "him an injury. "

211. A brother asked a certain old man, saying, " Tell me "one thing, whereby, if I keep it, I shall live." The old man said unto him, " If thou canst endure being reviled and cursed, " this command is the greatest of all the commandments."

212. A brother asked AbbH Poemen, saying, " What shall I " do to my heart which flaggeth and is frightened if a little " toil, and tribulation overtake me, or if temptation come upon "me?" The old man said unto him, "Therefore we should "wonder and admire the righteous man Joseph who, being "only a very young man — that is to say, seventeen years "of age— was sold into slavery into the land of Egypt, the "land of the worshippers of idols, and he endured tempta- " tions, and God made him glorious to the end."

213. And he said also, i ' We may consider also the blessed " Job, who never became slothful, for he persevered in his trust " in his God, and his enemies were not able to shake him from "his hope."

214. On one occasion the brethren who were in Scete were cleaning and dressing palm leaves, and there was among them a man who had become ill through his excessive spiritual labours, and he was coughing, and bringing up clots of phlegm and spittle; and as he spat, involuntarily, some of the spittle fell upon a certain brother. Then the mind of that brother on whom the spittle had fallen said unto him, " Tell that brother "not to spit upon thee"; but straightway he licked up the spittle, and he turned and said to his mind, "Thou hast not "licked up the spittle, therefore do not tell him not to spit upon "thee."

215. Abbi Poemen used to say that John Colob, who made entreaty unto God, and [his] passions were removed from him, and he was set free from anxious care, went and said unto a famous old man, " I perceive that my soul is at rest, and that " it hath neither war nor strife [to trouble it]." Then the old man said unto him, " Go and entreat God to let war and strife "come unto thee again, for it is through war and strife that "the soul advanceth in spiritual excellence." And afterwards, whensoever war stood up before him, he did not pray, * * O Lord, "remove striving from me," but he made supplication unto

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God, saying, " O Lord, give me patience to endure the "strife."

" And afterwards, whensoever war stood up before him, he did not pray, * * O Lord, "remove striving from me," but he made supplication unto

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God, saying, " O Lord, give me patience to endure the "strife. "

2l6. There was a certain man who had within himself love and affection for the brotherhood, and who never had in his mind any evil thought whatsoever; and a certain brother stole some things and brought [them] and deposited them with him, and the man did not consider or perceive by what means the brother had obtained them. Now some days later the matter was discovered, and it was pointed out to the owner of the things that they had been deposited with the old man, who made excuses to them, saying, " Forgive ye me, for I repent." And after a few days the brother who had stolen the things came to him, and he began to demand [them from] the old man, and said unto him, " Thou thyself didst take the things"; and the old man made excuses to him, saying, "Forgive me"; and the old man brought out all the work of his hands, and gave it to him, and the brother took it and departed. Now the dis- position of the old man was such that, if one of the brethren committed a fault, and denied it, he would make excuses for him, saying, " It was I who did this thing"; thus meek and humble was the holy man, and he never wronged any man even by the least word.

217- A certain brother lived by himself, and he was disturbed in his mind, and went and revealed the matter to Abbd Theo- dore of Parm£. And the old man said unto him, "Go and " humble thy mind, and submit thyself to live with the breth- " ren"; and he went and did as the old man had told him, and took up his abode with other men. And he went back to the the old man, and said unto him, " Father, I am not content to "dwell with other men"; then the old man said unto him, "If " thou art not content to live either by thyself or with others, " why didst thou come out to be a monk? Is it not necessary " for thee to endure trials? Tell me, how long hast thou lived " this life?" And the brother said unto him, " Eight years." The old man said unto him, " Verily I have led the life I lead " now for seventy years, and not one pleasure hath come in " my way [the whole time], and yet thou wishest to find plea- " sure (or rest) in eight years !"

Tell me, how long hast thou lived " this life? " And the brother said unto him, " Eight years. " The old man said unto him, " Verily I have led the life I lead " now for seventy years, and not one pleasure hath come in " my way [the whole time], and yet thou wishest to find plea- " sure (or rest) in eight years ! "

218. A certain brother, who had vanquished Satan in every- thing, subsequently had his eyes blinded by Satan so that he could not see, yet this blessed man did not pray for himself, and that he might be able to see, but he only prayed that he might be able to endure patiently his trial ; and through his constancy his eyes were opened.

219. A monk was smitten by a man on the leg and was severely injured, but the holy man was neither angry nor wroth

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with him that had smitten him, [but he nursed the place wherein he had been wounded, and made excuses to the man who had struck him].

220. Abbd Arsenius used to say, "When an unbaked [or " moist] brick is laid in the foundations of a building" by the " river-side, it will not support it, but if it be burnt in the fur- nace it will support the building like a stone. And thus it is " with the man who possesseth a carnal mind, and who doth " not become hot and burn with heat, even as did Joseph with "the word of God, for when he cometh to have dominion " he will be found to be wanting. For very many of those " upon whom trials have come have straightway been swept " away and have fallen. It is therefore a good thing for a man " to know the gravity of dominion, and to be required to bear " trials, which are like the onset of many mighty waters, so " that he may remain firm and unmoved." And of this holy man Joseph — if aman wisheth to have the story told — Arsenius used to say that "He was not a being of earth at all — so much was " he tempted. And [consider] the country [of Egypt] wherein "formerly there was not even a trace of the fear of God! But "the God of his fathers was with him, and He delivered him " out of all his tribulations, and Joseph is now with his fathers "in the kingdom of heaven; and let us also make supplication " with all our might that we too may in the same manner be " able to flee from and escape from the righteous judgement of "God."