The Sayings of the Desert Fathers — page 4 — Apophthegmata Patrum

322. A certain father whose name was Eulogius, having led a life of great austerity and labour in Constantinople, obtained great fame and reputation ; and he came to Egypt in order that he might see something more excellent, and when he heard about Abbd Joseph he came to him, expecting to see a very much more laborious form of life than his own. And the old

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man received him with gladness, and said unto his disciple, " Make some distinction in the food which ye have to prepare, " and let it be suitable for strangers." Now when they had sat down to eat, those who were with Abbd Eulogius said, "Bring "a little salt, for the father will not eat this"; but AbbI Joseph ate, and drank, and held his peace. And Eulogius passed three days with him, but he never heard them singing the Psalms, and he never saw them praying, for every a<5t of worship which they performed was in secret ; and he went forth from them having profited in no wise. And by the Pro- vidence of God it happened that they lost their way, and they returned the same day, and they came and stood at the door of the old man's cell; and before they could knock at the door, Eulogius heard them singing the Psalms inside, and having waited for a long time, they knocked, and immediately those of the company of Joseph who were singing inside stopped. Now when Eulogius and those who were with him had gone inside the old man received them again with gladness, and be- cause of the heat which they had endured, Abbd Joseph's monks gave Eulogius [some] water to drink; and this water was a mixture, part being sea water and part being river water, and when Eulogius had tasted it he was unable to drink it. Then he repented within himself, and he went in to Abb& Joseph and fell down at his feet, and entreated him to be al- lowed to learn his rule, for he wished so to do, and he said, "What doth this mean? When we were with you ye sang no "Psalms, but as soon as we have left you ye perform services "overmuch. And when I want to drink water I find it to be " salt." The old man said unto him, "It was brother Sylvanus "who did this, and he mixed the water without knowing"; and Eulogius entreated him [to tell him about it], for he wished to learn the truth. Thereupon Abbi Joseph said unto him, "That mixture of wine which we drink we drink for the sake "of the love of Christ, but the brethren always drink this "water." And Abb& Joseph taught him the difference [be- tween their rules of life], and that he toiled in secret and not before the children of men; and he ate a meal at the same table with them, and he partook of whatsoever was set thereupon; and Eulogius learned that, even as the old man had said, Abbd Joseph performed his ascetic labours in secret, and hav- ing profited greatly he departed with gladness, giving thanks unto God.

323. On one occasion there was a feast, and the brethren were eating in the church; and there was among them a bro- ther who said unto him that ministered at the tables, "I do "not eat boiled food, but bread and salt," and the servant

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cried out to certain other brethren before the whole assembly, saying, "Such and such a brother doth not eat boiled food, "therefore bring him salt." Then one of the old men came to that brother, and said unto him, "It would have been better "for thee this day to have eaten flesh in thy cell than that this " word should have been heard before the whole assembly."

324. On one occasion Ammon came to the brethren, and the brethren expressed contrition, saying, "Tell us a word [where- " by we may live]." The old man said unto them, "It is this: " we must travel along the path of God with due order."

325. They used to say that the face of Abbi Panbo never smiled or laughed. Now one day when the devils wished to make him laugh, they hung a feather on a piece of wood, and they carried it along and danced about therewith in great haste, and they cried out, "Haildw, Hailiw." Now when Abba Panbo saw them, he laughed, and the devils began to run and jump about, saying, " W£w£, Abbd Panbo hath laughed." Then Abb& Panb6 answered and said unto them, "I did not "laugh [for myself], but I laughed at your weakness, and be- c * cause it needeth so many of you to carry a feather. "

" Now when Abba Panbo saw them, he laughed, and the devils began to run and jump about, saying, " W£w£, Abbd Panbo hath laughed. " Then Abb& Panb6 answered and said unto them, "I did not "laugh [for myself], but I laughed at your weakness, and be- c * cause it needeth so many of you to carry a feather. "

326. On one occasion a certain brother committed an offence in the coenobium, and in the places which were therein a cer- tain old man had his abode; now he had not gone out of his cell for many years. And when the Abb& of the coenobium came to the old man he told concerning the folly (or offence) of that brother, and about his transgression. Then the old man an- swered and said, "Drive him out from you"; and when that brother was driven out, he departed and went into a reedy jungle, and as some brethren happened to pass by to go to Abbd Poemen they heard the voice of the brother weeping; and they went in and found him in great labour, and they entreated him to let them take him w T ith them to Abba Poemen, but he would not be persuaded [to go], and said, "I will die here." And when they came to Abb& Poemen they told him about him, and he entreated them, saying, "Go to that brother, and say "ye unto him, Abbd Poemen calleth thee"; now when the brother learned that Abba Poemen had sent the brethren to him, he rose up and went. And when Abb£ Poemen saw that he was sorrow-stricken, he rose up and gave him the salutation of peace, and smiling with him, gave him [food] to eat. Then he sent his brother to the old man, saying, "For many years past " I have greatly longed to see thee, because I have heard ' c about thee, but through negligence both of us have been pre- " vented from seeing each other. Now therefore that God " wisheth it, and the opportunity calleth, I beg thee to trouble " thyself [to come] hither, and we will each welcome the other."

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Now, as I have already said, the old man had up to that timt never gone out of his cell. And when the old man heard the message, he said, "If God had not worked in him he would "not have sent for me"; and he rose up and came to him; and having saluted each other, they sat down with gladness. And AbbA Poemen said unto him, "There were two men living" in " one place, and both of them had dead, and one of them left " weeping for his own dead and went and wept over that of his "neighbour"; and when the old man heard these words he re- pented, and he remembered what he had done, and said, "AbbA "Poemen is above in heaven, but I am down, down, on the "earth."

327. An old man used to say, " It is right for a man to keep " his work in all diligence so that he may lose nothing thereof ; " for if a man worketh even a very little, and keepeth it, his " work remaineth and abideth." And the old man used to nar- rate the following matter: An inheritance was left unto a certain brother, and whilst he was wishing to make therefrom a me- morial to him that had died, a certain brother who was a stranger came to him, and he roused him up in the night saying, "Arise, and help me to sing the service." Then the stranger entreated him, saying, "Leave me, O my brother, for "I am away from labour, and I cannot [get up]"; and the brother who had welcomed him said, "If thou wilt not come, " get up and depart from this place"; and the stranger rose up and departed. And at the turn of the night he saw in his dream him who had driven him out giving wheat to the baker, and that the baker did not give him [back] even one loaf of bread; and he rose up and went to an old man and related unto him the whole matter even as it had taken place, and the old man said unto him, "Thou hast performed a beautiful a£lion, but "the Enemy hath not allowed thee to receive the reward "[thereof]." And after these things the old man said that [this] story was a proof according to which it is right for a man to be watchful and to guard his work with great care.

328. An old man said, "The Calumniator is the Enemy, and "&e Enemy will never cease to cast into thy house, if he "possibly can, impurity of every kind, and it is thy duty "neither to refuse nor to negle6t to take that which is cast in "and to throw it out; for if thou art negligent thy house will " become filled with impurity, and thou wilt be unable to enter "therein. Therefore whatsoever the Enemy caste th in little by "little do thou throw out little by little, and thy house shall " remain pure by the Grace of Christ."

329. On one occasion Abbi Poemen entreated Abb&Macarius with frequent supplication, saying, "Tell me a word [whereby

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329. On one occasion Abbi Poemen entreated Abb&Macarius with frequent supplication, saying, "Tell me a word [whereby

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330. Abb& Nicetasused to tell about two brethren who had met together, and who wished to dwell together; and one of them thought, saying, " Whatsoever my brother wisheth that will I do," and similarly the other meditated, saying, "Whatsoever "will gratify my brother that will I do." Now when the Enemy saw this, he went to them and wished to separate each from the other, and as he was standing before the door, he appeared unto one of them in the form of a dove, and to the other in the form of a raven. Then one of them said unto his companion, "Seest "thou this dove?" and the other replied, "It is a raven." And they began to quarrel with each other, neither of them yielding to his companion, and they stood up and fought with each other, even unto blood, and at length, to the joy of the Calumniator, they separated. And after three days they came to themselves and were sorry for what had happened, and they went back and lived together in peace as they did formerly, and each ex- pressed his sorrow unto the other. And each of them devoted himself to performing the will of his companion, and they lived together until the end.

331. One of the old men used to say, "If thou seest a man "who hath fallen into the water, and thou canst help him, "stretch out thy staff to him, and draw him out, lest, if thou i ' stretch out thy hand to him, and thou art not able to bring " him up, he drag thee down and both of you perish." Now he spake this for the sake of those who thrust themselves forward to help other people who are being tempted, and who, through wishing to help [others] beyond their power, [themselves] fall. It is right for a man to help his brother according to the power that he hath, for God demandeth not from a man that which is beyond his strength.

332. A brother asked an old man, and said unto him, " Supposing that I find sufficient for my daily wants in any " place, dost thou wish me not to take care for the work of "my hands?" The old man said unto him, "However much " thou mayest have, do not negledl the work of thy hands; "work as much as thou canst, only do not work with an " agitated mind."

333. An old man used to Say, "When the soldier goeth into " battle he careth for himself only, and so also doth the watch- "man; let us then imitate these men, for riches, and family, "and wisdom, without acorretfl life and works, are dung."

334. An old man used to say "I await death evening, and " morning, and every day." f

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334. An old man used to say "I await death evening, and " morning, and every day. " f

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335. The same old man used to say also, "As he who is a " stranger is not able to take another stranger into the house " of one by whom he hath not been entreated to enter, so also " is it in the case of the Enemy, for he will not enter in where 4 'he is not welcomed."

336. Abbd Epiphanius said, "He who revealeth and dis- "covereth his good work is like unto the man who soweth " [seed] on the surface of the ground, and doth not cover it " up, and the fowl of the heavens cometh and devoureth it; " but he who hideth his good works is like unto the man who "soweth his seed in the furrows of the earth, and he shall " reap the same at harvest."

337. Abbd Epiphanius used to say, "Whensoever a thought "cometh and filleth thy breast, that is to say, thy heart, with "vainglory or pride, say thou unto it, 'Old man, behold thy "fornication.*"

338. And he also said, "O monk, take thou the greatest " possible care that thou sin not, lest thou disgrace God Who "dwelleth in thee, and thou drive Him out of thy soul."

339. The old men said, "Let no monk do anything whatso- " ever without first of all trying his heart [to seel that what "he is about to do will be [done] for God's sake.

340. One of the fathers asked a youthful brother, saying, "Tell us, O brother, is it good to hold one's peace or to "speak?" then that young brother spake unto him, saying, " If the words [to be said] be useless, leave them [unsaid], but " if they be good, give place to good things, and speak [them]. " Yet, even though the words be good, prolong not thy speech, " but cut it short, for silence is best of all."

341. RabbA Paul the Great, the Galatian, used to say, "The "monk who living in his cell hath some small need, and who "goeth out to provide therefor, is laughed at by the devils."

342. The blessed woman Eugenia said, "It is helpful to us " to go about begging, only we must be with Jesus, for he "who is with Jesus is rich, even though we be poor in the " flesh. For he who holdeth the things of earth in greater " honour than the things of the Spirit falleth away both from "the things which are first and the things which are last. For "he who coveteth heavenly things must, of necessity, receive "the good things which are on the earth. Therefore it be- "longeth unto the wise to await not the things which now "exist [here], but the things which are about to be, and the " happiness which is indescribable, and in this short and trouble- some life they should prepare themselves therefor."

For "he who coveteth heavenly things must, of necessity, receive "the good things which are on the earth. Therefore it be- "longeth unto the wise to await not the things which now "exist [here], but the things which are about to be, and the " happiness which is indescribable, and in this short and trouble- some life they should prepare themselves therefor. "

343. On one occasion when Abb& Arsenius was living in the lower lands, and was troubled, he determined to leave his cell

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343. On one occasion when Abb& Arsenius was living in the lower lands, and was troubled, he determined to leave his cell

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without taking anything from it, and he departed to his dis- ciples in the body, that is to say, to Alexander and Zoilus. Then he said to Alexander, "Arise, and go back to the place " where I was living "; and Alexander did so; and he said to Zoilus, " Arise; and come with me to the river, and seek out " for me a ship which is going to Alexandria, and then come " back, and go to thy brother." Now Zoilus marvelled at this speech, but he held his peace; and thus they parted from each other, and the old man Arsenius then went down to the country of Alexandria, where he fell ill of a serious sickness. And his disciples went back and came to the place where they had been formerly, and they said to each other, "Perhaps one of us " hath offended the old man, and it is for this reason that he "hath separated from us"; but they could not find in them- selves anything with which they had ever offended him. Now the old man became well again, and he said, "I will arise and " go to the fathers," and he journeyed on and came to Pat£r& where his disciples were. Now when the old man was nigh unto the river-side a young Ethiopian woman saw him, and she came behind him, and drew near him, and plucked his raiment; and the old man rebuked her. Then the maiden said unto him, "If thou art a monk, depart to the mountain." Now the old man being somewhat sad at this remark, said within himself, "Arsenius, if thou art a monk, depart to the moun- " tain"; and afterwards his disciples Alexander and Zoilus met him, and they fell down at his feet, and the old man threw himself down [on the ground] also, and he wept himself, and his disciples wept before him. And the old man said unto them, " Did ye not hear that I have been sick?" And they said unto him, "Yes." And the old man said, "Why did ye not seek to "come and see me?" And Abb& Alexander said, "Because " the way in which thou didst leave us was not right, and be- " cause of it many were offended, and they said, 'If they had " 'not wearied (or pressed) the old man in someway he would " 'never have separated from them.'" The old man saith unto them, "I know that myself, but men will also say, 'The dove " 'could not find rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned " 'to Noah in the ark'"; thus the disciples were healed, and they took up their abode with him again.

344. Abb! Daniel used to tell concerning Arsenius that he never wished to speak about any investigation into the Scrip- tures, although he was well able to speak [on the subject] if he had been so disposed, but he could not write even a letter quickly.

345. A certain old man used to say, "Vaunt not thyself over " thy brother in thy mind, saying, ' I possess a greater measure

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" 'of self-denial than he doth, and I can endure more than he/ " but be subje£t unto the Grace of Christ, with a humble spirit, "and love which is not hypocritical, lest through thy haughty "spirit thou destroy thy labours. For it is written, 'Let him "'that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fair (i Corin- thians x, 12); and, 'A man must be seasoned with Christ as "'with salt.'"

346. An old man used to say, "Let there be not unto thee " free converse with the governor or with the judge, and be " not with either of them continually; for from such freedom " of speech (or boldness) thou wilt acquire [the habit of think- ing], and from merely thinking thou wilt covet."

347. AbbA Agathon used to say, "I have never lain down " to sleep and kept anger in my heart, or even a thought of "enmity against any man; and I have never allowed any man " to lie down to sleep keeping any anger against me. "

348. The old man Hyparchus used to say, "Do not abuse "thy neighbour, and drive not away a man who turneth to- " wards thee, so that thou mayest be able to say to our Lord, "'Forgive us our sins, even as we also forgive those who " 'trespass against us.'"

349. One of the fathers used to say, "If a man ask thee for " anything, and thou givest it to him grudgingly, thou wilt not "receive a reward for that which thou hast given, as it is "written, *If a man ask thee to go with him a mile, go with "'him two'; and the meaning of this is, 'If a man asketh "'anything of thee give [it] unto him with all thy soul and " < spirit. ,M

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350. One of the fathers related that there were three things which were especially honoured in monks: that is to say, with fear and trembling, and spiritual gladness they thought it meet to draw nigh, I mean to the participation in the Holy Mysteries, and the table of the brethren, and the washing of one another, according to the example which their true Rabbd Christ shewed unto them, before the great day of His Resurrection was ful- filled. And the old man himself produced an illustration [of this], saying, "There was a certain great old man who was a seer "of visions, and he happened to be sitting at meat with the "brethren, and whilst they were eating, the old man saw in "the Spirit as he was sitting at the table that some of the " brethren were eating honey, whilst others were eating bread, " and others dung; and he wondered at these within himself. "And he made supplication and entreaty unto God, saying, "'0 Lord, reveal unto me this mystery, and tell me why "'when the food is all the same, and when the various " 'things which are laid upon the table are only different forms

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" 'thereof, the brethren appear to be eating different kinds of " 'food, for some seem to be eating honey, and others bread, " 'and others dung.* Then a voice came unto him from above, " saying, 'Those who are eating honey are those who eat with " 'fear, and with trembling, and with spiritual love when they " 'sit at the table, and who pray without ceasing, and whose " 'praise goeth up to God like sweet incense; for this reason " 'they eat honey. And those who eat bread are those who con- " 'fess and receive the Grace of God, which is given unto them " 'by Him for these things. And those who eat dung are those " 'who complain, and say, This is sweet and pleasant, and " 'that is not seemly and prospereth not.' Now it is not right "to think about these at all, but we should glorify and " praise God the more, and receive (or welcome) His abundant "provisions which come to us without labour, so that there "may be fulfilled in us that which was said by the blessed " Apostle, 'Whether ye eat, or whether ye drink, or whether " 'ye do anything else, do all things unto the glory of God'" (i Corinthians x, 31).

351. They say that Abbi '6r never told a lie, and never swore, and never cursed a man, and never spoke unless it was abso- lutely necessary.

352. One of the old men said, "That which thou observest " not thyself, how canst thou teach to another?"

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351. They say that Abbi '6r never told a lie, and never swore, and never cursed a man, and never spoke unless it was abso- lutely necessary. 352. One of the old men said, "That which thou observest " not thyself, how canst thou teach to another? "

353. And it was he who said unto his disciple, "Take heed " that thou never bringest an alien word into this cell."

354. An old man used to say, "As far as I have been able to "overtake my soul when it hath transgressed, I have never " slipped (or committed an offence) a second time."

355. An old man used to say, "Strive with all thy might so " that thou mayest never in any way do evil to any man, and " make thine heart to be pure with every man."

356. Abbd Agathon used to say to himself, whensoever he saw any a6i or anything which his thought wished to judge or condemn, "Do not commit the thing thyself," and in this manner he quieted his mind, and held his peace.

357. The old men used to say, "For a man to be so bold as "to condemn his neighbour resembleth the sweeping of the " lawgiver, or the judge, from off his seat, and the wishing to ' ' pass judgement in his place, and it is as if a man were to bring " an accusation against the weakness of the judge and to con- " demn him, and such an a£t will be found to be the rebellion " of the slave against his Lord, and against the Judge of the " living and the dead."

358. An old man used to say, "From the greatest to the least "of the things which I perform, I carefully consider the fruit

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" which will be produced from it, whether it be in thoughts, or "in words, or in deeds."

3gp t They used to tell the story about Abb& Pachomius and say that on many occasions he heard the devils repeating many evil things of various kinds, some of which were to come upon the brethren. First of all he heard one of them saying, "I have " [strife] with a man who constantly [defieth] me, for whenso- ever I approach to sow thoughts in his mind, immediately " he turneth to prayer, and I depart from him being consumed " with fire. " And another devil said, " I have [strifejwith a man "who is easy to persuade, and he doeth whatsoever I counsel "him to do, and I love him dearly." It is right then, O my brethren, that we should keepourselves awake always, and that, making ourselves mighty men in the Name of the Lord, we should strive against the devils, and then they will never be able to overcome us.

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" And another devil said, " I have [strifejwith a man "who is easy to persuade, and he doeth whatsoever I counsel "him to do, and I love him dearly. " It is right then, O my brethren, that we should keepourselves awake always, and that, making ourselves mighty men in the Name of the Lord, we should strive against the devils, and then they will never be able to overcome us.

360. One of the holy men used to say, ' * Through holding "small wickednesses in contempt we fall into great ones; "consider then attentively the following story which is told "even as it took place. A certain man laughed in an empty "manner, and his companion rebuked and condemned him; " [another brother] happened to be there, and he thought lightly " of the matter, saying, ' This is nothing ; for what is it for a man " ' to laugh?' [And the brother replied, ' From laughter] plea- " 'sure is produced, and next empty words, and filthy actions, "'and iniquity, and so from the things which are thought "'to be small that wicked devil bringeth in great wicked- "'nesses. And from great wickednesses a man cometh to " 'despair, for this cruel and wicked evil hath the Evil One " 'discovered (or invented) through the malignity of his crafti- " 'ness, for a man to commit sin is not so destructive as for " 'a man to cut off hope from his soul. For he who repenteth " 'in a fitting manner, and according to what is right blotteth " 'out his offences; but he who cutteth off hope from his soul " 'perisheth because he will not offer unto it the binding up of " 'repentance. Therefore let not a man hold in contempt small " 'wickednesses. For this is the seed which the Calumniator " 'soweth, for if he made war openly it would not be difficult to " 'fight, and vidlory would be easy; and even now, if we be "'watchful and strenuous, it will be easy for us to conquer, " 'for it is God Who hath armed us, and He teacheth us and " 'entreateth us not to hold even the smallest wickednesses in " 'contempt. Hearken thou unto Him as He admonisheth [us], "'saying, (St. Matthew v, 22) "Whosoever shalt say unto his " '"brother ' R£k&,' shall be guilty of the fire of Gehenna"; and, " '"He who looketh upon a woman to desire her hath already

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44 4 "committed adultery with her in his heart" (St. Matt, v, 28). 4 * 4 And in another place He rebuked and admonished those who 444 laugh, and concerning the idle word also He said, 4 4 Its 4 4 4 4 4 answer is given"; and on account of this the blessed Job, 4 4 4 because of the thoughts which were in the hearts of his sons, 4 4 4 offered up an offering. Now therefore, since we know all these 4 4 4 things, let us take good heed to ourselves [and avoid] the 4 4 4 beginning of the movement of our thoughts, and then we 4 4 4 shall never fall.' "

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Now therefore, since we know all these 4 4 4 things, let us take good heed to ourselves [and avoid] the 4 4 4 beginning of the movement of our thoughts, and then we 4 4 4 shall never fall. ' "

361. A brother said unto an old man, ' i Dost thou not see 44 that I have not even one war in my heart?" The old man said unto him, 4 4 Thou hast an opening in thee at each of the " four points of the compass, and whatsoever wisheth can go 44 in and come out without thy perceiving it. But if thou wilt 4 4 set up a door, and wilt shut it, and wilt not allow evil 44 thoughts to enter, thou wilt then see them standing outside; 4 4 for if our minds be watchful and strenuous in loving God, 44 the Enemy who is the counsellor of wickednesses will not 44 approach [us]."

362. A certain Mother of noble rank said, "As the stamped " silver coin which is current loseth its weight and becometh 44 less, so doth the spiritual excellence which is apparent and 44 is made manifest become destroyed; and as wax melteth be- 44 fore the fire, so also doth the soul become lax and confused, 44 and strenuousness departeth from it."

363. One of the old men used to say, 4 4 The man who doeth 4 4 many good deeds doth Satan cast down by means of small 44 matters into pits, so that he may destroy the wages of all 4< the good things which he hath performed."

364. A brother asked Abbi Poemen, saying, 4 4 For what 44 purpose were spoken the words, 4 Take no thought for the 4 4 4 morrow ?' " The old man said unto him, 4 4 For the man who 44 is under temptation, and is in affliction; for it is not meet 44 that such a man should take thought for the morrow, or 44 should say, 4 How long shall I have to endure this tempta- 4 4 4 tion ?' but he should think upon patient endurance, saying, 4 4 4 It is to-day, and the temptation will not remain thus for a 4 4 4 long time.' " And the old man said, 4 4 It is good that a man ' 4 should be remote from temptation of the body, for he who 44 is nigh unto the temptation of the body is like unto him 44 that standeth upon the mouth of a deep pit, and whom, when- 44 soever his enemy wisheth, he can easily cast therein. But if 44 he be remote from the temptation of the body, he is like unto u a man who is far away from the pit, and even though his 44 enemy may wish to cast him into it, he is not able to do so 44 because the pit is far away from him, and whilst he is either

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" urging him or dragging him thereto, God, the Merciful One, " sendeth him a helper. "

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365. And a brother said unto Abbi Poemen, "My body is " weak, and I am not able to perform ascetic labours; speak "to me a word whereby I may live"; and the old man said unto him, "Art thou able to rule thy thought and not to per- "mit it to go to thy neighbour in guile?"

366. And a brother also asked him, " What shall I do? For "1 am troubled when I am sitting in my cell." The old man said unto him, "Think lightly of no man; think no evil in thy "heart; condemn no man and curse no man; then shall God "give thee rest, and thy habitation shall be without trouble."

367. And the same old man used to say, "The keeping of " the commandments, and the taking heed to oneself in every- " thing, and the acquisition of oblations, are the guides of the "soul."

368. AbbA Poemen said, "A brother asked Abbi Moses, "saying, 'In what manner is a man to keep himself from his " 'neighbour?' The old man said unto him, 'Except a man " 'layeth it up in his heart that he hath been already three " 'years in the grave, he will not be sufficiently strong [to " 'keep] this saying.' "

369. Abbk Poemen said, "If thou seest visions and hearest "rumours, repeat them not to thy neighbour, for this is vic- "tory of the war."

370. The same old man also said, "The chief of all wicked- " nesses is the wandering of the thoughts."

371. Abbd Poemen said, " If a man perform the desire, and "pleasure, and custom of these, they will cast him down."

372. A brother asked Abbd Poemen, saying, " If a brother "owe me a few oboli, shall I remind him of it?" The old man saith, "Remind him once." And the brother said unto him, " And if I have reminded him and he hath given me nothing, "[what am I to do then?]" The old man saith unto him, "Let "the thought perish, only do not harass the man."

373. A brother asked Abbd Joseph, saying, "What shall I "do? For I cannot be disgraced, and I cannot work, and I "have nothing [wherefrom] to give alms." The old man said unto him, " If thou canst not do these things, keep thy con- science from thy neighbour, and guard thyself carefully "against evil of every kind, and thou shalt live; for God de- "sireth that the soul shall be without sin."

374. A brother asked Abbi Sisoes of ShSkfpi about his life and works, and the old man said unto him that which Daniel spake, "The bread of desire I have not eaten," that is to say, "A man should not fulfil the lust of his desire."

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37S On one occasion Abraham said unto Abbd Sisoes, i 1 Abb£, " thou hast grown old, let us draw nigh unto the habitations " of the children of men for a little"; and Abb& Sisoes said unto him, "Let us go where there is no woman"; then his disciple said unto him, "And what place is there without a "woman except the desert?" The old man said unto him, " Then let us go to the desert."

376. On one occasion certain brethren came to Abbd Pambd, and one of them asked him, saying, " Father, I fast two days "at a time, and then I eat two bread-cakes; shall I gain life, " O father, or am I making a mistake?" And another asked him and said, "I perform work with my hands [each] day to " the value of two kir&ts (i.e., carats), and I keep a few oboli " by me for my food, and the remainder I spend upon the relief "of the poor; shall I be redeemed, O father, or am I making " a mistake?" And the other brethren asked of him many things, but he answered them never a word. Now after four days they were wishing to depart, and the clergy entreated them, saying, " O brethren, trouble not ye yourselves, for God " will give you a reward. The custom of the old man is not to "speak immediately, for he doth not speak until God giveth "him permission to do so." Then the brethren went to the old man and said unto him, "Father, pray for us"; and he said unto them, "Do ye wish to depart?" And they said unto him, "Yes." Then he took their actions into his consideration, and he put himself in the position of one who was writing on the ground, and said, " Pambd, one fasteth two days at a time, "and then eateth two bread-cakes; shall he become a monk "by such things as these? No! Pambd, [another] worketh for "two carats a day, and giveth to those who are in need, shall "he become a monk by such things as these? No!" And he said, "[Thy] adlions are good, and if thou preservest thy con- science with thy [good actions] thou shalt live"; and being consoled by these words, the brethren departed rejoicing.

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No! Pambd, [another] worketh for "two carats a day, and giveth to those who are in need, shall "he become a monk by such things as these? No! " And he said, "[Thy] adlions are good, and if thou preservest thy con- science with thy [good actions] thou shalt live"; and being consoled by these words, the brethren departed rejoicing.

377. Certain of the old men used to say, "If temptation " cometh upon thee in the place where thou dwellest, forsake "not the place in the time of temptation, lest peradventure "thou findest wherever thou goest that from which thou " flees t; but endure until the period of temptation be overpast, " and thy departure can be [effected] without offence and with- " out affliction, for thou wilt have departed in a time of peace. " Now if thou departest during a period of temptation, many " will be afflidted because of thee, and will say that thou didst " depart because of the temptation, and this will be unto them " a source of grief."

378. On one occasion when Abb£ Sisoes was sitting down

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with a certain brother, he sighed unknowingly, and he did not perceive that the brother was with him, because his mind was carried away by the noonday [prayer]; and he made apolo- gies to that brother, and said unto him, " Forgive me, O my " brother, that I heaved a sigh before thee [proves] that I have " not yet become a monk."

379. An old man used to say, ''Whensoever I bring down " the bar of the loom, and before I raise it up again, I always "set my death before mine eyes."

380. Another old man used to say, " When I am plaiting " (or sewing) a basket, with every stitch which I put into it I "set my death before my eyes before I take another stitch."

381. Abbd Daniel used to say, " On one occasion we went "to Abbd Poemen, and having eaten together, he said unto "us subsequently, 'Go ye and rest yourselves a little, O my " 'brethren'; and when the brethren had gone to rest them- " selves I remained that 1 might be able to talk to the old man "privately. And I rose up and came to his cell, and I saw that " he was sitting outside on a mat, and seeing me he lay down; "now he did not know that I had seen him seated, and he "pretended to be asleep. And this was the custom of the old " man, for everything which he did was done by him in secret. "

382. One of the fathers asked Abbd Sisoes, saying, " If I am "living in the desert and the barbarians come against me to "kill me, supposing that I have strength may I kill one of "them?" The old man said untd him, "No. Commit thyself " unto God, and leave [it to Him], For with every trial which " cometh upon a man he should say, ' It hath come because of " 'my sins'; but if something good happeneth to him, let him "say, 'It is of the Providence of God.'"

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" The old man said untd him, "No. Commit thyself " unto God, and leave [it to Him], For with every trial which " cometh upon a man he should say, ' It hath come because of " 'my sins'; but if something good happeneth to him, let him "say, 'It is of the Providence of God. '"

383. One of the old men used to say, "When the eyes of the " ox are covered over then he is subjugated by the yoke bar, but "if they do not cover [his] eyes he cannot be made to bow "beneath the yoke; and thus is it with Satan, for if he can " cover over the eyes of a man he can bring him low with every " kind of sin, but if his eyes be able to see (or shine), he is able "to flee from him."

384. Abb& Anthony said, "It is not seemly for us to re- " member the time which hath passed, but let a man be each "day as one who beginneth his toil, so that the excessive " weariness [which we shall feel] may be to our advantage. "And let him say, as Paul said, 'That which is behind me I " forget, and I reach out to that which is before me* " (Phi- "lippians iii, 13). And let him also remember the word of Eli- "jaii, who said, 'As the Lord liveth, before Whom I stand " this day"' (1 Kings xvii, 1).

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385. And the same old man said also, "Let us not consider " the time which is past, but let a man be even as he who be- "ginneth, and let him take care in such wise that he shall " make himself stand before God."

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386. Abba* Paphnutius said: "A monk is bound to keep not 44 only his body pure, but his soul free from unclean thoughts. " Now we find that the body is consoled by thoughts, and 4 4 unless the thoughts withdraw themselves they will sink the " body; and the manner in which the thoughts work is as fol- 44 lows: they feed all lusts of the flesh, which is ruled by them, " and in welcoming the lusts they stir up the body also in re- 44 volt, and they cast it down, like a pilot who is caught in a 44 storm, and they make the ship to sink. And is it fitting that 44 we should know that if one man loveth another he will say " nothing evil about him? for if he doth speak against him he 44 is not his friend; similarly he who loveth lust will not speak "anything evil against it, and if he doeth so he is not its " friend. But if a man [speak] against that which he knoweth 4 4 not, (or against that which causeth him no affliction), or "against that which causeth him no pain, [he may speak "evil], but against that which he hath suffered, and that " wherewith he hath been tried by the Enemy, he will speak " evil, and he will not talk about him as a friend, but as an " enemy. Thus whosoever speaketh evil of and who despiseth " lust is not a friend of lusts.

387. And he also said, "As judges (or governors) slay the " wicked, even so do labours slay evil lusts; and as wicked 4 4 slaves fly from their lords even so do lusts fly from the ex- haustion [caused by] ascetic labours. But good slaves hold 4 4 their masters in honour as sons hold in honour their fathers. " For the exhaustion [caused by ascetic labours] produceth " good works, and from it the virtues spring up, even as the 4 4 passions are produced from dainty meats. Exhaustion then "begetteth good works, when a man hath wearied himself 4 4 with [all] his soul, and it bringeth forth virtues and de- "stroyeth vices, even as a righteous judge [destroyeth the 44 wicked]."

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" For the exhaustion [caused by ascetic labours] produceth " good works, and from it the virtues spring up, even as the 4 4 passions are produced from dainty meats. Exhaustion then "begetteth good works, when a man hath wearied himself 4 4 with [all] his soul, and it bringeth forth virtues and de- "stroyeth vices, even as a righteous judge [destroyeth the 44 wicked]. "

388. A brother asked Abba* Pbemen, saying, 4 4 Since I suffer 44 loss in spirit when I am with my Abb£, dost thou wish me " to continue to live with him any longer?" Now that old man knew that the brother was suffering loss through living with his Abb£, and the old man marvelled how the brother could ask him the question, 4 4 Dost thou wish me to dwell with 4 'him any longer." And the old man said unto him, 4 4 If thou 44 wishest, dwell [with him]," and the brother went and did so, but he came again to the old man and said, 44 1 am suffering

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' ' loss in spirit"; and the old man said unto him nothing. And, when for the third time the brother came and said unto him, " Indeed, I cannot henceforth dwell with him," Abb& Poemen said unto him, 4 4 Now thou knowest how to live; depart, "and dwell with him no longer."

389. Therefore the old man said, " If there existeth a man "whoknoweth how to suffer loss in his spirit, and who still " [feelethjtheneedtoask a question about [his] secret thoughts, "it is a good thing that he should ask; and it belongeth unto "the old men to search into and investigate a matter of this " kind, for concerning open sins a man doth not feel it neces- " sary to enquire, but he cutteth them off immediately."

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390. A brother asked one of the fathers, saying, "Tell me " a word whereby I may live "; and the old man answered and " said, ' We must be careful to work a little, and we must be " * neither negligent nor contemptuous, and then we may be able " 'to live.'" And anoldman told him the following story, saying, "There was a certain prosperous husbandman who was ex- ceedingly rich, and wishing to teach his sons husbandry he "said unto them, 'My sons, behold, see how I have become " 'rich, and if ye will be persuaded by me, [and will do as I " 'have done], ye will become rich also.' Then they said unto "him, 'Father, we will be persuaded [by thee], tell us how " '[to become rich].' Now although the husbandman knew well " that he who laboureth always becometh rich, yet because he " thought that they might be negligent, and despise [work], he "made use of cunning in his words, and said unto them: " 'There is one day in the year whereon if a man worketh he " 'will become rich, but because of my exceedingly great old " 'age I have forgotten which it is; therefore, ye must work con- " 'tinually, and ye must not be idle even one day, and ye must '"by every possible means in your power go forwards. But if '"ye are negledlful and disinclined to work, even for one day, " 'take good heed to yourselves lest the day whereon ye do " ' not work be that very day, and that lucky day pass you by, " ' and your labour for all the rest of the year be in vain. ' " Thus also, O my brethren, if we labour and work each day, and we do not make use of sloth and negligence and contempt we shall find the way of life.

391. Abba Agathon asked Abba Alonis, saying, "I wish "to hold my tongue that it may not speak falsehood, [what "shall I do?]" Abbd Al&nis said unto him, "If thou dost not "lie, thou art about to commit many sins." Agathon said, " How? "And the old man said unto him, ' ' Behold, two brethren " are going to commit a murder, and one of them will flee to " thee. And it will happen that the judge will come and search

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"for him, and he will ask thee, saying, 'Did this murder take " 'place in thy presence?' And if thou dost not wish to tell a " lie thou wilt deliver up to death the other man, whom it would " be right for thee to let go free, so that he might be reserved " for the judgement hall of God, Who knoweth all things."

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' And if thou dost not wish to tell a " lie thou wilt deliver up to death the other man, whom it would " be right for thee to let go free, so that he might be reserved " for the judgement hall of God, Who knoweth all things. "

392. A certain brother was travelling on a road, and his aged mother was with him, and they came to a river which the old woman was not able to cross ; and her son took his shoulder cloth and wound it round his hands so that they might not touch his mother's body, and in this manner he carried her across the river. Then his mother said unto him, " My son, why didst " thou first wrap round thy hands with the cloth, and then take "me across?" and he said, "The body of a woman is fire, and " through thy body there would have come to me the memory " of [the body of] another woman, and it was for this reason "that I acted as 1 did."

A CERTAIN old man used to dwell with a brother in a cell in a friendly manner, and he was a man of com- passionate disposition ; now a famine broke out, and 393. the people began to be hungry, and they came to him that they might receive charity, and he gave bread unto them all. And when the brother saw that he was giving away large quantities of bread, he said unto the old man, "Give me my "portion of the bread"; and the old man said unto him, "Take [it]," and he divided [what there was] and gave him [his share], and the brother took it from him for himself. And the old man was compassionate, and gave away bread from his portion, and many folk heard [that he was doing this] and came unto him, and when God saw the generosity of the old man He blessed his bread ; but the brother took all his portion and ate it up, and when he saw that his bread was finished, and that the portion of the old man was still lasting, he made entreaty unto him, saying, "My portion hath come to an end, " and this [bread of thine is all] that I have; receive me as a "partner [therein]." And the old man said unto him, "Good," and he associated him with himself again. And when there was abundance [again], the people came to take [bread] from him, and he gave it unto them again. Now it came to pass that they lacked bread, and the brother went and found that bread was wanting, and a poor man came for some, and the old man said unto the brother, "Go in and give him some," and the brother said, "There is none"; for he was filled with bread. The old man said, "Go in and search [for some]," and

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Now it came to pass that they lacked bread, and the brother went and found that bread was wanting, and a poor man came for some, and the old man said unto the brother, "Go in and give him some," and the brother said, "There is none"; for he was filled with bread. The old man said, "Go in and search [for some]," and

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having gone in he found that the place wherein they used to set [the bread] was filled with loaves to the very top, and he took [some] and gave to the poor man, and he was afraid. Thus that brother knew the excellence and the faith of the old man, and he gave thanks unto God, and glorified Him.

394. Two brethren went to the market to sell their wares, and whilst one of them had gone to perform the service, he who was left by himself fell into fornication; and the other brother came and said unto him, " My brother, let us go to the cell," but he said unto him, "I cannot go, for I have fallen "into fornication." Now whilst he was seeking to do better, the brother began to swear to him, saying, "I also, when I " was away from thee, fell in the same manner, nevertheless, 11 come, and let us repent together, and it may happen that " God will pardon us." And when they came to their cells they informed the old men about the temptation which had come to them, and whatsoever the old men told them to do the two brothers did, and the one brother repented with the other, just as if he had sinned with him. Now God saw the labour of his love, and in a few days He sent a revelation unto one of the old men concerning the matter, saying, "For the sake of the love of " that brother who did not sin, forgive thou him that did com- " mit sin." This is what is meant by the words, " A man should " lay down his soul for his friend."

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Now God saw the labour of his love, and in a few days He sent a revelation unto one of the old men concerning the matter, saying, "For the sake of the love of " that brother who did not sin, forgive thou him that did com- " mit sin. " This is what is meant by the words, " A man should " lay down his soul for his friend. "

395. And they also say that there was a certain self-denying and ascetic brother who wished to go to the city to sell his handiwork, and to buy the things which he needed ; and he called a brother, and said unto him, 4 4 Come with me, and let i ' us go and return together." And when they had gone as far as the gate of the city, the man of abstinence said unto his companion, "Sit down here, O my brother, and wait for me "while I go in and perform my business; and I will return "speedily." And having gone into the city, and wandered round about in the streets, a certain rich woman tried her blandishments upon him, and he stripped off his monk's garb and took her to wife. Then he sent a message to his companion, saying, "Arise, get thee to thy cell, for I can never see thee "again"; now the man who had been sent to him with this message related unto him the whole matter, even as it had happened, and he said to the messenger, "God forbid that such " things should'be spoken about my holy brethren, and God forbid " that I should depart from this place until my brother cometh, "according to his word to me." And having tarried there a long time, and ceasing not from weeping and praying either by night or by day, the report of him was heard throughout the city, and the clergy, and the monks, and the governors of the

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" And having tarried there a long time, and ceasing not from weeping and praying either by night or by day, the report of him was heard throughout the city, and the clergy, and the monks, and the governors of the

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city entreated him to depart to his monastery, but he would not hearken unto their supplication, and he said, "I cannot " transgress my brother's command, and I cannot leave this "place until we go back together to the monastery. " So he stayed there for seven years, being burned by heat in the summer, and dried up by the cold and ice in the winter, and with hunger, and thirst, and weeping and watching, he made supplication on behalf of his brother. Then at length one day his former companion himself came unto him, dressed in costly garments, and said unto him, "O So-and-so, I am he " who was with thee the monk So-and-so, arise, get thee gone " to thy monastery"; and the brother looked at him and said, 4 * Thou art not, for he was a monk, and thou art a man in the ' 4 world. "Then God looked upon the trouble of that brother, and at the end of the seven years the woman died, and the brother who [had married her] repented, and again put on the garb of the monk, and went out to his companion; and when he saw him, he rose up, and embraced him and kissed him, and he took him with gladness, and they went forth to the monastery. Then that brother renewed his former ascetic works, and he was worthy of the highest grade of perfection. Thus by the patience of one man the other lived, and the saying, "A " brother is helped by his brother, even as a city is helped by its " fortress/' was fulfilled.

396. On one occasion two old men came to an old man, whose custom was not to eat every day ; and when he saw them he rejoiced, and said, ' 1 Fasting hath its reward, and he who eateth for the sake of love fulfilleth two commandments, for he "setteth aside his own desire and he fulfilleth the command- "ment, and refresheth the brethren."

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397. They used to tell the story of a certain brother who fell into sin, and he came unto Abba Lot, and he was perplexed and confused, and was going in and coming out, and was un- able to rest. And Abbst Lot said unto him, i ' What is the " matter with thee, O my brother?" and he said, "I havecom- " mitted a great sin, and I am unable to confess it before the " fathers." The old man said unto him, "Confess it unto " me, and I will bear it"; and then the brother said unto him, * r I have fallen into fornication, and I thought thou hadst dis- covered the matter." And the old man said unto him, "Be "of good courage, for there remaineth repentance; get thee " gone and sit in thy habitation, and fast for two weeks, and " I will bear with thee one half of thy sin"; and at the end of three weeks it was revealed unto the old man that God had accepted the repentance of that brother, and he remained with the old man, and was subject unto him until the day of his death.

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398. Certain of the fathers came to Joseph to ask him a question about welcoming the strangers who came to them, that is to say, whether it-was fitting for a man to forsake his work, and to be with them in the ordinary way or not ; and before they asked him, he said unto his disciple, " Lay to heart "that which I am about to do this day, and wait." Then the old man placed two pillows, one on his right hand, and the other on his left, and he said unto the fathers, ' * Sit ye down "; and he went into his cell, and put on the apparel of beggars, and went forth to them ; and again, he took this off, and put on the beautiful apparel of the monks, and he went forth again, and passed among them ; and he went in again and took this off, and having put on his own clothes, he sat down in their midst, and they marvelled at the doings of the old man. Then he said unto them, "Have ye understood what I did?" and they said unto him, "Yes." He said unto them, "What is it?" And they said unto him, "Thou didst put on first of all the apparel of "beggars"; he said unto them, " Peradventure I have been "changed by that disgraceful apparel?" and they said unto him, "No." The old man said unto them, "Since I have not "myself been changed by all these changes of raiment, for "the first change brought no loss upon me and the second " did not change me, so are we in duty bound to welcome the "brethren, according to the command of the Gospel, which " saith, 4 Give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the "things of God' (St Matthew xxii, 21). Therefore, whenso- ever strange brethren arrive we must welcome them gladly, "for it is when we are alone that it is necessary for us to "suffer." Now when the fathers heard [these words] they marvelled that he had spoken unto them that which was in their hearts before they asked him, and they glorified God, and departed with rejoicing ; and they received his word as if it had [come] from God, and they accepted what he had said, and did it.

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399. They used to speak about an old man, who was from Syria, and who used to dwell on the road of the desert of Egypt, and whose work was, as follows: — At whatever time a monk came to him he would welcome him. And it came to pass that on one occasion a man came from the desert and asked him to allow him to rest, but he would not permit him to do so, and said unto him, "I am fasting." Then the blessed man was grieved and said unto him, " Is this thy labour, that thou " wilt not perform thy brother's desire? I beseech thee to come, "and let us pray, and let us follow after him with whom this "tree, which is here with us, shall bow." Then the man from the desert knelt down, and nothing happened, but when he who received strangers knelt down, that tree inclined its head at

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the same time, and seeing this he profited, and they glorified God.

400. On one occasion Abbi Ammon came to a certain place to eat with the brethren, and there was there a brother concerning whom evil reports were abroad, forithadhappenedthatawoman had come and entered his cell. And when all the people who were living in that place heard [of this], they were troubled, and they gathered together to expel that brother from his cell, and learning that the blessed Bishop Ammon was there, they came and entreated him to go with them. Now when the brother knew [this], he took the woman and hid her under an earthenware vessel. And much people having assembled, and Abbi Ammon, understanding what that brother had done, for the sake of God hid the matter. And he went in and sat upon the earthenware vessel, and commanded that the cell of the brother should be searched, but although they examined the place they found no one there. Then Abbi Ammon answered and said, " What is this that ye have done? May God forgive " you"; and he prayed and said, "Let all the people go forth," and finally he took the brother by the hand, and said unto him, " Take heed to thy soul, O my brother," and having said this he departed, and he refused to make public the matter of the brother.

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401. There were two brethren who lived in the wilderness, and they were neighbours, and one of them used to hide what- soever he gained from his work, whether it was bread or whether it was oboli, and place it with his companion's goods; now the other brother did not know this, but he wondered how it was that his goods increased so much. One day, however, he suddenly caught him doing this, and he strove with him, say- ing, "By means of thy corporeal things thou hast robbed me "of my spiritual goods "; and he demanded that he should make a covenant with him never to act in this manner again, and then he left him.

402. On one occasion Abb& Macarius went to visit a certain monk, and he found him to be ill, and he asked him if he wanted anything to eat, for he had nothing whatsoever in his cell, and the monk said unto him, "I want some honeycakes"; and when the wonderful old man heard [this] he set out for Alexandria, and he did not regard this journey as a trouble, although [the city] was sixty miles away from them, and he brought the honeycakes to give to the sick monk. And this he did himself, and did not tell anyone else to bring them, and the old man thus made manifest the solicitude which he felt for the monks.

403. They used to tell the story of an old man who lived in Scete; now he had fallen sick, and wished to eat a little fine

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bread. And when a certain brother heard [this], he took his cloak and placed in it some dry bread, and he went to Egypt and changed it [for fine bread] and brought [it] to the old man, and the old man looked upon him and wondered. But the old man refused to eat it, saying, "This is the bread of blood, O my "brother," and the old men entreated him to eat lest the offer- ing of the brother should be in vain, and having pressed him the old man was persuaded and he ate the bread.

404. The blessed Anthony never deemed it right to do that which was convenient for himself to the same extent as that which was profitable for his neighbour.

405. An old man used to say, "I have never desired any " work which doeth good to myself and harm to my neighbour, "and I have the hope that what is of benefit to my brother will "be labour that is beneficial to me, and that it will be a thing "that will invite a reward for me."

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406. A certain brother from the Great Monastery was accused of fornication, and he rose up and came to Father Anthony; and there came brethren after him from that monastery to inform him about the matter and to take him away, and they began to accuse him, saying, "Thus and thus hast thou done," and the brother made excuses, and said, "I never acted in this "manner." Now Abb£ Paphnutius happened to be there, and he spake a word unto them, saying, "I saw a man in the river "with the mud up to his knees, and some men came to give " him help and to drag him out, and they made him to sink up " to his neck." And when Abbft Anthony heard [him say this], he spake concerning Abbd Paphnutius, saying, "Behold, in- " deed, a man who is able to make quiet and to redeem souls!" And the eyes of those brethren were opened, by the word of the old men, and they took that brother, and he departed with them to their monastery.

407. They used to say about Abbi Theodore that when he was a young man he dwelt in the desert, and that he went to make his bread in the same place as the monks made theirs; and he found a certain brother who wished to make bread, but he had no one to do the work for him, and he was unable to do it for himself. Then Abbd Theodore left his own bread and made that of the brother, and a second brother came and he made his also, and a third brother came, and he did likewise; and finally when he had satisfied them, he made bread for him- self.

408. A brother asked an old man, saying, "There were two "brethren, and one of them led a life of silent contemplation "in his cell, and used to fast six days at a time, and to devote "himself to great labour, and his companion used to minister

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" to the sick; which of them will receive the [greater reward for] " his service?" The old man saith, * 4 If he who fasted were to "raise himself up upon the works which are profitable, he " would not find himself equal before God with him that visited " the sick."

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" The old man saith, * 4 If he who fasted were to "raise himself up upon the works which are profitable, he " would not find himself equal before God with him that visited " the sick. "

409. There was a certain head of a monastery in a house ot monks in the desert, and it happened that the brother who ministered unto him had a desire to leave the monastery, and he departed and dwelt in another monastery; now the old man was unwilling to let him go, and on this account he was al ways going to him to visit him, and he entreated him to return to his monas- tery, and the brother refused to do so. And for three whole years the old man used to go to the brother and entreat him to return, and finally he was constrained, and he departed with him. One day the old man told him to go out and bring in some fuel for the fire, and whilst he was gathering the firewood, by the agency of Satan, a stick stuck in his eye and it was put out; and when the old man heard of this he was greatly grieved, and being full of sorrow he began to speak to him words of good cheer. And the brother answered, and said, " Be not afflicted, O father, " for I was the cause of this myself, for this hath happened to " me through all the toil and labour which I brought upon thee " when thou usedst to go and come to me." And after a little time, when the brother had recovered from the sickness caused by the injury to his eye, the old man said unto him, "Go out "and bring in some palm leaves from the ground," for this was the work which the monks who dwelt there had to do; and whilst the brother was cutting them, once again, as it were by the agency of Satan, a stick sprang up in the air, and smote the man in the other eye, and it was put out, and he came to the monastery in grief, and he was perforce idle and useless be- cause he was unable to do any work. Thus the old man was deprived [of a servant], and he had no one with him, because each of the brethren dwelt in his own ceil. And after a short time the day of his departure, which he had known beforehand, drew nigh, and he sent and called all the brethren and said unto them, "The day of my departure hath drawn nigh. Watch ye "yourselves, and take good heed to the service of your lives "(or life's work), and treat not lightly your ascetic labours." And each one of them began to say to him sorrowfully, 1 * Father, "why art thou leaving us?" and the old man held his peace. Then he sent and brought the blind man, and revealed to him concerning his departure, and the blind man wept and said unto him, "Wherefore leavest thou me, the blind man?" The old man saith unto him, "Pray that I may have openness of "face with God, and that I may find mercy before Him, and