171. A certain man made himself remote from the world, and he had a wife and also a daughter, and the latter died before she had been baptized by the disciples; and her father distributed among the poor the portion which came to her, and also that of his wife; but he never ceased to make entreaty to God on behalf of his daughter who hac| departed from the world without being baptized. And a voice was heard by him as he was praying, which said, "I have baptized thy daughter, have "no sorrow"; but he did not believe. And that voice, which was hidden, spake again unto him, saying, "Uncover her "grave, and look [in], and thou wilt not find her"; then he
went to her grave, and dug it up, and he found her not, for she had departed, and had been laid with the believers.
172. The old man Macarius used to say, 4 * These are the three " principal things, and it is right that a man should set them " before him at every season. The remembrance of his death "should be before him at every hour, and he should die to "every man, and he should be constant always in his mind " towards our Lord. For, if a man have not the remembrance " of his death before him at all seasons, he will not be able to " die to every man, and if he die not to every man he will be " unable to be constantly before God."
173. The old man Macarius used to say, "Strive for every "kind of death, for the death of the body, that is to say, if " thou hast not the death which is in the spirit; strive for the " death of the body, and then shall be added unto thee the " death which is in the spirit. And death of this kind will make " thee to die to every man, and henceforward thou wilt acquire "the faculty of being constantly with God in silence.,,
174. The same old man also said, "If thou hast not the prayer " of the spirit, strive for the prayer of the body, and then shall " be added unto thee the prayer in the spirit. If thou hast not " humility in the spirit, strive for the humility which is in the " body, and then shall be added unto thee the humility which " is in the spirit. For it is written, ' Ask, and ye shall receive 1 " (St. Matthew vii, 7; xxi, 22).
173, A brother asked an old man, saying, "Why do I keep " my sins in remembrance without being pained about them?" The old man said unto him, "This happeneth unto us through " contempt and negligence. When a man wisheth to boil some " food for his need, and he findeth some small sparks of fire in " his fireplace, he desireth to take care of them, and preserve " them, and to kindle therefrom a large flame; but if he neg- " le<5teth them they become black and die out. And thus also " is it with ourselves, for if, according as God hath bestowed " upon us, we remember our sins, and we desire and come " to the life of silence, and we possess persistence in remem- " bering our sins, we shall acquire great grief in our hearts; " but, if we hold them in contempt and do not even remember " them, we shall be reje6ted.
176. A brother asked Abba Poemen, saying, "Who is a "hypocrite?" The old man said unto him, "The hypocrite is " he who teacheth his neighbour to do a certain thing which " he himself hath not performed, and to the doing of which he "hath not attained; for it is written, 'Hypocrite! why dost " 'thou look at the mote which is in the eye of thy brother, and " 'behold there is a beam in thine own eye? And how canst
" 'thou say to thy brother, Let me take out the mote from " 'thine eye, seeing that thou hast not first taken the beam " 'out of thine own eye?,,, (St. Matthew vii, 5.)
177. A brother asked Abba Chronius, saying, "What shall I " do in respedfc of the error which leadeth captive my mind? " For I do not perceive it until it bringeth me to the committal " of sin." And the old man said unto him, "When the Philis- " tines took captive the Ark of the Lord because of the evil "deeds of the children of Israel, they dragged it along and "carried it until they had brought it into the house of Dagon "their God, and then Dagon fell down on his face in that "place" (1 Samuel v, 3). The brother said unto him, "What "[meaneth] this word?" The old man said unto him, "If the " unclean devils take captive the mind of a man by their own " means, they lead it on until they bring it to invisible and un- " known passion; but if, on the spot, the mind turneth and "seeketh God, and remembereth fervently the judgement of " the world which is to come, straightway the passion depart- "eth, and is destroyed. For it is written, 'When ye repent " 'and groan, ye shall be redeemed, and ye shall know in what "condition ye are.'"
178. Again a brother asked Abba Chronius, saying, "In what "manner doth a man come to humility?" The old man said unto him, "In my opinion a man doeth this by restraining and "withdrawing himself from everything, and by devoting him- " self to the labour of the body, and as far as he hath the power "so to do he should remember his departure from the body, " and the awful judgement of God."
179. Abba Anthony used to say, " Behold a time shall come to "the children of men when they shall become silly, and they shall " turn aside and depart from the fear of God, and if they see a "man who is neither as mad nor as silly as they are, they "shall rise up against him, saying, ' Thou art both mad and " ' silly,' because he is not like unto them."
180. Abba Amnion of Nitria went to Abba Anthony, and said unto him, " I see that the labours which I perform are greater "than thine, how then is it that thy name is more renowned " among men than mine?" Abba Anthony said unto him, " Be- " cause I also love the Lord more than thou."
181. When Abba Poemen heard that Abba Nastir was dwelling in the coenobium he desired greatly to see him, and he told his Abba that he ought to send him to go and visit him, but he refused to send him by himself, and he would not let him go. Now a few days afterwards the steward of the coenobium, who had certain thoughts, persuaded Abba to send him to Abba Nastir, and he dismissed him, saying, "Take this
44 brother with thee, and send me an old man because of him; 44 and because I could not trust myself to send him alone I did 44 not send him at all." Now when the steward had come to the old man Nastir, he told him his thoughts, and Abba Nastir healed him. And afterwards the old man asked Abba Poemen, saying, 44 Whence hast thou gotten such humility that when- 44 soever it happeneth that there be trouble in the coenobium 44 thou dost not speak, and dost not interfere to put an end to 44 contention?" And the old man having pressed the brother, Abba Poemen answered and said unto him, "Forgive me, 44 father! When I first entered the coenobium I said unto my 44 mind, I and the ass are one. As the ass is beaten andspeak- 44 eth not, and is cursed and maketh nt> answer, so also acT: 44 thou, according to what the blessed David said, 4 I was a 44 4 beast with Thee ' " (Psalm lxxiii, 22).
182. On one occasion Saint Theophilus, Archbishop of Alexandria, came to Scete, and when the brethren were gathered together they said unto Abba Pamb6, " Speak a word to the 44 Bishop, so that we may be built in this place"; the old man said unto them, 44 If by my silence [we] are not helped, [we] 44 shall not be builded by my word."
183* One of the brethren entreated Abba Sisoes, saying, 4 4 Do 4 4 an act of love, father, and do thou thyself speak to me a 44 word"; and he answered and said, 44 He who holdeth with 44 knowledge [the belief] that a man should not esteem himself 44 fulfilleth the whole Book."
184. An old man used to say, 44 This is what is written: Be- 44 cause of two, and because of three transactions of Tyre, yea, 44 because of four, I will not turn back from them" (Amos i, 9); 44 [that is to say,] to be content with wickedness, to fulfil 44 a thought, and to utter it; and the fourth is to carry a 44 thought into effect. For at such a thing as this [last] the 44 wrath of the Lord turneth not back."
185. They used to say concerning a great old man who dwelt in Scete that, whenever the brethren were building cells in Scete, he would go out and lay the foundation, and would not depart until [the building] was completed. Once, however, when he went forth to build, he was exceedingly sad, and very sorry, and the brethren said to him, 44 Why is it that thou art 44 thus grieved and sorry?" And he said unto them, 4 4 My sons, 44 this place shall be laid waste. For I have seen a fire kindled 44 in Scete, and have seen that the brethren took palm leaves 44 and beat upon it until they extinguished it; and it broke 4 4 out again, and the brethren took palm leaves and extinguished it; but it broke out a third time, and it filled 44 all Scete, and the brethren were never again able to ex-
" tinguish it. It is for this reason that I am grieved, and sad, " and sorry.' '
l86. An old man used to say, " It is written, ' The righteous " *man shall blossom like the palm tree' (Psalm xcii, 12). " Now these words make known that the soulacquireth height, "and straightness of stature, and sweetness from beautiful "deeds. But there is another quality which is found in the " palm, that is, a single, white heart, which is wholly suitable "for work (or useful for being worked). And this must be "found in the righteous man, for his heart must be single " and simple, and it must be accustomed to look towards God " only. Now the heart of the palm tree is also white by reason " of that fire which it possesseth naturally, and all the service " of the righteous man is in his heart; and the hollowness and " the evenness of the tops of the leaves [typify] the setting up " of sharpness of the soul of the righteous man against the "Calumniator."
187. Another of the fathers used to say, " The eyes of the pig "are so arranged by nature that they look always on the "ground, and the animal can never look upwards to heaven. " And thus is it with the soul which hath once been swallowed "up in the gratification of the lusts, for it is caught hence- " forward in the filthy mire of the gratification of the passions, " and it is only with difficulty that it is able to look towards " God, or to meditate upon any of the things which are worthy "of praise."
188. The fathers prophesied concerning the later generation, saying, "What manner of work will they do?" And one of them, whose conduft was exalted, and whose name was Is6- khdron, said, " We perform the commandments of God"; and the others answered and said unto him, " And those who will " come after us, what manner of work will they do?" And he said, " They will attain to the half of our service." And again they answered and said, " What manner of work will those " who come after these do?" And he said, " Those who are in " that generation will possess no work of any kind, for many " trials are about to come upon them, and those among them " who are found to be chosen men will be found to be greater " than ourselves and our fathers."
189. An old man was [once] asked, " How is it that thou art "never dejected?" And he said, "Because each day I hope "to die."
190. A brother asked an old man, " Why is it that, when I "happen to go out by myself at night, fear attacketh me?" The old man said, " Because the life of this world is still dear "to thee."
191. An old man was asked, 4 * What is the work of monks?" And he said, "To cultivate [all] the virtues, to make them- " selves strangers to all wickedness, and to be watchful against " judging and condemning others; prayer, and obedience, and "the cultivation of the virtues are the mirror of the monk. " For his soul is a fountain, and if it cast forth from it the " things which are abominable it shall be made pure; but if he "dig a pit, God is not wicked that He should lead us out " from one house of bondage and carry us into another."
192. An old man used to say, "Do nothing without prayer, " and afterwards thou wilt never be sorry."
193. Abba Poemen used to say, "The work of the monastic " life is poverty, and trouble, and separation; for it is written, " If there be there these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, as " I live, saith the Lord (Ezekiel xiv, 14). Noah must be taken " [as representing] the personification of self-abnegation, and "Job as representing labours, and Daniel as representing "separation; if then a man possess these three rules of con- " duct the Lord dwelleth in him."
194. A brother asked Abba Poemen, "Which is the better, "to speak or to keep silence?" The old man said unto him, " He who speaketh for God's sake is a good man, and he "doeth well, and he who holdeth his peace for God's sake "doeth well.,,
193, A brother asked Abba Poemen about pollutions and impurities of all sorts and kinds, and he said unto him, "If we " stablish in ourselves a portion [only] of theworkof our soul[s], " a man may seek for impurity or uncleanness and it shall not "be found."
196. An old man used to say, 4 4 We saw in Abba Pamb6 44 three virtues which appertained to the body, namely, fasting "from one evening to the other, and silence, and abundant 44 work of the hands."
197. Abba Pamb6 asked Abba Anthony, saying, "What " shall I do?" The old man said unto him, 4 4 Put no confidence 44 in thine own righteousness, and regret not nor cogitate upon 44 a matter which is past, and be persistent in restraining thy 44 tongue and thy belly."
198. An old man was asked, 44 What is it right for a man to 44 do that he may live?" Now the [old man himself] used to plait palm leaves into mats, and he never lifted up his head from the work of his hands, but he occupied himself at all times therewith. And the old man answered and said unto him that asked him, 4 4 Behold, what thou seest."
199. The old men used to say, 44 There is nothing worse 44 than a man passing judgement upon his neighbour."
200. And the old men used to say, ' 4 From those who are 4 i beginners in the monastic life God demandeth nothing* except work, and the vexing of the body, and that a man "should be obedient."
201. An old man used to say that separation was the most excellent of all spiritual virtues.
202. Abba Arsenius used to say, "Thou shalt not depart "from a place without great labour, and thou shalt do none " of the things which, evilly, thou desirest, and thou shalt do " nothing without the testimony of the Scriptures."
203. Abba Arsenius used to say, "If we seek God He will "be revealed unto us, and if we lay hold upon Him, He will " remain with us."
An old man used to say, "If we seek God He will be re- " vealed unto us, and if we lay hold upon Him, He will re- " main with us."
204. Abba Poemen used to say to Abba Job, "Turn away "thine eyes from beholding what is vain, the lust for which "destroyeth souls."
205. The old man used to say also, "It is impossible for "him who believeth rightly, and who worketh in the fear of "God, to fall into the impurity of the passions, and into the "error of devils."
206. Abba Macarius used to say, " If we remember the wickedness of men we destroy the power of the memory, but if we re- i * member how the devils act wickedly we shall remain uninjured. "
207. On one occasion Abba Macarius went up from Scete to Therenuthum, and at eventide he came upon a certain place wherein he went that he might refresh himself and rest; and there were there some old bones, and bodies of the dead, and he took some of them and placed them under his head that he might lie down and rest a little from the labour of the road. Now when the devils which dwelt there saw his confidence and courage, they were smitten with envy, and wishing to disturb him they cried out and shouted from one to another the name of a woman, saying, "O So-and-so, O So-and-so, "come with us, and let us go to the bath." And another answered from out of the bones which were under the head of the blessed man, and said unto him that called him, "There "is a stranger who is lying upon me, and I am unable to "come"; but the blessed man was not moved, neither was he astonished, but with confidence and great courage he knocked upon the bones, saying, " Rise up, and get thee into darkness " backwards." Now when the devils heard this, they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Thou hast conquered us"; and they fled away ashamed.
208. Abba Anthony used to say, " Let us put God before "our eyes continually; remember death and Christ our Redeemer; hate the world and everything which is therein; " hate the world and all bodily pleasure; die unto this life, so " that thou mayest live unto God, for God will require it of "thee in the day of judgement. Be hungry, and thirsty, and " naked; weep and mourn; watch and groan in thy heart; ex- " amine thyself [and see] if thou art worthy of God. Love " labour and tribulation, so that thou mayest find God, and treat " with contempt and despise the body, so that thy soul may live."
209. An old man was asked, "What is the straight and nar- " row way?" And he answered and said, "The straight and ' ' narrow way is for a man to constrain his thoughts, and to "restrain his desires for God's sake, and this [is intended to " be understood whenlit is said, 'Behold, we have left every- ' ' ' thing and followed Thee. '"
210. Abba Poemen asked Abba Joseph, saying, "What am " I to do when passions rise up against me, wishing to make " me quake? Shall I stand up against them, and drive them "away, or shall I allow them to enter?" The old man said unto him, "Let them shake thee, and do thou strive with " them." But to another brother who had come from Thebes, and gone down to Scete, and asked the same old man the same question, he spake differently; and when he returned from Scete to Thebes, he said before all the brethren, "I went to " Abba Joseph, and I asked him, saying, 'If passions draw " 'nigh unto me, shall I drive them away so that they may " 'not make me shake, or shall I permit them to enter into " 'me?' And he said unto me, 'Thou shalt not let them draw " 'nigh to thee in any way, but cut them off quickly.'" Now when Abba Poemen, who happened to be there, heard that Abba Joseph had spoken differently to that Theban, he rose up and went again to Abba Joseph, and said unto him, "Abba,
* ' I have believed in thee as in God, and I have revealed unto "thee my thoughts, and behold, thou hast spoken unto that ' ' Theban in one way, and to me thou hast declared the opposite." The old man said unto him, "Dost thou not know "that I love thee?" And he answered and said unto him, "Yea, I do." The old man said unto him, "Didst thou not " say unto me, Tell me as if thou wast telling thyself? If, then, " thoughts enter into thee, and thou art mingled with them, ' * and thou givest and takest, and art not injured, they prove ' ' thee to be one who is tried and chosen especially. Now I " spake unto thee as I would unto myself. But there are others "whom the passions cannot even approach or touch, never- " theless it helpeth them to cut them off quickly."
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Cfcuesttons an6 answers on tbe ascetic IRule
211. Abba John Kolob used to say, "I am like unto a man " who is sitting under a great tree, and who seeth multitudes " of wild beasts and creeping things coming towards him, and " because he is unable to stand up against them, he runneth and "goeth up the tree, and is delivered. In like manner I sit in " my cell, and I see evil thoughts coming against me, and be- " cause I cannot stand against them I flee and take refuge in " God by prayer, and I am delivered from the enemies, and I " live for ever."
212. Abba Hilarion was asked, " How can it be right for a " strenuous brother not to be offended when he seeth other " monks returning to the world? " The old man said, " It is " meet that he should consider the hunting dogs which follow " after hares, for as one of these dogs giveth chase to the hare " so soon as he seeth it (now the other dogs which are his " companions look at that dog as he runneth, and although " they run with him for a certain time, they at length become "exhausted and turn back, whilst he continueth his running " by himself, and is not impeded in his headlong course, and he " striveth to advance, and neither resteth nor ceaseth from running because of those who have remained behind, but he " runneth until he hath overtaken that which he seeth, even as " I have already said, and he feareth neither the stones which "come in his way, nor the thorny brambles and briars, and "passeth on among the thorns, and though often torn and "lacerated thereby he neither resteth nor ceaseth from his " course), so also for the brother, who wisheth to follow after " the love of Christ, is it right to fasten his gaze upon the Cross " until he overtaketh Him that was crucified, even though he " see others who have begun to turn back."
213. A brother asked an old man, saying, "What work ought " the soul to do in order to produce fruits of excellence?" The old man said unto him, " In my opinion the work of the soul is as "follows: To live in silence, persistent endurance, self-denial, "labour, humility of body, and constant prayer. And a man " should not consider the shortcomings of men, but his own "lapses; if now a man will persist in these things the soul " will after no great time make manifest the fruits of spiritual "excellence."
214. An old man used to say, " Strife delivereth a man over " to anger, and anger delivereth him over to blindness of the " mind, and the blindness of the mind maketh him to do every- " thing which is bad."
215. Abba Elijah used to say, " I am afraid* of three things: " When my soul shall be about to go forth from the body; and " when I am about to go forth to meefChrist; and when the
4 4 sentence of doom shall be about to be sent forth upon
2l6. Abba John used to say, concerning the soul which wisheth to repent, thus: There was a certain harlot in the city who had many lovers, and a certain judge came and said unto her, 44 Consent to lead a good life, and I will marry thee"; and she agreed, and he took her and brought her up to his house. Now when her lovers wanted her, they said, 44 A judge hath taken 44 her up to his house, and if we go to his door, and he learn 44 about it he will punish us. But let us come behind the door 44 and whistle to her, and she will recognize the whistle and 44 will come down to us, and we shall be blameless." And when the harlot heard the sound of the whistling, she sealed up the hearing of her ears, and she jumped up and went into the inner bed-chamber, and shut herself in. Now the harlot is the sinful soul, and the lovers are the passions, and the judge is Christ, and the house is the wakeful mind, and those who whistle to the soul are the wicked devils; but the soul always fleethtoGod.
217. They used to tell a story of a certain great old man, and say that when he was travelling along a road two angels cleaved to him and journeyed with him, one on his right hand and the other on his left. And as they were going along they found lying on the road a dead body which stank, and the old man closed his nostrils because of the evil smell, and the angels did the same. Now after they had gone on a little farther, the old man said unto them, 44 Do ye also smell as we do?" And they said unto him, 44 No, but because of thee we closed our 44 nostrils. For it is not for us to smell the rottenness of this 44 world, but we do smell the souls which stink of sin, because 44 the breath of such is nigh unto us."
218. Abba Anthony besought God to inform him why young children died whilst so many old men lived, and why upright men were poor whilst the wicked were rich, and why some were blind and others had their sight, and why the righteous suffered from illness whilst the wicked were healthy, and a voice came, which said, 4 4 Anthony, take care of thine own self, for 44 these matters are the judgements of God."
219. Whilst Abba Sylvanus was sitting down and the brethren with him, he dropped into a stupor which was of God, and he fell upon his face; and after a long time, when he was standing up, he wept, and the brethren entreated him, saying, 44 What aileth thee, O father?" But he held his peace, and they continued to press him to tell them what [ailed him]. Then he answered and said unto them, 44 I have just been snatched 44 away to the place of the judgement of God, andlhaveseenmany 44 who belonged to our order, that is to say, Christians, going
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" to punishment, and many men who have lived in the world " going into the kingdom"; and the old man mourned and refused to come out of his cell. And he covered his face with his cloak, saying, 4 4 Why should I seek to see the light of time "wherein there is no profit?"
220. On another occasion his disciple Zechariah came to him, ' and found him in the stupor of prayer, and his hands were raised upto heaven, and he went out and closed the door; and he came [again] at the ninth hour, and found him in the same attitude, and when he came again about the tenth hour, and found him still in the same attitude, he knocked at the door, and then went in and found him in a state of silence. And he said unto him, " What hath happened unto thee to-day, O "father?" And the old man said unto him, " My son, I felt "weak and ill"; but the disciple laid hold upon his feet, saying, " I will not leave thee until thou tellest me what thou hast " seen." The old man said unto him, " Swear to me that thou " wilt not reveal the matter unto any man until I go forth from " the body, and then I will tell thee"; and the disciple entreated him, and the old man said, " I was snatched up into the hea- " vens, and I saw the glory of God, and I remained there until "now, when I was dismissed."
221. On one occasion Abba Macarius went to Abba Anthony in the mountain, and he knocked at his door, and he wentoutunto him,andsaiduntohim,"Whoartthou?"AndMacarius said unto him, "I am Macarius," whereupon Abba Anthony closed the door and went inside, and left him outside, but when he saw the patient endurance of Macarius he opened the door to him, and said unto him with a smile, " O Macarius, I have been wishing to " see thee for a long time past, for I have heard about thee"; and having welcomed him he made him rest and refresh himself, through his love for strangers, for Abba Macarius had [come] from great toil. Now when the evening had come, Abba Anthony soaked a few palm leaves in water for himself, and Abba Macarius said unto him, " Give the command, and I will "soak some for myself," and Abba Anthony said, "Soak " [some]"; and he made up a large bundle for himself, and soaked it in water, and they sat down from the evening [until the morning], and they talked together about the redemption of souls as they plaited the palm leaves, and they threw their work into the cave through the window. And when the blessed Anthony went into the cave in the morning, and saw the heap of palm-leaf work of Abba Macarius, he marvelled, and he seized his hands and kissed them, saying, "Great strength " hath gone forth from these hands." 222. Abba Poemen said, "If a man will throw himself be-
4 'fore God, and will not esteem himself, and will cast his 44 pleasures behind his back, [he will find that] such things are 44 the instruments of the work of the soul."
223. The same old man also said, 44 If a man observeth his "grade he will not be troubled."
224. The same old man also said, "Make thou the desire 41 of thy lust of no effect through the remembrance of God, 44 and thou shalt find rest."
225. He also said, "A certain brother went to Abba Stm&n 44 to ask him for a word, and although he remained with him 44 for seven days the old man returned him no answer; but as 44 he was making himself ready to go away he said unto him, 4 4 4 Go, and take good heed unto thyself, for at present my 4 4 4 sins have become a dense wall between myself and God."'
226. Abba A16nis said, 44 If I had not hidden (ar suppressed) 44 myself wholly I should not have been able to build myself."
227. The same old man said, 44 A man is not able to know 44 outside himself the thoughts which are in him, but when 44 they resist him from within, if he be a warrior, he will cast 4 4 them out from him."
228. The same old man also said, 44 A man, wheresoever he 44 cleaveth, is built up; look not upon thy mind."
229. The old man often said, 4 4 Esteem not thyself, but 44 cleave thou to him that leadeth a good life."
230. He also said, 4 4 [In] this [life] we do not discern matters, 44 and it doth not permit us to profit by the things which are 4 4 good."
231. The old man said, 44 If a thought about some bodily 4< need come to thee and thou cast it forth once, and it come 44 to thee a second time, and thou drivest it away, if it come 44 to thee a third time, look not upon it, because it is war."
232. A father who was about to die said to his sons, 4 4 Dwell 4 4 ye not with heretics, and have no converse with a brother 44 who hath a sister, and have no business with the Govern- 44 ment, and let not thy hands be spread out to gather in, but 44 to give to the poor who are in need."
233. On one occasion Abba Evagrius said unto Abba Arsenius, 4 4 Since we are without learning according to the 4 4 world, and we have no wisdom whatsoever, [how is it that] 44 these Egyptian villagers possess such spiritual excellences?" Abba Arsenius (or Abba Macarius) said unto him, 4 4 We pos- 4 4 sess nothing whatsoever of the learning of the world, but 44 these Egyptian villagers have acquired spiritual excellences 4 4 through their labours."
234. On one occasion Abba Arsenius asked an Egyptian old man about the thoughts, and afterwards another brother said
unto Abba Arsenius, "How is it that whilst thou hast so 44 much learning, both Greek and Latin, thou askest questions 44 about the thoughts of this villager?" Then Abba Arsenius said unto him, 4 'With Greek and Latin learning I am well 44 acquainted, but I have not yet learned the alphabet of this 4 4 villager. "
2$$. Now on one occasion when the Archbishop wished to go to visit him, he sent a message to this effedl to him, and the old man sent him [back] word, saying, 4 4 If thou comest 1 4 4 will open unto thee, and if I open unto thee I must open 44 unto every man, and if I open unto every man I cannot re- 4 4 main here." And when the Archbishop heard these things, he said, 44 If I would drive him away I must go to the old 44 man, therefore I will not go."
236. On one occasion a brother entreated him to let him hear a word from him; and the old man said, 4 4 As far as it 44 lieth in thy power, lead an ascetic life; and work thou that 44 secret work which is within, if it be for God's sake, [for] it 44 shall vanquish [thy] passions which are external. "
237. Abba Poemen said, 4 4 If there be three [brethren] together, and one leadeth a fair life of silent contemplation, 44 and the other being a weak man giveth thanks, and the 4 4 other singeth and prayeth with a lowly mind, all three are 44 performing work [of equal merit]."
238. A brother asked Abba Poemen, and said unto him, 4 4 Tell me: what meaneth it that thou dost not reward evil for 44 evil?" Abba Poemen said unto him, 44 In this perception 44 there are four divisions; the first is of the heart, the second 44 is of the sight, the third is of the tongue, and the fourth is 44 that in adtions a man returneth evil for evil. If now thou art 44 able to overcome the heart, thou wilt not come to the sight, 44 but if thou comest to the sight, take heed that thou dost not 54 speak with the tongue; but if thou speakest cut it off im- 14 mediately, so that thou mayest not actually reward evil for 4 evil; and this is the first of the four which a man may cut 4 off, and the tongue is the second, and the third is the sight,
4 and the fourth is the heart."
239. The old man Anthony used to say also, 44 If the baker 4 did not put a covering over the eyes of [his] animal, it would 4 turn round and eat up its hire, and in like manner we also 4 have received a covering by the operation of God, so that 4 we may first of all be working good deeds without seeing 4 them, so that we may not ascribe happiness to ourselves 4 and so destroy the hire of our labour. Therefore are we left 4 from time to time in unclean thoughts, and we see these 4 only so that we may condemn ourselves, and those filthy
44 thoughts may become a covering of the few good things 44 which we perform. For when a man blameth himself he will 44 not destroy his hire."
240. Abba Moses asked Abba Sylvanus, saying, "Is it possible for a man to make a beginning each day?" And he said unto him, 4 4 If he be a man who is a worker it is possible for 4 4 him to make a beginning every day."
241. A brother asked Abba Sisoes, 44 Why do my thoughts 44 not depart from me?" He said unto him, 4 4 Because thy 44 things are within thee; give them their pledge and they will 4 4 depart."
242. A brother asked Abba Theodore, and said unto him, 44 If an earthquake were to take place suddenly wouldst thou 44 not be afraid, O father?" The old man said unto him, 44 Even 44 if the heavens were to cleave to the earth Theodore would 44 not be afraid"; now he besought God formerly that trembling might be removed from him, and it was because of this fa£l that he who put the question to him asked him.
243. They used to say that when Abba Theodore was a deacon in Scete he refused to perform the ministrations of deacon, and that he fled to several places [to avoid doing so], but the old men would bring him back again, saying, 4 4 Thou 44 shalt not forsake thy place. " Abba Theodore said unto them, 44 Permit me to make a request unto God, and if He permit me 44 I will stand up in my place"; and when he made his petition to God, he said, 44 If it be Thy will, O my Lord, for me to re- 44 main, permit me [so to do]." Then there appeared unto him a pillar of fire [which reached] from earth to heaven, and a voice said unto him, 44 If thou art able to be like unto this 44 pillar, go and perform thy ministrations"; but although he heard these things he would not consent to minister. And when he came to the church the brethren fell down before him and entreated him, saying, 4 4 If thou refusest to minister, at 44 least hold the cup," but he refused and said, 4 4 If ye will not 44 allow me [to be] here [as I am], I will depart from these 44 places"; and so they left him [there].
244. They used to tell a story about Abba Macarius the Great, who became, as it is written, an earthly God, for as God overshadoweth the world so also did Abba Macarius cover over the shortcomings which he saw as if he did not see them, and the things which he heard as if he heard them not.
245. On one occasion a maiden came to Abba Macarius to be healed of a devil, and a certain brother arrived from a monastery which is in Egypt, also, and the old man went out by night and saw that the brother was committing sin with that woman, but he did not rebuke him. And he said, 44 If God
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" Who fashioned him seeth [him], and is long-suffering, for if " He so desired He could consume him, who am I that I should < « rebuke him?"
246. I heard that the blessed man Anthony used to say, 1 'God "doth not permit wars to wax as fierce in this generation as " as He did in the generations of old, for He knoweth that men " are [more] feeble [now], and that they could not bear [them]."
247. Abba Macarius used to say to the brethren concerning the desert of Scete, "Whensoever ye see cells which are turned " towards the wood, know that the fall thereof is near; and "whensoever ye see trees planted near the doors, [know] that " it is near the door; and whensoever ye see young men dwell- " ing therein, then take up your possessions and depart."
248. Abba Muthues used to say, " Satan knoweth not by "means of what passion the soul may be conquered, but he "soweth, not knowing whether he will reap; but with the "thoughts of fornication, and of calumny, and of all the pas- "sions towards which he seeth the soul incline doth he fight " against it, and fetter it."
249. When, on one occasion, I was sitting with a certain old man at Oxyrhyncus, now this old man used to make great alms and oblations, a widow came to him and demanded a little wheat, and he said unto her, "Go and bring a measure, "and I will measure out [some] for thee." And when she had brought it, and he took the measure in his hand he said unto her, "This is too large"; and he put the widow to the blush. And when she had gone, I said unto the Abba" and priest, "Wast thou selling the wheat to the widow?" and he said, " No; I gave it to her in charity." Then I said unto him, "If "thou didst give all this wheat to her in charity, why didst " thou a£l harshly with her, and measure it, and [so] put her to "shame?"
250. Three of the fathers came on one occasion to an old man at Scete, and one of them spoke to him, saying, " I repeat " the Old and the New Testaments by heart"; and the old man answered and said unto him, "Thou hast filled the air with "words"; and the other father spoke to him, saying, " I have " copied the Old and New Testaments"; and the old man said unto him, "Thou hast filled the cupboards with quires of paper"; and the third father answered and said unto him, "In " k my fire-place the grass groweth"; and the old man answered and said unto him, "Thou hast also driven away the love of "strangers from thee."
251. Abba Poemen used to say that Abba Isidore used to twist into ropes a great bundle of palm leaves each night, and [on one occasion] the brethren entreated him, saying, "Rest
" thyself a little, for thou hast worked too much." And he said unto them, "If we were to burn Isidore and to scatter his " ashes to the winds, he would win happiness, for the Son of " God came to the Passion because of us."
252. A brother said to Abba Poemen, "If I stumble and " commit a few minor sins my mind afflidleth me, and blameth " me, and maketh accusations against me, saying, 'Why didst " ' thou fall? ' " The old man said unto him, "Every time a man "falleth into any shortcoming or folly, if he saith, 'I have "'sinned,' immediately God will receive him."
253. Abba Poemen used to say, "It is not right for a man "to be persuaded to the thought of fornication, or to utter "calumny against his neighbour; and he should not in any " way whatsoever incline towards these two thoughts, and he " should not utter them, and he should not meditate upon such " things in his heart And if he desireth to think about them " and to turn them over in his heart, he will not benefit thereby, " but will rather suffer damage; but if he will adfc against such " with ferocity, he will subsequently find rest."
254. One of the brethren asked Abba Poemen, saying, "Father, what shall I do when the thoughts of fornication "bestir themselves in me, or any other of the evil passions "which are injurious to the soul?" Abba Poemen said unto him, "The first time they come upon thee, flee; and the second "time they come upon thee, flee also; and the third time they " come, set thyself against them like a sharp sword."
255. The same old man used to say, "Unless Moses had " been gathering together sheep into the fold he would never " have seen Him that was in the bush."
256. On one occasion the brethren saw that Abba Joseph was sad, and that he was greatly distressed, and they asked him to tell them about his sorrow, and what was the cause thereof, but he was unable to speak to them; and they began to say each man among them to his companion, " What are " the suffering and grief which possess the old man, for be- " hold, we have dwelt with him for many years, and we never "before saw him in such grief and suffering as this? Perhaps " we have in some way offended him." Then they threw themselves on their faces before the feet of the old man, saying, " Peradventure we have offended thee in some matter, O father, " [and if we have] forgive us for Jesus' sake. " And the old man made answer to them in a state of grief, saying, " Forgive ye " me, O my brethren, for I am not offended by you, but I am " grieved by myself, because I see that I am going backwards " rather than forwards, and that I am the cause of offence and " loss, not only to myself but also unto all the others. For I see
" that at this present we are trafficking, and are losing in re- "spe<Sl of our souls very much more than we ever gained at " any time of the profit of the fear of our Lord, because shame* " lessness and fearlessness have gained dominion over us. For " in times past when the fathers were gathered together to each " other they were wont to form bands and ascend into the " heavens, but we are lax folk, and are dead in our sins. " Whensoever we draw nigh to each other we come to speak " that which is hateful about one another, and one by one we " are raised up that we may descend to the bottom of the deepest abyss. And we do not make to sink ourselves and each * ' other only, but also the fathers who come to us, and the ' 'strangers who gather together to us, and also the people "who are in the world who visit us as if we were solitary "monks, and as if we were holy men, and to these last we " become a cause of stumbling and loss.
"For thus also did Abba Sylvanus and Abba L6t say unto "me: 'Let us not abide here any longer.' And when I asked "them, 4 Why do ye depart from us?' they spake to me as "follows: 'Up to this day we have benefited by our abiding " 'with the fathers, but from the time of Abba Pambd, and Abba " 'Agathon, and Abba Petra, and Abba John, the command- " 'ments of the fathers have been held lightly, and we do not " 'observe the ordinances and the laws which our fathers laid " 'down for us. And by assemblies together we suffer loss over " 'and over again through the useless things which are spoken " 'among us. And when we sit down at table, instead of doing '"so in the fear of God, and with gratitude, and eating that " 'which God hath prepared for us with praise and thanksgiv- " 'ing, we occupy ourselves by conversing together and telling " 'insipid stories; and as we sit at table in this fashion we be- " 'come so much changed that we do not even hear what is " 'being read to us on account of the noise of the profitless talk " 'which we hold with each other. And besides this, after we " 'have risen up from eating, we converse together with empty " 'talk. What benefit is it to us to live in the desert, seeing " 'that we profit nothing thereby?' And Abba L6t said, 'Many " 'times have I heard from brethren who are strangers, and " 'from the people who live in the world, and who come to " 'visit us, that we hold the commandments of the fathers " 'lightly, and they have said of us, " We should never have " ' "thought that they were monks!" ' And one of the brethren "who were strangers said, 'I have come to the fathers on " 'several occasions, and [I see that] year by year they cer- " ' tainly observe less and less the early rules and conduft ot " ' the fathers.' What now do ye wish? Will ye correft your
u lax behaviour, and observe carefully the commandments ot " our fathers, or must I also depart from you?"
And it came to pass that when the brethren heard these things, they beat the board for assembling the monks, and the whole brotherhood gathered itself together, and Abba Joseph spake unto them all the words which are [written] above. And when all the brethren heard the words of Abba Joseph, and learned the reason of his pain and grief, and that he wished to depart from them, they cast themselves down upon their faces weeping, and they expressed their contrition to him, saying, "For- ' * give us, O father, for the sake of Jesus. We have made God " angry by our deeds, and we have caused thy holiness grief." Then each of the fathers said, " Would that thou hadst re- " buked us on the very first day wherein thou didst hear [about "us] from the fathers, and that they had not departed from "us! And would, too, that we had roused ourselves up from " our slumber and sluggishness! But what are we to do? For " the old men and the holy men do not teach us, and they do * ' not even take their proper places in our congregations, or " when we sit at meat. Very many of us wish to hear the his- " tories and commandments of the fathers read, either whilst " we are sitting at table or between one sitting and the next, "but we are never able to hear a word of their talk." And Abba Elijah said, "Abba Abraham and Abba John spake " much at table, and at the time of reading, and at the time of " the service; and they began to become excited against each " other, and the one said, * Father, such and such a man is ex- " * cited,' and the other said, ' Such and such a man makethus " * excited.' Now when Abba Joseph saw that the whole brother- * ' hood was stirred up, he made supplication unto them, and be- " sought them, saying, i I beseech you, O my brethren, to cease " from your commotion, for God hath called us to peace, and I i (therefore beg you to come and pray, and to make supplication 4 ' unto God that He may make to pass by us the legions and the " host of the enemy. For, behold, I see them standing up in " wrath and anger, with their swords drawn, and they wish to "destroy us all if God doth not stand up to help our wretchedness."
And when he had said these things he was able, with some difficulty, to quiet them, and Abba Joseph himself began to sing the words of the harpist David, saying, "Their swords " shall enter their own hearts, and their bows shall be broken, " and God shall make them like a wheel and as dust before the " wind. And God shall arise and all His enemies shall be scattered. O God, deliver me, O Lord, remain to help [me]" (Psalm xxxvii, 15; lxxxiii, 13; lxviii, 1; vii, 1). And when they
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had recited the Psalms of the spirit altogether, and had made an end of the service, they said, " O holy God, O holy mighty " One, O immortal holy One, have mercy upon us"; and they all knelt down in prayer. And as they were praying they heard the voices of the devils in the air, and the sounds of armour and of horses, and of many horsemen, and they also heard the voices of the devils who were saying to one another, " Ye shall " not have mercy upon them." And again they said, " Oluck- " less monks, why do ye stand up against us?" If we were to " do [what we could do] to you not one of you would be found " on the face of the earth! We will never be absent from you, " and we will never cease from you."
And after the filthy legion had been driven away by the secret power, and the wicked devils rested from their wickednesses, all the fathers rose up from the earth whereon they had been poured out in prayer, the earth having been adorned by their tears, and they all offered repentance unto Abba Joseph, saying, "Forgive thou us, and pray for us that the Lord may " forgive us, for we have sinned and have provoked Him to " wrath." Then Abba Joseph said unto them: "Rouse yeyour- " selves, O my brethren, and take good heed unto your souls, "for, behold, ye have heard with your ears the sound of the "chariots of the Adversary, who threateneth us and seeketh " to destroy us. Let every man be reconciled to his neighbour, " and forgive ye every man from his heart the offence [which " he hath committed]. And bind ye yourselves with the love of "our Lord, with an urgent mind, and a pure heart, to the " Lord and to each other. And draw nigh unto God that He " may draw nigh unto you, and stand up against the Adver- " sary, who is Satan. If ye wilt observe the commandments of " the fathers, I will become a surety (or pledge) for you that " Satan shall not be able to injure you, and that the Barba- " rians shall not come hither; but if ye will not observe them, "believe me, O my beloved, this place shall be laid waste."
And they offered repentance each to the other, and they became reconciled to each other, and lived in love and in great peace; and they laid down ordinances among themselves on that day to the effe<Sfc that no man should henceforth condudl himself with negligence and without absence of fear; and that they should neither do nor say anything at the table which was alien [to their mode of life]; and that if any man be found hereafter despising and holding lightly the commandments of the fathers in such a way that he become an occasion of offence and a cause of loss, first to himself, and next to those who dwell with him, and then also to the strangers who come to us, he shall know that he is bringing a punishment upon him-
self, and that he shall become an alien to all the brotherhood. And Abba Joseph sent a brother to bring back Abba Sylvanus and Abba Lot, and when these fathers knew what had taken place among the brethren, and that they had laid down ordinances to keep the commandments of the fathers, they praised God, and they rose up, and came, and [when] they saw Abba Joseph they saluted him and wept; and Abba Joseph told them everything which had taken place, and they glorified God Who had not rejected those who feared Him. And as regardeth the canons and the ordinances which they had laid down among themselves, the brethren observed and performed them all the days of their life; and they died at a good old age, [after] living lives which were well-pleasing unto God.
257. Abba Ammon used to say, 44 I have spent fourteen years 44 in Scete in making supplication unto God by day and by 44 night that He would grant me to overcome anger.
258. An old man used to say, 44 Be like unto a camel when 4 4 thou art loaded with thy sins, and be tied unto and cleave 44 unto him that knoweth the way."
259. One of the old men used to say, 4 4 Formerly, whenso- 4 4 ever we met each other we used to speak words of profit about 4 4 each other, and we formed companies, and were lifted up 44 into the heavens; but now when we are gathered together, 44 we come to hateful converse concerning each other, and we 44 drag each the other down to the bottom of the deepest 44 abyss."
260. Abba Achilles came on one occasion to the cell of Abba Isaiah, and found him eating; now there were in the basin
[from which he ate] water and salt, and the old man saw him lide the basin behind a mat. Then Abba Achilles said unto him, 44 Tell me, what wast thou eating?" And Abba Isaiah said unto him, 44 Forgive me, I was cutting some palm leaves, 44 and I went up in the heat, and placed in my mouth a mor- 44 sel of bread and salt; and my throat was dry by reason of 44 the heat, and the food did not go down, and I was pained 44 thereby, and I threw a little salt and water into my mouth, 44 so that I might be able to eat. But forgive me." The old man said unto him, 44 Come ye and see Abba Isaiah who eateth 44 food which stinketh in Scete; if thou seekest to eat stinking 44 food, get thee to Egypt."
261. There was a certain monk who had a brother that lived in the world, and this brother was poor, and whatsoever the monk earned by the labour of his hands he used to give to his brother, but in spite of this the brother became poorer still. Then the monk went to one of the old men and told him the matter, and the old man said unto him, 44 If thou wilt hearken
" unto me thou wilt not give him any more, but wilt say unto ' ' him, ' My brother, whilst I have anything- to give I give it " i unto thee, but now thou must bring me some of what thou " * earnest by thy labour'; and whatsoever he bringeth unto " thee, that take from him, and where thou knowest there is " a stranger, or a poor old man, give it unto him"; and he entreated them to offer up prayer on his behalf. Then the monk went and did thus, and when his brother who lived in the world came to him, he spake unto him even as the old man had told him to do; and the brother went to his house with a sad mind. And on the first day he brought [to the monk] as the result of his labour a few garden herbs, and the monk took them and gave them to the old men, and entreated them to pray for him; and he was blessed and departed. And the old man who was in the world returned on another occasion and brought the monk bread and garden herbs, and his brother took them, and did [with them] as he did at first. Then he came a third time, and brought many costly gifts, and wine, and fish, and his brother saw [this] and wondered, and he called the poor and relieved them therewith. And the monk said unto his brother who was in the world, " Peradventure " thou art in need of a little bread, O my brother?" And he said unto him, "Nay, my lord, whilst I took from thee that " which used to enter into my house, I spent everything I had; " but since I ceased to take anything from thee, God hath "blessed me and hath had mercy upon me." Then the monk went and informed the old man everything which had taken place, and the old man said unto him, 4 ' Knowest thou not that " the labour of a monk is fire, and that wheresoever it entereth "it consumeth? But it is beneficial for him to shew mercy from " his own toil, and prayer from the holy men shall be upon " him, and thus he shall be blessed."
262. On one occasion whilst Abba Macarius was passing through Egypt with certain other brethren, he heard a child saying to his mother, " My mother, a rich man loveth me, but " I hate him; and a poor man hateth me, and I love him"; and when Abba Macarius heard [this] he marvelled. And the brethren said unto him, " What is the [meaning of] these words, "father?" The old man said unto him, "Verily our Lord is " rich, and He loveth us, and we do not desire to hear Him; " our Enemy, Satan, is poor, and he hateth us, and we love his "hateful things."
263. On one occasion, whilst Abba Zechariah was dwelling in Scete, there appeared unto him a vision from God, and he rose up and came to his father, Abba Kiridn, and the old man was perfect, and did not take pains to boast of these things.
And he rose up [and smote him, and said unto him, "They " are of devils"; and when he had thought about the matter a long time, he rose up] and went by night to Abba Poemen, and informed him about the matter, and how his thoughts were burning in his heart. Then the old man knew that the matter was of God, and he said unto him, " Get thee to such "and such an old man, and whatsoever he saith unto thee " that do." And having departed to that old man, before he could tell him anything, the old man said unto him, "The " vision is of God; but do thou go and be subject unto thy "father."
264. A certain old man from Scete was dwelling in the mountain of Ptlist6n, and there came unto him a man from the palace who had a devil, and he healed him, and the man who had had the devil offered him a bag which was full of gold, but the old man refused to accept it. Now when he saw that he was offended, the old man took the bag itself, which was empty, and he said unto him, " Go [and] distribute the " gold among the poor and the wretched," and he made the bag into a colubium, and wore it; now it was made of hair, and was very stiff, and he wore it for a long time so that he might vex his body.
265. Abba Longinus asked Abba Lucius three things, saying, "I wish to become a stranger"; the old man said unto him, "If thou dost not hold thy tongue, where wilt thou go? "Wilt thou not become a stranger? Hold thy tongue here, "and behold thou art a stranger." And Abba Longinus said unto him also, "I wish to lead a twofold life"; and the old man said unto him, "If thou dost not bend thy neck like a "hook thou art nothing; purify thy wicked thoughts." Abba Longinus said unto him, "But I wish to flee from men"; and the old man said unto him, "If thou canst not set thyself ' 1 straight first of all with men, thou wilt never be able [to live] "by thyself."
266. A brother asked Abba Joseph, saying, "I want to go " out from the monastery, and live a solitary life"; the old man said unto him, "Where thou seest that thou wilt find rest for " thy soul, there dwell." And the brother said unto him, "I "am content to live in the monastery, and I am content to "live alone; what shall I do then?" The old man said unto him, "If thou art "content to live in the monastery, and art " [equally] content to lead a solitary life, do this: Weigh thy " thoughts as it were in a balance, and the thought which out- " balances the other, that fulfil."
267. An old man used to say, "What beast is as mighty as " the lion and yet for the sake of his belly he falleth into the
"snare, and all his strength is made weakness? in this wise " also shall we fall if we be overcome by our bellies."
268. An old man also said, " When the fathers of Scete were "eating bread and salt they said, 4 We must not afflitffc our- " 'selves overmuch with bread and salt'; and living in this wise " they became valiant in the works of God."
269. Whilst Abba Sylvanus was living on Mount Sinai brother Zechariah went to the work of the service [i.e., singing and prayer]; and when he had gone the old man said unto him, "Open out the water [courses] and water the garden." Then he went forth straightway, and covered his face with his cloak, and he could see only his feet; and during the time when he was watering [the garden], a brother came to him, and he perceived what he was doing, and he went in to him, and made an apology, and entreated him, saying, "Tell me, O father, "why thou didst cover thy face with thy cloak and didst in " this manner water the garden?" The old man said unto him, "My son, [I did so] that mine eyes might not look upon the " trees, and that my mind might not be distradled in its work, "and become buried in the trees."
270. They used to say that, [on one occasion], when a certain old man was sitting in his cell, a brother happened to come by night to go in to him; and when he arrived at the door, he heard his voice raised in a dispute, saying, "It is " sufficient; how long? Get ye gone forthwith." And again he said, "Come, come to me, my friends." And when the brother had gone in to him, he said unto him, "With whom wast thou " speaking, O father?" He said unto him, "I was driving away " my evil thoughts, and calling my good thoughts to me."
271. There was a certain old man who had a disciple who dwelt in the desert, and the old man took a piece of dry wood, and planted it, and he said to his disciple, "Pour a basin of " water over it every day until this piece of wood beareth fruit." Now the fountain of water was so far away from them that a man would set out for it in the evening and return the next morning. And the disciple did as he had been told, and after two or three years that wood became alive, and bore fruit, and the old man took the fruit thereof, and brought it to the church, and said unto the brethren, "Take ye, and eat the fruit of " obedience."
272. A certain brother on one occasion found on the road a piece of wood which had dropped from camels, and he came to the cell of his Rabbd bringing it with him; and his Rabbi said, "Whence hast thou this piece of wood?" And the brother said unto him, "From the road. "The old man said unto him, " If it be of the things which are taken from the road bring it
" inside; but if not, go and put it in the place wherefrom thou "didst take it."
273. They used to say that Zechariah, the disciple of Abba Sylvanus, took certain brethren, and without [the knowledge of] Abba Sylvanus, they broke through the fence of the garden, and enlarged the garden, and then built up the fence again. And when the old man learned this, he took [his cloak], and wrapped himself up therein, and went forth, and he said to the brethren, "Pray ye for me." Now when they saw him, they fell down at his feet, saying, "Tell us, father, what hath hap- "pened to thee"; and he said unto them, "I will neither go " inside [my cell], nor unwrap myself from my cloak until ye " bring the fence back to its former position"; and [when they had done so] straightway the old man went into his cell.
274. They used to say that when the old man Rabba Magatis went forth from his cell, and the thought rose up in his mind that he would depart from the place, he returned not to his cell; now he possessed nothing whatsoever of the things which are required in this world. But he took pleasure in the work of splitting up the palm leaves which he twisted into ropes, for he performed sufficient labour each day to provide him with the very small amount of food which he needed.
275. A brother asked an old man, saying, "If a certain bro- " ther cometh to me, and saith, * Perform an act of love, and " 'come with me here, or go [with me] to a certain place,' and " I am inconvenienced by the command, what am I to do?" The old man said unto him, "If thou knowest that without " offence thou canst fulfil the commandment, go, and it shall ' ' be accounted unto thee as an acceptable sacrifice; but if thou " knowest that there will be some offence, thou shalt not go. " And if thou dost go, take good heed to thy soul."
276. A brother asked an old man, saying, " How is it that 1 ' there are at this present men who labour, but who do not " receive grace as the early fathers did?" The old man said unto him, " Formerly love existed, and one brother was raised " up by the other; but now love hath grown cold, and we each " drag the other down, and in consequence we do not receive "grace."
277. They used to say that when Abba Theodore dwelt in Scete, a devil came and wanted to go into him, and the old man perceived that he wanted to go into [his cell], but he kept him fettered outside. Then another devil came to go in, and the old man fettered him also, and a third devil also came, and finding the other two fettered by the door, he said unto them, " Why do ye stand outside here?" They said unto him, "He "who dwelleth within will not permit us to go in"; and the
third devil stirred up strife, and, holding Abba Theodore in contempt, made so bold as to go in. Now when the old man saw him he fettered him also, and being afraid of the prayers of the old man, they entreated him, saying, "Set us free." And the old man accepted their petition, and released them, saying, " Get ye gone"; and then they departed being ashamed.
278. They used to say that a certain old man had a young man living with him, and that he one day saw him doing something which was not beneficial for him; and he said unto him once, "Thou shalt not do this thing," but the young man hearkened not unto him. Now when the old man saw that he would not hearken unto him, he let him alone, and troubled no more about him; and the young man shut the door of the place where the bread was kept, and departed from the cell, and left the old man without bread for three days, and when he went back, the old man did not say unto him, "Where " hast thou been?" or, "What hast thou been doing outside?" Now the young man treated the old man in this fashion, like a beast. Then afterwards, when one of the old man's neighbours perceived the delay of the young man, he boiled a little food, and let it down to the old man from the wall, and made him eat it; and when, by chance, his neighbour said unto him, " The young man tarrieth a long time," the old man said unto him, "He hath not tarried, but when he is disengaged he will "come."