And when he had continued in prayer, and had fasted for very long periods, he prayed to God and again entreated Him to shew him which of the saints he resembled, and again the Divine Voice said unto him, "Thou art like unto a merchant " who is seeking for beautiful pearls. But arise, and make no "long tarrying, for thou shalt meet a man who resembleth " thee." So the blessed man went down [from the mountain], and he saw a certain God-fearing Alexandrian merchant, who was trafficking with twenty thousand [pieces of] gold and three ships, and who had come down from the upper part of the The- ba'id, and he used to give all his possessions and merchandise to the poor, and to the brethren [and] monks, and he and his household used to take up ten sacks of garden herbs to the blessed man every year. Now when the blessed Paphnutius saw him, he said unto him, "What [meaneth] this, O my beloved?" And the merchant said unto him, "The fruits of my trafficking " are for the relief of the righteous, and I offer them unto God." Then the blessed man said unto him, "Wherefore is it that
ZTbe paradise of tbe 1bol2 jfatbers
" thou art not honoured by the same name as that which we ''have?" And the merchant answered and said unto him, "I " confess that I have great anxiety so to be called"; and the blessed man said unto him, "How long wilt thou occupy thy- " self with such earthly things, and wilt not draw nigh unto " the things of heaven? Leave, even this very moment, such " things to others, and do thou cling to Christ in the things 4< which are [more] excellent, for after a little thou shalt depart " unto God."
Leave, even this very moment, such " things to others, and do thou cling to Christ in the things 4< which are [more] excellent, for after a little thou shalt depart " unto God. "
Then the merchant with joy commanded the members of his household to distribute the remainder of his possessions among the poor, and he went up the mountain, and he confined him self to that place wherein the two men had been crowned, and he awaited God with prayers, and tears, and abundant fast ings. And after a short time he also left his corruptible body, and became a son of the city of the heavenly beings. Now since Paphnutius had escorted this man also to heaven, he asked for death for himself also, after the manner of one who was not able to live the life of the upright and glorious deeds which are exalted in majesty ; and an angel stood by his side, and said unto him, " Come now, O blessed old man, and take thy " rest in the everlasting tabernacles which God hath prepared "for the blessed, who stand there [waiting] to receive thee, " that is to say, the Prophets in their companies, and the Apos- " ties in their grades; these are they whom thou resemblest. " I did not reveal this unto thee earlier, lest through being "exalted [overmuch] thou mightest lose somewhat of thine "honour." Now after these words Paphnutius lived one day only. And when all the things which had been done by him had been narrated in the presence of the elders who had come unto him through a revelation, he delivered up his soul, and those same priests, after his death, plainly saw him carried upwards with the companies of the saints, and with angels who were praising God.
ifoere enb tbe TEriumpbs of papbnutius
Cbapter £tij. ZTbe Uriumpbs of tbe Blessefc £ulo0tus
AND we saw also another mighty elder whose name was Eulogius, who entreated God to give him at the time when he was about to offer up the Offering such know ledge that he might be able to know the mind of each and every one of the monks who drew nigh to [partake of] the Holy Things; and on several occasions this man saw monks prepared to draw nigh to the Holy and Glorious Mysteries, and restrained them, saying, "How is it that ye dare to draw nigh to the Holy Mysteries [seeing that] ye have evil minds?"
362
"
anfc iDioscurus
And to another of them also he said, "This night thou hast
" pondered in thy mind about filthy fornication. " And to another
he said, "Thou hast thought in thy mind that whether a man be
* * righteous or wicked there is nothing- to hinder thee from draw-
" ing-nigh to thegoodness of God." And toanotherhesaid, "Thou
" hast had doubt in thy mind whether the Holy Things are able
' to sanctify those who draw nigh to them ; therefore keep thou
' away for a little from the Holy Mysteries, and repent with all
" And toanotherhesaid, "Thou
" hast had doubt in thy mind whether the Holy Things are able
' to sanctify those who draw nigh to them ; therefore keep thou
' away for a little from the Holy Mysteries, and repent with all
* thy soul, so that thou mayest obtain remission of [thy] sins, and
' thou mayest be held worthy of association with Christ. For
' if ye do not cleanse your thoughts before ye draw nigh [to
' them] ye will be unable to [obtain forgiveness]."
Ifoere enftetb tbe ZTriumpb of JEulogius Gbapter £ix>. ZTbe ZTriumpb of Jsifcore
AND we also saw in Thebais the monastery of the blessed Isidore, which was a strong building with a high brick wall, and in it dwelt thousands of monks ; in it also were a well, and a garden, and whatsoever was required for the food of its inhabitants. None of the monks ever went forth from the monastery, for they had as a doorkeeper a certain elder who would neither permit any man to depart, nor to come in, except him who had determined in his mind to remain there until the day of his death, and never to leave. And this doorkeeper had a small house by the side of the gate wherein he received such strangers as came [by night], and in the morning he would give them a blessing (i.e., a gift) and dismiss them in peace. Now there were two of the elders who used to go outside the building, and they did so to sell the work of the brethren, and to bring in such things as were required by them. And the elder who was always at the door was in the habit of saying that all the monks who dwelt within the building were so holy that all of them could work miracles, and that it was impossible for any one of them to fall into sickness before the day of his de parture from the world, and that whensoever the end of any of them was coming he knew it beforehand, and told all the the brethren about it, and then he lay down and died.
fbere enfc tbe TTrf umpbs of 3sifcore Cbapter £\\ Ube TTriumpb of Dtoscurus
AND we saw also another holy man in Thebais, whose name was Dioscurus, and he was the Abba of one hundred monks. And when the monks were about to draw nigh to the gracious gift of the Mysteries, he would say to them, "Peradventure there is a man among you who " dareth to draw nigh to the Holy Things, in whose mind the " lust for women hath r%en up during the night. The nocturnal
363
Ube parafcise of tbe 1bol^ ff atbers
And when the monks were about to draw nigh to the gracious gift of the Mysteries, he would say to them, "Peradventure there is a man among you who " dareth to draw nigh to the Holy Things, in whose mind the " lust for women hath r%en up during the night. The nocturnal
363
Ube parafcise of tbe 1bol^ ff atbers
44 pollution which is not of the thoughts, is a customary though 44 involuntary emission, and it is not the result of desire, for <4 it is a natural result, and is derived from the actual substance 44 of the body; therefore we are not guilty of sin. On the other 44 hand, the filthy vision proceedeth from the mind, and the evil 44 desire is the cause of the same." And Dioscurus used to say, 44 It is right that a monk should be superior to the law of 44 nature, and that the smallest impurity whatsoever should not 44 be in his body; but he should humble himself in such wise 44 that owing to much fasting the physical matter of the body 44 may not be able to increase. And it is not right for a monk to 44 approach lusts, for if he doth, in what respect are we superior 44 to the men of this world whom we see in several cases curb- 44 ing their lusts, either for the sake of the health of the body, 44 or for other befitting causes? How much more, then, is it 44 fitting for a monk to take care concerning the health of his 44 mind, and of his soul, and of his spirit?"
Ifoere enfcetb tbe ZTviumpb of HHoscurus
Cbapter £\>j. TOe TTriumpbs of Hbba Copres ant> of tbe Blessefc ipetarpernotis
AND again we saw another holy man whose name was Copres, and he dwelt in the desert, and was the archi mandrite of fifty men ; he used to perform many mighty deeds, for he could cure many sicknesses and diseases of various kinds, and he cast out devils, and drove away evil spirits, and did other wonderful works, some of which we saw with our own eyes. Now when he saw us, he saluted us, and prayed over us, and washed our feet, and he began to ask us questions about the world and the affairs thereof, but we entreated him to relate to us the story of his life and works first of all, and how it came to pass that God gave him such gifts, and by what kind of works he had become worthy of the same. And the blessed man, in whose mind there existed not the smallest de gree of pride, began to tell us about his own life and works, and also about those of the great, and wonderful, and perfecl fathers, the examples of whose lives and works he strove both to imitate and to emulate ; and he answered and said unto us: — O my sons, my manner of life and my mourning are not to be compared with those of the early fathers.
For there was here before me a certain man, whose name was Petarpemotis, who was first and chief of all the monks who dwelt in this place; it was he who first made manifest (i.e., wore) this garb, and it was he who invented it. Now for merly he had been a thief, and a plunderer of the tombs of the heathen, and he had a great reputation for committing
364
Copres anb ipetarpcmotis
wickednesses of every kind connected with robbery and theft, and the following matter was the cause of [his finding] life. He once went to rob the religious house of a certain blessed woman who dwelt therein chastely, and without knowing it he found himself upon the roof of her house; and being unable to go into her house and plunder it, because the roofs of the house were as flat as the ground and they had no rain water pipes [leading thereto], for there is no rain in Thebais, and there was no place on the roof whereby he could enter the house, or by which he could leave it again, and he was neither able to de scend nor to escape from it, he [was obliged to] stay there un til the morning, and he wondered meanwhile in his mind what he should do until the daylight came. And whilst he was there he sank into a light sleep, and he saw in the form of a man an angel who said unto him, "Devote thou not such close atten- " tion, and diligence, and watching to thy life of thievery. If thou '* wishest to change thy wickedness into a life of good deeds " thou must serve with the service of angels before Christ the " King, and thou shalt receive from Him this power and au thority." And immediately he had heard [these things] he received [them] from him with gladness, and he who had ap peared unto him in the form of an angel shewred him a company of monks, and commanded that he should have dominion over them.
And when he woke up from his slumber, he saw the nun standing before him, and saying unto him, "O man, what "doest thou here? And what is thy report? Whence comest 4 'thou? Who art thou?" He saith unto her, "I know not, but " I beseech thee to shew me the church." And when she had shewn him the church, he went and fell down before the feet of the elders, and he entreated them that he might become a Christian, so that he might find an occasion for repentance. Now when the elders knew who he was, they marvelled at him, and they began to admonish him that henceforth he must not be a slayer of men; and he begged them that he might [be allowed] to learn the Psalms, and when he had learned three verses of the first Psalm, he said, "These are sufficient for me " to learn." And he tarried with the elders for three days, and straightway he went forth from them, and departed into the desert. And when he had lived [there] for five weeks without bread, a man came to him carrying bread and water, and he entreated him to eat thereof and to refresh himself. Now Petarpemotis lived there for three years in prayer and tears, and he fed himself upon the roots which were in the desert, and wandered about eating them; and after three years he returned to the church, and repeated before the fathers the
365
Ube pavafcise of tbe Ifool^ jf atbers
belief and all the doctrine of the Church, and although he had never learned letters, he could repeat the Scriptures by heart. Then the elders marvelled at him and wondered how a man of his kind could have attained such a degree of learning and asceticism, and they gave him further light in respe6l of speech and learning, and when they had bestowed baptism upon him, they entreated him to remain with them. And he tarried with them for seven days more, and he went forth and departed to the desert, where he lived for a further period of seven years; and this blessed man was held to be worthy of a constant [gift of] bread, which was found every Sunday in his pillow-cloth. When he had prayed and given thanks, he would partake thereof, and then he would fast again until the following Sun day without in any way suffering.
And he came back again from that wilderness with works of spiritual excellence, and he departed from the desert, and made manifest his rule of abstinence and self-denial, and he incited many to follow after him. Now there drew nigh unto him a certain young man who entreated him that he might become his disciple, and having received him Petarpemotis dressed him in the way that he himself was dressed, that is to say, he wore a shirt with short sleeves, and an outer garment, and he placed a cowl upon his head, and tied a napkin about his loins, and he showed him the way and the rules of a life of mourn ing, and he trained him [in the life and deeds of the monks], and he placed a cape on his shoulders.
Now the custom of the blessed man was as follows : When a Christian died he remained with him the whole night long in vigil and prayer, and he would reverently dress him and bury him. And when that disciple saw him dressing the Chris tians who died in this way, he said unto him, "Wilt thou also " dress me in this manner when I die, O master?" And he said unto him, " I will dress thee in this fashion, and I will wrap "thee in a shroud until thou shalt say unto me, *I have " * enough.'" Now after no great length of time that disciple died, and the words of his master were indeed fulfilled, for Petarpemotis dressed him reverently in the fear of God, as was right, and he said in a loud voice before all those who were standing [there], "Have I dressed thee well, O my son, "or dost thou still lack anything?" And the dead man sent forth a voice, and they all heard it, saying, "Thou hast "dressed me, O my father, thou hast fulfilled thy promise, ' ' and hast completed thine undertaking"; and wonder laid hold upon all those who were standing there, and they glorified God. Then the blessed man departed into the desert according to his custom, and he went that he might occupy himself in
Copres anfcjpetarpemotts
his daily round of devotion, even as a man who fleeth from vainglory.
Then the blessed man departed into the desert according to his custom, and he went that he might occupy himself in
Copres anfcjpetarpemotts
his daily round of devotion, even as a man who fleeth from vainglory.
And after these things he went forth from the desert and de parted to work for the brethren who were his disciples, and who were sick; now one of these was nigh unto death, and this God had revealed unto him, and the day wherein he would pass away was nigh, and the village was far away. And because he did not wish to enter therein by night (for he suspected evil), and be cause he would fulfil the word of our Lord, which said, "Walk " in the light whilst ye have the light, and he who walketh in 11 the light shall not be tripped up" (St. John xii, 35), when he saw that the day was declining, he answered and said unto [the sun], " Tarry thou on the path of thy course, and wait for me "a short time until I can come to the village"; and the sun stood still for a while, and went not down, and remained in his place, and he neither set nor went to rest until Petarpemotis had entered the village. Now this appearance was known unto all those who dwelt in the village, and they all ran, and stood still, and gazed for a long time at the sun, which set not. And when they saw Petarpemotis coming from the desert, they asked him, "What is the meaning of the sign of this sun which goeth " not down?" Then he said unto them, "Do ye not remember " the word of our Lord which said, ' If ye have in you faith like " 'unto a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall work miracles which " 'shall be greater and more excellent than these'?" (St. Mat thew xvii, 20.) Now when they heard these things great fear laid hold upon them, and they knew immediately that it was he who had held back the sun, and large numbers of them re mained with him and became his disciples.
" (St. Mat thew xvii, 20. ) Now when they heard these things great fear laid hold upon them, and they knew immediately that it was he who had held back the sun, and large numbers of them re mained with him and became his disciples.
And he went into the house of one of his disciples who had been sick, and found that he was dead, and he drew nigh to the bier whereon the dead man was lying, and he prayed, and kissed him, and said unto him, "Dost thou desire to depart " to God now, O my son, or wouldst thou remain alive in the "body?" And the dead man sat up, and made answer unto him, saying, "It is better for me to leave the body that I may " be with Christ, for I have no desire to live in the body"; and the blessed man said unto him, "Then die in peace, my son, " and make entreaty before God on my behalf that thou may- " est go unto Him." And immediately the blessed man had said these words the man died on his bier. Then fear fell upon all those who were standing there, and they said, "Verily this " is a man of God"; and when the blessed man had dressed him carefully (or well), he kept vigil the whole night [by him] and prayed and sang Psalms, and [then] he buried him in a proper manner.
367
iparabise of tfoe 1bols jfatbers
Then fear fell upon all those who were standing there, and they said, "Verily this " is a man of God"; and when the blessed man had dressed him carefully (or well), he kept vigil the whole night [by him] and prayed and sang Psalms, and [then] he buried him in a proper manner. 367
iparabise of tfoe 1bols jfatbers
And Petarpemotis went and visited another brother who was sick, and he saw that he was dying with difficulty, and that he was troubled in his mind; now his mind was rebuking him, and his conscience was pricking him because of his wickednesses. And the blessed man said unto him, "How canst thou go to 4 * God seeing that thou art prepared to carry with thee the 44 accusation of negle6l of thy works, that is to say, lax inten- 44 tions in respe6l of thy manner of life?" Then that brother begged and entreated him to pray to God on his behalf, that there might be given unto him a little longer period of life so that he might amend his ways and deeds. And he answered and said unto him, "Now that thy life hath come to an end "thou askest for time for repentance! What hast thou been 4 'doing all thy life long? Wast thou not able to heal thy 44 blemishes? Yet thou hast added others to thy negligence!" But the man made supplication the more to him, and begged and entreated him to pray that he might rise up [again from his bed of sickness]. And Petarpemotis said unto him, 44 If thou 44 wilt not add sins to thy sins, but wilt seek with all thy soul 44 to repent, I will entreat God on thy behalf, for He is good 44 and merciful, and ask Him to grant thee time and life that 44 thou mayest pay back all that thou owest." And when he had prayed he said unto him, "God hath granted thee to live in the 44 body for three years longer, but only through earnest sup- 44 plication (?)"; then he took him by the hand and raised him up from his sickness straightway, and he led him away with him and carried him off to the desert, where he lived with him for three years.
And when the three years were ended, he brought him back to his village, and set him before God, not as an ordinary man merely, but as a messenger who had been chosen by God, and they all marvelled at his works. And when the brethren were gathered together to him, Petarpemotis set that brother in the midst, and he narrated unto them the doctrine of life the whole night long; and suddenly he sank into a slumber, wherein he departed from this life to our Lord. Then the blessed man dressed him for burial, and he accompanied him to the grave with prayers.
Now they used to say that very many wonderful works were wrought by him, and they testified that on several occasions he walked upon the waters. And besides this he was once found in an upper chamber with the brethren, although the doors had been shut, for he had come in to them in the air by the power of angels. And they also said that he obtained from God everything which he asked for, and that he had the power to go whithersoever he pleased and whensoever he pleased,
Copres ant) petarpemotis
without trouble. And the blessed Petarpemotis once related to the brethren a story of how, on one occasion when he had gone out from the desert, he saw in his dream as if he had been taken up into heaven, and he saw there the good things that were prepared for the monks, and that the mouth of man could not describe, and that could not be uttered thereby. And he also said, " I saw Paradise with the eyes of this body, and 41 1 saw there the many multitudes of the saints, and I tasted " the fruits of Paradise." And he produced a proof of his as sertion, that he might shew that the things which had been said by him were true, for he gave his disciples to eat [of the fruit of] a great, and marvellous, and extraordinarily large fig-tree, which possessed an odour that was different from any other smell in the world.
And whilst this holy man Copres was relating unto us all these things concerning Petarpemotis, he said, " I have seen "in my youth [portions] of that fig-tree in the hands of his " disciples, and I kissed them, and wonder at the odour there- " of laid hold upon me; and the tree remained with his dis- " ciples for many years as a manifestation [of the truth of his " words] unto many. For it was great beyond measure, and it " had such wonderful properties that any sick person who in- 11 haled its odour was straightway healed of his sickness."
For it was great beyond measure, and it " had such wonderful properties that any sick person who in- 11 haled its odour was straightway healed of his sickness. "
Now they say that at the beginning of his going into the desert, when he had not tasted food of any kind whatsoever for five weeks he found a man in the parched desert carrying bread and water, who begged of him to eat, and when he had done so he removed himself from him. And on another occa sion the Evil One shewed him some fine gold which [in quan tity] surpassed the treasures of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he answered and said unto him that showed him the gold, "May thou and thy money go to hell." These and suchlike great things were, according to what they said, performed by Abba Petarpemotis, and they spake many other things before us the which [if written] the world could not contain. And, ac cording to what these men said, Petarpemotis spake unto us, saying, "If we who are little people perform things which are "little, like unto ourselves, that is to say, if we heal the halt "and the blind, which selfsame things the physicians do by " means of their art, in what consisteth the greatness?" Now whilst Copres, the elder, was relating these things unto us, one of us slumbered and fell into a sleep, and this man did not be lieve the things which he had heard the blessed man say. And having fallen asleep, he saw a marvellous book, and the book was laid upon the knees of this elder, and it was written wholly in gold, and above it there stood an old man who said unto him
369 24
tbe ifrarabise of tbe fbols tf atbers
in a very threatening- manner, " Didst thou not hear well what "was being said that thou didst fall asleep? " Then immediately the man awoke from his sleep, and told us in the Greek tongue what he had seen.
Now whilst our brother was relating this dream to us, a cer tain villager was found to be standing there before him bear ing upon his shoulders a bucket of sand, and he was waiting there to hear the end of his story; and we begged him to tell us why he was carrying the sand, and why he stood there, and what he wanted. Then Abba Copres answered and said unto us, 44 My sons, it is not seemly for us to boast, but it is fitting that 44 we should declare before you the triumphs of the fathers, so 14 that we may not be unduly exalted in our minds, and so lose 44 our reward. Nevertheless, because of the earnestness, and for ' * the sake of the welfare of you who have come unto us from 44 a distance, we will not deprive you of benefit, and we will re- 44 late before your brotherhood whatsoever God hath wrought 44 by our hands. At one time the land which is about us produced 44 nothing, and it was with the greatest difficulty that the villa- 4 4 gers who owned it were able to gather from it as much again 44 as they sowed, for the worms were produced in the ears, and 44 they destroyed all their harvest. Now some of those husband- 44 men had been converted by us, and they begged us to pray 44 for their harvest, and we said unto them, * If ye have faith in 4 4 ' God even this desert sand shall bring forth crops for you'. Then , 44 without any doubt whatsoever, they filled their bosoms with 44 the sand which is trodden under our feet, and they entreated " us to bless it, and when we had prayed that it might be unto 4 'them even according to their faith, they went and mixed it 44 with the wheat and sowed it in their fields, and immediately 44 their land produced for them abundant crops, and they were 44 larger than the crops obtained from the other lands in Egypt. 44 Thus it became the custom for them [to bring sand] each year, 44 and to trouble us [to bless it]."
44 Thus it became the custom for them [to bring sand] each year, 44 and to trouble us [to bless it]. "
And he also related unto us a certain wonderful thing which the Lord had wrought for us when large numbers of the bre thren were gathered together, and he said, 44On one occa- 44sion I went down to the city, and I found there a certain 44 Manichean who was leading the multitudes into error, and 44 because I was unable to rebuke and convince him openly " I turned towards the multitudes, and said unto them, 4Kin- 44 4 die ye a large fire, and let the two of us go into it when it 44 4 is burning brightly, and he who remaineth in the fire with- 44 4 out being burnt shall be the man who possesseth the true 44 4 faith.' And when this had been done, and the crowd had lit 44 a fire with ready zeal, I urged the Manichean to go with me
370
Copres anfc ipetarpemotis
" into it, but he said, 'Let each of us go in by himself, and, " * moreover, it is meet that thou shouldst be the first to go in " 'because thou didst give the command to have it made.' " Then, having made upon myself the sign of the Cross in the " Name of Jesus Christ, I went into the fire, and was unharmed " thereby, for the flame parted asunder on this side and on that, " and it vexed me in no wise. And when I had remained in the " fire for half an hour, and the multitudes had seen the won- " derful thing, they cried out, and gave thanks to God, and " compelled the Manichean to go into the fire, and when, be- " cause of his fear, he was unwilling to go into it, the crowd " took him, and pushed him into the fire, and he was wholly " consumed. As for me they took me, and escorted me to the " church, and ascribed praise to God as they went.
" And on another occasion when I was passing by a certain ''heathen temple, the heathen were offering up sacrifices to " their idols; and I said unto them, ' Why do ye who are rational " 'beings offer up sacrifices to things which are dumb? Are ye " 'of your own will dumb that ye sacrifice to dumb things?' "And they admitted that what I said was good, and they " came after me, and believed in Christ.
Are ye " 'of your own will dumb that ye sacrifice to dumb things? ' "And they admitted that what I said was good, and they " came after me, and believed in Christ.
" And, moreover, we had a garden in a certain neighbour- " ing place which was [intended] for the pleasure of the breth- " ren who came unto us from afar off, and a certain poor man " used to work therein. And one of the heathen went into the " garden and stole some vegetables and departed; but he was " notable to cook them, for although he kept the fire burning "under the saucepan for three hours, they remained in the "same state as when they were taken from the garden, and " even the water would not boil! And when the man came to "his senses he took the vegetables and brought them to us, " and he begged that he might be forgiven the offence, and "become a Christian; and he actually became one. Now on " that very day certain brethren came unto us from a distance, "and it is probable that those vegetables were brought on "their account, so that they might enjoy them; and when " we had tasted them, we gave thanks unto our Lord, for we "had a twofold joy, first, because of the redemption of the " soul of the man who had stolen them, and secondly, because " the brethren who had come to us enjoyed them."
These and many other wonderful things did our holy father Copres relate to us, and when he had made us rest, he took us into his garden and shewed us the palms and other fruit trees which Kopris [sic] had planted with his own hands for the encouragement of thosehusbandmen whobelievedin Christ, and to whom he had said that this desert was able to bring
ZTbe iparatuse ot tbe fbols tf atbers
forth fruit for those who believed in God ; "And," said he, when " I saw that they had sown sand, and that their crops were " abundant, I also planted this garden for the enjoyment of the " brethren, and it has come to its present state [of perfection]. "
Ifoere enfc tbe Uriumpbs of Copres anb petarpemotis
Cbapter £\>ij» Ube ZTriumpbs of Hbba 1bor, an& Jsaiab, ant) Paul, anb IRopi, tbe Confessors
"
Ifoere enfc tbe Uriumpbs of Copres anb petarpemotis
Cbapter £\>ij» Ube ZTriumpbs of Hbba 1bor, an& Jsaiab, ant) Paul, anb IRopi, tbe Confessors
ON a certain occasion it happened that Abba Hor and Isaiah, and Paul met each other by chance by the side of a great river, and all three of them were chaste and perfect ascetics, who were going to visit a certain great con fessor whose name was Nopi, who lived at a place which was three stages distant, and they said to each other, "Let each " of us shew the other his triumphs, and in what way, and to " what extent he is, on account of his deeds, honoured by God." And Abba Hor said unto them, "I beg God for this gift — that " we may journey to the place in that country by the might of " the Holy Spirit, without any labour [on our part]"; and im mediately he had prayed, a boat was found to be ready, and a wind favourable for its journey was blowing, and they sailed up against the stream, and in a short time found themselves at that place.
And when they had gone up from the river, Isaiah said un to them, " O my beloved, would it not be a greater [display " of the power of] God if that man whom we are going to see " were to come to us and meet us, and were to describe to each " of us his life and works?" And Paul said unto them, "God " hath revealed unto me that after three days He will take " him, and that the man whom we are going to see will de- " part from this world into life." Now when they had journey ed onwards a short distance from that place, the man himself met them, and saluted them; and Paul said unto him, "Brother, " explain to us thy manner of life and works, for the day after " to-morrow thou wilt go to God." And Abba Nopi said unto them, "Blessed be God, Who hath also revealed these things "unto me, and hath shewn me concerning your coming and " concerning your life and works." And when he had describ ed the upright dealings of each one of them, and how they lived, and how they laboured, he afterwards began to speak and to describe his own life and works, and he spake thus: —
" Since the day wherein I confessed the Name of our Lord "Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and God, no falsehood whatso- " ever hath gone forth from my mouth on earth, and I have " never taken any earthly thing, for an angel hath fed me each " day with heavenly food. In my heart I have never had any
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In my heart I have never had any
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Bother desire than that which is of God; and God hath not 44 hidden from me anything which is honourable and glorious; 44 and I have never been deprived of or lacked the light of mine 44 eyes. I have never gone to sleep in the daytime, and during 44 the night season I have never rested from making supplica- "tion to God, and the angel of God hath accompanied me 44 always and hath shewn me the might of the world which is to 44 come, and His light hath never gone out in my mind. Every 44 request which I made unto God I have received straightway. 44 At all times I have seen myriads of angels standing before "God. I have seen the companies of the saints. I have seen 44 the congregations of the martyrs. I have seen the triumphs 44 of the monks who mourn. I have seen the works of the soli- 44 tary brethren, and the congregations of the righteous. I have 44 seen all created things glorifying God. I have seen Satan 44 delivered over to the burning fire. I have also seen his angels 44 suffering torments, and the righteous enjoying the happiness 44 which hath no cessation." And, having told us these things, and many others which were like unto them, on the third day he delivered up his soul; and straightway the angels and the armies of the martyrs received it, and took it up into heaven, and we saw them singing praises and heard them.
Ifoere enfc tbe Urfumpbs of Hbba toot, anfc 3safab, anfc Paul, ant) 1Ropi, tbe Confessors
Cbapter £\>if j, ZTbe Uriumpb of J£va0rfus
AND we also saw Evagrius, who was a man ot great ability and learning, and who, through the experience of the matters which had passed over him, had ac quired the discernment of good thoughts; and he had on several occasions gone down to the city of Alexandria and shut the mouths of the heathen philosophers. Now he commanded the brethren who were with us not to drink their fill of water, because devils were always to be found in the places where there were fountains of water, even according to the word ot our Lord, Who said, 44When the evil spirit hath gone forth 44 from a man, it departeth and wandereth about in the places 44 wherein there is no water seeking rest, which it findeth not" (St. Matthew xii, 43). And he spake unto us many things con cerning the labours of ascetic excellence, and he confirmed our souls in the faith. Now many of the monks neither ate bread nor fruit (God forbid!), but bitter herbs and vegetables soaked in vinegar; and some of them never slept at all during the night, but, either sitting up or standing, they continued to pray until the morning.
1bere enfcetb tbe ZTrfumpb of
And he spake unto us many things con cerning the labours of ascetic excellence, and he confirmed our souls in the faith. Now many of the monks neither ate bread nor fruit (God forbid! ), but bitter herbs and vegetables soaked in vinegar; and some of them never slept at all during the night, but, either sitting up or standing, they continued to pray until the morning. 1bere enfcetb tbe ZTrfumpb of
ZTbe ftaraMse of tbe 1bol$ ffatbers Gbapter m. Ube Uriumpb of Hbba pitb^rion
AND we also saw in Thebai's a certain high mountain which lay by the river, and it was an exceedingly ter rible mountain with high barren peaks, and in the caves thereof there dwelt many monks; and these men had as Abb£ one Pithyrion, who was a disciple of the holy man Anthony. He was the third who had received that place from Anthony, and he used to perform many mighty deeds, and to carry on the persecution of devils openly; and since he was the man who had received the place of Anthony, the blessed and great man, and of Ammonius his disciple, he received also, and rightly so, the inheritance of his labours. Now Pithyrion spake many other things, and he discoursed with power, especially on the faculty of discerning spirits, saying, "There are certain devils which " cling to the passions, and on several occasions they turn our "good desires into evil; therefore, O my sons, those of you "who wish to drive away devils must first of all bring into "subjection your lusts, for a man must vanquish not only " every lust, but he must drive away the devil thereof. It is "right that ye should overcome your lusts little by little, so "that in the same way ye may drive away the devils which ' ' appertain thereto. There is a devil which belongeth to a waste- " ful and dissolute life, and he who is able to conquer the de- " sire therefor is also able to drive away that devil." And this man used to eat twice a week, that is to say on Sunday, and on Thursday, and his food consisted of a little flour and some water which he baked into a thin cake; and he was unable to eat anything else, because his nature was thus.
1bere enfcetb tbe TTriumpb of JMtbsrfon
Cbapter ££* Ube Uriumpbs of tbe Blessefc jfatbers
AND we also saw many other fathers and monks in several places throughout Egypt who used to work mighty deeds and miracles, but they were so many in number that we cannot mention them all, and we therefore only narrate a few things out of many. For what shall we say of the upper part of the Thebai'd, namely that [which is near] Syene, wherein live many wonderful men, and countless monks, who lead lives which are wholly beyond the nature of ordinary men? For at the present time they raise the dead, and, like Peter, they walk upon the water, and, to this very day, every thing which our Redeemer performed by His saints is per formed by these holy men. Now because of the great danger which we should run of thieves and barbarians falling upon us, we did not dare to go up the Nile any further to the south
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For at the present time they raise the dead, and, like Peter, they walk upon the water, and, to this very day, every thing which our Redeemer performed by His saints is per formed by these holy men. Now because of the great danger which we should run of thieves and barbarians falling upon us, we did not dare to go up the Nile any further to the south
374
ZTbe TTriumpbs of tbe iJBlessefc ffatbers
than Lycus, and therefore could not see the holy men who were there. Now we were not able to know even the fathers of whom we have spoken above without toil and tribulation, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that we were able to narrate their histories, for in order to do this we had to suffer much, and we were within a very little of having to en dure many tribulations; but at length we were worthy to see these men. For on seven occasions we were delivered, and on the eighth evil came not nigh unto us, because, at all times, God protected us.
On the first occasion we nearly perished of hunger and thirst whilst we were wandering about in the desert [without food] for five days and five nights. On the second occasion we fell among savage, rugged mountains until our feet were pierced by the stones, and we suffered very great pain, and very nearly had to yield up our souls. On the third occasion we sank in the mud several times up to our backs, and there was none to help [us], and we cried out the words of the blessed David, " Save me, O God, for the waters have come " even unto my soul, I have sunk into a dark abyss, where- 41 in is no place on which to stand. Save me from the mire that " I sink not" (Psalm Ixix, i, 2). On the fourth occasion a flood of many waters burst upon us at the period of the inundation of the Nile, and we walked about in the water, and we sank down very nearly to the nostrils [of the animal which we rode], and we cried out and said, " Drown us not, O Lord, in a whirl- " pool of waters, and let not the abyss swallow us up, and let " not the pit close its mouth over us" (Psalm Ixix, 14, 15). On the fifth occasion we fell in with some river thieves whilst we were walking along on the river banks to go into the city of Dekaplios, and they pursued us and sought to capture us, until very little breath was left in our nostrils, for they chased us for a distance of ten miles. On the sixth occasion we were sailing on the Nile when the boat capsized and sank under us. On the seventh occasion we were arriving at Lake Mareotis, and we were cast up on a small desert island, where the papy rus plant groweth, and we passed there three whole days and nights under the open sky in severe cold and with the rain falling upon us; now the season was the days of the Epiphany.
The story of the eighth occasion may be superfluous, but it is helpful. For when we were going to Nitria we passed a great deep place in one of the fields, which was full of water, and after the waters had run off the fields several crocodiles remained therein; now three very large crocodiles were stretched out on the edge of the pool, and we drew nigh to them that we
375
TOe paraMse of tbe Ibols ffatbers
might see them, because we thought they were dead. But they ran after us very fast, and we cried out with a loud voice, saying, uln the name of Jesus Christ, spare our souls," whereupon the crocodiles, as if they had been driven away from us by angels, cast themselves into the water. And we made our way to Nitria with all possible haste, and as we went we meditated upon the words of the righteous man Job, who said, " Seven times He shall deliver thee from tribulation, " and on the eighth evil shall not draw nigh unto thee" (Job v, 19). Therefore we gave thanks unto our Lord, who had redeemed us out of all tribulations, and had made manifest unto us great and marvellous revelations by the hands of his believ ing saints and monks.
Ifoere enfc tbe ZTriumpbs of tbe Blessefc ffatbers
Cbapter ££j. Ube Urtumpbs of tbe /iDonfes wbo were in Ittftria
Therefore we gave thanks unto our Lord, who had redeemed us out of all tribulations, and had made manifest unto us great and marvellous revelations by the hands of his believ ing saints and monks. Ifoere enfc tbe ZTriumpbs of tbe Blessefc ffatbers
Cbapter ££j. Ube Urtumpbs of tbe /iDonfes wbo were in Ittftria
AND we came also to the district of Nitria, where we saw many great disciples who had departed from the world, and some were natives of the country, and some were strangers (i.e., foreigners), who were more excellent in glory than the others, and they were emulating each other in the beautiful deeds of strenuousness, and were striving to outstrip each other in their noble and glorious lives and works. Now some of them possessed divine vision, and others works of ascetic excellence. And as we were coming from the desert some of their number saw us when we were afar off, and they met us on the way, and some of them brought water, and others washed our feet, and others washed our garments, and others entreated us to eat, and others called us to the doctrine of glory, and others to the vision of divine knowledge, and each one of them wished to help us so far as it lay in his power to do so. And however much a man might speak about their glorious life, it would be impossible for him to describe it as it really is. For they dwell in a waste place, and their dwellings are remote, and the men live apart from each other so that one man may not be known to his fellow, and that he may neither be seen readily nor his voice heard, and they live in the strictest silence, and each one of them is secluded within his cell, and only on Saturday and Sunday do they assemble in the church, and so meet each other. On several occasions many of them have been found dying in their chambers without ever having seen each other except when assembled for service in the church; for some of them only assembled once every three or four months, and thus they were remote from each other. Now these monks have much affection both for each other and for the rest of the
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Hmmon tbe jf irst
brethren, for each one of them would be exceedingly anxious to give up his chamber to any man who wished to seek for grace.
Ifoere cut) tbe Uriumpbs of tbe /iDonfes wbo were in IRitria
Cbapter ££f j, ZTbe Xfrfumpb of Hmmon tbe ffirst
Now these monks have much affection both for each other and for the rest of the
376
Hmmon tbe jf irst
brethren, for each one of them would be exceedingly anxious to give up his chamber to any man who wished to seek for grace. Ifoere cut) tbe Uriumpbs of tbe /iDonfes wbo were in IRitria
Cbapter ££f j, ZTbe Xfrfumpb of Hmmon tbe ffirst
THERE was in the early times in Nitria a certain man whose name was Ammon, whose soul the blessed Anthony saw being taken up to heaven, and this man became the chief of the monks who were in Nitria. He be longed to a noble family, and because his parents were exceed ingly rich, they urged him to marry a wife, although he was unwilling to do so; and having persisted in urging him [he did so], but in the wedding chamber he persuaded the maiden who became his bride to keep [her] virginity, and he promised to do the same. Now after a few days he departed to the country of Nitria, and the maiden herself called all the mem bers of her household to virginity, and turned her house into a nunnery.
Now the blessed Ammon was living by himself in the coun try of Nitria, and they brought unto him a certain young man who had been seized with madness and he was bound with chains; a mad dog had bitten him, and the madness of the animal had entered into him, and his body was torn by the severe pain which was in it. And when the blessed man saw that the relatives of the young man were making supplication unto him, he said unto them, "What are ye bringing to me, "O men? Ye are seeking from me what is greater than my " power, and besides it lieth in your own hands to help and " to heal the young man. Get ye gone, and restore [the value "of] the widow's bull which ye slew secretly, and your son "shall be given back to you healed." Then they, as people who had been rebuked, fulfilled his commandment with glad ness, and he prayed straightway, and their son was healed.
And on one occasion certain people came to visit the bless ed Ammon, and he, having learned their mind, said unto them, "Bring hither to me a large potter's vessel, so that "there may be an abundance of water for the people who "come here." Now, although they promised him that they would do so, one of them, as soon as he had gone to his vil lage, took counsel and said unto his companion, "I am not "going to carry the potter's vessel on my camel and kill it"; and when the other man heard this, he saddled his asses, and carried the vessel to the holy man with great labour. And the blessed man Ammon said unto the man before he could speak, saying, "What [is this]? Behold, thy friend's camel died whilst
377
paraMse of tbe 1bol2 ffatbers
* ' thou wast coming' here "; and when the man returned he found that the camel had been killed by wolves. And many [other] miracles were worked by this man.
fbere enfcetb tbe Uriumpb of Hmmon
And the blessed man Ammon said unto the man before he could speak, saying, "What [is this]? Behold, thy friend's camel died whilst
377
paraMse of tbe 1bol2 ffatbers
* ' thou wast coming' here "; and when the man returned he found that the camel had been killed by wolves. And many [other] miracles were worked by this man. fbere enfcetb tbe Uriumpb of Hmmon
Cbapter jjiij. ^be Urtumpb of anotber Hmmon wbo was in IRitrta
AND we also saw there a certain Abb£ whose name also was Ammon, and he possessed [a number of] small houses which were exceedingly beautiful, and a court yard, and a well of water, and other things for use; and a certain brother, who wished earnestly to obtain mercy, came to him, and said unto the blessed man, " Build me a little house 44 wherein I may dwell." Then the holy man, like one who was going forth [to do] this, ordered him not to depart from these chambers until he could find one which would be con venient for him; and he left to him everything he had, to gether with the chambers, and went and shut himself up in a house which was far away from that place. And if the brethren who came to him seeking to have mercy shown to them were many, he would assemble the whole brotherhood, and [tell] one to draw water, and another to bring bricks, and a house for them would be completed in a day. Then the brethren would invite those who were ready to inhabit the chambers to refresh themselves in the church, and whilst they were resting there he would fill his cloak, and baskets also, with bread and with other things which they would want to make use of, and would carry them to the new house, and it was not known to any man that he was the source (or head) of the gifts of each one of them. And at eventide the brethren who were ready to take up their abode in these [new] chambers would come there, and would find ready before them whatsoever they required.
fbere enfcetb tbe Uriumpb of tbe otber Hmmon Cbapter ££iv>. Ube ZTriumpb of HHfcpmus
AND we also saw there another blessed man whose name was Didymus, and he was very far advanced in years, and his countenance was beautiful ; and this man used to kill scorpions and other venomous reptiles with his feet, which no other man dared to do.
Ifoere enfcetb tbe ZTriumpb of
378
Cbronfus, pbilcmon, 3obn Gbapter £jx>. ZTbe ttriumpb of Cbrontus
AND we also saw another brother among the monks whose name was Chronius, and he had arrived at a good old age, and was one of the first men who were contemporaneous with Abbd Anthony; he was about one hun dred and ten years of age, and he comforted us greatly and admonished us by his humility, which he had preserved even in his old age.
fbere enfcetb tbe Urtumpb of Cbronius Cbapter ££\>j. ZTbe ZTriumpb of ZTbree Bretbren
ND we saw there also three brethren who were learned in speech and glorious in their lives and deeds, and be cause of their splendid works they were about to be raised to the grade of the episcopate. They had cut off their ears in the fear of God, but although they had done this with great boldness (or presumption), the obje<5l with which they had done it was a good one, for [they wished] that henceforth no man might vex them.
1bere enfc tbe Uriumpbs of TTbree Bretbren Chapter ££\>ij, Ube Uriumpb of pbilemon
ND we also saw there a certain elder who was exceed ingly holy and humble, and he was constantly seeing revelations, and his name was Philemon; and when this man was offering unto God the service [due] to him, he saw an angel standing at the right hand of the altar. He used to write and set down in a book the names of those brethren who drew nigh to the Gift of Grace, and he took care that the names of those who did not come to the congregation were erased, and such men, after three days, died. On several occa sions the devils beat this man, and they brought so many sick nesses upon him that he was unable to stand by the altar, and could not even offer up the Offering ; but an angel came and took him by the hand, and straightway he received strength, and the angel made him to stand up healed before the altar. And the brethren saw the scars made by his beatings, and marvelled.
1bere enfcetb tbe Uriumpb of pbtlemon Gbapter sxtrtf J. Ube Uriumpb of Jobn
AND we saw another blessed man whose name was John, and he was an Abbd of the monks in the city of Dik£polis ; and grace clung to him even as unto Abra ham, and his beard flowed down like that of Aaron. He worked
379
ITbe paradise of tbe 1bolp ff atbers
many mighty deeds and cures, and he healed those who were afflicted with gout, and the sick, and those who were paralytics.
fbere en&etb tbe ftriumpb of Jobn Gbapter ££i£, Ube ZTriumpb of Serapton
He worked
379
ITbe paradise of tbe 1bolp ff atbers
many mighty deeds and cures, and he healed those who were afflicted with gout, and the sick, and those who were paralytics. fbere en&etb tbe ftriumpb of Jobn Gbapter ££i£, Ube ZTriumpb of Serapton
AND we also saw in the regions of Arsinoites a certain elder whose name was Serapion ; he was the father of all the monasteries, and the head of numerous brother hoods, which contained about ten thousand men, and he took the greatest care in providing for the wants of all the brethren. And in the season of harvest he would make those who worked for hire from year to year bring and gather together to him twelve ardebs of wheat, that is to say, forty bushels, that it might serve for his ministrations to those in want, and might be distributed by his hands, so that in that district no destitute man might be found, and he sent to the needy in Alexandria the Great their gifts. Now the fathers of whom we have already spoken did not at any time neglecl; to visit the whole of Egypt, but as a result of the toil of the brethren they used to fill boats with food and apparel, and send them year after year to the poor who were in Alexandria, because the poor and needy who lived round about them were too few [to exhaust their benevo lence]. And we saw in the region of Babylon and Memphis many great fathers, and many, yea innumerable, monks who were adorned with works which were glorious before God.
Ifoere enfcetb tbe Uriumpb of Serapion
Cbapter £££. ZTbe Urtumpbs of Hpollo tbe 3Less, tbe IReafcer anfc /I&art^r
AND we saw also the granaries of Joseph (i.e., the Pyramids of Gizah) wherein he collected grain in the time of famine. And there was there, in Thebes, a cer tain monk whose name was Apollo, and he made manifest many mighty deeds, and led a life of great works ; he was held to be worthy of the office of deacon, and his works of spiritual excellence were as glorious and renowned as [those of] the famous monks of old. During the period of the persecution he made many martyrs by putting courage into the hearts of the confessors of Christ, but at length he himself was seized and put under ward in the prison-house, and the wickedest men among the heathen used to come to him and heap words of hatred and blasphemy upon him. Now one of those who be haved thus was a certain singer, who was a famous man, and was beloved by all the people ; and this man drew nigh and reviled the blessed Apollo, and called him a wicked man, and a liar, and a hater of all mankind, and said that he was guilty
380
Bpollo tbe Xess
of death before all the people. Then to him the blessed man Apollo made answer, and he said unto him, "O man, may God "have mercy upon thee, and may the sin which hath been " uttered by thee not be accounted unto thee as anything."
Then to him the blessed man Apollo made answer, and he said unto him, "O man, may God "have mercy upon thee, and may the sin which hath been " uttered by thee not be accounted unto thee as anything. "
Now when the man who was a singer, whose name was Philemon, had heard these things, he repented at the words of the blessed man, because he had gone into the place where he was, and caused him pain, and he went down immediately, and stood up before the throne of the judge, and in the pre sence of all the people said unto him, ' * O judge, thou art acting " wickedly in tormenting the servants of God without a cause, " for the Christians neither say nor do wicked things, on the "contrary, they even bless their enemies." Now when the judge heard the things which Philemon was saying, he thought at first that he had gone mad through his pride, and that hav- mg gone mad he had spoken; but as soon as the judge per ceived that he persisted in his words, he answered and said unto him, "Thou art mad, O man, and hast suddenly become " a fool." And Philemon made answer to him and said, "I have " not gone mad, O thou wicked judge, but I am a Christian, " and I fear the God of heaven." And the judge and all the people wished to persuade him [to be quiet] by means of flat tering speeches, but, when they saw that he would not yield to them, they applied to him all kinds of wicked tortures. And after these things they seized the blessed and holy Apollo, and brought him [there], and they laid many stripes upon him, and they scourged him as men scourge those who are wicked and who lead the people into error.
Then the blessed Apollo spake unto the judge, saying, "I " pray God that thou also, O judge, and all those who are here " present with thee may follow after my error"; and when the judge perceived that he had spoken such words unto him, he commanded that both Apollo and Philemon should be delivered over to be burnt by fire in the presence of all the multitude. And when they were in the blazing fire before the judge the blessed Apollo cried out with a loud voice unto God, so that all the assembly and even the judge himself might hear, saying, "O " Lord, give not to be broken the souls which confess Thee, " but make us to see Thy deliverance boldly." Then straight way a brilliant cloud, which was laden with dew, appeared, and it enveloped these men and quenched the flames of fire; and the crowds and the judge marvelled and cried out, saying, " One is the God of the Christians."
And certain wicked men made known the things which had taken place to the governor of Alexandria, and he chose out from among his bodyguard some savage and merciless men,
Ube iparafcise of tbe 1bol£ jf atbers
"
And certain wicked men made known the things which had taken place to the governor of Alexandria, and he chose out from among his bodyguard some savage and merciless men,
Ube iparafcise of tbe 1bol£ jf atbers
and sent them for all those who were with the judge, and for Philemon, and the blessed Apollo, and other confessors came with them. And as they were going along the road, the gra cious gift of the Spirit lighted upon Apollo, and he began to teach the soldiers, and as he spake they hearkened unto him, and they repented at his words, and believed in Christ, and they all stood up with the prisoners before the throne. And as soon as the governor perceived and knew that they could not be changed from the faith of Christ, he commanded that they should be cast into the depth of the sea; and since they were drowned of their own will for Christ's sake, this became unto them a sign of baptism. Now the sea refused to keep them, and it brought them together near the shore, and on the spot where they had lain a temple was built in their honour, and in it great miracles were wrought ; and such grace was found with the blessed man, and he was so greatly honoured that he was heard by Christ in respect of the things for which he prayed and made supplication. And we ourselves saw the martyrium wherein he and those who had testified with him were laid, and we prayed and worshipped God, and also touched their dead bodies, for they were not as yet buried because of the inundation of the Nile, but lay embalmed upon their biers in Thebais, and for this reason we made ready to insert here the history of the man.
Ifoere ent> tbe TTriumpb of Bpollo, tbe /Ifconfc ant* flDar* t$rt ant> tbe otber Ifoistories of tbe 1bol£ /Ifcen wbicb were written b$ UMeron^mus tbe /Ifoonfe. (3lor$ be to tbe if atber, ant> to tbe Son, ant) to tbe 1bol£ <$bost, now, ant) always, ant) for ever ant) ever* of IDolume tbe jfirst