To these [children] they never gave anything whatsoever, except to the daughters who had married husbands. 166
/I&agna
And finally, they used to say, " After we are dead everything " will be yours, but during our lifetime the income which we "derive from our villages we shall take for ourselves." Now they used to divide their moneys among the churches and monasteries, and houses for the receiving ot strangers (or hospitals?) and among the poor and needy. And besides these things they performed the following act of excellence. There was a great famine, and every man shut up (or restrained) his mercy, but these folk opened the storehouses which they had in their villages, and gave [food] to eat to those who were famished, and through this a&t the heretics who were living in that country were changed and were turned unto the [true] knowledge when they saw their unspeakable lovingkindness; and they gave praise unto God for the simplicity of their faith. And other examples of their excellence were the following: The modest garb, common and simple apparel, food eaten but rarely, and then only in such quantity as was sufficient [to maintain] life; and they lived meanwhile in a state of chastity which was acceptable unto God. They dwelt in the fields seve ral days [at a time], loving a life of silent contemplation, and they fled from the tumult of cities and from the evils which are begotten of them, lest when they were living among a crowd of people something might come upon them to disturb them, and they might fall from the[ir] divine state of mind. For this reason these blessed men were doing all these excel lent things, because that with the eyes of the understanding they had already looked upon the good things which had been for ever prepared for them.
Cbapter £lv>ij, ©f tbe Blessefc Woman
IN this city of Ancyra there were also many other virgins who led lives of ascetic excellence, and they were two thousand, or more, in number; and they kept themselves in restraint and served God with great humility. And among them were also famous women who triumphed with glorious strenuousness in the contending of the fear of God, and of those was Magnd, the chaste and proved wife; now I know not whether I ought to describe her as a virgin or as a widow, for this woman, owing to the pressure which was put upon her by her mother, was yoked unto a husband. But she used to make pretences to her husband in divers ways, and she avoided his embraces by urging the bodily sickness which she had on her as an excuse, and thus she was, according to what the members of her household said, preserved spotless from him. Now, after a short time the man died, and he left every thing which he had unto her alone, and she exchanged the
167
ZTbe parafcfse of tbe tools ffatbers
Now, after a short time the man died, and he left every thing which he had unto her alone, and she exchanged the
167
ZTbe parafcfse of tbe tools ffatbers
things of time for those which were everlasting-, and she offered herself wholly to God and devoted herself unto the things which belonged unto the life which is to come; and thus she lived a life in the great chastity of the fear of God, and even the Bishops were put to shame by the sight of her. Now the rest of the building (i.e., the edifice of her spiritual excel lences,) she made perfect in the furnace of the love of volun tary poverty, and whatsoever there remained untoher she gave, as it is written, gladly unto the churches, and monasteries and houses for receiving poor strangers, and unto the orphans and widows; and she abode continually in the church and served God, and awaited the hope which was to come.
Gbapter £l\>iij. ©f tbe /I&onfe [/HMsericors] wbo U\>e& in Hncsra
AND moreover, we found in this city a certain monk, and we met him at the time when he had [just] received the laying on of hands as an elder; formerly he had been a husbandman, but he had laboured in the life of a soli tary recluse (or monk) for twenty years, and he had lived in close intercourse with the Bishop of the city, who was a holy man. He was such a benevolent man that even in the night time he would go roundabout and visit those who were poor and needy, and he was so indefatigable in his work that he neg lected neither the prison-house, nor the house of the sick (i.e., hospital), nor the houses of the rich and poor, but he helped every one. He urged the rich with words which were full of mercy, and exhorted them to fair deeds, and he toiled with anxious care on behalf of the poor and needy, in respecl; of those things which were meet for them. Those who were strug gling in contention he brought nigh unto peace, and those who were naked he clothed with raiment, and he laboured for the sick and brought them the bindings up which conduced to [their] healing. Now there existed in this city of Ancyra that which existeth rightly in large cities, that is to say, in the porch of the church thereof there lay a great number of poor folk, who were in the habit of going about begging for their daily bread, and among them were certain men who had wives ; and it fell out on the night of a certain day that one of these women was about to give birth to a child. And by reason of the pain which was darting through her, and the severe anguish of the birth-pangs, she cried out loudly, and the blessed man heard her outcries from the church as he was praying ; and the blessed man ceased praying, and went forth to see [what was happening], although it was winter. And seeing that there was no man nigh unto her in her necessity, he himself filled the
1 68
5obn of
place of midwife, and he abhorred not the shame which at- tacheth unto those who give birth to children ; for the great .a6l of lovingkindness which he was about to perform did not grant unto him the perception of such things.
And seeing that there was no man nigh unto her in her necessity, he himself filled the
1 68
5obn of
place of midwife, and he abhorred not the shame which at- tacheth unto those who give birth to children ; for the great . a6l of lovingkindness which he was about to perform did not grant unto him the perception of such things.
Now of this blessed man the garments (or possessions) were so utterly poor that they were worth nothing at all, for by reason of the great lovingkindness which dwelt in him he took no pains at all to acquire any possession whatsoever. For if anyone gave him a book he straightway went and sold it, and unto those who enquired of him concerning it, saying, "Why "didst thou sell [the book]?" he said, "How am I to persuade "the Master (or Teacher) that I have in truth learned His "handicraft, unless I make use of His testimony as to the true "[meaning] of His handicraft?" And this holy man thereupon persisteth in this course of action until this day, and he hath left behind him unto all those who dwell in that country a never-fading remembrance. And he is happy in the expectation of the good things which are for ever, and he waiteth to re ceive the reward of the labours of his triumphs in the kingdom from Him Who said, ' * I was an hungered and ye gave Me to eat. "I was naked and ye clothed Me" (St. Matthew xxv, 35, 36).
Cbapter £li£. ©f Jobn of OLpcus, a Gits of tbe Ubebaifc
JOHN, who lived in the city of Lycus, and who had learned in his youth the craft of the carpenter, and whose brother was a dyer, afterwards, when he was about five and twenty years old, took upon himself the garb of monkhood ; and hav ing lived in divers monasteries for five years, he finally de parted by himself to themountain which is in Lycus, to the lofty eminence which is on the top of the mountain, and made three •cells for himself there. Now he built and prepared these for himself in the first year after he went to the mountain and went up into it. The first cell was for the needs of the body, in the second he laboured at the work of his hands and took his food, and in the third he said his prayers, and during the three (or thirty) years in which he was in seclusion there he was wont to receive whatsoever was necessary for him through the window from him that ministered unto him.
Now this blessed man was worthy [to receive] from God the gift of being able to declare things before they came to pass, and on several occasions he made known things before they happened unto the blessed Emperor Theodosius, I mean he foretold that he would conquer Maximus the rebel and would return from Gallia, and he also announced to him beforehand •concerning the defeat of Eugenius the rebel, and thus the fame of this holy man went forth greatly, and he was held to be a
•
ftbe parafcise of tbe f>ol$ ff atbers
Now this blessed man was worthy [to receive] from God the gift of being able to declare things before they came to pass, and on several occasions he made known things before they happened unto the blessed Emperor Theodosius, I mean he foretold that he would conquer Maximus the rebel and would return from Gallia, and he also announced to him beforehand •concerning the defeat of Eugenius the rebel, and thus the fame of this holy man went forth greatly, and he was held to be a
•
ftbe parafcise of tbe f>ol$ ff atbers
man of spiritual excellence. Now therefore when we were in the desert of Nitria, I and the members of the following- of the blessed Origen wished to gain exact information concerning1 the state of spiritual excellence to which the man [had attain ed]. Thereupon the blessed Evagrius said, " I am very desirous "of learning from some one who is skilled in the investigation "of the mind and understanding what manner of man [John '"of Lycus] is; for although I myself am unable to see him, "still I can learn from another man [concerning] his qualities "of excellence if he be able to narrate them, but I cannot go " so far as [his] mountain. " Now when I had heard these things I said nothing whatsoever to any man, and I held my peace for a day, but on the morrow I shut up my cell, and having confided myself to the hands of God I set out on my journey to go to the Thebaid, where I arrived after eighteen days, on some of which I walked on my feet, and on others I sailed on the river. For it was the period of the year when the river riseth, and when many folk fall sick, the which also happened unto me. And when I had gone [to John of Lycus] I found that he had shut himself up in the place wherein he lived in seclu sion, and I took up my abode with the brethren in a great house which contained about one hundred men, and which the brethren had built a long time ; for though they shut in John during the other days of the week on Saturday and Sunday they used to open his window.
When therefore I had learned the rule concerning his seclu sion, I waited until the Saturday, and at the second hour I drew nigh and found him sitting in the opening in the wall (or window), wherein he waited to administer comfort and conso lation unto those who thronged unto him. And having saluted me he said unto me through an interpreter, " Whence art thou, " my son? And why hast thou come? Thou appearest to me to " belong unto the congregation of Evagrius." And I said unto him," I am a stranger from [the country of] the Galatians," and I confessed that I also belonged unto those who were the fol lowers of Evagrius. Now whilst we were conversing together behold, Alipius, the governor of the country, came unto him, and as the governor turned to him John ceased to talk to me and I left them for a little space and gave them opportunity to talk, and I rose up [and departed] from the mountain. And when they had passed much time in their converse I became impatient and angry, and I murmured against that excellent old man because it seemed as if he had treated me lightly and had paid honour to the governor; and being offended in my mind at this [treatment] I made up my mind to go away be cause of his disregard of me. Then John called unto his inter-
170
3obn of
preter, whose name was Theodore, and said unto him, "Go and 11 say unto that brother, ' Be not angry and impatient, for I will " 'dismiss the governor immediately, and [then] I will speak " 'with thee.'" Thus it appeared to me that, like a spiritual being, he had knowledge of secret things, and I made up my mind to remain.
Then John called unto his inter-
170
3obn of
preter, whose name was Theodore, and said unto him, "Go and 11 say unto that brother, ' Be not angry and impatient, for I will " 'dismiss the governor immediately, and [then] I will speak " 'with thee. '" Thus it appeared to me that, like a spiritual being, he had knowledge of secret things, and I made up my mind to remain.
And when the governor had departed John called unto me and said unto me, "My son, why wast thou vexed with me? " What hast thou found which is worthy of [being considered] f 'an offence? Thou hast imagined things which are not to be " found in me, and which are not creditable unto thyself. Dost " thou not know that it is written, 'Those that are whole have " 'no need of a physician (St. Matthew ix, 12; St. Mark ii, 17; " 'St. Luke v, 31); only those who are in very evil case have " 'need of him.' Thee I can find whensoever I wish, and if I " myself do not comfort thee the brethren and the other fathers " will do so. But this governor who hath come to us is tightly "bound unto the Calumniator by means of the affairs of this " world, and, having obtained respite for a brief space from "the vain labour of [his] abominable servitude, he fleeth like a " slave from his master and cometh to be helped; therefore it "would not be seemly to leave him, and to be constant in " attention unto thee, for thou art at all seasons occupied with " the cultivating of thy life."
And having said these things I entreated him to forgive me, and I became certain in my mind that he was a spiritual man. Then with a smile he patted my left cheek with his right hand, and said unto me, "Many temptations will rise up for thee to "endure, and moreover, for many years [past] thou hast "struggled to go forth from the desert, and thou strugglest " even to this day, but thou hast been afraid; and the causes " thereof, which were thought [by thee to arise from] the fear " of God, hath the Evil One himself sowed in thy mind; and " although thou didst drive away thy thought from thee thou " hast kept him with thee. For he sowed in thee the thought " of desire, which was also pleasant unto thee, that is to say, " thou didst care greatly to bring out of the world thy father "and also thy sister that they might take upon themselves "the garb of the monastic life. Now there still remain to thy " father seven other years of life, therefore continue to abide " in the desert, and do not on account of these thoughts desire "to go to thy kinsfolk, for it is written, 'No man who hath " 'put his hand on the ploughshare and looketh back is useful " 'to the kingdom of heaven' " (St. Luke ix, 62). Now, there fore, being helped by these words whereby I triumphed I gave thanks and praise unto God Who had quieted and laid to rest
171
Ube paradise of tbe fbols jf atbers
Luke ix, 62). Now, there fore, being helped by these words whereby I triumphed I gave thanks and praise unto God Who had quieted and laid to rest
171
Ube paradise of tbe fbols jf atbers
in me the cause which was urging me to go forth from the desert.
Then afterwards he said unto me with a smile, "Wishest " thou to become a bishop?" And I said unto him, "I have " already been made one"; and he said unto me, "Where?" Then I answered and said unto him, " I am the bishop of the " public eating-houses, and of the taverns, and of tables, and * ' of wine-pots, for I am a visitor of them. And if the wine " hath gone sour I know enough to observe it, and that which 41 is fit [to drink] I drink. Similarly I visit the cooking pot and " if it needeth salt, or any seasoning whatsoever, I season it 44 with sauces and then I eat thereof. For this, that is to say, " my visiting, is my episcopate, and it is the love of the belly "and gluttony which hath made me the visitor of these." And with a smile he said unto me further, "Quit these [words] of 4 'jesting, for a bishop thou must needs be, and thou wilt have 4t to labour and to be troubled greatly; now if thou wishest to "flee from tribulations and temptations go not forth from the " desert, for in the desert no man will make thee a bishop."
" And with a smile he said unto me further, "Quit these [words] of 4 'jesting, for a bishop thou must needs be, and thou wilt have 4t to labour and to be troubled greatly; now if thou wishest to "flee from tribulations and temptations go not forth from the " desert, for in the desert no man will make thee a bishop. "
And when I had departed from him I came to the desert, that is, to my place wherein I dwelt, and having related these things unto the blessed fathers, who after two months went and held intercourse with him, I forgot his words. And three years afterwards I fell sick with a sore sickness which was caused by my kidneys and stomach, and I was sent to Alexan dria by the brethren who believed that I was collecting water (i.e., becoming dropsical), and the physicians counselled me to leave Alexandria, and for the sake of the air (or climate) to .go to Palestine, where the air (or climate) was temperate and light and would be beneficial to my body. From Palestine I went to Bithynia, where, for what reason I know not, whether by the care and solicitude of men, or whether by the Will of God, Who is exalted above all things, I was held to be worthy of the laying on of hands for the episcopacy, which was far above my deserts, and I became an associate in the temptation (or trial) which rose up against the blessed John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople. And having been secluded for a period of about eleven months in a dark cell I remembered that blessed man who had told me of the things which had happened to me before they came to pass. Now the blessed man John related the things unto me, according to my opinion, that by means of the narrative he might incite my mind and bring me to continue to dwell in the desert; and he said unto me, "Behold, I have passed eight and forty years in this cell, "and I have never seen the face of a woman [during the " whole time], and no man hath either seen me eat or drink."
172
Ube Blessefc
"
172
Ube Blessefc
Now the handmaiden of Christ Poemenia came unto the blessed man and begged that she might see him, but the blessed man would not allow her to do so; and he sent unto her other spiritual words to give her consolation, and he com manded her that when she was going down from the Thebai'd she should not turn aside to Alexandria, saying, that if she did so, she would certainly fall into temptations. But Poemenia, forgetting this [advice] and never letting it enter her mind [again], turned aside to Alexandria that she might see the city, and on the way, by the side of the city Nicius, she stopped her ship that she might rest herself. And when her servants had disembarked, through some untoward circumstance strife broke out between them and the people of the country, who were truculent men, and they cut off a finger of one believing man, and another they killed, and without knowing it they drowned the holy Bishop Dionysius in the river. And they made the venerable woman to endure many revilings and threatened to do much violence unto her; and they beat all her servants with many severe str'pes, and they would hardly &llo\v theTi t^ pro ceed on their way. rm^'-4--
Gbapter l. ®f tbe Blessed /Ifcan posstoonius
And they made the venerable woman to endure many revilings and threatened to do much violence unto her; and they beat all her servants with many severe str'pes, and they would hardly &llo\v theTi t^ pro ceed on their way. rm^'-4--
Gbapter l. ®f tbe Blessed /Ifcan posstoonius
NOW the things which [are narrated] concerning the holy man Possidonius the Theban are so many that it is impossible to describe them all; he was so gentle, and gracious, and patient, and enduring, and his soul had so much goodness in it that I do not know that I ever met another man who was like unto him. For I lived with him in Bethlehem for a year, at the time he was living beyond the Monastery of the Shepherds, which was close to the town, and I observed in him many qualities of excellence, of which I will relate [an example of] one or two. He told me one day when I was living by the side of Porphyrites, [saying], "I have not spoken to a 4 'man for a whole year, and I have not heard the speech of 4 'one. I have not eaten bread, but the insides of palm leaves u soaked in water and, whenever I could find it, wild honey. " Once, however, the time came when these things failed me, " and I was in sore tribulation because of it. And I went forth " from the cave that I might go to the habitations of men, and " having journeyed on the whole day I was scarcely two miles " distant from the cave. And I turned [and looked] behind me, "and I saw, as it were, a horseman whose appearance re- "sembled that of a knight, and he had upon his head the " similitude of a helmet, and thinking that he was a Roman I " turned back to the cave, and I found outside it a basket of "grapes and new, ripe figs, and I took them and went with
173
TTbe parafcfse of tbe tools jf atbers
41 them into the cave rejoicing; and that food sufficed to be a 41 consolation unto me for a period of two months."
And the blessed man wrought in Bethlehem the following miracle. A certain woman had conceived, and she was pos sessed of an unclean spirit, and being near to the bringing forth of her child she was greatly afflicted by birth pangs and was violently tortured by that spirit; and as she was writhing by reason of the workings of that devil, her husband came and entreated the holy man to go and pray over her, and we went into [her house] therefore that we might pray together. And having stood up and prayed, after he had knelt down twice he cast out that unclean spirit; when he stood up he said unto us, " Pray ye, for straightway the devil shall go forth." But there was a certain sign, the fulfilment of which [he wished] to shew us, and therefore when that devil had gone forth, he over turned the whole of the courtyard wall unto its very founda tions; now that woman had not spoken a word for a period of about six years, but after that devil had gone forth she brought
forth her child and spake.
And, moreover, I also saw [an exklnf>Iirj* of the prophecy of this blessed man. There was a certain elder, whose name was Hieronymus, who dwelt in these parts, and he was exceedingly well versed in the art and practice of grammar and of eloquence, and he was greatly skilled in the Latin language; but he pos sessed the vices of envy and evil-eyedness to such a degree that the excellence of his very great skill and ability was en tirely hidden. Now the blessed man Possidonius had dwelt with him for many days, and he told me that the free-woman Paula, who had taken care of him, departed from this world before her time in order that she might escape from his envy, and, according to my opinion, it was on account of this man that none of the holy men would live in these districts; and the envy of this man continued to such a degree that it over took his own brother, which thing took place even as he had foretold. And he also persecuted the blessed man Oxyperentius, who came from Italy, and the wonderful men, Peter the Egyp tian and Simeon, who were seen by me. And Possidonius the Great himself told me that for the whole period of forty years he had not tasted food made of bread, and that wrath against any man did not abide with him as long as the half of the day.
174
Gbronius an& James
Cbapter Ij. ®f Cbronfns wbo was from tbe Dillaae of pboeni£
And Possidonius the Great himself told me that for the whole period of forty years he had not tasted food made of bread, and that wrath against any man did not abide with him as long as the half of the day. 174
Gbronius an& James
Cbapter Ij. ®f Cbronfns wbo was from tbe Dillaae of pboeni£
THERE was a certain man whose name was Chronius, who came from the village which was called Tom^rta" (i.e., Phcenix) which was nigh unto the desert; and when he had gone away a little distance from human habita tions, and had departed from his village, having measured out along the road with his right foot about fifteen thousand paces, he prayed and dug in that spot a pit, and he found [therein] good and sweet water. Now the well was about seven fathoms in depth; and he built there a little habitation wherein to dwell, and from the day wherein he shut himself up in that place, he prayed to God that he might never return to a region inhabited by men. Now when he had dwelt there some few years, he was esteemed worthy to become a priest unto the brotherhood, for there were gathered together unto him about two hundred brethren. And these excellent things are said concerning him: that during the whole of the period of sixty years, wherein he was performing the ministrations of the altar, he never once went out of the desert, and that he never ate bread which he had not [earned by] the labour of his hands.
Cbapter lij* <W James tbe Xante [anfc of papbnutius Cepbala]
NOW by the side of this Chronius, who is [mentioned] above, there used to dwell a certain man who was called James the Lame, and he was an exceedingly learned man; now both of these men knew the blessed Anthony. And it came to pass one day that there happened to be there also Paphnutius, who is described as a man who watered gardens by machines, and who possessed the gift of know ledge to such a degree that he knew how to expound the Books of the Old and New Testaments without reading from them ; and he was such a gentle man that his meekness over came the gift of prophecy which was found with him ; now the former was voluntary, and the latter was an act of Divine grace. And of this man it was said that he possessed spiritual excellence to such a degree that for a period of eighty years he did not own two tunics. Now when I and the blessed man Evagrius came to these men we desired to learn the reasons for the stumblings of the brethren and for their transgressions against the strict rules of the ascetic life.
And it came to pass in those same days that Chaeremon the anchorite departed from the world whilst he was sitting on his seat and holding his work in his hand.
175
TEbe parafcise of tbe fbols jfatbers
And it came to pass that another brother was buried by a fall of earth when he was digging a well.
And another died of want of water as he was coming from Scete.
And it came to pass in those same days that Chaeremon the anchorite departed from the world whilst he was sitting on his seat and holding his work in his hand. 175
TEbe parafcise of tbe fbols jfatbers
And it came to pass that another brother was buried by a fall of earth when he was digging a well. And another died of want of water as he was coming from Scete.
And in addition to these [we wished to learn] concerning the matter of Stephen, which ought not to be spoken about, for he fell into foul lasciviousness.
And [we asked] concerning Eucarpius, and those which con cerned Hero the Alexandrian, and the Palestinian, and Ptolemy the Egyptian, who were in Scete. And we were asking among ourselves the question, "What is the reason why men live "lives of this kind in the desert, whereby some receive in- "jury mentally, and some are ensnared by lasciviousness ?"" Whereupon Paphnutius, that man of great learning, made answer unto us in the following words, saying, "All the " various things which take place in the world must be divided "into two categories, for some happen through the direct "Will of God, and the others by His permission only; the "things which are wrought to the praise of God, especially "happen by the direct desire of God, but all those which "appertain to loss (or injury), and danger, and to matters "which produce tribulation take place by the permission of " God. Now permission ariseth from a fault on the part of the " mind. For it is impossible for the man who thinketh rightly "to fall into foul sins, or into the error which ariseth from the "devils, for all of these take place through a corrupt intent "(^disposition), and through the [love of the] approval of "the children of men, and by the daring of the thoughts, " [which] hope to make perfect spiritual excellence. Such men " fall into reprehensible wickedness, and God permitteth them " so to do, that they may be a help unto others, that when they " feel the difference which hath come upon them through this ' * permission, they may remember themselves and may turn again "unto spiritual excellence, either that which existeth in the " mind, or that which existeth in deeds. And sometimes it is " the mind which sinneth, that is to say, when that sin which ' ' taketh place is committed with evil intent ; and sometimes it "is the deeds themselves which must be rejected, as, for ex- " ample, when they are performed in a manner which is quite " beyond everything which is right and seemly, and this latter "case happeneth frequently. Thus a man of lust will, with "corrupt design, give alms unto young women in order that "he may fulfil his foul desire, even though at the beginning " he may say, 'It is a beautiful act for us to offer help to the " 'maiden who is an orphan, and alone [in the world] and in " 'misery.' And again it may happen that a man may begin to
176
Ipapbnutius
Thus a man of lust will, with "corrupt design, give alms unto young women in order that "he may fulfil his foul desire, even though at the beginning " he may say, 'It is a beautiful act for us to offer help to the " 'maiden who is an orphan, and alone [in the world] and in " 'misery. ' And again it may happen that a man may begin to
176
Ipapbnutius
41 do alms with a good and acceptable intent to those who are "sick, or to those who have lost their riches and become "poor, and that though he giveth his gift in a niggardly " manner, and may murmur [at the expense] and wax wroth, " his motive in giving will be found to be a right one. Now the 4 'deed is not [to be thought] equal to the motive. For it is " right for the man who would shew mercy to make his gift 4 'gladly and with a good eye."
And they also spoke the following: "There is a difference 4 'between the gifts which exist in various souls. Some of "them possess keenness of mind, and some of them find it " exceedingly easy and simple to acquire the habits of ascetic " self-denial, or to do that which is difficult for other souls to " do; but when a man maketh use of [his] gift of keenness of " mind without a good object for so doing, or when he exerteth 41 his faculty of performing things because it is easy for him to " do so, or when men exercise the gifts which they have re- " ceived, they do not ascribe, as would be right, the correct- 41 ness of their spiritual excellences unto God, but to their own "desire, and to their own keenness of mind. And those to " whom it is sufficient to perform fair works are permitted by "the Divine Providence to be caught in a snare, either by " filthy deeds or filthy passions, or by the contempt or by the " disgrace which cometh unto them from the children of men, " so that through the shame and the contempt which [they re- " ceive] from the multitude they may little by little and by de- " grees cast away from them their boasting about the spiritual " excellence which they imagine they possess.
" For he who is inflated and unduly exalted at the keenness " of speech [which he possesseth] doth not ascribe to God, as "is right, such keenness, or the discovery of the knowledge 41 which is from Him, but to his own training, forsooth, or to "his own naturally keen disposition; [therefore] doth God " remove from him the Angel of His Divine Providence, and " the Angel being separated from him, this man is immediately " vanquished by his Adversary, and he who was [unduly] lifted " up in his keenness [of mind and speech] falleth into lascivious- " ness, or into some kind of filthy passion, because he was [un- " duly] exalted. And because he was lifted up, and because the "witness of chastity hath separated himself from him, the "things which are said by him become unworthy of credence, " and those who fear God flee from the teaching of the mouth " of the man who is in this condition, even as they would flee " from a fountain which is full of leeches, so that there may be " fulfilled that which is written, * Unto the sinner God saith, " 'What hast thou to do with the Books of My Command-
177 12
para&ise of the 1bols if atbevs
44 * ments? (Psalm 1, 16.) For thou hast taken My covenant in " 'thy mouth.'
44 For in very truth the souls of those who are moved by pas-
k4 sions are like unto fountains of divers kinds; the souls of glut-
44 tons and of those who live in impurity and drunkenness arc
"like unto muddy springs; and the souls of those who love
" money and are avaricious are like unto wells which are full
44 of frogs; and the souls of those who live in envy and pride,
" even though there be found in their nature a facility for re-
44 ceiving doctrine, are like unto wells which breed snakes, and
" which, even though their flow be continual, no man is able
44 to drink from because of the bitterness of their manners and
" habits. And because of this the blessed man David asked and
' entreated God togive him three things: graciousness(0rsweet-
4 ness), knowledge, and instruction. [For without graciousness
4 knowledge hath no use], and if a man whose manner of life
4 is thus correct shall himself lift from off himself the cause of
4 the permission [from God], which is boasting, and shall take
44 upon himself humility, and shall recognize his true capacity,
41 and shall not, at the same time, exalt himself over any man,
44 and shall confess (or give thanks unto) God, the witness of
44 knowledge will return unto him again."
44 Now this is the behaviour of spiritual excellence. For the
4 'spiritual words of a chaste mode of life do not permit to
"
44 Now this is the behaviour of spiritual excellence. For the
4 'spiritual words of a chaste mode of life do not permit to
44 grow up together with them the parched spear-grasses, and
44 ears of corn which have been smitten by the south wind (or
44 drought), and \vhich by reason of their appearance make men
44 think they are full, whilst there is no [flour of] bread in
44 them. Every lapse (or calamity) \vhich taketh place, either
44 through the tongue, or through some feeling, or through
44 some action, or through the whole body, taketh place in pro-
4 portion to the measure of a man's pride, and by the permission
4 of God, Who showeth compassion upon those who commit
4 themselves to His Divine Providence. For if, in addition to
4 their skill in ordering their speech and their keenness of na-
4 ture, the Lord were also to testify to the beauty of their words
4 by never permitting them to fall, the arrogance with which
4 they would exalt themselves in impurity would probably sur-
4 pass that of the devils."
And the following" also did these men of the house of Abba Paphnutius say unto us: "When thou seest evil deeds and 44 acts, that is to say, the conversation of him who leadeth an 4 'evil life [and knowest] that they are fair and exceedingly 44 plausible, remember the Devil who, [as we learn] from the 44 Holy Scriptures, spake with Christ [St. Matthew iv, 3ff.], and 4k also the testimony which saith, 4Nowthe serpent was the most
178
Ipapbnuttus
" ' subtle (Genesis iii, i) of all the serpents which were on the 44 * earth,' and that it was by reason of his subtlety that des- " truction came upon him, because he possessed no otherquality "of excellence which attached itself closely to his cunning. " For it is meet that the believing" man who feareth God should 44 ponder upon that which God giveth unto him. And let him "speak that which he meditateth, and let him do that which 44 he speaketh. For if to the asseveration of words there be not 4< attached a brotherhood in acts and deeds, it is bread without *4 salt, which cannot be eaten, lest digestion be disturbed, even 44 as the blessed man Job said, 4Can the thing- which is insipid 44 4 be eaten without salt? Or, is there any taste in the juice of the 44 4 ox-tongue plant?' (Job vi, 6.) Even thus polished words 44 possess no savour whatsoever unless they be made complete 44 by works.
Or, is there any taste in the juice of the 44 4 ox-tongue plant? ' (Job vi, 6. ) Even thus polished words 44 possess no savour whatsoever unless they be made complete 44 by works.
44 Now therefore there is one kind of permission which hideth 44 spiritual excellence in order that it may be revealed, as, for 44 example, that of Job concerning1 which God made known when <4 He said unto him (Job xl, 8ff.), 4 Blame not My judgement, " ' and think not that I have done these things unto thee for any " 'other reason than that it might be known that thou art 44 4 righteous. Thou wast known unto Me because I see secret 44 4 things, but thou wast not revealed unto the children of men, 44 4 because they thought that thou didst care exceedingly for 44 4 riches that thou mightest make perfect My pleasure; it was for 4 4 4 this reason that I brought upon thee the trial of stripping thee 44 4 of thy riches so that I might shew them thy gratitude to- 44 4 wards Me, and thy patient endurance.'
44 And there is another kind of permission [which God 44 giveth] in order to drive out pride (or arrogance), as in the 44 case of Paul, for the blessed Paul was permitted by means 4 'of distractions and a goad, and he fell into divers tribula- 44 tions, and he said, 4There hath been given to me a goad in 44 4 my flesh, a messenger of Satan, (2 Corinthians xii, 7) to buffet 44 4 me so that I may not be [unduly] exalted,' lest through the 44 superfluity of the revelations, and signs, and gratifications 44 [of the spirit], and prosperity and honours which were 44 found with him, he might become lax and fall into arro- <4gance. And the paralytic was permitted because of sin, even ''according to what our Redeemer said unto him, 4 Behold, *' 4 thou art whole; sin no more' (St. John v, 14). And Judas 44 was permitted because he held money (St. Matthew xxvii, 44 5) in greater esteem than life, and because of this he hanged "himself. And Esau (Genesis xxv, 32) was permitted, and he "fell into filthy desire because he honoured the dung of the "bowels more than the divine birthright. Therefore, because
179 I 2t(
Ube parafcfse of tbe 1foot£ ffatbers
4< the blessed Paul understood all these thing's, did he say con- " cerning- men, 'Because they have not decided within them- *' ' selves that they will know God, He hath delivered them " * over unto an empty understanding- so that they may work 44 * that which is unseemly' (Romans i, 21-28). And concerning1 '" other men who think that the knowledge of God is in them, " together with the corrupt mind which they possess, he said, " ' Because they have known God, and have not praised Him "'as God, and given thanks unto Him, He hath delivered " ' them over unto the passions of disgrace.'"
And concerning1 '" other men who think that the knowledge of God is in them, " together with the corrupt mind which they possess, he said, " ' Because they have known God, and have not praised Him "'as God, and given thanks unto Him, He hath delivered " ' them over unto the passions of disgrace. '"
Therefore from these things it is meet that we should know that it is impossible for a man to stumble and fall into filthy desire without the permission of the Providence of God.
Cbapter Uij. ®f tbe Blessefc man Solomon
NOW I went about in Antinoe of the Thebai'd for a per iod of four years, and I learned concerning the whole of the system of the religious houses which were there ; for there dwelt by the side of the city about twelve hundred men, who worked with their hands, and who lived the life of spiritual excellence. Among these there was a number of solitary monks who shut themselves up in caves, and among them was one who was called Solomon ; he was a chaste and humble man, andunto him was given the gift of patient endurance. He used to say that he had passed fifty years in the cave, during which time he had fed himself by means of his labour, and he could repeat the Scriptures by heart.
Cbapter liv. ©f Dorotbeos tbe priest
AND there was Dorotheos, a priest, who used to live in a cave, and he possessed more goodness than many men, and led a spiritual life of high excellence; now he had been held to be worthy of consecration to the priesthood, and he performed the offices thereof for the brethren who dwelt in the caves. Unto this blessed man Melania the Less, the kinswoman of Melania the Great, concerning whom we are about to speak later, sent five hundred darics and begged him to spend them on behalf of the brethren [who were there] ; buthe only took three of them, and then sent the remainder to the wandering monk Diocles, a man of knowledge and under standing, saying, "O our brother Diocles, thou art wiser than 4 ' I am; I am not equal [to spending these]" ; and having taken them Diocles was able to spend them wisely on those whom he knew of a certainty to be in want.
1 80
Biocles anb Ikapiton Cbapter Ivx Ot Dtocles
1 80
Biocles anb Ikapiton Cbapter Ivx Ot Dtocles
THIS man Diocles was originally [one] of those who were greatly skilled in grammar, but afterwards he became learned in philosophy. And having- arrived at the period of the twenty-eighth year of his life, he was called by the Grace of God, and he departed and removed himself from the house of instruction, and delivered himself over to the pro mise of Christ ; and having dwelt in caves for the space of thirty- five years, he said unto us, "The mind which removeth itself 44 from the meditation of God falleth into lust." Now he used to say that lust was that of a savage, animal, and bestial character, for he said unto us, "The mind which falleth away from the meditation of God becometh either a devil or a beast" ; and we asked him to explain this saying unto us, and he did so, and said, 44 The mind which maketh itself to be remote from the contem- 44 plation of God must, perforce, be delivered over either to the 44 devil of lust, who leadeth [it] into lasciviousness, or to the evil 44 devil of wrath, wherefrom are produced the animal passions." And he said, 4'The feeling of lasciviousness is a bestial thing, but 44 the feelingof wrath appertaineth to the devil." Andmakingan- swerl said untohim, 4' Howisitpossibleforthehumanmindtobe 44 with God continually and uninterruptedly?" And he said, 44 The mind of that soul which liveth in the thought or < • • < 44 the fear of God, no matter what it may be, is with God."
Cbapter lv>j, ®f tbe JBlesse& fl&an Ikaptton
NOW by the side of this man there used to dwell Kapiton, a man who had been formerly a thief, and he had lived in holes in the rocks for fifty years, [at a place] which was about four miles from Antinoe ; he never went down from his cave, not even to the river Nile, for he used to say that he was unable to meet in the congregation of the children of men him that still fought with him, namely, his Adversary.
Gbapter Ivij. ©t tbe /Ibonfc wbo fell
AND by the side of these blessed men I saw a man who also had made himself remote from the world, and he dwelt in holes in the rocks even as did they; now this man was mocked at by the devil of vainglory, and by the visions which he saw, and he was deluded (or snared) by things which appeared to approach him and then wandered away. And he was lacking in mind, even as it is written, 4< Being exalted in 44 his dreams he pastureth spirits and pursueth after a shadow"; now he was chaste in his body, perhaps owing to the length [of his years], or perhaps through vainglory, yet through the
181
ITbe paradise of tbe t>ol8 fatbers
And he was lacking in mind, even as it is written, 4< Being exalted in 44 his dreams he pastureth spirits and pursueth after a shadow"; now he was chaste in his body, perhaps owing to the length [of his years], or perhaps through vainglory, yet through the
181
ITbe paradise of tbe t>ol8 fatbers
matters of spiritual excellence he destroyed his understanding, and he was corrupted by empty and polluted glory, and be cause of this he departed from the straight road of the ascetic life.
Cbapter Ivnij. ©f tbe Blessed /iDan Epbrafm, tbe Beacon of tbe Gburcb of JEdessa
A CERTAIN man among the holy Fathers saw in a dream the company of the holy angels who came down from heaven by the commandment of God, and one of them held in his hand a roll which was written on the inside and on the outside; and the angels said unto each other, 44 Who is fit to be entrusted with this thing?" Then some of them mentioned one man and others another, and others answered and said, "Verily these [whom ye mention] are holy "and righteous, but they are not sufficiently [so] to be en trusted with this thing." And having reckoned up many names of Saints, they finally said, "No man is fit to be en- " trusted with this thing except Ephraim"; and then they gave the roll to him. And when he had stood up in the morning, he heard that they were saying, "Behold, Ephraim teacheth, and 4* [his words] flow from his mouth like [water from] a fountain "; then the old man who had seen the vision knew within him self that the things which were proceeding from his lips were of the Holy Spirit.
Now therefore this Ephraim, who was [one] of those who had been held to be worthy of mention by the saints, travelled along the spiritual road nobly and straightly, turning neither to one side nor the other of the straight path; and he was held to be worthy of the gift of the knowledge which he possessed naturally, and subsequently he received the knowledge which enabled him to utter divine things, and perfect blessedness. Thus he lived throughout the period of a certain number of years a life of chastity, and stern asceticism, and contempla tion, and he edified all those who thronged to visit him, each according to his peculiar needs; and finally he compelled him self to go forth from his cell for the following reason, namely, n mighty famine lay over the city of Edessa. For having com passion on the creatures of the human race which was perish ing and being destroyed, he spake unto those who were heap ing up grain in the store houses, for he saw that they were wholly without compassion, saying, "How long will ye refuse "to bring into your memories the lovingkindness of God? " How long will ye allow your wealth, which is corruptible, "to be the means of the accusation and condemnation of your " souls?" Then they took counsel, and said unto him, "There
182
j£pbratm an& Jnnoccnt
" How long will ye allow your wealth, which is corruptible, "to be the means of the accusation and condemnation of your " souls? " Then they took counsel, and said unto him, "There
182
j£pbratm an& Jnnoccnt
4 'is no man whatsoever whom we can trust to relieve the " wants of those who are dying of hunger; for all the people " are crafty and they act in a lying fashion concerning affairs" (of this kind]. Then Ephraim said unto them, "What manner 44 of man do ye imagine that I am?" Now his character was held in the highest esteem by every man [in the city], and every man knew that he acled according to the truth and not falsehood. And the people said unto him, "O man, we know " that thou art God"; and he said unto them, "Put your trust "in me, then, and give me [the means of relieving] this dis- " tress, for behold, for your sakes, I will set myself apart to " become the keeper of a house for receiving strangers." And he took money, and he began to fence off in the streets places which were suitable for his purpose, and he provided with great care three hundred beds, some of which were intended for use in the burial of those who were dying, and others were intended for those who, it was thought, would live; and, in short, he brought in from the villages which were outside the city all those whom famine had stricken, and put them to bed, and every day he performed for them with the greatest pos sible solicitude the constant service of which they were in need, [paying for the same] with the money which came to him, and he rejoiced by means of those who supported him in the matter. And it came to pass that, when that year of famine had been fulfilled, and there arrived after it a year of abundance, and every man departed to his house, inasmuch as he had nothing else to do he went into his cell; and after a period of one month he brought his life to a close, God having given him the opportunity whereby he might be crowned at the end of his life. Now he left behind him many books, and writings of various kinds, which were worthy of being preserved with the greatest care. It is said concerning him that when he was a youth he saw a dream, that is to say a vision, wherein a vine grew up out of his tongue, and it increased in size, and filled the whole of the space which was beneath the heavens, and was laden with grape clusters in rich abundance; and all the feathered fowl of the heavens came and ate of the food thereof, and all the time they were eating the grape-clusters were in creasing both in numbers and in size.
Cbapter Itj, ©f Jnnocent tbe priest
CONCERNING the mattersof the blessed priest Innocent, who [lived] in the Mount of Olives, I think that thou must have heard from many people, but thou mayest also learn from us not a few things, for we lived with him for a period of three years. Now therefore this man was exceed-
-83
ZTbe parafcise of tbe "fools jf atbers
ingly simple, and he was [one] of the nobles of the palace in the kingdom of the Emperor Constantine; he withdrew him self from the partnership of marriage, but he had a son whose name was Paule, who served in the household [of the Emperor]; and this son was caught in a transgression with the daughter of a certain priest, and Innocent was exceedingly wroth with him. Then Innocent made entreaty unto God, saying, "O our " Lord, give thou unto him such a spirit that he will not be " able to find time to sin in the lust of the body, "for he thought that it would be better and more excellent in every way for his son to be delivered over to a devil rather than to fornication. And this actually came to pass to the youth, and he liveth to this day in the Mount of Olives loaded with irons, and ad monished by a devil. Now this man Innocent, the father of Paule, because he was of a most merciful disposition — though if I were to tell [the whole truth] I should say that he appeared to me to be lacking in sense — on very many occasions stole [things] and hid them from the brethren, and gave them unto those who were in want; but he was a simple man and had no wickedness in him; and he was held to be worthy of the gift [01 the possession of power] over devils.
For a certain maiden, in whom was a devil, came unto him, and whilst we were looking at her the devil smote her, and threw her down upon the ground and made her body to writhe and twist about; and when I saw [this] I wished to dismiss that maiden in order that she might go to her mother, because, on account of the cruelty (or violence) of that devil, I thought that she could never be healed. And whilst I was pondering those things the old man Innocent came, and he saw her mother standing, and weeping, and tearing her face with her nails, and plucking out her hair, because of the great madness, and the gnashing of the teeth, and the contortions of her daughter. When, therefore, that blessed old man saw her, his mercy revealed itself because he was grieved on account of her tribulation, and he took the maiden, and went into his marty- rium, which he himself had built, and wherein was preserved a blessed [relic] of Saint John the Baptist, and having prayed there and made supplication unto God from the third unto the ninth hour, he gave the maiden [back] to her mother, and she was healed on that day, and he drove away from her the devil and [his] struggles [with her]. Now the strugglings and con tortions of the maiden were such that when she spat, she spat upon her side [instead of away from her]; to this extent was her body twisted.
And, again, a certain old woman lost a sheep, and she came to him weeping [about it], and he took her, and said unto her,
184
JBlptWus
" Shew me the place where thou didst lose it"; and they came, therefore, to a place which was near the grave of Lazarus, where he stood up and prayed. Now certain boys had stolen the sheep and had already killed it. And Innocent having prayed, and the boys being unwilling to confess that the flesh of the sheep was buried in a vineyard, a raven suddenly ap peared, though wherefrom no man knoweth, which had taken a piece of flesh from the carcass, and stood over the place where it was; and when the old man saw this he perceived that the sheep was buried there. Then those boys fell down and did homage to him, and they confessed that they had taken the sheep, and paid the price thereof to its mistress.
Cbapter l£. <s>f tbe :Blessefc Elpifcius
Then those boys fell down and did homage to him, and they confessed that they had taken the sheep, and paid the price thereof to its mistress. Cbapter l£. <s>f tbe :Blessefc Elpifcius
IN those caves which, in ancient times, certain men had hewn out of the rock in the valley of the river near Jericho, wherein those who had fled from before Joshua, the son of Nun, had gone up and hidden themselves, there dwelt Elpidius; now he was a Cappadocian, who had been converted in the monastery of Timothy the Chorepiskopos, and he was a won derful man and was also held to be worthy of consecration to the priesthood. And he came and dwelt in one of these caves, and he shewed such patient persistence in his self-abnegation, that he surpassed and eclipsed many [thereby]; for he followed for five and twenty years his rule of life, and during that time he only ate food on the Sabbath day, and on the First Day of the week, and he dwelt like the chief and the king of the bees- among the cells of the whole brotherhood. And he used to rise up continually during the night and pray; and I myself also- dwelt with him. And he made that mountain to be so peaceful and to contain so many inhabitants that it resembled a city, and during the night season a man might see the various works, and the labours of all kinds which appertain to the as cetic life, being performed there. One night, when this man Elpidius was reciting the service, now we were with him, a scorpion stung him, and he crushed the insect, without either leaving the place where he was or being in any way moved as a man usually is when he is suffering from the sting of a scor pion. And one day as he was holding in his hand a vine branch, a certain brother took it away from him; and as he was sitting- by the side of the mountain, he dug a hole and pushed the vine branch into it, like a man who is planting [vines] ; and although it was not the time for planting, the vine branch sprouted, and grew very large, and spread its branches abroad until it covered the whole church. Now the name of that brother was ^Enesius, a wonderful man.
ZTbe Iparafcise of tbe 1bol\? jf atbers Gbapter i'lj. ©f tbe Blessefc /IDan Bustatbius
Now the name of that brother was ^Enesius, a wonderful man. ZTbe Iparafcise of tbe 1bol\? jf atbers Gbapter i'lj. ©f tbe Blessefc /IDan Bustatbius
EUSTATHIUS was a brother of Elpidius whom [we have mentioned] above, and this man followed so strenuously after the acquisition of impassibility, and made his body .so dry (i.e., emaciated) by the labours of vigilant prayer, that the [light of] the sun could be seen between his ribs. And of him the following- story is told by the brethren who were continually with him, that is to say by his disciples : He never turned him self towards the west, because close by the side of the door of his cave was a mountain which, because of its mighty bulk, was very hard [to ascend]; and he never looked at the sun after the sixth hour of the day, because the door of his cell was hidden by the shadow of the mountain so long as the sun was declining to wards its place of setting. And moreover he could never see those stars which appear in the western part of the sky, and for five and twenty years from the time when he entered the cave where in he dwelt he never went down from the mountain.
Cbaptei* l£ij. ©f tbe Blessefc /Iftan Sisinnius
NOW this holy man Elpidius had a certain disciple whose name was Sisinnius, who was a slave by birth, though a free man in the faith; by race he was a Cappadocian, and it is necessary that we should make known the fact that he was so, for the sake of the glorifying of Christ Who hath made us wor thy to be accounted His kinsmen, and to be exalted to that true family, whichisfullofhappiness, of the kingdom of heaven. Now therefore when this man Sisinnius had passed some time with Elpidius, and had struggled to lead the ascetic life strenuously foraperiod of seven years, he at length shut himself in a grave for three years, and he endured such privations therein that neither by day nor by night did he sit or lie down, and he never went out herefrom. And this man was held to be worthy of possessing the gift of authority over devils, and now that he hath come into his own country he hath been held to be worthy of the gift of the priesthood ; and he hath made congregations of men and of wo men, which, according to a sure testimony, lead lives of purity and chastity. He hath trampled upon the lust which is in men, and he hath bridled the voluptuousness of the women, so that there hath been fulfilled that which is written, "In Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female" (Galatians iii, 28). And he was also a great lover of strangers and of voluntary poverty, which was a reproach unto those who were rich and miserly.
1 86
(Bafcfcai, JBlijab, Sabas
Cbaptcr ijiij. ©f tbc :f6lcsscfc <3afct>ai ((Bafc&anus), tbc Palestinian
And he was also a great lover of strangers and of voluntary poverty, which was a reproach unto those who were rich and miserly. 1 86
(Bafcfcai, JBlijab, Sabas
Cbaptcr ijiij. ©f tbc :f6lcsscfc <3afct>ai ((Bafc&anus), tbc Palestinian
AND I saw a certain old man whose name wasGaddai, who lived without a shelter all his days in the places which were by the side of the Jordan. On one occasion the Jews rose up against him in fierce hatred (or zeal) by the side of the Dead Sea, and they drew the sword against him, and one of them took up a weapon to smite him, when the following great and wonderful thing was wrought upon the man who dared to lift up a sword against the blessed man : the hand of the man who had drawn the sword withered imme diately, and the sword itself fell upon the ground.
Cbapter l$ft>. ©f tbe Blcsscb /Ban JElijab
AND there was in this place a solitary monk called Elijah who used to dwell in a cave, and he passed his life in performing the works of spiritual excellence, and was worthy of praise. One day, when a great many of the brethren thronged to him — now his [dwelling-place] was a cave — he lacked bread, and he made apologies [to us] because he was troubled on account of the insufficiency of the bread. Now therefore, when the brethren went into his cell they found three loaves of bread, and when twenty men had eaten and were satisfied, there still remained one loaf which, one said, satisfied him for five and twenty days.
Cbapter l£\>. ©f Sabas, tbc Xapman of Jericbo
AND there was a certain layman from Jericho whose name was Sabas, and he had a wife, and this man loved the monks so much that during the night season he used to go round about in the desert, and pass by the cells of the solitary monks therein, and outside the cell and habitation of each one of them he would set down a bushel of dates and vegetables, which would be sufficient for his wants, for the monks who lived by the side of the Jordan did not eat bread, and thus this man Sabas supplied the wants of the monks. One day as he was carrying along a load [of food] for the usual needs of the monks, through the operation of the Evil One, who is the Adversary of the monks, a lion met him, which terrified him, and wished to make him to cease from his mini strations to those holy men, and schemed to prevent him from performing his benevolent intent for their comfort. And the lion having overtaken him about a mile from the place where the monks were, and having seized him by his hand in order to turn him aside from his business, He Who by the hand of
187
ZTbe parafcise ot tbe 1bol$ jf atbers
And the lion having overtaken him about a mile from the place where the monks were, and having seized him by his hand in order to turn him aside from his business, He Who by the hand of
187
ZTbe parafcise ot tbe 1bol$ jf atbers
Daniel shut the mouthfs] of the lions, shut the mouth of this lion also (Daniel vi, 22; Hebrews xi, 33), and the beast did this lover of alms no harm whatsoever; and although the lion was exceedingly hungry he only took a very little of the things which Sabas was carrying for the old men, and then he de parted. And it is manifest that He Who gave this man his life also satisfied the hunger of the lion.
Cbapter l£Y>j* ©f tbe Blessed /Ifcan Serapton of tbe
AND again there was a certain blessed man whose name was Serapion, who was called "Serapion of the " girdle," because during his whole life he neither put on nor was clothed with anything except the girdle wherewith he was girt about ; and he led a life of the strictest self-denial and poverty. And though he was a wholly unlearned man he could repeat all the Scriptures by heart. And by reason of the great ness of his self-denial and the repetition of the Scriptures he was unable to live in a cell, because he could not make use of anything which belonged to [this] world ; but he went round about at all seasons and taught the multitudes, and he sold himself voluntarily, and he preached, and taught, and turned many people unto God. And this form of self-denial was of his own choosing, and [it was by such means as this that he made] his preparation [for heaven] ; now there are very many ways of leading a stern life of self-denial. And many of the venerable fathers relate concerning him that on one occasion he took a fellow monk, who sold him to some comic a6lors for twenty dinars in a city of the heathen, and having received these dinars he tied them up [in a bag] and sealed them, and kept them carefully; and then he became subject to and ministered in all humility to those a<5tors who had bought him until he had taught them and made them Christians, and had freed them from following the business of the theatre. And he never ate anything except dry bread and water, and his mouth never once ceased from uttering [the words of] the Scriptures.
Now the man [who was the master of the actors] was the first to become converted and enlightened by the word of God, and the next was his wife, and finally their whole house was converted. During the first years after the actors had bought him, and when they did not know who he was, he used to wash their feet with his hands, and having taught them and baptized them he made them to be remote from their occu pation in the theatre, and they led a God-fearing life in all righteousness ; and they held him in reverence, and honoured him, and marvelled at his radiant life. Finally they said unto
188
Serapton
him, "Come, O our brother, we will set thee free from this " servitude, even as thou hast set us free from the slavery of 4 'heathenism. "Then he answered and said unto them, "Since 4 'God hath helped [me], and your souls have been set free and 4 'they have life, I will tell you my story (or thing) and my con- 4 'tending. I undertook this kind of work in order that your ""souls might have life. By race I am an Egyptian, and a free 4 'man [but] I am a monk [vowed] to self-denial and poverty, ""and for the sake of our Lord I sold myself to you in order 4 'that your souls might be set free from the impurity of this 4 'world; since now our Lord hath worked through my meek- 4'ness, and your souls live, take your gold, and I will go to 4 'another place, so that I may be able to benefit others also." And they begged and entreated him, saying, "Remain with "us, and thou shalt be unto us a father and a master, and a 4 ' director "; but he would not hearken unto their entreaty. And again they answered and said unto him, "Give the gold to the 4 'poor, and let it be a pledge of life for us ; and we entreat thee 4 'to see us if it be only once a year."
And again they answered and said unto him, "Give the gold to the 4 'poor, and let it be a pledge of life for us ; and we entreat thee 4 'to see us if it be only once a year. "
Then, this man having gone round about came to Hellas, and stayed in Athens three days, and no man gave him a morsel of bread; now he carried nothing with him, neither purse, nor wallet, nor head-cloak, nor anything whatsoever. And when the fourth day had come, he waxed exceedingly hungry, and he went and stood up upon a certain high place where all the free men of the city were gathered together, and he began to clap his hands, and to cry out with a loud voice, saying, "O men of Athens, send [help]." And at [the sound of] his voice they all marvelled, and the free men and the sol diers ran to him, and said unto him, "What aileth thee? "Whence comest thou? What hath happened unto these?" Then he answered and said unto them, "By race I am an 4 ' Egyptian, and being a long way from my true country I have 4 'fallen into the hands of three creditors; now two of these "have departed from me, having taken that which was theirs, 4 'and now they have no debt against me about which to chide 4 'me, but the third will not leave me."
And the philosophers made enquiries of him who these cre ditors were, and they said unto him, "Shew us who thy "creditors are, and who it is that is afflicting thee, and we will "entreat them [to desist]; shew us who they are, so that we 4 'may help thee." And he answered and said unto them, "From my youth up the love of money, and fornication, and 4 'the appetite of the belly have oppressed me; from the first 4 'two of these, that is, the love of money and fornication, I "have been freed, and they no longer oppress me, but I am
189
ZTbe paradise of tbe Ibol^ jfatbers
'wholly unable to set myself free from the appetite of the
'belly. Behold, it is now the fourth day since I have eaten
'anything- and the belly constraineth me, for it demandeth
'that which is its usual debt, and unless this debt [be paid] J
'shall not be able to live." Then certain of the philosophers
thought that he had schemed this crafty device in order that
he might gain some benefit, and one of them took a din&r and
gave it unto him, and having taken it he spent [part of] it in
buying bread in their presence ; and he took one [loaf of] bread,
and straightway departed from the city, and did not come back
to it again. Thus the philosophers knew that he was indeed a
wonderful man, and they paid the price of the loaf of bread
which he had taken, and received back the dinar.