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.
And having departed to another city he heard there concerning- a certain other man, who was the chief of the whole city, and who was a Manichaean, with all his house, and who had several associates [in the city]. Then the monk, according to his former plan, sold himself to this Manichaean, and in two years he was able to turn this man and his wife [from their error], and to bring" them into the Catholic Church ; and after they had learned who he was, they never again regarded him as a slave, but they hon oured him as a father, and as a master, and they ascribed praise unto God.
And on another occasion he determined to go to Rome, and he embarked in a ship which was going thither that he might go with them (i.e., with the sailors). Now when the sailors of the ship saw that he boldly embarked in the ship carrying nothing- with him, neither bread, nor anything [else], nor provisions for the journey, they thought that one of their number must have taken his baggage and placed it in the ship, and because of this thought they received him unquestioningly. And having em barked, when the sailors had sailed from Alexandria [a distance of] about five hundred stadia, each one of those who were sit ting in the ship began at the time of sunset to eat, andthesailors also ate in their presence ; and they observed that the monk did not eat on the first day, and thought that [he did not do so] be cause of sea-sickness, and thus also was it on the second day, and on the third day, and on the fourth day. Now on the fifth day, whilst all those who were on the ship were eating their meal he sat in his place and was silent, and as they were looking at him they said, "Why dost thou not eat?" and he replied, "I have nothing [to eat]." Then they began to make enquiries and to cry out among themselves, "Who among you has taken "his things, or his provisions for the way?" And when they saw that no man had taken anything from him [they began to] dis pute with him, and to say unto him, "Oman, how is it that thou
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" and he replied, "I have nothing [to eat]. " Then they began to make enquiries and to cry out among themselves, "Who among you has taken "his things, or his provisions for the way? " And when they saw that no man had taken anything from him [they began to] dis pute with him, and to say unto him, "Oman, how is it that thou
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" hast embarked on the ship without provisions and mone\ ? " Where wilt thou obtain the money to give us for thy pass- 14 age?" And he said unto them, " I have thought nothing what- 44 soever about it, |tbr] an Egyptian has no anxious care about 44 anything; but carry me back whence ye took me and cast me " out [if you wish]." Now even if he had given them one hundred dinars they would not have been able to take him back [to Alex andria], and he therefore remained in the ship, and they fed him until he arrived in Rome. And having come to Rome he made en quiries and learned what monk or nun was there, and he found Rumnin (or Domnin), the disciple of Evagrius, whose bed, after his death, cured every kind of sickness. And having seen him, and spoken with him he was greatly edified by him, for he was a man who was greatly skilled in the labours of the ascetic life, and in speech, and in knowledge, and he learned from him what monk, and nuns were in Rome, in order that he might see them.
[Here some editor of Palladius remarks, "In another manu script the following is written":]
And having seen him, and spoken with him he was greatly edified by him, for he was a man who was greatly skilled in the labours of the ascetic life, and in speech, and in knowledge, and he learned from him what monk, and nuns were in Rome, in order that he might see them. [Here some editor of Palladius remarks, "In another manu script the following is written":]
And the venerable fathers relate concerning him that he once heard that there was in the city of Rome a certain nun who led a life of the strictest seclusion, who had never seen a man, and who used to think concerning herself that she was perfect. Then this blessed man threw himself into a ship and came to Rome, and having learned where she lived he went and spake with the old woman who ministered unto her, and said unto her, "Get thee in and say unto the virgin, I desire to see " thee most eagerly, because God hath sent me unto thee"; and he waited two days and then saw her. And when he saw her he said unto her, " Sit thee down," and she said unto him, '4 1 " will not sit down, but will depart." And he said unto her, " Whither goest thou?" and she said unto him, " To God." And he said unto her, "Art thou living or dead?" And slu: said unto him, " I believe, by God, that I am dead, for who " that liveth in the body is not able to depart [therefrom]?" And he said unto her, " If thou art dead, as thou sayest, do "thou that which I do"; and she said unto him, "Tell me " what can happen, and I will do it." And again he said unto her, "To one who is dead unto the world it is easy to do " everything except commit sin," and he further said unto her, " Come down, and get thee out of thine house "; then she said unto him, " I have not gone out of it for five and twenty years, why should I go out of it now?" And he said unto her, " If thou art indeed dead unto the world, and the world is dead " unto thee, it is the same thing unto thee whether thou goest "forth or dost not go forth; come, get thee out. "And she went out.
TOe iparafcise of tbe 1bol$ ffatbers
" And he said unto her, " If thou art indeed dead unto the world, and the world is dead " unto thee, it is the same thing unto thee whether thou goest "forth or dost not go forth; come, get thee out. "And she went out. TOe iparafcise of tbe 1bol$ ffatbers
And after she had gone forth, she followed him to a certain -church, and he said unto her in the church, " If thou wishest " me to believe that thou art dead to the world and art not 4 'alive, in order that thou mayest be pleasing unto the 41 children of men, do what I do, and then I will believe thee, 4' and I shall know that thou art a dead woman, even as thou 4'sayest." And she said unto him, " Tell me what it is meet 4t for me to do, and I will do it." Then he said unto her, "Cast 44 off thy garments and put [them] on thy head, and walk 4 'through the midst of the city, and I will do likewise, and 44 will go in front of thee in this guise." And the nun said unto him, 4< I should offend many folk by such a remarkable act as 4 ' this, and then they would say, 'This woman hath gone 4 * 4 mad, and hath a devil. ' " And he said unto her, * ' What need 4t hast thou to consider [their words] even if they should say, 44 ' She hath gone mad, and hath a devil?' For, according to 4 'what thou thyself sayest, thou art a dead woman unto " them." And the nun said unto him, " If there be any other 4' thing [except this] tell me, for I cannot come to such a mea- " sure of disgrace as this." Then he said unto her, " Do not 4' imagine in thy mind that thou art more perfect than anyone 41 else, or that thou art dead to the world; for I am far more " dead to the world than thou art, and I can show thee that 4< I am indeed so, and that I can boldly do this thing without " [feeling] shame or disgrace." Then having broken her spirit and humbled her pride, he departed from her. And there were many things of the same kind which this same Serapion did in the world, for he despised both worldly shame and the glory which passeth away; he died at the age of sixty years, and was buried at a good old age, being adorned with all virtues.
Cbapter l£x>ij. ZTfoe TCriumpb of tbe iBlessefc /Ifcan logins, wbo ministered unto tbe Brian, wbose was fcestropefc for tbe safee of Gbrist
And there were many things of the same kind which this same Serapion did in the world, for he despised both worldly shame and the glory which passeth away; he died at the age of sixty years, and was buried at a good old age, being adorned with all virtues. Cbapter l£x>ij. ZTfoe TCriumpb of tbe iBlessefc /Ifcan logins, wbo ministered unto tbe Brian, wbose was fcestropefc for tbe safee of Gbrist
THE following story] was related unto me by Cronius, the priest of Nitria, [who said] : — When I was a young man I abhorred the monastery, and I fled from it, and from the head of the monastery who was my instructor, and having lost my way and gone round about, I came unto the Monastery of Mar Anthony; now he used to dwell between the mountains of Babylon and Herakleia, in a parched desert which led to the Red Sea, about thirty miles from the river [Nile], and I was there in that monastery wherein dwelt those disciples of his who buried him when he died, now their names were Macarius and Amatus, in a place which was called Espir.
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And I remained there for five days, so that I might be able to see the blessed Anthony, for they used to say that he was in the habit of coming to this monastery from the Inner Desert once every five, or ten, or twenty days, according as God directed and brought him, to give help unto the souls who thronged into his monastery, and who awaited him there, in order that they might be relieved by him. And the brethren also were assembled there and waited for him also, each one of them having his own individual matter [to lay before him].
Now among them was a certain man from Alexandria, whose name was Eulogius, and with him was another man, an Arian, whose body was destroyed (i.e., he was a leper), and they had come because of this matter. And this man Eulogius was a scholastic, and he was the most educated of all the learned men [of this time], but the love of the living God had suddenly come into his mind, and he made himself to be remote from the world, and he distributed all the money which he had among the poor, and he left himself only a small sum which was just sufficient for his bodily needs, for he was unable to work or to enter into a monastery with many monks in it, and besides this lassitude was contending with him, and he sought a little companionship.
Now [he went forth] seeking to buy something which he wanted in the city, and he found in the market a certain man who was an Arian, and whose whole body was destroyed; he had neither hands nor feet, but his tongue was sharp, and he employed it unsparingly upon every man whom he met. And when Eulogius had seen him, and looked at him, he lifted up his eyes and his mind towards God, and he prayed and made this covenant between himself and God, saying, "O our Lord "Jesus Christ, in Thy Name, O my Lord, I will take this man, " who is sick in his body, and I will relieve [his wants] all the " days of my life, so that through him my soul may live before " Thee; but I beseech Thee to give me power to endure in my ** ministrations to him." And having prayed, he drew nigh unto the man, and said unto him, "I beseech thee, O man, to let " me take thee unto my house and to relieve thy wants." And the sick man said unto him, " Why not?" Then Eulogius said unto him, "I will therefore bring an ass, and carry thee off,"
and he promised him [saying], "I "; and he went and
brought an ass and carried him to the place where he lived, and he took care of him with the greatest diligence. And for a period of fifteen years Eulogius relieved his wants with the greatest and most careful attention, and he even washed him with his own hands, and he did everything he could to alleviate the affliction of his sickness.
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tTbe iparabise of tbe 1bol£ ffatbers
And for a period of fifteen years Eulogius relieved his wants with the greatest and most careful attention, and he even washed him with his own hands, and he did everything he could to alleviate the affliction of his sickness. 193 X3
tTbe iparabise of tbe 1bol£ ffatbers
Now after fifteen years a devil began to stir in that Arian, and he began to revile Eulogius, and to offer resistance to him, and he cursed him and hurled after him insults and abuse, saying, 44O thou runaway [slave], who hast eaten thy lord, "thou hast stolen the riches of other folk and art spending 44 them upon me, and thou thinkest to have life through me ! 4 'Cast me out into the street, for I wish to eat flesh." And Eulogius brought him flesh, and again he cried out, and said, 44 Thou wilt not persuade me [to remain here] by these means; 44 I wish to go forth into the street, and I desire to see the "world. By Jupiter, carry me out and cast me where thou 44 didst find me. If I only had hands I would strangle myself." Now [he spake] thus through the madness of the devil which was with him. Then Eulogius rose up and went to the neigh bouring monks and said unto them, 44What shall I do? for 44 this deformed man hath brought me to despair. I would set 44 him free, only I have given [my] right hand in covenant to 44 God, and I am afraid [to do so]; but on the other hand, if I 44 do not cast him out he \vill bring upon me bad nights and 44 bitter days. What to do with him I know not." And they said unto him, 44 [Anthony] the Great is still alive, go to him; take 44 the man with thee in a ship, and go thou up to him, and 44 carry the man to his monastery, and wait there until he 44 cometh from the desert and then tell him thy business. And 44 whatsoever word he shall say unto thee thou shalt perform, 44 for God shall speak unto thee through him." Then Eulogius was persuaded by them, and he placed the man in a small boat, and he carried him to the monastery wherein were the disciples of Anthony.
And 44 whatsoever word he shall say unto thee thou shalt perform, 44 for God shall speak unto thee through him. " Then Eulogius was persuaded by them, and he placed the man in a small boat, and he carried him to the monastery wherein were the disciples of Anthony.
And it came to pass that on the very day after Eulogius had arrived there that great man came from the inner desert to his disciples in the late evening, and he was clothed in [his] skin cloak. Now whensoever he came to his monastery he was in the habit of calling out to his disciple Macarius, and saying unto him, 44O brother Macarius, have any brethren come this 44 day from anywhere?" And Macarius would say, 44Yea." Then Anthony would say, 44Are they Egyptians or Jerusalem- 44 ites?" Now he had given Macarius this sign: — 44 When thou 44 seest brethren who are simple and innocent say they are 44 Egyptians; but when thou seest brethren who are venerable 4 * and are skilled in speaking, say they are Jerusalemites. " There fore according to his custom Anthony asked Macarius, 44Are 44 they Egyptian brethren or Jerusalemites?" and Macarius said, 44 They are neither Egyptians nor Jerusalemites." Now when Macarius would answer, 4(They are Egyptians," Anthony would say unto him, 44 Cook them a mess of lentils that they
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i&ulogius anfc Cbrontus
" may eat, and then dismiss them, and let them go in peace"; and he would say a prayer on their behalf, and would straight way send them away. And when Macarius would answer, 44 They are Jerusalemites," Anthony \vould sit down the whole night, and would converse with them to the benefit of their lives.
And on that night he sat down, and calledunto them all, and he discoursed without any man having told him the name of one of them, and it was dark and the night had come; and suddenly he cried out three times, thus, "Eulogius, Eulogius, Eulogius. "And Eulogius the scholastic answered him never a word, because he thought that Anthony was calling some other person, and again Anthony cried out to him, "Unto thee I speak, O Eulogius, " who hast come from Alexandria." Then Eulogius said unto him, " Master, what commandest thou [me to do? Tell me], I beseech thee." And Anthony said unto him, "Wherefore hast " thou come? "And Eulogius answered and said unto him, "Let " Him that hath revealed unto thee my name declare unto thee " for what purpose I have come." Then Anthony said unto him, " I know why thou hast come, nevertheless declare [it] before " the brethren in order that they may hear." And Eulogius an- " swered and said unto him, "I found this Arian in the street (or " market), and IgavetherighthandtoGod(i.e. ,madeacovenant " with God), that I would minister unto him, [that] I mightlive "because of him, and he because of me. And behold I have " ministered unto him for the last fifteen years, and now, after " all these years he stirreth [himself] up against me, and caus- " eth me tribulation, and I have had it in my mind to cast him "out; therefore I have come unto thy holiness so that thou " mayest advise me what I should do, and that thou mayest " pray on my behalf, for I am greatly oppressed and am in sore " straits." Then Anthony said unto him angrily and in a hard voice, " If thousendest him away, He who created him will not " send him away; if thou dost cast him out, God, Who is better " and more excellentthan thou, willgatherhim[toHimself];"and when Eulogius heard these words he set a bridle on his mouth and was silent.
And having left Eulogius [Anthony]cametochastisetheArian with his tongue, and he cried out and said unto him, "O thou " deformed Arian, thou art worthy neither of heaven norof earth. ' * Wilt thou not cease to contend against God? Kno\vest thou not " that he who ministereth unto thee is Christ? How canst thou " dare to utter these words against our Lord? Was it not for "Christ's sake that Eulogius gave himself to thy service?" Then having made the man sorrowful, he ceased from Eulogius and the Arian, and spake unto all the brethren who were there, unto
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Kno\vest thou not " that he who ministereth unto thee is Christ? How canst thou " dare to utter these words against our Lord? Was it not for "Christ's sake that Eulogius gave himself to thy service? " Then having made the man sorrowful, he ceased from Eulogius and the Arian, and spake unto all the brethren who were there, unto
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ZTbe parafctee of tbe 1bols jf atbers
every man according to his business. And he called unto Eulogius and the Arian and said unto them, ' ' Turn ye not unto any [other] " place, but depart and separate notyourselves from one another, " and return ye to the cell wherein ye have lived so long a time, 4 ' for behold God will send upon you [your] end. And behold, this " trial hath come upon you because the end of both of you is nigh, " and because ye are esteemed worthy of crowns. Therefore do ' ' not ye act in a contrary manner, and let not the angel come after "you and not find you in your place[s], [lest ye be deprived of ' * your crowns] ; " so the two of them departed and came to their cell. And in less than forty days Eulogius died, and in less than three days afterwards the Arian died. Now this Chronius, who related unto us the narrative of this matter, tarried for a time in the monasteries which were in the Thebai'd, and he came down to the monasteries which were in Alexandria; and it happened that the brethren were gathered together commemorating the death of Eulogius after forty days, and thedeath of the Arian after three days. And when Chronius heard he marvelled, and he took down a Book of the Gospels, and set [itjdownamongthebrotherhood, and then related what had happened; and he took an oath and said, " In all this affair I was the interpreter for M&r Anthony be- 41 cause he did not know Greek; but I know both languages, [and " I acted interpreter for both sides, turningGreek into Egyptian " for Eulogius, and Egyptian into Greek for Anthony.]"
1bere enfcetb tbe ffirst Boofe of tbe 1bi8tories of tbe ffatbers wbicb were compiles bs pallabius
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1bere be0fnnetb tbe Seconfc Boofe ot tbe [HMstortes ot] tbe jfatbers [an5] flfconfes wbicb were also compiled b2 pallaMus
Cbapter j. Ube ZTriumpb of tbe ffilessefc /Ifcan /l&arfe tbe /IDourner
MACARIUS the priest told us the following story:— " At the time when I was administering the HolyOffer- " ing I took good heed unto Mark the mourner, and I " never gave it to him, but an angel did so from the altar ; I saw, " however, the palm of the hand of the angel who gave it unto " him." Now this Mark was a young man, and he could repeat by heart the New and the Old Testaments; he was meek beyond measure, and both in body and in thought he was purer than many.
Cbapter ij, ZTbe Ifotstor^ of /Ifcar ipaulus (paule) tbe prince of /l&onfes anb Hncbortte
" Now this Mark was a young man, and he could repeat by heart the New and the Old Testaments; he was meek beyond measure, and both in body and in thought he was purer than many. Cbapter ij, ZTbe Ifotstor^ of /Ifcar ipaulus (paule) tbe prince of /l&onfes anb Hncbortte
CONCERNING Abbd Paulus there were questions'among the monks and anchorites who were living in the land of Egypt, and they asked who were the first monks who lived in the desert. And some of them remembered the saints of olden time, and said, ' ( It hath been proved that the first to dwell in the " desert were Saint Elijah the Prophet, and John the Baptist, ''and it is manifest that Elijah was immeasurably superior in ' ' ascetic excellence to the [other] monks, and , moreover, John was " proclaimed in the womb to be a prophet before he was born." Now there were many who contradicted this opinion and who as serted with firmness that Mar Anthony was thefirstandtheprince of them all, and also of the order [of monks] ; but if we wish to learn the whole truth we shall discover that it was not Ma"r Anthony who was the first [monk] that dwelt in the desert, but the blessed man M£r Paulus. For I myself have seen the disciples of Mar Anthony who buried him, and they it was who related unto us the history of the man Paulus the anchorite, the Theban, who was indeed the first [monk to live] in the desert; therefore we believe that it was not the blessed man [Anthony] who was the first to do this, as some men say, but Paulus, and for this reason I wish to narrate briefly the history of Paulus the anchorite, and how he began and how he ended his [career] in the days of Decius and Valerianus the persecutors, and [how] Cornelius made an end of the strife of his testimony for the sake of the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ in Rome.
Now this blessed man Paulus dwelt with his sister, who was the wife of a certain man; and their parents died and left
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Ube parafcfse of tbe tools if atbers
Now this blessed man Paulus dwelt with his sister, who was the wife of a certain man; and their parents died and left
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them great riches when the blessed man Paulus was sixteen years of age. And he had been educated in the learning of the Greeks and the Egyptians, and he was meek of soul, and he loved God thoroughly. And when the persecution of the Chris tians waxed strong, he remained continually in one place, and he took care of himself at all seasons (or continually). Now the avarice which constraineth the race of the children of men to commit evil deeds did not cease from him, for his sister's hus band, instead of hiding him, endeavoured most strenuously to give him up [to the persecutors], and he neither had pity upon the tears of his wife nor did he fear the judgement of God; and he desisted not from this iniquitous conduct, but continued in his envy and sought always to give him up because he was a Christian. And the wise young man, having comprehended his guile and knowing that he was lying in wait for him, took to flight secretly, and he went to a certain high mountain which he found to be not what he desired, and he changed his place [of abode] on account of the violence (or necessity) of the per secution; but as he was living there, little by little he found out in the mountain a rock, wherein was a large cave, which was shut in with a stone, and having lifted up the stone he found within great repose, and he looked inside with great desire. And he discovered that the cave was clean, and that the dust of the ground also was fair, and he loved the place and dwelt there, and he gave thanks unto God Who had given it unto him for a dwelling-place; and he lived in that moun tain all the days of his life, and his food and his raiment were made of the palm trees which were in the mountain. Now in order that no man may say, ' ' How is this possible?" I take God and His holy angels to witness that we have seen many monks [living] in this fashion, and that they have brought their lives to an end in this way, and have not been afraid of Satan.
Now in order that no man may say, ' ' How is this possible? " I take God and His holy angels to witness that we have seen many monks [living] in this fashion, and that they have brought their lives to an end in this way, and have not been afraid of Satan.
I must not, however, neglect the history of the blessed man Paulus. This holy man lived a heavenly life upon the earth in love to our Lord for one hundred and thirteen years; and Mar Anthony, who was ninety years old at the time, was living in another desert. And Mar Anthony on one occasion told me the following: "I once thought within myself that there was no " man living beyond me in the desert, and on the night where- " in I pondered upon these things in my mind, it wras revealed k< unto me from God [by one] who said unto me, 'Beyond " 'thee [in the desert] there is a man who is more excellent 11 'than thou art, and it is meet that thou shouldst [go and] " 'see him with all diligence, and with great joy.' " And when the morning had come, the blessed old man Mdr Anthony took the palm branch whereon he leaned his weight, and he began
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/Ifcar panic
to walk in the desert as his mind directed, because he did not know the way; and when it was noon, although the heat of the sun was fierce and burning, the blessed old man did not turn aside from the way, but he said, "I believe that God will "not withdraw [His] hands from me, but will shew me His " servant concerning whom He hath sent me a revelation."
And as he was thinking thus about him he suddenly saw a man who possessed two natures, one half of him being that of a man, and the other half being that of a horse; now the poets call this being a "centaur." Then the blessed Anthony called unto him and said, "I, a man of God, say unto thee, 'Where 11 ' dost thou dwell here?' " And the creature returned him an answer in a barbarous language with words of impurity, and his mouth was full of fear; so the old man went on his journey seeking out the way. And as Anthony was marvelling [at this thing] the animal passed in front of him as if [it were going] to a broad field, and [Anthony knew that] it was Satan who had taken the form of the creature in order that he might ter rify the blessed man, and he wondered at the similitude of the form which he had seen in the animal. And having passed on a little way further he saw another animal, which was smaller in stature than the first one, and he was standing on a rock, and he had horns upon his head and on his forehead; and when the blessed Anthony saw him he put on the helmet ot faith and [took the] shield of righteousness, and he asked him, " Who art thou whom I see here?" And the creature answered and said unto him, "I am a mortal man and one of these who " are in the desert, whom the heathen call 'satyrs,' and whom 4 ' because of their error concerning them they worship as a " god"; and the beast having spoken these words the old man Anthony went on his way, and his tears were flowing and they ran down upon the ground, but he rejoiced because of the glory of Christ, and because of the destruction of Satan, and he wondered within himself how he had been able to under stand the words of the animal. Then he smote the ground with his staff and said, "Woe be to Alexandria! Woe be to " the city of the heathen, wherein are gathered together all " the devils of all creation!"
And Anthony went on his journey thinking anxiously [how] he could attain to the end thereof, and he wished to find the servant of God; and whilst he was meditating what he should do and where he should go, he observed on the flat surface of the desert the footprints of an animal which had passed over the spot that very day. Then he meditated within himself, say ing, "It is impossible for our Lord to forsake me"; and he journeyed on his way during the night with his prayers in his
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Then he meditated within himself, say ing, "It is impossible for our Lord to forsake me"; and he journeyed on his way during the night with his prayers in his
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mouth continually. And when the morning had come he saw a huge hyena, running with all its might up to the top of a mountain, and he followed in its footsteps, and having as cended the mountain he came nigh unto a cave, and saw the hyena going into it; and he looked into the cave and saw per fect love, that is to say, Mar Paule, the old man. Then he cast away from him all fear and doubtful thoughts, and looking into the cave he saw that there was much light therein, and he approached the door of the cave, and knocked thereat with a small stone, but as soon as the blessed man Paule heard the sound of the knocking he rolled the stone [down] quickly and closed the entrance of the cave. Then Anthony fell upon his face before the door of the cave and besought him to let him come in, and said, " I am alone"; [and the blessed man Paule answered and said, "Why hast thou come?"] And Anthony said, "I know that I am not worthy to see thee, but since thou " receivest wild beasts why dost thou hold the children of men " in abhorrence? I have sought and have found [thee], and I " knocked with confidence; open thou then the door unto me. " And if this may not be I shall die here, and when thou seest " my dead body do thou bury it. " And when with these words Anthony had taken up his position there the blessed man Paule answered from within and said unto him, ' ' No man who is angry " cometh [in here], and no man entreateth [for admission] and "maketh accusations"; then he spake unto him words of glad ness, and he opened unto him the door, and they met and em braced each other and kissed each other with holy kisses, and each man told his fellow his name.
Then after these things the blessed man Paule made Mar Anthony sit by his side, and he said unto him, " Why didst "thou cast upon thyself all this tribulation, and the great ' ' labour of seeking to see an old man whose body is altogether "withered and emaciated? After a short time thou wilt see "that I have become dust; but love overcometh all things. " Tell me now what is the present condition of the race of the "children of men, and whether they are still building houses " in the ancient cities, and whether there are still kings in the "world, and whether the governors of the world are still in " subjection to the error of devils." And having said these things unto Anthony the two of them looked and they saw a raven sitting on the branch of a tree, and straightway it stood up with great quietness upon the branch, and it had in its beak a whole loaf of bread which it came and laid down between them, whilst both men were looking on; and when the bird had departed they both marvelled. And the blessed Paule said unto Mdr Anthony, " Truly our Lord is merciful
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11 and pitiful in that He sendeth us a meal [in this way]. For " behold, for fully sixty years I have been in the habit of re- " ceiving from this bird half a loaf of bread [daily], but at thy "coming, behold, our Lord hath sent unto us a double por- " tion of food because we are His servants." Then having given thanks unto God, both men sat down at the table, and they disputed with each other who should first break the bread, and whilst they were thus disputing the night came on; thereupon the two men took the bread and spread out their hands, and brake the loaf in the Name of our Lord, and ate it, and having eaten they stood up the whole night in prayer.
Now when the morning had come Paule said unto Anthony, '* Thou must know, O my brother Anthony, that I have been " living in the desert for a long time past, and that it was our " Lord Himself who revealed unto me what manner of man "thou art; but, because the time of my rest hath come, and " because that which I have been seeking, that is to say, that " I should depart and be with our Lord, is about to overtake " me [I could not go to seethee]. And now that my time hath " come to an end, and, as I believe, a crown of righteousness " hath been laid up for me, thou hast been sent by our Lord '* that thou mayest bury my body in the ground." Now whilst the blessed man Paule was saying these things Mar Anthony was weeping with many tears and heaving sighs, and he made supplication unto him, and said, "O my beloved one, leave " thou me not here, but take me with thee whither thou goest." And the blessed Paule answered and said unto him, " It is not 4 'meet that thou shouldst seek thine own [advantage], but " that of thy neighbours, and therefore, O my beloved, I " beseech thee, if it be not a thing which is too hard for thee, " to go quickly to thy monastery, and to bring hither to me ** the cloak which Mar Athanasius the Bishop gave thee." Now he did not speak thus because he had need of any ap parel, but because he wished to depart from his body whilst Mar Anthony was absent.
And when Anthony heard concerning the Bishop and con cerning his cloak, he marvelled within himself, and having looked upon the blessed Paule in our Lord Jesus, and bowed down before him, he prayed and set forth to go on his journey, and he approached and kissed him on his eyes and on his hands, and he made haste and went forth to depart to his monastery. And having made the journey and arrived at this monastery, his two disciples, who had been seeking him for a long time, met him, and they said unto him, "O " father, where hast thou been these days?" And he answered and said unto them, "Woe be unto me! woe be unto me a
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And having made the journey and arrived at this monastery, his two disciples, who had been seeking him for a long time, met him, and they said unto him, "O " father, where hast thou been these days? " And he answered and said unto them, "Woe be unto me! woe be unto me a
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" sinner! For the name of ' Christian' which I bear is only a " borrowed thing. This day have I seen Elijah and John in the "desert, for verily I have seen Paule in Paradise, and he was " holding" converse with them "; and Mar Anthony smote with his hand upon his breast, and he took the cloak and went from his disciples, who besought him to reveal unto them the whole matter. And he said unto them, " There is a time to be " silent, and a time to speak"; so he departed and went forth on his way without taking any provision whatsoever with him. And he made haste to come to the place where the blessed man Paule was, for he desired earnestly to see him [again], and he was afraid lest whilst he was yet afar off Paule might deliver himself up unto our Lord. And he journeyed on his way the first day, but on the second day, at the time of the ninth hour, he saw along the road, in the air, a company of angels, and a multitude of the Prophets and of the Apostles, and Abbd Paule, who was shining with light like the sun, was in their midst, and he went up with them into heaven. And immediately he saw them he fell upon his face on the ground, and he sighed and wept, and cried out, and said, "O fearer " of God, why hast thou left me thus? And why didst thou not " receive my salutation together with all [the toil of] this " journey which I have made as swiftly as a bird?"
And immediately he saw them he fell upon his face on the ground, and he sighed and wept, and cried out, and said, "O fearer " of God, why hast thou left me thus? And why didst thou not " receive my salutation together with all [the toil of] this " journey which I have made as swiftly as a bird? "
And Mar Anthony went on his way and arrived at the cave, and he saw Abba Paule kneeling upon his knees, with his face gazing into heaven and his hands spread out; and seeing him thus Mdr Anthony thought within himself, and said, " Perhaps "he is alive" ; and he prayed fervently, and the blessed Paule also stood up and prayed with him. And when some time had elapsed, and he heard neither the sound[s] nor the sighs which are customary in prayer, he knew that it was only the body of Abb£ Paule which prayed; and he bowed down before God, in Whom everything liveth, and he placed the body in the middle of the cloak, and wrapped it in it, and he took it upon his shoulders ; and though he sang Psalms, according to the cus tom of the monks, the blessed Anthony was greatly grieved because he had not remembered to bring with him a spade or some other instrument wherewith to dig a grave for the body. Then he meditated within himself and said, "What shall " I do? If I go to my monastery and bring a spade I cannot pos- " sibly return here in less than four days"; and he said, " O "Jesus Christ, let me also die with Thy beloved servant Paule."
Now as he wras saying these things, behold, two lions came running along together, and when he saw them his whole body smoked with fear; and when he had lifted up his mind to God and had looked at them again, they appeared to be doves fly-
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Now as he wras saying these things, behold, two lions came running along together, and when he saw them his whole body smoked with fear; and when he had lifted up his mind to God and had looked at them again, they appeared to be doves fly-
202
ing through the air. And the lions drew nigh and stood near the body of the blessed Paule, and they wagged their tails at the blessed Anthony, and they crouched down before him in perfect tameness, and they rubbed their teeth together and purred so loudly that the blessed man knew that they wished to be blessed, and to be helped, and that they desired [to know] concerning the departure of the blessed Paule. And after they had acted thus, the lions began to dig [a grave], and they threw up the earth with their paws, and they made the hole in the ground deep enough, and wide enough, and long enough, according to the measure of the body; and they lowered their ears and their tails, and bowed down their heads before Abba" Anthony, and they licked his hands and his feet, and he knew that they wished to be blessed. Then he gave thanks for the glory of God because that even the wild and savage beasts knew how to [help] the good and chosen men of God, and he spake thus: — "O Lord God, without Whose command not one ' ' leaf falleth to the ground, and against Whose Will not one " bird droppeth into the snare, do Thou bless all of us." And he brought his hand nigh unto the lions, and commanded them to depart; and when the two lions had gone away Anthony took the body and buried it in the customary way. Then, after one day, he took the tunic of Abb& Paule, which was made of palm leaves sewn together, like a true inheritance and a thing which brought privilege, and departed to his monastery. And when he had arrived there he related unto the monks the whole matter in due order; and on the feast of unleavened bread and at Pentecost Saint Anthony used to put on the tunic of the blessed and holy man Paule, and he would pray with it upon him.
And I, Hieronymus the sinner, entreat all those \vho read this book to pray for me. [In the text here comes the following- note by some editor of Palladius:]
Concerning these histories of Paule, and of the company of Mark (?), and of Macarius, there are some who say that they were compiled by Hieronymus because his name occurs at the end of them.
1bere enfcetb tbe Ibiston? of /Ifear panic, tbe bol$ /Ifcan, tbe ff irstborn of all tbe Desert /Iftonfes
Cbapter iij. ZTbe ZTriumpb of a Eonno /ifcan wbo was an Hlejanbttan
THERE was a certain young man in Alexandria, who, immediately the law of nature began to work in him, and to make him to possess the knowledge which dis- tinguisheth good from evil, endeavoured by every means in
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of /Ifear panic, tbe bol$ /Ifcan, tbe ff irstborn of all tbe Desert /Iftonfes
Cbapter iij. ZTbe ZTriumpb of a Eonno /ifcan wbo was an Hlejanbttan
THERE was a certain young man in Alexandria, who, immediately the law of nature began to work in him, and to make him to possess the knowledge which dis- tinguisheth good from evil, endeavoured by every means in
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his power to make himself wholly a stranger unto things which are evil, and to cleave unto those which are good. And having been trained for a long time, and having made himself profi cient in the things which befit monks, even though he still lived and went about in the city, he at a certain time thought within himself, and said, " Since there is no good reason what- 4 'soever which compelleth me forcibly to remain in the city "any longer it is not right that I should do so," and he was at all times reminding himself of the word which was spoken by our Lord to the rich man, " If thou wishest to be perfect, "go and sell all that thou hast and give [it] to the poor, and " take thy cross and come after Me" (St. Matthew xix, 21). And the young man said, "The word of our Lord is true, but 44 it is impossible for a man to acquire that perfection of which " He spake whilst he is living among men."
Matthew xix, 21). And the young man said, "The word of our Lord is true, but 44 it is impossible for a man to acquire that perfection of which " He spake whilst he is living among men. "
When then he had made himself ready to perform in very deed this great thought, he began to journey along the road which leadeth to one of the deserts of Alexandria, where large num bers of monks used to dwell, and he offered up prayer unto God that He would prepare a way for him, and would direct him unto a man who would be able to help him [to attain] his object, and would lead him to the end which he desired. And he decided within himself, and said, "This shall be unto me a "sign that the Lord hath prepared His way before me: — The 41 door whereat I shall knock, and wherefrom shall go forth 4 'one who liveth there, and shall receive me in peace, and 44 shall urge me to go in to him, and shall receive me in the 4< love which monks have for strangers, that shall be the place, 44 and that shall be the man whom the Lord hath prepared for "the fulfilment of my thoughts concerning spiritual excellence. " And he said, "Unto the man who hath been prepared by the " Lord it is meet for me to be in subjection as unto Christ, and 4<I must hearken unto his command willingly and unhesita- 41 tingly as unto that of Christ." Now as he was praying with these words, and with others which were like unto them, and was thinking deeply, he arrived in the desert into which he had set his face to go. And having gone in among the monas teries, he found himself by the dispensation of God before the door of a habitation wherein a certain old man dwelt; and when, according to his expectation, he had drawn nigh, and had knocked at the door which was in front of him, there came forth therefrom straightway the old man who dwelt inside, and opened the door to him; and when he saw the young man who was standing there he saluted him gladly, when as yet he had asked him nothing whatsoever, and entreated him urgently to come inside. And this actually took place.
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Hlejanfcrtan
And this actually took place. 204
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Now after he had gone in and had, according to custom, prayed, and sat down, the young man compared the things which had taken place with those which he had written down in his mind, and he waited for a right issue to all [the rest]. Then, being full of gladness, the old man urged him repeatedly to partake of food, but the young man answered and said unto him, "My lord, I beseech thy holiness to permit me first of all " to speak openly, and to make known to thy fatherly nature " the reason of my coming, and if through the working of God " thou wilt make thyself the perfecter of my desire, and of "my thoughts, whatsoever thy holiness and thy meekness " shall command me [to do] I will perform strenuously." Now when the old man had heard these things, he answered and said unto him, "Thou hast full power to say everything which " thou wishest, joyfully and fearlessly, as unto thy father who, " according to his power, in great love, is ready to fulfil thy "desire by the help of God." Then, after these words, which the old man spake in simplicity (now none of the thoughts of the young man had entered into his mind), the young man made clearly manifest before the old man the matters which he had marked out and decided upon in his mind from the be ginning of his actions in the city even until that very hour.
And when the old man had heard all these things he was greatly moved and disturbed, because he remembered his own former acts and life, and because he was held in contempt by his conscience by reason of the conditions and circumstances under which he was then living, and because that by reason of these he was unable to promise to fulfil the works of which he had [then] no knowledge whatsoever, [and he was afraid] and excused himself from the task. And when he considered his own feebleness, and the greatness of the matter concerned, and the strenuousness and readiness of the young man, and the many other reasons which he called to mind, he was ashamed to reveal to the young man the true reason for his refusal, yet nevertheless, because of it, he said that he was unable to act [for him]; but the young man dismissed his ob jections and made an end of them, and he shewed [him] that they all were insufficient to drive him away from the old man, and to do away the fervent desire and aim which were in his mind. Then the old man felt compelled to make plainly manifest before him the true reason for his refusal and to shew him that it was not a mere matter of a report of words, but one which could be seen by the actual sight of the eyes. And wish ing to fulfil his intention [of shewing] that the true reason was not a mere excuse, or one which was fabricated like those which he had previously given, and that it was indeed a true
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one, and one which would proclaim concerning itself openly, he took the young man by the hand, and led him into a certain chamber wherein dwelt the wife of that old man with her two children, and he said unto him, "God hath sent thee hither "for my shame, and for the condemnation of mine old age. " Behold, this is my wife whom Satan and not God hath given " unto me, and behold, these are the children of shame whom " I have had by her, and they are the fruits of a contemptible " and damnable union."
" Behold, this is my wife whom Satan and not God hath given " unto me, and behold, these are the children of shame whom " I have had by her, and they are the fruits of a contemptible " and damnable union. "
Now when the young mansawandheardthesethings, because the foundation of his building was laid upon the rock of truth, he was neither moved nor disturbed, and he was not offended with the old man, and he did not hold him in any contempt whatsoever. And after these things the young man answered and said unto the old man, "My lord, I entreat thy holiness to confirm that " which I am about to say unto thee. Let me have with thee, even " as with a real father, a wholly perfect understanding, such as " it is right for children to have with their fathers and with their "brethren, which shall be free, by the help of God, from all " stumbling-blocks; and let me have the same understanding " with this woman, as with a real mother, and with thy children " as with beloved brethren." Thus the old man was overcome by means of all these words by a gracious defeat, and though he wished by the urging of his own mind to give the young man permission to live with him as a disciple, and to fulfil his desire according to the bent of his mind, he was driven thereto far more by the power of the excellence of the young man himself. And when these things had taken place they gave thanks to God, and then they occupied themselves, each one with the service and work which were requisite for their habitation, day by day with the help of God, and the young man excelled in works towards the old man, according to his promise, in humility, and in great obedience, and the spiritual excellence of his mind was greatly revealed.
One day theoldmansaiduntotheyoungman,"Myson,know- " est thou that thou and I are building this house with weariness
* and abundant toil, and that we have not sufficient reeds [to ' make] the roof, and that the winter hath drawn nigh? Now, ( in order that our labour may not be in vain, behold, I see that
* there are reeds in the habitation of the monk who is ourneigh-
* bour, and since he is not there that we may borrow from him, " and supply our need, do thou go down and take up from there " a bundle, and bring [it hither], so that we may finish the roof, " and may rejoice through his forethought." And when the bro ther heard this, he made ready quickly to fulfil the command of the old man, and having gone down and brought that which was
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" And when the bro ther heard this, he made ready quickly to fulfil the command of the old man, and having gone down and brought that which was
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necessary for them, they completed their work. Then the old man said unto that brother, "Tell me truly, O brother, what didst " thou think in thy mind about that which I said unto thee, that "is to say, that thou shouldst go down, and shouldst bring " reeds as it were by theft, and without the knowledge and dur- ** ing the absence of their owner? " And that brother said [unto him], "As I have already told thee, everything that thou shalt " say unto me I shall receive as if it came from the mouth of " Christ, and shall perform it in faith unhesitatingly. I said within " myself, 'Christ said unto me, Thou shalt not steal, but now it " 'is He Who hath just said unto me, Steal; I have nothing to 1 ' ' do with the matter, and it is Christ unto Whom I must render " 'obedience.'" And when the old man had heard these words he marvelled at the wisdom and at the integrity of hisobedience ; andwishingtomakehim to rejoice in his hope, he said unto him, " My son, thou must know that I had made up my mind that we " must tell the owner of the reeds [what I had done], and must " give him whatever price he might require, [when] I sent thee " down to bring up that which belonged to him, and I did not " do so with the abominable intention of stealing [from him]. "
And after a certain time, during which the two men had lived together a correct life which was full of peace and profit, the old man thought within himself, saying, "It isagreat iniquity on my " part, and itmeritethaseverepenalty, thatlwhohavegrownold " in sins, and who am still in the mire of fornication, shoulddwell " with this brother who is perfect in spiritual excellence ; for it is ' ' not seemly that darkness should live with light. But I will leave " this abode in his hands, and I will take away this stumbling- " block which Satan hath set in my way, and these fruits of " shame which have come to me from her, and I will go to the " world and unto those whom I resemble, whose works are like " unto mine own."
But I will leave " this abode in his hands, and I will take away this stumbling- " block which Satan hath set in my way, and these fruits of " shame which have come to me from her, and I will go to the " world and unto those whom I resemble, whose works are like " unto mine own. "
And when he had meditated with these and suchlike thoughts, and had made them known unto the woman whodweltwithhim, he sent to the village which was nigh unto them, and brought from thence an animal to take away that which he needed from the monastery, so that he might lead away his wife and his children, and he might go and live in one of the villages round about them. And when the animal had come, and the old man had loaded him with whatsoever they needed, and he, and his wife, and his chil dren began to go forth, he said unto that brother, "My son, we "are not able to dwell in a monastery because our sins are " many, and because we are not worthy so to do ; for it is great " wickedness for us to dwell under the cloak of falsehood among " monks, whilst our deeds are more evil than those of the folk " who are in the world. But do thou remain in this dwelling, O
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But do thou remain in this dwelling, O
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" my son, and the God Whom thou hast loved, and Whom thou " hast made plans to please in everything, shall be unto thee a " father, and a fellow monk ; and do thou pray on my behalf that " the Lord may visit me." And when that brother had heard these words, he answered and said unto the old man with love and great humility, " O my father, I have made a covenant with * ' the Lord that I will not be separated from thee except by " death, and inasmuch as my dwelling with thee hath been unto " me source of great benefit, there is nothing which can remove " me and take me away from thee ; but wheresoever thou goest " I willgojandwheresoeverthou dwellest I will dwell with thee." Then after all these things the old man came to himself, and he sighed greatly, saying, " Verily, this is a matter which can only " have come from God, the Merciful, Who desireth not the death " of a sinner, but that he may turn to Him and live, and He it is " Who hath remembered my former works, and hath not left me * * to perish utterly, but hath sent this young man unto me that " He might again turn me unto Him." Then the old man found himself able by means of words, which were full of strong en treaty, to persuade the woman to take her daughter with her, and to go and dwell in one of the abodes of women which existed in the villages round about them. And this actually came to pass. And after the old man had remained there with his son, and with that excellent disciple, he began to remember his former life, and to renew the habits thereof, and he excelled greatly in the cultivation of all kinds of spiritual excellences, and hegave thanks unto God unceasingly, that by means of the young man He had held him worthy of the end of peace. And he was always saying, " Truly obedience for the sake of God not only greatly helpeth " those who possess it, but it greatly gratifieth God also, and it " is found by others to be the cause of life, and it tormenteth " Satan sorely; on the other hand, disobedience worketh that " which is contrary to all these things." Soaftera longtimethat old man died in peace, being worthy of the great measure [of reward] of his fathers, and he departed from the world, and left behind him as upright heirs of his spiritual excellences and of his monastery his spiritual son, and the son who was his ac cording to the body and the spirit ; may our Lord through their prayers make us worthy of their spiritual excellence and their inheritance! Amen and Amen.
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Amen and Amen. 208
H Sage of Scete
Gfoapter ix>. TOe Zlrtumpb ot a certain <S>lfc flDan wbo was in Scete
THERE was a certain old man who used to live in the desert which is called Scete, and he had a disciple who lived with him ; now this [latter] brother was adorned with the spiritual excellences of every kind which befit those who are in subjection to old men, and he was exceedingly con spicuous for his obedience, which was the greatest of all his virtues. And he was sent to the village continually by the old man to sell their work, and to bring back whatsoever was needed for their habitation' and that brother, without any compulsion whatsoever, performed every command which the old man gave him with zeal and diligence. Now when the enemy of righteousness, the Foe of the human race, and espe cially of the orders of the monks, that is to say, Satan, the opponent of all virtues and the hater of the upright life of the children of men, saw that this brother was overcoming and bringing to naught all his crafty designs by the might of his simple obedience, which was full of discretion, he made a plan to lay two snares for him in the path of his spiritual excellence, even as it is said concerning him in the Psalm, as it were by the mouth of those who cultivate spiritual excellence, and who walk in the way of righteousness, "In the way of my "steps have they hidden snares for me" (Psalm cxlii, 3). Now the two snares were these : — The first consisted in making that brother to pursue fornication, and the second was in making him to fall into disobedience ; and the Enemy, in his cunning, expected that the brother would not only be caught by one of these, and so become involved in both, but also that deliver ance from the one would be found to be the occasion for his falling into the other, for he saw that he was being sent con tinually to Egypt by his master [on the business] of the work of their hands and of the matter of their need.
And one day, when that brother was carrying on his shoulders something which he wished to sell, and was going about in the market of the village according to his wont, it happened that owing to the sight of a woman, who was a virgin, and who was continually coming in his way, and who bought from him some of the wares which he carried, the war of fornication rose up against him suddenly by the operation of the Evil One. Now when this thing had thus come to pass the evil cunning of the Devil did not depart from that discreet brother, but he meditated within himself and said, "Both matters are exceed ingly difficult for me. Peradventure, if through some reason "such as this which the Enemy hath prepared for me, I reject
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"the command of the old man, and do not go up [to him], I ''shall always be in the habit [of thinking] that I have treated "the command of the old man with contempt; and if I do go "up [to him] I shall be oppressed for a very long time with "the war of fornication."