And when that brother had passed much time in tribulation, and in such thoughts as these, and in doubts of mind, and still did not know which course of action to choose and which to reject, he drew nigh unto a certain old man who dwelt close by them, and who was great and skilled in all [such matters], and made known his business unto him, and spake unto him thus : "Father, what shall I do, for the war of fornication hath "risen up against me? My father sendeth me always to the "village for that which we need, and every time I go to the "village I am vexed with thoughts about fornication, through ' ' which I am thrown into a strife, and I know not what to do ; "if I obey my father, and go to the village, the war which is "stirred up against me will become fiercer, and if I remain "here and do not go I shall be a disobedient [disciple]. I be- " seech thee to give me the advice which shall be beneficial for "me, and pray thou on my behalf, for I am greatly vexed." And when the old man had heard these words, he answered and said unto him, "My son, if I were thou, I should, with "God's help, obey my father, [and should overcome the war " of fornication]." Then that brother said unto him, "I beseech "thee, O my lord, to perform an act of grace, and teach "thou me the object of this conquest, and help me with thy "prayers." Then the old man said unto him, "Know, O my "brother, that Satan is not so anxious to cast thee into forni- " cation as he is to dismiss thee from obedience, and to make "thee disobedient and rebellious, and he plotteth always with "exceedingly great care to make thee thus; for Satan himself "hath been acquainted with disobedience from the beginning, "and he knoweth that it is the cause of every kind of condem- " nation and of wickedness to those who possess it. And, O "my son, let it be certain to thee that, if he vanquish thee by "means of it, thou wilt be, as it were, stripped henceforth of " the help of the power of obedience, and of thy father's pray- "ers, whensoever he casteth thee into the passion of fornica- "tion, and he will be able to drag thee down into passions of "all kinds easily. But if thou dost vanquish him first of all in "the matter of obedience, and dost thyself abide therein un- "doubtingly, and dost believe in the prayers of thy father, God "will make thee to prosper in every strife with a crown of "righteousness, and He will give thee victory in every war "with the Calumniator. For he, who for the sake of God acteth
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But if thou dost vanquish him first of all in "the matter of obedience, and dost thyself abide therein un- "doubtingly, and dost believe in the prayers of thy father, God "will make thee to prosper in every strife with a crown of "righteousness, and He will give thee victory in every war "with the Calumniator. For he, who for the sake of God acteth
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"in obedience to his father, also acteth obediently unto God ; "now obedience unto God is the victory over all passions. Go "therefore, O my son, and obey thy father faithfully and un- u hesitatingly, and when the war cometh upon thee say thus: "'O God of my father, help me!'"
Now when the Adversary saw that that brother was armed with the wise and powerful words of the old man as with an impregnable coat of mail, and had prepared himself strenuously for the contest, he changed the method of attack which he had formerly employed, and instead of vexing that brother with thoughts about the woman as he had done at first, he left him, since he was prepared and was sufficiently strong to stand up against him, and went to the feeble woman who lacked both discernment and help — for it hath been his custom always to run to the weak and sluggish side of disciples, and to over come the strenuous by means of it — and as he overcame Adam by means of Eve, and as he overcame other [saints] by means of other things, even so did he act towards this marvellous brother who, through this cunning, gained condemnation and shame, even as did Job, and Joseph, and others.
Now therefore when this brother according to custom had taken his work, and had readily gone up to Egypt, and had arrived at the village wherein he was wont to sell it, Satan stirred up that woman to go forth to meet him as it were by chance, and having seen that brother and being inflamed through the operation of Satan with the fire of love for him, she drew nigh unto him by means of some crafty device, and took him and brought him into her house, with the excuse that she was going to buy something from him; and after they had gone in, and she had shut the door upon them, she began to throw herself upon him. Then that brother, with faith wherein there was no doubt, cried out with a loud voice and said, "O "God of my father, help me!" And immediately, by the agency of God, he found himself upon the road to Scete, and by the Divine help the Calumniator was put to shame, and the war of fornication ceased from that brother. And when he had come to the old man with whom he lived, and he had narrated to him the whole matter and what had happened, they gave thanks to God and glorified Him Who had hearkened unto the voice of His servants and had redeemed them out of the hand of their enemies, and had saved them from the snares of the Calumniator. May our Lord hide us beneath the wings of His mercifulness and [save] us from all the evil workings of the Calumniator! Amen.
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May our Lord hide us beneath the wings of His mercifulness and [save] us from all the evil workings of the Calumniator! Amen. 211 144:
ZTbe paradise of tbe 1fool2 3f atbers
Cbapter \>, ZTbe TTrtumpb of tbe Disciple of anotber ©It) /iDan wbo fcwelt alone in a Cell
ONE of the aged men said: I have heard from certain holy men that there have been youths who have led and guided old men to life, and they told me the fol lowing story : There was a certain old man who used to plait mats of palm leaves by day and sell them in the village [in the night], and get drunk on the money which he received for the same. At length there came a certain brother who took up his abode with him, and he also worked at the plaiting of mats by day, and the old man took his work also and sold it, and got drunk with the money which he received for the work of both, and he would bring home at eventide a little bread for that brother; and though the old man did thus for a period of three years the brother said nothing to him about it. And after these things the brother said within himself, ''Behold, I am naked, " and I only eat my bread by forcing myself to do so; I will "therefore arise and depart from this place." But again he thought within himself, saying, " Whither have I to go? I will 11 stay here a little longer, for I can live unto God just as well "as if I were in a monastery where many monks are." And straightway the angel of the Lord appeared and said unto him, " Depart thou not unto any [other] place, for to-morrow we " are coming unto thee." Then that brother made supplication unto the old man and entreated him, saying, UI beseech thee, " O my father, not to go forth this day to any place whatso- " ever, for the angels are coming to receive my soul." When now the hour had arrived for the old man to go out and sell [the work] according to his wont, he said unto the brother, " My son, they will not come to-day, for they have delayed " too long"; but the brother said, "Yea, my father, indeed " they will come"; and whilst he was talking to the old man he died. And when the old man saw what had happened he wept and sighed deeply, and said, "Woe is me! Woe is me, O my "son! I have lived in faith for many years, but thou hast " gained life for thyself through a short period of patient en- " durance!" and from that day forward the old man led a life of sobriety and became a chosen monk.
Cbapter \>j. Ube Uriumpb of tbe Disciple of an ®l& /Ifean in tbe Desert
Woe is me, O my "son! I have lived in faith for many years, but thou hast " gained life for thyself through a short period of patient en- " durance! " and from that day forward the old man led a life of sobriety and became a chosen monk. Cbapter \>j. Ube Uriumpb of tbe Disciple of an ®l& /Ifean in tbe Desert
THERE was a certain desert monk who was very anxious to find a quiet place which would be suitable for him to dwell in; and there was there a certain old man who had a cell nigh unto him, and he entreated him, saying,
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''Come, take up thine abode here until thou canst find a cell " [suitable for thee,]" and he went [there]. Now the brethren used to come unto him as unto a stranger, and they brought him food in order that they might be helped [by so doing], and he rejoiced in them and gave them relief. Then the old man began to envy him, and to heap abuse on him, saying, "Be- " hold, how many are the years wherein I have lived here in " the strictest abstinence, and yet no man came unto me; yet "unto this deceiver who hath only passed a few days here " many come!" And this old man said unto his disciple, "Go " and say unto him, 'Depart from that place, for I have need " 'both of the place and of the cell.' " And his disciple went and said unto him, "My father, speak some words and pray "thou for me because I am greatly vexed by my stomach"; then he came to his master and said unto him, "He said " unto me, 'I see a cell and I am going forth.' '
' " And his disciple went and said unto him, "My father, speak some words and pray "thou for me because I am greatly vexed by my stomach"; then he came to his master and said unto him, "He said " unto me, 'I see a cell and I am going forth. ' '
And after two days the old man sent his disciple unto him again, and he said unto him, "If thou hast not departed I will " come myself and drive thee out with a stick." And the dis ciple came to the monk and said unto him, "My father hath " heard that thou art sick and he is greatly grieved, and he "hath sent me to visit thee"; and the monk said unto him, "Through thy prayers [all is] well." And the disciple came and said to his master, "I have spoken to him, and he said " unto me, 'Wait until the first day of the week, and I will, by " 'the Will of God, go forth.' " And when the first day of the week had come the monk had not departed, and the old man took a stick and was going forth to beat him, and to drive him out; but his disciple said unto him, " Let me go first, lest " there be there some stranger who will be offended at thine " acl:." And having gone before his master the disciple said unto the monk, "Behold, my father hath come to entreat thee " [to leave] and to take thee to his cell"; and when the monk heard of the old man's love he made haste to go out to meet him, and he expressed his sorrow afar off, and said, " Be not " vexed, O my lord and father, for I was coming to thy holi- "ness; forgive me for the sake of Jesus." And God saw the work of that disciple, and He opened the mind of the old man, and he threw away his stick and ran to salute the monk; and having drawn nigh unto him he gave him the salutation of peace, and took him into his cell. Now the stranger had heard nothing whatsoever of the words which had been said by the old man. Then the old man said unto his disciple, "Peradven- " ture thou didst say unto the monk that which I said unto " thee?" And the disciple said unto him, "Nay, father, I did " not"; and the old man rejoiced greatly, and he brought him
tlbe Iftarabise of tbe 1bolp ff atbers
in to the stranger and treated him kindly. And the old man knew that what had taken place in him had been caused by the working- of Satan, and he fell down before his disciple and said, "Henceforward thou shalt be my father, and I will be thy " disciple, for through thy good works, after God, thou hast " helped the souls of two [men]."
Cbapter \nj, Ube ZTriumpb of peter, tbe Disciple of one of tbe ©R> /ifcen
And the old man knew that what had taken place in him had been caused by the working- of Satan, and he fell down before his disciple and said, "Henceforward thou shalt be my father, and I will be thy " disciple, for through thy good works, after God, thou hast " helped the souls of two [men]. "
Cbapter \nj, Ube ZTriumpb of peter, tbe Disciple of one of tbe ©R> /ifcen
THERE was a certain old man who had an excellent disciple, and on a certain occasion the old man by rea son of his hasty temper drove him away, and turned him outside the door, and his apparel with him; and the bro ther sat down outside the door and wraited patiently, and when the old man opened the door he found him sitting out side. Then the old man repented, saying, "O Peter, the meek- " ness of thy longsuffering nature hath vanquished my hasty " temper; henceforward thou shalt be my old man and father, "and I will be thy servant and disciple. By thy good work " thou hast made (or fashioned) mine old age."
Gbapter v>iij, Ube Tfriumpb of a Disciple of one of tbe
ON a certain occasion the disciple of a great sage (i.e., old man) had a war of fornication, and when the old man saw that his brother was vexed and oppressed in his mind, he said to him, "Dost thou wish me to entreat God ' ' to make the war less fierce ? " And the brother said, * ( Father, " I perceive that, although I toil and am afflicted, I am yet " able to see the fruit which I possess within my soul through "this strife, [therefore pray not for this thing]; but entreat " God especially in thy prayer to give me strength to endure." His father said unto him, "This day 1 know that thou hast " surpassed me therein."
Cbapter is. ©f Hurelius [H&olius?]
I USED to know a man in Jerusalem whose name was Aurelius [Adolius?], and by race (or origin) he came from the city of Tarsus, and when this man arrived in Jerusa lem, he walked wholly in the path wherein are no stumblings and wherein not many have walked. Now he laid down for himself ascetic rules of life of new kinds, and [these were so severe] that the devils were afraid of him, and they were un able to stand up before him, and by reason of the greatness of his toil he might have been thought to be a shadow, for he would pass the whole weeks of the Forty Days in fasting, and he would spend the other days in constant vigils. Now the
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Now the
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greatest of all his a6ts of asceticism was this. Whilst the bre thren were gathered together each evening in the house of prayer, he would go up to the highest peak of the Mount of Olives, to the place where our Lord was lifted up, and as he stood there upon his feet he would recite the whole Office, and whether rain, or snow, or sleet fell he would never leave his place ; and when he had finished the Office according to [his] custom, he would take a hammer and beat [a board], and rouse up those that slept, and having gone round to the doors of all [the monks] he would gather them together to the places for prayer, and in each place he would recite the Office with them ; and he would also stand up in the midst of companies [of monks], and would recite the Office. In the daytime he would go to his cell, and in very truth on several occasions his brethren had to strip off [his clothes] from him because they were wet through, and to put others on him; and he would rest until the third hour of the day, and then he would come to the service [in the church and stay] until the evening. Such was the manner in which Aurelius lived, and in this way he brought his life to an end ; and he was buried at Jeru salem.
Cbapter £* ©f Hbba /IDoses tfoe Jnfcian, [a Captain] of ZTbiews
NOW there was a certain man whose name was Moses, who was by race an Indian (i.e., an Ethiopian), and his flesh (i.e., skin) was black, and he was the slave of a man in high authority, and because of his evil deeds and thefts his master drove him out of his house; now it is said that he even went so far as [to commit] murder. Now I am compelled to mention his wickedness in order that I may shew forth the beauty of his repentance, and people say concerning him that he was even the captain of a band of seventy thieves. And the following thing used to be related about him, and he is said to have committed it during the period wherein he passed his time in stealing.
He had as an enemy a certain shepherd, against whom he remembered certain evil things, and he went to steal [sheep] from his flock. And the shepherd was told by a certain man [who said], "Moses hath crossed the Nile by swimming, and "he holdeth a sword in his hand, and his clothes are placed "on his head; and he hath crossed the river by swimming"; and the shepherd covered himself over with sand, and hid from him. And when Moses had come and did not find the shepherd, he chose out two fine rams from among the sheep and slew them, and he tied them [together] with a rope, and swam
Ube iparabise of tbe 1bol^ jf atbers
across the river again [with them]; and having come to a small village he skinned the rams and ate the best portions of them, and he sold the remainder for wine, and drank, and after these things he went back to his companions. One day, whilst he was associated with them in doing hateful things, his senses came back to him in the morning season, and he repented of his evil acts, and he rose up and fled to a monastery, and from that time he drew nigh unto works of repentance so closely that the devil who had made him sin from his youth up, and [who would have continued] to make him sin, would stand before him in visible form and would look upon him. Thus he came to the knowledge of our Lord Christ.
And about him they tell the story that thieves once came unto him and went into his cell, because they did not know who he was, and he tied them all together with cords and lifted them up on his shoulders like a bag of chopped straw, and brought them to the church to the brethren, and said unto them, "Since I have not the power to do evil unto any man, " what do ye command me to do to those who rose up against " me to slay me?" Now at that time Moses had been fasting for seven days, and he had eaten nothing. And after he had done this he informed the thieves, saying, " I indeed am Moses " who was formerly the captain of [a band of] thieves" ; and having heard [this] they praised and glorified God, and when they saw [the sincerity of] his repentance they also removed them selves from their evil deeds, and said within themselves, "Let " us also draw nigh unto repentance, so that we may become " worthy of the forgiveness of sins, even as he also is worthy."
And whilst fasting often, and during the time of prayer and silent contemplation, that devil of error, who bringeth back to the remembrance of the mind the wickedness of former habits, would come to him, and tempt him to such a degree that, even as he himself hath told us, it wanted exceedingly little to make him fall from his covenant. And having come to the old man Isidore the great, who had arrived from Scete, Moses told him concerning the war of his body; and the old man said unto him, "Be not distressed, for these are the beginning of the "birth pangs, and they come upon thee seeking what they are " accustomed [to receive], even as a dog which [cometh] con- " tinually to the cook, and if a man give him nothing he will " not go there again. And thus also it is with thee, for if thou " wilt continue in fasting, and in prayer, and in silent contem- " plation, the devil will straightway fall into despair and will "flee from thee."
And from that time he was exceedingly constant in his work of spiritual excellence. He ate nothing whatsoever except ten
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And thus also it is with thee, for if thou " wilt continue in fasting, and in prayer, and in silent contem- " plation, the devil will straightway fall into despair and will "flee from thee. "
And from that time he was exceedingly constant in his work of spiritual excellence. He ate nothing whatsoever except ten
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ounces of dry bread [daily] when he was doing work, and he would recite from beginning to end fifty prayers during the day; but the more he dried up his body, the more he was vexed and consumed by dreams. And again he went to one of the old men, and said unto him, "What shall I do? For thoughts of " lust which arise from [my] former habits attack me;" and the old man said unto him, "These lead thee into error be- " cause thou hast not turned away thy heart from the simili tudes of them, but give thy heart to watching and careful " prayer, and thou wilt be free from them." Now when he had heard this direction he went to his cell, and made a covenant with God that he would neither sleep during the whole night nor bend his knees, and he dwelt in his cell for seven years, and remained standing the whole of each night with his eyes open, and he never closed his eyelids. And after this he set himself other ascetic labours, for he would go out during the nights and visit the cells of the old men, and take their water- skins and fill them with water, because they lived a long way from the water, that is to say, some two miles, some four miles, and others five miles. One night he went to fill the [water skins with] water, according to his wont, and as soon as he had bent down over the spring, a devil smote him a blow across his loins as with a stick, and then departed leaving him half dead, and Moses understood who had done this thing to him. And on the following day one of the brethren came to fill [the water skins with] water, and he saw the blessed man lying there, and he drew nigh to him and asked him, "What hath "happened unto thee?" And when Moses had told him the story, the brother went and informed Rabbd Isidore, the priest of the church of Scete, who sent brethren immediately and they took him up and brought him to the church; and he was ill for a long time, and he never thoroughly recovered from his illness, and he never again enjoyed the health of body which he had possessed formerly.
And Abb£ Isidore said unto him, "Rest thyself, O Moses, " and fret not thyself against the devils, and seek not to make " attacks upon them; there is moderation in everything, even " in the works of ascetic life." Then Moses said unto him, " I " believe in God, in Whom I have placed my hope, that being " armed against the devils I must not cease [to wage war with " them] until they depart from me." And Abba Isidore said unto him, " In the Name of Jesus Christ, from this time for- " ward the devils shall cease from thee. Draw nigh then, and "participate in the Holy Mysteries, and thou shalt be free " from all impurity both of the flesh and of the spirit, for thou " must not boast within thyself, and say, ' I have overcome the
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" 'devils,' for it was for thy benefit that they have waxed " strong against thee." So Moses went back again to his cell. And after two months Abba Isidore came to him, and asked him [concerning himself], and Moses said unto him, "I never " see now anything which is hateful to me." Now he was also held to be worthy of the gift of Divine Grace, and he could chase away the devils from many folk who were vexed there with, and as flies take to flight before us so did the devils de part from before him. Such were the ascetic labours of the blessed man Moses, who was himself vexed with great matters. And he also became a priest, and he left behind him seventy disciples who were men of worth. When he was a thief he had [as followers] seventy men who were thieves, and these now became his disciples, and they were perfect in the fear of God.
Gbapter jj. <s>f Hbba (Mor
Such were the ascetic labours of the blessed man Moses, who was himself vexed with great matters. And he also became a priest, and he left behind him seventy disciples who were men of worth. When he was a thief he had [as followers] seventy men who were thieves, and these now became his disciples, and they were perfect in the fear of God. Gbapter jj. <s>f Hbba (Mor
AND there was an Egyptian youth whose name was Pior, and he was a holy man; and when he departed from the house of his parents he made a covenant with God with the zeal of excellence that he would never see again any of his kinsfolk. And after fifty years had passed, the sister of this blessed man, who was very old and grey, heard that he was alive, and she greatly desired to see him; now she was unable to come to him to the desert, and she besought the Bishop, who was in that country, to write to the fathers who lived in the desert [telling] them to urge him, and to send him to see his sister. Then when the blessed man saw the pressure which came from them to make him go, he took with him certain of the brethren, and set out to go on the journey, and [having arrived] he sent and informed his sister's house hold, saying, "Behold, Pior thy brother hath come, and he " standeth outside." Now when his sister heard his voice, she went forth in great haste, and when Pior heard the sound of the door, and knew that the aged woman his sister was com ing forth to see him, he shut his eyes tightly, and said, * ' So and " so, I am thy brother; look at me as far as thou canst do so"; and having seen him she was relieved (or gratified) in her mind, and gave thanks unto God, but she was unable to persuade him to enter into her house. And he made a prayer by the side of the door with his eyes closed tightly, and departed to the desert. And he also wrought the following wonderful thing: In the place where he lived he dug a hole in the ground, and found water which was bitter [in taste], but until the day wherein he died he endured the bitter taste of the water, in order that he might make known that which he suffered patiently for the sake of God. Now after his death many of the monks wished
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to abide in that place, but they were not able to do so, even for one year, chiefly because of the terrible nature of the country and the barrenness thereof.
Cbapter £ij. ©f Hbba /IDoses tbe 3Lib£an
Now after his death many of the monks wished
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to abide in that place, but they were not able to do so, even for one year, chiefly because of the terrible nature of the country and the barrenness thereof. Cbapter £ij. ©f Hbba /IDoses tbe 3Lib£an
THERE was also another old man whose name was Moses, who came from the country of the Libyans; he was exceedingly meek and compassionate, and through this was held to be worthy of the gift of healing. And this old man himself related unto us the following story, and said: When I was a young man and dwelt in the monastery, we dug out a large cistern which was twenty cubits wide, and eighty men were digging it out, and we set seventy men to build [walls round itj; and they dug down according to their know ledge, and they passed the place where they expected [to find water], and went down even one cubit more, but they did not find water, and being greatly distressed at this we wished to abandon the well and go away. But when Abba Pior came from the desert at the season of noon, now he was an old man and was covered in his head-cloak, he saluted us, and said unto us, "Why hath your spirit lessened, O ye of little faith? "For I observe that your spirit hath diminished since yesterday " because ye have not found water." Then he went down by a ladder to the bottom of the well, and made a prayer with the men, and having prayed he took up an iron tool and drove it into the earth three times, saying, "O Lord God of the "holy Fathers, make not the weariness [of these men] to be " in vain, but send them water in abundance"; and straightway the waters sprang up in such quantity that they all were wetted, and having prayed a second time he went forth and departed. And when they urged him to remain with them and eat he would not be persuaded to do so, but said unto them, " The matter concerning which I was sent hath come to pass, " and to eat I was not sent."
Cbapter £iij, <S>f a certain Msttnautsbeb Wan&erino
The copyist adds the note: "We have found [the story of] " this wandering monk and recluse following [that of] the " recluse John of Lycus."
THERE was a certain distinguished wandering monk who (as have heard from the famous monks who dwelt by the side of the country of Antinoe) lived a life of great sanctity in the mountains, and many folks were helped by him both by word and deed. And the Enemy had envy of him, even as he hath of every [good] man, and he cast into his mind thoughts which appeared to be humble, saying, " It
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tTbe ifrarabise of tbe 1bol^ tf atbers
And the Enemy had envy of him, even as he hath of every [good] man, and he cast into his mind thoughts which appeared to be humble, saying, " It
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4 is not seemly for thee to be ministered unto and treated 4 with honour by others, for thou shouldst minister unto thy- * self. Go therefore to the city and sell thy plaited baskets thy- ' self, and buy whatsoever thou hast need of, and lay no 4 burden upon any man." Now the crafty one counselled him in this wise because he was envious of the assistance which [he obtained from the silent contemplation and constant [prayer], and because he kept God in his mind, and he was laying nets for him, and was trying to snare him by every means in his power. And the monk, being convinced as it were by [a counsellor of] good, for he was not greatly skilled [in the knowledge] of the cunning and of the abundant wicked ness of him that was lurking in ambush, went down from the mountain, and the brethren marvelled, because he was a wandering monk, who was well known and famous; and thus in a short time, through want of care and also through con verse with women, he was caught in the toils and fell.
And he came to the river [Nile] in a desolate place (now there was with him the Enemy who had cast him down and who rejoiced because of his fall, and because many folk would be made to offend through hearing thereof); and because he had greatly grieved the Spirit of God, and the Angels, and the holy Fathers of the same class as himself, having become un like any of those who in the cities and everywhere else had overcome [Satan]; and because he had forgotten that great might was nigh unto him [that fighteth] against the Enemy, and who truly hath his hope in the Lord, because, I say, he for got that this help existed, he fell into error, and knew not how he was to be healed, and wished to throw himself into the river flood and die. And moreover, although his body was brought exceedingly low, through the suffering of his soul, it would have been in vain had not at length the mercy of God helped him not to die (which would have afforded perfect joy to the Enemy), [and it urged him] to depart again with weeping and bitter suffering of heart, and, as was meet, to make supplica tion to the compassion of God. And thus, having returned to his place and blocked up the window of his cell, he wept, as was right, after the manner of one who weepeth in a suitable manner over a dead person, and he reduced his body to emaciation by means of his fasting, and vigil, and grief, for the expectation of his repentance had not as yet come to him.
And on several occasions, when the brethren came to com fort him, and knocked at his door, because he had no excuse to make he would say, "Pray ye for me, O my brethren, for 44 I have made a covenant to live a life of silent contemplation 44 all my days, having everything of which I have need." Then
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And on several occasions, when the brethren came to com fort him, and knocked at his door, because he had no excuse to make he would say, "Pray ye for me, O my brethren, for 44 I have made a covenant to live a life of silent contemplation 44 all my days, having everything of which I have need. " Then
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they would go away having no hope whatsoever for him; now he was a monk who was very precious in their sight. And from Pentecost, when the brethren were in the habit of relax ing their severe rules of life, and when they ate freely — now because of his fall that monk did not a<5t thus — onwards, throughout the whole year until the feast of unleavened bread, he prayed with tears, and he vexed sorely the life of his flesh, and was crucified with Christ. But on the eve of the [day of] the Resurrection, at the rejoicing of the holy First Day of the week, he took a new lamp, and trimmed it ready for lighting, and he set it in a new vessel likewise, and covered it over, and being unable to stand up in prayer, he said, 4< O Thou Merci- 44 ful One, Who desirest that the Barbarians and all the people 44 who are without God should have knowledge of Thee, and 44 should turn to Thee, and Who alone art the true Physician 44 of souls, have mercy upon me, for I know that I have made 4 Thee wroth not a little. I have obeyed the Enemy even to 4 my death and, behold, I am a dead man. O Thou Who didst 4 teach the children of men who were not merciful to shew ' mercy to each other, O have mercy upon me! For unto Thee 4 nothing is impossible, even though I be brought down as 4 as low as the dust in Sheol. But Thou art the Lord of Thy ' hosts, and Thou art He Who is good unto those whom 4 Thou hast fashioned, and Thou art He who shall raise up 4 the dead bodies [of those who] have no being, and Who 4 shall make them to have being in the Day of Resurrection; 4 answer Thou me because my heart and my body are sick, for 4 1 am overcome by the fear of Thee and am ready to perish, 4 and I cannot live any longer. And, because as yet I have no 4 confidence in [my] repentance, a twofold destruction have 4 I in my despair. Show compassion upon me, O Merciful 4 One, and kindle this lamp by Thy light, so that I by means 4 thereof may receive the encouragement of Thy mercy, and 4 may pass the remainder of my life which Thou wilt bestow 4 upon me in the way which shall please Thee, and may never 4 again as long as I live be unmindful of the fear of Thy 4 Commandments."
Show compassion upon me, O Merciful 4 One, and kindle this lamp by Thy light, so that I by means 4 thereof may receive the encouragement of Thy mercy, and 4 may pass the remainder of my life which Thou wilt bestow 4 upon me in the way which shall please Thee, and may never 4 again as long as I live be unmindful of the fear of Thy 4 Commandments. "
And he said these things with tears on his face, and he rose up to see if the lamp had been lighted, and he uncovered it, and saw that there was no light in it. Then he fell upon his face as he had done before, and he besought the Lord frequent ly, saying, 44O Lord, Thou knowest that the strife hath taken "place and that it is ended, and Thou wilt not require especi- 4 'ally that I should be disgraced by crying out with the wick- 44ed, and that I should suffer torture for ever. Have mercy 4 'then upon me, and I will confess Thy goodness; I have been
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Have mercy 4 'then upon me, and I will confess Thy goodness; I have been
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"ashamed before the righteous angels, and if it were not that "it would cause scandal, I would make my confession to the "children of men. Therefore have compassion upon me, for "from this time forward I will teach others that their hearts "must not be outside Thy fear, even for a moment; and now "I make supplication unto Thy goodness, O make me to live, "and I entreat Thee [so to do], for I am about to die." And the monk prayed in this manner three times, and then he was heard by God, for when he went back the fourth time [to see if the lamp had been lighted] he found it burning brightly ; and he was strengthened with hope, and rejoiced, and wept abun dantly, and he marvelled at Divine Grace, and he made prayer to the Lord about this also, saying, "Thou didst shew com- 4 * passion upon the life of this world of him that is unworthy, and "especially by the great and new sign [which Thou hast given]; "yea, Lord, Thou dost always shew Thy compassion upon the "miserable soul, and dost spare it." And the monk continued [to give] simple thanks [until] the day dawned, and he rejoiced in the Lord, and forgot the food of the body; and he tended the light of the lamp every day, and poured oil therein, and he trimmed it from above, and kept it covered so that it should not be extinguished. And thus that man became like one who had risen in the resurrection of the righteous, and like the chaste man, and like the humble man in the Spirit of God [who obeyeth] readily, and [who giveth] gladly unto the Lord gra titude and thanks. And when he was about to yield up unto the Lord the soul which had been graciously given to him, he related the story gladly unto the brethren who happened to be there, that it might cause them fear, and he said, "Let that "lamp be placed in [my] grave in commemoration of [my] re- "pentance." And we, who heard concerning the grace of God, have written down these things in order that men may be watchful in the Lord.
Cbapter £f x>, Ube Distort of tbe Blessefc 3£va0rf us, tbe Solitary anfc Strenuous /IDonfe
" And we, who heard concerning the grace of God, have written down these things in order that men may be watchful in the Lord. Cbapter £f x>, Ube Distort of tbe Blessefc 3£va0rf us, tbe Solitary anfc Strenuous /IDonfe
IT is not meet that we should veil the history of this holy man in silence, for we must set it down plainly in writing, both for the help and edification of those who shall come across it, and for the glory of that God Whose wont is to change bitterness to sweetness; we shall, therefore, make clear the history of the blessed man from the beginning, and tell how he journeyed step by step to the goal of spiritual ex cellence, and how he was carried onwards to the ascetic life, and how he arrived at purity of heart, and how he departed from this world at the age of fifty-four years.
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Now this blessed man came from Pontus, where his family lived, and where his father held the office of visitor; and the blessed man Basil, Bishop of Caesarea, appointed him to be a reader. And after the death of the blessed man Basil, Gregory, Bishop of Nazianzus, seeing- his perspicacity, and his great skill in the Divine Books, and that he was free from passions, and was adorned with virtues, brought him nigh to the grade of the priesthood, and he went up to the synod which was held at Constantinople with the blessed man Gregory, who loved him greatly. And when the blessed man Nectarius, Bishop of of Constantinople, met him, he was drawn to love him, be cause he saw that he was a man of strong character, and he attached him to himself. Now Evagrius was beloved by all men, and he was held in honour by all men, and for this reason Satan was envious of him, and he disturbed his understand ing through the vision of his mind, which he set in a blaze through the love of a certain woman; and this woman was the wife of one of the noblemen of the city, according to what he himself related unto us. And when, by the will of God, he was set free from these thoughts, the woman herself began to love Evagrius ; now she was a great lady of high degree.
Then Evagrius, setting before his eyes the reproach of for nication, prayed unto God with labour that, in His Grace, He might bring this matter to naught, and that he might extin guish the mad lust of that woman ; to chide her himself the blessed man was not able, because he was bridled by the large numbers of gifts [which he had received] from her. And his prayer having been heard, when as yet he had not had union with her sinfully, an angel appeared unto him in the form of a soldier of the prefect, who seized him, and cast him into prison, and who loaded his neck and his hands with chains, but who did not inform Evagrius for what reason he had to bear this ill-treatment; and the thought sprang up in his mind which said, "Perhaps that woman's husband has laid an accusation "against me before the judge." Then Evagrius found himself in great agony of mind, because he saw that other men, who had been committed to prison for offences similar to his own, were condemned to judgement before his eyes, and the angel changed his form, and appeared unto him in the guise of one of his friends, and he began to say unto him, when he saw that he was loaded with chains and had been placed with the malefactors, "What is this which hath happened unto thee, O "brother?"
And Evagrius made answer unto him, saying, "My brother, "in truth I know not. I think that perhaps some prince of the "city hath laid [an accusation] against me before the judge,
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"because of some vain jealousy (or envy) which hath burst into "flame in him, and I am afraid lest, through a gift of much "money, the judge may issue a decree of death against me." And the angel said unto him, "If thou wilt receive the words "of thy friend I counsel thee not to remain in this city"; and the blessed Evagrius said unto him, "Thinkest thou that thou "wilt see me in this city if God will deliver me from this trial? "Thou mightest as well think that I am enduring these evils "righteously!" Then the angel said unto him, "Swear unto "me that thou wilt depart [from the city], and wilt have a care "for thy soul, and I will deliver thee from these trials"; and Evagrius took an oath unto him by the Book of the Gospel, [saying], " I will not tarry here more than the one day which "will be necessary for me to put my things in the ship."
" Then the angel said unto him, "Swear unto "me that thou wilt depart [from the city], and wilt have a care "for thy soul, and I will deliver thee from these trials"; and Evagrius took an oath unto him by the Book of the Gospel, [saying], " I will not tarry here more than the one day which "will be necessary for me to put my things in the ship. "
And when Evagrius woke up from his sleep, he thought within himself and said, "Although the words of the oaths " have been uttered in a dream, it is right that I should fulfil " that which I have promised"; so he put his things in a ship and departed to Jerusalem, where the blessed woman Melania received him gladly; now Melania had come from the city of Rome. And, because Satan had made the heart of Evagrius as hard as that of Pharaoh, he failed to call to mind that which he had promised to do, and he went back to his former habits and returned to his pride, and was arrayed in filthy garments. But God, because He is in the habit of bringing to naught on our behalf things of evil, kindled the fire of a great fever in Evagrius, and He cast him into a sickness which lasted for six months, and none of the physicians was able to bring heal ing unto him. Then the blessed woman Melania said unto him, " My son, thy long illness pleaseth me not; tell me, then, con- " cerning it, for peradventure there is something hidden in thy " mind; thy illness is not like unto that of every [other] man." Then Evagrius confessed unto her the whole matter. And Melania said unto him, "Promise me truthfully that from ' ' this time onward thou wilt take care of thyself in a habita- " tion of monks, and that thou wilt work unto God; and how- " ever great a sinner I may be, I will pray for thee, and relief "shall be given unto thy tribulation." Then he promised [to do] that which she required at his hands, and before a few days had passed by the blessed man was healed, and he rose up [from his bed], and from that day his whole mind was changed.
And he departed and went to the mountain which is in Egypt and which is called Nethrd (i.e., Nitria), and dwelt there for two years, and in the third year he departed into the inner desert, and dwelt there fourteen years in the place which
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And he departed and went to the mountain which is in Egypt and which is called Nethrd (i. e. , Nitria), and dwelt there for two years, and in the third year he departed into the inner desert, and dwelt there fourteen years in the place which
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is called "The Cells"; and he lived upon one pound [of bread] a day, and a box of oil [every] three months. He had been a man great in pomp and he had made great his body, and had been ministered unto by slaves, yet he laid down a rule that he should pray in the course of [each] day one hundred prayers. He lived by the labour of his hands, and he only accepted the bare price of his daily food [for] all the work he did; and his work was to write books. Before, however, the fifteen years had passed by, he had cleansed his heart, and was held to be worthy of the grace of God, and wisdom and understanding were given to him, and he knew the power of spirits. He com posed three volumes, and taught us [therein] the cunning of devils and the snares [laid by the] thoughts.
And the blessed man Evagrius himself related unto us that the devil of fornication [once] made an attack upon him, and that he stood up naked the whole night long in the desert (now it was the season of winter), until his flesh was quite shrivelled and dried up. And the devil of blasphemy [on another occa sion] made an attack upon him, and according to what he told us, he passed forty days under the open sky in winter until his flesh became like that of the beasts of the desert. And he also told us that once three devils came to him in the day time, in the form of three members of a religious body, and they began to discuss the faith with him; one of these declared himself to be an Arian, the second said that he was a Euno- mian (i.e., a follower of Eunomius, Bishop of Cyzicus, A.D. 360-364), and the third confessed himself to be of the seel; of Apollinarius (Bishop of Laodicea; he died about A.D. 390); but by the Divine Grace which was with him he drove them away, having put them to shame.
e. , a follower of Eunomius, Bishop of Cyzicus, A. D. 360-364), and the third confessed himself to be of the seel; of Apollinarius (Bishop of Laodicea; he died about A. D. 390); but by the Divine Grace which was with him he drove them away, having put them to shame.
And again he told [us] that one day he lost the key of his cell, but he made the sign of the Cross over the door and then put in his hand and opened it, having called Christ to his help. He was beaten with innumerable stripes by the devils, and he learned by experience very much concerning their cunning. He made known unto one of his disciples by prophecy that which should happen unto him after [a period of] eighteen years, and what he said actually came to pass. And he said, "From the " time when I entered the desert I have never washed, and I " have never eaten any vegetable, or any fruit, or any grapes." At the end of his life, however, that is to say, in the sixteenth year wherein he departed from the world, he ate compulsorily food which was cooked by fire, and he was obliged to do this because of a weakness of the stomach which had overtaken him, and he was compelled to take food which had been cooked because of this.
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Gbaptev jt>. ITbe ibistorg of /iDalcbus tbe Solitary fl&onfc
ABOUT three miles from Antioch in Syria there is a certain village which is called Maronia, and in this village was an old monk whose name was Malchus, and he was a wonderful and a holy man. Now at that time I had travelled far away from the house of my fathers, and I went to Evagrius the priest, where I heard concerning the holy man Malchus, and I desired greatly to see him and to be blessed by him; so I went to him, and he received me gladly, and began to tell me about the habits of life and the works ot the monks, and howr it is right to fear the Lord, and having rejoiced greatly in the pious words of his doctrine, I besought him to confirm me especially in such things. Then he said unto me, "My son, I will relate unto you concerning the temptations " which, in proportion to my presumption and thoughtlessness, " have come upon me, in order that they may help you, and " also concerning the compassionate grace of the Lord God " Who took me out of and redeemed me from them, and Who " permitted them to come upon me for the correction of many " who should learn of me, and should not become disobedient " to the exhortation of their spiritual fathers, because disobe- " dience is the cause of death."
Then having said these things he began to narrate to me his history, and he said: — I was born in the village which is called Nisibis, and I was the only child of my parents, who, because I was the only child they ever expected to have, were proud of me; and when I had arrived at manhood's estate they were anxious to marry me to a wife, but when I spake against their [wish], saying, " It is right for me to become a monk and to serve the " Lord," and they heard of it, they were exceedingly wroth with me. Now my father urged me to marry and threatened me with penalties if I did not, and my mother was always inciting and counselling me to do so. And seeing that their minds were most firmly set upon this, which would become unto me an impedi ment to my confession of the faith before God, I forsook them, and treated with contempt all the riches of this world, and took with me only a very small sum of money, which was just suffi cient for the expenses of my journey ; now I wished to go to the monasteries of the East. And because at that time the Greeks had determined to make war upon the Persians, I changed my intention, and made up my mind to go to the west ; and whilst I was pondering this matter I learned that between Keneshrin and Aleppo there was a monastery which was situated in a peace ful spot, so I gave up my former intention, and went thither, and
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I asked them [to receive me], and I remained with them, and I wrestled with all their ascetic habits and rules of chastity ac cording- to their godly ways of life, and I made good progress therein in the Lord.
And having remained in that monastery for a certain number of years, and having lived blamelessly the life of spiritual ex cellence, all the brethren rejoiced at thegrowth of my asceticism; but because the Calumniator, that jealous and envious being, could not endure [this], he cast into my mind thoughts [which were apparently] correct ones, saying," Since thy father is dead,
II return to thy house, and comfort thy mother so long as she is "alive, and after her death sell thy possessions, and give some of " theprice thereof to thepoor; and theremainderkeep, and withit " build a monastery, and thou thyself shalt become a father and " governor of monks. And to tell the truth to thee, my son, the Calumniatorcast within me thepassion of avarice, saying, " Keep some of the money for thine old age." And when the war which was caused by these thoughts had been [waged] against me daily for some time, I felt obliged to reveal this sickness of my soul to the spiritual father, who, when theholyfatherhad heard thereof, said unto me, "My son, hearken not to thy feelings, for this is a "snare of Satan who, by means of this cunning device, hath put " many monks backward in their course, even as a dog goeth " back to his vomit, and hath cast them down and hath made " them lose their inheritance, and who, though continually set- * ' ting before them the hope of that which isgood, hath neverthe- " less brought them down into Sheol. For having raised Adam " to a heightof error which resembled this, hebroughthimdown " to the bottom of Sheol; and our Lord commandeth him that " hath laid his hand upon the plough not to turn back."
Now when by means of such testimonies which he brought from the Holy Scriptures hewasnotabletopersuademe[tostay], he thereupon fell down before me and wished to swear by the Lord that I would not forsake him. And whilst that merciful and pious father was saying these things for my deliverance, the Enemy was placing in my heart the words, ' k The father acteth not thus " because he would shew compassion on thee, but he wisheth " that the whole community of the brethren may be glorified [by * 4 thy staying here] ' ' ; and by saying words of this kind to me, that evil adviser made me to gain a victory of wickedness, and he made me to come forth out of the monastery. And still clinging unto me, as unto one who was lost, the father said unto me, "My " son, I see that thou art consumed by love of money ; the sheep " which goeth forth from his flock without his shepherd straight- " way becometh a prey unto wolves"; and when he had spoken these words unto me I left him.
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And still clinging unto me, as unto one who was lost, the father said unto me, "My " son, I see that thou art consumed by love of money ; the sheep " which goeth forth from his flock without his shepherd straight- " way becometh a prey unto wolves"; and when he had spoken these words unto me I left him. 227 150
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Then I went from Aleppo to Edessa by the king's highway, and being afraid of the soldiers (i.e., bands of marauding rob bers), who had already taken up their abode in the countries round about, I remained in Edessa, hoping to find company for the journey, for so great as this was my watchful fear. And when we had gathered together a company of men and women, [whose] names were seventy in number, and had therefore set out on the road, suddenly a band of Arab soldiers swooped down upon us, and carried us all away; then I called to mind the exhortation of the holy father, and I said to myself, "O my soul, such are * ' the great riches which I went forth to inherit ! O wretched 4 'man that I am, such are the promises of the Enemy, the " deceiver and destroyer of souls! Inherit [thy wealth] then, " O wretched one, and make thyself happy therewith." And as I was saying these things to myself, one of the Arabs took me and a certain woman, and set the two of us on one camel, and hav ing travelled a short distance in the desert, because we were afraid lest we should fall from the camel, we were com pelled to hold tightly to each other; and not only did this shame come upon mine unconvinceable mind, but I was also obliged to eat with her. And the Arab gave us milk and camel's flesh, and he carried us to his tent, and he commanded me to do homage to his wife and to bow down before her, and he said, " This is thy mistress." Now through these things I, the chaste man and monk, was becoming acquainted with the form of the nakedness of these people, according to the reward which my passion of avarice merited ; and the Arab ordered me to gird my self about with woollen garments and to shepherd the sheep and this[occupation] became unto me a source of consolation for the tribulations which surrounded me, because after a few days I was released from the evil faces of my masters and companions. But this alone did not bring me consolation, for I remembered that Abel, and the Patriarch Jacob and his sons, and the holy man Moses, and king David were shepherds of sheep, and I re joiced in the desert, and I pastured the sheep, and prayed, and sang the Psalms which I learned in the monastery. And I used to eat cheese made of goats' milk, and I drank milk, and I gave praise to God, that I had obtained such a [light] penalty for my disobedience; and remembering that the Apostle said, "Ser- * ' vants, be submissive to your masters, not only to the good, but "also to the wicked " (Colossians iii, 22; Ephesians vi, 5), I took care of my master's sheep with the utmost diligence. Now in all these things I kept in mind always the envy of the Calum niator, which hateth that which is good.
And when my master saw that I was acting rightly towards him, he wished to reward me well therefore, and he wanted to
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And when my master saw that I was acting rightly towards him, he wished to reward me well therefore, and he wanted to
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marry me to that woman who had been taken captive with me; and when I spake against his proposal, saying, " I am a monk, and I " cannot do this, besides this woman hath a husband who was 44 taken captive with us, and who hath passed into other owner ship," his wrath went up, and he drew his sword, and he set his gaze upon me, and would have killed me, had it not been that I ran and took hold of his wife's hand. And having married me to the woman, he brought me into a cave with her. When, therefore, I knew that this was indeed the captor of my soul, I cried aloud, and wept, and said, "Woe unto me the sinner ! What hath hap- " pened unto me? For having grown old in the life of virginity, " a terrible evil now cometh upon me, and I must, forsooth, be- " come the husband of a wife ! Where now is my mother? And " where are the possessions and riches of my fathers? For be- " cause I was not persuaded to [perform] the obedience of the " servants of God, and because I separated myself [therefrom], " and because I forsook the Lord I must endure things of this 44 kind! Now what wilt thou do, O my wretched soul? For if 44 thou dost conquer by patient endurance, by the Grace of God 4 4 thou wilt be held worthy of help, but if thou art lax severe punish- 44 mentis laidupforthee. Fightthen mightily againstsin, and turn 4 4 the sword against thyself, that there may be kept for thee the tes- 44 timony of chastity; hold in contempt the fire of time, that thou 44 mayest flee from the fire of eternity, and conquer thou sin in the 4 4 desert, that thou mayest be a persecuted and chosen witness. " Then I took the sword in my hands, and saluted that woman, saying, 44 Mayest thou remain in peace, O wretched woman, 44 and acquire for thyself rather a martyr than a husband, for 4 4 because I would not marry a wife I fled from and forsook 44 my parents." Now when the woman saw the sword which was shining in the darkness, she fell down before my feet and said unto me, 44I will make thee swear by Jesus Christ, the 44 Lord of praise, that thou wilt not kill thyself for my sake; 44 and if thou wishest to do this turn the sword against me. 44 Why shouldst thou wish to kill thyself so that thou mayest 44 not take me to wife? Knowest thou that I am far more anxious 44 than thou art to preserve my chastity unto Christ, and must 44 guard it not only against thee, but also against my lawful 44 husband, for even if he were to come I would keep myself 44 chaste. This is what this captivity wherein I am teacheth me, 44 for this affliction should teach us to take refuge in the Lord. 44 Take me then to thyself as a companion of thy chastity, and 44 let us love each other in spiritual love, so that when our 44 masters see us they may think that our intercourse is carnal. 4 4NowGod, Whoknoweth hearts, recognizeth spiritual brother- 44 hood, and we can easily persuade these people when they see
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"us together in this wise that we love each other." Then whilst marvelling- at the understanding- of the woman, I re ceived her good advice gladly in Christ, and henceforward I loved her as a spiritual helpmeet, and as a pure and chaste helper. I never saw her body naked, and I never approached her couch, for I was afraid lest, having been victorious in the time of war, I might receive a severe wound through the ar rows of the Enemy in the time of peace. In this wise then our masters left us for a long time, and they were not afraid that we were preparing to run away from them, for it happened on several occasions, sometimes for a whole month together, that I was alone [with the woman] in the desert. And my master used to come, and when he saw that I was taking good care of his sheep, he would go back [to his place] rejoicing.
And it came to pass one day when, according to my custom, I was sitting in the desert, that I began to meditate upon the peaceful life of the brethren who were in the monastery, and I saw also the face of our holy father as if it had been an image; and I thought of his perfect and abundant love for me, and how anxious he was in every way that I should not be separ ated from him, and how I would not be persuaded [to stay with him] by the Divine revelation, and how he bore witness beforehand concerning the things which would happen to me — Whilst, then, I say, I was pondering upon these things in my mind, and was greatly afflicted thereby, I saw an ants' nest, and I saw multitudes of these insects working with the greatest diligence and care in their various ways, and I saw how they were all making their way into the nest through a narrow entrance, without impeding each other. Some of them were bringing seeds for their winter food; and others were bringing loads wrhich were larger than their bodies; and others were carrying on their backs those which had been wounded; and others were expelling from the nest those which had settled themselves inside, and they were cutting them up into small pieces, lest being drenched in the winter they should have to return to the grass, and should die of hunger and be destroyed; and others were carrying dust, so that when the winter rains fell with violence they might be able to block up the entrance to their nest firmly. Now this sight was in my opinion worthy to wonder at, because everything which these small creatures did was done in perfect order, and I spent the whole of the day in watching them, and so enjoyed some relaxation from my afflictions, and I said, "Well did Solomon counsel us to be like " these creatures, for he [washed to] stir up our lazy and slug- " gish understandings in this wise [to perform] with a ready " mind the things which befit our redemption."
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