Coptic Martyrdoms and Lives in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

Coptic Martyrdoms and Lives in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

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II. The Encomium of Celestinus, Archbishop of Rome, on Victor the General

1 (Brit. Mus. MS. Oriental, No. 7022) The Encomium Which WAS PRONOUNCED BY THE GLORIOUS PATRIARCH, THE VERITABLE TEACHER, APA CELESTINUS, ARCHBISHOP OF THE CITY OF ROME, IN HONOUR OF THE MARTYR AND TRUE CROWN-BEARER IN THE CHRIST, THE HOLY VIRGIN, SAINT VICTOR THE GENERAL. HE PRONOUNCED IT ON THE DAY OF HIS HOLY COMMEMORATION, WHICH IS THE TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY OF THE MONTH PARMOUTE, AND HE PRO-NOUNCED IT IN HIS MARTYRIUM WHICH THE GOD-LOVING EMPEROR HAD BUILT FOR HIM IN ROME. AND HE SPAKE ALSO CON-CERNING THE ADMONISHING OF THE SOUL WHICH MAKETH ITSELF MANIFEST IN WORK, FOR THERE IS NOTHING CERTAIN IN THE LIFE OF MAN EXCEPT SUFFERING AND MISERY. AND HE SPAKE ALSO CONCERNING THAT WHICH IS WRITTEN IN THE [BOOK OF THE] APOSTLE, 'IT IS A FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF GOD.' AND [HE SPAKE ALSO] CONCERNING THE MISER-ABLE STATE OF A MAN AT THE MOMENT WHEN HE IS ABOUT TO YIELD UP HIS SPIRIT INTO THE HANDS OF GOD. AND CELESTINUS PRONOUNCED THIS ENCOMIUM WHEN THE EMPEROR VALENTIANUS (sic) WAS PRESENT, AND ALL HIS NOBLES, AND ALL THE PEOPLE, BOTH MALE AND FEMALE, WERE WITH HIM, AND THEY CELEBRATED THE [GLORIOUS] FESTIVAL OF SAINT VICTOR, AND MARVELLED ESPECIALLY AT THE WISDOM OF SAINT CELESTINUS. IN THE PEACE OF GOD! MAY HIS HOLY BLESSING COME UPON US, AND MAY WE ALL OBTAIN SALVATION! AMEN. BLESS US!

2 When He Who is alone the Handicraftsman, and the Deliverer of His day, and the Storehouse Who is filled with compassion of every kind, is pleased in His lovingkindness to call to remembrance the work of His hand, He giveth to His creatures food in its season, He openeth His hand which is filled with righteousness of every kind, and He maketh the sky to pour out rain at the time that is fitting. And by these means the meadow doth become soft, and doth burst into flower, in order that all mankind may rejoice. He bringeth down upon the earth the rain in the season of rain, and the husbandman cleaveth the furrows of the meadow with the plough, and casteth the seed into them at the season of sowing. And the grain beginneth to sprout, and the plants which bear grain grow up and ripen, according to their kind. And there is very great rejoicing in all beings, for they enjoy their food, and the things whereby the body is sustained; yea, even in the beasts of the field, which are wont to leap about and spring into the air when they eat the grass and herbs in the season of spring. And the husbandmen are wont to rejoice exceedingly, because they have good hope of paying the revenue tax on their flocks and herds.

3 If now there is wont to be joy of this kind over the food that appertaineth to the body, how much greater should be the joy this day, O flock of reasoning sheep, O ye blessed Christian people, over the Blood that flowed out from the Side of God, and the Water that fell upon the earth? For it made the world new again, and it became a fountain of water which bubbleth up unto life for ever. And all mankind rejoiced, and leaped for joy, and they blossomed once again through the Water and the Blood that flowed forth out of the side of Emmanuel. And they brought forth spiritual fruits, that is to say, the virtues of the Holy Spirit. There were some who chose for themselves purity from the time when they were born into the world to the time of their departure from it. There were others who had wives, and yet they were even as if they had had none. There were some who lived the lives of ascetics from the earliest years of their childhood to the last days of their old age, and fasted most rigidly. Some withdrew themselves from the world, and departed into the mountains, and became monks, and nobly fought the battle of the ascetic life to the day of their deaths. Others took up their crosses and followed after the Lord. They poured out their blood in their confession of God, and they received the crown of martyrdom. In short, all mankind hath blossomed and brought forth fruit with great gladness. The word which is written hath been fulfilled in this generation, 'They shall all know Thee, from the least of them even to the greatest.'

4 For our Saviour and His angels, who are in our midst this day, celebrate the festival of Apa Victor the general on the day of his commemoration, which is this day. All the ranks of the angels who are in heaven gather together to us this day, and they ascribe glory unto the man who withdrew himself from the world and the possessions thereof, and took (i. e. chose) the kingdom which is perfect. The Prophets and the Martyrs are in our midst this day, and they celebrate the festival of him that withdrew himself from the world and the possessions thereof; the Christ loved him, and crowned him with the crown of the kingdom which is in heaven. O Saint Victor the General! O thou who wearest the martyr's crown! O thou unconquered fighter! O thou true crown-bearer of the Christ! O thou who didst make thy body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, I wish to pronounce an encomium upon thee at thy festival this day, but I am afraid that I do not possess the strength that is necessary to sail over the sea of thy splendid actions. Since my tongue is a tongue of flesh, and my heart (i. e. understanding) within me is that of a man, I am not able to describe [adequately] the glory and the honour wherewith God hath invested thee. Among all the wise men who are in the world, who was there that was ever able to describe thine honourable life completely, O Saint Victor?

5 Thou wast a virgin from thy youngest days, and an ascetic from thy childhood. Thou didst fast two days at a time during the whole period of thy life. The door of thy house was open unto every one. For this reason I am afraid to set out upon the sea of thy virtues; I know well the haltingness of my tongue, and that my heart hath no wisdom in it. In what way is it possible for me to honour thee according to thy deserts? 6 Thou wast a virgin like unto Elijah, and thou didst never touch a woman. Thou wast a righteous man, and a good man, and a man of good heart towards all the poor, even like Abraham the Patriarch. Thou wast the martyr who was the mightiest of all the martyrs. Thou wast not afraid of kings and dukes and governors, nor did tortures destroy thy reasoning powers. The threats of thy father Romanus did not prevent thee from following thy true Father the Christ; nay, thou didst lay hold firmly upon the Rock which cannot be moved, the Christ, until thy latest breath. O thou who wast righteous in thy generation, who didst make thy body a sacrifice unto God, what shall I say, or what shall I proclaim concerning thee, O Saint Victor? I compare thee unto Noe, because thou wast perfect in thy generation, as was he in his. I compare thee unto Abraham, because thou wast a lover of strangers, as was he. Now God and His angels sojourned with Abraham because of his love for strangers. In thine own case, O Saint Victor, it was the Christ Who came unto thee, and the Son of God was in the garb of a poor man. He comforted thee in the Camp in a desert land, because of the great suffering which thou hadst endured for His Holy Name's sake. I compare thee unto Isaac the Patriarch, because in his case his father took him, though Isaac was unwilling, to offer him up as a sacrifice unto the Lord. In thy case, however, O Saint Victor, by thine own deliberate intent and choice thou didst offer up thy body as a whole burnt-offering to the Lord, through the manifold tortures which thou didst suffer for the Name of the Christ. I compare thee unto Jacob the Patriarch, because the Christ took [His] name from him. RC

7 And as for thee, O Saint Victor, all the martyrs who are in the heavens boast themselves over thee, and all the dwellers upon the earth do likewise, because of thy patient endurance. I compare thee unto Joseph, because thou didst fight against passion, even as did he. In the case of Joseph it was his brethren who sold him into slavery, and in thy case, O Saint Victor, it was thy father who delivered thee over [into the hands of the wicked] for the sake of the Name of the Christ. Joseph obtained a kingdom [upon earth] because of his patient endurance, and thou, O Saint Victor, didst obtain a kingdom in the heavens. I compare thee unto Melchisedek and Aaron, because they offered up sheep and bulls as types (or, symbolically), whilst thou, O Saint Victor, didst thyself make thine own body to be an offering unto God. For this reason we shall obtain great glory in the kingdom of the heavens. I compare thee unto Moses the Law-giver, because thou thyself didst reject the rank of general in this world, and the riches of thy parents, and thine own possessions, and didst take up thy Cross and follow thy Lord. Moses did not wish for men to call him the son of Pharaoh's daughter, but he chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season. And thou also, O Saint Victor, didst not wish for men to call thee the son of Romanus, the first in the salutation of the Emperor, and thou didst reject the honourable rank of general, and thy riches, and didst follow Him Who said, 'Whosoever loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.' And thou didst grasp the generalship which endureth for ever.

8 I compare thee with Isaiah the Prophet, because thou thyself hast seen Him that sitteth above the Cherubim and Seraphim, and He came to thee, He delivered thee out of all thy tribulation, and gave glory unto thee in the heavens and on the earth. And He Who dwelleth in the heavens hath made thee a general among all the martyrs, even as we shall make the matter quite clear unto you, provided that [our] words can go so far. And, moreover, on the earth hath He given glory unto thee, glory so great that thy sweet odour hath filled every country in the world. And men build martyriums unto thee in every place, wherein mighty deeds and miracles take place, and men ascribe glory to God and to His holy martyr. For true is that which is written: 'Whosoever shall ascribe glory unto Me, him shall My Father honour.' Although thou didst pass thy whole life in association with the cares of this world, yet was thy whole zeal devoted to the love of God. For this reason God hath graciously bestowed upon thee this great favour, namely, He hath conceded to thy shrine the power of healing both the soul and the body. Although thou healest the diseases of the body by means of the grace which God hath given unto thee, yet thou dost also cleanse the diseases of the soul, which are sins, through the signs and the miracles which thou dost make manifest in thy martyrium in the four quarters of the world. O Saint Victor, thy blood which hath been shed hath overthrown the pillar of Baal, even as did Elijah, and thou hast destroyed the idols and the pillars [thereof]. Thou hast become the pillar of the whole choir of the martyrs. Thou hast quenched the flame of fire by the power of God which is with thee, like the Three Holy [Children].

9 With what man [mentioned] in the Scriptures can I compare thee and not find that thou art his equal, nay, we will say even his superior? What shall I say concerning thee, O thou healer of the sicknesses that are secret as well as those that are manifest? For he hath even raised the dead by means of the oil of the sanctuary of his martyrium, wherein ye are assembled this day, and I have seen the miracle with my own eyes, I the least [of all here present]. But let no man become an unbeliever concerning the miracle which took place, lest there be fulfilled in him the proverb which is written, 'The unbeliever is not [worth] an obolus.' Hearken ye then, and I will make manifest the matter unto you, so that there may be glory to God and to Saint Victor, whose festival we commemorate this day. Now the Saviour said, 'Whosoever believeth on Me shall himself see the works which I do in the Name of My Father, and he shall do things which are even greater than they.'

10 There was in this city a certain man whose name was Alexander, and he had great possessions in gold and silver; this man had a wife who was barren, and who had never given birth to a child, and there was great sorrow in their hearts because of this thing, for they had no heir to inherit their substance. And they heard of the mighty deeds and miracles that took place in the martyrium of Saint Apa Victor, and they rose up and went together to the holy shrine, and they made an offering in the martyrium on the Lord's Day. And afterwards they made a vow, saying, 'Hear thou this day wherein we make supplication unto thee. If thou wilt come unto us, and wilt give us the seed of man, we will dedicate him to thy martyrium to the day of his death. Only take away the cause of the reproaches which we endure, and grant unto us our petition.' And when they had said these things they departed to their house in gladness. And it came to pass on a certain day that Saint Victor made supplication to the Christ on their behalf, and the wife of Alexander gave birth to a male child, who was exceedingly beautiful to look upon, and the grace of God enveloped him, and they called his name 'Victor', naming him after Saint Victor. And there was great joy in the house of Alexander and his wife, and they distributed much alms among the poor.

11 And when the child was five years of age the hearts of his parents would not permit them to send the child away to the shrine of Saint Apa Victor, according to the promise which had come forth from their mouths, but they went back on their vow. And they remembered not that which is written, 'Take good heed to thyself to perform the words which come forth from thy mouth, for the Lord will assuredly keep strict watch on thy ways, and will take vengeance upon thee.' Finally, the father of the child and his mother spake together, saying, 'Behold, our hearts will not let us send the child into the shrine according to what we vowed. Let us call some man in the city who buyeth slaves, [and let him put a value on the child,] and we will give the value to the shrine, so that the martyr may not be angry with us.' And they rose up and called a merchant in the city who bought slaves, and Alexander set before him all the slave children which he had on his estate, and the merchant valued the child at forty holokottinoi. And Alexander and his wife took the gold, and gave it to the shrine of the martyr, and they did not remember that it was written, 'If thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt pay it.'

12 And when Saint Victor saw that the parents of the child were not paying their vow in a right manner, and that they were thinking that the gift of God was like the other things which they were wont to obtain by money, he made the matter to work out in the way which I will describe, and they were punished for their senseless behaviour. And it came to pass on a day that the child was in the courtyard round about his father's house playing with a number of other children of the same rank and age as himself. And suddenly a large stone which was in the corner of the house dropped upon the child, who fell upon the ground and died immediately. When his parents heard of this they rent their garments, and they cried out with a loud voice, and they came rushing out with the servants, and they fell upon the child, who was dead. O what an exhibition of great grief was that which took place there at that moment! And the parents cried out, 'Woe unto us, beloved child! It is we ourselves who have been the cause of thy death; because we made a vow, and we did not fulfil our vow. We dedicated thee to the shrine of the holy man, and behold, he received thee from our hands before thou wast conceived. He hath burned up our bowels with grief for our beloved son. It is we who deserve death. What shall we do?

13 At this moment we know not.' As for the father of the child a firm faith held him fast. He took up his little child in his arms, and the mother and his servants followed him, and they brought him into the martyrium of Saint Victor, and he laid him down before the altar of sacrifice. And he cried out, saying, 'O Saint Victor, I know that thou hast the power to do everything, and that it was thou who didst graciously bestow upon me this child. Act not towards me according to my senseless behaviour, but consider graciously my tears, and do thou make the soul of the child to come back into him again, and he and we together will make ourselves slaves unto thee until the day of our death.' 14 And when he had said these words, and he was crying as he said them, Alexander took a little oil from the lamp, and made the Sign of the Cross over the child, and he put some on his lips, and on his breast, and on his belly. And the miracle which took place straightway was greater than any miracle of Elijah and Elisha. For at the very moment when the oil of the lamp touched the child (now what [his father] said was, 'May the skin of my hand make healing to arise; return, O soul, into the child again') through the supplication of Saint Victor the child opened his eyes. Great was the joy that fell upon his parents on that day, and on all those who belonged to them, and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Great art Thou, O God of Saint Victor, and there is no god besides Thee in heaven or upon earth! In the place of grief Thou hast given unto us gladness, and Thou hast raised up to his parents the child who was dead.'

15 And when the multitude saw the great miracle which had happened, they cried out with a loud voice, and they ran to where the child was, and they cried out, saying, 'One is the God of Saint Victor!' And the father of the child went round about the whole city with him, and he clasped his hand and proclaimed the mighty deeds of Saint Victor. After this he went into his house, and he brought out all his possessions and his slaves, and he gave them to the shrine of Saint Victor; and he remained in the shrine and served the Saint until the day of his death. And the child became a man who was chosen of God, and he lived as a virgin all his life. He attained at length to the rank of the presbytery, and it used to be said of him that Saint Victor was wont to appear unto him, and that he saw him many times.

16 Verily, true is the word which our Saviour spake, 'Him who shall minister unto Me shall My Father honour.' See, O my beloved, how exceedingly powerful is the supplication of Saint Victor! And observe that God is wont to take vengeance upon the man who maketh a vow to Him and who payeth it not. As for us, when we make a vow to the martyr, let us fulfil it zealously in order that he may not be wroth with us. And moreover, to vow [and not to pay] is a great sin. Take thou then good heed concerning that which thou hast vowed. However, we must not tarry in our discourse. Let us now go back and tell you concerning another very great miracle which took place in the martyrium of Saint Victor, to the glory of God and the martyr. 17 There was in this city a certain woman whose name was Kallicutropia, and she was the daughter of the sister of the Emperor Honorius, and she was exceedingly rich. And it came to pass one day, when she was lying down in her house about the time of noon, in a cave-like place, at the hottest part of the day, that a certain demon leaped into her two breasts, and they swelled up (? and throbbed (? violently, and at the same time they shrivelled up, and became as hard as stones, and they hung down on her body; and the woman was in very great torture by day and by night. And she spent large sums of money on the physicians, but obtained from them neither relief nor healing; and she continued to suffer agonies, and her husband fell into abject despair about her. And the physicians used their utmost endeavours to work a cure upon her, the more so because she was a king's sister (sic), but they were powerless before the pain of the disease, according to what hath been written concerning physicians, 'Their wisdom remaineth in them.' And when the woman heard of the mighty deeds and miracles which were taking place in the shrine of Saint Victor, she made entreaty to her husband, and to her brother, that they would allow her to go to the shrine of the saint, for perhaps he might come to her, and graciously bestow healing upon her.

18 And her kinsmen were persuaded by her, [for] they saw that she was in danger of dying, and they commanded that a litter wherein to carry her should be made ready, and they took her to the shrine of Saint Victor. And when she had entered into the shrine she cried out, saying, 'O my Lord Saint Victor, I entreat thee to have compassion upon me, and to remove from me these pains which I suffer, for thou art a saint of God.' And in the middle of the night Saint Victor 19 considered the misfortune of the woman, and he brought unto her a cessation [of pain], and she lost consciousness; and her slave and her eunuch were close to her. And Saint Victor came unto her in a vision, and he was clad in purple, and he emitted rays of light, and there was a staff of light in his hand. And he said unto her, 'If thou wishest to be healed [do this]. When thou risest up to-morrow morning take a little of the oil which is in the lamp that burneth before the altar of sacrifice, and with it do thou smear thy breasts, and the demon shall be sore troubled, and shall come out of them, and through this these pains shall cease. But take good heed that thou dost not display arrogance towards thy slave-woman, and take good heed that thou dost not in future walk haughtily and stiffneckedly, and take good heed to stretch out thy hand to the poor. For these sufferings have come upon thee because of thine uncharitableness, and because of thy pride.'

20 And the woman became greatly disturbed, and she answered with fright, 'Who art thou who appearest in such a wonderful form, and surrounded with such great glory?' And he made answer in a gentle (or, sweet) voice, saying, 'I am Victor, the general of the Great King'; and when he had said these words she ceased to see him. And straightway she awoke from her dream, and she smelled a very strong sweet smell which filled the whole martyrium. And she said within herself, 'Verily this man who spake unto me was Saint Victor; I am a sinful woman.' And straightway she woke up her men, and told them her dream. And when the morning had come she went to the elder in the martyrium, and he gave her a little of the oil which was in the lamp. And when she had taken it into her hand she smeared her breasts therewith, saying, 'In the Name of the God of Saint Victor, whose glory I have been held worthy to see; do Thou graciously grant unto me healing.' And immediately the demon became terrified, and he leaped out of her breasts in the form of a gryphon, and all the people saw him, and he was like unto a flame of fire. And straightway her breasts assumed their usual shape, and she cried out, saying, 'One is the God of Saint Victor!' And she gave splendid gifts to the martyrium, gold and very much silver, as a memorial of the healing which had taken place in her. Afterwards she went to her house to her kinsfolk, giving glory to God and to His holy martyr.

21 And again it is necessary for us to tell you of another great miracle which took place through this holy man. And it came to pass that when the Emperor Honorius saw the healing which had taken place in his sister through Saint Victor he rejoiced exceedingly, and it pleased him to restore the apse of the altar chamber, and to decorate the woodwork of the martyrium with fine gold, as a memorial of the glory of the saint. And he caused handicraftsmen who were masters of their craft to be brought, and they began their work of decorating the chamber of the altar of sacrifice with gold. And whilst they were working on the woodwork, the Devil, who hateth that which is good, overturned one of the workmen whilst he was at work, and he fell to the ground. And the other workmen were afraid, and they cried out, saying, 'Lord, have mercy upon us.' And the Emperor very costly stones were completed. And now, O my beloved, ye see how great are the mighty deeds and wonders of Saint Victor, whose festival we are celebrating this day. And to every man who shall make supplication unto him with his whole heart, no matter what kind of sickness it is from which he is suffering, the saint will graciously bestow upon him healing.

22 And again, there was a certain man in this city who was a patrician [in the service] of the Emperors, and who fell ill of a certain kind of sickness which was incurable; and his whole body swelled up to such a degree that he resembled a pillar. And to see this man in such a state of wretchedness made one's heart to ache, for he lived in great tribulation, and he suffered excruciating pains, which were wellnigh unbearable. Often it would happen that thou wouldst find him sitting [on the ground], and his servant would be obliged to carry him to his house; and his feet and his [other] members would burst from time to time, and eject large quantities of unclean matter. And he gave very much money to the physicians, but gained no relief thereby. And besides this the Emperors of Rome sent the archiators [to treat him], for he was a nobleman of high rank in the Palace, and others also used every effort to cure him, but he failed to find any relief whatsoever. And thus he continued to live, suffering these excruciating pains, until [one day] he heard of the mighty deeds and miracles which took place in the shrine of Saint Apa Victor. Then his servant lifted him up and carried him into the shrine of the holy man, and he laid him down before the altar of sacrifice, and he cried out by day and by night, 'O Saint Victor, look upon my humility and my sufferings, and graciously bestow healing upon me, for I am grievously tortured. Or let thy mercy come to me, and do thou make supplication to God on my behalf, so that He may take me out of this life [of suffering]. Behold, thou seest my tribulation by day and by night.'

23 S S And he lost consciousness for a short space of time. And behold, Saint Victor gave consideration to his miserable condition, for he is a lover of mankind. And the sick man saw him in a dream apparelled in great glory, and he was wearing rich purple garments, and he was girded with a girdle of gold, and he shot forth from his person rays of light. And he said [unto the sick man] in the dream, 'Why art thou here in this condition?' And the sick man said unto him, 'Behold, thou seest my sufferings and my tribulations, and that I have drawn nigh unto death.' And the holy man said unto him with a joyful face, 'I am he who shall cure thee, for thou must know that I have the power to do everything through the grace of God which is with me.' And he stretched out the rod which was in his hand, and he laid it upon the sick man, saying, 'Healing shall come to thee this day. But do not sin again, or evil which is worse than this shall befall thee; and do not thou shew thyself haughty towards the poor.' And the sick man answered and said with trepidation, 'My lord, who art thou that appearest in this form?

24 I have never before seen any one like unto thee, whether it be Emperor or whether it be general in the Palace.' And he answered and said unto the man, 'I am Victor, the general of the King of heaven.' And when he had said these things unto him the man ceased to feel pain, and he ejected a mass of pus which was so abundant that it overflowed and soaked all his bed; and he ceased to swell up, and became like unto a man who had never suffered from any skin disease at all. And he leaped up on his feet, and stood up, and he cried out, saying, 'One is the God of Saint Victor!' And when the multitudes who 25 were gathered together inside the martyrium saw the great miracle which had been wrought, they cried out, saying, 'Blessed are we, because we are held to be worthy [to have] this pearl in our city, for he healeth our sicknesses and our diseases.' And the man gave gifts to the shrine of Saint Victor, both gold and silver, so that they might be distributed among the poor and the destitute. And he departed to his house ascribing glory to God, and he took care for his soul unto the day of his death. What can I say about the miracles which thou hast performed, O thou wearer of the crown of the Christ? And what tongue of flesh is there that is able to describe thy blessed estate, O thou valiant general? Verily, if I were to pass the whole of my time in going through the miracles which thou hast wrought, I should be wholly unable to recount even a very small portion of them. O thou confessor and invincible athlete, who is there that is able to comprehend the full extent of thine honourable estate, and the wonderful things that have taken place in thy martyrium? For as it is impossible for a man to estimate the honourableness of this holy man, so also is it impossible [to declare] the mighty deeds which have gone forth from his sanctuary. O thou veritable crown-bearer of the Christ, thou youth whose wisdom vanquished that of the trained orator! O thou who didst despise a kingdom in this world in order that thou mightest receive one which was more excellent and belonged to heaven, great is the glory which God hath given unto thee both in heaven and upon the earth!

26 As I have already said, the sweet odour of thee hath filled all the countries of the world, and men make mention of thy name in every country, from the Camp wherein thou didst complete thy course even to the [region of the First] Cataract. And they ascribe glory unto thee throughout the world, saying that thou art the greatest of the martyrs, the more so because God hath made the [fame of the] wonders and miracles to go forth from thy martyrium into every place. And the wonders of healing exist for those who shall believe on thy name, and this selfsame gift cometh forth from thy martyrium and goeth from one end of the inhabited world to the other. If this be not so [in your opinion], hearken and I will shew you that it is. And it came to pass, they say, that in the beginning, when the God-loving Emperor Constantine built this very martyrium wherein we are assembled this day in honour of Saint Apa Victor, a certain great general fell sick of a very severe disease. Now he was sixty years of age, and he suffered great pain in his inward parts, and he was unable to sleep; and he was sick with the disease which the physicians call kaleniosa. He had given many large sums of money to one physician after the other, without feeling any benefit from their treatment. On the contrary, he was in imminent danger of dying. Then he heard about the mighty deeds and miracles which took place in the martyrium of Saint

27 Victor in Antioch, and he rose up and went [ to Antioch. And he passed two days in the martyrium there, and did not receive healing. And on the night of the third day he felt a slight alleviation of the pain through the invincible power of God, and straightway Saint Victor came to him in a dream. He was in the form of a mighty general, and his face shot forth rays of light, and he said unto the sick general, 'If thou wishest to be made free of this disease, rise up quickly and depart to the martyrium [of Saint Victor] which is in Rome. Thou shalt drink the water which is in the vessel in the chamber of the altar of sacrifice, and thou shalt find healing. Was it because [my] martyrium which is in Rome is difficult [to reach] that thou didst come to this place? Didst thou not know that my power is in all the world, and that it is the selfsame gift of healing which is [to be obtained] in them all, by those who believe and do not halt between two opinions? Didst thou not know that this selfsame power permeateth my martyrium which is in Rome and that which is in Antioch? Why didst thou bring upon thy head the vexatious trouble of journeying over a sea of ocean to come to this place? Didst thou not know that I have the power to heal in this place?

28 But I will not do this in this place, and unless thou goest to my martyrium which is in Rome thou shalt [not] find healing, so that every one may know my power.' And the sick general trembling answered and said, 'My lord, who art thou who appearest in this form, and art surrounded with such great glory?' And he answered and said, 'I am Victor the general. I will ob heal thy body. I will give salvation to thy soul.' And straightway he awoke from his dream, and he was trembling exceedingly. And he said, 'Verily this is Saint Victor, who hath come to visit me.' And straightway his heart trembled, and he said, 'Forgive me, O my lord Saint Victor, because I was careless about going to thy shrine which hath been but recently built in my city, and came to this place.' And he awoke his servants at the moment when the light was coming, and the men who had come with him, and he told them about the dream which he had seen; and then he gave great and splendid gifts to the martyrium which is in Antioch.

29 And after this he went up into a ship, and came to the city of Rome, and went into the martyrium of Saint Victor, and he lay down to sleep therein, being in great tribulation. And he made supplication to God and to the holy martyr, saying, 'O my lord Saint Victor, who didst consider me to be worthy of the sight of thy glory in thy martyrium, which is in Antioch, who didst command me to come to this place, I believe, O my lord, that thy power goeth through the ob whole world, just as doth the sun which illumineth the inhabited world. Let thy mercy come upon me, and do thou graciously grant healing unto me, for I am suffering very greatly.' And when he had said these things he lay down until the evening. 30 And afterwards he made them bring unto him a little water in the vessel from the altar, and he drank it, even as Saint Victor had told him to do, and immediately the God of Saint Victor brought unto him a cessation of the pain, and contrary to his usual custom he slept through the whole night. And at the hour of dawn the martyr came unto him with great glory, and he said unto him with a joyful face, 'Dost thou know me?' And the nobleman said unto him, 'Yea, my lord, I know thee. Thou art Saint Victor. It was thou who didst appear unto me in thy martyrium at Antioch, and thou didst send me to this place.' And the saint said unto him, 'Have I not already told thee that my might filleth every place, and that it is the selfsame power which abideth continually in all my martyriums, from [one] end of the earth to the other, and which healeth every one who shall believe [in me] without doubt or hesitation? Hast thou never heard that which is written, "Everything is possible to him that believeth?'" And the man answered and said unto

31 the saint, 'I do believe, my lord, that thy power filleth every place, but having heard concerning the mighty deeds which took place in thy martyrium which is in Antioch, I went [there] to seek after healing for my body.' The saint said unto him, 'As it is with my martyrium which is in Antioch, so is it with that which is in Rome, and [so is it with] all the churches in the earth which have been built in my name, from one end thereof to the other. My strength shall work in them to the very end of this age for him that shall believe in me. And I will heal [all] diseases, both those which are secret and those which are manifest, through the gracious gift which God hath given unto me, and unto all the saints. Now, therefore, behold I will bestow upon thee the gift of health of the body, but thou must pray at the same time for the health of thy soul, so that no evil may arise for thee from this [cause].' And when Saint Apa Victor had said these things to the man he hid himself from him. And the man woke up in the morning, and he found that the diseased portion of his inward parts, that is to say, the hard ulcer, had burst, and he vomited from his mouth a very large quantity of pus, and he became straightway just like one who was not diseased at all.

32 And he sent abroad the report of the things which Saint Victor had said unto him throughout the whole city. And from that day onwards the saint granted the gift of healing to every sick person, no matter what the sickness from which he was suffering, when he went into his shrine. And the man gave great gifts to the shrine of Saint Victor, and he went to his house, giving glory to God. In all his troubles he besought Saint Victor to be his helper, and he fasted and prayed until the day of his death. 33 Ye see, O my beloved, how very great and mighty are the miracles of this holy man whose festival we are keeping this day, and that these mighty deeds are worked in all his martyriums for those who believe. As for us, let us believe with all our hearts on the mighty works and miracles of this holy man, in order that he may make supplication on our behalf to God. For whosoever shall disbelieve in the mighty works of the saint, not only shall they be of no benefit to him, but his unbelief shall be unto him a source of condemnation. However, let us not waste words, but let us return [to our subject] and describe unto you the following great miracle, which took place in the shrine of Saint Apa Victor, to the glory of God and of His saint.

34 There was a man in this city whose name was Anastasius, and he was exceedingly rich, and he belonged to a noble family. And when this man had become very old in days, and was one hundred years old, he became sick of the disease which the physicians call elephantiasis. And his whole body dried up, and he became leprous, [as white] as the snow, and many times he felt shame before the men who looked upon him, for his body became covered all over with patches of spots like that of a leopard. And he was exceedingly grieved in heart over this matter, because he was ashamed to go into the Palace, and he did not appear in the market-place because of what had come upon him. After these things God put it into his heart to go to the martyrium of Saint Apa Victor, and to make supplication unto him so that he might cure him of his disease altogether. For he used to see people who were suffering from various kinds of disease, and whenever they went into his martyrium they obtained healing, and then they would depart to their own houses glorifying God. In this way then Anastasius rose up in faith, and he went into the shrine of Saint Apa Victor with his servants and with very many possessions, and he passed two days in the holy place making supplication to Saint Victor to be pleased to heal him of his leprosy, and he said, 'O Saint Victor, I believe with my whole heart that thou art able to heal me of this my leprosy. Help me, I pray thee, for I am ashamed, by reason of that which hath come upon me, to let men look at me.'

35 And whilst he was passing these two days in the martyrium, behold [there came in] a man who had phlegm in his eyes, and through the great quantity of granulation which covered them a white film had appeared in his eyes; and he had ceased to see anything by means of his own sight. All the money which he had he had spent on the physicians, and he remained wholly uncured. Finally, when he heard about the mighty deeds of Saint Victor, he made some men to carry him into his martyrium, whilst he was in great pain, and they laid him on a bed which was near that of the leper. And he made entreaty to the God of Saint Victor, saying, 'O my lord the general, have mercy upon me, and graciously bestow upon me the gift of light for my eyes.' And as concerning the miracle which took place at that time we shall certainly not hold our peace. That night God, Who hearkeneth unto every one that crieth out to Him in truth, was pleased to heal the two men at the same time through the intercession of Saint Victor, who doeth such miracles and mighty deeds as these.

36 And it came to pass during that night, when the man who had the skin disease had eaten with his servants, and had lain down to sleep, that Saint Victor had compassion on the miserable state of the man with the skin disease and on the blind man, and he was pleased to make manifest his miracles. And he came to the man with the skin disease arrayed in great glory, and his face shone brightly, and he said unto him, 'Dost thou know who I am?' And the man answered, 'Nay, I do not, my lord.' And the saint said unto him, 'I am Victor, to whom thou didst make supplication this day. I am the father of the martyrium. Now, therefore, if thou dost wish to be cleansed from thy skin disease, thou shalt rise up early in the morning, and shalt take hold of the hand of this blind man who is sleeping by thy side, and thou shalt lead him down to the pool of water which is by the door of the martyrium, and ye two shall dip yourselves therein three times, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Then shalt thou see my power; thy skin disease shall cease from thee, and the blind man shall see.

37 Only take good heed not to be careless in respect of what hath been said unto thee, and thou shalt be made whole.' And when Saint Victor had said these things to the man with the skin disease, he came forth from him. Then straightway the man awoke from his dream, and he was in a confused and agitated state, and he smelt a very strong sweet smell round about his bed, and it was like unto the smell of the finest perfumed incense. And he said within himself, 'Verily this man who came unto me was Saint Victor, and he came to bestow upon me graciously the gift of being made whole'; and he rejoiced exceedingly, and blessed God. But he shut up the matter in his heart, saying, 'I will tell no one at all about the vision'; and he waited to see the end of the matter.

38 And when the light became stronger the man with the skin disease said unto the blind man, 'Peradventure thou wilt get up, and then we will go down to the pool and wash ourselves, for I believe by God and by His holy martyr, [that if 39 we do,] He will graciously bestow upon us healing.' And the blind man said to the man with the skin disease, 'Whatsoever thou wishest to do, that do, [but I cannot do this]. Behold, thou knowest the pain and tribulation which I endure. The truth is that I am afraid to wash, for the physicians ordered me not to allow water to touch my head.' Then the man with the skin disease said unto the blind man, 'Get up, let us [go and] wash. God hath the power to remember us, and He will bestow healing upon us, who now suffer.' And the blind man was persuaded by [these] words. And the man with the skin disease took hold of his hand in the midst of the whole multitude, and they went down to the lake. And having filled a large washing-bowl at the place for drawing water there, they dipped themselves in it three times, saying, 'In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and of the holy martyr, Saint Victor.' And straightway the man with the skin disease gained relief, and his flesh became like unto that of a child. And as for the blind man, the white film which was in his eyes burst, and fell down into the water, and his sight was completely restored.

40 And they cried out, saying, 'One is the God of Saint Victor, Who healeth every one by His holy power.' And the multitude who were gathered together in the martyrium, having heard [what had happened], rushed outside at once to see the great wonders which had taken place, and they cried out, saying, 'Great are the mighty deeds of God and Saint Victor. Great is the favour which God hath worked for us, in holding us to be worthy to have thy martyrium in our city.' Then when they had been told what had happened to them (i.e. the sick men), the man who had had the skin disease declared to them everything, and told them how Saint Victor had spoken to him in a dream. And the report of this miracle filled every place, and I myself saw it with my own eyes, I, the insignificant one, who am now addressing to you this encomium.

41 And the man who had had the skin disease, and the blind man, both of whom had been healed by Saint Victor, remained in his martyrium and ministered there until the day of their death, and they gave diligent attention to the welfare of their souls. And as for the lake wherein they had washed, very many mighty works of God continued to take place therein, and they do so to this very day. So great a means of healing is it that any man who is sick, whether he be sick of the palsy, or whether he be possessed of a devil, in short, if he be suffering from any kind of sickness, immediately that he has bathed in that lake, he findeth healing; and these folk go to their houses glorifying the God of Saint Victor. What shall I say about the things which thou hast performed by thy righteous actions? Who is there among all the philosophers of the world who is able to pronounce on thee an encomium which shall adequately praise thy merits, O thou who didst make of thy body a sacrifice, which was living, and was holy, and was acceptable, and was pleasing unto God? Thou didst suffer greatly for the name of the Christ, O thou noble man, Apa Victor! Great is the glory which God gave unto thee in heaven and upon the earth.

42 Verily the word which is written is fulfilled, 'The sufferings of a time are not worthy the glory which shall be revealed unto us.' Great is the glory which God hath given unto thee, O holy general! So great is it that to every man who calleth upon God in thy name when he be in trouble of any kind, there cometh speedily the help of God. And this continueth to be so even to this day, for He delivereth every man who maketh supplication unto Him with his whole heart from dangers of every kind. If ye do not [believe this], hearken and I will shew you that it is indeed so. 43 And it came to pass that when the barbarians, who are called Saban, rose up against the country of 'Romania', now they were as many as the sands of the sea, they captured the first part (frontier?) of 'Romania', and then they made ready a large fleet of ships to transport them from 'Romania' to our country. And all the people, and all those men who were of senatorial rank, and all the common folk of Rome, and all those who were in the immediate districts, gathered themselves together, and they celebrated the 'Catholic Synaxis' in the shrine of Saint Victor, wherein we are at this very moment assembled. And the God-loving Emperor was there with the soldiers of his army. Now it was the festival of Saint Victor, and my Father Innocent also was there with his clergy. And when they had begun [to recite] the Communion Service with great solemnity and reverence, behold, certain letters which had been sent by the hand of the captain of the lightly armed skirmishing troops, who was called Roumentros, who had been sent by the eparch of the frontier of 'Romania', were delivered to the Emperor, and they contained the following message: 'Haste thee, make ready the army, and come to us quickly, and help us, for behold the barbarians have captured the frontier of Armenia (sic).'

44 And the Emperor was much disturbed …but his hope was fixed upon God. And when he had read the dispatch, straightway he wrote to the eparch, saying, 'Fear thou not, I will come in [the morning of the morrow, and all the Roman folk with me. And when the captain (veletarius) received the dispatch, he departed. And the Emperor and all the people were gathered together into the shrine of Saint Victor, together with the Archbishop and all the clergy, and they cast themselves down before the altar of sacrifice, saying, O Saint Victor the general, make supplication to God on our behalf, so that He may protect our country, and so that the godless barbarians may not have dominion over it.' And then they celebrated the great 'Catholic Synaxis' with great fervour (? until the tenth hour of the day. And the miracle that took place at that moment is one the mention of which must not be omitted. And when the service was ended, and the Archbishop had pronounced the benediction of peace over the people, and they were about to depart to their homes, behold, there arrived another great captain (veletarius) who had been sent to the Emperor with another dispatch. Now it contained glad tidings, and there was written therein thus: 'Peace be unto thee, O God-loving Emperor! Be strong, and of good courage, for God hath fought for thee. Behold, the godless barbarians who revolted against thy sovereignty hath God destroyed with their own swords.

45 Each one of them hath risen up against his neighbour, beginning at the second hour of this day, and they slew each other, and there is not one of them left; on the contrary, all are dead. Behold, all their harness and trappings and their horses we have sent to thy majesty. Therefore give thyself no trouble, and do not let thy mind be disturbed, O thou honour of the soldiers, for it is God who fighteth on our behalf with thee. Who shall resist us?' And when the Emperor had taken this letter [in his hand], he read it out to the congregation before they departed. And they rejoiced exceedingly, and were very glad, and they knew immediately that it was Saint Victor the general who had destroyed the barbarians. Now they had begun to make supplication to him at the second hour of the day. And they all cried out with a loud voice, and they ascribed glory to the God of Saint Victor, and the barbarians have never again attempted to invade 'Romania' to this day.

46 Ye see, O my beloved, that the power of the holy general whose festival we are celebrating this day is great. Let us then cease from every work which is evil, and all violence, and all irregular behaviour, and all the guileful deeds which we are in the habit of committing, and let us all make ourselves sons of his. Verily, O Saint Victor the general, thou makest us to rejoice and be glad this day more than those who make merry in the place wherein they drink wine, and thou hast placed before us the table of thy holy feast which is filled with all good things. And as for us, let us reach out for them, let us taste them, so that we may rejoice and be glad. Let us remember the sufferings which our Lord suffered for us and His holy martyrs, and let us bring forth fruit to God according to what is meet, each one according to his power, one in purity, another in prayer and fasting, another in patient endurance, another in long-suffering, another in love and in [shewing] love to strangers. In short, let us never pass a moment without bearing fruit, so that we may become a well-cultivated field of God, and let us spread abroad in us the fruits of righteousness. Hearken unto the

47 wise man Paul the Apostle, who saith, 'I beseech you, by the mercy of God, that ye present your bodies a sacrifice, living, holy, [and] acceptable unto God.' How, and in what way, shall we present our bodies, O Saint Victor, unless we guard our bodies and our hearts against all kinds of deceit, and all kinds of fornication, for it is written, 'Without purity, no man shall see God.' And let us watch our tongues so that they speak not slanderous gossip, and blaspheme not, and utter no words of wantonness and scurrility. And thou shalt teach thy hands to pray, and shalt keep them from acts of theft and violence, and thou shalt guard thy feet from wandering from the door of the house of God. And thou shalt watch thine eyes so that they lust not, and do not give a cause for offence in the part [of the church] where the women are. When thou shalt do all these things it shall happen that thou art presenting thy body unto God as a

48 sacrifice, even as did Saint Victor, who rejected the world and everything which was in it because of his love towards God. Hearken unto the Prince of the Apostles, Peter, who saith, 'I beseech you, O my brethren, as strangers and sojourners to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the things in the soul.' Now are we not, O my beloved, mere sojourners upon the earth? Doth not a man walk like a phantom? He gathereth together, but he knoweth not for whom he gathereth. 49 Since then we are indeed strangers and sojourners upon the earth, it is seemly for us to remember our everlasting habitation, that is to say, the Kingdom of God, into the which, if we keep the commandment which hath been given unto us, we shall enter happily. We were born not to become inheritors of the earth, but to make earth inherit it (i. e. the Kingdom); for the house of every man is the earth. Inasmuch as when we come into the world we weep, so also when we depart we weep; when we come into it we heave a sigh, and when we depart we heave a sigh. Inasmuch then as from the very first moment in which man is born into this world he weepeth, even so also when he cometh forth from the body he weepeth; he is born with suffering, [and] departeth with suffering. For there is nothing which ruleth the life of a man except misery and sorrow. Hast thou not heard that which is written, 'Let not your heart be heavy through satiety, and drunkenness, and the anxieties of life, because that day shall come upon you like a snare; for it shall come upon every one who dwelleth upon the face of the earth?' whether he be king, or governor, or rich man, or poor man. No man whatsoever shall escape from that awful necessity, which is full of fear. And again, have ye not heard that which is written, 'Possessions shall profit nothing in the day of wrath;

50 it is righteousness [only] that delivereth a man from death?' Set not thine affections on worldly possessions, or on the pomp of riches. Bind not thy soul to dominion and power, or to gold or silver, for all these things afterwards become fetters to thee; for possessions have no quality which will make them to remain in this world, but sins will precede us, and will take their stand at the throne of God. Hast thou never heard what our Lord spake, 'Watch, for ye know neither the day nor the hour?' Let us therefore watch by day and by night so that we may not let our bodies be without God for one moment. 51 And moreover, we do not know when they will seek after us. Let us not bind ourselves to the phantoms of wealth, for thou knowest not when it shall be demanded from thee. Hast thou not heard what is written, 'A man shall not redeem a man, and a brother shall not release a brother; he shall not give [himself] to God in exchange for him as the price of the redemption of his soul?' This informeth [us] that a righteous father cannot obtain the release of a sinful son, nor a rich brother obtain the release of a poor brother, nor a righteous son obtain the release of a sinful father; but every man shall receive according to what he hath done.

52 Now therefore, O my beloved, distribute your riches and possessions in alms and oblations to the poor, in order that ye may obtain the happiness which shall be without end. Put not your confidence in the riches of this world, and do not place any reliance on gold or on silver. Hast thou never hearkened unto Solomon, who saith, 'I hate all the labour for which I had suffered under the sun, because I am obliged to leave it to the man who shall come after me?' Now the meaning of these words is that the senseless man saith in his soul, With pain and difficulty I gather together [possessions] for my children, in order that they may find means whereby to live after my death. O thou fool, where dost thou obtain the knowledge that thy son shall live after thee and inherit thy possessions, or that he shall live a very long time and spend them all? Shall not God take care of thy son without thy help? Is it not God Who brought thee up, and shall He not also bring up thy son? In the day on which thou wast brought into the world, was not an obolus also made with thee?

53 Now, therefore, hath God graciously given unto thee the large amount of wealth which thou hast in order that thou mayest rest and enjoy thyself in this world and in the next. But Satan hath shut thy heart, and doth not allow thee to be generous towards the poor; because of this thou shalt receive great and never-ending punishments—because of thine unbelief. For we see very many rich men gathering together possessions with great toil and suffering, and merchants building large houses for themselves, and [collecting] possessions and substance in abundance, and gardens, and fields, and large numbers of cattle, and great quantities of household stuff, and very large sums of money, and they say that they are laying up a store for their children. And whilst they have such thoughts as these in their minds, their children are snatched out of their hands whilst they are babies, and strangers reap the benefit of their labours, and they themselves depart to the throne of God being naked. They have not sent on one good work before them, neither is there any gift in their hands, and they curse the day in which they were born into the world.

54 Say not in thy blindness of heart, 'When I am about to go forth from the body, I will write my will so that my children and my kinsfolk may give alms on behalf of my soul.' O thou senseless one, thou very great fool, dost thou not know that when thou shalt go forth from the body, thou wilt not be like even unto the man who is lord of one obolus? and moreover, no man will ever remember thee again. Thou wilt not have with thee the money which thou hast heaped up. Thou wilt not have with thee the granary which is full of grain. Thou wilt not have with thee thy vineyards. Thou wilt not have with thee the houses which thou hast built. Nay, thou wilt be a stranger unto them all. They will have ceased to be thine, and will have become things which belong to others. If they wish they will give to thee; if they wish not they will not give to thee.

55 U U Hast thou never hearkened unto the holy man Job, saying, 'When I came out of my mother's womb I was naked, and I will depart naked.' Also the Apostle crieth out, saying, 'We brought nothing with us into this world, and we shall take nothing [with us when] we depart.' And David saith, 'When their spirit cometh out of them they return to their earth.' O wretched man, how and in what way art thou benefited by all these cares and all these anxieties? Now, thou dost know the place where thou wast born, but thou dost not know the place where thou wilt die. Thou knowest how many years thou hast lived up to this present time, but thou hast no knowledge of how many thou hast yet to live. Thou knowest in what way thy parents who begat thee died, [but thou dost not] know in what manner thou wilt die.

56 Now, therefore, O man, { take advice, and let my counsel be qā (sic) pleasing unto thee. Do thou redeem thy sins by charity, and thy lawlessness by gifts of alms to the poor, in order that thou mayest have enjoyment in the riches which do not come to an end. Send on gifts in front of thee before thou dost go forth from the body, so that thou mayest depart to meet the Christ with joy. For when a man is about to meet a king of this world, and he would find favour before him, he sends all gifts on before him, so that the king may receive his person. How much more is it meet for us to send on before us gifts and alms to the King of the Universe, who is surrounded by terror and trembling. Solomon said, 'Cast all thy possessions before thee. Give alms according as thou hast the power. Say thou not, I have nothing to give.' Remember the poor widow woman who cast the two mites into the treasury, and the Christ justified her, saying, 'She hath given all her means of living.' And again He said, 'Whosoever shall give one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, Amen I say unto you, that he shall in no wise lose his wage.

57 Be not thou careless of thy salvation, O man, because of the material things of this life, for they will not assist (? us in this world to the [end]. But there is a [worse] evil that can be, namely, when we have come forth [from this world], we may become as if we had never entered into it. Remember thou the hour wherein the sickness of death shall come upon thee. Thou shalt cast thyself down on thy bed, and thou shalt say, 'I am sick this day.' After a very short interval the sickness shall become more severe on thee, and a violent fever shall lay hold upon the wretched flesh of thy body, and such excruciating pains and sufferings shall seize thee that thy normal condition of mind and body shall be disturbed. And thy tongue shall shrink to nothing in thy throat, and thy words shall dwindle in thy mouth, and thy throat shall close up, and no nourishment whatsoever shall be able to pass through it. And the light in thine eyes shall become less and less, and the sweat shall break out and cover thy face, and very great and bitter bile shall fill thy body, and the treatment of thine eyes by the physician shall cease to be effective, for they shall turn round, and become crooked, and little by little they shall become blind to the light. And thou shalt ask those who come to visit thee, saying, 'What time is it?' for thy perception of things shall cease within thee.

58 For darkness and mistiness shall cover over thine eyes, and thy face shall change its colour and become greenish-grey, and thy hair shall perish, and the veins, and tendons, and sinews of thy hands and feet shall dry up, and thy heart and thy soul shall lose their strength by imperceptible degrees. And thou shalt gaze out of thine eyes and shalt see the Powers with frightful faces which have come for thee, and they shall make haste to carry thee to Him that created thee. And when thou shalt see them thou shalt open thy mouth, and thou shalt deliver up thy spirit into the hands of him that shall come for thee. O what a marvellous thing is this! O how terrible is this necessity, which is more awful than any other necessity that is upon the earth! O how terrible is this tribulation, which is the greatest of all tribulations, and which is more fearful than death itself! And finally they will take thy soul, and will set it before the awful throne of God, and it shall receive according to what it hath done, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

59 O Paul, thou wise man of the Apostles, thy words are exceedingly sweet! For when all the men whom God hath created, from Adam, the first man, to the man who is begotten this day, shall go forth from the body, their souls shall be taken and shall be set before the throne of God, whether they be the souls of children months old, or whether they be the souls of those who are years old, and they shall do homage to the Righteous Judge, and He shall pass sentence upon them before they are removed to the places of which they are worthy. And again, in the Day of the Resurrection, their souls shall rise, having suffered not destruction, and the soul of every one shall return to his body, and they shall all receive according to what they have done, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. And we shall be examined and questioned concerning everything which we have done in this place of sojourning, even to the slightest word which we have uttered in jest. And we shall be questioned, moreover, concerning the thoughts which have passed through our hearts, according to that which our Master Craftsman the Christ spake, saying, 'Let not any light, silly speech issue from your mouths, for ye shall be obliged to give an account concerning them in the Day of the Judgement.' Blessed shall they be who shall rise up in the Resurrection of Life, for they shall reign as kings with the Christ! Woe be unto those who shall be condemned to die a second time because of their evil deeds! When the Righteous Judge hath ascended the throne, what He hath brought (?) shall be reckoned up (?). The tares shall be burned up in the fire which cannot be extinguished, but the wheat shall be gathered together into His granary, that is to say, into the kingdom which is in the heavens.

60 Now, therefore, let us turn ourselves, and let us repent of our sins before inquisition shall be made of us concerning them. Remember that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Shew me what all these pains (?) and all these sufferings are worth. Are not three cubits of earth [the length] of our everlasting abode? Whom wilt thou gather together [therein]? To whom wilt thou act as an usurer? Whom wilt thou ill-treat? Shew me who will send these things down unto thee in Amente? Remember that thou art not like unto thy Lord, but that thou hast been sent to live upon the earth for one day only, and that thou art like unto a hireling, who is hired daily. And whether thou eatest, or whether thou drinkest, or whether thou fastest, or whether thou art hungry, or whether thou art thirsty, the sun will set every day, and the period of thy life will become less day by day. And when the number of thy days shall be fulfilled, there shall not be added to thee a single hour. Man is absolutely a thing of naught. He is a man to-day, to-morrow he is dust and ashes. Man is a creature who eateth and drinketh this day, but to-morrow his mouth is closed. He who eateth at this moment, and who batheth in the bath, and who anointeth himself this day with sweet-smelling unguents of the finest quality, is to-morrow rolled into the tomb, wherein dust taketh the place to him of sweet-smelling unguents. He who to-day sleepeth on the roof (or, verandah) of his house clothed in garments of byssus is to-morrow cast forth into the tomb among the dead animals, which surround him with their bodies, and he is left in a state of misery.

61 O miserable man, eating and drinking shall not deliver thee this day. Why will not the possessions of riches deliver thee, and work healing to a small degree on thee? Why will not the phantoms of riches deliver thee from these great necessities? Hast thou never heard about this foolish rich man, who was like thyself, and who said within himself, 'Thou hast many good things laid up for thee for very many years to come; take thine ease, eat, drink, make merry?' for he thought that he would pass a very long time upon the earth. But the sentence of God came upon him straightway, saying, 'Thou fool, thy soul shall be taken away from thee this very night, and these things which thou hast prepared, unto whom shall they belong?' And this is the case of every one who gathereth in, and who is not a rich man in God. How then, O thou fool, are not thy granaries, which are filled full, unable to deliver thee this day? Why do not thy garments made wholly of silk and byssus deliver thee this day? Why do not the possessions which thou hast gathered together restrain the sentence of God which hath come upon thee saying, 'They shall take away thy soul this night'? Hast thou never heard [the words] which David [spake], 'They shall leave their riches unto others, and their tombs shall be their houses for ever.' The wise man Solomon spake, saying, 'Leave all thy property behind thee, for there is neither knowledge nor understanding in Amente, the place whereunto thou shalt depart'; that is to say, 'When thou shalt go forth from this world, thou wilt not have the power to order anything rightly, nay, those things which thou wouldst take with thee are the very things on account of which thou shalt be judged.' Shew me therefore, O thou fool, what all these pains (?), and [all]

62 these sins [are worth], for thou addest sin to sin, and lawlessness to lawlessness, and guile to guile, and strife to strife. Dost thou not remember that which is written, 'The judgement is merciless for the man who hath not shewn mercy,' and 'Remember that man is like unto a shadow, and that he bringeth his days to a close very speedily'? Now the whole life of a man is like unto the vapour of a caldron(?) which maketh itself visible for a little time, and afterwards perisheth; and this is especially true in the case of the man who is a sinner. There is no profit whatsoever in the life of the man who worketh evil, nor, moreover, shall he be found in the place whereto he shall depart, but he shall go forth with the sufferings that are sufferings indeed. And if the rich man be a sinner, that fact shall be of no benefit to him. Hast thou never heard [the words] which Solomon [spake], saying, 'He who hath come forth in vanity, shall also depart again in vanity; he who hath come forth in grief, shall depart again in grief,' even as it is written, 'There shall be no joy to the wicked man, saith the Lord.' And again, 'The hope of the wicked man shall perish.' And again, 'The wicked man shall be like unto the dust which the wind driveth along before it on the face of the ground.'

63 Shew me now, O sinner, what kind of pleasure is it which cometh to thee during thy whole life? If thou sayest, 'I have been a rich man all my life, and I have passed my time as one, and I have enjoyed myself thoroughly well,' then I shall say unto thee very gravely, 'What kind of pleasure was it that came to thee during all the time wherein thou wast living in sin?' If thou art rich in gold and in silver, what advantage hast thou therein, for thou wast produced from the earth? Verily, such a man eateth and drinketh to-day, but to-morrow he is carried off in the midst of his riches, and his mouth is closed, and from this time onwards he will never eat again. 64 Shew me, O sinful man, what kind of rest it is which thou findest. Thou dost occupy thyself all thy time in lending money at usury, and in trafficking in merchandise. Thou art filled with anxious care by day and by night, even as is the man who lacketh bread, and there is nothing about thee which affordeth thee comfort (or, consolation); on the contrary, thy whole life is one long grief. Thou buildest houses, and stalls for sheep and cattle, and baths, thou plantest vineyards, thou becomest a merchant, and sailest the seas with thy wares, and yet thou art at all times like unto the man who is in his death agony. Thou dost oppress the poor, and dost deceive the stranger, and dost rob the houses of widows, and amusest thyself by day and by night, and yet the bread which thou eatest is like that of every other man. And whilst thou art occupied in doing these things the period of thy life which is appointed unto thee cometh to an end, and thou art rejected, like a sour grape, and they bear thee away. And the possessions which thou hast heaped together shall remain on this earth, and the sins which thou hast committed shall go before thee to the throne of God. And the images shall provide the proofs of thy folly, and the houses which thou hast built others shall dwell in. And as for thy soul, because of thy lawless behaviour they shall carry it away into the outer darkness. From the vineyards which thou hast planted others shall gather in the grapes, and thou thyself in Amente shalt eagerly desire that the juice thereof be dropped upon thy tongue to cool it, even like thy brother Nineveh (?).

65 Shew me now, O thou man who art merciless and a sinner, what advantage there was to thee in thy being born into the world, whether in thy life, or whether in thy death, unless it was the punishments which thou didst heap up on account of thy sins? In thy lifetime thou didst amuse thyself by day and by night, and thou wast weary because of the multitude of thy possessions, and at thy death thou didst depart to the punishment which is never-ending, in exchange for thy wickedness. Moreover, if the sinner be a poor man, thou wilt find that he worketh both by day and by night because of the insistence of his poverty. And thou wilt find his son hungry and naked, and his wife sick and afflicted with the suffering of infirmity, and thou wilt find them quarrelling and cursing each other, and there is no peace at all between them. They are occupied by day and by night, they live in tribulation with their children. And the man longeth for death a thousand times over because of the suffering which is inside him.

66 He seeth the poverty and suffering of his wife, and the misery of his children, and he committeth sin yet more and more, and he committeth thefts, and sweareth false oaths, even as it is written, 'Poverty humbleth a man.' And not only doth it reduce him to humility, but it maketh him to commit fraudulent acts, and works which God hateth, for he wisheth to take home something to his wife and his children. In this manner he never ceaseth to be absorbed with the cares of this life all his days. He addeth sin to sin, and he spendeth his life in doing this until the appointed span of his life cometh to an end. Then he is carried away suddenly, heavily laden with the load of his sins, and he cometh forth into poverty, a poverty which is never-ending, and into great suffering. Shew me now what kind of benefit it is to a man of this kind to be born into the world, for there is nothing in it but suffering, and wretchedness, and sorrow. It was concerning such a man that were written the words, 'He who hath come in emptiness (or, vanity) shall depart in emptiness (or, vanity), and his name shall be proclaimed in the darkness,' whether he be rich or poor. Woe be unto those who are born into the world, for the deceitful deeds (? which they have done in the world shall be a punishment for them.

67 What comfort (or, consolation) shall there be to the man who shall die in his sins? There is nothing for him except suffering and sorrow in this world and in the next. Hast thou not heard what is written in the [Book of] Isaiah the prophet, 'The sinner that shall live for one hundred years shall be accursed?' 68 But tell me, O thou man of sin, when it was that thou didst enjoy thyself. Didst thou, peradventure, enjoy thyself in thy mother's womb? If so, what kind of enjoyment hadst thou? Thou wast shut up in the darkness and in the humour of her body, and thou didst not know when it was day, or when it was night. Didst thou, peradventure, enjoy thyself when thou camest forth from thy mother's womb? If thou didst, what kind of enjoyment hadst thou? For from the moment wherein thou wast brought forth thou didst cry and wail. Hadst thou been comfortable thou wouldst not have wept, for weeping belongeth to suffering and pain. Didst thou, peradventure, enjoy thyself when thou wast being suckled at the breasts of thy mother? If thou didst, what kind of enjoyment was it? Thou didst weep at all times, and thou hadst no heart. Didst thou, peradventure, enjoy thyself when thou wast a small child? If thou didst, what kind of enjoyment was it? Thy face was cast down at all times to the earth, thou didst crawl about on thy hands and feet, thy mouth was always wet with the saliva which trickled from it, and when a beast might have attacked thee and killed thee thou wast ignorant of it. Didst thou, peradventure, rejoice when thy legs gained firmness, and thou couldst walk? If thou didst, what kind of enjoyment was it?

69 Thy parents taught thee [first], and then they sent thee to the master craftsman that he might teach thee a trade whereby thou mightest earn a living. Didst thou, peradventure, rejoice when thou didst grow up and arrive at man's estate? If thou didst, what kind of enjoyment was it? The lust of early manhood which was in thee was fighting against thee, and never for one moment did it cease to goad thee. Didst thou, peradventure, enjoy thyself when thou didst take a wife? Nay, nay, thou couldst not enjoy thyself, for thou didst burden thyself with heavy cares. Didst thou, peradventure, enjoy thyself when thou didst beget children? If thou didst, what kind of enjoyment was it? Thou didst [c] [d] load thyself with cares both by day and by night. For the man who hath married a wife and hath begotten children hath never a moment's peace; on the contrary, his head is always burdened with cares, especially if he be a poor man, for then his tribulations are doubled.

70 Didst thou, peradventure, enjoy thyself when thou didst become an old man? If thou didst, what kind of enjoyment was it? Thy bones became broken, the light of thine eyes was extinguished, thy teeth became loose and incapable of chewing food, thy heart ceased to have perception and to understand a word of wisdom, thy nerves, sinews, and tendons of the body failed, and ceased to be able to work without difficulty. Thy mouth lost its shape and was unable to utter words distinctly, thy voice became feeble, and the ears lost their power to hear. All these things came upon thee in thine old age, but more especially there came great tribulation of heart, because thou wast drawing nigh to the grave, and thou knewest not how long men would enquire after thee. Wilt thou, peradventure, rejoice when the span of life that hath been allotted to thee hath come to an end, when thou must go before God? What kind of enjoyment wilt thou have when that moment cometh? Thou wilt cast thyself down upon [thy] bed in thy tribulation of heart, a great wave of heat will envelop thee, and the attack of sickness will become more violent, and thou wilt heave sighs over thy sins, because thou hast no good deeds to thy credit. Thou wilt weep for thy little children who shall become orphans, and thou wilt be greatly disturbed because of the calamity that hath come upon thee. Thou wilt look at the Powers with terrifying faces which have come after thee, and thou wilt sigh over the end of thy life, because it hath drawn nigh so speedily. Peradventure thou wilt rejoice, O man, when thou standest before the throne of God? What kind of enjoyment wilt thou have [there] being laden with thy load of sins and having not one good deed before thee?

71 of sins and having not one good deed before thee? And the avenging angels (or, executioners) shall seize thy soul, the flames of fire shooting out from their eyes, and shall cast thee down, and shall gnash their teeth at thee; and thy sins shall follow thee closely, and shall be thy accusers. Whither wilt thou turn thy face, O wretched man? What manner of place wilt thou look for in order to find rest therein? Thou shalt find it neither on the right hand nor on the left. Behold the poor whom thou hast wronged! Behold those who were in misery, and the strangers, whom thou didst defraud and eat up what goods they had! Behold the false oaths! Behold the slanderings! Behold the hatred! Behold the envy! Behold the contentions! Behold the impurities! Behold the pollutions! Behold the fornications! Behold the murders, and all the rest of the evil deeds which thou hast committed! Then, at that moment, the Judge shall cry out, 'Cast him into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

72 This is the end of all the men who are sinners, and who have not repented of their sins before their deaths. Behold, I have made the matter quite clear to you, and have shewn you that there is no profit in the life of man who is born into this world. If thou wishest for salvation, and wouldst inherit life, haste thee and redeem thy sins by means of acts of charity and by works of compassion to the poor, so that thou mayest enjoy thyself in the world wherein there are joy and gladness. And even if thou hast committed every kind of sin, turn thou back and repent, and God shall forgive thee, for He is compassionate, and He loveth mankind, and sheweth pity for the wickednesses of those who return unto Him. For He saith, 'I do not desire the death of the sinner, but rather that he should turn back from his evil way, and repent and live.' And again [He saith], 'If the transgressor hath turned back from his wickedness, and doeth righteousness, I will no longer remember the wickednesses which he hath committed, but he shall live through the righteousness which he hath done.' [And He saith], 'Turn ye back to Me, O ye children who have gone afar off, and I will heal you of your wounds.' [And] He saith by His mouth which is full of life, 'I have not come to invite the righteous, but the sinners to repentance.' And again, 'Come unto Me every one who is suffering, and is laden, and I will give rest to you.'

73 Thus thou mayest see, O man, the love for man which God [sheweth] towards us. Finally, waste not day after day, month after month, and year after year, for the span of life which hath been allotted to thee is coming to an end, and thou must depart, laden with the load of thy sins, and thou wilt curse the day wherein thou wast born. I have declared all these things out of love for you, and because of the verse which is written, 'Man is born unto trouble.' Now it was because the prophet thought that there was no profit in a man's life, but only suffering and misery, that he said, 'Man is born unto trouble, and his days pass quickly.' 74 Now as concerning the righteous, their whole life is joy and gladness, and since they have been born unto blessedness, they shall also depart to the blessedness which is perfect. Verily, happy and blessed is the righteous man who is born into the world! In very truth this is the man unto whom the building which he hath made in [this] world shall be for profit. Blessed is the man who is righteous and merciful, for he shall eat of the good things of the earth, and he shall enjoy refreshing in the kingdom that is in the heavens with the Patriarchs Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Job, and the other believing men. And blessed is the poor man who giveth thanks, and who is meek and gentle, for he shall go forth from the poverty of this world, and shall receive riches which are never-ending. In very truth this is the man whose sorrows shall come to an end, and who shall inherit the rest that shall never end, even as it is written, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for to them belongeth the kingdom which is in the heavens.' And again, 'Blessed is the man whom Thou shalt receive to Thyself, O Lord.' And again, 'Better is one day inside Thy courts than one thousand [passed] outside them.'

75 Behold now, we say these things unto you, O my beloved, for the admonition of the soul, and I have made my discourse somewhat lengthy. I know, however, that the tears which have come forth from your eyes shall become unto you a fountain of salvation, which shall cleanse your bodies on the day of the great festival of Saint Victor the General, whose festival we are celebrating this day. Believe me, O ye Godloving congregation, I have no wish to set in motion this word which is full of tribulation, during this great festival this day, and I would not introduce sadness into the festival of Saint Victor, the most glorious of all martyrs, had it not been that my mind was carried away by my thoughts, and it seemed to me as if I saw the General standing before me. And he raised up gladness in my heart and in my mind, in his love towards us, and he spake unto me, saying, 'O man, speak unto this congregation for the salvation of their souls.

76 Thou shalt bring them into the haven of salvation on the day of my commemoration, and they shall repent them of their sins. This result will afford me far greater happiness than ten thousand encomiums. And I do not wish [to receive] the honour which belongeth to this world, for my justification is in the heavens, before my Lord and my King, the Christ.' And when I had heard these [words] from Saint Victor, [and saw] the care which he took for all those who are heavy laden, and that he was laying aside his own honour for the sake of the salvation and well-being of our souls and our bodies, I at length turned my tongue towards you, O my sons and my daughters, and I spake these few words to you for the welfare of your souls. Now, therefore, let us send on before us the things which we find for the benefit of our souls in the day of need, so that Saint Victor, whose festival we are celebrating this day, may make supplication on our behalf before the Christ, the True Shepherd, that He may guide our souls into the pasture that pleaseth Him, according to that which is written, 'His counsel is more to be chosen than gold, and the precious stone of very great price.' 'Let us pay good heed to the things that we hear, lest we fall away,' according to the word of Paul, the wise man. Let us free ourselves from our sins, before they be required of us.

77 And if, O man, thou hast sinned through thoughtlessness, turn thee, repent, and God shall forgive thee. And again, if thou hast not committed sin, take good heed to thyself that the Devil be not envious of thee, for he is a deceitful villain, and he hateth the race of man. Thou hearest what is written in the Catholic [Epistle], 'Be sober, watch; for your adversary the Devil goeth round about roaring like a lion, seeking to swallow up your soul.' And again, Paul saith, 'Our strife is not against blood and flesh, but against principalities and powers, and against the governors of the world in darkness, and against spirit beings of evil beneath the heavens.' And again, our Saviour commanded us, saying, If the master of the house knew at what hour the thief was coming he would keep watch, and would not permit him to break into his house; even so do ye yourselves watch, for ye know not in what hour the thief will come.'

78 Now ye know well, O my beloved, that it is right for a man to keep watch by day and by night, so that the Devil may not be envious of him, and may not destroy his righteousness. Do not make a pretence and say, 'I have committed many sins, and God will never forgive me, even if I do repent.' Take heed to thyself and do not talk in this way. Never let sin gain dominion over thee. And even if thou hast committed a multitude of sins, turn thee, repent, and God shall forgive thee, and He will number thee with those who have never committed sin at all. For as thou findest the grapes full of sourness which come from an [uncultivated] vine, but when the vine hath been digged about, and water poured upon its roots, the grapes, which only a very little time before had been sour (now their sourness disappeareth so completely that thou canst not possibly imagine whither it hath gone), become sweet to the taste, exactly so it is in the case of the sin which hath been blotted out by repentance, and the righteousness which is performed by the penitent man continueth to be sweet.

79 Ye see, O my beloved, how Saint Victor rejoiceth with us on this great festival, which we celebrate this day, and how he hath prepared for us the table of the Spirit. Verily, this holy' encomium is a healing medicine for us. The understanding of the Holy Scriptures is a consolation to us. This encomium is a healer of every one, for it strengtheneth those who do stand, and it raiseth up those who have fallen. And as for us, let us keep carefully the things which we have heard, and we shall find salvation. We must never let go of our understanding (or, courage), and persist in committing sins which will lead us into a state of terror, and make us enter into sorrow and shame. But within a very little I also had fallen into a pit, and had forgotten the mighty deeds and miracles of Saint Victor, whose festival we are celebrating this day; for the consideration of our own great carelessness carried us away into such sorrow of heart that we forgot the glorious General Victor. And, moreover, my tongue halteth to such a degree that I am not able to declare one of his ten thousand virtues.

80 But like a man who setteth out boldly to cross over a great sea, or a very wide stream, and whom before the end of his journey thou findest to be overwhelmed and being drawn down into the boiling and raging waters of the torrent—even so am I in respect of the splendid deeds of that General Victor. For I began to speak to you concerning the mighty deeds and miracles which he hath wrought in the first part of [this] Encomium, but later on my understanding and my thought were carried away and made me to talk to you about the salvation of your souls on [the day of] his great festival. And we know that Saint Victor will rejoice over the words of admonition which we are speaking into instructed ears in this Encomium, especially when he hath seen the very large number of people [here] who are stricken with sorrow, and who are weeping at the words of admonition which we are uttering.

81 I am afraid, however, that I am causing some offence to my congregation on this great festival to-day. I will therefore change the course of my remarks so that I may narrate unto you a few of the mighty deeds which have taken place in his martyrium, the which I have seen with my own eyes, and which will glorify God, Who glorifieth those who glorify Him. Now I earnestly desire to declare a few of his splendid deeds, but I find myself in a difficulty because my tongue is incapable of paying unto him the honour of which he is worthy. And, moreover, since certain of our inspired Fathers and Bishops who have lived before my time, that is to say, Eusebius, and Julius, and Innocent, who were teachers in 82 Y Y very truth and were inspired by God, undertook to declare thy honour and the miracles which thou didst perform in thy martyrium, and were unable to proclaim thy powers and the signs [wrought by thee], how much less shall I, a humble man, who am simple and foolish withal, be able to do so? How can I possibly pass over the sea of thy splendid deeds? For this reason I lay my finger on my mouth: I do not know how to declare thy gift of healing, and especially because through thy holy gift the disease which spreadeth over my legs and feet from time to time thou hast made to decrease in my body. But great is the grace which God giveth unto thee, and He hath permitted these manifestations of healing to be permanent in thy martyrium, that is to say, the dumb speak, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and thou castest out devils and raisest the dead through the mighty gift which God hath permitted to be permanent in thy martyrium. And not only in the place wherein thy body is are signs of this kind taking place, but in every shrine throughout the world which shall be called after thy name shall signs of this kind be performed perpetually, in order that ye may know that what I am saying to you is true. Hearken ye now, and I will narrate unto you the following great miracle to the glory of God and Saint Victor.

83 There was a certain man in this city who owned very great possessions, and large flocks and herds, and sheep pastures and vineyards. And this man was exceedingly good and kind to the poor, and he had such a firm belief in Saint Victor that every year he used to give a large quantity of wine to the shrine [of the saint] for use sacramentally, and for sending out as gifts to those who were suffering from illnesses, and to those who needed it, for the salvation of their souls. And his offering remained always in the shrine of the holy man during the whole course of his life. And the Good God, at the request of Saint Victor, blessed the man, and he became rich, and he waxed exceedingly prosperous. And the blessing 84 of God shone on his house, and on his gardens, and on his vineyards, and on his meadows, and his fields and his possessions increased exceedingly, and there was no counting the number of the blessings which the Lord set apart for him. And the man increased his alms and oblations, which he used to give to God in the name of Saint Victor. And his wealth still continued to increase greatly, and his flocks and herds were exceedingly choice and fine, and his sheep and cattle were innumerable; and he did not cease to watch over these things until he became an old man. And at length he fell ill of the sickness of which he died. And he called his son and said unto him, 'My son, behold I am going the way of all the earth. Do thou be zealous in giving gifts to the poor, and to every one who is in need, even as thou hast seen that I have been in the habit of doing, and do thou take especial care in respect of the offering to my Lord Saint Victor. Thou shalt not diminish aught therefrom, nay, thou shalt add to it; for it is he who hath blessed us, and hath given to us these great riches, and this multitude of possessions. And let thy charities and gifts be multiplied, for they shall open unto thee the treasure-houses of the kingdom which is in the heavens.' And his son answered and said, 'Everything that thou sayest I will do'; thereupon the man sank back fainting and died, and was gathered to his fathers.

85 And his son took possession of his wealth and goods of all kinds, but his heart was not perfect with God as was his father's, even as it is written concerning Solomon, and he was not charitable towards the poor. And finally he treated with contempt his father's will and testament, and he did not observe the commands which he had given to him. He diminished the charities and gifts which his father used to give, he ate and drank delicately, and he put away from him the fear of God and the precepts of his father. And when the season of the vintage arrived, the steward of Saint Victor sent certain of the clergy to him to receive the offering of first-fruits, according to the custom of his father, the son would not give them but said [to himself], 'Verily my father hated the things which belonged to him,' and he spake out loud with evil words, saying, 'It is not Saint Victor who drinketh the wine, but it is the clergy who drink it; moreover, every time they wish to communicate I will send unto them offerings and first-fruits that they may communicate.

86 I shall certainly not give away this large quantity of wine, but I will put it aside, and will devote it to the needs of the community and to those of my own workmen.' In this way did he foolishly withdraw the offering from the saint, and he did not remember that which is written, 'Charity seeketh not its own.' So he gathered in the grape harvest according to his father's custom, and he discovered that the wine was so great in quantity that he could not measure it. And he had it carried into storehouses, saying, 'I will keep it until the time when the merchants of Palestine come [to visit] my father this year, and I will give it to them, and will take in exchange from them much goods.' And what did Saint Victor do unto him that had neglected to give him his offering through love of possessions? Quite suddenly he made the wine which, only a very little time before, had been very choice, to change, and it bred worms, and it became putrid and sour. And all the man's affairs went backward, but he did not know that it was the hand of God that was upon him because of his contemptuous treatment of Him.

87 And it came to pass that on a certain day the merchants arrived, and they brought him a large quantity of gold wherewith they wished to buy some of his wine; [and when they had tasted the wine] they found that it was very bad indeed, and very thin in quality, and that it had bred worms, and they marvelled exceedingly. And afterwards they opened [other skins] in the doorway of the wine storehouse, and they found that the wine in them was worse than that which they had tasted before; in short, they tried all the wine, and they found that it was quite worthless. And they said unto him, 'Verily we marvel at this wine, and wonder what hath happened to it since thy father hath become blessed. Perhaps it is that thou hast neglected it; in any case we know not what hath happened to it.' And thus saying the merchants took the gold from him again, and returned to their own country. And the man was very sad indeed, and grieved exceedingly. And after some days the man became conscious of the sin which he had committed, and that it was Saint Victor who had destroyed his property because he had neglected to supply his holy offering. And he was saying, 'Woe is me, because I did not listen to the words of my father, and because I allowed avariciousness to blind my eyes. I wished to bring the offering of the martyr into his hand, and behold, he hath destroyed all the possessions which were in mine. What shall I do from this time onwards? I know not.'

88 And during that night Saint Victor came unto the man in glory unspeakable, and he said unto him in a very threatening manner, 'Since the love of money hath shut thine eyes, and thou hast stolen the offering which thy father used to give unto God in my name, behold I, even I, destroyed all the produce of thy vineyard, and I made thy wine to become full of worms and putrid. And I will destroy thy vineyard also, and it shall not yield thee its fruit because of thy audacity. And as for thee thyself, I have come to bring upon thee a great grief, and I would destroy thee, and thou shouldst die if it were not that I keep in remembrance the righteousness of thy father. And assuredly because thou didst neglect to give the offering to my shrine, I myself made all thy wine to perish.'

89 And the man was greatly moved, and he said, 'My lord, who art thou that thou art surrounded by such exceedingly great glory?' And he answered and said, 'I am Victor the General. I am he who blessed the possessions of thy father. I multiplied for him his corn and wine. I doubled for him his flocks and herds, and his possessions and his goods, because of the alms and oblations which he gave to the poor, and the offerings which he made unto God in my name. Thou, however, inasmuch as thou hast not obeyed thy father, and hast not remembered the fear of God, but hast been zealous in the stealing of the offering from my martyrium, I myself have punished thee, and have destroyed thy labours. And in thee hath been fulfilled that which is written, saying, "A city is founded by the compassion of a mighty man, and it is uprooted through the folly of the fool."'

90 And when the man had heard these words he cast himself down upon his face, saying, 'Forgive me, O my lord, thou holy martyr. I have sinned beyond the measure of all mankind's capacity of sinning, but count not up my sins, according to my folly, against me. And I will become thy servant, and will fear thee, even as did my father, until the day of my death. And I promise thy holy splendour that, if thou wilt shew compassion unto me, and wilt forgive me my impudent 91 deeds, I will give the one half of my substance and of my flocks and herds to thy shrine this year, and the other half [I will give] to the community and to the maintenance of those who work [on my estate]. And besides these I will add to the charitable gifts which my father used to make to the poor.' And the saint said unto him, 'God hath removed thy sin, and this shall be unto thee a sign that He hath done so. When thou risest up to-morrow morning open the door of thy wine-cellars and taste thy wine, and thou shalt find that it hath turned to a proper, settled condition. Thus shalt thou know that God is able to do everything, and that it is the blessing of God which maketh men rich; but what God truly loveth in a man is for him to choose a right course of action. God is not in need of thy gifts and charities and of thy offerings, but He doth desire that a right course of action should be displayed by thee in respect of Him. Hast thou never heard that which is written, "He who sheweth mercy unto the poor lendeth unto the Lord," and "Pay thy vows to God, and let every one who is round about Him take a gift unto Him? Now, therefore, take heed to thyself and do the things which have come forth from thy mouth.

92 And I will make supplication unto God on thy behalf that He may make thy riches to be as great as those of thy father. And when thou shalt go forth from the body thy soul shall not be set apart for punishment, because I will carry it as a gracious thing into the presence of God, and He will give unto it the good things of the kingdom which is in the heavens. Hast thou never heard what is written, "The supplication of the righteous man is exceedingly mighty, and effecteth [much]? And dost thou not know that the martyrs endured all [their] sufferings without reward? Now, therefore, O my son, watch thyself well from this day pif forward. And farewell!' 93 And when the saint had said these words unto the man he ceased to see him. And straightway he woke up in his dream, and was very much moved, and he told the things which he had seen to his people, and they marvelled. And when the morning had come he opened the door of his wine-cellar, and he found that his wine was exceedingly excellent, and he was disturbed in his mind. And he proclaimed the mighty deeds of Saint Victor throughout the whole city. And he summoned the steward of the saint to him, and he gave unto him the half of his produce and of his wine, which he was to expend in the service of the shrine, and on the poor and on strangers, even according as he had vowed to the saint. And from that day onward he became a very zealous man, and he was exceedingly anxious about the salvation of his soul.

94 Thus ye see, O my beloved, that the mighty deeds of Saint Victor, whose festival we are celebrating this day, are truly great, and that my halting tongue is incapable of declaring one in ten thousand of his virtues and honours, and of the miracles which he hath worked. Let us celebrate his festival this day in purity of heart and in purity of body. And he is sufficiently strong to pray for us to the Lord, to forgive us our sins; for he is gracious and merciful, and he is nigh unto God at all times. Let us withdraw ourselves from every evil thing, and from every kind of fornication. And let us not continue in our sins, so that our visitation may not come to an end. Remember that the world shall pass away and the desirable things thereof, but he who performeth the will of God shall live for ever. Therefore let us not stablish ourselves upon the hope which is vain, for the Apostle saith, 'The hope which

95 is seen is not hope,' that is to say, the riches of this world pitt which shall pass away like the snow (or, frost). Be not a man of violence, for no violent man shall inherit the kingdom of God. Be not a man of strife, for it is said that there is no profit in any man of strife. Be not a lover of money, for the root of all evil is the love of money. Be not a fornicator, for him who shall defile the temple of God will God destroy. Be not a liar, for God shall destroy every man who uttereth lies. Be not a drunkard, for no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God. Be not a man of lust, for it is said, 'Whosoever shall look at a woman to desire her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.' Be not an adulterer, for the adulterer destroyeth his soul. Be not a lover of pleasure, for it is written, 'They loved pleasure more than they loved God.' Be not a babbling gossip, for a gag of fire shall be thrust into the mouth of the babbler. Be not a hater of [thy] brother, for he who hateth his brother is a murderer. Be not a man with a double tongue, for double-tonguedness is like unto a two-edged sword.

96 If thou wilt observe these things in thine own person, thou shalt be a servant of the Lord, and Saint Victor shall rejoice over the celebration of his festival. Let us stretch out our hands to the poor in charity and compassion, for it is written, 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.' Let us visit the sick and those who are shut up in confinement, in order that God in His compassion may visit us. Let us put clothing on the naked, in order that we may escape from the trouble and the gnashing of teeth. Let us receive into our houses the poor, who have no houses, on the festival of Saint Victor, so that he may remember us before God, Who shall take us into His kingdom which is in the heavens. Let us not permit to remain in our hearts any restraint in respect of any man, on the festival of Saint Victor, in order that God and His angel may be in our midst when we are celebrating his festival, lest he condemn us as enemies. On the contrary, let us break asunder every bond of violence, and every bond of enmity, and every bond of wickedness in respect of each other, in order that God and His holy angel shall be at peace with us.

97 And here, at this point, we must give pause to our discourse, because the time is come when we must perform the service of the Holy Offering. It is true that our discourse hath run to an inordinate length, but [the people] were thirsty for the waters of the word of God, and for [the narrative of] the mighty deeds of the saint. And it shall happen for us that Saint Victor, whose festival we celebrate this day, shall make entreaty to God on our behalf, that He may forgive us our sins, and may bless the God-loving Emperor, and all the orthodox people, through Jesus the Christ, our Lord, to Whom be glory, and to His Good Father, and to the Holy, and vivifying, and consubstantial Spirit, now and always, for ever and ever and world without end. Bless us! Amen. So be it! This book [was copied through] the zeal and care of the most God-loving deacon Pourot (?). He undertook the preparation thereof, and he presented it to the church of Saint Victor of Tebô, that is of Apollinopolis, according to the speech of the Alexandrians. May God preserve for life and health (or, salvation) the God-loving brother …Pourot, and make him to be worthy of the joy of the kingdom which is in the heavens. May he live to the full the angelic life which he hath assumed, even as did our fathers, the ancestors [of our] community, and may he [pour out] his blessing upon us, and upon all the saints likewise! Amen.

98 May the Lord Jesus the Christ, Who is in very truth our Veritable God, preserve for life and salvation the most God-fearing arch-presbyter Apa Abraham, the president and director of the Monastery of Saint Mercurius of Tebô, and may he [pour out] his blessing upon us. May the Lord preserve for life and salvation all the fathers and sons of the monastery, and make us worthy of their blessing. May He incline (?) their hearts to pray for me before our King, the Christ. May He forgive me my sins, which are many, and may He shew mercy unto me in the day of my visitation, to me Joseph, the least of all men and the most miserable, the son of the blessed Sisinnios, the Archdeacon of the Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist in the city of Snê. May the Lord give peace unto him, and to Zôkratôr, the least of all men, the deacon, the son of Joseph the deacon. Pray for me …Amen.

99 Written on the eighteenth day of the month Parmouti, in the six hundred and sixty-seventh year of Diocletian (A.D. 951).