Coptic Apocrypha in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

Coptic Apocrypha in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

continued

The Life of Pisentius, Bishop of Coptos, by John the Elder

1 (Brit. Mus. MS. Oriental, No. 7026) The Life And ADMINISTRATION OF OUR HOLY AND GLORIOUS FATHER, APA PISENTIUS, BISHOP AND ANCHORITE IN THE MOUNTAIN OF TSENTI, WHICH JOHN THE PRESBYTER NARRATED ON THE DAY OF HIS COMMEMORATION, THAT IS TO SAY, ON THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH EPÊP. IN THE PEACE OF GOD. AMEN. The subject of this festival to-day is full of joy, for it is our holy father, who had put on Christ, Apa Pisentius, who was full of light, and who spread abroad a sweet odour at all times, not only during the day, but during the night also. All the beasts which are upon the earth, and [all] the birds which are in the heavens rejoice, and move about gladly, and are happy this day because of the good and glorious news of him which hath reached them, according to what the words shall inform us, if we are able to proceed to the end. I took an oath to keep silence and not to speak concerning thy righteous acts and judgements, because thou thyself didst flee from the adulations of men from the very beginning, when thou didst become a monk, and before thou didst become a bishop. And indeed if we were all to be

2 gathered together, each one having the opportunity of speaking, one would declare [the greatness of] his knowledge, and another his power of disputation, and another would proclaim his power of revealing hidden things; and thus it would happen that all the descriptions [of him] would be laudatory. Saint James the Apostle cried out in his Catholic Epistle, saying, 'He who knoweth how to do what is good, and doeth it not, it is a sin unto him.' Let us learn, moreover, who it was to whom the Apostle [Paul] referred in his words, 'I knew a man in Christ fourteen years ago, but whether he be in the body I know not, or whether he be out of the body I know not, it is only God Who knoweth, [this man I say] was caught up into the third heaven. And I knew such a man, but whether he be in the body [now], or whether he be out of the body [now] I know not, it is only God Who knoweth, [this man I say] was caught up into Paradise, and heard things which were hidden, the which it is not lawful for man to utter.'

3 Of whom then was the Apostle speaking if it was not Pisentius? For all the saints have fled from the glory (or, adulation) of this world, and this did also our glorious father, Apa Pisentius, whom God hath made manifest to us in our own days. He was a giver of light to the whole world. He was salt which was purified for every one, according to that which is written in the Gospel, 'Ye are the salt of the earth. Now if the salt hath become tasteless, wherewith shall they make it salt [again]?' And again, 'Ye are the light of the world.' He hid his life and the works thereof, but God hath made manifest those who perform His will and commandments, generation after generation, according to that which is written, 'God draweth nigh to every one who crieth out to Him in truth, and He doeth the will of every one who holdeth Him in fear, and He will hear their supplication, and will deliver them.' Now if ye wish to know whether he hated the glory (or, adulation) which was vain, and whether he wished not for any to applaud him in any way or not, go into …and learn concerning him from the acts of his life and the manner in which he used to live. And hearken ye unto me with diligent attention.

4 It came to pass on a certain day, when he was still a monk, and before God had set him apart for the episcopacy, that he was meditating quietly by himself in the Mountain of Tsentê, when his brother came to visit him; now his brother was walking with a certain believing brother, and they met the holy ascetic face to face, and received a blessing from his holy hand. Then he asked them, saying, 'Have ye any decided reason for coming into this region?' And they answered, saying, 'In the first place, we set out in order to come to thee, and to pay thee a visit, and to receive thy blessing. For had it not been for the cares of the world which have occupied us for several days past we should have passed thy way before this. In the second place, we have a little business in this neighbourhood which we wish to arrange; but do thou pray on our behalf, O father, that God may journey with us. If God be pleased to permit us to do this we shall return to thee again, and we will salute (or, kiss) thee, and receive thy blessing before we return to our houses, if it be God's will.'

5 And the holy man answered and said, 'Depart ye in gladness. But, O my sons, take good heed to yourselves, [and] do not commit sin. For neither the world, nor that which is in it, is of any account, because it existeth for a season only. My sons, take ye good heed to yourselves in these villages. Hold no intercourse with a woman who is bad. Do not seize the ox of the poor. If there be any man in this region who is indebted to you, do not treat him harshly, and do not attempt to force him to pay by legal means; but watch what is in [his] mind, in order that God may shew compassion unto you.' And they answered, saying, 'Pray for us, O our father.' And they came away from his presence, and they acted [according to] his plan (or, way), and they gave glory to God because of the words of advice wherewith he had advised them.

6 And the holy man, the anchorite, Apa Pisentius, stood up, and recited the beginning of the Book of Jeremiah the Prophet. Now [meanwhile] his brother, and the believing man who was travelling with him, departed, and they arranged their business according to the word of the holy man who had made entreaty to God on their behalf. And God made straight their way, and they returned to him in his cell in haste at the dawn of day. And when they had come to him, they heard him reciting the words of Saint Jeremiah with great calmness and clearness, and they sat down outside his place of abode for a little time, saying, 'It is not right, and the matter is not of such urgency as to make it seemly for us to cry out to the holy man inside until he hath finished reciting the Scriptures and praying.' And when Pisentius had concluded the reciting of the Prophet Jeremiah, and had finished [his prayer], the two men rose up and knocked at the door, at the very moment when he began to [recite] the [Book of the] Prophet Ezekiel. And they sat down, and did not cry out to Pisentius inside. And finally he finished reciting the whole of the [Book of] the Prophet [Ezekiel], and he shut his mouth, for the evening had come. And when the two men knocked at the door,

7 Holy Gospel according to St. John by heart.. On one occasion a brother was passing the cell of Pisentius just as the holy man began to recite the first book of the Minor Prophets. The brother sat down and listened to him, and by some means was able to see what went on in the cell of the holy man. Whilst Pisentius was reciting the Book of Hosea, the Prophet Hosea himself stood by his side, and when he finished the Prophet embraced him, and then went up into heaven. As Pisentius recited the other Books, the Prophets Amos, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Habakkuk, Nahum, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, came in one after the other, and stood by his side, and, as he finished reading each Book, the author thereof embraced him, and then ascended into heaven (Amélineau, op. cit., pp. 75, 83, 90). 8 Pisentius answered them, saying, 'Bless me.' And he looked out upon them from a large window, and he spake unto them, saying, 'Did ye come to this place many hours ago?' And they said unto him, 'We came here at dawn, but we did not dare to cry out to thee inside until thou hadst finished thy recital [of the Scriptures].' Then straightway Apa Pisentius wept, and smote upon his breast, and said unto them, 'This day I deserve a very great punishment, and all the labours which I have performed are things of vanity.' Now these things which the holy man spake [shew] that he fled from the vain adulations of men. He was very sad at heart, but the two men knew that he was reciting [the Books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel]. Know ye therefore, O my beloved, that the saints crave for the glory of God only. If ye will not [believe me], hearken unto the honey-sweet writer David who saith, 'I have desired Thy commandments; look Thou upon me and have compassion upon me.' And the truly wise man Paul cried out, saying, 'For we groan in this earnestly desiring to array ourselves in our place of abode which is from heaven. And there is to us there a building from God, a house which hath not been fashioned by hands, which is for ever in the heavens.'

9 Hearken also to this great miracle which took place by his hands when he was a monk living in quiet contemplation in his cell and before he became a bishop. He was suffering from his spleen on one occasion on the third day of the festival at the end of Easter, but he did not make known to any one of the brethren that he was sick, but he sent them a message and said, 'Pray for me. I am going to the monastery of Apa Abraham to visit the brethren who are in that place. If the Lord be pleased to permit it I shall return to you.' Now he spake in this wise because he did not wish to let any one know that he was seriously ill. Now if any man shall ask in a spirit of contentiousness why the holy man said this, let him read in the Book of Job the Blessed, and he will find that the Lord said unto him, 'I have not done these things unto thee for any other purpose except to make thee shew thyself to be righteous.' And Paul himself said, 'I have done all these things for the sake of the Gospel, that I might be to him a companion.'

10 Now when the holy man Apa Pisentius had been sick for a whole week, and the brethren had made no enquiries after him, for they thought he was in a cave, they held converse with each other, saying, 'Pisentius tarrieth somewhat over long, let us enquire about him. Perhaps he hath fallen sick on the road, or perhaps some suffering hath afflicted him, and he is unable to walk.' And they sent a brother who was a priest to make enquiries about him. Now when Pisentius had departed, according to the dispensation of God—now observe ye the wonderful acts of God—all the days which he had passed lying on his bed sick, during which the holy men did not minister unto him, until the very day wherein the brother went to him …Now when the brother went to him, he found the door of the little cell wherein he lived open. And through the opportunity [afforded] by God, as soon as he had pulled the thong (or, latch-cord) of the door, he cried out [to the dweller] inside, according to the canon of the brethren, 'Bless me.' Now on that day it happened that Apa Elijah the Tishbite, he who belonged to Mount Carmel, was with Apa Pisentius, and he was paying him a visit, having been sent unto him by God in order to comfort him with his conversation. And when the brother had waited for some time, he rose up and called out to [the dweller] inside, 'Bless me.' Then the Prophet rose up and was about to depart from him, but Apa Pisentius laid hold upon him, saying, 'I will not let thee depart until I am comforted a little more.'

11 And when the brother found that he was not able to obtain any answer to his greeting he went straight into [the cell], without any hesitation whatsoever, and he found there the two holy men sitting together; now Apa Pisentius was lying on his pallet, and Saint Elijah was sitting by his side making enquiries concerning his health. And when the brother had gone in he received a blessing from both of them. And he stood still, but was wholly unable to look into the face of the Prophet Elijah, because of the rays of light which shot forth from his face like flashes of lightning, according to what is written, 'Then shall the righteous shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.' Then the holy man Apa Pisentius feigned to be angry with the brother, and he said unto him, 'Is not this the commandment of the brethren—[not] to enter into [the cell of a brother] without permission? Had [this] been a governor wouldst thou have burst in upon him without permission from him to thee [to do so]?' And the brother answered and said, 'Forgive me, O my father, I have sinned. Having waited at the door for a very long time knocking, I thought that, peradventure, thou couldst not rise, and therefore I came in to make enquiries concerning thee.' Then the Prophet answered, saying, 'This is an ordinance of God. In any case he is worthy of our salutation of blessing, and because of his righteous actions God will not deprive him of it.' And when the Prophet had said these things he went forth from the cell.

12 And when he had gone out the brother spake unto Apa Pisentius, saying, 'Whence cometh this brother who is covered with hair, but who is surrounded with such a great measure of grace? Verily I have never seen any one like him, or any one who was so gracious (or, gentle), or who was so wholly filled with light. And I say unto thee, my brother, that as soon as ever I had grasped his hands and kissed them, mighty strength came into my body, and I ceased to be without power, and I became very strong indeed, and I felt as happy as a man who had been tarrying in a wine tavern. I should say that he must belong to this mountain, and yet I have never seen any one like unto him in our province, and I have never seen any other man so hairy as this man.' And Apa Pisentius said unto the brother, 'I say the same. Thou shalt keep this matter secret, and thou shalt not make known one word about it.'

13 And the brother answered and said unto Apa Pisentius, After a long time hath passed, supposing that some necessity should come upon me, may I not reveal it? Why dost thou speak unto me in this wise? Wilt thou not listen unto Raphael, the angel who spake with the holy man Tobit, saying, "The secret thing (or, mystery) of the king it is good to conceal; but the works of God it is good to publish abroad." Now I know that thou hatest the vainglory of men. Finally, but tell me in truth, who is this man, and I will trouble thee no more.' 14 And the thirteenth apostle Apa Pisentius answered and said unto the brother, 'When I had departed from you, and was about to go to the brethren who are in the monastery of Apa Abraham, and to pay them a visit, I looked at my body and saw that it was powerless. And I said, Will not a fainting sickness come upon me on the road? And my spleen threw me into a sickness from the moment when I went away from you, and I never saw a man until thou didst come to me [this day]. And my spleen having continued to torture me most severely, I cried out to the Lord yesterday, asking Him to be graciously pleased to heal me. Now when He had seen my very weak condition, and my want of manhood, He sent one of the Saints unto me, and was graciously pleased to grant me the healing of my body. And I say unto thee that this very man, from whom thou didst receive a blessing, is Elijah the Tishbite, who belongeth to Mount Carmel. It was he who was taken up into heaven in a chariot of fire and earthquake. I beseech thee, O my God-loving brother, not to reveal the mystery to any man until the day of my visitation. Grieve thou not for me.'

15 Now when the brother had heard these things, great joy came to him and consolation, and he did not reveal the mystery to any man until the day when the God-loving clergy of the Christ-loving city of Kebt (Coptos) laid hands upon him that was truly worthy of the episcopacy, that they might take him to the Holy Patriarch Apa Damianus, the Archbishop, so that he might consecrate him bishop. 16 Follows Know ye then, O my beloved, that him that keepeth the commandments of monasticising, and fulfilleth them without sluggishness, doth the Christ love. His holy ones do not speak to Him only, but they see God, each one in the vision which appeareth unto him, according to the form wherein He wisheth to make Himself manifest to them. If it be not so [in your opinion] hearken ye to the writings of the Spirit of God, and they shall instruct thee with divine knowledge according to what is seemly, and according to the things which we have said. For our Lord and Father and Bishop, Apa Pisentius, whom God hath made manifest in our time, is not the protector of our district only, but of the whole country of orthodox Christians. But first of all come ye to the Book of Genesis, so that we may see what it saith concerning the seeing of God, and of what kind the vision is. Now as concerneth Jacob the Patriarch. When Rebecca had heard the words of Esau, her eldest son, who was wroth with Jacob because of the blessing wherewith Isaac had blessed him, she cried out to him, and said unto him, 'Behold thy brother [Esau] is older than thou, and the blessing wherewith Isaac, who is thy father, hath blessed thee [belongeth to him]. Now therefore, arise, and get thee gone into Mesopotamia of Syria, to Laban my brother, and do thou abide with him until the fury of the wrath of thy brother hath turned away from thee, lest peradventure I become childless in respect of both of you at once, and on

17 for caravan traffic from west to east and east to west, and it was the chief centre whence the products of the Eastern Desert and Sinai and Arabia were distributed north and south by means of the Nile. Commerce made the town wealthy; and Diocletian found it worth sacking in A.D. 292. It recovered its prosperity during the fourth and following centuries, and became an important centre of Christianity. the same day.' And Isaac also commanded him [thus], and he came out [to] Jacob and set him on his way, saying, 'Depart into Mesopotamia.' And it came to pass that he arrived at a certain place, and he lay down [there]; now the sun had set. And when he had placed a stone under his head, he lay down and fell asleep, and that night he dreamed a dream. And he saw a cloud fixed upon the earth, and the top thereof reached into the heavens; and the angels of God were ascending and descending upon it. Now God was standing upon it, and He made Himself manifest to Jacob on that night, and He spake with him.

18 Now when Jacob had gone into Mesopotamia of Syria, God spake again with him in the night season, saying, 'Lift up thine eyes and look with them, and thou shalt see that I will come to the white sheep, and the [white] sheep shall be with the goats, and they shall bring forth young of variegated colours, and they shall be in colour like ashes, and [some] sheep shall be marked with stars (i. e. spots).' And again God spake unto him in a vision of the night, saying, 'I am the God of Isaac; fear thou not. Thou shalt certainly increase and multiply, and thou shalt fill the earth, and thou shalt become the lord thereof.' And when God had blessed him with gold, and silver, and sheep, and goats, and cattle of every kind, He spake again unto him, saying, 'Get thee back into thy house; I will be with thee.' Then Jacob returned with his two wives, Leah and Rachel, and their children, and their cattle. And when he had arrived at the river in order that he might pass over to the other side, according to the holy words of [the Book of] Genesis, which the holy historian Moses wrote, 'A certain man met him, and wrestled with him until the dawn.' Now when the morning had come Jacob said unto him, 'Shew me thy name.' And the man said unto him, 'Why dost thou enquire concerning my name?' Now this is a most wonderful thing.

19 And the man said unto Jacob, 'Let me go, for the daylight is growing stronger.' And Jacob said unto him, 'I will not let thee go whilst as yet thou hast not blessed me.' And the man said unto Jacob, 'What is the name which thou hast?' And he said unto him, 'My name is Jacob.' And the man said unto Jacob, 'They shall no more call thee Jacob, but Israel, which is the name which thou shalt have; for thou hast prevailed with God, and thou [shalt be] mighty with men.' And the man touched the side of a member of Jacob, and that member became without feeling. Then Jacob said, 'I have seen God face to face. My soul is delivered.' Now the sun was rising upon him when he passed …the Image of God. 20 And, O my beloved, it is right that for us this should suffice. If God deemed him worthy thereof, and came down into the world, and spake unto the creature which He had fashioned concerning his restoration with salvation of soul, how very much more will He not send His saints to comfort [His servants] in their sufferings? Therefore let no man allow himself to be unbelieving concerning this matter which I have related unto him concerning the holy man Apa Pisentius the bishop, for he was worthy to see Elijah the Tishbite. And let not be fulfilled in him the words which are written, 'God will make blind the heart of those who believe not in this age, so that they may not see the light of the Gospel of the Christ.' And again, 'Walk ye not with unbelievers'; and again, 'The unbeliever is not [worth] one obolus.' Now our Lord Himself, and our God, and our Lord and our Saviour cried out in the Holy Gospel with His Divine mouth concerning the man who brought to Him his son. Now this son was possessed of an evil spirit, from the moment when his father begot him. And Jesus said, 'Hath this spirit attacked him for a long time?' [And his father] said, 'From his childhood. Many, many times he is wont to cast him into the water, and into the fire, that it may consume him. But do Thou help us, for Thou art able to help us by what Thou canst do; have compassion upon us.' Jesus said unto him, 'Everything is possible for him that believeth.' And the father of the young man cried out, 'I believe. Help thou mine unbelief.' Then straightway [Jesus] rebuked the evil spirit, and cast him out from the young man because his father believed.

21 And again it was by the might of faith that a certain woman went to Him, whose blood had been flowing from her for twelve years, and whom no man had been able to heal. She touched only the outer edge of His garment, and immediately her blood ceased to flow, and dried up. Then He spake unto her, saying, 'It is thy faith which hath delivered thee; go in peace.' And again He spake unto the disciples, saying, 'If ye have faith as large as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove thyself from this place to that, and it shall remove itself, and there is nothing which shall be impossible for you.' And again, if ye shall say to a sycamore tree, Separate thyself [from] the earth, and plant thyself in the sea, it shall hearken unto you.' 22 And moreover, it is said concerning the holy man Apa Pisentius, that it came to pass on a time when he was young, while he was pasturing his father's sheep, that God opened his eyes, and he saw a pillar of fire in front of him. Now there were certain other young men who were pasturing sheep with him. And he said unto the other young men who were pasturing sheep with him, 'Do ye see the pillar of fire on the road in front of us?' And they said unto him, 'We do not see it.' Then he cried out up to heaven, saying, 'O God, open Thou the eyes of these young men, so that they may see the pillar of fire even as I see it.' And God hearkened unto his voice, and the eyes of the young men were opened, and they saw the pillar of fire. And observe ye now, O my beloved, that the moment when God chose Moses was when He spake unto him in his early manhood, out of a pillar of fire [which went up] out of a bush.

23 Now since God came unto Apa Pisentius when he was a young man, He chose him even as He did Samuel, whose mother had given him to the temple of God according to her vow, even as the holy Psalmist saith, 'Moses, the holy man, and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among those who called upon His Name. They cried out to God, and He heard them, and He spake unto them out of the pillar of cloud, and they kept His testimonies, and the ordinances which He had given unto them.' 24 Now there was in the Mountain of Tsentê a certain brother who was grievously sick, and his body was in a very weak and helpless condition because his sickness had lasted a very long time. And it came to pass on a certain day that this brother longed greatly for a little fish, and he told the holy man Apa Pisentius about his longing (now at that time he was a monk, and had not yet become a bishop), saying, 'I long greatly for a little fish.' And the holy man Apa Pisentius answered [and said unto him], 'Assuredly God will give unto thee this day. Cast thy care upon the Lord, and He shall feed thee, as the Prophet said; He will never suffer the righteous to be removed.' Then the holy man Apa Pisentius himself took his water-pot to fill it with water, for it was the time for filling [the water-pots with] water. And as the holy man Apa Pisentius was walking along, he cried out to the Lord, saying, 'O God, permit Thou not the heart of this brother to suffer grief, but, if it be Thy Will, give Thou to him his petition. Let him not suffer grief, O Lord.' And when he had gone forth on the bank near the river to fill his water-pot—now the Nile flood was very high, for God had visited the country that year—Apa Pisentius looked, and he saw a large fish leaping about out of the water, and throwing itself about. O what a great miracle of God was this! At the very place where the blessed Apa Pisentius went to the river [to fill his water-pot], the fish came to the bank; now it was the current of the water flood and the force thereof which thrust it along and stranded it at that place. And whilst Apa Pisentius was filling his water-pot, according to what he confessed to us with his own mouth, and testified

25 to us, he captured the fish, and [when] he gave it to the qH brother he said unto him, 'God hath fulfilled thy petition; it was He Who sent the meal to Daniel, for which his heart waited.' He said, 'It is He moreover Who hath prepared the fish for thee this day by His wish, inasmuch as He would not allow thee to suffer grief in respect of that for which thou didst ask at His hand. Well and truly doth the Prophet say, God is nigh unto every one, and He directeth him in truth. And He will hearken unto their supplications, and will deliver them. God shall guard every one who loveth Him.' When the children of Israel had risen up against Moses and Aaron, they said unto him, 'What is this that thou hast done with us? Thou hast brought us forth from the land of Egypt. We used to sit down by the brazen pots of flesh, and we ate bread, and now the people have to be satisfied

26 with manna instead of with loaves of bread and pieces of qE flesh. If not (i. e. if thou dost not give us bread and flesh) we will stone you.' And the whole congregation spake the word to stone them. And Moses cried out to God, saying, 'O God, where shall I find the wherewithal to give unto this people so that they may eat? Only a very little more and they will stone me.' And God spake unto Moses, saying, 'I have heard the murmurings which the children of Israel have made against you. But command thou the children of Israel, saying, Prepare ye yourselves; to-morrow ye shall eat flesh, not for two days, nor for three days, nor for ten days, but for a whole month of days shall ye eat it, even until the flesh shall come forth from your nostrils.' And he brought over [quails] by a wind of the sea, two cubits upon the ground.

27 Ye must know, therefore, O my beloved, that the supplication of the righteous man is exceedingly powerful, and it effecteth much, even as it is written. Now as concerneth Moses, the Lawgiver of the Old Covenant, immediately that he cried out to God concerning the multitude [of the Israelites], God did according to his wish. So also was it in the case of the Lawgiver of the New Covenant, Apa Pisentius. Immediately he made supplication to God on behalf of the brother who was a monk, God did not cause him grief, but fulfilled his petition, even according to that which is written in the Psalm, 'The Lord shall fulfil all thy petitions.' Hearken moreover to the account of another great and wonderful thing which took place through the holy man Apa Pisentius, when he was a monk, and before he became a bishop. It came to pass on a certain day that he went to the well at which the brethren were in the habit of drinking, in order that he might fill his water-pot. Now when he had come to the mouth of the well, he [found that he] had forgotten the rope and the leather bucket, and had not brought them with him. And when he had stood up at the mouth of the well he prayed to God according to the custom of the brethren, and he said, 'God, Thou knowest well that it is impossible for me to turn back again into the monastery to fetch the rope.

28 But do Thou command this water to rise up to where I am so that I may be able to fill my water-pot therewith, so that I may serve Thee for the remainder of my days. For Thou didst command Thy Apostle Peter, saying, Walk on the water.' Now when he had finished his prayer, the water rose in the well until it reached the mouth of the well, and he filled his water-pot with water. Then he said unto the water, 'It is the Lord Who doth command thee: Go down again to thy place.' Now whilst the water was sinking downwards, a certain shepherd, who was pasturing his flock of sheep among the thorn bushes, directed his steps to the mouth of the well, and he looked in, and he saw the water going down by degrees until it reached its place at the bottom. 29 Unto whom shall I liken thee, O blessed Apa Pisentius? Verily thou art like unto Moses, the Lawgiver, who made the sea to be divided, one half being on this side, and the other on that, and the children of Israel walked in the midst thereof as upon dry ground; and the water was to them a wall of water on this side and on that, on the right hand and on the left. It was Moses who spake to the rock, and it sent forth fountains of water. And as for thee, O holy man Apa Pisentius, thy prayer entered into the vault of heaven, and it fulfilled the Scripture, which saith, 'It was He Who spake, and they came into being; it was He Who commanded, and they were created.' Thou wast a man of foresight like unto the Prophets, and a man of intellect like unto the Apostles, and thou wast a wise steward. Therefore wast thou worthy of the Church of the Saints. God made thee to keep alive a multitude of souls. Thou didst preach the Gospel like Paul, and thou didst preach in wisdom the orthodox Faith. And thou didst cry out in thy discourse like a herald, thou didst shout aloud in thy wisdom like a trumpet. Who is able to pay unto thee the honour of which thou art worthy, O just and holy man? For thou didst know the things which were hidden before they took place. Thy discourse which appertained to the things of this world had therein songs and parables; thy discourse which appertained to the monkish estate [was full of] spiritual explanations. Thy words were those of a ruler, parables and mysteries. Thou didst never feel ashamed because of them before any man, according to that which is written, 'My words shall be testimonies concerning Thee before kings, I shall not be ashamed.'

30 Thou didst guide those who came unto Thee, all those who acted faithfully. And thou didst gather together unto thee every one in the bond of love. Thou didst hearken unto the commandment of the Christ, thou didst build thy house upon the rock which is holy. Thou didst bring forth fruit in patient endurance, and with a heart which is holy and good. Thou didst see beforehand the Banquet of the Spirit, and because of this thou dost rest (or, recline) at the holy feast. Thou didst seek out for the wretched the place where the pasture was good, and for this reason also thou didst take care for the poor always. Thou didst lay hold upon the ways of the ministry of God, and thou wast therefore a steersman in the sea of holy mysteries, and a saint like unto the Three Children. Thou wast a father to multitudes of the poor in our time, and the father of those who were orphans in our days. Thou didst proclaim like a herald peace unto those who were afar off, O thou God-loving father, Apa Pisentius. And thou didst exercise (or, train) those who drew nigh unto thee in the doctrine which was sound. Thou wast a well-skilled spiritual merchant, and therefore thou didst bestow graciously thy good gifts upon every one with great gladness and readiness. Thou didst seek and thou didst find, O God-loving father, Apa Pisentius, thou leader of the truth. Thou didst knock and it was opened unto thee; thou didst petition God, and He granted thee all thy petitions. There was great abundance in thy days, and the Christians occupied great and honourable positions. The Church enjoyed abundance in thy days and in thy generation. Thy people rejoiced in thy wisdom, and thy children rejoiced greatly in thy holy mysteries.

31 The Governors desired eagerly [to hear] thy discourse, and all the proselytes sought eagerly after thy mysteries. Thou didst look upon (?) the man whose name was Anatolês. Therefore he filled thee with the splendour of the Holy Spirit. Thou didst complete the Ark of the Holy Spirit in its length and breadth, even as Noah [completed his ark]. Thou wast a light which sent out its light into all our province. Righteousness and peace made light thy way before thee all thy days. Moreover, in thy days lived the two forerunners who sent forth light through thy prayers, and through the prayers of the saints who lived in this province, that is to say, Apa Colluthus and Apa Paham, these [two] great saints! 32 Now therefore, by the grace of God, we will tell you about another marvellous thing which I heard from certain men whose whole hope is the truth. Now a certain man from our district spoke to us concerning the holy man Apa Pisentius saying, 'I went in and I received a blessing at his hands this day.' Now when I had come forth from him, I met the holy man Apa Paham, who said unto me, 'Hast thou received a blessing from the hand of Pisentius?' I said unto him, 'Yes, my father, but thou thyself art a holy man.' And he made answer to me, 'He who is truly a holy man is, most assuredly, Pisentius, and if thou didst happen to meet him thou wouldst receive a truly great blessing, for some time ago, when he prayed, the well became filled with water.' Now this man said unto us, 'It came to pass on a certain day that we saw a fire burning in his house, and we said unto each other, Is it possible that Pisentius has lighted a fire? Wherefore hath he done this at this time of the year? And [some brethren] got up on the wall and looked over it, and they saw him standing up, and he was praying, and his hands were spread out towards heaven, and his ten fingers were like unto ten lamps (or, torches) of fire which were shining exceedingly brightly.'

33 always kept his face towards it until it set, and all the time he worked with his hands, presumably weaving palm-leaves into sandals, baskets, &c.. According to Abū Ṣāliḥ (ed. Evetts and Butler, p. 234) there was a church dedicated to Saint Colluthus at Kūṣ, which is not far from Coptos, which proves that Colluthus was greatly venerated in the neighbourhood of Coptos. The most famous saint of this name was he who suffered martyrdom in the fourth century under Maximian in 320. 34 And again, when God set him apart for consecration into the priesthood, of which he was worthy, because he loved the life of peaceful contemplation he went and hid himself. And when the God-loving clergy were seeking for him in order to make him take his seat upon the throne of the high priest, of which in very truth he was worthy, they sought for him a long time, and they found him at length in a secret place in the region of Djême. And when they had caught him, he cried out and uttered the words of the great John, the Archbishop of Constantinople, saying, 'O the life of peaceful contemplation! I love it. Will ye not leave me in it?' Finally they brought back the holy man, and they set him upon the holy episcopal throne. Now it was not he who ran in pursuit of the honour, but it was the honour which ran in pursuit of him, even as those who discovered him confessed unto us, saying, 'He confessed thus to us with his own mouth: If it were not that I would not be disobedient to those whom ye have sent after me to this place, ye might cut my head off me, or throw me into the sea, before I would obey you, and forsake this life of peaceful contemplation which God loveth. Have ye never read what is written in the Psalms, Be still. Know that I am God'? And they debated the matter together, saying, 'Who then is there that can command him [to accept]? It is not a man.'

35 Then they took counsel together, saying, 'Let us relate the matter to the holy man Apa Colluthus, who is a great one among men; he shall reveal the matter to him [in its true light], and he will not hide the business from him.' And at length they went to the holy man Apa Colluthus, and they said unto him, 'Father, when we had laid hold upon Apa Pisentius in order that we might have him consecrated bishop, he did not wish to bind himself, or to take any part in the service of consecration. And behold, we went about very many days seeking for him before we found him in a part of Djème. And when we had laid hold upon him he was most anxious to excuse himself from his order. And afterwards he said, "If it were not that I would not be disobedient unto him that hath sent you to me, ye might remove my head from me before I would render obedience unto you." We now therefore make appeal unto thine holiness to abide with him for a number of days, and do thou question him when thou art alone with him, saying, Who is he that hath sent thee? This matter is no miracle.'

36 Then the holy man Apa Colluthus questioned him, saying, 'The God-loving clergy [of the town of Coptos] state that thy holiness saith: "If it were not that I would not be disobedient unto him that hath sent you unto me, I would not occupy this position [of bishop] at all." Now who art thou [to speak thus]?' And the holy man Apa Pisentius answered and said, 'Before the clergy came unto my most unworthy self I fell asleep for a space, and a voice came unto me three times, saying, "Pisentius, Pisentius, Pisentius. Behold the ordinance of the Church hath come unto thee. Do not thou excuse thyself from the rank to which they would appoint thee, which is that of Chief of the Apostles, but arise, and follow thou them. Do not forsake the Church, which is, as it were, a widow." Now when I had heard these words, and when the clergy cried out to me in [my abode], I came forth, and I followed them, and I cast all my care upon Jesus, because nothing whatsoever can happen without [the consent of] God.' Now, therefore, ye must know, O my beloved, that that which I say unto you is true, and that also which the wise man Paul said, 'Let not each one take for himself honour, but let it be brought upon him through God.' When Aaron became high priest, it was not he who glorified himself, but He Who spake with him, saying, 'Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek.' And thus also was it in the case of the Christ, [for God said unto Him], 'This day have I begotten thee.' In this wise did Apa Pisentius take his seat upon the episcopal throne with a perfect [heart].

37 And God gave grace unto his face, even as to Joseph. And no man dared to look into his face without being afraid of the fear of God which rested with him. Who could take into account the number of the acts of kindness and charity which he did to the poor, and not only to the needy folk of his own province, but also to those who came to him from a distance? He used to receive them himself, and give unto them whatsoever they asked at his hands. And ye must know, moreover, that the praises which have been bestowed upon him are far too few, even for the early days of his episcopate, when he began to do acts of charity in every town and village [from Coptos] to Souan (Syene). The things (i.e. the offerings), which were brought unto him year by year according to the Canons of the Apostles, he was wont to send secretly to certain men who were fearers of God in the various cities, and in the various villages, and they used to distribute it among the poor in the season

38 told him that what the Lord had decreed would take place speedily, and then they left him. Soon after this Pisentius was taken to Rakoti, and he was consecrated bishop of Coptos by Damianus, the Patriarch, who handed him over to his officers, who took him to Coptos and solemnly enthroned him (Amélineau, op. cit., pp. 101-108). of winter, when the poor are wont to lack bread. He forgot the poor in nothing, even as ye well know. Now after a long time during which our holy Father Apa Pisentius had governed his flock with exceedingly great care, he dispatched [copies] of a letter to all the people who were in the province of Kebt (Coptos), and rebuked them, saying, 'Cease ye to do these great and grievous sins, concerning which we have been informed, lest peradventure God shall become wroth with you, and shall deliver you over into the hands of the Barbarians who shall afflict you.' And moreover, he wrote also in that letter, saying, 'Unless ye repent quickly, God shall bring that nation upon you without delay.' And again, after [this he wrote], 'Except ye be instructed, that

39 nation shall not cease to raise up wrath against you. [It is] a nation fierce of visage and cruel, and shameless in respect of its face; it shall neither spare, nor have compassion on old man or youth; it shall afflict you with sufferings which shall be as grievous as the plagues of Pharaoh of old, until at length he drove them into the abysses of the sea, thinking to destroy [them] openly. Therefore let repentance remain with you in your habitations at all times, so that it may be in your hearts, and let fasting increase in your mouth at all times. For charity shall boast itself over judgement, according to the word of James, the wise man of the Apostles.' (Amélineau, op. 40 cit., pp. 118-120). And it came to pass at that time that he wrote an Epistle to the people who were under his jurisdiction, [and] he rebuked them because of their sins and their filthy behaviour, and he admonished them to remove themselves from the deeds which they were doing, saying, 'People inform me that ye are committing grievous sins. Henceforth do ye remove yourselves from them, lest God become wroth, and take vengeance upon me, and lest He make both you and myself to suffer together. He is not ashamed before the old man (i. e. himself), and He will bring upon you great tribulations, and great sufferings, and severe famine, even as He did upon Pharaoh in days of old. And after these things I tell you what the Lord said in His mercy, I will never again bring a flood upon the earth. If He had not sworn by Himself not to bring a flood upon us, He would destroy us even as [He destroyed] the children of the giants, at the time when the angels transgressed through lust for women. They forsook the sweet smell of virginity, and came down from exalted thoughts of God, they mixed themselves with the pollutions of women, and they followed after that which was of foul odour rather than that of sweet odour. And as for you, your iniquities are far more numerous than theirs. Ye lust, ye commit fornication and adultery; the parents know that their children sin, yet they admonish them not.

41 Because of our sins God hath forgotten us, He hath given us into the hands of the nations which have no pity. But now, let charity and repentance be among you, and love towards one another at all times, and above all purity and peace. Let fasting be among you, giving joy to your heart and tongue, for mercy boasteth itself over judgement, even as James the Apostle said. For mercy delivereth a man, and transporteth him out of death into life.' Jas. ii. 13. 42 For the third angel in the salvation of God is the Angel of Charity. For charity shall deliver a man from pie death, and it will not permit him to go into the darkness. And moreover, it is very much better to perform acts of charity than to gather in gold. And thou shalt shew compassion unto him that is in debt to thee. Let not thine eye be envious of thee whilst thou doest deeds of charity and righteousness. And moreover, it is better to give a very little with lovingkindness and righteousness than to give a great deal with violence. And do not thou turn thy face away from any poor man, and God shall not turn away His face from thee. And again, in respect of the little which one may owe thee, be not afraid to give it in alms, even as the holy man Tobit said.

43 And consider the case of that rich man who despised Lazarus the poor man, and what was done unto him in pie the matter of punishment, and how he answered and said in anguish of heart, 'My father Abraham, let them send Lazarus, and let him dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue therewith, for I am tortured in this fire.' And what he heard was it not words of rebuke? For Abraham said unto him, 'My son, remember that during thy lifetime thou didst receive thy good things, and Lazarus the things which were bad. And now to him do they shew consolation in this place, whilst as for thee, they inflict tortures on thee for thy charity, for they will be as merciful to thee as thou hast been to the poor. Thou didst feed thyself on young and tender flesh (?), and on small birds, and on other creatures, thou didst eat by thyself the tender plants of the earth, thou didst drink undiluted wine in glasses insatiably

44 and without consideration for any other man. And as pie concerning the man whom thou didst forget, and to whom thou didst shew no charity with that which was thine, if there by chance remained to him the smallest amount of any possession, thou wast in the habit of demanding it from him unjustly. If thou wouldst not give unto him of the things which were thine own, at least thou mightest have been kind to him, and watched and seen that justice was done to him; thou shouldst not have weighed him down with thine injustice. For thou knowest that thou and the poor man were made of one and the same kind of clay. Do not give him cause to grieve, and God will not give thee cause to grieve. There is a place of judgement wherein each man shall be judged according to what he hath done, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.'

45 Behold, these are the things which the God-loving Father Apā Pisentius wrote on many occasions to all the people. Now how is it possible for us to beautify our encomium of the holy man, except by means of his own mouth? But let us invoke him, so that he may minister unto us in respect of the remainder of the things which it is seemly for us to narrate in this encomium, according to the measure of our inability. We are wholly unable to attain to the heights of thy virtue, O thou good ascetic, who art adorned with the virtues of the Holy Spirit, [thou doer of] all the righteous precepts and commandments which are full of life. Verily if every part of me was to become a tongue I should not be able to do honour to thee in a manner suitable to the ten thousands of virtues which thou dost possess; and moreover, as for the mite which we are able to cast into the treasury, it is thy grace alone which hath prepared it for

46 For we know well that thou hast no need of our feeble tongue to utter these few words of encomium, because thy citizenship is in the heavens, according to the words of the tongue of sweet odour, that is to say, Paul, [who said], 'As for us, our citizenship is in heaven, the place for which pka we wait'. Nevertheless, let us declare a few things concerning the holy man, to the glory of God. Now it came to pass that at the time when God brought the heathen, that is to say, the Persians, upon us, for our sins, Apa Pisentius departed to the mountain of Djême, and hid himself in that place, because of the Persians. Now this took place at the time when the Persians were masters [of Egypt], though they had not as yet taken the city of Kebt (Coptos). And at that time I John went with him, and I was with him in the capacity of a servant. Now

47 I carried with me water-machines, and I put them in the place wherein we hid ourselves, so that we might be able to find them when we had need of them all the days which we should have to pass in hiding. Now, pay ye strict attention to the words [which I am about to say], for then ye will marvel, and will give glory to God Who performed these great and wonderful things by His holy man, even as God worked a miracle for Israel in times of old by Moses, to whom He said, 'Raise thy rod, smite the rock, and the water shall gush forth so that the people may drink.' Now this was what happened in this case also. And when he had departed to his hiding-place I myself went with him, and we remained in that place wherein we had hidden ourselves, and when we had passed several days in that place the very little water which remained to us came to an end, and I said unto my father, 'We have no water left.'

48 And my father answered and said unto me, 'God will not forsake us, O my son, but He will minister unto all our wants. For He said, Take no care for the morrow, for the morrow will take care for itself. And again, at the time when Elijah the Tishbite was in the desert, the ravens brought bread unto him every day in the early morning, and again at the time of evening. And when he had laid himself down and slept under the tree which is called "rathmen", and had risen up, he found there upon it a loaf of bread and a vessel of water. And an angel said unto him, "Arise, eat bread, drink water." And Elijah ate the bread, and drank the water, and he journeyed on that road for forty days and forty nights, without eating any other bread or drinking any other water. Now God ministered unto Elijah with spiritual food because he followed God with his whole heart; and we ourselves also shall be ministered unto, if we observe His dispensations, and if our hearts be straight in respect of Him, He will take care for us. For He spake by the holy Psalmist David, saying, "Cast thy care upon God, and He shall feed thee." For God knoweth that of which ye have need before ye ask Him therefor, even as He spake in the Holy Gospel.'

49 Now when my father had said these things, he went away straightway. As for me I cast myself down on the ground, I heaped up the cool sand over my breast, I stretched myself out and lay at full length, and I was burning consumedly with heat, and the want of water. And when my father hē had remained away from me for a very long time, he came back to me, and his eyes were full of light, like unto that of the luminaries in the heavens. And his whole person was cheerful, and he was like one who had been in a wine-shop. And he said unto me, 'John, I see that thou art exhausted by thirst, get thee to the waters, and drink.' And I answered and said unto him, 'My father, the water-pots have been empty and dried up for the last three days, and there is no water at all in our place of abode.' Now my father used to fast three days at a time, and sometimes, when his body was free from sickness, he was wont to fast even for a whole week at a time. And again he said unto me, 'John, why dost thou not obey?

50 Get thee to the waters, and drink, for I perceive that thirst is driving thee wholly mad.' And again he said unto me, 'John, begone, for I see that thou hē art greatly dried up through thy thirst, and that thou art mad through the darkness caused by want of water.' Then I answered him, saying, 'I did fall down, and I did go mad, and this is the truth, when thou didst depart into the desert; but now thou hast returned to me once more, and I perceive that thy face is full of joy, and that bright light goeth forth from it, even as from the face of Moses, the Lawgiver, the natural condition of my mind hath returned to me, and I cease to thirst.' And he answered and said unto me, 'If thou losest thy reason in this manner after two days [of thirst], how very much more severe is the tribulation which hath come upon those who are in the darkness of Amente, with the worm which never sleepeth, and the outer darkness, and the river of fire which floweth before the Righteous Judge, by Whom we shall be tried! Verily, O my son, it is a fearful and a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.'

51 And when he had spoken these words he said unto me, 'I think there is water in the water-vessels, in one of them which we have forgotten.' Now I, the wretched and miserable John, am not worthy to relate the wonderful thing which took place there, and which I myself saw with my own eyes; I the wretched man alone can narrate it. For when I had gone to the place wherein the water-vessels were—I confess to you, O my beloved, to [feeling] the doubt which would have come upon all of us—I found them filled with water up to their brims, and the water which was in them was as white as milk, and as white as snow, and was as sweet as the water of Géôn (the Nile) which is in motion. Then I went and enquired of my father, saying, 'I found the water-pots full of water, whence cometh the water then, O my Lord and father?' And he answered and said unto me, 'He Who supplieth with food the hawks (?) which neither sow nor reap, nor gather grain into garners, He, I say, it is Who hath supplied us with these waters whereof we were in need. For for him who casteth his care upon Jesus will Jesus care in every place, and He will serve him.'

52 Therefore, O my beloved, ye must know that wheresoever a man goeth, all his hope must be [set upon] Jesus. And he must remember that which is written in [the Book of] Jeremiah the Prophet, 'Cursed is he whose hope is placed upon man, but blessed is the man who hath set his heart upon God, and God shall become unto him a hope. He shall become like a tree which is planted by the waters, and his roots shall not perish for lack of moisture.' What shall I say, or with what words shall I describe all the glorious virtues of this glorious, and just, and blessed man? Now first of all I will declare concerning the manner in which he served God, and next concerning the grace which God bestowed upon him, and the gift wherewith God most graciously endowed him, from the beginning of his life even to the end thereof. Unto whom shall I compare thee, O blessed man, Apa Pisentius? I will compare thee unto Abel who was the head of the worshipping of God and of the high-priesthood of God, and who became the first to offer up sacrifices and offerings. For this reason I ascribe blessing to thy holy fatherhood, because thou didst become a father to the orphans, and the mouth of the widow blesseth thee, O thou holy man and bishop, Apa Pisentius. Thou

53 wast a father to the weak and helpless, and a place of a sojourning for the proselyte. Thou wast food to those who suffered hunger, and water to those who were athirst. Thou wast apparel unto those who were naked, and a garment for those whose nakedness was uncovered. Thou didst enter into Paradise in thy understanding, and didst eat of the tree of deathlessness. Thou wast a wise man when thou didst keep closed thy mouth, and thou wast a man of understanding (or, discretion) when thou didst speak. For thy name reached unto the boundaries of the inhabited world. Thou wast a man of gracious speech concerning the wisdom of God, and thou wast a possessor of the true knowledge of the Holy Mysteries. Thou didst seek first of all the Kingdom and its righteousness, and all these [other] things did God graciously bestow upon thee. Thou didst

54 enter into the land of promise in thy mind, and therefore a God gave thee strength to vanquish the Canaanites who were hidden. Thou didst meditate upon all the spiritual paradigms, thou didst understand all the parables of the Gospels, and thou didst devote thyself earnestly to the spiritual interpretations thereof. All the wise folk that were in the land marvelled at thy wisdom, and they had need of thy advocacy in this world. And again the men who were learned in the knowledge of books marvelled at thy wisdom, and all the men who were of senatorial rank were struck with wonder at thy hidden sayings. For all those who were vexed in their minds came unto thee, and thou, in the goodness of thy disposition, didst give them help. Thou wast a righteous man in our days and a watcher in our generation, O thou holy man and bishop, Apa Pisentius, the blessed anchorite. In thy days the Governors performed acts of lovingkindness to the poor, and they gave glory to thy worship of God. Thou didst behave like a nobleman towards those who drew nigh unto thee, and the Greeks ascribed glory unto thee. Thou didst make to be of no effect the office of the absolute ruler. Thou didst shut the mouths of the beasts, and the cages for prisoners in the prisons fell into disuse, and possessions returned to their rightful owners. Thou didst conquer Amalek like Joshua, the son of Nun, and thou didst conquer the Amorite like Israel.

55 Thou didst put on the whole armour of God, and therefore thou wast able to quench all the arrows of the Evil One which blazed with fire, and thou didst do battle against all the crafts of the Devil. Thou didst lay hold on the breastplate of faith, and thou didst put on thy feet the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Thy fame hath reached to the boundaries of the inhabited world. Thou wast a wise man in the opinion of Governors, even as was Saint Athanasius, and God gave thee strength in the Scriptures. And thou didst seek to know in thy mind concerning the world which is to come, and thou didst set out to examine into the depth of the wisdom of God, which is hidden. 56 Thou wast a man inured to the contemplative life, even as was the holy man Apa Pahômô (Pachomius), the father of the coenobite life. God raised men to very high positions in thy days, and in thy generation He graciously bestowed upon us His peace. God brought forth thy righteousness like the light, and He made thy judgement to be like the hour of noon. Thou didst keep the commandments of God, and for this reason thy peace was like unto an overflowing river, and thy righteousness like unto the great and mighty deep. Thy spirit, which was mighty, was like unto the Morning Star, and thy seed is like unto the sand which is on the sea-shore, which is without number. And thy prayers, which were for the whole world, are in benevolent operation. And thou didst call unto every one to bring themselves unto God in repentance. Thou didst teach the lawless man the ways of God, and thou didst turn the impious men from their impiety. Thou didst raise up those who are sick by means of thy holy prayers, and thou didst cry out to God on behalf of those who were possessed of devils.

57 Unto whom shall I liken thee, O thou blessed father Apa Pisentius, the holy bishop? Thou wast a man who was a believer in our generation, and a man who was righteous in our days. Thou wast a learned scribe in respect of thy faculties, and a skilled reader of spiritual omens and portents. Thou wast a master-physician who did heal every one, with a benevolent heart. In the righteousness of God thou didst rise on high like a palm-tree, and thou didst spread abroad in the wisdom of God like a plane-tree. Thou didst diffuse abroad the sweet odour of virtue which was like unto [that of] cinnamon, and the sweet odour of thine unguent reached even unto the boundaries of the inhabited world. Thou wast like unto the five cities in the gift of Christ, and the reports of all thy marvellous works were in the city of the whole world. Thou wast a teacher of rites and sacrifices like unto Moses, and a master of the art of making hymns like unto David. For we heard of thy mysteries very frequently in thy epistle[s], and we saw the depth of thy understanding of the Holy Scriptures in the letters which thou didst indite, and of thy wisdom which was great. Thou didst spread out thy wings like the eagle, and thou wast transformed in the strength of the service of God like a young, strong eagle. God opened the eyes of thy soul, and He taught thee the gate of immortality like the Samaritan woman. And thy understanding moved deftly in the perfect knowledge of the Scriptures, even as doth the little stick in the hands of the player on the harp, and thou didst sing hymns thereby on a psaltery of ten strings.

58 Unto whom shall I liken thee, O holy hermit, Apa Pisentius, thou faithful priest? I will liken thee unto Noah, of whose holy sacrifice God smelled [the sweet savour]. For thou didst taste that the working was good, and thy lamp was not extinguished during the whole night. Thou didst make for thyself celestial garments of byssus and purple, and thou didst plant a vineyard of the fruit of thy hand. Thou wast a righteous man in the worshipping of God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. God gave unto thee rain from heaven as He did to Elijah. The things which were bitter He made sweet by means of thy ministrations, even as did Elijah. The desert places became fertile in thy days, and the hills poured out milk during thy generation. Thou didst build thy children on the Rock which cannot be moved, that is the Christ, and thou didst build in them the faith (or, belief) which is everlasting. Thou wast the [place of] repose of the men of Egypt, and a kindly inn for those who were strangers. Thou becamest a sufferer in the service of the poor, and a help unto those who were tortured with grief. Thou didst shew thyself perfect in spiritual knowledge. Thou didst take thy rest (or, die) in the midst of thy children, like Jacob, and afterwards they followed thee to thy fathers, like David. Thou wast a wise man like Solomon, and thou didst inherit the blessing from God. Because of this thou didst light upon the paths which were delicate, thou didst make good thy escape, thou didst keep the faith, and thou didst set the crown of righteousness upon thy head.

59 Thou didst deposit seed for thyself in Sion, O Apa Pisentius, and thou didst beget for thyself a household in the Jerusalem of heaven. Thou didst receive the sword of the Holy Spirit, through prayers of every kind and through supplications of every kind; and for this reason thou wast able to gain the mastery over the spirits of evil in the darkness. Thou didst make thyself to resemble the Sun of righteousness in Whose wings there is healing, and because of this the eyes of thy soul sent forth rays of splendour. pIe Thou didst build a house for God, even as did Solomon, and thou didst complete the courtyard thereof as did Zerubbabel. Thou didst walk about in the meadow of the Spirit, and therefore thou didst find in the treasury (or, field) holy mysteries. Thou wast eager to receive in thy heart, and therefore God gave thee the star of the light of the knowledge of Him. Thou didst eat of heavenly bread, and thou didst rejoice thyself in the tree of immortality.

60 Unto whom then shall I liken thee, O thou blessed man, thou great priest, Apa Pisentius? I will liken thee unto Jacob, whom God remembered in his sufferings, because of his innocency, and gave him the inheritance. I will liken thee also unto Joseph, unto whom God gave a crown of the pII kingdom (i. e. a royal crown). I will liken thee unto Samuel, who [became master] of the gifts of grace of the high-priesthood. I will liken thee unto Samuel who became a priest, unto whom God gave the promise of the priesthood and of the office of prophet when he was a little child. I will liken thee unto the sons of Jonadab, who kept the commandments of their father. I will liken thee unto the Great Apostle, Saint Peter, who stood in archiepiscopal rank. I will liken thee also unto Paul, who had the care of all the Churches. I will liken thee also unto Zacharias, the high-priest, whom God filled full of the Holy Spirit. For God gave thee wisdom out of His mouth, even as He did to Solomon. Thou didst shew thyself to be like unto Moses, for God made the worship of idols to come to an end in thy days, even as [in the days of] Ozias (Uzzah).

61 The man who went to thee, no matter who he was, with a sorrowful heart, did he not come back rejoicing? O thou true consoler, according to the words of the Psalmist David, 'Thy words give me life, thy words comfort me.' Truly thou art like unto Moses, whose face shone with glory, and who was exalted whilst God spake with him. And thou thyself, O Lawgiver, the similitude of thy face was glorious through the strength of God which was with thee. And thou wast a companion of all the saints, because of the simplicity which was thine, and the purity which was thine, in the time when thou wast a monk, and before thou didst receive the honour of the episcopacy. Never at any time did any man who looked into thy face feel fear of thee, O thou whose eye was full like the star of the morning and shot forth lightnings at all times. O blessed are the things which I have brought unto thee! If I desired to narrate the account of all thy successes I should be obliged to take to myself those who write down words (i. e. scribes), even as did Moses, the composer and stablisher of the Law, until I had made manifest thy valiant deeds, O thou holy and perfect man, Apa Pisentius. For thou art like unto the holy anchorites Apa Palamôn, and Apa Pahômô, and Apa Patrônios, and Apa Hōrsiesios, and Apa Theodore. Thou art like unto the holy man Basil, thou art like unto Gregory the Theologian, each of whom was associated with the throne of priesthood like unto thyself.

62 Now as concerning the marvellous acts of thy great power which were performed with quietness, no man whatsoever can know the full tale thereof; but those which we have seen with our eyes, and those which we have heard with our ears that love discourses concerning his power, these, I say, are the things which we will now declare. O ye who are God-loving sons, know that [on one occasion] when the days of the festival of Easter drew nigh, now it was during the forty days [of Lent], the holy Archbishop of the Alexandrians sent messages to the South, throughout all Egypt, pointing out to the Bishops, and the clergy, and all the orthodox people, saying, 'Prepare ye yourselves, for the days of Easter are drawing nigh, and make ye arrangements concerning the forty holy days in respect of the months in which they are to fall, and the time when they are to come to an end.' And the Patriarch Apa Damianus, Archbishop of Alexandria, despatched certain God-loving members of the clergy to the South with the holy message,

63 tery of Tabenna. On the death of Pachomius, about 350, he was elected Archimandrite, but he died a very short time afterwards. One of his kind actions in respect of Sylvanus the actor is recorded in the 'Rule of Pachomius' (Palladius, Paradise, ed. Budge, vol. i, pp. 285, 286). so that they might deliver it in every city. Now it was the holy man Apa Damianus who had consecrated the holy man Apa Pisentius bishop of the city of Coptos. And when the God-loving clergy had arrived in order to sojourn with our holy father Apa Pisentius, they received a blessing from his holy hand, and they seated themselves in his presence. Now it happened according to the dispensation of God that on that day there were certain great men sitting with him. 64 And a certain man who lived in a neighbouring country, who was a shepherd and was then pasturing his flock, came into the presence of Apa Pisentius that day, in order that he might receive a blessing at his hand. Now according to the favourable opportunity afforded by God, the shepherd came into the chamber as soon as he found that the door was opened, and he cast himself down at the feet of Apa Pisentius whilst the clergy who had been sent by the Patriarch Damianus were with him. And when he was standing upright, having kissed his holy feet, he brought himself near his holy hands so that he might receive a blessing, and he gazed in his face, and he wished to draw his hands to him. But the bishop would not give him the blessing, and he cried out, saying, 'Who is it that hath permitted this worthless and sinful fellow to enter this place, who hath allowed this man, whose head ought to be removed, [to come hither?] Get thee gone out of this place, O thou unclean one who art an abomination unto God. Come hither, John, and do thou cast him forth.'

65 Then I John, the disciple of Apa Pisentius, laid hold of the man, and I cast him forth. And when we had gone a little way outside the door, I enquired of him, saying, 'What hast thou been doing to-day to cause the great man to be so angry with thee? Verily he passed the day very happily indeed, and was in a joyful mood until thou didst enter his presence; his wrath would not have blazed up against thee unless thou hadst committed this day some very disgraceful pne pne deed. And besides this, the men of the Patriarch Damianus were sitting with him. Now, make thy confession to me, for it is written, Make manifest your sins to each other, and pray ye each on the other's behalf, so that your sins may be forgiven you.' And the shepherd answered and said, 'How did it happen that I did not die this day when I rose up from my sleep? Now it came to pass that, whilst I was pasturing my sheep to-day among the thorn bushes, a woman passed me on the road whom I knew. And I laid hold upon her in the foolishness of my heart, and I lay with her, thinking that

66 the great man would never know anything about it. But, by God, Who is the witness of my soul, immediately he looked at me, the consciousness sprang up in me that he knew what I had done. And a mighty pain smote me at once in all my body, and I came nigh falling on my face, and I should have done so if it had not been that thou didst seize me, and bring me out by the door. It (i. e. his look) made me powerless, and I was about to fall upon my face.' Then that shepherd brought several cheeses in wicker baskets, and he said unto me, 'I entreat thee to take these few cheeses from my hands, and to send them to these men who are with thee in thy house; since I have brought them, be not grieved at me.' Then I answered and said unto him, 'I will not take

67 them without the knowledge of the great man, lest if he find it out he scold me.' And that shepherd answered and said unto me, 'I conjure thee by God Almighty to take them from my hands, and to give them to the poor on my behalf.' Now when I heard [him mention] the awful Name of God, I felt afraid, and I took them from his hands on account of the oath [which he had sworn] by God. And I carried them and put them down along with the other cheeses which had been brought unto me that day. And I said in my heart, 'I will not let the great man know about my act at all.' 68 And it came to pass at the hour of evening that day, that when the time for repose and meditation had come, he (i. e. Apa Pisentius) rose up in order that he might give some cheese to the clergy. And he said unto me, 'If cheeses have been brought unto thee this day, bring some of them hither to me so that I may send them to the clergy of the Archbishop.' Then I took all the cheeses, and I threw those which the shepherd had brought with them. And when the bishop had looked at them he said unto me, 'Bring hither to me a platter,' and he uttered the following riddle, saying thus: 'This day, a man whose eyes were open, a man whose eyes had no darkness [in them], and who saw clearly, covered up his eyes by day and by night, and walked about like a blind man, although his eyes possessed the faculty of sight.

69 Would not every man who saw him rebuke him, saying, Why is it since God hath given light to thine eyes that thou lovest to adopt the guise of the blind men who walk in darkness at all times?' And I confess unto you that when my father had spoken these words to me, he picked out all the cheeses which the shepherd had given unto me, and he divided them from the others, and placed them on the platter and said unto me, 'I say unto thee that these cheeses belonged to the shepherd which I caused to be driven forth from me this day; now when thou hadst thrown him out, why didst thou accept them from his hands? Look now, and consider; whom dost thou resemble? Thou resemblest Gehazi, who ministered unto Elisha, who made the man to turn back, and who took from him two talents and two changes of raiment. Look now also and consider in what manner Elisha cursed him—he made the leprosy of Naaman to grow in his body. Now therefore, rise up, and take thou

70 pass pu the cheeses to him wheresoever thou canst find him. Verily [even if thou hast to sit up] until midnight thou shalt not sleep in this place until thou hast given them pita to him.' Then I said unto Apa Pisentius, 'Forgive me, O my father. When I had thrown him out of the door, he swore mighty oaths to me, and I was afraid of the oath which he swore in [the Name of] God, and I took the cheeses from him.' And Apa Pisentius answered and said, 'Do not attempt to anoint my head with the oil of the sinner. It was Paul himself, the sweet-smelling tongue who spake in the Epistle which he wrote unto the Corinthians saying, I have written to you in the Epistle: Hold no converse with whoremongers, and not even with thy familiar friend, if he be a whoremonger; have no friendship with him. And again [he saith]: The whoremongers and the adulterers shall God judge. And again [he saith]: Lest there be a filthy whoremonger like Esau. And again it saith: No pith whoremonger shall inherit the kingdom of the heavens. Get thee gone therefore, at once, and give the cheeses back to him, and peradventure we may be able to deliver his soul from the hand of the Devil; indeed he is a miserable man.' I departed therefore and I gave the cheeses to him on the evening of that same day, and I returned to my place according to the advice of my holy father.

71 Now ye must know that our righteous father Apa Pisentius was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and he was a righteous man, and if [ye imagine] that he was not, hearken ye unto the following narrative, and ye will assuredly be struck with wonder. Now it came to pass again on a certain day that my lord and father sent me on a message, which was urgent, to a certain district of Djême. Now it was very late in the day when I started to come back, and before I could get back it was dark night. And when I had entered on the road which leads into [the mountain], behold, two hyenas came running after me, as I was riding my ass, and they sprang towards the ass wishing to seize her and to pull it down. In very truth their teeth were within a very little of touching my feet. And I cried out, saying, 'May the prayers of my father help me and keep me from the mouths of these beasts.' And before the words left my mouth, the animals took themselves off in another direction, and they did not do me the very least harm. Now by reason of the loudness of their panting it appeared to me as if they were fleeing in great haste from some one who was pursuing them; and they fled as soon as ever they heard the name of the great man, Apa Pisentius.

72 And when I had journeyed on a little further, a number of wolves attacked me; now they ejected a lot of dung on my back, and threw up very much dust about me, and I was obliged to abandon the beast whereon I was riding. And again I cried out uttering prayers to God and to my holy father, Apa Pisentius, who had delivered me from the mouths of the hyenas, saying, 'Deliver thou me at this time also from these wolves.' And before the words had escaped from my mouth one of the wolves let out a mighty cry, and they all turned away and fled in another direction, through the prayers of my holy father, Apa Pisentius. [Now] they all turned away through the prayers of my father Apa Pisentius. Now as for me, I entered into the plain of the mountain of Tsentê, and I ascribed glory to God because of what had happened to me, namely that He had delivered me from the mouths of [these] evil beasts. And when I had entered into the heart [of the mountain], I found her (i. e. the beast he had abandoned); and the holy man was engaged in studying [the book of a] certain prophet. Then I took the beast into the shed for the animals, and my father was looking down on me [as I did so] from the wall of the tower. And he said unto me, 'O John'; and I made answer to him, saying, 'Bless me, my father!' And he said unto me, 'Have I not told thee that thou art not to travel by the inner road late in the day, and that thou art only to do so in the early morning? A very little more and the wild beasts would have eaten thee up; they would have done so now had it not been for the mercy of God.'

73 Thus ye may see, O my beloved, that he always knew what was happening, and no matter where the place was wherein any event happened, he was always certain to know about that event. But he kept it secret, according to the habit of his life, for he did not desire to give any man cause to give to him the approbation which appertaineth to men, even as the wise man Paul spake, saying, 'I seek not the glory of men, nor of yourselves, nor of others.' Now, if I wished to tell you concerning all the works which we have seen done by the blessed old man Apa Pisentius, this discourse would become inordinately long, but inasmuch as the Scriptures inform us, saying, 'The works of God are good, make thou them manifest unto every one,' I will relate unto you a few more deeds, out of a very large number, concerning the splendid acts of this perfect man, and afterwards we will bring our discourse to a close. Now it came to pass on a day that a certain man came unto him from the district of Kebt (Coptos), and there was travelling with him his son, who had reached a time of life when he might, very properly, have been permitted to undergo the yoke of

74 matrimony. And the two men went together into the presence of [the holy man Apa Pisentius], and they bowed low [before him], and cast themselves down at his feet. And the holy man said unto the man, 'Why hast thou not taken a wife for thy son?'—now that man was an inhabitant of the town of Coptos. And the man answered and said, My father, he is a mere boy, and hath not yet arrived at the proper age for marriage; and he is prudent.' And the holy man answered and said, 'Verily thy son is a habitual fornicator, and if thou permittest him, he will tell [thee] the truth.' 75 The man said, 'If he be a fornicator, behold, I will put him into thy hands, so that thou mayest do unto him whatsoever it pleaseth thee.' And the holy prophet answered and said, 'When thou goest to enter into thy village thou shalt meet a certain woman in the first street of thy village, she is the daughter of such and such a man, and that which is inside her shall bear witness to thee that it is thy son who hath been sleeping with her. But do not think that I say this wholly and solely of myself, most assuredly not, for I have been informed concerning this matter by certain men who are worthy to be believed. Nevertheless, if thou wilt hearken unto me thou wilt take her for him to wife, inasmuch as he hath humiliated her; and, in truth, I shall be unable to permit him to partake of the Mysteries until he hath taken her to wife. For the Law commandeth: "If a man lie with a maiden unto whom he hath not been betrothed, and he take her by force, and he be [found] with her, he shall give fifty crowns' to her [father], now fifty shekels is the proper price of a virgin, and he shall live with her, because he hath humbled her, whether she be a poor maiden or whether she be a rich maiden."

76 'Now therefore, since the Devil made thy son to fall in with the woman, do thou depart, and take her for him to wife. Do not give him the opportunity to commit sin, because God will enquire of thee concerning the salvation of his soul. For if thou wilt make him to enter into the estate of holy matrimony, and he fall afterwards into this sin, his blood by these means shall be on his own head, and on his only. Do not give him the chance of making thee alone the excuse for his sin before the throne of the Christ, and of saying, "My father would not take a wife for me," for then the whole danger of his sin would be upon thee, because thou hast taught him the Law of God carelessly, even as it is pointed out in the Holy Scriptures concerning Eli, the priest, saying, "He taught his sons the Law of God carelessly." Then the man answered and said, 'Every word which thou hast spoken I will truly keep, for he who sheweth himself disobedient to thee sheweth himself disobedient towards the Christ, because the words which come forth from thy mouth are the words of life.' Then the blessed Apa Pisentius said unto him, 'The Lord be with you; depart in peace,' and they came away from his

77 presence, and they did as he had commanded them, and their hearts enjoyed great rest. And again it came to pass on a day that our holy father Apa Pisentius, the bishop, passed through the village to inspect his churches. Now when he had finished he looked on them (i.e. the people), and when he was returning to the monastery, and was passing along the way by the canal, a certain husbandman brought to him an ewe which belonged to him in order that he might make the Sign of the Cross over her. Observe ye now the power of God. The Sign of the Cross which the holy man made on her with his finger sank down into her womb, and when she brought forth her lamb they found on it the Sign of the Cross with which the holy man had marked her. Now the holy man made the Sign of the Cross on the outside of the ewe, and it appeared on the body of the lamb in the form of a piece of white wool, which

78 was like unto snow. And in every man who was sick, no matter of what kind his sickness might be, immediately the holy man Apa Pisentius stretched out his hand over him, and made the Sign of the Cross over him, the sickness ceased. Come ye then, O all ye whose hearts are straight in respect of God and the holy man, and let us make supplication unto him with tears and with repentance, in order that Apa Pisentius may entreat the Christ to shew mercy upon us when it shall come to us to meet Him face to face; for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. 79 Now if there be among you any one who shall be so bold as to waste his time in trying to refute the statement which I have dared to make to the effect that the holy man, Apa Pisentius, the bishop, is a companion of the Christ, let him come now and consider the words which are in the holy Gospel according to John, and let him hear God crying out by the mouth of His holy and beloved one John, the Evangelist, saying, 'Ye are My companions when ye do the things which I have commanded you.' And again, 'To you whom I have called "My friends", all the things which I have heard from My Father I have shewn unto you.' And again, 'It is not ye who have chosen Me, but it is I who have chosen you, and I have left you in order that your fruit may be abiding, and may live for ever.' Know ye therefore, O my beloved, that he who doeth the will of God, the same is His companion and His friend, even according to what is said in the holy Gospel, 'He who shall do the will of My Father which is in the heavens, this same is My brother, and My sister, and My mother.'

80 And again it came to pass on a day that they brought unto him a certain youth who was possessed of a demon, and they besought the holy man, saying, 'Do an act of gracious goodness, and be pleased to make the Sign of the Cross over him, for the demon which possesseth him is exceedingly evil.' And the holy man asked his father, saying, 'Did this calamity come upon him a very long time ago?' And the father of the youth said unto him, 'Behold, it is seven years, [since we have asked] thy prayers, O my father. And the demon is in the habit of casting him on the ground, and of making him to stagger about like a camel, his eyes being filled with blood, and often and often this has continued until we were in despair about him, thinking that the demon would kill him. And [sometimes] he doth not speak at all. Do an act of gracious goodness, and be pleased to help him, O my father.'

81 Then my father cried out unto me, 'John.' And he said unto me, 'Go thou to the laver of the congregation, and bring hither to me a little water, so that I may sprinkle it upon this youth, for I cannot endure seeing this demon inflicting such severe suffering upon him.' I went therefore into the room of the assembly, according to the command of my lord and father, the blessed Apa Pisentius, and I made Apa Elisha, the presbyter and overseer of the place (or, shrine), go into the place of the altar of sacrifice, and he poured a little of the water which was there into a vessel, and I brought it to the holy man; and the holy man dipped his finger in this water, and made the Sign of the Cross on the youth in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. And he gave some of the water to his father, saying unto him, 'Take thou thy son, and depart thou to thy house, and thou shalt give him to drink of this water which I have given thee from the laver of the congregation, and thou shalt believe in the Lord, and He shall heal him.' Now, my father acted in this way and did not himself give the youth the water to drink with his own hands, and so make the demon come out from him immediately, lest men should ascribe praise to him, and say, Apa Pisentius hath cast the demon out of the son of such and such a man, because he did not wish to receive glorifying from the children of men.

82 And it came to pass that when the man had taken his son, that he might depart to his house, now, according to what the man himself confessed to me with his own mouth, [this happened] a few days after, whilst he was taking him back home, [and the man said], 'Whilst I was walking along with my son, and when I was a long way from you, the demon suddenly hurled him to the ground, and made him writhe in agony, and then cried out inside him, "Pisentius, by the Sign of the Cross which thou didst make with thy finger, thou hast driven me forth from my dwelling-place." And immediately that the youth was purified I took him into my house with joy, and the demon never returned to him to the day of his death.' 83 And it came to pass that after a few days, the [father of the youth] went to the great man, and he made obeisance to him, and he laid hold of his hand, saying, 'I tell thee that the young man is free from the demon.' And the father of the youth confessed to him, saying, 'I tell thee, O my father, that immediately I had given him to drink of that water which thy fatherhood gave to me, the merciful Lord graciously bestowed healing upon my son through thy holy prayers.' And Apa Pisentius answered, saying, 'Everything is possible to him that believeth; and assuredly the water which is in the chamber of the altar of sacrifice healeth every one who believeth. And do not think that this gracious healing is to be attributed to me, for assuredly it is in no way whatsoever due to me, but to the power of God which abideth in His holy shrine, and is given unto those who enter therein in sincere faith and with a heart wherein is no unbelief. As for me, O my son, I am the least of anything in a matter of this kind.' And when Apa Pisentius had said these words, the man departed from his presence, and ascribed glory to God, and rendered abundant thanks to my blessed father.

84 And again it came to pass on a day that the spirit of jealousy invaded the heart of a certain man, and he became jealous about his wife. And the Devil, the hater of that which is good, and who longeth to do evil to the race of mankind, cast a stumbling-block into the heart of her husband in respect of a man whom he believed to have had carnal intercourse with his wife. Now the woman was innocent of that offence, and the man who was accused was himself innocent of the charge of impurity which was brought against him in respect of the woman, even as the story itself will teach us if we proceed with it to the end. So the husband cast out his wife from his house because of the evil which existed in his own heart in respect of her. And his father and his mother both took the greatest pains, but were wholly unable to convince the mind of the husband [of his wife's innocence], and to make him to live with her; even according to that which Solomon spake, 'The heart of her husband is full of jealousy' …Finally the matter came to the ears of the clergy of his village, who had made him an assistant in the administration of the Holy Mysteries, and the clergy informed my holy father concerning the matter. Then my father sent a message to him, saying, 'Trouble [not] thyself: I will find for thee the defence which is necessary.'

85 And the husband spread abroad rumours throughout the village, and he went about from place to place threatening, and saying, 'I will never again go to Pisentius; what hath Pisentius to do with my affair?' Now the man was a native of the town of Kebt (Coptos). And during the time in which he was uttering [these] words he became more and more angry. And when the sun was about to depart to his place of sunset on that same day—now it was God Who said in [the Book of] the Prophet, 'Cast [thy] dispute upon Me, I will avenge thee,' saith the Lord—a certain terrible sickness came upon that man with the darkness, and he began to suffer great tortures in his inward parts, which caused him intense pain, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Take me to my father Apa Pisentius, for I tell thee that [these] pains have come upon me through him. O my father, do a loving act, and help me, for indeed I am come into the straits of death (i.e. to the last gasp). And if thou dost not

86 po take me to him, I shall never find relief.' And his father and his mother despaired [of his life], and thought that he would die. And they said, 'Since he saith "Take me to Apa Pisentius, the bishop", if he is to live, let us persuade ourselves to do as he saith. In any case, if we take him to him, and he make the Sign of the Cross over him, at least the tortures which he is suffering will be lessened.' Now this took place very soon after my father Apa Pisentius had been made a bishop. 87 Then they took the sick man up to the mountain to my father, and they called out inside [the court], and I [John] went out to them. And the father of the man said unto me, 'John, if thou wouldst ever look upon me again, do an act of love, and inform the great man, for if thou dost not my son is in danger of dying, and I believe by God, that if he were to make the Sign of the Cross over my son he would find relief immediately. He hath entreated me, saying, "Take me to Apa Pisentius, the bishop, in order that I may have relief from these pains by which, through his agency, I am suffering torture." Now if I were to discuss the matter with the bishop in my present distracted state, I should talk like a man without understanding.' And his son also cried out to me, saying, 'O John, do an act of love, take in the news of my arrival to the great man, for the straits of death have come upon me. Behold thou seest me thyself in my necessity. O why did I not keep my mouth shut, and why did I not die before I repeated the report that day? Get thee in quickly, and inform my lord and father Apa Pisentius about my sufferings. Help thou me, and do not abandon me to death on thy threshold.'

88 And when I had heard these things from the man and from his son, I went in and informed my father concerning [the arrival of] the man and his son. And he said unto me, 'Keep away from him until he maketh the petition in a proper manner, for he is not a man without education.' And poa I answered and said unto him, 'If I leave him outside a very little longer, he will die. The breath which is left in him at this moment is very little, and according to what I see of him he hath contracted a fatal disease.' Then my father said unto me, 'Let him [enter] in with thee.' And when he had come in with his father, he threw himself down at the feet of my father, and remained there for a long time. And my father said unto him, 'Rise up, O thou boorish man.' And the man answered and said, 'As the Lord liveth, if I have to pass three whole days kneeling at thy feet I will do so; unless thou liftest up thy feet on my head, I will not rise up.'

89 poe And my father laid hold upon the hair of his head, and lifted him up, and he said unto him, 'Rise up, for behold God will bestow healing upon thee graciously, if only thou wilt hearken unto me.' And the man answered and said, 'I swear by my necessity wherefrom thy prayers have delivered me, that whether I live one year [more] or two, I will never, never again dare to be disobedient unto thee.' And my father answered and said unto him, 'What I have to lay upon thee is this—Thou hast driven thy wife out of thy house for no reason whatsoever. And as concerneth the offence wherewith thou hast charged her in thy mind, she and the man also are both innocent. But I say unto thee, supposing that thou wishest to be wholly satisfied in respect of her, and in respect of the man about whom thou hast thought evil in thy mind—now, my son, man looketh at the

90 poa 91 face only, but God looketh at the heart—when thou goest into thy house, take thy wife back into the house, and God shall make thee to be acceptable unto her, and if she shall incline unto thee, and shall conceive and bring forth a man child unto thee, [thou wilt know that] the report which hath been spread abroad about her is not true. And believe me, for she is a free woman. If, however, she shall bear thee a daughter, live not with her, but cast her forth from thy house, for she is not innocent of the offence wherewith they have charged her, and she hath defiled her marriage [bed]. But if it be a man child which she shall bring forth, the report which hath been spread abroad about her is not true, and she is innocent of the charge of which she was thought to be guilty. And if thou wishest to make her swear an oath I shall not attempt to prevent thee, for the law of God giveth the following command:

92 "If the wife of any man step out of the path, and he shall have no knowledge whatsoever of it, and another man shall lie with her and shall know her carnally, and the matter be hidden from her husband, and he knoweth nothing at all about it, and the woman herself doth not conceive, and there be no witness to stand up and testify against her, the woman shall be taken to the priest, and he shall make her take the oath, and he shall give her the water of the curse, and she shall drink it. If the offence wherewith she is charged hath been actually committed, that water shall make her body to become covered with burning pustules [and] leprosy. But if it be that she hath been accused falsely, she shall conceive a son. And now, O my son, if thou art quite satisfied about the matter, [good and well]; but if not, make her take the oath. I shall not attempt to prevent thee.'

93 And the man answered and said, 'From that very moment when thy fatherhood [began] to speak to me my heart hath been satisfied about the matter. And I shall never again hesitate to obey thee.' And he received a blessing from the holy man, and he came forth from his presence and departed to his house with his father, glorifying God and the holy man Apa Pisentius. Now when he had gone into his house, he made peace with his wife, and begot a son according to the word of Apa Pisentius, who was like unto an Apostle. And the man called the name of his son 'Pisentius', and he lived with his wife from that very day until the day of his death. And the holy man performed three miracles, each of which was more wonderful than the other, and these are poe poe they; [the miracle] of the woman whom he delivered from the false accusation wherewith she had been charged; and [the miracle] of the man who was made a free man; and the setting free of the body of the husband of a woman, on whose navel a spell had been cast by the power of Satan, and the making of those who had been married to live together in peace again.

94 Verily, exceedingly great is thy wonderful life, O thou angel of the Lord of Might! For who is able to recount all the wonderful things which have taken place through thee, both those which belong to the period of thy youth (or, childhood), and those which have taken place during the time in which thou didst lead the life of a monk? And as for those which took place through thy hands after thou didst become bishop, and which thou didst order, and didst wish that no man should ever gain any knowledge of them whatsoever, no man could possibly describe them completely. Now ye must not make the soul of the blessed man to condemn me because I have related these few matters in [my] Encomium upon him, for I think that we have not exceeded the measure in declaring merely these few unimportant matters. But let us hearken to the following commandment with which the Apostle commanded us, saying, 'Give ye unto every one such things as ye have, tribute to whom tribute is due, tax to whom tax is due, fear to whom fear is due, honour to whom honour is due.' Verily, [O Apa Pisentius,] thou art worthy of all honour and all glory, according to that which the Psalmist David saith, 'Bring honour and reverence unto the Lord, bring glory unto His holy Name.'

95 Now hearken ye unto another great and wonderful thing, and ascribe ye glory unto the Lord! And it came to pass on another occasion that a certain man came unto him, and made supplication unto him, saying, 'I beseech thee to perform an act of love, and to help me, O my lord and father. There is an obligation on me in respect of a certain man of thirty-six "holokottinoi", and they are pressing me urgently concerning them, and I am not able to find them to pay them to him. And I possess nothing whatsoever except a son, my only son, and him they have seized, and they have put him securely in the guard-house (i.e. prison), and they are wishing to make him a slave. I beseech thy fatherhood to shew compassion upon me. If there was any one whom thou couldst cause to give me this small sum I could go and give it to the man, and then they would let my only son go free. Now that man was a soldier, and he was a native of the district, and he dwelt in a part (?) of the mountain of Teiladj. And having heard of the fame of my father, and that he was a most charitable and generous bishop, he rose up and came to him with his wife, and he wished to find out whether he was one who gave alms freely or not. Now he put the woman again into the boat in which he brought her, and he hid thirty-six "holokottinoi" in the boat... with her; now these he had carried off from a man whose blood he had shed.

96 And he came to my father wishing to try him and to see whether that which he had heard about him was true or not. Now the day whereon he came to the holy bishop Apa Pisentius was that in which the bishop had gone into the holy congregation of Tsentei, and had taken part in the Catholic Synaxis, for it was the day of the festival of the Archbishop and Patriarch, Apa Severus, Archbishop of Antioch. And he sat down until Apa Pisentius came out from the congregation, when he cast himself down at his feet, and informed him of the matter whereof I have already spoken. 97 And when the great man had heard it, he said unto the soldier through an interpreter, 'The place of Pisentius is not a place for jesting. Get thee gone, and take the thirty-six "holokottinoi" from the hand of thy wife who is on board the boat by the place of the ferry. As for the money(?), behold, it is tied up in a bundle in her hand, and it is this which thou hast brought to tempt me therewith. Behold now what it was that thou didst wish to do. Because thou hadst shed the blood of a man, and hadst taken [these moneys] out of his hand, thou didst say, "I will take them and give them as an offering for the salvation of my soul." Verily I say unto thee, that if the whole world were given in alms on thy behalf then the smallest act of mercy shall never be shewn unto thee, until thine own blood hath been poured out even as thou hast poured out the blood of thy neighbour, according to that which is written, Whosoever sheddeth the blood of a man, the blood of him that sheddeth it shall be shed in its stead, because man was made according to the image of God.' Now when the man had heard these words he marvelled exceedingly, for he thought that the matter would be hidden from the new Elisha, and he did not know that the Spirit which spake to the Apostles was the same as that which spake in the Prophets, and he did not know that the same God was the God of all of them. And he came forth from the presence of Apa Pisentius weeping, and he went into his house exceedingly sorrowful at heart.

98 Now ye know, [O my beloved,] that in the beginning of this Encomium I did not fail to say that the blessed man Apa Pisentius was endowed with the gift of the Spirit, for whenever any man went into his presence, as soon as he had looked into his face he knew for what purpose he had come to him. But he hated the vain approbation of men, and he hid his manner of life so that no man whatsoever might attain to the full knowledge of the same. 99 Now it came to pass also on another occasion when he was fleeing from before the face of the Persians [that] he might lead a life of peaceful meditation in the mountain of Djême, that he departed into the mountain not a little way in order that he might pray. And when he had passed three or four hours in travelling, he prayed in place after place, and there is no man who is able to estimate the number of the prayers which he made by day and by night. Now, he was in the habit of praying four hundred times during the night. And he turned to me, and he said unto me, 'Take good heed to thyself, for I found a huge serpent in the mountain to-day; and he is not very far from us at this moment. But I have confidence in God that He will not permit him to remain in our neighbourhood.' Now when the morning had come, I looked out, and at the distance of about the flight of an arrow, I saw a very large number of birds and vultures gathered together upon a crag of the rock. And [my father] cried out to me, and said unto me, 'I think that God hath destroyed the dragon.' And he spake yet again unto me and said, 'Why hast thou not given thine attention to the words of the Scriptures, and understood them, according to that which the wise man David saith:

100 Thou hast set him that was higher than thou for a place of refuge; The evil shall not draw nigh unto thee, neither shall the evil draw nigh to thy habitation; Thou shalt go up upon the adder and the scorpion, thou shalt tread upon the lion and the serpent; Because he hath believed in Me I will deliver him, and I will protect him because he hath known My Name; He shall cry out unto Me, and I will hearken unto him.' 101 And it came to pass that God wished to remove him [from this world] to the habitation of those who rejoice, the place wherefrom sorrow, and grief, and sighing have fled away, the place where are the Prophets and the Patriarchs and the Apostles, for he was a Patriarch like Abraham, and an Apostle like unto the Apostles, and a Prophet like unto the Prophets, even like unto Samuel, and those who came after him, and he was a high priest [worthy of] reverence, even as were Moses and Aaron and those who came after them. And when he had come to the end of the sickness through which he went to his rest, now it was in the month of Epêp of the fifth year (?), he cried out to me on the night of the eighth day of Epêp, and he said, 'John, is there any one with thee?' And I said, 'There is no one with me save Moses, and Elisha the Elder, who have come to visit thee.' And my father cried out, 'Moses, Moses, Moses. Be careful to make thy life exceedingly correct. Thou knowest in what manner thou hast been brought up by me. Take thou great care of my parchment books, for thou wilt have great need for them. And thou shalt not escape from this burden.' And again he turned to Elisha the Presbyter, and said unto him, Elisha, 'Govern thou most carefully the brethren. Lay fast hold upon the things which I have commanded thee, and do thou summon the brethren regularly each hour in order that they may recite their offices according to the rules of the brethren, and do good to their souls through thee.'

102 Then Elisha answered and said unto him, 'My father, I have approached [the time] for going to all my fathers. If thou art going to die it is better that I should die first, for if the pillar whereon we are all firmly established shall fall, the destruction of the mountain of Tsentei will draw nigh. And where shall we find another who will shepherd us as thou hast done, O my lord and holy father, if thou dost depart? Thou hast directed and made straight the course of thy ship to the haven which is fair. Thou hast prepared thyself, and thou shalt never be disturbed (or, troubled), according to the words of the gentle David, [who said,] I have prepared myself, I shall never be disturbed (or, troubled). For we shall feel the lack of thee sorely, and we shall be orphans from this day forward.' And my Father answered and said unto me, 'Verily, five days were given unto me from the third day.' And I answered and said unto him, 'What was it that happened unto thee that thou sayest these things to me?' And he said unto me, 'Before I spake unto thee an ecstasy came upon me, and a man of light came and stood before me. And he said unto me, "Pisentius, Pisentius, Pisentius!"—three times—"prepare thyself, for there remain unto thee in this world five days, and then thou shalt come to me." And when he had said these things unto me, he departed. And now, behold, I must depart the way of all my fathers.'

103 And when my father had said these things unto me, a great outcry broke forth with tears and sobs in [our] midst; 'Thus are we bereaved of our good father, the consoler of those who were in trouble, who gave penitence to the sinner, who provided the poor with food, and who made it his care to find clothing for their bodies.' And I confess unto you, [O my beloved], here in the presence of God, that from the time when my father heard concerning the Persians, he never applied to his own use any of the things which could be of use to the poor, even to the cap upon his head, but he distributed everything, and gave it in alms to the poor. The things which he gave with his own hands, and the things which he commanded me to give, and the things which he sent to the faithful, village by village, and which were distributed to each man according to his need, no man can possibly know the sum thereof. Only God, unto Whom all praise be given, knoweth it.

104 And I said unto my holy father, who arrayed himself in Christ, Apa Pisentius, 'Peradventure, O my father, dost thou think that we shall not again devote ourselves [to the poor], if thou dost not bequeath any possessions which may remain to us?' My father answered and said unto me, 'We must devote ourselves to the will of God, O my son, and whatsoever thou givest—everything—to the poor, the Lord will give unto us twofold.' What can I say [more], or what can I relate of the valiant deeds of this just man? But now let us devote ourselves to the consideration of his laying down the body. Now he passed three days wherein he neither ate nor drank, neither did he speak unto us, nor turn from one side to the other, but he lay stretched out like a dead man in the hall of the large cell. Then he cried out, 'John,' and I answered, 'Bless

105 me.' He said unto me, 'I have come nigh unto my departure, and I shall finish my course at the time when the sun shall set to-morrow, which shall be the thirteenth day. But take good heed and do not permit any man to carry my body away from the place which shall be dug for it. During these three days which I have just passed wherein I held no converse with you, I have been standing in the presence of God, and my speech hath been taken away since the ninth hour yesterday. I tell you that God will shew His mercy unto me.' And I said unto him, 'Do one act of grace, O my father, and partake of a very small quantity of nourishment, for behold, it is now four days since thou hast tasted anything at all.' And my father answered and said unto me, 'My son, shall I eat anything else after [this] word? I say that I will not taste any food whatsoever belonging to this world, and I shall eat nothing at all until I depart to the Christ, and

106 break my fast with Him.' And it came to pass that when the light had risen on the thirteenth day of the month Epép, he said unto me—now there were also certain great men sitting by him—'John, thou knowest all my affairs, and that I have nothing left belonging to the bishopric [or] to the town of Kebt (Coptos) wherewith to bury my body. Nevertheless, I had one good "holokottinos" by me, which I had kept since the day when I lived a life of contemplation in my cell and when I was a monk. This I made to yield an increase through the work of my hands, and I have guarded it carefully until the day wherein I should have to clothe my body with the work of my hands, so that I might not leave behind me a matter of unpleasantness for those who should succeed me, and who would say, Thou hast broken a custom which was seemly. Do thou then, O John, buy a covering for my body, and do not put on me anything except the shroud wherein I am wrapped, and my monk's dress, and my skull-cap, and my girdle, and my tunic — only these—and ye shall prepare me for burial and ye shall bury me. And I think, Behold a garden wherein they will bury me. And behold, a place full of wolves, but they will throw a wall about [me], each one working at it according to his good pleasure. But whatever each man doeth, let no man rebuke him, saying, The wall must be thrown round [the grave].'

107 And when the holy father Apa Pisentius, the holy bishop, had said these things, he cried out to us, and spake words unto [each] one of us, and then he opened his mouth, and yielded up his spirit into the hands of God, at the moment when the sun was about to set on the thirteenth day of the month of Epêp of this fifth year [of the Indiction]. And we lifted up his holy coffin, and we took it into the holy chamber of the altar of the congregation of Tsentei, and we made it ready for burial according to the instructions which he had given us, and we passed the whole night in lamentation for him. And afterwards we partook of the Holy Offering over him, and we carried him away into the mountain to the place which he had made us dig for him that he might remain in our neighbourhood. And we buried him on the fourteenth day of this same month Epêp. In the Peace of God. Amen. Amen.