THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS WRITINGS - VOLUME 34
The Desert Fathers: Sayings, Histories and the Paradise of the Holy Fathers
c. AD 330 – 600

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Texts are public domain except where marked in Sources and Credits.

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INTRODUCTION TO THIS VOLUME
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HOW THIS BOOK IS ARRANGED

This is the thirty-fourth volume of a series that gathers the writings of the early Church
in order of date, from the generation after the apostles down to the eighth century. This
volume holds The Desert Fathers, Sayings, Histories and the Paradise of the Holy Fathers,
from the period about AD 330 – 600.

Within each work the text is divided into chapters and numbered sections, so that any
passage can be found again and cited. The small bold figures in the text are the section
numbers.

THE TRANSLATIONS

The text is in English only. Wherever a modern English version has been prepared for
SermonIndex it is used here; otherwise the book prints an older public-domain translation.
In both cases the wording is the translator’s own: older translations have not been
altered beyond dividing them into sections. The sources for every work are listed at the
back of the book, together with the licence under which each text is released. The modern
English version prepared for SermonIndex is used for Apophthegmata Patrum: Sayings of the
Desert Fathers, from the Sahidic Coptic (Desert Fathers (anonymous)) and Works of
Shenoute: translated selections from the Sahidic Coptic (Shenoute of Atripe); the other
works are printed in older public-domain translations.

IN THIS VOLUME

The sayings and histories of the monks of the Egyptian desert were handed down in Coptic,
Greek and Syriac, and they were gathered into collections from the fourth to the sixth
century. The authors of most of them are unknown.

Shenoute was abbot of the White Monastery near Atripe in Upper Egypt, and one of the
greatest writers in the Coptic language. He lived into the fifth century.

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers are short answers given by the old monks to those who
came asking for a word. They were gathered in the fifth and sixth centuries, and many of
the sayings were remembered long before they were written down.

DATES AND AUTHORSHIP

Dates are approximate and are debated by scholars. Each work begins with a short
introduction that states what is known about its author and its date, and what is
uncertain.


APOPHTHEGMATA PATRUM: SAYINGS OF THE DESERT FATHERS (SAHIDIC COPTIC)
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APOPHTHEGMATA PATRUM: SAYINGS OF THE DESERT FATHERS (SAHIDIC COPTIC) Desert Fathers
(anonymous)

4th–6th century

A modern English translation of the Sahidic Coptic version of the Sayings of the Desert
Fathers, made from manuscripts of the White Monastery. Many sayings are short and some are
fragmentary; the brackets and dots are the translators’ marks for damaged places.

SAYING 001: ANONYMOUS NAU 135

…he saying, “I desire to save my soul.” She labored to stop him, but she was not able to.
Afterwards, she left him. When he had gone and become a monk, he became negligent, and he
spent his life badly. And it happened, when his mother had died, after some time, he
became very ill so that he became ecstatic, being carried off to the Judgment. And there
he found his mother and those who judge. When she saw him, she was amazed. And she said to
him, “What is this, my son, that you come yourself to this place in order to be judged?
And where are your words that you spoke, ‘I desire to save my soul’?” And he was ashamed
because of the things that he heard. He stood sadly, not having any apology to offer her.
According to the economy of God, the lover of man…it happened that he recovered from the
illness, after He saw…in his… From this inquiry happening…through God, he confined
himself. Afterwards, he sat down, reflecting upon his health and crying over the
neglectful things he had done earlier. His being was pricked such that a multitude
exhorted him to rest himself a little lest he should be overcome by so much crying. But he
did not wish to console himself, saying, “If I have not been able to bear the reproach of
my mother, how will I be able to bear the shame on the Day of Judgment in the presence of
Christ and all his angels?”

SAYING 002: ANONYMOUS NAU 136

An old man said, ‘If the souls of men were to go come in fear after the resurrection, in
the presence of God, the world would die of fear and trembling. For, what would it be like
to see the heavens opening, and God revealing himself in anger and threat ... an army of
angels, being without number ... to cause all of mankind to see these together. Because of
this, it is right for us to think in this way, if we shall give an account to God daily,
that we shall be cut off because of what we have done in our daily lives.'

SAYING 003: ANONYMOUS NAU 138

A brother asked an old man, “My father, why is my heart hard and without fear of God?” The
old man said to him, “I think that if a man holds blame in his heart, he will acquire for
himself fear of God.” The brother said to him, “What is blame?” The old man said, “Let a
man upbraid his soul in everything, saying to it, Remember that it is necessary for us to
encounter God.'” And he said again, “What do I have to do with this man?” “If one
perseveres in these things, the fear of God comes to him.”

SAYING 004: POEMEN

Abba Poemen said, a brother said to Abba Païse, 'what should I do about my hard heart? I
do not fear God.' He said to him, 'go and cleave to a brother who fears God. And through
the fear (of God) of that brother you will learn fear of God yourself.'

SAYING 005

Someone asked an old man: why is it that when I sit in my dwelling my heart wanders about?
The old man answered him: that's because those of your senses are sick which are exterior,
your sight, your hearing, your scent, your speech. If now you develop their ability in
purity the other senses which are interior will remain in serenity and well-being.

SAYING 006: ANONYMOUS NAU 196

Someone also asked an old man: Why do I sit in my cell and become distressed? He answered
him: Because you have not yet looked at the repose that we hope for, nor the punishment
that will come. If you had looked at these carefully, then while your cell is full of
worms about you until they reach up to your neck you would stay among them, and you would
put up with them and not be distressed.

SAYING 008

for wild donkeys, so it is also for the chosen monk by thoughts of lust.

SAYING 009: HYPERECHIUS 2

Again, he said, ‟Fasting is the bridle of the monk resisting in. The one who casts this
away from himself is like a lustful horse.”

SAYING 010

Again, he said, “The desiccated body of the monk draws up his soul from the depth of the
abyss and causes pleasure to dry up through the fast.”

SAYING 011

Again, he said, “The prudent monk shall be crowned on earth and also shall be crowned in
heaven in the presence of God.”

SAYING 012: HYPERECHIUS 3

Again he said, 'The monk who does not restrain his tongue, especially at the time of
anger, he does not master any passion ever.'

SAYING 013

He said again, “Do not produce any evil word from your mouth, for the vine does not
produce thorns.”

SAYING 014

Again he said, 'It is good to eat flesh and drink wine, but do not eat the flesh of your
brothers through slander.'

SAYING 015

Again he said, “As the serpent whispered to Eve until she was cast from Paradise, the one
who slanders his brother is like this. For he destroys the soul of the one who listens and
his own also he does not save.”

SAYING 016

There was a festival one time in Scetis and they gave a cup of wine to an old man. He
said, “Take from me this death!” When the others who ate with him saw, they did not accept
(any).

SAYING 018: ANONYMOUS

A brother was moved to rage against someone. He stood up for prayer and he asked to
receive patience with his brother and to pass the test without a blemish. And at that
moment he saw smoke coming out of his mouth. After that happened, he stopped being angry.

SAYING 019: PRESBYTER

He went once, that is the presbyter of Scetis, to the archbishop of Alexandria and after
he returned to Scetis, they asked him, that is the brothers, about news from the city. But
he told them: 'Naturally, my brothers, I have not seen the face of any man, except the
archbishop alone.' After hearing him they became strengthened thanks to his story, that
they should guard themselves against raising their eyes.

SAYING 020: FAILINGS

A monk said, 'The devil dwells in failings of the monk, if a habit endures within him. For
a long time, it is strong and it persists like something natural, especially those who are
very careless. Do not give it any nourishing food that you will seek after, especially
when you are free from illness. And do not eat what you want, but eat the things that God
sends to you, and give thanks to him at all times. We sent bread to the monks with every
relief. But we did not do the work of the monks. Tell yourself, 'Brother, preserve the
seal of Christ, which is humility.''

SAYING 021: LENTILS

One monk went to another monk, and he said to his disciple, 'Make a little bit of lentils
for us.' And he made them. He said, 'Wet some bread for us.' And he wet it. But they
continued to talk about spiritual things all day and all night.

SAYING 022: FRAGMENT

… But you, you are of the world, and you have no power to be in this place.

SAYING 023: ISAAC

He said, that is Abba Isaac: “Our fathers and Abba Pambo would wear tunics of rags in
pieces and tunics of palm fiber, but you now you wear adorned tunics. Go from this place,
you have ruined it.”

SAYING 024: ISAAC

Then as they were about to go to the harvest he said to them: “I’m not going to repeat and
give you an order again, after all, you don’t observe them.”

SAYING 025: PAMBO

He also said that Abba Pambo said: “This is the way that it is fitting for the monk to
wear his clothes: such that if he throws his tunic out of his cell for three days no one
will pick it up to wear it – then he may wear it.”

SAYING 026: CASSIAN 7 (68)

Apa Cassian said, 'A nobleman (senator?) said, after he renounced all his possessions, he
gave them to the poor. He set a little for himself because of his own needs. He did not
wish to live in complete renunciation, of humility of heart. This one also spoke a word to
him, that is, Basimos, the one who is among the saints, who said, 'The elite (senatorial?)
rank, you lost it; and monasticism, you did not find it.

SAYING 027: PISTAMON 1

One of the brothers asked Apa Pistamon, 'What should I do? For it worries me when I sell
my handiwork.' The old man answered him, 'Even Apa Sisoes and the others used to sell
their handiwork. This is not damaging. But if you sell, say the price of the item only
once. If you want to lower the price a little, that is up to you. In this way you will
find peace. The brother said to him, 'If I have what I need, do you still want me to be
concerned with my handiwork?' The old man answered, 'Even if you have everything, do not
give up on your handiwork; Whatever you are able to do, do it—just don't worry about it.'

SAYING 028

A brother asked Apa Sarapion, 'Give me a word.' The old man said, 'What will I say to
you?' For you have taken the things of the poor and the widows and the orphans, and you
have placed them in your window.' For he saw that the window was full of books.

SAYING 029

The blessed Syncletica was asked, 'Is poverty a perfect good?' She answered, 'It is an
exceedingly perfect good for those who are incapable of it. For those who bear this have
suffering in the flesh, but they have grace in their soul. Just as clothing is
strengthened by being beaten, and they wash it and twist it violently until it turns
white, in this way the soul is strengthened through poverty, and by necessity they prevail
all the more.'

SAYING 030

Apa Hyperechios said, 'The monk's treasure is not having any material things. Store and
gather for yourself in heaven, for there is unceasing rest for you forever.'

SAYING 031

One of the saints, called Philagrios, lived in Jerusalem, working hard until he earned his
own bread. While he stood in the marketplace selling his handiwork, Behold! Suddenly he
found a bag filled with a thousand gold coins! He stood in place, saying, 'Certainly the
one who has lost it is coming.' And behold! That one came, crying. The old man grabbed him
and took him aside and he gave it to him. and that one held him, wanting to give him a
portion, but the old man did not want to take it. Then he started to shout out, 'Come and
see a man of God, what he has done!' But the old man secretly fled and left the city, so
that they would not know him.

SAYING 032

Apa Benjamin and his disciples said, 'Walk on the road of the king, and count the miles
and do not be discouraged.'

SAYING 033

Apa Bessarion said, 'I spent forty nights in the middle of a thornbush, standing without
lying down.'

SAYING 034: THEODORUS

A brother living in Cellia alone was troubled, and he went to Abba Theodore of Phermes
(and) he told it to him. And the old man said to him: “Go and humble your heart and stay
with others while obeying them.” And he went and he stayed with some in the mountain (and)
he returned again (and) came to the old man. He said: “I didn’t find repose while living
with the people” And the old man said to him: “If you didn’t repose alone, nor again while
being with others, you won’t find repose. Why did you go out to become a monk? Not in
order to stand under afflictions? Tell me how many years is it since you took this habit
upon you?” He said: “It’s been eight years.” The old man said to him: “Truly it’s been
seventy years since I became a monk, I haven’t found repose for a single day and you, you
want to find repose in this eight years?”

SAYING 035

One day, one of the brothers asked, Father, if fear suddenly occurs, do you feel afraid?'
The father said to him, 'If heaven joins with the earth, Theodore will not be afraid.' For
he had entreated the Lord to take fear away from him.

SAYING 036

They said about Apa Theodoros and Apa Lucius of Enaton that they spent fifty years
tricking their thoughts,saying, 'When winter has passed, we will flee this place.' And
when summer came, they would say, 'When summer ends, we will flee this place.' And this is
how they spent their entire lives, these fathers who are remembered forever.

SAYING 037

Abba Poemen said concerning Abba John the Little that he prayed to God. He (God) took away
the struggles from him (John) and he became carefree. Then he went and said to one of the
old men, 'I see myself relieved from struggle in me.' The old man said to him, 'Go.
Beseech God that the struggles come to you. For, through struggles the soul shall
progress.' And when the struggle arose in him, he did not turn to pray to take it away,
but was saying, 'Lord, give me endurance in the struggle.'

SAYING 038

Abba Macarius the Great went to Abba Antony. And when he had knocked at the door, he
[Antony] came to him saying, “Who are you?” And he answered, saying, “I am Macarius.” And
he [Antony] shut the door, went in, and he left him. When he [Antony] saw his [Macarius’s]
endurance, he opened [the door] to him. And he rejoiced with him, saying, “Behold, a long
time I have desired to see you, for I have heard about you.” And he received him kindly
and made him rest because of his great labors. When evening came, Abba Antony soaked some
small palm branches. Abba Macarius said to him, “Allow me to soak some for myself.” He
[Antony] said, “Soak.” And he [Macarius] created a large bundle of palms and he soaked it.
And they sat and talked about what is profitable to the soul. From the evening hour
onward, they wove, and the plaits went down from the cave through the window. In the
morning, the blessed Abba Antony went in and saw the great quantity of Abba Macarius’s
palms. He was amazed and he kissed Macarius’s hands, saying, “Great power comes from these
hands.”

SAYING 039

The old man Abba Macarius went one time from Scetis to Terenuthis. And he entered a small
place and he slept. But some ... were there….

SAYING 040: SYNCLETICA 8 (10)

…shameful pleasures. These are the ones against which a law has been established for us.
But if illness makes these things powerless before us, the word is superfluous. And why do
I say that the word is superfluous? For just as a strong medicine is very powerful in the
body of illness, the labor of one who destroys sin exists. And this is the great ascesis
of supporting yourself during illnesses and of giving thanks with hymns addressed to God,
so that we might lift up our eyes to him with thanksgiving. Let us not be like those who
arise with difficulty, for we have cast off from ourselves the organs of insatiability and
we see the glory of God as in a mirror through the eye of the heart within, even if the
external eye of our body has been taken away from us. If we become deaf, let us give
thanks that we have lost the faculty of hearing … worthless. We were wounded … We have the
ones within which are ready against the attack of the enemy. Even if illness possesses our
whole body, yet health according to the inner man increases even more.

SAYING 041: SYNCLETICA 9 (11)

She also said, 'In the world, those who are afraid aren't thrown into prison. They keep
themselves from sinning. For our part, because of our sins, let us consider ourselves
alone, so that, by what is pleasing to our judgment we may cast away from ourselves our
future punishments. When you fast, don't find an excuse in illnesses. For even the others
who don't fast fall into the same difficulties. You have begun to do good; don't go back.
For the enemy will put a stumbling block before you. But as for him… he is brought to
nothing by means of…endurance. …The ones who began to sail… … They meet with a favorable
wind and they spread out their sail. Later, the opposing wind meets them, but the sailors
don't empty out the cargo because of the multitude of winds that come against them.
Rather, they rest a little and they continue struggling with the waves which come against
them as they sail. This is our method also. If a strong wind comes against us, let us
spread out the cross in place of the sail, and let us finish the voyage without fear.'

SAYING 042: SARAH

They said about the blessed Sarah the virgin that she spent sixty years living at the top
of the river and she never set foot outside to see the river.

SAYING 043: HYPERECHIUS

Abba Hyperchius said, 'Spiritual hymns, with continual meditation shall lessen the
struggles that have come upon us.'

SAYING 044: HYPERECHIUS

Again, he said, 'We must arm ourselves against temptations. For, they come, and if in
their coming they find us being watchful, we are glorified.'

SAYING 045

An old man said, 'If a temptation arises against someone, the trials multiply for him on
all sides so that he becomes cowardly and murmurs.' And the old man spoke in this way:
There was a brother at Kellia in whom a temptation arose. And if anyone saw him, he did
not speak to him or receive him in his cell. And if he needed bread, no one would give him
any. And if he came to the harvest, he was not invited nor to the other meeting as was the
custom to invite for the agape meal. But, one time, he came in from the heat and he didn’t
have bread in his cell. And in all things he gave thanks to God. And when God saw his
patience, he took it away (i.e. the temptation).

SAYING 046

of this sort. I will go and I will remain near the water. When he said this, he turned his
face and saw someone following him, counting the footprints of his feet. He asked him,
'Who are you?' He said, 'I am the angel of the Lord.' I was sent to count your footsteps
and give you your reward.' When the old man heard these things, he was content and was
rejoicing greatly. He added another five miles into the desert.

SAYING 47

The old men said, 'If temptation arises over you in the place where you are, do not leave
your place at the time of the temptation. Since also the place where you will go, you will
find there the thing on account of which you are fleeing. But remain until the temptation
passes over, so that your departure is not an obstacle, and (occurs) in a time of peace,
so that your removal is not an affliction for those [...] in [that place]

SAYING 052

...'I will struggle with my thought to not touch her.' Abba Abraham said to him, 'Behold,
you have not killed the passion, it is still alive but it is bound. Again, if you are
walking on the road, and you see some stones and some pottery pieces and gold in their
midst, is there power in your heart to reckon this one like those?' He said, 'No. But I
will struggle with my thought in order to not take it. The old man said to him, 'Behold
again, the passion is living but it is bound.' Again, Abba Abraham said, 'Behold, you
heard concerning two brothers that one loves you and glorifies you, while the other one
hates you and slanders you. If they come to you, will you receive them with this thought
as the same?' He said, 'No. But I will wrestle with my heart to do that which is good with
the one who hates me like with the one who loves me.' Abba Abraham said to him, 'Thus,
therefore, the passions are alive, but they are bound by the holy ones.'

SAYING 053: AMMONA

He said, that is one of our fathers: “There was an old man, a bearer of toil, at Cellia
who was carrying a reed mat, and he went up to Abba Ammona. He saw him, that is the old
man, carrying the reed mat. He said to him: “This won’t benefit you in anything.” And he
asked him: “There are three thoughts that disturb me. Either that I should wander in the
desert, or that I should go to a strange place where no one will know me or that I should
be shut in a cell, not meet anyone and eat in the one of (every) two (days).” He said to
him, that is Abba Ammona: “None of these three will benefit you. But you sit in your cell
and eat a little daily and leave yourself the word of the tax-collector in your heart at
all times and you will be able to be saved.””

SAYING 054: DANIEL 4

Abba Daniel said, 'However much the body grows, the soul weakens. And however much the
body weakens, the soul grows.'

SAYING 055: DANIEL 1

They said in Scetis concerning Abba Daniel, that when the barbarians came the brothers
fled and the old man said, 'If God does not care about me, why live?' But he came through
the barbarians and they did not see him. The old man said, 'Behold, God has cared for me
and I did not die. You, too, do what is human and run like the other fathers.'

SAYING 056: DANIEL 6

Abba Daniel said, 'When Abba Arsenius was in Scetis, there was a monk there, who was
stealing the belongings of the old men. But Abba Arsenius, wishing to benefit his soul,
took him into his cell, and said to him, 'Everything that you desire, I will give to you,
only do not steal.' And he gave him everything that he needed. Still, he went and he
stole. When the old men saw that he did not cease stealing, they ran after him, saying,
'If a brother is found having a lack in himself from weakness, then it is right to bear
this one until he becomes strong. But if he steals and is taught but it does not suffice,
then it is right to cast him out because his shall destroy his soul, and he shall disturb
everyone in this place.'

SAYING 057: EUPREPIUS 7

In the beginning, Abba Evagrius/Euprepius went to an old man and said to him, 'Speak to
me, how shall I be saved?' He said to him, 'If you wish to be saved, do not be disdainful.
And if you should visit someone, at first do not speak, until he questions you.' And he
[Evagrius/Euprepius] was pricked by this word, and he bowed before him [the old man],
saying, 'Forgive me! Truly, I have read a multitude of books, but I have never learned
wisdom.' And he benefited and he went away.

SAYING 059

Abba Longinus sought the light of Abba Lucius concerning three thoughts, saying, 'I desire
to become a stranger.' Abba Lucius said to him, 'Every place to which you go, if you do
not control your tongue, you will not be a stranger.' He [Longinus] said to him [Lucius]
again, 'I desire to fast two days at a time.' Abba Lucius said to him, 'Isaiah the prophet
said, 'Even if you bend your neck like a ring, it shall not be called an accepted fast.
But rather master evil thoughts.' And again he spoke a third time, 'I desire to run away
from humanity.' He said to him, 'If… humanity. If you are alone, you will not be able to
live upright well.'

SAYING 064

...to the sky. But now, when we gather together with one another, we descend into
malicious gossip. And each one continues to drive his neighbor into the abyss.

SAYING 065

An elder said: If the inner human is sober, then it is possible for that person to guard
the outer human. If this is not the case, let us guard our language from everything evil
with all our strength.

SAYING 066

He said again: There is purpose for the spiritual work. That is what we came to this place
to do. Because the one who teaches with the mouth but does not do the spiritual work is a
danger to themself.

SAYING 067

Another one of our fathers said: A person must determine for themself a labor within them.
If, say, they apply themself to the labor of God, then the enemy will visit them from time
to time but will not find a dwelling place within them. Ⲓf, on the contrary, the captivity
of the enemy rules them, then the spirit of God will still visit them on occasion. But if
the person does not make room for the spirit, then the spirit will withdraw because of the
evil.

SAYING 068

A brother asked an Elder: 'Give me a word: In what manner will I be saved?' And he
responded, 'Let us work diligently little by little (and) we will be saved.'

SAYING 069

Some monks from Egypt came to Scetis. They saw the Elders in their extreme hunger because
of the(ir) ascetic practice. They ate laboriously and the Egyptians were offended. When
the presbyter ascertained this (offense), he wished to stop them. He preached to the
people of the assembly, saying, 'Fast and extend your ascetic and your religious
practices, brothers.' The Egyptians came there (to Scetis). The Egyptians desired to leave
them. But they were detained. When they fasted, they were hungry on the first day. And
they made them fast for two days. The ones who were from Scetis extended their fast all
week. When it was the Sabbath, the Egyptians sat to eat with the Elders. The Egyptians ate
hastily. One of the Elders grabbed his hand, saying 'Eat mindfully like monks!' But one of
the Egyptians pushed his hand away, saying, 'Leave me, Apa! Because I died! For a week I
did not eat hot food!' He said to them, 'If you are so exhausted in this complete way
because you fasted for two days, why were you offended by the brothers who complete their
ascetic practice in this way always?' And they apologized and learned from their practice
and they left joyfully.

SAYING 070

A brother took the monastic habit and withdrew immediately, saying, 'I am an anchorite.'
Then the Elders heard, left, and gave hands to him. They forced him to return to the cells
of his brothers, repenting and saying, 'Forgive me! I am not an anchorite. Rather, I am a
sinful and young human.'

SAYING 071

The Elders said: 'If you see a child rising up to heaven through their own desire, then
grab their leg and pull them down. Because it is not good for them.'

SAYING 072

A brother said to a noteable Elder: 'Apa, I desire to find an Elder in accordance with my
heart and I will die with him.' The Elder said to him, 'Rightly you ask!' He was confident
that it was this way. But really, he did not understand the teaching of the Elder. When
the Elder saw in him that this was the manner of his inner thought, as if he understood
this matter correctly, he (the elder) said to him: 'If you find an Elder according to your
wish, will you desire to stay with him?' And he replied, 'Yes! Absolutely!' The Elder
responded, 'You yourself are not following the desire of the Elder. Rather...'

SAYING 073

We are speaking while they are discussing about something useful, [...] strange words
among ourselves. Because of this he does not permit him to stay near him. If he comes near
to question him, he sends him away.

SAYING 074

Apa Ammoes said to Apa Schoi at the beginning: 'How do you see me?' He said to him: 'I see
you, my father, like an angel.' Later, he again said to him: 'How do you see me?' He said
to him: 'Like Satan, and the good word that you speak to me cuts me like a sword.'

SAYING 083

[….] brothers once tempted Abba John Kolobos, since he did not allow his spirit to speak
about the things of this world. And they said to him that we give thanks to God. The sky
has given its rains many times this season. And the palm trees have drunk and they will
produce white branches. And the brothers will find the things of their handiwork. Abba
Johannes said to them that this is the way of the Holy Spirit. It becomes new and produces
white branches through the fear of God.

SAYING 085

Aba John Kolobos said: 'I am like a man sitting at the foot of a tree who sees many beasts
and reptiles coming towards him.' Since he is not able to stand against them, he hastens
to ascend the tree to save himself. This is my way when, sitting in my cell, I see evil
thoughts encircling me. And since I am powerless against them, I hasten to run to God
through prayer and I am safe from the enemy.

SAYING 090: OLYMPIUS

...one of the elders… of(?) he saw his way of life and he said to him: “Is it nothing that
you see from your God?” He said: “No”. He said, that is the priest: “Us, it is small
liturgies that we do and the mysteries are revealed to us and you, you do these toils of
this sort, these nights of vigilance and these asceticisms and this silence, and you say:
‘we don’t have any thought that’s wicked in our heart’, and still (there is?) that which
separates you from your God, as he doesn’t reveal his mysteries to you.” And after they
heard, that is the elders, they were amazed and they said: “The thoughts that are wicked
truly have always separated us from God.”

SAYING 091: ANONYMOUS NAU 277

It was said that on the Mountain of Antony seven brothers dwelt. And during the season of
the dates, each one scared away the birds. There was an old man there who, when he was
guarding on his day, would cry out, 'Go away bad thoughts inside and also birds outside!'

SAYING 092: ANONYMOUS NAU 278

1 A brother at Kellia soaked his palm fronds, and just at the time he was sitting to
weave, his thoughts said to him, 'Go to this particular old man.' And he thought to
himself, 'After a few days, I will go.' And they [his thoughts] were saying, 'If he should
die, what will you do? And at the same time [you are talking], he can talk about the
summer. Then he said to himself, 'But it is not time.' And he thought to himself, 'Since
you are cutting the reeds, the season is about to happen.' But he answered, 'Let me
complete the reeds just so, then I will go.' Again he said to himself, 'But the air today
is good.' And immediately, he stood and he set down the soaked palm fronds. He took his
sheepskin and he left. There was an old man near him who saw rightly. And when he saw him
running, he cried out to him, saying, 'Prisoner, come here!' And when he had come, the old
man said to him, 'Return to your cell quickly!' And in this way the brother told him about
the battle with all these thoughts that came into his heart. When he went into his cell,
he prostrated himself and repented. The demon, crying out in a great voice, said, 'You
have defeated us, o monks!'

2 And the mat that he was on became like it was on fire. And they became smoke and left.
... ...learn their power and their wickedness.

SAYING 093: ANONYMOUS NAU 279

It was said concerning an old man that he died at Scetis. And the brothers surrounded his
bed and set him in order. And they laid him to rest and they cried for him greatly. And
immediately, he opened his eyes and laughed. Then, he laughed again. Afterward, he
repeated himself and laughed a third time. And immediately, the brothers exhorted him,
saying, 'Tell us, Abba, why while we are crying greatly, you are laughing?' He answered
and said to them, 'I am laughing because you all are afraid of death. And I laughed a
second time...'

SAYING 094: ANONYMOUS NAU 286

1 And the brother, he gives to him while he became increasingly poor. And the brother went
and told one of the elders. And the elder said to him, If you want to obey me, don't keep
giving to him. But say to him, My brother, at the time when I had (anything), I gave (it)
to you. Now for your part, whatever you earn in your work, bring it to me. And whatever he
brings, take it from him and in the place in which you know there is a stranger or a poor
elder, give it to him and ask them to pray for him. So the brother went and did these
things. When his worldly brother came, he spoke to him in the manner that the elder had
said … he went away sad. And behold, on the first day he took from the garden some
vegetables to eat and gave them to him. But his brother took them and gave them to the
elders and asked them to pray for him, and he received a blessing and returned to his
house. After this, again he brought some vegetables to cook and three loaves of bread.
Again, [the brother] took them … just as … [he] received a blessing … And he came …
[another] time and he brought … and wine and … When the brother saw, he was amazed and he
summoned the poor brothers and set them at ease.

2 He said to his brother, 'Do you need a little bread?' He said, 'No, my brother. For at
the time when I had need and I received anything from you, I became as if I had received a
fire into my house, and it destroyed it. But when, on the other hand, I did not receive
anything from you, I abounded in everything and God blessed me. And the brother went and
told the elder everything that had happened. And the elder said, Don't you know that the
work of a monk is a fire? Everywhere it goes, it burns. This was a benefit to him, [to
make] him give charity from his labors himself, and he received the prayers of the holy
ones. This is the way that he will be blessed.

SAYING 095: ANONYMOUS NAU 282

An elder said, “There was a certain person who did many good things, and the evil one … so
that he might… the reward for the great good things that he did. For when I lived a while
in Pemje (Oxyrhynchus) near an elder who performed charity, a widow came to him asking him
for a little grain. He said to her, “Go and bring a measure and I will measure it for
you.” So she brought it and he assessed (it) saying to her, “The measure is large,”
pushing it out of her hand. He made the widow ashamed. But after the widow left, I said to
him, “My father and elder, Did you give grain to the widow?” But he said, “No.” I said to
him, “If you were giving it to her in charity, why did you assess the measure and make the
widow ashamed?”

SAYING 096: ANONYMOUS NAU 281

1 An elder lived in a monastery with a brother. The elder gave bread to everyone who came.
When the brother saw what was happening, he said to the elder, “Give me my portion of the
bread, and however you want to act with your portion, do it.” The elder divided the bread
between himself and the brother, and he continued doing charity with his portion. And many
were running to the elder because they heard that he gave to everyone. And God saw his
zeal of heart and blessed his bread. But the brother ate his bread. And he said to the
elder, “Since I have a little more bread, take [it] for yourself also, and let us share in
common.” The elder said to him, “However you wish, I will do it.” And again they combined
their life with each other. When the time occurred, those who had need of receiving
charity came. It happened one day [that] the brother came in and he saw that the bread had
diminished. A poor brother came. The elder said, “Give him some bread.” But he said,
“There isn't any, Father.” The elder said to him, “Go in and look.” The brother went in
and he found a bread storeroom filled with it. When he saw this, he was afraid. And he
gave [it] to the poor brother. And he perceived the faith and virtue of the elder.

2 And he glorified God.

SAYING 097: POEMEN 109

…very much in a hurry and I am eager to see the king. Take me there. He said to him, “I
will come with you for half the way.” And he said to another friend, “Take me to the
king.” He said to him, “I will come with you to the palace.” He said to another friend,
“Take me to the king.” He said to him, “I will take you to the king boldly, and I will
speak concerning you.” They said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” And he said, “The
first is ascesis, which takes the road up to half of the way. The second is sobriety, that
which reaches up to heaven. The third is charity, that which takes them up to God boldly.”

SAYING 099: ANONYMOUS N 293

1 An old anchorite had a servant living in a village. And it happened one time that he
delayed going to the elder according to his custom. And the elder lacked all the
necessities and the handiwork which he had in his cell. And it bothered him that he did
not have anything to do, and he did not have food. And he said to his disciple, “Do you
want to go and summon the one who serves us?” And he said, “I will do what you command.”
And yet the elder did not dare to send the disciple. When they had continued to be
constrained, the servant did not come to them. The elder said to the brother, “Do you want
to go to the village?” The brother said, “I will do what you command.” The brother was
afraid to go to the village because of scandal And yet in order not to disobey his father,
he determined to go. He said to him, “Go, and I believe in God completely,” that … in
every temptation. And he prayed and sent him. When he went into the village, he went to
the place where the servant lived. He found him and all his household away from the
village because of a memorial except for only a young girl belonging to him. When he
knocked on the door, she replied and opened it.

2 He asked for her father. But she entreated him and she drew him in. but he did not
endure it. But when she had compelled him by force, she touched him and drew him in. As
for him, when he realized that it was for defilement that she was drawing him in, he
groaned and cried out “Lord, save me in this hour because of the prayers of my father.”
And when he had said this, instantly he found himself beside the river going to the
monastery. And he was taken safely to his father.

SAYING 100: ANONYMOUS N 294

Two brothers according to the flesh went to a monastery. One of them was an ascetic. The
other was very obedient. If the father told him to do something, he did it. … because of
his obedience. But his ascetic brother was goaded by it. He said to himself, “I will test
him and I will see if he is obedient.” He made his way to his father and he said, “Send my
brother and me and we will go to that place.” And the father gave them permission. Wishing
to test him, the ascetic took him and he went down beside the river. In that place, there
were many crocodiles. And he said to him, “Go down to the river and pass through.” So he
went and the crocodiles came and they crushed his body. And they did not hurt him at all.
When the ascetic saw, he said, “Come out of the river.” And as they were walking, they
found a body lying in the road. And the ascetic said, “If you have an [old thing] let us
throw it over him.” The one who had obedience said, “Let us pray for him instead. Perhaps
he will arise.” …

SAYING 101: MACARIUS 1

1 …going around with me in every street of the village, they were striking me, saying,
“This monk took the virginity of our daughter. Strike him!” And they struck me. And I was
almost going to die. And someone, having compassion, said, “Until when are you striking
this monk, a stranger?” The one who served me was following after me, ashamed. For they
were abusing him saying, “Is this the anchorite to whom you bear witness? Look at what he
did.” Then her parents said, “We will not release him until he gives a guarantee for
himself [that he will] support her.” So I spoke to the one who served me and he guaranteed
me. I went to my cell. … “… necessity, and you must do a little more work so that you can
support her.” And I worked night and day, sending to her. But when the wretched woman came
to give birth, she continued laboring. And she did not give birth. They said to her, “What
is this?” And she said, “I know, because I slandered the anchorite, and I lied about him.
And he did not do anything to me. But it was some other youth.” My servant came to me,
saying, “The woman was not able to give birth, until she confessed, “The anchorite had
nothing to do with me but I lied about him.”

2 And look, the whole village wants to come here in order to repent.” When I heard these
things, so that the people would not bother me, … I came to this place, to Scetis. This is
the reason why I came here.

SAYING 107: PAUL THE GREAT 2

A brother asked him, 'To what should I pay attention to when I am sitting in my cell?' He
said to him, 'I am hitherto a man in a deep pit dug up to my neck. Being full of burden I
cry out, 'God have mercy on me.'

SAYING 108: POEMEN 41

Again he said, 'A brother asked Apa Allonios, 'What is contempt?' The old man said, 'It is
putting yourself below the animals, and knowing that these things should not be
condemned.''

SAYING 109: POEMEN 55

Again he said: 'Once when they were sitting and eating he, namely the old man, was
remaining, ministering with Apa Allonios. And when they saw him they honored him. He said
absolutely nothing to them. One said to him: 'Why do you not answer the old men when they
glorify you?' He, namely Apa Allonios, said to him: 'If I answer them, you would also find
that I rejoiced on account of the glory and that I accept it'

SAYING 110: ANONYMOUS NAU 656

He said also: 'The land which the Lord commands on his behalf to sacrifice to him is the
humility of heart.

SAYING 111: POEMEN 167

He, namely the old man, also said: 'If a man minds his rank, he will not be troubled.'

SAYING 112: POEMEN 61

He, namely Apa Joseph, said: When we were sitting with Apa Poimen, he called Agathon
'apa'. And we said to him: 'He is a young man. Why do you call him 'apa'?' And he, namely
Apa Poimen, said: 'His mouth (is) that which makes him worthy to be called 'apa'''

SAYING 114: THEOPHILUS BETA

One time, the blessed Abba Theophilus the archbishop went to Scetis. But the brothers
gathered and said to Abba Pambo: 'Tell the Father one word that he may benefit.' The old
man told them: 'If he does not always benefit from our silence, then if we speak he will
still not benefit.'

SAYING 115: PISTUS 1

1 He, namely brother Pistus, said: 'We, being seven anchorite brothers, went out to Apa
Sisoes who was staying on the island of Klysma.' We begged for him to give us a word. And
he said: 'Forgive me. I am an unlearned man, but I went to Apa Or and Apa Hatre.' Apa Or
was sick for eighteen years. And I fell before them, (saying) 'Give me a word.' Apa Or
said to me: 'What is that which I should say to you? Go do that which you see (is right).
God does not belong to the one who loves more, but he who does violence to himself is
blessed in everything.' Apa Or and Apa Hatre were from the same region. Up until the time
they left their bodies there was a great peace in their midst. For Apa Hatre's obedience
was great and Apa Or's humility was great. I spent a few days beside them observing them,
and I saw him, namely Apa Hatre, perform a great wonder. Someone brought a small fish to
them and he, namely Apa Hatre, wanted to relieve Apa Or. He was holding the knife while
cutting up the fish, and he, namely Apa Or, called him, 'Hatre, Hatre.' And Apa Hatre left
the knife in the middle of the fish. He did not cut up the rest.

2 He ran to him. And I marveled at his great obedience. Because he did not say, 'Wait
until I cut the fish.' But I said to Apa Hatre: 'Where did you find this great obedience?'
He said to me: 'It does not belong to me, but it belongs to the old man.' And he took me
to the old man's cell, saying: 'Come and look see the obedience.' And he cooked the small
fish. He ruined it intentionally and served it to the old man. He ate and did not speak.
He, namely Apa Hatre, said to him: 'Is it good, Old Man?' He replied: 'It is very good.'
After this, I brought him a little which was good, and he said to him: 'I ruined it, Old
Man.' He responded: 'Yes, you have ruined it a little.' And he, namely Apa Hatre, said to
me: 'You saw that obedience belongs to the old man'. And I went away from them and I guard
that which I saw according to my strength.

SAYING 116: PISTUS 01

Apa Sisoes said these things. One of us entreated him, saying, 'Please, say one word to us
yourself.' He said, 'Mindful lack of consideration for yourself. It will fulfill all the
Scriptures.' And another of us said to him, 'What is it to be a stranger, my father?' He
said, 'It is being silent and saying everywhere you go, I have nothing.' This is being a
stranger.'

SAYING 117: SISOES 9

A brother went to Apa Sisoes at the mountain of Apa Antonius and they said to Apa Sisoes,
You have not yet reached the measure of Apa Antonius, father. He said to them, 'Where
(would this come) from? If I have a single thought of Apa Antonius, I would be completely
on fire. However, I saw a man who had power to bear his own thought with difficulty.'

SAYING 118: SISOES 11

The brother asked him again, 'Did Satan also trouble people long ago in this way?' Apa
Sisoes said to him, 'He causes more trouble now, since his time has drawn near, and
because of this he is upset.'

SAYING 119: SISOES 16

Some others went to him to hear a story from him. And he did not say anything to them. But
he said, 'Forgive me.' When they saw his baskets, they said to Abraham, his disciple, What
are you doing with these baskets?' He said, 'We usually send them out to this place and
that.' But the monk heard and he said, 'Your Sisoes eats in this place and that.' And they
heard this and they profited greatly. And they left, rejoicing, having been strengthened
by his humility.

SAYING 120: SISOES 13

A brother asked Apa Sisoes, 'I see myself, and my thoughts remain on God.' The monk said
to him, 'It is not a great thing to make your thoughts remain on God. But it is a great
thing to see yourself as below every living thing. For this leads to being someone who
suffers in body These are the acts of humility.'

SAYING 121: SYNCLETICA 26

The blessed Syncletica said, 'Just as a boat cannot be built without nails, in the same
way it is not possible to be saved without humility of heart.'

SAYING 123: SYNCLETICA 11

He spoke again, 'Be like the tax collector, so that they do not condemn you with the
Pharisee. But also choose for yourself the gentleness of Moses, so that you can change
your heart, like the rock, into springs of water.'

SAYING 124: ORSISIUS 1

Apa Orsisius said, 'A mud brick that is laid as a foundation by the river will not last a
single day. But the one that has been baked endures like a rock. In the same way, the man
who has his mind on worldliness is not baked in the fear of God. If he comes upon
greatness, he dissolves. For there are many trials, mostly of this kind, that happen in
the midst of men But it is good that a man know his mesaure, and avoid the burden of
greatness. The things which are strenghtened in faith are unshakeable.'

SAYING 125: JOSEPH

About the holy Joseph: If one wants to speak about him, one would say He was not an
earthly man. For, he was tempted by how many temptations, and in what sort of land, in the
place where there is not an imprint of divine worship. But the God of his fathers was with
him and saved him from every affliction. And now he is with his fathers in the kingdom of
heaven. Then, we ourselves, too, knew our measure. Let us struggle. For, scarcely, in all
these things are we able to flee from the judgment of God

SAYING 126: N 123 E

An anchoritic monk was wandering in the desert, and he said to himself, 'I have kept
straight in virtue.' And he prayed to God, saying, 'Provide whatever I need.' God wished
to make his thoughts humble. He said to him, 'Go to this particular archimandrite, and do
whatever he tells you.' And God revealed this to the archimandrite, saying, 'Behold, this
particular anchorite is coming to you. Give him a whip and make him tend the pigs.' And
the monk came and knocked on the door, and he went to the head of the congregation. They
embraced each other and they sat down. And the anchorite said, 'What should I do so that I
may be saved?' The archimandrite said to him, 'You will do what I tell you.' And he said
yes, and he said to him, 'Take this whip and tend the pigs.' And those who know him saw
him tending the pigs. And they were saying, 'Look at this great anchorite, whose heart is
deranged, and there is a demon in him, since he tends the pigs.' And God saw his humility,
that he was patient with the insults of the men in this way. He sent him back to his cell.

SAYING 127: N 298

A man became a demon, and was greatly afflicted, and was spitting out foam. He struck a
monk among the elders upon his cheek. But the monk quickly turned the other one to him.
And the demon could not bear the fire of his humility. He went out of him.

SAYING 128: N 299

A monk said, If a thought that has been inflated with arrogance enters you, question in
your thoughts whether you have oberved the commandments: whether you love your enemies;
whether you rejoice in the glory of your enemies and are pained by their failures; whether
you have become a worthless slave in your own eyes and a sinner beyond everyone else. And,
in these things, do not consider greatness, as if you were successful in everything. For
you know that this thought destroys everything.

SAYING 129: N 331

A monk said, Do no allow your heart to speak against your brother, saying, for instance,
'I am more sober than he.' And again, 'I am more ascetic than he.' And, 'I know more than
he.' But humble yourself in the spirit of poverty on account of Christ. And acquire love
without pretense, so that you do not destroy the pride of spirit which you have. For it is
written, 'Let he who stands be aware lest he fall.' And you will become seasoned in the
salt of Christ.'

SAYING 130: N 300

A monk said, 'The one who is honored beyond his worth, or who boasts about himself will
lose greatly. The one who is not glorified among men will receive glory in heaven.'

SAYING 131: N 301

A brother asked a monk, Is it good to repent often?' The monk said, We see that Joshua,
the son of Nun when he was still lying face-down, God revealed himself to him.'

SAYING 132: N 302

A monk was asked, 'Why do demons attack us like all this?' The monk said, 'Because we cast
off our armor, which is shame, and humility, and not abandoning anything for ourselves,
and endurance.'

SAYING 133: N 303

A brother asked a monk, 'If a brother brings me some words from outside, do you, father,
want me to say to him, 'Do not bring them in to me?'' The monk said to him, 'Do not.' The
brother said to him, 'Why?' The monk said to him, 'Because we ourselves have not been able
to observe this, lest, while we say to our companion, 'Don't do this,' we find ourselves
later doing this.' The brother said to him, 'What else is it necessary to do?' The monk
said, 'What we desire is silence, its example is enough for our companion.'

SAYING 134: N 304

A monk was asked, 'What is humility?' He said, 'It is when your brother sins against you,
and you forgive him when he has not yet repented.'

SAYING 135: N 305

A monk said, In every temptation, do not blame some person, but blame… saying, 'These
things have happened to me because of my sins.''

SAYING 136

A monk said, 'I have never passed beyond my rank to move toward my exultation. And I am
also not disturbed, having been brought down by humility. It is my sole concern to make
myself pray to God, that he might not … the old man from me.

SAYING 137: P263

A brother asked a monk, 'What else is a humble heart?' The monk said to him, 'It is to
make yourself do good to those who do evil to you.' The brother said to him, 'If one does
not achieve this measure, what will he do?' The monk said, 'Let him choose to be silent.'

SAYING 138: UNIDENTIFIED

A brother said to a monk, 'Father, tell me a whole story. Even if you tell it and we don't
understand, since our soil is salty soil.'

SAYING 139: N 306

A brother asked a monk, '[what] is [it] .. to be a stranger...?' He said, '…a
brother…and…in…the feast was happening.' And he sat down at the table to eat with the
brothers. Some said, 'Who even is this person?' And they grabbed him and made him stand
up, saying, 'Get up and leave!' So he stood up and left. But some others were troubled,
and they called him back. After this, one (of them) asked him, 'What entered into your
heart when you were cast out and brought back in again?' He said, 'It entered my mind that
I must be a dog, which leaves it if it cast out and comes when it is called.'

SAYING 142

The old men said, 'If there is no battle against us, then instead we humiliate ourselves
as much as we can. When God sees our weakness, He shall protect us. If we boast ourselves
He shall take away his shelter from us, and we shall perish.'

SAYING 143: N 131

The devil changed into an image of an angel of the light. He appeared to one of the
brothers and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who was sent to you” But he said to him, “Look,
you were sent to another of the brothers, for I am not worthy.” And he immediately
disappeared.

SAYING 145: N 312

They said about an old man, he dwelled in his house struggling He saw the demons in a
vision. He mocked them. And the devil saw that he was defeated inside of the old man And
he went and revealed himself to him saying, 'I am Christ'. After the old man saw him, he
closed his eyes and the devil said to him: 'Why did you close your eyes, I am Christ?' And
the old man said, 'I don't want to see Christ in this life'. And the devil heard this and
left him.

SAYING 150: ANONYMOUS NAU 324

if you have the ability to rise against insulting you, this is greater than all virtues

SAYING 151: ANONYMOUS NAU 325

An old man said, 'The one who bears contempt and reproach is able to be saved.'

SAYING 157: PAPNOUTE

They said about Abba Paphnutius that he never hastens to drink wine. But while walking on
one occasion he came upon a band of bandits and he found them drinking. And he knew him,
that is the one who is head, and while knowing that he never drinks wine he saw him in a
great weariness (and) filled a cup of wine while his sword (is) in his hand and told the
old man “If you don't drink I will kill you.” He knew, that is, the old man, that it’s to
do the commandment of God that he wants and wanting to gain him he took it (and) he drank
it. But the head of the bandits, he repented saying: “forgive me my father for I have made
you suffer”. He said to him, that is the old man: “I trust in God that he will do you
charity for this cup of wine in this life and the one that’s coming”. He said to him, that
is the head-bandit: “I trust in God that from now I won’t do wrong to anyone.” And the old
man, he acquired for himself the whole band, for he left his desire behind him for God.

SAYING 172: ANTONIUS

It was revealed to Apa Antonius in the desert that there’s one who is like him in the city
who is a doctor in his trade who gives his plenty to those who are needy and always spends
the whole day saying the Trishagion with the angels

SAYING 177: EPHRAIM

When the blessed Ephraim was a little boy he saw a dream or a revelation that a grapevine
sprouted in his tongue and it grew and it filled all the land under the sky whose fruit
(sic) were very good, and they came, that is all the birds of the sky (and) they ate its
fruit, and whatever will be eaten from the grapevine, it (the vine) will regrow more
abundantly.

SAYING 216: BESARION

He said, that is Abba Doulos, the disciple of Abba Besarion: “while we were walking beside
the sea, and I became thirsty. I said to Abba Besarion: “My father, I am very thirsty.”
But the old man prayed he said to me: “Drink at the sea and the water is sweet.” And I
drank. And I put a little water into my vessel which was in my hand, saying: “Lest I get
thirsty again.” But the old man after seeing (this) said to me: “Why did you fill water?”
I said: “Forgive me, lest I become thirsty there.” The old man said to me: “God here (of
this place) is also God there.”

SAYING 217: BESARION

And on another occasion, another need compelled him, he prayed and he crossed the river
which is called “that of the golden one, the pomegranate” walking on his foot until he
went up to its bank. And I, I was amazed (and) I prostrated myself before him: “How is it
that you feel your feet while you walk upon the water?” He said, that is the old man: “I
feel that the water comes up to the ankles of my foot, but the bottom is firm.”


THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2
==========================================

THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 Desert Fathers (anonymous)

4th–6th century

Sayings and stories of the desert fathers of Egypt, in the Syriac collection called the
Paradise, made for Syriac-speaking monks in the sixth and seventh centuries from Greek
sources. Budge’s square brackets mark words he supplied.

BOOK I — CHAPTER 1. OF FLIGHT FROM MEN, AND OF SILENT CONTEMPLATION, AND OF DWELLING CONTINUALLY IN THE CELL, [A WORK] WHICH WAS COMPOSED BY BISHOP PALLADIUS FOR THE PREFECT LANSUS

1. When Abbâ Arsenius was in the palace, he prayed to God, and said, "O Lord, direct me
how to live"; and a voice came to him, saying, "Arsenius, flee from men, and thou shalt
live." 2. And when Arsenius was living the ascetic life in the monastery, he prayed to God
the same prayer, and again he heard a voice saying unto him, "Arsenius, flee, keep
silence, and lead a life of silent contemplation, for these are the fundamental causes
which prevent a man from committing sin." 3. A certain man said that there were once three
men who loved labours, and they were monks. The first one chose to go about and see where
there was strife, which he turned into peace; the second chose to go about and visit the
sick; but the third departed to the desert that he might dwell in quietness. Finally the
first man, who had chosen to still the contentions of men, was unable to make every man to
be at peace with his neighbour, and his spirit was sad; and he went to the man who had
chosen to visit the sick, and he found him in affliction because he was not able to fulfil
the law which he had laid down for himself. Then the two of them went to the monk in the
desert, and seeing each other they rejoiced, and the two men related to the third the
tribulations which had befallen them in the world, and entreated him to tell them how he
had lived in the desert. And he was silent, but after a little he said unto them, "Come,
let each of us go and fill a vessel of water"; and after they had filled the vessel, he
said unto them, "Pour out some of the water into a basin, and look down to the bottom
through it," and they did so. And he said unto them, "What do ye see?" and they said, "We
see nothing." And after the water in the basin had ceased to move, he said to them a
second time, "Look into the water," and they looked, and he said unto them, "What do ye
see?" And they said unto him, "We see our own faces distinctly"; and he said unto them,
"Thus is it with the man who dwell-eth with men, for by reason of the disturbance caused
by this affair of the world he cannot see his sins; but if he live

3 II-1a in the peace and quietness of the desert he is able to see God clearly." 4. On one
occasion Abbâ Ammon came during the season of winter to Abbâ Sisoes, and he saw that the
old man was grieved because he had left the desert; and Abbâ Ammon said unto him, "Why art
thou distressed, O father? For what wast thou able to do in the desert in thine old age?"
And the old man Sisoes looked at him fiercely, and said, "What sayest thou to me, Ammon?
Are not the mere thoughts of the freedom which is in the desert better for us [than living
out of it]?" 5. There were two brethren in the desert who were the equals of each other in
the spiritual life, and they led a life of ascetic self-denial, and performed the exalted
works which belong to spiritual excellence. And it happened that one of them was called to
be the head of a habitation of the brethren, but the other remained in the desert, where
he became a man perfect in self-denial. And he was held by God to be worthy of the gift of
healing those who were possessed of devils, and he knew beforehand the things which were
about to happen, and he made whole the sick. Now when he who had become the head of a
habitation of brethren (i.e., a coenobium, or monastery) heard these things, he decided in
his mind that his fellow monk must have acquired these powers suddenly, and he lived a
life of silence and ceased from converse with men for three weeks, and he made
supplication unto God continually that He would shew him how the monk in the desert
wrought these mighty works, while he had not received even one of the gifts which he had.
And an angel appeared and said unto him, "He who dwelleth in the desert maketh
supplication to God both by night and by day, and his pain and anxiety are for our Lord's
sake; but thou hast care for many things, and thou hast converse with many, and the
consolation and encouragement of the children of men must be sufficient for thee."

6. Abbâ Arsenius on one occasion went to the brethren in a certain place where there were
some reeds growing, and the wind blew upon them, and they were shaken. And the old man
said, "What is this rustling sound?" and they said unto him, "It is that caused by the
reeds which are being shaken by the wind." And he said unto them, "Verily I say unto you,
if the man who dwelleth in silence heareth but the twittering of a sparrow, he shall not
be able to acquire that repose in his heart which he seeketh; how much less then can ye do
so with all this rustling of the reeds about you?" 7. A certain brother came to Abbâ
Arsenius, and said unto him, "My thoughts vex me, and say, 'Thou canst not fast; "and thou
art not able to labour, therefore visit the sick, which is a great commandment." Then Abbâ
Arsenius, after the manner of one who was well acquainted with the war of devils, said
unto him, "Eat, drink, and sleep, and toil not, but on no account go out of thy cell"; for
the old man knew that dwelling constantly in the cell induceth all the habits of the
solitary life. And when the brother had done these things for three days he became weary
of idleness, and finding a few palm leaves on the ground, he took them and began to split
them up, and on the following day he dipped them in water and began to work (i.e., to
weave baskets); and when he felt hungry he said, "I will finish one more small piece of
work, and then I will eat." And when he was reading in the Book, he said, "I will sing a
few Psalms and say a few prayers, and then I shall eat without any compunction." Thus
little by little, by the agency of God, he advanced in the ascetic life until he reached
the first rank, and received the power to resist the thoughts and to vanquish them.

8. When Abbâ Sisoes was dwelling in the mountain of Abbâ Anthony, the man who used to
minister unto him departed and remained away for a period of ten months and did not come
[back] to him, and he saw no man. And afterwards, as he was walking in the mountains, he
saw a man hunting wild animals, and the old man said to him, "Whence comest thou? And how
long hast thou been here?" And the man said unto him, "Father, I have been in this
mountain eleven months, and I have seen no man except thyself." Then the old man having
heard these things went into his cell, and smote upon his face, and said, "Behold, O
Sisoes, well mayest thou think that thou hast done nothing, for thou hast not made thyself
even like unto this man who is in the world, and is not a monk."

9. I once asked Abbâ Sarmâtâ a question, and said unto him, "What shall I do, O my father,
for I do nothing which the monks do? On the contrary, I am negligent, and I eat, and
drink, and sleep, and I think many filthy thoughts, and my mind is ever disturbed, and I
depart from one work to another, and from one group of thoughts to another. What shall I
do, then? For I am troubled, and my soul is little." And Abbâ Sarmâtâ said unto him: "Sit
thou in thy cell, and whatsoever thou canst do, that do, and trouble not thyself. For I
wish thee to do now a little, even as did Abbâ Anthony in the mountain, and I believe that
by sitting in [thy] cell for the sake of the Name of God, thou also wilt be found in the
same place as Abbâ Anthony."

10. On one occasion the brethren went up from Scete to go to Abbâ Anthony, and having
embarked in a boat to journey to him, they found [there] a certain old man, who was also
going to visit him, and they were not acquainted with him. And as they were sitting in the
boat, they spake now and again a word of the Fathers, or a word from the Book, or they
talked about the work of their hands; and the old man listened unto all they said, but
held his peace. Then, having crossed the ferry, the old man was found to be going also to
Abbâ Anthony. And when they had all arrived at the place where he was, he said unto them,
"Ye found excellent company in this old man"; and to the old man himself he said, "Thou
didst find excellent brethren to travel with thee, O father." And the old man said, "They
are excellent brethren, but they have no door to their house, and whosoever wisheth can go
into the stable, and untie the ass, and go whither-soever he pleaseth on him." Now this he
said because they uttered every word which came into their mouths.

11. A certain brother asked Abba Sisoes, saying, "Father, how was it that thou didst leave
Scte where thou wast with Abba Macarius, and didst come here?" And the old man said unto
him, "When Scte began to be filled [with monks] I heard that Abba Antonius had fallen
asleep, and I came to the mountain here, and found that this place was quiet, and I lived
here for a little time." The brother said unto him, "How long hast thou been here?" and
the old man said, "Behold, I have been here seventy years this day." 12. They used to say
concerning Abba Theodore and Abba Luk that they passed fifty years with disturbed minds,
and were troubled the whole time about changing their place [of abode]; and they said,
"Behold, we will change in the winter"; and when the winter arrived, they said, "We will
change in the summer"; and thus they did unto the end of their lives.

13. A certain father came to Abba Arsenius, and he knocked at the door, and the old man
opened unto him thinking that it was his servant [who had knocked]; and when he saw who it
was, he cast himself upon his face, and the father entreated him, saying, "Stand up, O
father, that I may give thee the salutation of peace." But Arsenius disputed with him,
saying, "I will not stand up until thou hast departed"; and though he entreated him to do
so often he would not stand up, and the father left him and departed. 14. Abba Battimion
said, "When I went down to Scte they gave me some apples to take to the brethren, and when
I had knocked at the door of Abba Abhila, he said to me when he saw me, 'If these apples
had been of gold I would not have wished thee to knock at my door; and moreover, do not
knock at the door of any other brother'; so I returned and placed the apples in the church
and departed."

15. They said concerning Abbâ Sisoes that when the church began [to fill] he fled quickly
to his cell, and, [though] the brethren said, "He hath a devil," he was performing the
work of God. 16. Abbâ Joseph said to Abbâ Nestîr, "What shall I do with my tongue, for I
cannot conquer it?" Abbâ Nestîr said unto him, "If thou talkest wilt thou have relief from
this [trouble]?" And he said unto him, "Nay." The old man said unto him, "If then thou
hast no relief when thou talkest, why dost thou talk?" Abbâ Joseph said unto him, "What
shall I do? For I cannot stand against it." The old man said unto him, "Wilt thou have
relief then?" and he said unto him, "Nay." The old man said unto him, "If thou canst not
gain relief by talking, then hold thy peace." 17. A certain brother went to Abbâ Poemen on
the second Sunday in the Fast of Forty Days and repeated unto him his thoughts, and
sighing over what the old man had told him, he said unto him, "I had almost kept myself
from coming here to-day"; and the old man said, "Why?" Then the brother said, "I said in
my mind, Peradventure during the fast the door will be closed against thee"; and Abbâ
Poemen said unto him, "We do not learn to shut a door made of wood, but to close the door
of the tongue."

18. When a certain brother in Scete was going to the harvest, he went to Abbâ Moses, the
Black, and said unto him, "Father, tell me what I shall do; shall I go to the harvest? and
Abbâ Moses said unto him, "If I tell thee, wilt thou be persuaded to do as I say? And the
brother said unto him, "Yea, I will hearken unto thee. The old man said unto him, "If thou
wilt be persuaded by me, rise up, go, and release thyself from going to the harvest, and
come unto me, and I will tell thee what thou shalt do. The brother therefore departed and
obtained his release from his companions, as the old man had told him, and then he came to
him. And the old man said unto him, "Go into thy cell and keep Pentecost, and thou shalt
eat dry bread and salt once a day [only], and after thou hast done this I will tell thee
something else to do later on"; and he went and did as the old man had told him, and then
came to him again. Now when the old man saw that he was one who worked with his hands, he
shewed him the proper way to live in his cell; and the brother went to his cell, and fell
on his face upon the ground, and for three whole days and nights he wept before God.

And after these things, when his thoughts were saying unto him, "Thou art now an exalted
person, and thou hast become a great man," he used to contradict them, and set before his
eyes his former shortcomings, [and say], "Thus were all thine offences. And again, when
they used to say to him, "Thou hast performed many things negligently," he would say,
"Nevertheless I do small services for God, and He sheweth His mercy upon me. And when by
such means as these the spirits had been overcome, they appeared unto him in the form of
corporeal creatures, and said unto him, "We have been vanquished by thee"; and he said
unto them, "Why? and they said unto him, "If we humble thee, we are raised up by thee to
an exalted position, and if we exalt thee we are accounted by thee for humility." 19.
There was a certain brother in the monastery who worked hard, and the brethren who were in
Scete heard about him, and came to see him, and they entered into the place where he used
to work; and having received them, and saluted them, he turned round and began to work
again. And when the brethren saw what he did, they said unto him, "John gave thee the garb
of the monk, and made thee a dweller in a monastery, but he did not teach thee to receive
a blessing (literally, prayer) from the brethren, or to give one, or to say to them, 'Pray
ye,' or, 'Sit ye down.'" And John said unto them, "Nay, a sinner is not sufficient for
these things." 20. Abbâ Anthony said, "As a fish when it is lifted up out of the water
dieth, even so doth the monk who tarrieth outside his cell."

21. They tell the story of a certain brother who came to Scete to see Abbâ Arsenius, and
who went into the church and entreated the clergy to take him to see him; and the clergy
said unto him, "Refresh thyself a little, and thou shalt see him." And the brother said
unto them, "I will eat nothing before I meet him and see him"; and when the clergy heard
this they sent a brother with him to shew him Abbâ Arsenius, because his cell was some
distance away. And when they had arrived there, they knocked at the door and went inside,
and having saluted him, and prayed, they sat down and held their peace; and the brother
who was from the church answered and said, "I will depart, pray ye for me." But when the
other brother saw that he possessed not freedom of speech with the old man, he said unto
the brother from the church, "I also will go with thee," and they departed together.

Then he entreated him, saying, "Take me also to Abbâ Moses who was a thief," and when they
went to him, the old man received them with joy, and having refreshed them greatly he
dismissed them in peace. And the brother who had brought the visitor to Abbâ Moses said
unto him, "Behold, 'I brought thee to a man from a foreign land, and to an Egyptian, which
of the two pleaseth thee?'" And he answered and said unto him, "The Egyptian who hath just
received me, 'and refreshed me.'" And when one of the old men heard what had happened, he
prayed to God, and said, "O Lord, shew 'me this matter; one fleeth from the world for Thy
Name's sake, and another receiveth and is gracious for Thy Name's sake.'" And behold,
suddenly there appeared unto him on the river two great boats, and lo, Abbâ Arsenius and
the Spirit of God were travelling in silence in the one, and Abbâ Moses and the angels of
God were in the other, and they were feeding the monk with honey from the comb.

22. A certain brother asked Abbâ Poemen a question, saying, "If I see something done, dost
thou wish me to tell it 'abroad?'' The old man said unto him, It is written, 'Whosoever
shall declare a matter incorrectly, it is a disgrace to him and [a subject for] mockery.'
And if thou art asked, 'speak; and if thou art not asked, hold thy peace.'' 23. On one
occasion there was an assembly in a great church, and all the old men were asked in a
body, "What striving is 'the mightiest against the monks?'" And they all agreed that there
was none stronger than that which would make a man leave his cell and depart, for when
this striving is overcome, all the rest can quite easily be brought low. 24. They say
concerning Abbâ Âpôs, who afterwards became Bishop of Oxyrhyncus, that when he was a monk
he laboured with great toil in the ascetic life, and that he was moved every hour by
Divine Grace, but that after he became Bishop, though he wished to perform the same
labours, he was not able to do so. And he cast himself before God, and made supplication
unto Him, saying, "Peradventure, O my 'Lord, it is because of the Bishopric that Thou hast
removed Thy grace from me,'' and it was said unto him, It is not 'so, but formerly thou
wast in the desert, and there were no men there, and God took care of thee; here, however,
thou art in a portion of the world which is inhabited, and men care for thee.''

25. A certain brother from the Cells soaked some palm leaves in water, and then sat down
to weave ropes, and his mind said unto him, "Go and visit such and such a brother"; and he
pondered on the matter, and said, "I will go after a 'few days.'' And again his mind said
unto him, Supposing 'thou shouldst die, what wilt thou do? for thou wouldst not see thy
brother'; and once again he satisfied his mind by saying, 'I will go after such and such a
time.'' Now when the summer had come, he said within himself, To-day is not the right time
for going," and again he said to his mind, "As soon as thou hast cut off the end of the
palm leaves it will be time for thee to go"; and he said to himself, "I will finish these
leaves, and then I will go. And once again his mind urged him and said, "The weather is
beautiful to-day," and he rose up straightway and left the palm leaves soaking in the
water, and he picked up a cloak and ran off on his way. Now he had as a neighbour a
certain old man who used to see visions, and as soon as this man saw the brother running,
he cried out, and said unto him, "Prisoner, prisoner, come hither"; and when he had gone
in the old man said unto him, "Go back to thy cell," and the brother went back, and he
related unto him the whole story of his war.

And having entered his own cell, he offered up repentance unto God, and the devils cried
out with a loud voice, saying, "Thou hast vanquished us, thou hast vanquished us, O monk.
Now he had a palm-leaf mat under him, and it was charred as if it had been burned in the
fire, and the devils vanished like smoke; then straightway the brother perceived their
wiles, and he gave thanks unto God. 26. Abbâ Poemen said: A certain brother asked Abbâ
Sîmôn, and said, "If I go out from my cell, and I find a brother absorbed and immersed in
matters unnecessary for salvation, shall I associate myself also with him? And supposing
also that I should find him laughing, and that I also should laugh, when I have gone into
my cell again shall I not be forgiven my relaxation?" And the old man said unto him, "What
dost thou wish? Dost thou mean that having gone out of thy cell and having found a man who
was laughing, and laughed with him, and having found a man who was talking, and talked
with him, thou canst go back to thy cell and find thyself as thou wast before thou didst
go out?" And the brother said unto him, "If not, how then?" Then the old man answered and
said unto him, "It is right for thee to keep a careful watch both within and without."

27. An old man said, "One man is thought to be silent, and yet his heart judgeth and
condemneth others, and the man who acteth thus speaketh continually; another man speaketh
from morning till evening, and yet keepeth silence, that is to say, he speaketh nothing
which is not helpful." 28. There were two excellent brethren in the Cells, and they were
held to be worthy to see things of mystery, and each one of them saw the might which was
sent down by God upon his brethren. Now it happened that one of them came on Friday to the
coenobium, and as he was outside, he saw that some of the brethren were eating from the
morning [upwards], and he said unto them, "Is it possible that ye eat at this time on
Friday?" "And do ye usually hold a congregation at the turn of the day?" And as his
brother looked upon him, he saw that the might of God was going away from him, and he was
grieved, for he was accustomed to see it upon him. And when they had come to their own
cell he said unto him, "What hast thou done, O my brother? Or what thoughts hast thou had?
For I do not see upon thee as usual the might of God." And the brother made answer and
said, "I know not; I do not feel that I have any filthy thoughts in me, and I do not
perceive *"in my soul that any evil act hath been committed by me." His brother said unto
him, "Peradventure some vain and empty word hath gone forth from thy mouth." Then that
brother recalled the matter to his mind, and said, "Yea, yesterday I saw certain men
outside the coenobium eating, and I said unto them, 'Do ye eat at this time on Friday?'
This then is my sin. But I entreat thee to labour with me for two weeks, and thou and I
will beg God to forgive me." And they did even as he had said, and after two weeks his
brother saw that might which is of the goodness of God come upon him as usual.

29. The old men used to say about the blessed Abbâ Arsenius, and Abbâ Theodore of Parmê,
that they possessed in a far greater degree than many monks a hatred of the admiration of
men; Abbâ Arsenius was never pleased at meeting and conversing with a man, and Abbâ
Theodore, even though he was willing to meet a man, was as sharp as a sword in his
conversation. 30. Abbâ Macarius said unto the brethren when the service in the church was
ended, "Flee ye, O brethren"; and one of the old men said, "Father, whither can we flee
farther than this desert?" Then Macarius laid his hand upon his mouth, saying, "Flee in
this manner," and straightway he went to his cell and, shutting the door, sat down. 31.
Abbâ Poemen said:—Abbâ Moses asked Abbâ Zechariah a question when he was about to die, and
said unto him, "Father, is it good that we should hold our peace?" And Zechariah said unto
him, "Yea, my son, hold thy peace." And at the time of his death, whilst Abbâ Isidore was
sitting with him, Abbâ Moses looked up to heaven, and said, "Re-joice and be glad, O my
son Zechariah, for the gates of heaven have been opened."

32. A brother asked an old man, saying, "What is humility?" And the old man answered and
said unto him, "That thou payest not back evil for evil." That brother said unto him, "And
supposing that a man cannot attain to this measure, what must we do?" The old man said
unto him, "Let us flee and follow after silence." 33. And an old man said, "Lay hold upon
silence. Look carefully into and scrutinize the manner in which thou trainest thyself,
both when thou art lying down, and when thou art standing up. Meditate upon the fear of
God, and be not afraid of the attack of sinners. Consent not to everything. Be swift to
hear and slow to believe." 34. An old man said: "The man, who hath learned by experience
the sweetness of the quietness which is in his cell, doth not flee from meeting his
neighbour because he is as one who despiseth him, but because of the fruits which he
plucketh from silence."

35. Abbâ Moses used to say, "The man who fleeth from the world is like unto ripe grapes,
but he who dwelleth among the attractions of the children of men is like unto sour
grapes." 36. An old man said: "Human care and worry and anxiety about the things of the
body destroy the faculties of knowledge and expression in a man, and leave him like unto a
piece of dry wood." 37. They used to say about Abbâ Nastîr that the old man was like unto
the serpent which Moses made for the healing of the people (Numbers xxi, 9 ff.), and that
he was perfect in all spiritual excellences, and that, although he kept silence, he healed
every man. 38. A certain brother asked an old man a question, and said unto him, "Father,
what shall I do? For, although my body is in my cell, my thoughts wander about into every
place, and because of this they vex me greatly, saying, 'Thou hast no benefit whatsoever,
for though thy body is shut up in the cell, thy thoughts wander and are scattered abroad.'
And they bring me to despair, and counsel me to go back to the world as one who has not
the ability to acquire the rule of life which is proper for the ascetic monk." The old man
said unto him, "Thou must know, O my son, that this is an attack of Satan, but go, and
continue to abide in thy cell, and go not out of it at any time, and pray to God that He
may give thee the power to endure patiently, and then thy mind shall collect itself in
thee. For the matter is like unto that of a she-ass which hath a sucking foal. If she be
tied up, however much the foal may gambol about or wander hither and thither, he will come
back to her eventually, either because he is hungry, or for other reasons which drive him
to her; but if it happen that his mother be also roaming about loose, both animals will go
to destruction. And thus is it in the matter of the monk. If the body remain continually
in its cell, the mind thereof will certainly come back to it after all its wanderings, for
many reasons which will come upon it, but if the body as well as the soul wander outside
the cell, both will become a prey and a thing of joy to the enemy."

39. A certain brother belonging to a habitation of brethren said to Abbâ Bessarion, "What
shall I do?" The old man said unto him, "Keep silence, and consider thyself to be
nothing." 40. Abbâ Moses besought Abbâ Zechariah, saying, "Speak a word of consolation to
the brethren"; and Zechariah took his cloak, and placed it under his feet, saying, "Except
a man die thus he cannot be a monk." 41. Abbâ Poemen said, "The rule of the monk is
this—to bear at all times his own blame." 42. Abbâ Poemen said, "If thou holdest thyself
in thine own sight to be of no account, thou mayest dwell where thou pleasest, and find
rest." 43. The same old man used to say, "A man will be always tripped up by that thing
which he will not cut off from himself." 44. Abbâ Alônîs said, "If a man will only
remember that which is written, 'Thou shalt be justified by thy words, and shalt be
condemned by thy words' (St. Matthew xii, 37), he would know that it is right to hold his
peace."

45. Abbâ Poemen said, "If thou wishest to acquire the power to keep silence, think not and
say not within thyself that thou art doing the works of spiritual excellence, but say, I
am not even worthy to speak." 46. Abbâ Anthony said, "He who liveth in the desert is free
from three kinds of spiritual attacks, that is to say, those which arise through the ears,
speech, and sight; he hath only one kind to fight, namely, that of the heart." 47. Abbâ
Alônîs said, "Unless a man saith in his heart, 'Only God and myself exist in this world,'
he will not find rest." 48. Abbâ Sisoes used to say, "It is well for a man to dwell in his
cell, and if he suffer with patient endurance he will find blessings of every kind." 49. A
certain brother asked Abbâ Panbô (Pambo), "Is it a good thing for a man to praise his
neighbour?" Saith the old man, "It is a much better thing for a man to hold his peace."

50. Abbâ Poemen said, "In all the labour which cometh upon a man, his victory is only
assured when he holdeth his peace." 51. A certain brother said unto an old man, "If a
brother 'bringeth unto me news from the outer world, dost thou wish me to tell him not to
bring it to me?" The old man said unto him, "Nay," and the brother said unto him, "Why?"
The old man said unto him, "Because not even we are able to flee 'from this. For having
told our neighbour that he must not do this, we ourselves afterwards may be found doing
the very same thing." And that brother said unto him, "What 'then is the right [course of
action]?" Then the old man said unto him, "If we take upon ourselves to hold our peace,
the 'example alone will be sufficient to make our neighbour do the same."

52. The blessed Theophilus, Archbishop of Alexandria, once went with a certain judge to
Abbâ Arsenius, and begged the old man to let him hear some saying from him; and the old
man held his peace for a little, and then answered him, and said, "If I speak a word to
you will ye observe it?" And they promised to keep it. The old man said unto them, "In
whatsoever 'place ye hear that Arsenius is, come not nigh thereunto." 53. Abbâ Macarius
said unto Abbâ Arsenius, "Why fleest 'thou from us?" And the old man said unto him, "God
know- 'eth that I love you, but I cannot be both with God and with men. The thousands and
ten thousands of beings who are above have only one will, but men have many wills: I
cannot, therefore, leave God and be with men." And the old man was always uttering these
words, "Arsenius, for this 'thou didst go forth." And he used to say thus: "I have 'many
times repented that I spoke, but that I held my peace I have never repented."

54. Abbâ Anthony said, "The cell of a monk is the furnace 'of Babylon wherein the Three
Children found the Son of God, and it is also the pillar of cloud wherefrom God spake with
Moses." 55. On one occasion the Fathers in Scete were gathered together, and because
certain folk were wishing to see Abbâ Moses, they treated him with contumely, saying, "Why
doth 'this Ethiopian come and go in our midst?" But Moses hearing this held his peace. And
when the congregation was dismissed, they said unto him, "Abbâ Moses, wast thou not
'afraid?" And he said unto them, "Although I was afraid I 'uttered not a word." 56. On one
occasion certain brethren came unto John the Less to tempt him, for they had heard that he
never permitted his mind to think about any of the affairs of this world, and that he
never spoke about them. And they said unto him, "Father, we thank God because He hath
brought down this year rain in abundance, and the palms are thriving and are flourishing
beautifully, and work for the hands of the brethren is abundant." The old man John saith
unto them, "Even thus is it with the Holy Spirit of God, for when It descendeth upon the
hearts of holy men they blossom and bring forth the fruit of the fear of God."

57. A certain brother came to take some baskets from John the Less, and when he had
knocked at the door, the old man came out to him, and said unto him, "What seekest thou?"
And the brother said unto him, "Father, I want baskets." And John the Less went in to
bring them out to him, but he forgot to do so, and sat down, and went on plaiting. And the
brother knocked at the door again, and when Abbâ John went forth to answer him, he said
unto him, "Wilt thou bring out the baskets to me, Father?" And again John went in, and sat
down, and went on plaiting, and when the brother knocked again, John went forth and said
unto him, "Brother, what seekest thou?" And he said unto John, "Baskets, Father"; and John
took his hand and led him inside, saying, "If thou wishest for baskets take them and get
thee gone, for I am not able [to bring them to you]."

58. Some time ago Abbâ Evagrius went to Scete to a certain father and said unto him,
"Speak some word whereby I may be able to save myself." The old man saith unto him, "If
thou wishest to be saved, when thou goest unto any man speak not before he asketh thee a
question." Now Evagrius was sorry about this sentence, and shewed regret because he had
asked the question, saying, "Verily I have read many books, and I cannot accept
instruction of this kind"; and having profited greatly he went forth from him. 59. On one
occasion there was a congregation in the Cells concerning a certain matter, and Abbâ
Evagrius spoke. And a certain elder said unto him, "We know, Abbâ, that hadst thou been in
thine own country where thou art a bishop and the governor of many, [thou wouldst have
been right in speaking]; but in this place thou sittest [as] a stranger." Now Evagrius was
sorry, but he was not offended, and he shook his head, and bent his gaze downwards, and he
wrote with his finger and said unto them, "Verily, it is even as thou sayest, O my
fathers; I have spoken once, but I will not do it a second time."

60. Abbâ John, who was in prison, said that there was a man sitting in his cell who always
made mention of God, and in this was fulfilled that which is written, "I was in prison,
and ye came unto Me" (St. Matthew xxv, 36). 61. They used to say about Abbâ Agathon that
for a period of three years he placed a stone in his mouth [and kept it there], until he
had learned thoroughly how to hold his peace. 62. A certain brother went to Abbâ Moses in
Scete, and asked him to speak a word; and the old man said unto him, "Get thee gone, and
sit in thy cell, and thy cell shall teach thee everything."

CHAPTER 2. OF FASTING AND ABSTINENCE AND OF OTHER [SIMILAR] LABOURS

63. They used to say about Abbâ Paphnutius that he would not readily drink wine, and that
on one occasion he came by chance upon a band of thieves, and found them drinking; and the
captain of the thieves recognized him, and knew that he never drank wine; and he looked
closely at him [and saw that] he was a man of great ascetic works. And the captain filled
a cup with wine and, taking a sword in his hand, he said unto the old man, "If thou wilt
not drink I will slay thee"; and the old man knew that the grace of God wished to work on
the captain of the thieves through him, and sought to do good to him, so he took [the cup]
and drank [the wine]. Then the captain made excuse to him and said, "Forgive me, father,
for having distressed thee"; and the old man said unto him, "I believe, by God, that
through this cup God will forgive thee thy sins." And the captain of thieves said unto
him, "I believe, by God; from this time forth I will never vex any man." Thus, because for
God's sake Paphnutius gave up his own wish, he was able to do good to all that band of
thieves.

64. A certain old man came unto one of the holy men who was a companion of his, and who
cooked a few lentiles; and one of the two said unto his fellow, "Shall we sing a part of
the service?" And he sang the whole of the Psalms of David, and his companion repeated two
books of the Great Prophets, and when it was morning the old man departed to his own
place, and they forgot all about the food. And the old man went another evening and found
the food which had been cooked, and he was sorry and said, "Oh! how was it that we came to
forget that little mess of lentiles, and did not eat it?" 65. On one occasion a brother
came to Abbâ Isaiah, who threw a handful of lentiles into a saucepan to boil, but when
they had just begun to boil he took them off the fire; and the brother said unto him, "Are
they not yet cooked, O father?" And the old man said unto him, "Is it not sufficient for
thee to have seen the fire? For this [alone] is great refreshing."

66. A certain old man became very seriously ill, for he suffered from some disease of the
stomach, and much blood came away from him; and one of the brethren had some dried prunes,
and because of the severe illness of the old man he cooked a little food, and put some of
the prunes in it, and brought it to him, and entreated him, saying, "Father, do [me] an
act of grace, and take a little of this stew, for perhaps it will do thee good." And the
old man lifted up his eyes and looked at him, and said, "In which of the Scriptures hast
thou found this thing? Verily I have wished that God would leave me in this illness for
the last thirty years, for when I am weak then am I strong"; and the old man, although he
was grievously sick, would not take even a little of the food, and when the brother saw
[this] he took it and went back to his cell.

67. They used to say concerning Abbá Macarius, the Egyptian, that if it happened that he
ate with the brethren, he would make an agreement with himself that if there was wine [on
the table] and he drank one cup of it, he would drink no water for a whole day; now the
brethren, wishing him to be refreshed (or pleased), used to give him wine, and the old man
took it joyfully so that he might torment his body. And when his disciple saw this thing,
he said unto the brethren, "I entreat you, for our Lord's sake, not to give him wine to
drink, for if he drinketh it he will go to his cell and afflict himself because thereof";
and when the brethren knew this they did not give him any more wine to drink. 68. There
was a certain old man who made a vow not to drink any water during the Fast of Forty Days;
and when he became thirsty (literally, hot) he would wash a potter's vessel, and fill it
with water, and hang it up in front of him. Then the brethren asked him why and wherefore
he acted thus, and he said, "That I may labour the more, and receive a reward from God";
now he said this that he might incite them to great labours.

69. A brother asked an old man questions about comforts [or pleasures], and the old man
said unto him, "Eat grass, wear grass, and sleep on grass, and then thy heart will become
like iron." 70. A certain brother was hungry one morning, and he fought against his
inclination and determined not to eat until the third hour; and when the third hour had
passed, he dipped his bread in water, and sat down to eat, but he forced himself to wait
until the sixth hour arrived, when he said within himself, "Let us wait till the ninth
hour." And when the ninth hour had come, he prayed, and saw the working of Satan rising up
before him like smoke, and he suppressed his desire [to eat], and his hunger passed away
from him. 71. A certain brother from the Cells brought some new bread, and he invited all
the old men who were under vows at

17 Scete to partake of a meal; and when each of them had eaten two bread-cakes, they
ceased eating. Then the brother, who knew their labours of abstinence, and that they did
not usually eat, and never satisfied themselves, made excuses to them, saying, "Eat ye
this day, for our Lord's sake, until ye are satisfied"; and hearing this each ate ten
cakes more. All this [sheweth] how much they afflicted themselves in not satisfying
themselves with any kind of food. 72. On one occasion two old men were going up from Scete
to Egypt, and because of the fatigue of the way they sat down on the bank of the river to
eat some food, and one of them took his bread-cake in his hand and dipped it in the water;
and he answered and said unto his companion, "Wilt thou not dip thy cake in water, O
father?" And his companion answered and said unto him, "It is written, When a possession
increaseth set not thy heart upon it" (Psalm lxii, 10).

73. They used to say about Abbâ Isaac, the priest of the Cells, that he ate the ashes of
the censer which was before the altar with his bread. 74. On one occasion there was an
offering [made] in the mountain of Abbâ Anthony, and a skin of wine was there, and one of
the monks took some of it in a small vessel, and with a cup in his hand he went and
carried it to Abbâ Sisoes. And he mixed him a cupful, and he drank it, and he mixed him a
second cupful, and he took it and drank it, but when he mixed him a third cupful Abbâ
Sisoes refused to drink it, saying, "Stay thy hand, brother, knowest thou not that [the
third cup] is of Satan?" 75. Abbâ John said, "If a king wishes to subdue a city be-longing
to enemies, he first of all keepeth them without bread and water, and the enemy being in
this wise harassed by hunger becometh subject unto him; and thus it is in respect of the
hostile passions, for if a man endureth fasting and hunger regularly, his enemies become
stricken with weak-ness in the soul."

76. They used to say about Abbâ Dioscurus that his bread was made of barley and lentiles,
and that at the beginning of each year he would set himself some [new] task of ascetic
excellence, saying, "This year I will not hold converse with (or visit) any man," or, "I
will not speak at all," or, "I will not eat food which hath been boiled," or, "I will not
eat fruit," or, "I will not eat vegetables." He began each year with resolutions of this
kind and carried them out, and each year he set himself some new task. 77. On one occasion
when certain brethren went to the church during the Easter Festival, they gave a brother a
cup of wine, and when they urged him to drink it, he said to them, "Forgive me, O my
fathers, but ye did the same thing to me last year, and I drank a cup of wine, and I was
greatly troubled thereby for a long time."

78. The monks were celebrating a festival in Scete, and they gave a certain old man a cup
of wine, and he handed it back, saying, "Take this death away from me"; and when the
others who were eating with him saw him [do this] they also would not take the wine. 79.
And again on another occasion certain first-fruits of wine were sent that it might be
given to the brethren cup by cup, (i.e., a cup each). And one of the brethren went up to a
roof, that he might escape from drinking, and it parted asunder beneath him, and he fell
through it; and when the sound came [to the brethren] they went and found him lying [on
the ground], and they began to think about him, and said, "O lover of vain-glory, this
hath befallen thee rightly." And an old man laid him out, saying unto them, "Forgive ye my
son, for he hath done a good work. And, as the Lord liveth, this breach shall not be built
up in my days, for all the world shall know that because of a cup of wine a schism hath
taken place in Scete."

80. It was reported to Abbâ Poemen about a certain brother that he would not drink wine,
and the old man Poemen said, "The nature of wine is not such as to make it useful to the
dwellers in monasteries." 81. They used to say about Abbâ Sisoes the Theban that he never
ate bread. During the Easter Festival the brethren came to him, and having made excuses
they entreated him to eat with them; and he answered and said, "I will do one [of two]
things; I will either eat bread and bread alone, or I will eat of the meats which ye have
boiled." And they said unto him, "Then eat bread only." 82. A certain old man said,
"Reduce thy knowledge of the things of man, and thy belly also, and thou shalt find all
[manner of] delights." 83. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "The Spirit of God never entereth into
the house wherein there are delights and pleasures."

84. A brother asked Abbâ Sisoes, "What [good do] I do in going to church, for often [the
devils] recognize me and seize me?" The old man saith unto him, "There is work in the
matter." 85. Abraham his disciple thereupon said unto him, "Father, if there happen to be
a congregation on the Sabbath, or on Sunday, and a brother drink three cups of wine, is
that too much?" The old man saith unto him, "If Satan did not exist three cups would not
be too much to drink, but since he doth exist three cups are too much." 86. On one
occasion some early grapes were sent to Abbâ Macarius because he longed for them, and to
give a proof of his abstinence, he sent them to another brother who was sick, and who
craved for grapes; and having received them, he rejoiced over them greatly, and then he
despised his desire, and sent them on to another brother, as one who had no wish for food
of any kind, and who held his self-denial in contempt. Now when the brother had received
the grapes, although he desired greatly to eat them, he did the same as the other brother
had done, and no man wished to eat them. And after they had gone about among many of the
brethren, the last one who received them sent them to the blessed Macarius as a gift of
great honour; and when the blessed Macarius saw the grapes he marvelled at the extent of
the self-denial of the brethren, and gave thanks unto God, and he did not eat them.

87. On one occasion certain monks went down from Egypt to visit the Fathers, and when they
saw that they were eating—now it was after prolonged hunger and very much fasting, and
continual abstinence,—they were greatly offended; and when the elder of the coenobium
learned [about this] he came to quiet their minds. And he proclaimed in the church of the
congregation, saying, "Ye shall fast in your customary manner, and honour your ascetic
rule of life, so that your voluntary abstinence may not be held in contempt." Now the
Egyptian strangers wished to depart, but the monks shut them in cells. And when they had
fasted the whole of the first day they began to feel faint, but notwithstanding this the
monks made them to fast two days at a time; now the monks who were in Scete used to fast
for a week at a time. And when the day of the Sabbath came, the Egyptians sat down to eat
with the old men, and when one of the Egyptians began to eat hurriedly and voraciously,
one of the old men caught hold of his hands, saying, "Eat moderately, (or according to
rule) like the monks." Then one of the others clutched at the old man's hand, saying, "Let
me eat so that I may not die, for behold, I have not eaten a piece of boiled food for a
whole week." And the old man said unto him, "If now ye have become so very weak after
having fasted but one night only, why were ye offended at the brethren who live a life of
self-denial for long periods of time, and who fulfil their seasons with voluntary
abstinence?" And straightway those Egyptians made excuses to the old men, and they were
edified by their patient endurance, and departed rejoicing.

88. Once Abbâ Agathon had two disciples, and they separated from him, and each of them
dwelt in a place by himself. One day he asked one of them, and said, "How dost thou live
in thy cell?" And the disciple answered and said, "I fast until evening, and then I eat
two bread-cakes"; and Abbâ Agathon said unto him, "It is a beautiful way of living, but it
is very laborious." Then Abbâ Agathon said unto the other disciple, "And how dost thou
live?" And the disciple answered and said unto him, "I fast two days at a time, and after
each fast I eat two bread-cakes." Then the old man said unto him, "Thou toilest greatly,
and maintainest a twofold strife. For one man eateth every day and filleth not his belly,
and another fasteth two days at a time and taketh whatsoever he needeth; but thou, though
thou dost fast two days at a time, dost not fill thy belly."

89. Abbâ Abraham went to Abbâ Areus, and as they were sitting down, another brother came
to Abbâ, and asked him, saying, "Tell me what I shall do to live?" And he said unto him,
"Go and pass the whole week in plaiting palm leaves and twisting ropes thereof, and eat
bread and salt once each day in the evening, and then come again to me, and I will tell
thee [what else to do]." And the brother went away and did as he had told him to do, and
when Abbâ Abraham heard this he wondered. Now when the week was ended that brother came
again to the old man Areus, with whom there happened to be also Abbâ Abraham. And the old
man said unto the brother, "Get thee gone, and pass thou the whole week in fasting two
days at a time." And when that brother had gone, Abbâ Abraham said unto Abbâ Areus, "Why
dost thou command all the other brethren to bear a light burden, but layest a heavy load
upon the brother who was here?" Then the old man said unto him, "The other brethren as
they come, ask, and according as they ask they receive and depart; but this brother cometh
for God's sake, that he may hear the word of profit, for he is a worker, and whatsoever I
say unto him he performeth with care and diligence."

90. Abba Theodotus used to say, "Abstinence from bread quieteth the body of the monk." 91.
A certain old man used to say, "I knew Abba Pater-muthis in the cells, and he did not
drink wine, but when they took some wine and mixed it with water, and urged him to drink
[it], he said, 'Believe me, O my brethren, I hold it to be a most beautiful thing.' And he
blamed himself and condemned himself because of the mixing, and at the same time he gave
thanks unto God and accepted His gracious gift." 92. They used to say about Abba
Paphnutius that he did not drink wine readily, even though he was sick. 93. Abbâ Poemen
said, "The soul can be humbled by nothing except thou enfeeble it by the eating of
[little] bread." 94. They used to say about Abbâ Sarnâôs that he laboured exceedingly
hard, and that he only ate two bread-cakes each day. And when he came to Abbâ Job, who was
a man that was perfect in the laborious work of active excellence, and who was also a man
that practised strict self-denial and abstinence, he said unto him, "As long as I live in
my cell I can observe my rule of life, but if I go outside my cell I make openly
submission because of the brethren." Then Abbâ Sarnâôs said unto him, "To be able to keep
hold upon thy rule of life only so long as thou art in thy cell is no great act of
spiritual excellence, but it would be if thou couldst do so when thou didst go forth
outside thy cell."

95. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "As smoke driveth away bees, and men take the sweetness of
their labour, even so also doth ease of the body drive away the fear of God from the
heart, and it carrieth away all the good [effect] of its labour." 96. On one occasion Abbâ
Sylvanus and Zechariah his disciple were going to a monastery, and they prepared a little
food to eat before they set out on their journey. And when they had gone forth his
disciple found water on the way, and he wished to drink, but the old man said unto him,
"Zechariah, to-day is a fast day," but the disciple said, "Nay, O father, for behold we
have eaten." Then Abbâ Sylvanus said unto him, "The food which we ate was obligatory, but
let us keep the fast, O my son." 97. Abbâ Poemen said, "Every corporeal pleasure is
contemptible before the Lord."

98. The disciple of Abbâ Sisoes had to say unto him several times, "Rise up and let us
eat." And he used to say unto him, "My son, have we not eaten?" And the disciple would say
unto him, "Nay, father." Then the old man would say unto him, "If we have not eaten, bring
the food and let us eat." 99. Abbâ Daniel used to say, "In proportion as the body groweth,
the soul becometh enfeebled; and the more the body becometh emaciated, the more the soul
groweth." 100. Abbâ Benjamin, the priest of the Cells, said, "On one occasion we went to a
certain old man in Scete, and we wanted to give him a little oil; and he said unto us,
'Behold, that little vessel of oil which ye brought to me three years ago is still lying
in the place where ye put it, and it hath remained in the same state as that wherein ye
brought it.' And when we heard [this] we marvelled at the old man's manner of life."

101. Abbâ Benjamin also said, "We went to another old man, and he took some food which we
were going to eat, and threw into it a little oil of radishes. And we said unto him,
'Father, throw into our food a little sweet oil,' but when he heard these words, he made
the sign of the Cross over himself, and said, 'If there be any other oil besides this I
know not of it.'" 102. Abbâ Joseph asked Abbâ Poemen what was the proper way in which to
fast, and Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "I prefer the man who eateth every day a very small
quantity of food, and who doth not satisfy his cravings for food." And Abbâ Joseph said
unto him, "When thou wast a young man didst thou not fast two days at a time, O father?"
Then the old man said unto him, "Yea, I did, and three days at a time, and four days at a
time, and even a week at a time; and the old men, like men of might, have tried all these
by experience, but they have found that it is beneficial for a man to eat an exceedingly
small quantity of food each day, and because of this they have delivered unto us an easy
way to the kingdom."

103. One of the fathers said, "I knew a brother in the Cells who used to fast the whole of
the Great Sabbath, and when the brethren were assembled in the evening he used to flee to
his cell in order that he might eat nothing in the church; and he would eat a few
plantains with salt, and without bread, that he might conceal his abstinence." 104. They
used to tell about a certain monk who, having gone forth from the world, and lived in the
coenobium for a number of years, was gracious unto every man in his humility, and all the
brethren marvelled at his abstinence from meats; then he went to the barren desert, and
lived there for many years, eating for food wild herbs. And afterwards he entreated God to
inform him what reward He would give him, and it was said unto him by an angel, "Go forth
from this desert and get thee along the road, and behold a certain shepherd shall meet
thee, and according to [what he saith] so shalt thou receive. Now when he had made ready
to depart, the shepherd of whom he had been told by the angel met him, and saluted him,
and having sat down to hold converse with each other, the monk saw in the shepherd's bag
some green herbs, and he asked him, saying, "What is this? And the shepherd said unto him,
It is my food. And the monk said unto him, How long hast thou been feeding thyself on
these green herbs? And the shepherd said unto him, "Behold, for the last thirty years,
more or less, and I have never tasted anything else except these herbs which I have eaten
once a day, and I drink as much water as my food requireth; and the wages which are given
to me by the owner of the sheep I give unto the poor.

Now when the monk heard these things he fell down at the feet of the shepherd, and said,
"I imagined that I had laid hold upon abstinence, but thou through thy well-ordered life
art worthy of a greater reward than I, because I have eaten every kind of green thing
immediately it came in my way. Then the shepherd said unto him, "It is not right that
rational men should make themselves like unto the beasts, but they should eat whatsoever
is prepared for them at the seasons which are duly ordered and appointed for them, and
afterwards they should fast from everything until an appointed time. And the monk profited
by these words, and he added to his labour and became perfect, and he praised God, and
marvelled how many were the saints in the world who were not known to the children of men.

CHAPTER 3. OF THE READING OF THE SCRIPTURES, AND OF WATCHING BY NIGHT, AND OF THE SERVICE OF THE PSALMS, AND OF CONSTANT PRAYERS

105. They used to say about Abbâ Arsenius that no man was able to attain to the manner of
life in his abode. And they also said about him that on the night of the Sabbath which
would end in the dawn of Sunday, he would leave the sun behind him, and would stretch out
his hands towards heaven, and would pray [in this position] until the sun rose in his
face, when he would satisfy his eyes with a little slumber. 106. A certain old man was
complete in all perfection, and he could see what was happening from a very long way off;
and he said, "I once saw in a monastery a certain brother who was meditating on the study
of God in his cell, and behold, a devil came and stood outside, and he wanted to go in,
but he could not do so, so long as the brother was meditating. Finally, however, when the
monk ceased his contemplation the devil was able to enter his cell, for his power is not
able to vanquish those whose converse is with God."

107. An old man said, "Whensoever a man readeth the Divine Books, the devils are afraid."
108. They used to say about Abbâ Pachomius that he spent much time in striving with devils
like a true athlete, and after the manner of Saint Anthony. And because many devils came
against him in the night season, he asked God to keep away sleep from him both by day and
by night, so that he might not sleep at all, and might be able to bring low the might of
the Enemy, even according to that which is written, "I will not turn back until I have
made an end of them"; for they are powerless against the faith which is in the Lord. Now
this gift was given unto him, even as he had asked, for a certain time, and because he was
pure, his heart used to see God, Who is invisible, as in a mirror.

109. They used to say about Abbâ Pachomius and Abbâ John that they lived together in the
same religious house (now John was larger in stature than Pachomius), but both had adopted
a life of poverty voluntarily, and they possessed nothing whatsoever except the fear of
God. Whatsoever they gained by the work of their hands they gave to those who were in
need, and they kept for themselves only what was sufficient for their bare necessities; in
respect of clothes they were well-nigh destitute, and they had so few of them that they
were obliged to wash those which they wore [and put them on again]. Now Abbâ Pachomius
always wore a garment made of hair, because of the toil of his body. And whensoever they
wished to refresh their bodies by a little sleep after their vigil and prayer, each of
them would sit down in the middle of the cell, and, without leaning against a wall, would
go to sleep. And they continued to do this for fifteen years, and many of the fathers
heard of them, and saw them living thus, and they also strove in like manner to humble
their bodies for the redemption of their souls.

110. They used to say about Abbâ Joseph that when he was about to die, and the old men
were sitting about him, he looked at the window and saw Satan sitting there; and he cried
out to his disciple and said, "Bring me a stick here, for this devil thinketh that I have
become old, and that I am no longer able to stand up against him," and as soon as he
grasped the stick in his hand, Satan, in the form of a dog, threw himself from the window,
and the old man saw him taking to flight. 111. They used to relate concerning Abbâ Sisoes
that if he did not bring down his hands swiftly when he was standing up in prayer, his
mind would be carried off on high; but whensoever it chanced that one of the brethren was
with him he would bring his hands down hurriedly lest peradventure his mind should be
carried off, and he should be left alone.

112. Abbâ Isaiah, the elder of the church, rebuked the brethren when they were eating that
which had been prepared for them because they began to talk with each other, and he said
to them, "Hold ye your peace, O my brethren. I know a brother who eateth with us and
drinketh with us full (?) cups even as we do, and yet his prayer ascendeth up before God
like fire." 113. One day Abbâ Arsenius called Abbâ Alexander and Abbâ Zôllâ, and said unto
them, "Because the devils are striving with me, and because I do not know but that they
may carry me off during [my] sleep, toil ye here with me this night, and keep vigil, and
watch me and see if I sleep during [my] vigil." So they sat down, one on his right hand,
and the other on his left, from the evening even until the morning. And they said, "We
slept and we woke up, and we did not observe that he slept at all; but when it began to be
light there came unto us three times the sound of breathing in his nostrils, but whether
he did this purposely so that we might think he slept or whether slumber had really fallen
upon him we know not." And he stood up and said unto us, "Have I been asleep?" And we
answered and said unto him, "We do not know, O father, for we ourselves went to sleep."

114. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "How, and in what manner is it right for a man
to walk in the path of righteousness?" Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "We have seen Daniel,
and also that his enemies were unable to bring any accusation whatsoever against him
except in respect of his service of God." 115. On one occasion Abbâ Sisoes was sitting in
his cell, and when his disciple knocked at the door [meaning to] go in, the old man cried
out, saying, "Flee, Abraham, and do not come in now, for this place is not empty." 116.
They say concerning Abbâ Sisoes of Babylon that, wishing to vanquish sleep, he stood
upright upon a mountain crag, and that the angel of the Lord came and rescued him from
that place, and commanded him never to do such a thing again, and not even to hand on this
tradition to another.

117. An old man said, "I knew a brother who used to sit with the brethren at the meal
which is made for the coming of the brethren, and although the brethren ate and drank, he
never made himself to be remote from converse with God in his prayer, and he did not drink
even a cup of wine. Now this man's manner of life was marvellous, and a certain man used
to say about him, 'I once wished to count the prayers which he made, and I saw that he did
not cease to pray either by day or by night.'" 118. On one occasion a Bishop was sent
secretly to Abbâ Epiphanius by the head of a certain monastery in Palestine, saying, "We
have not treated lightly thy services of prayer since thy departure from us, but we
perform most carefully the services for the third, and sixth, and ninth hours, and also
vespers." Then Abbâ Epiphanius blamed those who sent him, and wrote a message, which he
sent to them, saying, "Ye must know that ye are indeed neglectful of the services and
prayers which belong to the other eight hours which are in the day, for it is right for
the monk who hath made himself to be remote from the world to be occupied with prayers to
God unceasingly, and he should pray either in his heart, or in a carefully defined
service, or in that service which he performeth with his will and with understanding. For
the Calumniator addeth greatly to any small failing which he may find in a monk, and by
being with him continually he enlargeth greatly the breach which he hath made, and by his
habit of persistency he acquireth his natural power, and more particularly is this so in
the case of those who are careless and lazy."

119. Abbâ Epiphanius also said, "Whatsoever food thou wishest to eat with gratification,
that give not to thy body, especially when thou art in good health, and that which thou
lustest after, eat not; and when thou feedest upon the things which are sent unto thee by
God, give thanks unto Him at all seasons, and receive His gracious gift, the delights and
the pleasures which we have received through the name of monk, [although] we do not do the
works of monks. And [if] it be that thou art a monk, wilt thou then not make thyself
strong, lest peradventure thou art arrayed in apparel which is strange to thee? Tell me, O
brother, dost thou possess the seal of the service, that is to say, humility? For the holy
man who seeth another man sin weepeth bitterly, saying, 'It is this man who sinneth now,
but some time subsequently it may be myself.' However much then a man may sin before thee,
condemn him not, but esteem thyself a sinner far greater than he is, even though he may be
a child of this world, and besides there is the fact that he may have sinned greatly
against God."

120. And he said also, "Know thyself, and thou shalt never fall. Give thy soul work, that
is to say, constant prayer, and love of God, before another can give it evil [and filthy]
thoughts; and pray ye that the spirit of error may be remote from you." 121. And he also
said, "Whatsoever ye do successfully, and what ye boast of, destroy, for it is not right
for a monk to boast of his fair deeds, and if he boasteth he will fall." 122. [And he also
said], "When thou prayest speak unto God in a quiet voice and say, 'How can I possess
Thee, O Lord? Thou knowest full well that I am a beast, and that I know nothing. Thou hast
brought me to the prime of this life, deliver me then for Thy mercy's sake; I am Thy
servant, and the son of Thine handmaiden, O Lord, by Thy will, vivify Thou me.' The old
man is falsehood, and the new man is truth; the truth is the root of good works, and
falsehood is death. If the liar, and the thief, and the calumniator knew that they would
finally be made known unto all and [their works] revealed, they would never offend. And
thus also was it with the adulterous sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, for they were not
priests of the Lord, and they feared not God, and they perished, together with all their
house. And the man who taketh hold of, and bindeth to himself, and shutteth within himself
the memory of evil things is like unto the man who hideth fire in straw. If thou speakest
to a man concerning life, and if thou sayest a word unto him let it be with feeling, and
penitence, and with tears; and say thy word to the man who will hearken and will do it,
but if not, speak not, lest thou die, and thou depart from this world without any profit
from the words whereby thou didst wish to give life unto others. For unto the sinner God
saith, 'What hast thou to do with the Books of My Commandments? For thou hast taken My
covenant in thy mouth [only]'" (Psalm I, 16).

123. Abbâ Epiphanius said, "Whensoever a thought cometh and filleth thy bosom, that is to
say, thy heart, with vainglory or with pride, say thou unto thyself, 'Old man, behold thy
fornication.'" 124. And he also said, "If we do evil things God will be unmindful of His
longsuffering; but if we do good things, it will not help us greatly because we increase
the advantage of freedom, and the merchandise is not plundered thereby, for the will
rejoiceth in the striving." 125. Certain brethren entreated Abbâ Epiphanius on one
occasion, saying, "Father, speak unto us some word of life, even though when thou speakest
we may not grasp the seed of thy word, because the soil is salt." Then the old man
answered and said unto them, "Whosoever receiveth not all the brethren, but maketh
distinctions between them, cannot become a perfect man. If a man revile thee, bless him,
whether it be good for both of you, or whether it be not; it will be he who will receive a
reward of blessing. This is the right way for a monk to live, and in this way lived Abbâ
Arsenius, who took care each day to stand up before God without sin, and he drew nigh unto
Him with tears like the sinful woman. In this manner pray to the Lord God—as if He were
standing before thee, for He is nigh unto thee and He looketh upon thee. It is right that
the man who wisheth to dwell in the desert should be [as] a teacher in his knowledge, and
he must not be in need of instruction lest he be swept away by the devils; and he must
look into his mind most minutely, both in respect of the things which are above, and those
which are below, lest he become a laughing-stock unto them by some means or other. It is
right that the manner of life of the man who loveth God should be blameless."

126. A certain man made answer to the brethren against evil thoughts, saying, "I entreat
you, O my brethren, let us cease from ascetic works, and let us give up also anxious
thoughts. For what are we? A voice which cometh out of the dust, or a cry which riseth
from the mud? When Joseph of Ramah had asked to be allowed to take the body of Jesus, he
took it, and wrapped it round in a sheet of clean linen, and then he laid it in a new
sepulchre of the new man" (St. Matthew xxvii, 59). 127. On one occasion a certain monk saw
a devil who was calling to his fellow to come with him, so that the two together might
wake up a monk for service, and might lead him into error thereby, [and cause him to
think] that angels had appeared unto him. And the monk heard the voice of the other devil,
who made answer to his fellow, saying, "I cannot do this. For once I woke him up, and he
stood up and broke me with a terrible breaking, and [all the time he was doing it] he sang
psalms and prayed."

128. A brother asked an old man and said, "Why is it that when I go forth to labour I feel
wearied and disgusted in my soul, and my mind is wholly empty of spiritual thoughts?" And
the old man said unto him, "Because thou dost not desire to fulfil that which is written,
'I will bless the Lord always, and His praises shall be ever in my mouth' (Psalm xxxiv,
1). Therefore, whether thou art inside or outside, and whithersoever thou goest thou must
not cease from blessing God; not only in actions, but with word and mind thou shalt bless
thy Maker. For God doth not dwell in any place which hath bounds and limits, but He is
everywhere, and by His Divine Power He sustaineth all things, and is capable of all
things." 129. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen concerning the thoughts which invaded his mind,
and he said unto him, "This matter is like unto that of a man who hath a fire on his left
hand, and a tank of water on his right hand; if he wisheth to extinguish the fire, he
taketh the water from the tank and doeth it, and it is right for a man to act thus every
hour. Now the fire is the evil thought, which cometh from enemies, and the water is the
pouring out of the soul before the Lord which a man should do."

130. There was a certain monk who did not do any work whatsoever with his hands, but he
prayed without ceasing; and at eventide he would go into his cell and find his bread laid
there [for him], and he would eat it. Now another monk came to him, who had upon him
[materials] for the labour of his hands, and wheresoever he entered in he worked, and he
made the old man, into whose cell he had entered, to work with him. And when the evening
had come, he wished according to his custom, to eat, but he found nothing, and he
therefore lay down in sorrow; and it was revealed unto him, saying, "Whilst thou wast
occupied in converse with Me, I fed thee, but now thou hast begun to work, thou must
demand thy food from the labour of thy hands." 131. They tell the story that on one
occasion, whilst the blessed Anthony was dwelling in the desert, thoughts of dejection and
despair rose up in his mind, and he was in deep gloom of thought, and said unto God,
"Lord, I wish to live, but my thoughts will not permit me to do so. What shall I do in my
tribulations to be saved?" And he came a little nearer [to the town] from the place where
he was, and he saw a man who was like unto himself, and was in his own form, and he was
sitting down and twisting palm leaves into ropes; and this man rose up from his work, and
prayed, and afterwards he sat down again and continued his work, and then he stood up once
more, and prayed. Now the man was an angel who had been sent from God to correct and to
admonish the blessed Anthony, who afterwards heard him say unto him, "O Anthony, do thou
also do this and live"; and when Anthony heard this, the blessed man had great joy, and
afterwards he did as the angel had done, and lived.

132. They said concerning Abbâ John the Less that, on one occasion, he steeped the palm
leaves for two baskets in water, and sewed one basket to the other without perceiving it
until he came to the side of it, for his mind was led captive by the sight of God. 133.
And Abbâ Daniel used to say concerning Abbâ Arsenius that he would pass the whole night in
vigil, and when, for the sake of nature, he wished for the approach of the morning so that
he might have some relief, he would struggle against sleep, and say, "Get thee gone, O
wicked handmaiden"; then he would snatch a very little slumber and stand up straightway.
134. Abbâ Arsenius used to say, "One hour's sleep is sufficient for a monk, provided that
he be strenuous. 135. They used to say about a certain monk who lived in a monastery of
the brotherhood, that although he kept frequent vigil and prayed he was neglectful about
praying with the congregation. And one night there appeared unto him a glorious pillar of
brilliant light from the place where the brethren were congregated, and it reached up into
the heavens;

and he saw a small spark which [flew] about the pillar, and sometimes it shone brightly,
and sometimes it was extinguished. And whilst he was wondering at the vision, it was
explained to him by God, Who said, "The pillar which thou seest is the prayers of the many
[brethren] which are gathered together and go up to God and gratify Him; and the spark is
the prayers of those who dwell among the congregation, and who despise the appointed
services of the brotherhood. And now, if thou wouldst live, perform that which it is
customary to perform with the brethren, and then, if thou wishest to do so, and art able
to pray separately, do so." And the monk related all these things before the brotherhood,
and they glorified God.

CHAPTER 4. OF HOW IT IS MEET FOR US TO WEEP FOR OUR SINS AND TO MOURN FOR THEM ALWAYS

136. A brother asked Abba Ammon, and said unto him, "Tell me some word whereby I may
live"; and Abba Ammon said unto him, "Go and make thy mind like unto the minds of those
evil-doers who are in the prison house, and who ask those who go to them, saying, 'Where
is the governor? When will he come here?' And their minds tremble in fearful expectation.
Thus also is a monk bound to wait in expectation always, and he must admonish himself,
saying, 'Woe is me! For how can I stand before the throne of Christ? And how shall I be
able to make answer unto Him?' If thou art able to think thus always thou wilt be able to
live." 137. Abba Poemen was once passing through Egypt, and he saw a woman sitting in the
cemetery and weeping, and he said, "If every kind of instrument of sweet music in the
world were to come [here] they would not be able to change the grief of this woman's soul
[into gladness]; even thus it is meet for a monk to have pain (or grief) within himself."

138. Three old men once came to Abba Sisoes because they had heard that he was a great
man. And the first one said unto him, "Father, how can I escape from the river of fire?"
And Abba Sisoes answered him never a word. Then the second old man said unto him, "Father,
how can I escape from the gnashing of teeth, and from the worm which never dieth?" And
Abba Sisoes answered him never a word. Then the third old man said unto him, "Father, what
shall I do? For the remembrance of the outer darkness troubleth me." And Abba Sisoes
answered and said unto them, "I never think on any of these things, but I believe that God
is Merciful, and that He will shew mercy unto me"; then the old men went away grieved at
the answer which Abbâ Sisoes had spoken unto them. Now because he did not wish to send
them away sorrowful, he brought them back, and said unto them, "Blessed 'are ye, O my
brethren, for I have been jealous of you"; and they said unto him, "In what matter hast
thou been jealous 'of us?" And he said, "The first one of you spake about a 'river of
fire; and the second spake about the gnashing of teeth and the worm which dieth not; and
the third spake about the outer darkness; if remembrances of this kind have dominion over
your minds it is impossible for you to commit sin. What can I do who am stubborn of heart?
For hardness of heart will not allow me to perceive even that there a punishment for men
existeth, and because of this I sin every hour." And when the old men had heard these
words, they made excuses to him, and said, "In very truth 'according to what we have
heard, even so have we seen."

139. A certain father said that on one occasion when the brethren were eating the food of
grace, one of them laughed at table; and Abbâ Sînû saw him, and burst into tears, and
said, "What can there be in the heart of this brother who 'hath laughed? It is meet that
he should weep because he is eating the food of grace." 140. They say that when Abbâ
Sisoes was sick the old men who were sitting with him saw that he was talking [to some
one], and they said unto him, "What seest thou, O father?" And he said unto them, "Some
people came to take me away, 'and I entreated them to leave me [here] a little longer that
I might repent." Then one of the old men said unto him, "What power hast thou in thee now
for repentance?" Abbâ Sisoes said unto them, "If I can do nothing else I can sigh 'and
lament a little over my soul, and this will be sufficient for me."

141. Certain brethren went to an old man and, making apologies to him, they said, "Father,
what shall we do, for Satan 'is hunting after us?" And he said unto them, "It is right
'for you to be watchful and to weep continually. My own thoughts are always fixed upon the
place where our Lord was crucified, and I sigh and lament and weep about it always;" and
thus having received a good example of repentance the brethren departed and became chosen
vessels. 142. A brother asked Abbâ Muthues, saying, "Speak a word 'to me"; and the old man
replied, "Cut off from thee contention concerning every matter whatsoever, and weep, and
'mourn, for the time hath come." 143. Abbâ Ammon said that he saw a young man who laughed,
and he said unto him, "Laugh not, O brother, for if thou dost, thou wilt drive the fear of
God out of thy soul."

144. Abbâ Paule used to say, "I had sunk in the mire up to my neck, and I wept and spake
before God, saying, 'Have mercy on me.'" 145. They used to say that Abbâ Theodore and Abbâ
'Ôr put on the skins of lambs for clothing; and they said to each other, "If God were to
visit us now what should we do?" and they left [the skins], and departed to their cells
weeping. 146. A blessed Archbishop, when he was about to depart from this world, said,
"Blessed art thou, O Arsenius, because thou hast remembered this hour." 147. An old man
said, "God dwelleth in the man into whom nothing alien entereth." 148. A brother asked a
certain old man, and said unto him, "My soul desireth tears, even as I have heard that the
old men [desire] them, but they will not come to me, and my soul is vexed." And the old
man said unto him, "The children of Israel entered into the land of promise [after] forty
years; now tears are the land of promise, and since thou wouldst enter therein thou must
not henceforward be afraid of fighting. For God wisheth to bring tribulation upon the soul
in this manner in order that it may at all times be wishful to enter into that land [of
promise]."

149. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen a question and said unto him, "What shall I do? for my
thoughts disturb me, and they say unto me, 'Thy sins have been forgiven thee,' and they
make me to pry into the shortcomings of the brethren." Then Abbâ Poemen spake to him about
Abbâ Isidore, who dwelt in a cell and wept over his soul, and his disciple used to dwell
in another cell; and the disciple came to the old man, and finding him weeping, said unto
him, "My father, why weepest thou?" And the old man said unto him, "I am weeping for my
sins." Then the disciple said unto him, "And hast thou any sins, father?" And the old man
said unto "him, Indeed I have, my son, and if I were permitted to see my sins, not three
or even four men would suffice to weep with me for them." Then Abbâ Poemen said, "Thus it
is with the man who knoweth himself."

150. I have heard that the old men who lived in Nitria sent to Macarius the Great, who was
living in Scete, and entreated him, saying, "In order that all the people may not be
vexed, we beseech thee, O our father, to come to us so that we may see thee before [thou
departest] to our Lord. And having gone [to them] they all gathered together to him, and
the old men begged and entreated him to speak unto the brethren one 33 word of profit; and
the holy old man wept, and said unto them, "Let us weep, O my brethren, and let us make
our eyes to overflow with tears before we go to the place where the tears of our eyeballs
will burn up our bodies." And they all wept, and they fell upon their faces, saying,
"Father, pray for us." 151. When the blessed Arsenius was about to deliver up his spirit
the brethren saw him weeping, and they said unto him, "Art thou also afraid, O father?"
And he said unto them, "The dread of this hour hath been with me in very truth from the
time when I became a monk, and was afraid." And so he died.

152. And when Abbâ Poemen heard that he was dead, that is to say, that Abbâ Arsenius had
gone to his rest, he said, "Blessed art thou, O Abbâ Arsenius, for thou didst weep over
thyself in this world. For he who weepeth not for himself in this world must weep for ever
in the next. He may weep here voluntarily, or there because of the punishments [which he
will receive], but it is impossible for a man to escape weeping either here or there."
153. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen and said unto him, "What shall I do in the matter of my
sins?" And the old man said unto him, "When Abraham went into the Land of Promise he
bought himself a grave, and through the grave he inherited the land." And the brother said
unto him, "What is a grave?" Then the old man said unto him, "Weeping and mourning are a
grave and a place [of burial]."

154. One of the brethren asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "Father, what shall I do in the matter
of my sins?" The old man said unto him, "Whosoever wisheth to blot out his offences can do
so by weeping, and he who wisheth to acquire good works can do so by means of weeping; for
weeping is the path which the Scriptures have taught us, and the fathers have also wept
continually, and there is no other path except that of tears." 155. And the same old man
(i.e., Poemen) said, "There are two things [to remember]: We must fear our Lord, and do
good unto our neighbour." 156. Abbâ Noah asked Abbâ Macarius, and said unto him, "Speak to
me a word"; and the old man said, "Flee from the children of men." Noah said unto him,
"Father, what doth it mean to flee from the children of men?" The old man said unto him,
"Thou shalt sit in thy cell and weep for thy sins."

157. A brother asked an old man, and said unto him, "What shall I do, father?" The old man
said unto him, "It is right that we should sigh and lament always." Now it happened that
one of the old men fell asleep, and that after a long interval he came to himself again,
and the brethren asked him, saying, "What didst thou see there, O father?" and he said
unto us with many tears, "I heard there the sound of the weeping of many, who were crying
out and wailing incessantly, and saying, 'Woe is me! Woe is me!' And it is meet that we
should always be saying the same thing."


THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 (CHAPTERS 5. OF VOLUNTARY POVERTY–7. OF OBEDIENCE TOWARDS GOD, AND TOWARDS OUR FATHERS AND BRETHREN)
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THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 continued

CHAPTER 5. OF VOLUNTARY POVERTY

158. Abba Arsenius once fell sick at Scete, and he was in need of a bowl of pottage; and
since this was not to be found there, he took the remains of the Eucharist 158. (or food
of grace), and said, "I give thanks unto Thee, O Christ, that, because of Thy name, I am
able to receive the food of grace." 159. There was a certain holy man whose name was
Philagrius, who lived in Jerusalem, and he worked with his hands and toiled [to earn] the
food which he needed; and the old man rose up to see the work of his hands, and he found a
purse containing one thousand darics which had dropped from some one [on the road], and he
remained in the place where he was, saying, "The man who lost this will come back seeking
for it." And behold the man did come back, and he was weeping, and the old man took him
aside and gave him the darics; and their owner laid hold upon him, and wished to give him
some small sum of money, but the old man refused to accept anything. Then the owner of the
darics began to cry out and say, "Come ye and see what the man of God hath done"; but the
old man fled secretly and departed from the city, lest what he had done should become
known, and men should pay him honour because of it.

160. They say that Abba Serapion the Bishop went on one occasion to one of the brethren,
and found [in his cell] a hollow in the wall which was filled with books; and the brother
said unto him, "Speak to me one word whereby I may live." And the Bishop said unto him,
"What have I to say to thee?" "For thou hast taken that which belongeth to the orphans and
widows and laid it up in a hole in the wall." 161. Abba Theodore of Parme possessed some
beautiful books, and he went to Abba Macarius and said unto him, "Father, I have three
books, and I gain profit from them, and the brethren borrow them from me, and they also
have profit from them; tell me, now, what shall I do with them?" And the old man answered
and said, "Ascetic labours are beautiful, but the greatest of them all is voluntary
poverty." And when Abba Theodore heard these words he went and sold the books and gave the
price of them to the poor.

35 II-3a 162. They say about a certain monk that when his food came to him he was in the
habit of taking so much of it as he needed, [but that if it happened that another man was
brought to him he would not accept any of it], saying, "It is sufficient for me; behold my
Lord hath fed me." 163. A certain monk used to live in a cave in the desert, and a message
was sent unto him by his kinsfolk, saying, "Thy father is grievously sick, and is nigh to
die, therefore come, and inherit his possessions"; and he made answer unto them, saying,
"I died to the world long before he will die, and a dead man cannot be the heir of a
living one." 164. An old man was asked by a brother the question, "How shall I live?" Then
the old man took off his garment, and girded up his loins therewith, and lifted up his
hands and said, "It is meet for a monk to be as naked in respect of this world's goods as
I am of clothing. And in his striving against his thoughts he must stand as upright as a
vigorous athlete, and when the athlete contendeth he also standeth up naked, and when he
is anointed with oil he is quite naked, and hath nothing upon him; and he learneth from
him that traineth him how to contend, and when the enemy cometh against him he throweth
dust upon him, which is a matter of this world, that he may be able to grasp him easily.
In thyself, then, O monk, thou must see the athlete, and he who sheweth thee how to
contend is God, for it is He Who giveth the victory, and Who conquereth for us; and those
who contend are ourselves, and the striving is [our] opponent, and the dust is the affairs
of the world. And since thou hast seen the cunning of the Adversary, stand thou up and
oppose him in thy nakedness, being free from any care which belongeth to this world, and
thou shalt overcome [him]. For when the mind is weighted down with the care of the world
it cannot receive the holy word of God."

165. They say concerning Abbâ Arsenius that as, when he lived in the world, his apparel
was finer than that of anyone else, so, when he lived in Scete, he wore raiment which was
inferior to that of every one else. And when, at long intervals, he came to church, he
used to sit behind a pillar so that no one might see his face, and he might not see the
faces of others; now his face was like that of an angel, and his hair was as white as
snow, and as abundant as [that of] Jacob. His body was dry by reason of his labours, and
his beard descended to his belly, but his eyelashes were destroyed by weeping; he was tall
in stature, but somewhat bowed by old age and he ended his days when he was ninety-five
years old. He lived in the world, in the palace, for forty years, in the days of
Theodosius, the great king, who became the father of the Emperors Honorius and Arcadius,
and he lived in Scete forty years, and he lived for ten years in the Troja of Babylon
which is opposite the Memphis which is in Egypt, and he dwelt for three years in Canopus
of Alexandria, and during the two remaining years he came to Troja again, where he died.
And he finished his career in peace and in the fear of God.

166. On one occasion a certain Bishop came to the Fathers in Scete, and a brother went
forth to meet him, and having met him, he took him and brought him into his cell; and
having set before him bread and salt, he said, "Forgive me, O my father, for I have
nothing else to set before thee." And the Bishop said unto him, "I wish that when I come
another year I may not find even bread and salt in thy cell." 167. One of the old men
said, "If thou sittest in a place and seest people with abundant provisions, look not at
them; but if there be a man who is destitute, look at him as one who hath no bread, and
thou shalt find relief." 168. Abbâ Isaac, the priest of the Cells, used to say that Abbâ
Pambô said, "The manner of the apparel which a monk ought to wear should be such that if
it were cast outside the cell for three days no one would carry it away."

169. A certain brother asked one of the old men a question, and said unto him, "Dost thou
wish me to keep two darics as provision for the needs of the feebleness of the body?" And
the old man, perceiving his mind and also that he wished to keep them, said unto him,
"Yea." Now when the brother had gone to his cell, he became troubled in his mind, and he
debated in his thoughts, saying, "Did the old man speak truthfully or not?" Then he rose
up, and went back to the old man, and made excuses to him, and said, "For our Lord's sake,
tell me the truth, because my thoughts are troubling me about these two darics." The old
man said unto him, "I spake to thee as I did because I saw that thy mind was to keep them,
but it is not necessary for thee to keep the two darics, except only for the need of thy
body. But why is thy hope set upon two darics? If by chance they were lost would not God
take care of thee? Let us then cast [our] care upon Him, for it belongeth to Him to take
care of us continually."

170. Some of the old men used to tell a story about a gardener who used to work and to
give away whatsoever he gained thereby in alms, but subsequently his thoughts said to him,
"Gather together a few oboli, lest when thou hast grown old thou fall into want"; so he
gathered together some money, and filled a large vessel therewith. And it fell out that he
became sick, and the disease seized upon his foot, and he spent the whole of the money in
the vessel on the physicians, and was not in the least benefited thereby. At length
another physician came unto him and said, "If thou dost not cut off thy foot all thy body
will putrefy," and he came to consider the cutting off of his foot. And in the night he
came to himself, and he groaned, and wept, and said, "Remember, O Lord, my former deeds,"
and straightway a man appeared behind him, and said unto him, "Where are thy oboli?" and
the gardener said immediately, "I have sinned, forgive me"; and straightway the man
approached his leg, and it was made whole forthwith, and he rose up, and went to the
garden to work. And in the morning the physician came to cut off his foot as he had said,
and [the servants] told him, "He went to this work in the night"; and straightway [the
gardener] glorified God.

171. Abbâ Agathon saw Abbâ Nastîr wearing two shoulder wrappers, and he said unto him, "If
a poor man were to come, and ask thee for a garment, which of them wouldst thou give him?"
And Abbâ Nastîr replied, "I would give him the better of them"; and Abbâ Agathon said unto
him, "And if another poor man came, what wouldst thou give him?" Abbâ Nastîr saith unto
him, "I would give him the half of that which remained." And Abbâ Agathon said unto him,
"Supposing yet another beggar came, what wouldst thou give unto him?" And Nastîr said unto
him, "I would cut the half which remained into two pieces, and give one to him, and with
the other I would cover my body." And Abbâ Agathon said unto him, "And supposing yet
another beggar were to come?" and Nastîr said, "I would give him what was left. For though
I do not wish to receive anything from any man, yet I would go and sit down in some place
until God sent me wherewith to cover myself."

172. The blessed woman Eugenia said, "It is right for us to beg, but only we must be with
Christ. He who is with Christ becometh rich, but he who honoureth the things of the body
more than the things of the spirit shall fall both from the things which are first and the
things which are last." 173. One of the old men said, "How can a man teach unto his
neighbour that which he himself doth not observe?" 174. They say that Abbâ Theodore
excelled in the three following things more than any other man, and that he attained in
their performance a degree which was greater than that of many, namely, voluntary poverty,
self-abnegation, and flight from the children of men. 175. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "He
who laboureth and keepeth [the result of] his work for himself is a twofold grief." 176.
Abbâ Isaac used to say to the brethren, "Our fathers and Abbâ Panbô used to wear old
garments which were much mended and were patched with rags, but at this present ye wear
very costly apparel; get ye gone from this place, for ye have laid the country waste, and
I will not give you commandments, for ye will not keep them."

177. On one occasion a brother came to the church of the Cells wearing a small head-cloth
which came down to his shoulders, and when Abbâ Isaac saw him he followed him, and said,
"Monks dwell here, but thou art a man in the world, and thou canst not live here." 178. A
certain man, having made himself remote from the world, and divided his possessions among
those who were in need, left to himself the remainder of his riches. And when the blessed
Anthony heard [this] he said unto him, "Dost thou wish to become a monk? If thou dost, get
thee to such and such a village, and take some meat, and lay it upon thy body, and come
hither alone"; and having done this the dogs, and the hawks and other birds of prey rent
and tore his body. And when he returned to the blessed man, Saint Anthony asked him
whether he had done as he had commanded him, and when the man had shewn him his body which
was rent and torn, the blessed Anthony said unto him, "Even thus are those who wish to go
out from the world, and who nevertheless leave themselves certain possessions, wherefrom
arise for their owners war and strife."

179. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen the question, saying, "An inheritance hath been
bequeathed to me; what shall I do with it?" Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "Go, and after
three days come unto me, and I will give thee counsel." And the brother came, and Abbâ
Poemen said unto him, "What counsel shall I give thee, O brother? If I tell thee to give
it to the church, they will make feasts with it; and again, if I tell thee to give it to
thy kinsmen, thou wilt have no reward; but if I tell thee to give it to the poor, thou
wilt have no [further] care. Therefore go and do with thine inheritance what thou
pleasest, for I am not able to advise thee rightly." 180. A certain man entreated an old
man to accept from him a gift of grace for his wants, but he refused to do so because the
labour of his hands was sufficient for him; and when he who asked him to accept it
persisted, saying, "If thou wilt not accept it for thine own needs, at least do so for the
wants of others," the old man answered and said unto him, "It would be a twofold disgrace
[unto me]. First, because I should accept something which I do not want, and secondly,
because I should be giving away with boasting the charity of another."

181. An old man used to say, "It is not right for a man to have any care whatsoever except
the fear of God, for," said he, "although I am forced to take care for the needs of the
body, no thought whatsoever concerning anything riseth in my mind before the time when I
shall require to make use of it." 182. The same old man used to say, "When thou risest up,
in the morning, say, 'O body, work that thou mayest be fed; O soul, rouse up that thou
mayest inherit life.'"

CHAPTER 6. OF PATIENT ENDURANCE

183. On one occasion certain brethren went to Abbâ Agathon, because they had heard that he
took the greatest possible care that his mind should not be disturbed by anything, and
they sought to try him, and to see if his mind would rise [to any matter]; and they said
unto him, "Art thou indeed Agathon? We have heard that thou art a whoremonger and a
boastful man." And Agathon said unto them, "Yea, I am." And again they said unto him,
"Agathon, thou art a garrulous and talkative old man"; and he said unto them, "Indeed I
am." And again they said unto him, "Agathon, thou art a heretic"; and he said unto them,
"I am not a heretic." Then they said unto him, "Tell us now why in answer to all these
things which we have said to thee thou hast replied, 'Yea,' and that thou hast endured
them all with the exception of the accusation of being a heretic." Abbâ Agathon said unto
them, "The earlier things I accounted as profitable to my soul, but heresy meaneth
separation from God, and I do not wish to be separated from God." And when the brethren
heard [these words] they marvelled at his solicitude, and went away rejoicing.

184. A certain father used to tell the story of a father who had a book wherein were the
New Testament and the Old Testament, and the price thereof was more than eighteen darics,
and he laid up the book in a hole in the wall; and there came a certain stranger and
stayed there, and he coveted the book greatly, and stole it, and departed, but the old man
did not go after him, although he knew that he had taken it. And the brother went to a
neighbouring village and wished to sell the book, and he asked as its price sixteen
darics, and the man who wanted to buy it said unto him, "Give it to me, that I may shew it
[to a friend]," and he took it and carried it to the old man who had lost it. Then the old
man said unto him, "How much doth he ask for it? And when he heard how much he said to
him, "It is well" (or "it is a good price"). Then the man went and said unto the brother
who wished to sell the book, "Behold, I have shewn it to Father So-and-so, and he hath
told me that thy price is dear. And the brother answered and said unto him, "I did not
tell thee anything to the contrary," and the would-be buyer said, "No, thou didst not.

Said the brother, "I will not then sell thee the book," and straightway he repented, and
came to the old man and made excuses to him, and offered him the book, but the old man
refused to accept it. And the brother entreated him, saying, "Allow me [to restore it to
thee], O father, for if thou dost not accept it I cannot obtain life"; so the old man was
entreated, and he took it, and that brother remained with him until his death, and through
the patient endurance of the old man he gained life. 185. On one occasion certain
philosophers came to the desert to try the monks. And there was living there a man who led
a life of fair works, and they said unto him, "Come thou hither," and his anger rose and
he reviled them. Now there passed by a certain great monk who was a Libyan, and they said
unto him, "O thou monk who hast grown greyheaded in iniquity, come hither"; and he went to
them readily, and they smote him on one cheek, whereupon he turned the other to them. And
when they saw this they rose up straightway and worshipped him, and they said, "Verily
this is a monk"; then they set him in their midst, and asked him, saying, "What things do
ye who are living in the desert do more than we? Ye fast, and we also fast; ye lead pure
lives, and we also lead pure lives; whatsoever ye do we also do; what do ye who live in
the desert do more than we?" The Libyan said unto them, "We keep watch over our minds";
and the philosophers said unto him, "We are unable to keep watch over our minds."

186. They say that Abbâ Macarius the Egyptian on one occasion went up from Scete to the
Nitrian mountain, and as he drew nigh unto a certain place, he said unto his disciple,
"Pass on a little in front of me"; and when he had done so there met him a certain heathen
priest, who was running along and carrying some wood about the time of noon. And that
brother cried out to him and said, "O minister unto devils, whither runnest thou? And the
priest turned round and smote him with many severe blows, and he left him with but very
little breath remaining in him, and he took up his wood and went on his way; and when he
had gone on a little further the blessed Macarius met him on his journey, and said unto
him, "Mayest thou be helped, O man of labours? And the priest was astonished, and came to
him and said, "What fair thing hast thou seen in me that thou shouldst salute me [in this
gracious fashion]? And the old man said unto him, "I see that thou toilest, and that thou
dost not know that thou art toiling for naught"; then he said unto the old man, "At thy
salutation I also was very sorry, and I learned that thou didst belong to the Great God.
But a wicked monk met me just before thou didst, and he cursed me, and I smote him even
unto death.

And the old man knew that it was his disciple [of whom he spake], and the priest laid hold
upon the feet of Macarius, and said unto him, "I will not let thee [go] until thou makest
me a monk"; and they came to the place where the brother was lying, and they carried him
and brought him to the church of the mountain. Now when the fathers saw the heathen priest
with him, they marvelled that he had been converted from the error which he had held; and
Macarius took him and made him a monk, and through him many of the heathen became
Christians. And Abbâ Macarius said, "An evil word maketh wicked even those who are good,
and a good word maketh good even those who are wicked,' as it is written." 187. On one
occasion thieves came to the cell of an old man, and said unto him, "We have come to take
away everything which thou hast in thy cell"; and he said unto them, "My sons, take
whatsoever ye please"; and they took everything which they saw in his cell and departed.
Now they forgot [to take] a wallet which was hanging there, and the old man took it and
ran after them, and entreated them, saying, "My sons, take this wallet which ye have left
behind in your cell." And when the thieves saw this they marvelled at the good disposition
of the old man, and they gave back everything which they had taken from his cell, and they
repented, and said to each other, "Verily, this man is a man of God." 188. Abbâ Macarius
the monk loved money so little that, on one occasion when thieves came to his cell by
night, and took out whatsoever they could find in it, as soon as he perceived what they
were doing, he helped them in their work and also to carry [their plunder] out of the
desert.

189. They say that once when Abbâ Macarius was absent a thief entered his cell, and that
when he returned and found a thief therein loading upon a camel everything which he had in
his cell, he also went in and took some of the things and laid them on the camel; and when
the thief had loaded the camel, he began to beat it in order to make it rise up, but it
would not move. Now when Abbâ Macarius saw that the beast would not stand up, he took a
basket which was remaining, and brought it out and laid it on the camel, and said, "The
camel wisheth to carry off this also, O brother, and because of this it would not stand
up." Then the old man cried out to the camel, "Stand up," and straightway, because of the
old man's words, it stood up; but when it had gone forward for a little it lay down again,
and it would not rise up until the thief had emptied the whole of its load.

190. And another of the fathers when he was being plundered said unto the thieves, "Make
haste, and be quick, before the brethren come." 191. On one occasion when some men of
iniquity, and doers of wickedness, and thieves, rose up against him on the eve of the day
of the congregation, an old man said unto the brethren, "Let them do their work, and let
us do ours." 192. And when certain evil-doers rose up against one of the brethren in his
cell, he brought forth a basin and entreated them to wash their feet, and the thieves were
ashamed and repented. 193. And another brother who was travelling on a journey, and did
not know the road, asked a man to shew him the way and to direct him; now the man whom he
had asked was an evil-doer, and he led the brother out of his road into a waste place, and
he made him to arrive at the river Nile, which he commanded the brother to cross over. And
when he began to cross over, behold a crocodile was swiftly pursuing the man who was a
thief, but the servant of God, not being unmindful of him, cried out to him, and made
known to him concerning the fierce attack which the animal was about to make. Then, the
thief having been delivered from death, gave thanks to that brother, and marvelled at his
affection, and protected him.

194. The blessed Pīôr was on one occasion working for a man in the fields in the summer
time, and he was weary, and reminded the lord of his hire about his wages, and when he
delayed [in paying him] Abbâ Pīôr returned to his monastery. And on another occasion, when
the time of harvest had arrived, Abbâ Pīôr went to the same man, and reaped his crops with
a good will, and he returned to his monastery, the man having given him nothing. And again
in the third year Abbâ Pīôr came and helped him to harvest his crops, and when he had made
an end of the work of harvest according to custom, and yet received nothing, he departed
again to his monastery. Meanwhile the man, who was worthy of blessing, laboured according
to his custom in the life and works of spiritual excellence, and rejoiced that he had been
defrauded of his hire. And Christ worked upon the lord of his hire in his house, and he
took the wages of the blessed man, and went round about among the monasteries seeking for
him, and when, after the greatest difficulty, he had found him, he fell at his feet and
entreated him to receive his hire. But when the holy man refused the wages and said,
"Perhaps thou hast need of them, and as for me God will give me my hire," the man
increased his supplications unto him, and finally the holy man permitted him to give the
money to the church.

195. An old man used to say, "We do not advance because we do not know our capacity, and
we have not sufficient patience in the work which we begin, and we wish to possess
spiritual excellences without working for them, and we go from place to place, and expect
to find some spot where Satan is not, and when we see the temptation of Satan in that
place whereunto we have been called, he who knoweth what the war is will remain in God.
For the kingdom of heaven is within you." 196. An old man used to say, "If it should
happen that a sickness of the body overtake thee, let it not be grievous unto thee, for if
thy Lord wisheth thee to be sick in the body, who art thou that thou shouldst be in
despair? Doth He not take care for thee in everything? Couldst thou live without Him? Be
patient, and entreat thou Him to give thee such things as are helpful, and which are
according to His will; and besides this eat thou His food of grace with long-suffering."

197. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "The certain sign that a monk is a monk is made known by
trials (or temptations)." 198. A certain brother was estranged from a fellow monk, and he
came to Abbâ Sisoes the Theban, and said unto him, "I am estranged from a fellow monk, and
I wish to take vengeance for myself"; and the old man said, "Let us pray." And whilst he
was praying, he said in his prayer, "O God, henceforward we have no need of Thee to take
care of us, for we will take vengeance for ourselves"; and when the brother heard these
words he fell down at the feet of the old man straightway, and said unto him,
"Henceforward I will not enter into judgement with that brother. Forgive me, O Father."
And thus Abbâ Sisoes healed that brother. 199. They say that Abbâ John the Less, the
Theban, the disciple of Abbâ Ammon, ministered unto the Abbâ in his sickness for twelve
years, and he sat by him when the old man was in a state of exhaustion, and he persevered
and endured so patiently, even whilst he was performing great labours, that the old man
never once said unto him, "Rest, my son; rest, my son!" And when the old man was about to
die, and the other old men were sitting before him, Abbâ Ammon took his hand, and said
unto him, "Live, my son, live!" Then he committed him to the old men and said unto them,
"This is an angel, and not a man."

200. Abbâ Paulê and Tîmâth his brother dwelt in Scete, and there was contention between
them frequently; and Abbâ Paulê said, "How long are we to remain thus?" Abbâ Tîmâth said
unto him, "When I come upon thee bear with me; and when thou comest upon me I will bear
with thee." And from that time they were at peace. 201. Certain brethren asked Abbâ Sisoes
a question, and said unto him, "If we are going along a road, and he who is conducting us
forgetteth the way, is it necessary for us to tell him?" And Abbâ Sisoes said unto them,
"No." Then a brother said unto him, "Are we then to let him lead us astray?" And the old
man said unto him, "What then? Thou hast a stick, canst thou not take it and smite him?
Now I knew twelve brethren who were travelling along the road, and in the night time he
who was leading them lost the way, and all the brethren knew that he had done so; and
every one of them struggled with his thoughts, [and decided] not to tell him. And when the
day had come he who had been leading them learned that he had wandered off the road, and
he made excuses and said unto them, 'Forgive me because I lost the way'; and they all
said, 'We all of us knew it, brother, but we held our peace.' And when he heard this he
marvelled, saying, 'The brethren would endure even unto death and would utter never a
word'; and he glorified God. Now the distance which they had wandered from the road was
twelve miles."

202. Certain brethren came unto Abbâ Anthony, and said unto him, "Speak unto us a word
whereby we may live"; and the old man said unto them, "Behold, ye have heard the
Scriptures, and they are sufficient for you," and the brethren said, "We wish to hear [a
word] from thee also, O father." Abbâ Anthony said unto them, "It is said in the Gospel,
'If a man smite thee on the [one] cheek, turn to him the other also'" (St. Luke vi, 29);
and they said unto him, "We cannot do this." Abbâ Anthony said unto them, "If ye cannot
turn the other cheek, continue [to be smitten] on the one cheek"; and they said to him,
"And this we cannot do." The old man said unto them, "If ye cannot do even this, do not
pay back blows in return for the smiting which ye have received"; and they said, "We
cannot even do this." Then the old man said unto his disciples, "Make then for the
brethren a little boiled food, for they are ill"; and he said to them, "If ye cannot do
this, and ye are unable to do the other things, prayers are necessary forthwith."

203. They used to say that Mother Sarâ, who dwelt above the river and was sixty years old,
had never looked out [from her abode] and seen the river. 204. A certain old man dwelt in
the desert at a distance of ten miles from the monastery, wherefrom he had always to draw
water, and on one occasion the matter became very wearisome to him, and he said, "What is
the necessity for me to labour so much? I will come and will take up my abode by the side
of this stream." And having said this, he turned behind him and he saw a man coming after
him, and he was counting his footsteps, and he asked him, saying, "Who art thou?" And he
answered and said unto him, "I am an angel of the Lord, and I have been sent to count thy
footsteps, and to give thee thy reward"; and having heard this the old man was consoled
greatly, and he went five miles further from the place wherein he was, and took up his
abode there.

205. They say that three thieves went into the cell of Abbâ Theodore, and that two of them
laid hold upon him whilst the third carried off the things which he had in his cell; and
having taken out even the books which he had there, they were going to carry away his
cloak, when he said unto them, "Leave me this"; and as they refused to do so, he moved his
arms and hands and hurled the two men who were holding him from him, and when they saw
this they were afraid. Then the old man said unto them, "Fear ye not, but divide what ye
have taken into four parts, and take three of them, and leave me one." 206. They used to
say that the cave in Patârâ which belonged to Abbâ Chaeremon who was in Scete, was forty
miles distant from the church, and twelve miles further from a spring of water. And he
used to bring to the church, with the labour of his hands, two pitchers of water, one for
each day, and when he was tired he would set one down by the roadside and go back
afterwards and fetch it.

207. They used to say that the cell of the blessed Arsenius also was two and thirty miles
from the church, but he never went anywhere and others brought him whatsoever he required.
208. The blessed Arsenius never changed the water [wherein he soaked] the leaves which he
twisted into ropes except once a year, but he used to add frequently to it, for he twisted
palm leaves and sewed them together until the sixth hour [daily]. And the fathers
entreated him, saying, "Tell us why thou dost not change the water of the leaves, for it
is very foul"; then the old man answered, and said, "It is right that I should endure this
foul smell in return for the odours of the sweet scents, and oils, and delightful odours,
which I enjoyed when I was in the world." 209. It is related of a certain old man that if
he heard a brother speak evilly to him he would labour very hard to make something which
would please the brother who had spoken to him, and that if that brother did not live with
him, the old man would send whatsoever he had made to the place where he was.

210. A certain old man used to say, "It is a disgrace for a monk to enter into judgement
with the man who hath done him an injury." 211. A brother asked a certain old man, saying,
"Tell me one thing, whereby, if I keep it, I shall live." The old man said unto him, "If
thou canst endure being reviled and cursed, this command is the greatest of all the
commandments." 212. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "What shall I do to my heart
which flaggeth and is frightened if a little toil, and tribulation overtake me, or if
temptation come upon me?" The old man said unto him, "Therefore we should wonder and
admire the righteous man Joseph who, being only a very young man—that is to say, seventeen
years of age—was sold into slavery into the land of Egypt, the land of the worshippers of
idols, and he endured temptations, and God made him glorious to the end."

213. And he said also, "We may consider also the blessed Job, who never became slothful,
for he persevered in his trust in his God, and his enemies were not able to shake him from
his hope." 214. On one occasion the brethren who were in Scete were cleaning and dressing
palm leaves, and there was among them a man who had become ill through his excessive
spiritual labours, and he was coughing, and bringing up clots of phlegm and spittle; and
as he spat, involuntarily, some of the spittle fell upon a certain brother. Then the mind
of that brother on whom the spittle had fallen said unto him, "Tell that brother not to
spit upon thee"; but straightway he licked up the spittle, and he turned and said to his
mind, "Thou hast not licked up the spittle, therefore do not tell him not to spit upon
thee."

215. Abbâ Poemen used to say that John Colob, who made entreaty unto God, and [his]
passions were removed from him, and he was set free from anxious care, went and said unto
a famous old man, "I perceive that my soul is at rest, and that it hath neither war nor
strife [to trouble it]." Then the old man said unto him, "Go and entreat God to let war
and strife come unto thee again, for it is through war and strife that the soul advanceth
in spiritual excellence." And afterwards, whensoever war stood up before him, he did not
pray, "O Lord, remove striving from me," but he made supplication unto God, saying, "O
Lord, give me patience to endure the strife." 216. There was a certain man who had within
himself love and affection for the brotherhood, and who never had in his mind any evil
thought whatsoever; and a certain brother stole some things and brought [them] and
deposited them with him, and the man did not consider or perceive by what means the
brother had obtained them. Now some days later the matter was discovered, and it was
pointed out to the owner of the things that they had been deposited with the old man, who
made excuses to them, saying, "Forgive ye me, for I repent." And after a few days the
brother who had stolen the things came to him, and he began to demand [them from] the old
man, and said unto him, "Thou thyself didst take the things"; and the old man made excuses
to him, saying, "Forgive me"; and the old man brought out all the work of his hands, and
gave it to him, and the brother took it and departed. Now the disposition of the old man
was such that, if one of the brethren committed a fault, and denied it, he would make
excuses for him, saying, "It was I who did this thing"; thus meek and humble was the holy
man, and he never wronged any man even by the least word.

217. A certain brother lived by himself, and he was disturbed in his mind, and went and
revealed the matter to Abbâ Theodore of Parmè. And the old man said unto him, "Go and
humble thy mind, and submit thyself to live with the brethren"; and he went and did as the
old man had told him, and took up his abode with other men. And he went back to the the
old man, and said unto him, "Father, I am not content to dwell with other men"; then the
old man said unto him, "If thou art not content to live either by thyself or with others,
why didst thou come out to be a monk? Is it not necessary for thee to endure trials? Tell
me, how long hast thou lived this life?" And the brother said unto him, "Eight years." The
old man said unto him, "Verily I have led the life I lead now for seventy years, and not
one pleasure hath come in my way [the whole time], and yet thou wishest to find pleasure
(or rest) in eight years!"

218. A certain brother, who had vanquished Satan in everything, subsequently had his eyes
blinded by Satan so that he could not see, yet this blessed man did not pray for himself,
and that he might be able to see, but he only prayed that he might be able to endure
patiently his trial; and through his constancy his eyes were opened. 219. A monk was
smitten by a man on the leg and was severely injured, but the holy man was neither angry
nor wroth with him that had smitten him, [but he nursed the place wherein he had been
wounded, and made excuses to the man who had struck him]. 220. Abbâ Arsenius used to say,
"When an unbaked [or moist] brick is laid in the foundations of a building by the river-
side, it will not support it, but if it be burnt in the furnace it will support the
building like a stone. And thus it is with the man who possesseth a carnal mind, and who
doth not become hot and burn with heat, even as did Joseph with the word of God, for when
he cometh to have dominion he will be found to be wanting. For very many of those upon
whom trials have come have straightway been swept away and have fallen. It is therefore a
good thing for a man to know the gravity of dominion, and to be required to bear trials,
which are like the onset of many mighty waters, so that he may remain firm and unmoved."
And of this holy man Joseph—if a man wisheth to have the story told—Arsenius used to say
that "He was not a being of earth at all—so much was he tempted. And [consider] the
country [of Egypt] wherein formerly there was not even a trace of the fear of God! But the
God of his fathers was with him, and He delivered him out of all his tribulations, and
Joseph is now with his fathers in the kingdom of heaven; and let us also make supplication
with all our might that we too may in the same manner be able to flee from and escape from
the righteous judgement of God."

221. They say that there was with Abbâ Isidore, the priest of Scete, a certain brother who
was infirm in his mind, and he was a man who used abusive language and possessed very
little intelligence, and Abbâ Isidore wished to turn him out from his abode; and when that
brother came to the door of the monastery, the old man said once again, "Bring him to me,"
and he rebuked him, saying, "Brother, be silent, lest through thy little intelligence and
thine impatience thou provoke our Lord to anger"; and thus by his longsuffering Abbâ
Isidore quieted that brother. 222. A lover of ascetic labours saw a man carrying a dead
person on a bier, and he said unto him, "Dost thou carry a dead man? Go and carry the
living." 223. They say that there was a certain monk who, whenever he found a man reviling
and cursing him, used to run towards him with all his power, saying, "These [words] are
the causes of spiritual excellence in those who are strenuous, for those who ascribe
blessing to a man disturb the soul, as it is written, 'Those who ascribe blessing to you
lead astray your soul.'"

49 224. Certain old men came unto an old man who dwelt in the desert that they might
reveal unto him their thoughts, and might profit by his knowledge, and they found some
young men outside his cell who were pasturing sheep, and they were saying unto one another
words which were unseemly. And the old men said unto the old man, "Father, how is it that
thou 'dost not command these young men not to curse?'' And the old man said unto them, My
brethren, believe me, I have 'many times wished to command them [not to do so], but I have
rebuked myself, saying, If thou canst not endure this little thing, how couldst thou bear
some severe trial if it were to come upon thee?' I have therefore never said any- 'thing
to them, so that the matter might be a cause of remembering that I have to endure the
things which are to come.''

225. A certain brother ministered unto one of the fathers who was sick, now his disease
was decline of the body, and he used to bring up foetid pus; and the mind of the brother
said unto him, "Flee from him, for thou canst not endure this foe- 'tid smell.'' Then the
brother took an earthen vessel and put into it some of the water in which the old man had
washed, and when he was thirsty he used to drink some of it; and his mind began to say
unto him, Flee not, but drink not of this 'filthy water.'' But that brother laboured on
greatly in respect of the water in which the sick man had washed, and although his soul
shrank from that filthiness, he persevered in drinking it; and God saw his labour and
tribulation, and He changed the filthy washing water which was in the earthen vessel into
clean water, and He healed that old man.

226. One of the monks wished to go out from his monastery and to wander about so that he
might have a little relaxation and enjoyment, and when they saw him, an old man said unto
him, "Seek not gratification in this world, O my son, but 'work rather and persevere
therein in the invincible power of the Holy Trinity.'" 227. Abbâ Moses used to say,
"Secret withdrawal [from 'work] maketh dark the mind, but for a man to endure and to
persevere in his works maketh light the mind in our Lord, and it strengtheneth and
fortifieth the soul.'" 228. And he used to say also, "Bear disgrace and affliction 'in the
Name of Jesus with humility and a troubled heart; and shew before Him thy feebleness, and
He will become unto thee might.'" 229. Certain people praised one of the brethren before
the blessed Anthony, and when that brother came to the blessed man the old man put him to
the test, and he found that he could not bear contempt and contumely. And the old man said
unto him, "Thou art like unto a palace the front of which is decorated and beautiful, but
the back whereof hath been broken into by thieves and plundered."

230. A brother asked an old man a question, saying, "What shall I do?" And the old man
said unto him, "Go and learn to love putting restraint upon thyself in everything." 231.
One of the old men said concerning Lazarus, the poor man, "We cannot find that Lazarus
ever did one excellent thing except that he never murmured against the rich man as being
one who had never shewn him an act of mercy; but he bore his infirmity with the giving of
thanks, and because of this God took him to Himself." 232. Abbâ Macarius used to say, "If
contumely be accounted by thee as an honour, and blame as praise, and poverty as wealth,
thou wilt not die." 233. A certain brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "What mean the
words, 'If a man be angry with his brother without a cause?'" (St. Matthew v, 22.) The old
man said unto him, "If thy brother make use of oppression, and wrong, and fraud in respect
of thee, and thou art angry with him [because of them], thou art angry with him without a
cause. And if he tear out thy right eye, or cut off thy right hand, and thou art angry
with him, thou art angry with him without a cause; but if a man wisheth to separate thee
or to put thee away from God, then to be angry and wroth with him is a good thing."

234. There were two men in the desert who were brethren in the flesh, and a devil came to
separate them from each other; and one day the younger brother lit a lamp and set it upon
a candlestick, but, by the agency of the Evil One, he overturned the candlestick and
extinguished the lamp. Then the elder brother was angry and smote him, and the younger
brother made excuses to him, saying, "Have a little patience with me, and I will light the
lamp again." Now when God saw his patient endurance, He punished that devil until the
morning, and the devil came and told the prince of devils what had happened; and there was
with the prince of devils a certain priest of idols, and straightway this man left
everything, and he went and became a monk. And at the very beginning he laid hold upon
humility, saying, "Humility is able to bring to naught all the power of the Adversary,
even as I have heard from the devils, who said, 'Whensoever we stir up the monks, they
turn to humility, and they make excuses one to the other, and thus they do away all our
power.'"

235. Abbâ Poemen said, "Abbâ Isidore, the priest of the church, on one occasion spake to
the people, saying, My 51 II-4a brethren, when ye are working in a certain place it is not
strength to depart therefrom because of the labour; and as for myself, I wrap myself up in
my cloak and I go to the place where labour is, and labour becometh unto me a pleasure."
236. Paesius, the brother of Abbâ Poemen, had an affection for the people who were outside
his monastery, and Abbâ Poemen did not wish this to be, and he rose up and fled to Abbâ
Ammon, and said unto him, "My brother Paesius hath made a promise of love to certain folk,
and I am not pleased thereat." Abbâ Ammon said unto him, "Poemen, thou art still alive.
Go, and sit in thy cell, and meditate in thy mind, saying, 'Behold, there is a year for
thee in the grave.'"

237. There were two monks who lived in one place, and an old man came to them, and wishing
to put them to the test, he took a stick, and began to beat to pieces the garden herbs of
one of them; and when one monk saw him doing this, he hid himself. And when only one root
was left, the other brother said unto him, "Father, if it please thee, leave me this root
that I may boil it and we may eat together." Then the old man made excuses to that
brother, and said unto him, "The Spirit of God hath rested upon thee, O my brother."

CHAPTER 7. OF OBEDIENCE TOWARDS GOD, AND TOWARDS OUR FATHERS AND BRETHREN

238. They say that Abbâ John, the disciple of Abbâ Paulê, possessed great obedience. Now
in the place where they used to live there was a sepulchre, wherein dwelt a savage
panther, and Abbâ Paulê saw in it a few little heaps of goods, and he said unto John, "Go
to the sepulchre and bring me some of the things from there"; and John said unto him, "My
father, what shall I do with the panther?" And the old man laughed and said unto him, "If
he cometh against thee, tie him up and bring him here"; so John went there at eventide,
and the panther came against him, and when he went to lay hold of him the animal fled from
him. Then John pursued him, saying, "My father told me to fetter thee," and he seized him,
and bound him with cords. Meanwhile the old man was very much troubled about John, and he
was sitting waiting for him anxiously; and behold, he came dragging along the panther
which was tied with ropes, and the old man saw and marvelled. Then the brother said unto
him, "Father, behold, I have taken prisoner the panther according as thou didst command,
and I have brought him here"; and the old man, wishing to remove from him the occasion for
boasting, smote him, and said, "Thou hast brought a wandering dog!" and he untied the
animal and let him depart.

239. Abbâ Joseph used to say, "There are three things which are held in honour before God:
first, when a man is sick, and he addeth to his toil, and receiveth it with thanks-giving;
secondly, when a man maketh all his works to be pure before God, and when he hath in them
no human consideration; thirdly, when a man submitteth himself to authority, and obeyeth
his father, and setteth aside his own will. Such a man hath one crown the more, but I
personally would choose the sickness." 240. They used to say that Abbâ Sylvanus had in
Scete a disciple whose name was Mark, and that he possessed to a great degree the faculty
of obedience; he was a scribe, and the old man loved him greatly for his obedience. Now
Sylvanus had eleven other disciples, and they were vexed because they saw that the old man
loved Mark more than them, and when the old men who were in Scete heard [of this] they
were afflicted about it. And one day when they came to him to reprove him about this,
Sylvanus took them, and went forth, and passing by the cells of the brethren, he knocked
at the door of each cell, and said, "O brother, come forth, for I have need of thee"; and
he passed by all their cells, and not one of them obeyed him quickly. But when they went
to the cell of Mark, he knocked at the door and said, "Brother Mark," and as soon as Mark
heard the voice of the old man, he jumped up straightway, and came out, and Sylvanus sent
him off on some business. Then Sylvanus said unto the old men, "My fathers, where are the
other brethren?" And they went into Mark's cell, and looked at the quire of the book which
he was writing, and they saw that he had begun to write [one side of] the Greek letter ο
(or ω), and that as soon as he heard the voice of his master, [he ran out] and did not
stay to complete the other side of the letter. Now when the old men perceived these
things, they answered and said unto Sylvanus, "Verily, O old man, we also love the brother
whom thou lovest, for God also loveth him."

241. On another occasion the mother of Mark came to see him, and she had with her an
abundant company of members of her household; and an old man went forth to her, and she
said unto him, "Abbâ, tell my son to come forth and see me"; and the old man went in, and
said to him, "Go forth and see thy mother." Then Mark wrapped himself up in rags, and
blackened his face by standing up in the sooty chimney, and he went forth thus fulfilling
the behest of his master, and shutting his eyes, he said unto those [who were with his
mother], "Live ye! Live ye!" but he did not look at them. Now his mother did not recognize
him, and she sent in again to the old man a message, saying, "Send me my son, O father, so
that I may see him." Then the old man said unto Mark, "Did I not tell thee to go out and
see thy mother?" And he said unto him, "Father, I went forth according to thy word, but I
beseech thee do not tell me to go forth again, lest peradventure I feel myself compelled
to disobey thee"; and [the old man] spake with her, and quieted her, and sent her away in
peace.

242. And they used to tell about two brethren who lived in a monastery, and who both had
arrived at a high grade in the ascetic life; the one devoted himself to an austere life of
self-denial and poverty, and the other was obedient and humble. And being angry with each
other they wished to know which of the two [kinds of] service was the greater, and they
went down to the river where there were many crocodiles, and that brother who possessed
the faculty of obedience went in, and stood up among them, and they all worshipped him.
Then he cried out to his fellow who was a mourner, and said unto him, "Forgive me, O my
brother, I have not yet attained to such a high degree of faith as thou hast"; and when
they returned to the monastery, the head of the monastery heard a voice, saying, "The man
who obeyeth is better than the man who leadeth a life of voluntary poverty."

243. Abbâ Daniel used to say, "On one occasion Abbâ Arsenius called me and said unto me,
'Make thy father to be gratified, so that when he goeth to our Lord, he may make
entreaties to Him on behalf of thee, and good shall be unto thee.'" 244. A certain brother
was engaged in a war against Satan, and he told the matter to Abbâ Herakles; and wishing
to strengthen and confirm him the old man told him the following story:—There was a
certain old man who had a disciple, and he had been very obedient unto him for many years,
and when the war came upon him, he made a request to his master, saying, "I beseech thee
to make me a monk. And his master said unto him, "Seek out a place for thyself, and we
will build a cell for thee, and thou shalt become a monk. So the disciple went and found a
place, which was distant from his master about one hundred paces, and he made himself a
cell. Then the old man said unto that brother, "Whatsoever I say unto thee, that do. When
thou art hungry, eat; and when thou art thirsty, drink; and sleep, but thou must not go
out from thy cell until the Sabbath Day, when thou shalt come to me. Then the old man went
back to his cell. And the brother did according as the old man told him for two days, but
on the third day he became dejected, and wearied, and said, "What hath the old man done
for me, seeing that he 'hath not commanded me to make prayers?'" Then he rose up and sang
more Psalms than usual, and after the sun had set he ate his food, and he rose up, and
went, and lay down upon his mat;

and he saw, as it were, an Ethiopian who stood up and gnashed his teeth at him, and the
monk, by reason of his great fear, ran quickly to his master, and he knocked hastily at
his door, saying, "Father, have mercy upon me, and open 'to me immediately.'" Now because
the old man knew that he had not kept his commandment he refused to open the door to him
until the morning, and when he opened the door in the morning, he found him [there], and
as the brother entreated him to be allowed to enter, the old man had compassion upon him
and brought him in. Then he began to say unto the old man, "I beseech thee, O father, [to
believe me]. When I went 'to lie down to go to sleep, I saw a black Ethiopian on my bed.'"
The old man said unto him, "This [happened] because thou didst not keep my words.'" Then
he laid down a rule for him which was suitable to his strength and to the monastic life,
and dismissed him, and little by little he became an excellent monk.

245. A man who wanted to be a monk came to Abbâ Sisoes the Theban, and the old man asked
him, if he had any possession whatsoever in the world, and he said, "I have one 'son'; and
the old man, wishing to find out if he possessed the faculty of obedience, said unto him,
Go, and throw him 'in the river, and then come, and thou shalt be a monk,'" and because
the man was obedient he went straightway to do it. Now when he had departed the old man
sent another brother to prevent him from doing this thing, and when the man had taken up
his son to throw him into the river, the brother said unto him, "Thou shalt not cast him
in.'" Then the man said unto him, "My father told me that I was to cast him in,'" and the
brother replied, "He told me that thou wast not to cast 'him in,'" so the man left him,
and came [unto the old man], and through his obedience he became a chosen monk.

246. The Abbâ who was in Îliû used to say, "Obedience 'cometh into existence because of
obedience; for if a man obeyeth God, God also will obey him.'" 247. On one occasion four
brethren came to Abbâ Pambô from Scete, and they were wearing skins, and each one of them,
whilst his neighbour was absent, recounted [to him] his works, [saying], the first one
fasteth very often, and the second leadeth a life of poverty, and the third possesseth
great love, and concerning the fourth the other three said, "He hath been in subjection to
the old men for twenty-two years." Then Abbâ Pambô said unto them, "I say unto you that
the spiritual excellence of this man is great. Each of you hath chosen the ascetic virtue
which he possesseth according to his own wish, but this man hath cut off his own desire,
and hath performed the will of others; and those who are thus will, if they keep these
things to the end, become confessors."


THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 (CHAPTER 8. OF SCRUPULOUS WATCHFULNESS IN OUR THOUGHTS AND WORDS AND DEEDS)
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THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 continued

CHAPTER 8. OF SCRUPULOUS WATCHFULNESS IN OUR THOUGHTS AND WORDS AND DEEDS

Abbâ Poemen used to say, "Satan hath three kinds of power which precede all sin. The first
is error, and the second is neglect (or laxity), and the third is lust. 248. "When error
hath come it produceth neglect, and from neglect springeth lust, and by lust man fell; if
we watch against error neglect will not come, and if we be not negligent, lust will not
appear, and if a man worketh not lust, he will, through the help of Christ, never fall."
249. They used to say that there was a certain father who was [occupied] in great works,
and that [on one occasion], when he was singing the Psalms and praying, one of the holy
men came unto him, and he heard him striving with his thoughts, and saying, "How long for
the sake of one thought wilt thou go through all this?" Then the man who had come thought
that the father was striving with another man, and he knocked at the door before going in
to make peace between them; but when he had gone inside he saw no other man there. And
because he possessed some authority over the father, he said unto him, "Father, with whom
wast thou striving?" And he said, "With my thoughts. For I can repeat fourteen Books, but
if I hear one little word outside it will make useless my service to me, and [the
repetition] of all these Books will be in vain. And this word only cometh and standeth
before me at the season of prayer, and it is because of this that I strive." And when the
holy man heard [these things], he marvelled at the spiritual excellence and purity of the
old man, and how openly he had told him about his war.

250. One of the old men used to say, "The Prophets compiled the Scriptures, and the
Fathers have copied them, and the men who came after them learned to repeat them by heart;
then hath come this generation and [its children] have placed them in cupboards as useless
things." 251. A disciple of Abbâ Ammon told the following story: "On one occasion when we
were singing the service, my mind became confused, and I forgot the verse in the Psalm;
and when we had ended the service Ammon answered and said unto me, 'Whilst I was standing
up during the service it seemed that I was standing on fire and was being consumed, and my
mind was unable to make me turn aside either to the right hand or to the left. And as for
thee, where was thy mind when we were singing the service? for thou didst omit a verse
from the Psalm. Didst thou not know that thou wast standing in the presence of God, and
that thou wast speaking unto Him?"

252. A certain brother came to dwell in a cell with one of the fathers, and he told him of
a thought whereby he was afflicted; and the old man said unto him, "Thou hast left upon
the earth the excellent service of the fear of God, and thou hast taken and hast laid hold
upon a staff made of a reed, that is to say, evil thoughts. Take unto thyself the fear of
God, which is the fire, and as soon as they come nigh unto thee they shall be burned like
reeds." Now this man was, according to what his disciple related about him, a great old
man, and for twenty years he never lay upon either of his sides, but slept upon the seat
whereon he sat to work. Sometimes he ate once in two days, and at other times once in four
days, and at others once in five days, and in this manner he passed twenty years. Now I
said unto him, "What is this which thou doest, O father?" And he said unto me, "Because I
set the judgement of God before my eyes I cannot be negligent, for I keep in remembrance
[the fact that] my sins are many.

253. Whilst Abbâ Arsenius was dwelling in Canopus of Alexandria a certain noble lady came
to him; she was a virgin, and was exceedingly rich, and she feared the Lord, and she was
from Rome and had come to see Abbâ Arsenius. Now Theophilus, Archbishop of Alexandria,
received her, and she begged him to entreat the old man to receive her. Then Theophilus
went to Abbâ Arsenius and entreated him, saying, "Such and such a noble lady hath come
from Rome, and she wisheth to see thee, and to be blessed by thee"; but the old man
refused to receive her. And when Theophilus informed her that the old man refused to
receive her, she commanded them to make ready the beasts [for travelling], and she said,
"By God, I believe that I shall see him. I did not come to see men, for there are men in
my own city, but I came to see a prophet. And when she came outside the cell of the old
man, he happened, through the working of God, to be there, and she saw him, and fell down
at his feet; then he lifted her up eagerly, and looking at her, said, "If thou wishest to
look upon my face, behold, look"; but she by reason of her bashfulness, was not able to
look upon his face. Then the old man said unto her, "Hast thou not heard about my works,
and that I am a sinner? For it is these which it is necessary for thee to see.

How didst thou dare to travel hither by ship? Didst thou not know that thou wast a woman,
and that it was incumbent upon thee not to go forth anywhere? Wouldst thou go back to Rome
and make a boast to the women [there] that thou hast seen Arsenius, and dost thou wish to
make the sea into a road whereby women shall come unto me? And the lady said unto him,
"Please God I will not let any woman come unto thee; but pray for me that God may have me
in remembrance always. Then Abbâ Arsenius said unto her, "I will pray to God that He may
blot out the memory of thee from my heart"; and when she heard these words she went forth,
being afraid. Now as soon as she had come to the city a fever began to come upon her
because of her grief of mind, and the people told the Bishop, saying, "That noble lady is
ill"; and he came to her, and entreated her that he might learn the cause of her sickness.
Then she said unto him, "Would that I never had journeyed thither! For I said unto the old
man Arsenius, 'Make mention of me in prayer,' and he said unto me, 'I will pray unto God
that He may blot out the remembrance of thee from my heart,' and behold I shall die of
grief.

And the Archbishop said unto her, "Dost thou not know that thou art a woman, and that the
Enemy doeth battle with the holy men by means of women? It was for this reason that the
old man spake as he did; for thy soul, however, he will pray always. And the noble lady
remembered [these things] in her mind, and she rose up, and went to her country with
gladness. 254. They say that Abba Hór (or Or) of the Cells dwelt for twenty years in the
church, and that he never once lifted his eyes and saw the roof thereof. 255. Abba Ammon
asked Abba Poemen about the unclean thoughts which a man begetteth, and about vain lusts;
Abba Poemen said unto him, "Peradventure shall an axe boast itself" without him that
heweth therewith? (Isaiah x, 15.) Do not "henceforward aid these thoughts and they will
come to an end." 256. They say concerning Abba Paphnutius, the disciple of Abba Macarius,
that when he was a youth he used to look after the oxen with others of his companions; and
they went to take some cucumbers to the animals, and as they were going along one of the
cucumbers fell, and Abba Paphnutius took it up and ate it, and whensoever he remembered
this thing, he used to sit down and weep over it with great feeling.

257. One of the fathers went to Abba Akilá and saw that he was throwing up blood from his
mouth, and he asked him, saying, "What is this, O father?" and the old man said unto him,
"It is a word. I was vexed with a certain brother, and I was engaged in a strife of which
I knew nothing, and I made supplication to God that it might be taken from me; and
straightway that word became blood in my mouth, but when I spat it up I was relieved, and
I forgot my vexation." 258. One of the old men used to say: "We were going [on one
occasion] to the mountain of the blessed Anthony to visit Abbâ Sisoes, and when he sat
down to eat there came up to us a young man who begged for alms; and when we were
beginning to eat, the old man said, 'Ask that young man if he wisheth to come in and eat
with us.' Now when one had said this to him, the young man refused [to do so], and the old
man said, 'Let whatsoever is left over by us be given to him to eat outside.' Then the old
man brought out a jar of wine which he kept for the Offering, and he mixed for each one of
us a cup, but he gave to the young man two cups, whereat I smiled, and said unto him, 'I
also will go outside, and thou shalt give me two cups of wine also.' Abbâ Sisoes said, 'If
he had eaten with us he would have drunk the same quantity as ourselves, and he would have
have been convinced that we did not drink more than he did; but now he will say in his
mind, These monks enjoy themselves more than I do. It is good therefore that our
conscience should not hold us in contempt.'"

259. One of the old men came to another old man who was his companion, and as they were
talking together one of them said, "I have died to the world"; and his companion said,
"Have no confidence in thyself that this is so until thou goest forth from the world, for
although thou sayest, 'I have died,' Satan is not dead." 260. A brother asked Abbâ Sisoes,
saying, "Tell me a word [whereby I may live]." The old man saith unto him, "Why dost thou
urge me, O brother, to speak a useless word? Whatsoever thou seest me do, that do
thyself." 261. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "Is it possible for a man to keep hold
upon all thoughts, and not to give any of them to the Enemy?" The old man said unto him,
"There are some of them who give ten and keep one, and there are some who give one and
keep ten." And the brother told this saying to Abbâ Sisoes, who said, "There are some who
do not give even one [thought] to the Enemy."

262. Abbâ Joseph asked Abbâ Sisoes, saying, "How many times is it right for a man to cut
off his passions?" The old said unto him, "Dost thou wish to learn when thou must cut them
off?" and Joseph said unto him, "Yes." Abbâ Sisoes said unto him, "Whensoever passion
cometh cut it off immediately." 263. Abbâ Nastîr and a certain brother were walking
together in the desert, and they saw a serpent, and both took to flight; and the brother
said to Nastîr, "Father, art thou also afraid?" The old man said unto him, "My son, I am
not afraid, but it was a beneficial thing for me to flee, for otherwise I should not have
been able to escape from the thought of the love of approbation." 264. Certain men who
lived in the world came to see Abbâ Sisoes, and though they spoke much he held his peace
and answered them never a word; at length one of them said to his companions, "My
brethren, why do ye trouble the old man?" "He eateth not, and for this reason he is not
able to talk." And when the old man heard this, he made answer unto them straightway, and
said, "My sons, I eat whensoever I feel the need of eating."

265. On one occasion a certain judge of the district wished to see Abbâ Poemen, but the
old man refused [to see him]. And, like a crafty man, the judge made an excuse, and seized
Abbâ's nephew, and threw him into prison, saying, "Unless Abbâ cometh and maketh entreaty
on his behalf he shall not go out." Then Abbâ's sister came and stood by the door of his
cell and wept for her son, but although she importuned him greatly, he did not give her an
answer; now when the woman saw this she began to revile him, saying, "O thou who
possessest mercy of brass, have mercy upon me, for my son is the only [child] I have." And
Abbâ Poemen sent her a message, saying, "Poemen hath no sons," and thus she departed. And
when the judge heard [these things] he answered and said, "If Abbâ will only give the
order I will release him"; and after this the old man sent him a message, saying, "Examine
and consider his case according to the Law, and if he be worthy of death, let him die; and
if he be not do whatsoever thou pleasest with him."

266. They say that in the mountain of Abbâ Anthony seven brethren dwelt, each of whom used
to watch in the date season and drive away the birds; and among them was an old man who,
when it was his day for watching [the dates], used to cry out, saying, "Depart, O ye evil
thoughts, from within, and depart, O ye birds, from without." 267. On one occasion the
Arabs came and plundered Abbâ Sisoes and the brother who was with him of everything they
had, and being hungry, the brethren went out into the desert to find something to eat. And
when they were some distance from each other, Abbâ Sisoes found some camel dung, and he
broke it, and found inside two grains of barley; and he ate one grain and placed the other
in his hand; and when the brother came, and found that he was eating, he said unto him,
"Is 'this love? Thou hast found food, and thou eatest it by thy-self and hast not called
me [to share it with thee]." Abbâ Sisoes saith unto him, "I have not defrauded thee, O
brother, 'for behold, I have kept thy share in my hands.'"

268. Mother Sarah used to say, "Whensoever I put my foot 'on the ladder to go up, before I
ascend it I set my death before mine eyes.'" 269. A certain brother came to Abbâ Theodore
and entreated him to shew him how he twisted palm leaves, and he sent him away, saying,
"Go away, and come here to-morrow morning." Then the old man rose up straightway, and put
some leaves to soak in water, and made ready, and when the brother came in the morning he
shewed him [how to make] one or two plaits, and he said to him, "Work thus"; and the old
man left him and went to his cell. And at the proper season the old man took him food and
made him eat, and he rose up and went away; and when he came [back again] in the morning,
the old man said unto him, "Why didst thou not take some palm 'leaves with thee? Take some
now, and get thee gone, for thou hast made me fall into the temptation of caring about
things," and he did not allow him to come inside [his cell] again.

270. On one occasion Abbâ Muthues went from Re'ith to Mount Gebêl, and he had with him his
brother 'Awsâbh, and Kântîrsâ, the Bishop, took the old man and made him a priest. And
when they were eating together the Bishop said unto him, "Forgive me, Abbâ, for I know
that thou didst not wish for this thing, but I ventured to do this thing that I might be
blessed by thee. Then the old man said unto him with a meek spirit, and with a sorrowful
mind, "I will labour in this work, 'though I must be separated from this my brother who is
with me, for I cannot endure the making of all the prayers. The Bishop said unto him, "If
thou knowest that he is worthy I 'will make him a priest also"; and Abbâ Muthues said unto
him, "Whether he be worthy [or not] I do not know, but one 'thing I know, and that is,
that he is better than I am," so the Bishop laid his hands upon him and made him a priest
also. And they ended their lives together, but one of them never approached the altar for
the purpose of offering up the Offering, for the old man used to say, "By God, I hope that
ordination doth not make it obligatory on me to do so, because 'I cannot offer up the
Offering, for ordination belongeth unto those who are pure [only].'" 271.

A certain brother in Scete called one of his companions to come to him in his cell to wash
his feet, and he did not go; and twice and thrice he said, "Come to [my] cell, and wash
thy feet," and he went not. And at length the brother went to him, and made excuses to
him, and entreated him to go with him, and he rose up and went; and the brother said unto
him, "How is it that thou didst not come when I entreated thee so often to do so? And he
answered and said unto him, "Whilst thou wast speaking my will would not consent to my
coming, but when I saw that thou wast doing the work of monks, that is to say, repenting,
then I rejoiced and came." 272. On one occasion when the old man Zeno was walking in
Palestine, he became weary, and he sat down by the side of a cucumber bed to eat; and his
thought said to him, "Take a cucumber and eat, for of what value is one cucumber?" And he
answered and said to his thought, "Those who steal go to torment; try thy soul, then, and
see if it be able to endure the torment." And he crucified himself in the heat for five
days, and having tortured himself he said unto his thought, "I cannot endure that torment;
how then can the man who cannot do this steal and eat?" 273. They say that on one
occasion, when it was time for Abbâ Poemen to go to the congregation for the service, he
sat down for about one hour examining and passing judgement upon his thoughts, and that at
the end of this time he went forth.

274. They say that a certain old man dwelt by himself in silence, and that a son of the
world used to minister unto him continually; and it happened that the son of that son of
the world fell sick, and his father entreated the old man to go with him to his house and
to pray over him, and, when he had entreated him to do so often, the old man went forth
and departed with him. And the man went before him and entered the village, and he said
unto the people thereof, "Come forth to meet the monk"; now when the old man saw the
people from afar off, and perceived that they had come forth to meet him carrying
lanterns, straightway he stripped off his garments, and dipped them in the river, and he
began to wash them, being naked. And when the man who ministered unto him saw [this], he
was ashamed, and he entreated the people of the village, saying, "Get ye back, for the old
man hath certainly gone mad"; then he approached the old man, and said unto him, "Father,
what is this which thou hast done? For all the people are saying that the old man hath a
devil." And the old man said, "This is what I wished to hear."

275. Paesius on one occasion had strife with the brother who was with him whilst Abbâ
Poemen was sitting by, and they fought with each other until the blood ran down from both
their heads; and although the old man saw [them] he uttered no word whatsoever. Then Abbâ
Job came and found them fighting, and he said to Poemen, "Why hast thou let these brethren
fight, and hast said nothing to them whilst they have been fighting?" Abbâ Poemen said
unto him, "They are brethren, and will become reconciled again." Abbâ Job said, "What is
this that thou hast said? Thou seest that they continue to fight, and yet thou sayest that
they will be reconciled again." Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "Thou must think in thy heart
that I am not here." 276. Mother Sarah sent a message to Abbâ Paphnutius, saying, "Dost
thou think that thou art doing God's work in allowing thy brother to be reviled?" Abbâ
Paphnutius saith, "Paphnutius is here doing the work of God, and I have no concern
whatsoever about man."

277. The old man Poemen used to say, "Thou shalt have no dealings whatsoever with a child
of the world, and thou shalt hold no converse with women"; and he also said, "Thou shalt
possess no knowledge of the judge (or governor), lest, when thou hearest his words, thou
perform his work." 278. One of the old men used to say, "I have never taken one step
forwards without first of all learning where I was about to set my foot, and I have
neither crossed my boundary to walk on a height, nor have I descended into a deep place,
and been troubled by so doing; for my only care hath been to beseech God until He brought
me forth from the old man." 279. On one occasion the brethren were gathered together in
Scete that they might enquire into the history of Melchisedek, and they forgot to invite
Abbâ Copres to be with them; finally, however, they did call him, and they enquired of him
concerning the matter. And he smote three times on his mouth, and said, "Woe be to thee!
Woe be to thee, O Copres, for thou hast left undone what God commanded thee to do, and
thou art enquired of concerning the things which God hath not demanded of thee"; and they
all left the place and fled to their cells.

280. An old man used to say, "Freedom of speech (or boldness) is a wind which parcheth,
and it smiteth the fruit at the harvest." 281. An old man used to say, "The act of
despising oneself is a strong fence for a man." 282. The old man said, "The withdrawal in
secret [from works] maketh dark the understanding, but the persisting in endurance with
vigilance illuminateth and strengtheneth the soul of a man." 283. An old man used to say,
"Laughter and familiar talking are like unto the fire which kindleth among the reeds."
284. Certain heretics came on one occasion to Abbâ Poemen, and they began to calumniate
the Archbishop of Alexandria, and to speak evil things concerning him, and they sought to
prove that as they had received consecration from the priests, they were consecrated like
[other] priests; and the old man held his peace. Then he called his brother, and said unto
him, "Make ready a table and make them eat," and he dismissed them that they might depart
in peace.

285. Some of the old men asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "If we see one of the brethren
committing sin, wouldst thou have us rebuke him?" And the old man said unto them, "If I
had some business which made me pass by him, and in passing by him I saw him committing
sin, I should pass him by and not see him." 286. And the old man also said, "It is
written, 'Whatsoever thine eyes have seen, that declare.' But I say unto you, that unless
ye have not first touched with your hands, ye shall not testify. For on one occasion the
devil led astray a brother in a matter of this kind. This brother saw a brother committing
sin with a woman, and the war being strong against him, he went to them, thinking that
what he saw was really a man and a woman, and he kicked them with his foot, and said,
'Enough, enough, how long [will ye act thus]?' And suddenly he discovered that the things
were sacks of wheat. For this reason I say unto you that unless ye have felt with your
hands ye should not offer rebuke."

287. One of the fathers related a story, saying:—On one occasion in Scete when the clergy
were offering up the Offering, something which was like unto an eagle descended upon the
Offering, and no man saw the appearance except the clergy; and one day a brother
questioned the deacon about the matter, and the deacon said unto him, "I am not at leisure
now [to discuss it]." And afterwards when the time arrived for the Offering, and the
clergy went in as usual to offer It up, the form of the eagle did not appear as it did
before; and the priest said unto the deacon, "What is this? The eagle hath not come as
usual, and the fault of this lieth either upon me or thee. But get thee gone from me, and
if the eagle then appeareth and descendeth, it will be evident that it did not come down
now because of thee, and if it doth not descend thou wilt know that the fault is mine."
Now as soon as the deacon had departed, the eagle appeared as usual, and after the Office
had been said, and the service was ended, the priest said unto the deacon, "Tell me what
thou hast done." And the deacon, wishing to shew him everything, made excuses, saying, "I
am not conscious in my soul of having committed any sin, except when a brother came to me,
and asked me a question on the matter, and I made answer to him, saying, 'I am not at
leisure [to talk] with thee.'" Then the priest said, "It was because of thee that the
eagle came not down, for the brother was offended at thee"; and straightway the deacon
went to the brother, and expressed his contrition, and entreated him [to forgive] him his
offence.

288. They used to speak about a certain father, who for seven years asked God to give him
a certain gift, and [at length] it was given unto him; and he went to a great old man and
told him about the gift, and when the old man heard thereof, he was grieved, and said,
"What great labour!" Then he said unto the father, "Go and spend seven years more in
entreat-ing God that the gift may be taken away from thee, for it will do thee no good";
and the old man went, and did as he had told him until the gift was taken away from him.
289. A certain brother dwelt in a cell outside his village, and he had passed many years
without going into the village; and he said unto the brethren who were with him, "Behold,
how many years have I lived here without going into the village, whilst ye are always
going therein." Now Abbâ Poemen was told about this man, and that he used to say words of
this kind to the brethren, and he said, "If I were [that man] I would go up and walk round
about in the village during the night, so that my thoughts might not be able to boast
themselves that I had not gone into it."

290. One of the fathers said, "God beareth with the sins of those who live in the world,
but He will not endure the sins of those who live in the desert." 291. Abbâ Job used to
say, "Since the time when I was [first] called by the Name of Christ, falsehood hath never
gone forth from my mouth." 292. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "If a man dwelleth with a youth,
however much he may guard his thoughts he maketh a means for sin." 293. A certain brother
asked an old man, saying, "What shall I do because of my negligence?" The old man said
unto him, "If thou wilt root out this small plant, which is negligence, a great forest
will come into being." 294. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "Do not dwell in a place wherein thou
seest that there are those who have envy against thee, for if thou dost thou wilt never
advance."

295. 65 295. Abbâ Chronius used to say, "The man who dwelleth with a youth will, unless he
be mighty, go downwards, and if he be mighty, even though he doth not go downwards
temporarily, yet he will never advance in spiritual excellence." 296. Abbâ Anthony used to
say, "There are some monks who vex their bodies with the labours of abstinence and self-
denial, and who, because they have not found understanding, are remote from the path of
God." 297. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "Teach thy heart to keep that which thy tongue
teacheth." 298. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "One man is thought to be silent, yet his heart
condemneth others, and he who is thus speaketh everything; and another speaketh from morn
until evening, and yet keepeth silence, but such a man speaketh not without profit." 299.
I have heard that there were two old men who dwelt together for many years, and who never
quarrelled, and that one said to the other, "Let us also pick a quarrel with each other,
even as other men do." Then his companion answered and said unto him, "I know not how a
quarrel cometh," and the other old man answered and said unto him, "Behold, I will set a
brick in the midst, and will say, 'This is mine,' and do thou say, 'It is not thine, but
mine'; and from this quarrelling will ensue." And they placed a brick in the midst, and
one of them said, "This is mine," and his companion answered and said after him, "This is
not so, for it is mine"; and straightway the other replied and said unto him, "If it be
so, and the brick be thine, take it and go." Thus they were not able to make a quarrel.

300. There was a certain brother who lived a life of very strict seclusion, and the
devils, wishing to lead him astray, [used to appear] to him, when he was sleeping at
night, in the form of angels, and wake him up to sing the Psalms and pray, and they would
shew him a light. And he went to an old man, and said unto him, "Father, the devils come
to me with a light and wake me up to sing and pray"; and the old man said unto him,
"Hearken not unto them, O my son, for they are devils, but, if they come to wake thee up,
say unto them, 'When I wish to rise up I will do so, but unto you I will not hearken.' And
when they came to wake him he said unto them what the old man had told him, and they said
unto him forthwith, 'That wicked old man is a liar, and he hath led thee astray. For a
certain brother came to him and wished to borrow some oboli on a pledge, and although he
had money to lend, he lied and said, I have none,' and he gave him none, and learn from
this thing that he is a liar.' Then the brother rose up early in the morning and went to
the old man and related unto him everything which he had heard, and the old man said unto
him, The matter is thus.

I had some oboli, and a brother came and asked me for some money, and I would not give him
any because I saw that if I did so we should arrive at the loss of [our] soul[s]. And I
made up my mind that I would treat with contempt one of the commandments, and not ten, and
[therefore] we came to enmity [with each other]. But do thou hearken not unto the devils
who wish to lead thee astray. And when he had been greatly confirmed by the old man, that
monk departed to his cell. 301. Abbâ Isaac, the priest of the Cells, said, "I saw a
certain brother reaping the harvest in the field, and he wanted to eat one ear of wheat;
and he said to the owner of the field, 'Dost thou wish me to take one ear of wheat to
eat?' And the owner of the field wondered (now he profited greatly therefrom), and said
unto him, 'My son, the field is thine, and dost thou ask [my] permission to eat?' To this
extent did that brother shew scrupulous care." 302. A brother asked an old man, and said
unto him, "What shall I do? For the thoughts which make war with me are many, and I know
not how to contend against them." The old man said unto him, "Do not strive against them
all, but against one, for all devilish thoughts have only one head, and it is necessary
for a man to understand and to make war upon this head only, for afterwards all the rest
will perforce be brought low. Just as in war, if on one side a very mighty man appear, the
men on the other side use every means in their power to set up in opposition to him a
mighty man who is stronger than he is, because, if he be able to hurl down that chief, all
the rest will take to flight and be vanquished. In this same manner there is one head to
all the thoughts which come from devils, whether it be fornication, or riotous living, or
love of money, or wandering about from place to place, for if thou wilt first of all
recognize it and wilt drive it out, it will not lead thee astray in respect of other
things." And [when] that chief thought came, and stood up and fought against him, he
recognized which it was, and contended against it only.

303. Abbâ Lôt went to Abbâ Joseph, and said unto him, "Father, according to my strength I
sing a few Psalms, and I pray a little, and my fasting is little, and my prayers and
silent meditations [are few], and as far as lieth in my power I cleanse my thoughts, what
more can I do?" Then the old man stood up, and spread out his hands towards heaven, and 67
II-5a his fingers were like unto ten lamps of fire, and he said unto him, "If thou
wishest, let the whole of thee be like unto fire." 304. A certain brother entreated one of
the old men to interpret to him some words which he had asked him, saying, "If I see a man
doing something, and I tell others about it, I mean not by way of passing judgement upon
him, but merely for the sake of conversation, would this be considered as evil talk of the
thoughts?" The old man said unto him, "If there be any motion of passion the repetition is
wicked, but if it be free from passion the repetition is not wicked, but speak in such a
way that evil increase not." And another brother made answer to the old man, and said, "If
I come to one of the old men and ask him, saying, 'I wish to dwell with such and such a
man, [may I do so?]' and I know at the same time that it will not be profitable for me,
what answer must he make me? If he saith, 'Thou shalt not go,' hath he not condemned that
man in his mind?" Then the old man answered and said unto him, "This refinement [of
thought] is not [given] to many, and I do not regard it as a sure matter. If there be any
passion in the motion of the soul I should say that he would injure himself; but in words
there is no power [to do so]. And as to 'What is he bound to say?' I say that I do not
know, if his soul be [not] free [from passion]; but if it be free from passions he will
not condemn any man, and he will condemn himself, and say, 'I am a changeable person,' now
perhaps [this] will not help thee, but if he be a man of understanding he will not go."
Now the old man did not speak concerning wickedness, but only that wickedness might not be
multiplied.

305. Abbâ Arsenius said unto Abbâ Alexander, "When thou hast finished the work of thy
hands, come to me and we will eat; but if strangers come, eat with them, and do not come
to me." Now Alexander continued at his work late, and when the time for the meal had
arrived, and palm leaves were still standing before him, although he was anxious to keep
the word of the old man, he also wanted to finish up the leaves, and then to go to him.
Now when the old man saw that Abbâ Alexander delayed [in coming] to eat, he thought that
it was because strangers had come to him. And when Abbâ Alexander had finished his work he
went to the old man, who said unto him, "Did strangers come to thee?" And Alexander said
unto him, "No, father." Then the old man said unto him, "Why hast thou delayed [in
coming]?" And Alexander answered and said unto him, "Because thou didst say unto me, 'When
thou hast finished thy leaves come to me'; and paying heed to thy word, and having
finished [my work], behold, I have come."

And the old man marvelled at this scrupulous obedience, and said unto him, "Make haste and
perform thy service of praise and prayer, and bring it to an end, and drink some water,
for if thou dost not do it quickly thy body will become sick." 306. Abbâ Poemen used to
say often, "We need nothing except a watchful and strenuous heart." 307. A brother asked
Abbâ Poemen, saying, "How is it right for me to live in the place wherein I am?" The old
man saith unto him, "Acquire the thought of sojourning in the place where thou livest, and
desire not to cast thy word among the multitude, or to be the first to speak, and thou
wilt find rest." 308. Abbâ Agathon said concerning Abbâ Mûain that, on one occasion, he
made fifty bushels of wheat into bread for the needs of the community, and then laid it
out in the sun, but before it became dry and hard he saw something in the place which was
not helpful to him, and he said to the brethren who were with him, "Arise, let us go
hence"; and they were greatly grieved. And when he saw that they were grieved, he said
unto them, "Are ye troubled about the bread? Verily I have seen men take to flight and
forsake their cells, although they were well whitewashed and contained cupboards which
were filled with books of the Holy Scriptures and service books, and they did not even
shut the cupboard doors, but departed leaving them wide open."

309. Abbâ Copres used to say, "Blessed is the man who beareth temptation with
thanksgiving." 310. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "The mighty ones have been many, and those
who never felt envy have been many, and they have neither been jealous in an evil way, nor
have they stirred up their own passions." 311. Abbâ Sisoes used to say, "Seek the Lord,
and search [Him] out, but not only in the place where [thou] dwellest." 312. An old man
used to say, "Eat not before thou art hungry; lie not down to sleep before thou art
sleepy; and speak not before thou art asked a question." 313. An old man used to say,
"Prepare not a table before the time when thou art alone, and speak not before thou art
asked a question, and if thou art asked a question, speak that which is fair and helpful,
and not that which is evil and destructive."

314. Abbâ Euprepius said, "If thou art not certain in thyself that God is faithful and
mighty, believe in Him, and associate thyself with those who are His, but if thou art
doubtful thou canst not believe. For we all believe and confess that God is mighty, and we
are certain that all things are easy for Him [to do]; do thou then also shew thy belief in
Him by thy works, for in thee also He worketh miracles, and doeth wonders, and sheweth
forth marvels." 315. Abbâ Theodore used to say, "If thou hast affection for a man, and it
happeneth that he fall into temptation, stretch out thy hand to him, and lift him up
therefrom, but if he fall into heresy, and will not be persuaded by thee to return, cut
him off from thee immediately, lest, if thou tarry long with him, thou be drawn unto him,
and thou sink down into the uttermost depths."

316. One of the fathers used to tell the story of Abbâ John, the Persian, who by reason of
the abundance of his spiritual excellence arrived at goodness; now this man used to dwell
in the Arabia of Egypt. And on one occasion he borrowed one dînâr from a brother, and
bought some flax to weave, and a brother came and entreated him, saying, "Give me a little
flax that I may make a tunic for myself"; and he gave it to him with joy; and then another
[brother] entreated him, saying, "Give me a little flax that I may make myself a turban,"
and he gave unto him also, and the man departed. And many other brethren borrowed from
him, and he gave them [the flax] with rejoicing; but finally the owner of the dînâr came,
and wanted to take it back. Then the old man said unto him, "I will go and bring it to
thee," but as he had no place wherefrom he could give it to him, he rose up and went to
Abbâ Jacob, so that he might persuade him to give him a dînâr wherewith to repay the
brother; and as he was going he found a dînâr lying on the ground, but he was not disposed
to offer it to him, so he prayed and returned to his cell.

And the brother came again and pressed him to let him have what was his own, and the old
man said unto him, "Have patience with me this time only, and I will bring it to you. And
he again rose up and went to that place where he had found the daric, and, having made a
prayer, he took it. And he came to the old man Jacob, and said unto him, "As I was coming
to you, O father, I found this dînâr on the road. Do now, O father, an act which is worthy
of love, and make a proclamation throughout these borders, for perhaps someone hath lost
the dînâr, and if its owner be found, give it unto him. Then the old man went, and made a
proclamation for three days, and he could not find the man who had lost the dînâr. Then
the old man said unto Abbâ Jacob, "If no man hath lost the dînâr give it unto that brother
to whom I owe one, for I was coming to obtain one from thee for the Lord's sake, when I
found it. And the old man Jacob marvelled at him, because, although he owed a dînâr, and
had found one, he did not immediately take it and pay his debt.

Now this habit also was found with that old man who owed the dînâr: if any man came and
wanted to borrow something from him, he did not give it unto him with his own hands, but
he said unto him, "Take for thyself whatsoever thou wish—est"; and when the man brought
back that which he had taken, the old man would say unto him, "Place it where thou didst
take it from," and if he did not bring it back he would say to him nothing at all. 317.
Abbâ Daniel used to say that on one occasion certain fathers came from Alexandria to see
Abbâ Arsenius, and one of them was the brother of Timothy, Patriarch of Alexandria, and
they were taking his nephew also. Now the old man was ill at that season, and he did not
wish to spend much time with them, lest, peradventure, they should come to visit him
another time and trouble him; and he was then living in Patârâ of Estôrîs, and the fathers
went back sorrowfully. And it happened on one occasion that the barbarians invaded the
country, and then Abbâ Arsenius came and dwelt in the lower countries; and when those same
fathers heard [of his coming] they went to see him, and he received them with gladness.
Then the brother who belonged to them said unto him, "Father, know—est thou not that when
[these fathers] came to thee on the first occasion at Estôrîs thou didst not protract thy
conversa—tion with us?" The old man said unto him, "My son, ye ate bread, and ye drank
water, in very truth, but I refused to eat bread and drink water, and I would not sit upon
my legs through torturing myself, until the time when I knew from ex—perience that ye must
have arrived at your homes, for I knew that for my sake ye had given yourselves trouble."
Thus they were pleased and gratified in their minds and they departed rejoicing.

318. Abbâ Daniel used to say: Abbâ Alexander dwelt with Abbâ Agathon, and the old man
loved Abbâ Alexander because he was a man of labour, and he was gentle and gracious. And
it happened that all the brethren were washing their linen armcloths in the river, and
Alexander was quietly washing his with them; but the brethren said unto Abbâ Agathon,
"Bro—ther Alexander doeth nothing," and the old man, wishing to quiet his disciples, said
unto him, "Wash well, O brother, for the armcloth is [made] of linen." Now when Alexander
heard [this] he was grieved, and afterwards the old man entreated him, saying, "What then?
Do I not know that thou canst wash well? But I spake as I did to thee before them so that
I might rebuke their minds by thine obedience." 319. They used to say that one day when
Abbâ John came to the church which was in Scete he heard the brethren quarrelling with
each other, and that he went back to his cell, and went round it three times, and then
entered it; now the brethren saw him, and they expressed their contrition to him, saying,
"Tell us why thou didst go round thy cell three times." And he said unto them, "Because
the sound of the quarrel was still in my ears, and I said, 'I will first of all drive it
out from them, and then I will go into the cell.'"

320. They used to say about Abbâ 'Or that whilst other monks would give a pledge for the
palm leaves when they wished to buy, he would never give any pledge whatsoever, but
whensoever he required leaves he would send the price of them, and take them. Now his
disciple went on one occasion to buy leaves, and the gardener said unto him, "A man gave
me a deposit, but he hath not taken away his leaves, and therefore thou mayest take them";
and having brought them he came to the old man and related unto him the matter as it had
happened. And when the old man heard it, he wrung his hands, and said, "'Or will not work
this year," and he did not cease [to importune] his disciple until he had returned the
palm leaves to their [proper] place. 321. They used to tell the story of a certain brother
who never ate bread, but only unleavened cakes soaked in water; and whenever he visited
the monks when they sat down to eat he would set before himself unleavened cakes and eat
[them]. And it happened that one day he went to a certain great Sage, and there also
visited him at the same time other strangers, and the old man boiled a few lentiles for
them; and when they sat down to eat that brother also brought out his soaked cakes, and
set them before himself, and ate them. Now when the old man saw this, he held his peace
and did not rebuke him before the brethren who happened to be there, but when they rose up
from the table, he took him aside privately, and said unto him, "O brother, if thou goest
to visit a man do not reveal thy rule of life, but eat with the brethren that thou mayest
not think within thyself that thou art better than they, and so condemn them. But if thou
wishest to keep hold upon thy self-denial, sit in thy cell and do not go out of it." Then
the brother was persuaded by the old man, and he ate with the brethren what they ate so as
to deceive them, according to what the old man had said.

322. A certain father whose name was Eulogius, having led a life of great austerity and
labour in Constantinople, obtained great fame and reputation; and he came to Egypt in
order that he might see something more excellent, and when he heard about Abbâ Joseph he
came to him, expecting to see a very much more laborious form of life than his own. And
the old man received him with gladness, and said unto his disciple, "Make some distinction
in the food which ye have to prepare, and let it be suitable for strangers. Now when they
had sat down to eat, those who were with Abbâ Eulogius said, "Bring a little salt, for the
father will not eat this"; but Abbâ Joseph ate, and drank, and held his peace. And
Eulogius passed three days with him, but he never heard them singing the Psalms, and he
never saw them praying, for every act of worship which they performed was in secret; and
he went forth from them having profited in no wise. And by the Providence of God it
happened that they lost their way, and they returned the same day, and they came and stood
at the door of the old man's cell; and before they could knock at the door, Eulogius heard
them singing the Psalms inside, and having waited for a long time, they knocked, and
immediately those of the company of Joseph who were singing inside stopped.

Now when Eulogius and those who were with him had gone inside the old man received them
again with gladness, and because of the heat which they had endured, Abbâ Joseph's monks
gave Eulogius [some] water to drink; and this water was a mixture, part being sea water
and part being river water, and when Eulogius had tasted it he was unable to drink it.
Then he repented within himself, and he went in to Abbâ Joseph and fell down at his feet,
and entreated him to be allowed to learn his rule, for he wished so to do, and he said,
"What doth this mean? When we were with you ye sang no Psalms, but as soon as we have left
you ye perform services overmuch. And when I want to drink water I find it to be salt. The
old man said unto him, "It was brother Sylvanus who did this, and he mixed the water
without knowing"; and Eulogius entreated him [to tell him about it], for he wished to
learn the truth. Thereupon Abbâ Joseph said unto him, "That mixture of wine which we drink
we drink for the sake of the love of Christ, but the brethren always drink this water. And
Abbâ Joseph taught him the difference [between their rules of life], and that he toiled in
secret and not before the children of men; and he ate a meal at the same table with them,
and he partook of whatsoever was set thereupon;

and Eulogius learned that, even as the old man had said, Abbâ Joseph performed his ascetic
labours in secret, and having profited greatly he departed with gladness, giving thanks
unto God. 323. On one occasion there was a feast, and the brethren were eating in the
church; and there was among them a brother who said unto him that ministered at the
tables, "I do not eat boiled food, but bread and salt," and the servant cried out to
certain other brethren before the whole assembly, saying, "Such and such a brother doth
not eat boiled food, therefore bring him salt." Then one of the old men came to that
brother, and said unto him, "It would have been better for thee this day to have eaten
flesh in thy cell than that this word should have been heard before the whole assembly."
324. On one occasion Ammon came to the brethren, and the brethren expressed contrition,
saying, "Tell us a word [whereby we may live]." The old man said unto them, "It is this:
we must travel along the path of God with due order."

325. They used to say that the face of Abbâ Panbô never smiled or laughed. Now one day
when the devils wished to make him laugh, they hung a feather on a piece of wood, and they
carried it along and danced about therewith in great haste, and they cried out, "Hâilâw,
Hâilâw." Now when Abbâ Panbô saw them, he laughed, and the devils began to run and jump
about, saying, "Wâwâ, Abbâ Panbô hath laughed." Then Abbâ Panbô answered and said unto
them, "I did not laugh [for myself], but I laughed at your weakness, and because it
needeth so many of you to carry a feather." 326. On one occasion a certain brother
committed an offence in the coenobium, and in the places which were therein a certain old
man had his abode; now he had not gone out of his cell for many years. And when the Abbâ
of the coenobium came to the old man he told concerning the folly (or offence) of that
brother, and about his transgression. Then the old man answered and said, "Drive him out
from you"; and when that brother was driven out, he departed and went into a reedy jungle,
and as some brethren happened to pass by to go to Abbâ Poemen they heard the voice of the
brother weeping; and they went in and found him in great labour, and they entreated him to
let them take him with them to Abbâ Poemen, but he would not be persuaded [to go], and
said, "I will die here." And when they came to Abbâ Poemen they told him about him, and he
entreated them, saying, "Go to that brother, and say ye unto him, Abbâ Poemen calleth
thee"; now when the brother learned that Abbâ Poemen had sent the brethren to him, he rose
up and went. And when Abbâ Poemen saw that he was sorrow-stricken, he rose up and gave him
the salutation of peace, and smiling with him, gave him [food] to eat. Then he sent his
brother to the old man, saying, "For many years past I have greatly longed to see thee,
because I have heard about thee, but through negligence both of us have been prevented
from seeing each other. Now therefore that God wisheth it, and the opportunity calleth, I
beg thee to trouble thyself [to come] hither, and we will each welcome the other."

Now, as I have already said, the old man had up to that time never gone out of his cell.
And when the old man heard the message, he said, "If God had not worked in him he would
not have sent for me"; and he rose up and came to him; and having saluted each other, they
sat down with gladness. And Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "There were two men living in one
place, and both of them had dead, and one of them left weeping for his own dead and went
and wept over that of his neighbour"; and when the old man heard these words he repented,
and he remembered what he had done, and said, "Abbâ Poemen is above in heaven, but I am
down, down, on the earth." 327. An old man used to say, "It is right for a man to keep his
work in all diligence so that he may lose nothing thereof; for if a man worketh even a
very little, and keepeth it, his work remaineth and abideth." And the old man used to
narrate the following matter: An inheritance was left unto a certain brother, and whilst
he was wishing to make therefrom a memorial to him that had died, a certain brother who
was a stranger came to him, and he roused him up in the night saying, "Arise, and help me
to sing the service." Then the stranger entreated him, saying, "Leave me, O my brother,
for I am away from labour, and I cannot [get up]"; and the brother who had welcomed him
said, "If thou wilt not come, get up and depart from this place"; and the stranger rose up
and departed. And at the turn of the night he saw in his dream him who had driven him out
giving wheat to the baker, and that the baker did not give him [back] even one loaf of
bread; and he rose up and went to an old man and related unto him the whole matter even as
it had taken place, and the old man said unto him, "Thou hast performed a beautiful
action, but the Enemy hath not allowed thee to receive the reward [thereof]." And after
these things the old man said that [this] story was a proof according to which it is right
for a man to be watchful and to guard his work with great care.

328. An old man said, "The Calumniator is the Enemy, and the Enemy will never cease to
cast into thy house, if he possibly can, impurity of every kind, and it is thy duty
neither to refuse nor to neglect to take that which is cast in and to throw it out; for if
thou art negligent thy house will become filled with impurity, and thou wilt be unable to
enter therein. Therefore whatsoever the Enemy casteth in little by little do thou throw
out little by little, and thy house shall remain pure by the Grace of Christ." 329. On one
occasion Abbâ Poemen entreated Abbâ Macarius with frequent supplication, saying, "Tell me
a word [whereby I may live"; and the old man anwered and said unto him, "The matter which
thou seekest hath this day passed from the monks." 330. Abba Nicetas used to tell about
two brethren who had met together, and who wished to dwell together; and one of them
thought, saying, "Whatsoever my brother wisheth that will I do," and similarly the other
meditated, saying, "Whatsoever will gratify my brother that will I do." Now when the Enemy
saw this, he went to them and wished to separate each from the other, and as he was
standing before the door, he appeared unto one of them in the form of a dove, and to the
other in the form of a raven. Then one of them said unto his companion, "Seest thou this
dove?" and the other replied, "It is a raven." And they began to quarrel with each other,
neither of them yielding to his companion, and they stood up and fought with each other,
even unto blood, and at length, to the joy of the Calumniator, they separated. And after
three days they came to themselves and were sorry for what had happened, and they went
back and lived together in peace as they did formerly, and each expressed his sorrow unto
the other. And each of them devoted himself to performing the will of his companion, and
they lived together until the end.

331. One of the old men used to say, "If thou seest a man who hath fallen into the water,
and thou canst help him, stretch out thy staff to him, and draw him out, lest, if thou
stretch out thy hand to him, and thou art not able to bring him up, he drag thee down and
both of you perish." Now he spake this for the sake of those who thrust themselves forward
to help other people who are being tempted, and who, through wishing to help [others]
beyond their power, [themselves] fall. It is right for a man to help his brother according
to the power that he hath, for God demandeth not from a man that which is beyond his
strength. 332. A brother asked an old man, and said unto him, "Supposing that I find
sufficient for my daily wants in any place, dost thou wish me not to take care for the
work of my hands?" The old man said unto him, "However much thou mayest have, do not
neglect the work of thy hands; work as much as thou canst, only do not work with an
agitated mind."

333. An old man used to say, "When the soldier goeth into battle he careth for himself
only, and so also doth the watchman; let us then imitate these men, for riches, and
family, and wisdom, without a correct life and works, are dung." 334. An old man used to
say "I await death evening, and morning, and every day." 335. The same old man used to say
also, "As he who is a stranger is not able to take another stranger into the house of one
by whom he hath not been entreated to enter, so also is it in the case of the Enemy, for
he will not enter in where he is not welcomed." 336. Abbâ Epiphanius said, "He who
revealeth and discovereth his good work is like unto the man who soweth [seed] on the
surface of the ground, and doth not cover it up, and the fowl of the heavens cometh and
devoureth it; but he who hideth his good works is like unto the man who soweth his seed in
the furrows of the earth, and he shall reap the same at harvest."

337. Abbâ Epiphanius used to say, "Whensoever a thought cometh and filleth thy breast,
that is to say, thy heart, with vainglory or pride, say thou unto it, 'Old man, behold thy
fornication.'" 338. And he also said, "O monk, take thou the greatest possible care that
thou sin not, lest thou disgrace God Who dwelleth in thee, and thou drive Him out of thy
soul." 339. The old men said, "Let no monk do anything whatsoever without first of all
trying his heart [to see] that what he is about to do will be [done] for God's sake." 340.
One of the fathers asked a youthful brother, saying, "Tell us, O brother, is it good to
hold one's peace or to speak?" then that young brother spake unto him, saying, "If the
words [to be said] be useless, leave them [unsaid], but if they be good, give place to
good things, and speak [them]. Yet, even though the words be good, prolong not thy speech,
but cut it short, for silence is best of all."

341. Rabbâ Paul the Great, the Galatian, used to say, "The monk who living in his cell
hath some small need, and who goeth out to provide therefor, is laughed at by the devils."
342. The blessed woman Eugenia said, "It is helpful to us to go about begging, only we
must be with Jesus, for he who is with Jesus is rich, even though we be poor in the flesh.
For he who holdeth the things of earth in greater honour than the things of the Spirit
falleth away both from the things which are first and the things which are last. For he
who coveteth heavenly things must, of necessity, receive the good things which are on the
earth. Therefore it belongeth unto the wise to await not the things which now exist
[here], but the things which are about to be, and the happiness which is indescribable,
and in this short and trouble-some life they should prepare themselves therefor."

343. On one occasion when Abbâ Arsenius was living in the lower lands, and was troubled,
he determined to leave his cell without taking anything from it, and he departed to his
disciples in the body, that is to say, to Alexander and Zoilus. Then he said to Alexander,
"Arise, and go back to the place where I was living"; and Alexander did so; and he said to
Zoilus, "Arise; and come with me to the river, and seek out for me a ship which is going
to Alexandria, and then come back, and go to thy brother. Now Zoilus marvelled at this
speech, but he held his peace; and thus they parted from each other, and the old man
Arsenius then went down to the country of Alexandria, where he fell ill of a serious
sickness. And his disciples went back and came to the place where they had been formerly,
and they said to each other, "Perhaps one of us hath offended the old man, and it is for
this reason that he hath separated from us"; but they could not find in themselves
anything with which they had ever offended him. Now the old man became well again, and he
said, "I will arise and go to the fathers," and he journeyed on and came to Patârâ where
his disciples were. Now when the old man was nigh unto the river-side a young Ethiopian
woman saw him, and she came behind him, and drew near him, and plucked his raiment; and
the old man rebuked her.

Then the maiden said unto him, "If thou art a monk, depart to the mountain. Now the old
man being somewhat sad at this remark, said within himself, "Arsenius, if thou art a monk,
depart to the mountain"; and afterwards his disciples Alexander and Zoilus met him, and
they fell down at his feet, and the old man threw himself down [on the ground] also, and
he wept himself, and his disciples wept before him. And the old man said unto them, "Did
ye not hear that I have been sick? And they said unto him, "Yes. And the old man said,
"Why did ye not seek to come and see me? And Abbâ Alexander said, "Because the way in
which thou didst leave us was not right, and because of it many were offended, and they
said, 'If they had not wearied (or pressed) the old man in some way he would never have
separated from them.'" The old man saith unto them, "I know that myself, but men will also
say, 'The dove could not find rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned to Noah in
the ark'; thus the disciples were healed, and they took up their abode with him again.

344. Abba Daniel used to tell concerning Arsenius that he never wished to speak about any
investigation into the Scriptures, although he was well able to speak [on the subject] if
he had been so disposed, but he could not write even a letter quickly. 345. A certain old
man used to say, "Vaunt not thyself over thy brother in thy mind, saying, 'I possess a
greater measure of self-denial than he doth, and I can endure more than he,' but be
subject unto the Grace of Christ, with a humble spirit, and love which is not
hypocritical, lest through thy haughty spirit thou destroy thy labours. For it is written,
'Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall' (1 Corinthians x, 12); and, 'A
man must be seasoned with Christ as with salt.'" 346. An old man used to say, "Let there
be not unto thee free converse with the governor or with the judge, and be not with either
of them continually; for from such freedom of speech (or boldness) thou wilt acquire [the
habit of thinking], and from merely thinking thou wilt covet."

347. Abbâ Agathon used to say, "I have never lain down to sleep and kept anger in my
heart, or even a thought of enmity against any man; and I have never allowed any man to
lie down to sleep keeping any anger against me." 348. The old man Hyparchus used to say,
"Do not abuse thy neighbour, and drive not away a man who turneth towards thee, so that
thou mayest be able to say to our Lord, 'Forgive us our sins, even as we also forgive
those who trespass against us.'" 349. One of the fathers used to say, "If a man ask thee
for anything, and thou givest it to him grudgingly, thou wilt not receive a reward for
that which thou hast given, as it is written, 'If a man ask thee to go with him a mile, go
with him two'; and the meaning of this is, 'If a man asketh anything of thee give [it]
unto him with all thy soul and spirit.'"

350. One of the fathers related that there were three things which were especially
honoured in monks: that is to say, with fear and trembling, and spiritual gladness they
thought it meet to draw nigh, I mean to the participation in the Holy Mysteries, and the
table of the brethren, and the washing of one another, according to the example which
their true Rabbâ Christ shewed unto them, before the great day of His Resurrection was
fulfilled. And the old man himself produced an illustration [of this], saying, "There was
a certain great old man who was a seer of visions, and he happened to be sitting at meat
with the brethren, and whilst they were eating, the old man saw in the Spirit as he was
sitting at the table that some of the brethren were eating honey, whilst others were
eating bread, and others dung; and he wondered at these within himself.

And he made supplication and entreaty unto God, saying, 'O Lord, reveal unto me this
mystery, and tell me why when the food is all the same, and when the various things which
are laid upon the table are only different forms thereof, the brethren appear to be eating
different kinds of food, for some seem to be eating honey, and others bread, and others
dung.' Then a voice came unto him from above, 'saying, Those who are eating honey are
those who eat with fear, and with trembling, and with spiritual love when they sit at the
table, and who pray without ceasing, and whose praise goeth up to God like sweet incense;
for this reason they eat honey. And those who eat bread are those who confess and receive
the Grace of God, which is given unto them by Him for these things. And those who eat dung
are those who complain, and say, This is sweet and pleasant, and that is not seemly and
prospereth not.' Now it is not right 'to think about these at all, but we should glorify
and praise God the more, and receive (or welcome) His abundant provisions which come to us
without labour, so that there may be fulfilled in us that which was said by the blessed
Apostle, Whether ye eat, or whether ye drink, or whether ye do anything else, do all
things unto the glory of God'" (1 Corinthians x, 31).

351. They say that Abbâ 'Ôr never told a lie, and never swore, and never cursed a man, and
never spoke unless it was absolutely necessary. 352. One of the old men said, "That which
thou observest not thyself, how canst thou teach to another?" 353. And it was he who said
unto his disciple, "Take heed that thou never bringest an alien word into this cell." 354.
An old man used to say, "As far as I have been able to overtake my soul when it hath
transgressed, I have never slipped (or committed an offence) a second time." 355. An old
man used to say, "Strive with all thy might so that thou mayest never in any way do evil
to any man, and make thine heart to be pure with every man." 356. Abbâ Agathon used to say
to himself, whensoever he saw any act or anything which his thought wished to judge or
condemn, "Do not commit the thing thyself," and in this manner he quieted his mind, and
held his peace.

357. The old men used to say, "For a man to be so bold as to condemn his neighbour
resembleth the sweeping of the lawgiver, or the judge, from off his seat, and the wishing
to pass judgement in his place, and it is as if a man were to bring an accusation against
the weakness of the judge and to condemn him, and such an act will be found to be the
rebellion of the slave against his Lord, and against the Judge of the living and the
dead." 358. An old man used to say, "From the greatest to the least of the things which I
perform, I carefully consider the fruit which will be produced from it, whether it be in
thoughts, or in words, or in deeds." 359. They used to tell the story about Abbâ Pachomius
and say that on many occasions he heard the devils repeating many evil things of various
kinds, some of which were to come upon the brethren. First of all he heard one of them
saying, "I have [strife] with a man who constantly [defieth] me, for whensoever I approach
to sow thoughts in his mind, immediately he turneth to prayer, and I depart from him being
consumed with fire." And another devil said, "I have [strife] with a man who is easy to
persuade, and he doeth whatsoever I counsel him to do, and I love him dearly." It is right
then, O my brethren, that we should keep ourselves awake always, and that, making
ourselves mighty men in the Name of the Lord, we should strive against the devils, and
then they will never be able to overcome us.

360. One of the holy men used to say, "Through holding small wickednesses in contempt we
fall into great ones; consider then attentively the following story which is told even as
it took place. A certain man laughed in an empty manner, and his companion rebuked and
condemned him; [another brother] happened to be there, and he thought lightly of the
matter, saying, 'This is nothing; for what is it for a man to laugh?' [And the brother
replied, 'From laughter] pleasure is produced, and next empty words, and filthy actions,
and iniquity, and so from the things which are thought to be small that wicked devil
bringeth in great wickednesses. And from great wickednesses a man cometh to despair, for
this cruel and wicked evil hath the Evil One discovered (or invented) through the
malignity of his craftiness, for a man to commit sin is not so destructive as for a man to
cut off hope from his soul. For he who repenteth in a fitting manner, and according to
what is right blotteth out his offences; but he who cutteth off hope from his soul
perisheth because he will not offer unto it the binding up of repentance. Therefore let
not a man hold in contempt small wickednesses. For this is the seed which the Calumniator
soweth, for if he made war openly it would not be difficult to fight, and victory would be
easy; and even now, if we be watchful and strenuous, it will be easy for us to conquer,
for it is God Who hath armed us, and He teacheth us and entreateth us not to hold even the
smallest wickednesses in contempt. Hearken thou unto Him as He admonisheth [us], saying,
(St. Matthew v, 22) Whosoever shalt say unto his brother Râkâ,' shall be guilty of the
fire of Gehenna"; and, "He who looketh upon a woman to desire her hath already

81 committed adultery with her in his heart" (St. Matt. v, 28). "And in another place He
rebuked and admonished those who laugh, and concerning the idle word also He said, Its
answer is given"; and on account of this the blessed Job, "because of the thoughts which
were in the hearts of his sons, offered up an offering. Now therefore, since we know all
these things, let us take good heed to ourselves [and avoid] the beginning of the movement
of our thoughts, and then we shall never fall." 361. A brother said unto an old man, "Dost
thou not see that I have not even one war in my heart?" The old man said unto him, "Thou
hast an opening in thee at each of the four points of the compass, and whatsoever wisheth
can go in and come out without thy perceiving it. But if thou wilt set up a door, and wilt
shut it, and wilt not allow evil thoughts to enter, thou wilt then see them standing
outside; for if our minds be watchful and strenuous in loving God, the Enemy who is the
counsellor of wickednesses will not approach [us]."

362. A certain Mother of noble rank said, "As the stamped silver coin which is current
loseth its weight and becometh less, so doth the spiritual excellence which is apparent
and is made manifest become destroyed; and as wax melteth before the fire, so also doth
the soul become lax and confused, and strenuousness departeth from it." 363. One of the
old men used to say, "The man who doeth many good deeds doth Satan cast down by means of
small matters into pits, so that he may destroy the wages of all the good things which he
hath performed." 364. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "For what purpose were spoken
the words, 'Take no thought for the morrow?'" The old man said unto him, "For the man who
" is under temptation, and is in affliction; for it is not meet that such a man should
take thought for the morrow, or should say, 'How long shall I have to endure this tempta-
"tion?' but he should think upon patient endurance, saying, It is to-day, and the
temptation will not remain thus for a long time.'" And the old man said, "It is good that
a man " should be remote from temptation of the body, for he who is nigh unto the
temptation of the body is like unto him that standeth upon the mouth of a deep pit, and
whom, whensoever his enemy wisheth, he can easily cast therein. But if he be remote from
the temptation of the body, he is like unto a man who is far away from the pit, and even
though his enemy may wish to cast him into it, he is not able to do so because the pit is
far away from him, and whilst he is either urging him or dragging him thereto, God, the
Merciful One, sendeth him a helper."

365. And a brother said unto Abbâ Poemen, "My body is weak, and I am not able to perform
ascetic labours; speak to me a word whereby I may live"; and the old man said unto him,
"Art thou able to rule thy thought and not to permit it to go to thy neighbour in guile?"
366. And a brother also asked him, "What shall I do? For I am troubled when I am sitting
in my cell." The old man said unto him, "Think lightly of no man; think no evil in thy
heart; condemn no man and curse no man; then shall God give thee rest, and thy habitation
shall be without trouble." 367. And the same old man used to say, "The keeping of the
commandments, and the taking heed to oneself in everything, and the acquisition of
oblations, are the guides of the soul." 368. Abbâ Poemen said, "A brother asked Abbâ
Moses, saying, 'In what manner is a man to keep himself from his neighbour?' The old man
said unto him, 'Except a man layeth it up in his heart that he hath been already three
years in the grave, he will not be sufficiently strong [to keep] this saying.'"

369. Abbâ Poemen said, "If thou seest visions and hearest rumours, repeat them not to thy
neighbour, for this is victory of the war." 370. The same old man also said, "The chief of
all wickednesses is the wandering of the thoughts." 371. Abbâ Poemen said, "If a man
perform the desire, and pleasure, and custom of these, they will cast him down." 372. A
brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "If a brother owe me a few oboli, shall I remind him of
it?" The old man saith, "Remind him once." And the brother said unto him, "And if I have
reminded him and he hath given me nothing, [what am I to do then?]" The old man saith unto
him, "Let the thought perish, only do not harass the man." 373. A brother asked Abbâ
Joseph, saying, "What shall I do? For I cannot be disgraced, and I cannot work, and I have
nothing [wherefrom] to give alms." The old man said unto him, "If thou canst not do these
things, keep thy conscience from thy neighbour, and guard thyself carefully against evil
of every kind, and thou shalt live; for God desireth that the soul shall be without sin."

374. A brother asked Abbâ Sisoes of Shêkipâ about his life and works, and the old man said
unto him that which Daniel spake, "The bread of desire I have not eaten," that is to say,
"A man should not fulfil the lust of his desire." 83 II-6a 375. On one occasion Abraham
said unto Abbâ Sisoes, "Abbâ, thou hast grown old, let us draw nigh unto the habitations
of the children of men for a little"; and Abbâ Sisoes said unto him, "Let us go where
there is no woman"; then his disciple said unto him, "And what place is there without a
woman except the desert?" The old man said unto him, "Then let us go to the desert." 376.
On one occasion certain brethren came to Abbâ Pambô, and one of them asked him, saying,
"Father, I fast two days at a time, and then I eat two bread-cakes; shall I gain life, O
father, or am I making a mistake?" And another asked him and said, "I perform work with my
hands [each] day to the value of two kîrâts (i.e., carats), and I keep a few oboli by me
for my food, and the remainder I spend upon the relief of the poor; shall I be redeemed, O
father, or am I making a mistake?" And the other brethren asked of him many things, but he
answered them never a word. Now after four days they were wishing to depart, and the
clergy entreated them, saying, "O brethren, trouble not ye yourselves, for God will give
you a reward. The custom of the old man is not to speak immediately, for he doth not speak
until God giveth him permission to do so." Then the brethren went to the old man and said
unto him, "Father, pray for us"; and he said unto them, "Do ye wish to depart?" And they
said unto him, "Yes." Then he took their actions into his consideration, and he put
himself in the position of one who was writing on the ground, and said, "Pambô, one
fasteth two days at a time, and then eateth two bread-cakes; shall he become a monk by
such things as these? No! Pambô, [another] worketh for two carats a day, and giveth to
those who are in need, shall he become a monk by such things as these? No!" And he said,
"[Thy] actions are good, and if thou preservest thy conscience with thy [good actions]
thou shalt live"; and being consoled by these words, the brethren departed rejoicing.

377. Certain of the old men used to say, "If temptation cometh upon thee in the place
where thou dwellest, forsake not the place in the time of temptation, lest peradventure
thou findest wherever thou goest that from which thou fleest; but endure until the period
of temptation be overpast, and thy departure can be [effected] without offence and without
affliction, for thou wilt have departed in a time of peace. Now if thou departest during a
period of temptation, many will be afflicted because of thee, and will say that thou didst
depart because of the temptation, and this will be unto them a source of grief." 378. On
one occasion when Abbâ Sisoes was sitting down with a certain brother, he sighed
unknowingly, and he did not perceive that the brother was with him, because his mind was
carried away by the noonday [prayer]; and he made apologies to that brother, and said unto
him, "Forgive me, O my brother, that I heaved a sigh before thee [proves] that I have not
yet become a monk."

379. An old man used to say, "Whensoever I bring down the bar of the loom, and before I
raise it up again, I always set my death before mine eyes." 380. Another old man used to
say, "When I am plaiting (or sewing) a basket, with every stitch which I put into it I set
my death before my eyes before I take another stitch." 381. Abbâ Daniel used to say, "On
one occasion we went to Abbâ Poemen, and having eaten together, he said unto us
subsequently, 'Go ye and rest yourselves a little, O my brethren'; and when the brethren
had gone to rest themselves I remained that I might be able to talk to the old man
privately. And I rose up and came to his cell, and I saw that he was sitting outside on a
mat, and seeing me he lay down; now he did not know that I had seen him seated, and he
pretended to be asleep. And this was the custom of the old man, for everything which he
did was done by him in secret."

382. One of the fathers asked Abbâ Sisoes, saying, "If I am living in the desert and the
barbarians come against me to kill me, supposing that I have strength may I kill one of
them?" The old man said unto him, "No. Commit thyself unto God, and leave [it to Him]. For
with every trial which cometh upon a man he should say, 'It hath come because of my sins';
but if something good happeneth to him, let him say, 'It is of the Providence of God.'"
383. One of the old men used to say, "When the eyes of the ox are covered over then he is
subjugated by the yoke bar, but if they do not cover [his] eyes he cannot be made to bow
beneath the yoke; and thus is it with Satan, for if he can cover over the eyes of a man he
can bring him low with every kind of sin, but if his eyes be able to see (or shine), he is
able to flee from him."

384. Abbâ Anthony said, "It is not seemly for us to remember the time which hath passed,
but let a man be each day as one who beginneth his toil, so that the excessive weariness
[which we shall feel] may be to our advantage. And let him say, as Paul said, 'That which
is behind me I forget, and I reach out to that which is before me'" (Philippians iii, 13).
And let him also remember the word of Elijah, who said, 'As the Lord liveth, before Whom I
stand this day'" (1 Kings xvii, 1). 385. And the same old man said also, "Let us not
consider the time which is past, but let a man be even as he who be-ginneth, and let him
take care in such wise that he shall make himself stand before God." 386. Abbâ Paphnutius
said: "A monk is bound to keep not only his body pure, but his soul free from unclean
thoughts. Now we find that the body is consoled by thoughts, and unless the thoughts
withdraw themselves they will sink the body; and the manner in which the thoughts work is
as follows: they feed all lusts of the flesh, which is ruled by them, and in welcoming the
lusts they stir up the body also in revolt, and they cast it down, like a pilot who is
caught in a storm, and they make the ship to sink. And is it fitting that we should know
that if one man loveth another he will say nothing evil about him? for if he doth speak
against him he is not his friend; similarly he who loveth lust will not speak anything
evil against it, and if he doeth so he is not its friend. But if a man [speak] against
that which he knoweth not, (or against that which causeth him no affliction), or against
that which causeth him no pain, [he may speak evil], but against that which he hath
suffered, and that wherewith he hath been tried by the Enemy, he will speak evil, and he
will not talk about him as a friend, but as an enemy. Thus whosoever speaketh evil of and
who despiseth lust is not a friend of lusts.

387. And he also said, "As judges (or governors) slay the wicked, even so do labours slay
evil lusts; and as wicked slaves fly from their lords even so do lusts fly from the
exhaustion [caused by] ascetic labours. But good slaves hold their masters in honour as
sons hold in honour their fathers. For the exhaustion [caused by ascetic labours]
produceth good works, and from it the virtues spring up, even as the passions are produced
from dainty meats. Exhaustion then begetteth good works, when a man hath wearied himself
with [all] his soul, and it bringeth forth virtues and destroyeth vices, even as a
righteous judge [destroyeth the wicked]." 388. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "Since
I suffer loss in spirit when I am with my Abbâ, dost thou wish me to continue to live with
him any longer?" Now that old man knew that the brother was suffering loss through living
with his Abbâ, and the old man marvelled how the brother could ask him the question, "Dost
thou wish me to dwell with him any longer." And the old man said unto him, "If thou
wishest, dwell [with him]," and the brother went and did so, but he came again to the old
man and said, "I am suffering loss in spirit"; and the old man said unto him nothing. And,
when for the third time the brother came and said unto him, "Indeed, I cannot henceforth
dwell with him," Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "Now thou knowest how to live; depart, and
dwell with him no longer."

389. Therefore the old man said, "If there existeth a man who knoweth how to suffer loss
in his spirit, and who still [feeleth] the need to ask a question about [his] secret
thoughts, it is a good thing that he should ask; and it belongeth unto the old men to
search into and investigate a matter of this kind, for concerning open sins a man doth not
feel it necessary to enquire, but he cutteth them off immediately." 390. A brother asked
one of the fathers, saying, "Tell me a word whereby I may live"; and the old man answered
and said, 'We must be careful to work a little, and we must be neither negligent nor
contemptuous, and then we may be able to live.' And an old man told him the following
story, saying, 'There was a certain prosperous husbandman who was exceedingly rich, and
wishing to teach his sons husbandry he said unto them, My sons, behold, see how I have
become rich, and if ye will be persuaded by me, [and will do as I have done], ye will
become rich also.' Then they said unto him, 'Father, we will be persuaded [by thee], tell
us how [to become rich].' Now although the husbandman knew well that he who laboureth
always becometh rich, yet because he thought that they might be negligent, and despise
[work], he made use of cunning in his words, and said unto them: 'There is one day in the
year whereon if a man worketh he will become rich, but because of my exceedingly great old
age I have forgotten which it is; therefore, ye must work continually, and ye must not be
idle even one day, and ye must by every possible means in your power go forwards. But if
ye are neglectful and disinclined to work, even for one day, take good heed to yourselves
lest the day whereon ye do not work be that very day, and that lucky day pass you by, and
your labour for all the rest of the year be in vain.' Thus also, O my brethren, if we
labour and work each day, and we do not make use of sloth and negligence and contempt we
shall find the way of life.

391. Abbâ Agathon asked Abbâ Alônîs, saying, "I wish to hold my tongue that it may not
speak falsehood, [what shall I do?]" Abbâ Alônîs said unto him, "If thou dost not lie,
thou art about to commit many sins." Agathon said, "How?" And the old man said unto him,
"Behold, two brethren are going to commit a murder, and one of them will flee to thee. And
it will happen that the judge will come and search for him, and he will ask thee, saying,
'Did this murder take " 'place in thy presence?' And if thou dost not wish to tell a "lie
thou wilt deliver up to death the other man, whom it would be right for thee to let go
free, so that he might be reserved for the judgement hall of God, Who knoweth all things."
392. A certain brother was travelling on a road, and his aged mother was with him, and
they came to a river which the old woman was not able to cross; and her son took his
shoulder cloth and wound it round his hands so that they might not touch his mother's
body, and in this manner he carried her across the river. Then his mother said unto him,
"My son, why didst thou first wrap round thy hands with the cloth, and then take me
across?" and he said, "The body of a woman is fire, and through thy body there would have
come to me the memory of [the body of] another woman, and it was for this reason that I
acted as I did."


THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 (CHAPTER 9. OF LOVE, AND CHARITY, AND OF THE WELCOMING OF STRANGERS)
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THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 continued

CHAPTER 9. OF LOVE, AND CHARITY, AND OF THE WELCOMING OF STRANGERS

393. A certain old man used to dwell with a brother in a cell in a friendly manner, and he
was a man of compassionate disposition; now a famine broke out, and 393. the people began
to be hungry, and they came to him that they might receive charity, and he gave bread unto
them all. And when the brother saw that he was giving away large quantities of bread, he
said unto the old man, "Give me my portion of the bread"; and the old man said unto him,
"Take [it]," and he divided [what there was] and gave him [his share], and the brother
took it from him for himself. And the old man was compassionate, and gave away bread from
his portion, and many folk heard [that he was doing this] and came unto him, and when God
saw the generosity of the old man He blessed his bread; but the brother took all his
portion and ate it up, and when he saw that his bread was finished, and that the portion
of the old man was still lasting, he made entreaty unto him, saying, "My portion hath come
to an end, and this [bread of thine is all] that I have; receive me as a partner
[therein]. And the old man said unto him, "Good," and he associated him with himself
again. And when there was abundance [again], the people came to take [bread] from him, and
he gave it unto them again.

Now it came to pass that they lacked bread, and the brother went and found that bread was
wanting, and a poor man came for some, and the old man said unto the brother, "Go in and
give him some," and the brother said, "There is none"; for he was filled with bread. The
old man said, "Go in and search [for some]," and having gone in he found that the place
wherein they used to set [the bread] was filled with loaves to the very top, and he took
[some] and gave to the poor man, and he was afraid. Thus that brother knew the excellence
and the faith of the old man, and he gave thanks unto God, and glorified Him. 394. Two
brethren went to the market to sell their wares, and whilst one of them had gone to
perform the service, he who was left by himself fell into fornication; and the other
brother came and said unto him, "My brother, let us go to the cell," but he said unto him,
"I cannot go, for I have fallen into fornication." Now whilst he was seeking to do better,
the brother began to swear to him, saying, "I also, when I was away from thee, fell in the
same manner, nevertheless, come, and let us repent together, and it may happen that God
will pardon us." And when they came to their cells they informed the old men about the
temptation which had come to them, and whatsoever the old men told them to do the two
brothers did, and the one brother repented with the other, just as if he had sinned with
him. Now God saw the labour of his love, and in a few days He sent a revelation unto one
of the old men concerning the matter, saying, "For the sake of the love of that brother
who did not sin, forgive thou him that did commit sin." This is what is meant by the
words, "A man should lay down his soul for his friend."

395. And they also say that there was a certain self-denying and ascetic brother who
wished to go to the city to sell his handiwork, and to buy the things which he needed; and
he called a brother, and said unto him, "Come with me, and let us go and return together.
And when they had gone as far as the gate of the city, the man of abstinence said unto his
companion, "Sit down here, O my brother, and wait for me while I go in and perform my
business; and I will return speedily. And having gone into the city, and wandered round
about in the streets, a certain rich woman tried her blandishments upon him, and he
stripped off his monk's garb and took her to wife. Then he sent a message to his
companion, saying, "Arise, get thee to thy cell, for I can never see thee again"; now the
man who had been sent to him with this message related unto him the whole matter, even as
it had happened, and he said to the messenger, "God forbid that such things should be
spoken about my holy brethren, and God forbid that I should depart from this place until
my brother cometh, according to his word to me.

And having tarried there a long time, and ceasing not from weeping and praying either by
night or by day, the report of him was heard throughout the city, and the clergy, and the
monks, and the governors of the city entreated him to depart to his monastery, but he
would not hearken unto their supplication, and he said, "I cannot transgress my brother's
command, and I cannot leave this place until we go back together to the monastery. So he
stayed there for seven years, being burned by heat in the summer, and dried up by the cold
and ice in the winter, and with hunger, and thirst, and weeping and watching, he made
supplication on behalf of his brother. Then at length one day his former companion himself
came unto him, dressed in costly garments, and said unto him, "O So-and-so, I am he who
was with thee the monk So-and-so, arise, get thee gone to thy monastery"; and the brother
looked at him and said, "Thou art not, for he was a monk, and thou art a man in the world.
Then God looked upon the trouble of that brother, and at the end of the seven years the
woman died, and the brother who [had married her] repented, and again put on the garb of
the monk, and went out to his companion; and when he saw him, he rose up, and embraced him
and kissed him, and he took him with gladness, and they went forth to the monastery.

Then that brother renewed his former ascetic works, and he was worthy of the highest grade
of perfection. Thus by the patience of one man the other lived, and the saying, "A brother
is helped by his brother, even as a city is helped by its fortress," was fulfilled. 396.
On one occasion two old men came to an old man, whose custom was not to eat every day; and
when he saw them he rejoiced, and said, "Fasting hath its reward, and he who eateth for
the sake of love fulfilleth two commandments, for he setteth aside his own desire and he
fulfilleth the commandment, and refresheth the brethren." 397. They used to tell the story
of a certain brother who fell into sin, and he came unto Abbâ Lôt, and he was perplexed
and confused, and was going in and coming out, and was unable to rest. And Abbâ Lôt said
unto him, "What is the matter with thee, O my brother?" and he said, "I have committed a
great sin, and I am unable to confess it before the fathers." The old man said unto him,
"Confess it unto me, and I will bear it"; and then the brother said unto him, "I have
fallen into fornication, and I thought thou hadst discovered the matter." And the old man
said unto him, "Be of good courage, for there remaineth repentance; get thee gone and sit
in thy habitation, and fast for two weeks, and I will bear with thee one half of thy sin";
and at the end of three weeks it was revealed unto the old man that God had accepted the
repentance of that brother, and he remained with the old man, and was subject unto him
until the day of his death.

398. Certain of the fathers came to Joseph to ask him a question about welcoming the
strangers who came to them, that is to say, whether it was fitting for a man to forsake
his work, and to be with them in the ordinary way or not; and before they asked him, he
said unto his disciple, "Lay to heart 'that which I am about to do this day, and wait.'
Then the old man placed two pillows, one on his right hand, and the other on his left, and
he said unto the fathers, 'Sit ye down'; and he went into his cell, and put on the apparel
of beggars, and went forth to them; and again, he took this off, and put on the beautiful
apparel of the monks, and he went forth again, and passed among them; and he went in again
and took this off, and having put on his own clothes, he sat down in their midst, and they
marvelled at the doings of the old man. Then he said unto them, 'Have ye understood what I
did?' and they said unto him, 'Yes.' He said unto them, 'What is it?' And they said unto
him, 'Thou didst put on first of all the apparel of beggars';

he said unto them, 'Peradventure I have been changed by that disgraceful apparel?' and
they said unto him, 'No.' The old man said unto them, 'Since I have not myself been
changed by all these changes of raiment, for the first change brought no loss upon me and
the second did not change me, so are we in duty bound to welcome the brethren, according
to the command of the Gospel, which saith, Give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God
the things of God' (St Matthew xxii, 21). Therefore, whenso- 'ever strange brethren arrive
we must welcome them gladly, for it is when we are alone that it is necessary for us to
suffer.' Now when the fathers heard [these words] they marvelled that he had spoken unto
them that which was in their hearts before they asked him, and they glorified God, and
departed with rejoicing; and they received his word as if it had [come] from God, and they
accepted what he had said, and did it.

399. They used to speak about an old man, who was from Syria, and who used to dwell on the
road of the desert of Egypt, and whose work was as follows:—At whatever time a monk came
to him he would welcome him. And it came to pass that on one occasion a man came from the
desert and asked him to allow him to rest, but he would not permit him to do so, and said
unto him, "I am fasting." Then the blessed man was grieved and said unto him, "Is this thy
labour, that thou 'wilt not perform thy brother's desire? I beseech thee to come, and let
us pray, and let us follow after him with whom this tree, which is here with us, shall
bow.' Then the man from the desert knelt down, and nothing happened, but when he who
received strangers knelt down, that tree inclined its head at the same time, and seeing
this he profited, and they glorified God.

400. On one occasion Abbâ Ammon came to a certain place to eat with the brethren, and
there was there a brother concerning whom evil reports were abroad, for it had happened
that a woman had come and entered his cell. And when all the people who were living in
that place heard [of this], they were troubled, and they gathered together to expel that
brother from his cell, and learning that the blessed Bishop Ammon was there, they came and
entreated him to go with them. Now when the brother knew [this], he took the woman and hid
her under an earthenware vessel. And much people having assembled, and Abbâ Ammon,
understanding what that brother had done, for the sake of God hid the matter. And he went
in and sat upon the earthenware vessel, and commanded that the cell of the brother should
be searched, but although they examined the place they found no one there. Then Abbâ Ammon
answered and said, "What is this that ye have done? May God forgive you"; and he prayed
and said, "Let all the people go forth," and finally he took the brother by the hand, and
said unto him, "Take heed to thy soul, O my brother," and having said this he departed,
and he refused to make public the matter of the brother.

401. There were two brethren who lived in the wilderness, and they were neighbours, and
one of them used to hide whatsoever he gained from his work, whether it was bread or
whether it was oboli, and place it with his companion's goods; now the other brother did
not know this, but he wondered how it was that his goods increased so much. One day,
however, he suddenly caught him doing this, and he strove with him, saying, "By means of
thy corporeal things thou hast robbed me of my spiritual goods"; and he demanded that he
should make a covenant with him never to act in this manner again, and then he left him.
402. On one occasion Abbâ Macarius went to visit a certain monk, and he found him to be
ill, and he asked him if he wanted anything to eat, for he had nothing whatsoever in his
cell, and the monk said unto him, "I want some honeycakes"; and when the wonderful old man
heard [this] he set out for Alexandria, and he did not regard this journey as a trouble,
although [the city] was sixty miles away from them, and he brought the honeycakes to give
to the sick monk. And this he did himself, and did not tell anyone else to bring them, and
the old man thus made manifest the solicitude which he felt for the monks.

403. They used to tell the story of an old man who lived in Scete; now he had fallen sick,
and wished to eat a little fine bread. And when a certain brother heard [this], he took
his cloak and placed in it some dry bread, and he went to Egypt and changed it [for fine
bread] and brought [it] to the old man, and the old man looked upon him and wondered. But
the old man refused to eat it, saying, "This is the bread of blood, O my brother," and the
old men entreated him to eat lest the offering of the brother should be in vain, and
having pressed him the old man was persuaded and he ate the bread. 404. The blessed
Anthony never deemed it right to do that which was convenient for himself to the same
extent as that which was profitable for his neighbour.

405. An old man used to say, "I have never desired any work which doeth good to myself and
harm to my neighbour, and I have the hope that what is of benefit to my brother will be
labour that is beneficial to me, and that it will be a thing that will invite a reward for
me." 406. A certain brother from the Great Monastery was accused of fornication, and he
rose up and came to Father Anthony; and there came brethren after him from that monastery
to inform him about the matter and to take him away, and they began to accuse him, saying,
"Thus and thus hast thou done," and the brother made excuses, and said, "I never acted in
this manner." Now Abbâ Paphnutius happened to be there, and he spake a word unto them,
saying, "I saw a man in the river with the mud up to his knees, and some men came to give
him help and to drag him out, and they made him to sink up to his neck." And when Abbâ
Anthony heard [him say this], he spake concerning Abbâ Paphnutius, saying, "Behold,
indeed, a man who is able to make quiet and to redeem souls!" And the eyes of those
brethren were opened, by the word of the old men, and they took that brother, and he
departed with them to their monastery.

407. They used to say about Abbâ Theodore that when he was a young man he dwelt in the
desert, and that he went to make his bread in the same place as the monks made theirs; and
he found a certain brother who wished to make bread, but he had no one to do the work for
him, and he was unable to do it for himself. Then Abbâ Theodore left his own bread and
made that of the brother, and a second brother came and he made his also, and a third
brother came, and he did likewise; and finally when he had satisfied them, he made bread
for himself. 408. A brother asked an old man, saying, "There were two brethren, and one of
them led a life of silent contemplation in his cell, and used to fast six days at a time,
and to devote himself to great labour, and his companion used to minister to the sick;
which of them will receive the [greater reward for] his service?" The old man saith, "If
he who fasted were to raise himself up upon the works which are profitable, he would not
find himself equal before God with him that visited the sick."

409. There was a certain head of a monastery in a house of monks in the desert, and it
happened that the brother who ministered unto him had a desire to leave the monastery, and
he departed and dwelt in another monastery; now the old man was unwilling to let him go,
and on this account he was always going to him to visit him, and he entreated him to
return to his monastery, and the brother refused to do so. And for three whole years the
old man used to go to the brother and entreat him to return, and finally he was
constrained, and he departed with him. One day the old man told him to go out and bring in
some fuel for the fire, and whilst he was gathering the firewood, by the agency of Satan,
a stick stuck in his eye and it was put out; and when the old man heard of this he was
greatly grieved, and being full of sorrow he began to speak to him words of good cheer.
And the brother answered, and said, "Be not afflicted, O father, for I was the cause of
this myself, for this hath happened to me through all the toil and labour which I brought
upon thee when thou usedst to go and come to me.

And after a little time, when the brother had recovered from the sickness caused by the
injury to his eye, the old man said unto him, "Go out and bring in some palm leaves from
the ground," for this was the work which the monks who dwelt there had to do; and whilst
the brother was cutting them, once again, as it were by the agency of Satan, a stick
sprang up in the air, and smote the man in the other eye, and it was put out, and he came
to the monastery in grief, and he was perforce idle and useless because he was unable to
do any work. Thus the old man was deprived [of a servant], and he had no one with him,
because each of the brethren dwelt in his own cell. And after a short time the day of his
departure, which he had known beforehand, drew nigh, and he sent and called all the
brethren and said unto them, "The day of my departure hath drawn nigh. Watch ye
yourselves, and take good heed to the service of your lives (or life's work), and treat
not lightly your ascetic labours. And each one of them began to say to him sorrowfully,
"Father, why art thou leaving us? and the old man held his peace. Then he sent and brought
the blind man, and revealed to him concerning his departure, and the blind man wept and
said unto him, "Wherefore leavest thou me, the blind man?

The old man saith unto him, "Pray that I may have openness of face with God, and that I
may find mercy before Him, and I have hope through His help, that on the First Day of the
Week thou wilt be able to perform the service with thy companions"; and straightway the
old man died. And, according to his word, a few days later he appeared unto that brother,
and his eyes were opened, and he became an Abbâ and a head of monks. Now these things were
related unto us by those who were acquainted with the period wherein the old man lived.
410. A certain man of abstinence saw a man who had a devil, and who was unable to fast,
and he was exceedingly sorry for him; and by reason of the love for Christ with which he
was filled, and because he not only took care for himself, but for his companion also, he
prayed and entreated God that the devil might come to him, and that the man might be
released from him. Now God looked upon his prayer and upon his good will, and saw that the
holy man was carrying a great load on behalf of that demoniac, and since that brother
began to prolong his fasting and prayer, and to practise continually self-denial, in a few
days that evil spirit departed. 411. They used to say concerning Abbâ Poemen that when he
was pressed by any man to go with him to eat at an unusual time, he would go, with the
tears streaming from his eyes, so that he might not resist the wish of that brother and
cause him annoyance; for he would forgo his own will, and he would humble himself and go.

412. There was an old man in the Cells whose name was Apollo, and when one of the brethren
came to call him to work, he would go joyfully, saying, "I go to-day with the King Christ
to work on my own behalf, for this is the reward of this labour." 413. On one occasion
Abraham, the disciple of Abbâ Sisoes, was tempted by Satan, and the old man saw him fall
down, and straightway he spread out his hands towards heaven, and said to God, "My Lord, I
will not let Thee go until Thou hast healed him," and straightway Abraham was healed. 414.
A certain monk was sitting by the monastery, and whilst he was occupied in great labours,
it happened that strangers came to the monastery, and they forced him to eat with them
contrary to his usual custom, and afterwards the brethren said unto him, "Father, wast
thou not just now afflicted?" And he said unto them, "My affliction is to break my will."

415. On one occasion three old men went to Abbâ Akilâ, and on one of them [rested] some
small suspicion of evil; and one of them said unto him, "Father, make me a net," and he
replied, "I will not make thee a net." Then another said unto him, "Do [us] an act of
grace, and make us a net, so that we may be able to keep thee in remembrance in our
monastery"; and Akīlā said again, "I am not at leisure [to do so]." Then the third
brother, on whom [rested] the suspicion of evil, also said unto him, "Father, make me a
net which I can possess [direct] from thy hands"; and Akīlā answered straightway, and said
unto this man, "I will make one for thee." And afterwards the [other] two brethren said
unto him privately, "[Consider] how much we entreated thee, and yet thou wouldst not be
persuaded to make [a net] for us, and thou didst say to this man, 'I will make thee one
immediately!'" The old man said unto them, "I told you that I would not make one, and ye
were not grieved, because I had not the leisure; but if I had not made one for this man,
he would have said, 'It was because the old man had heard about my sins that he was
unwilling to make a net for me.'"

416. On one occasion three brethren went to harvest, and the three of them undertook to
reap the harvest [in certain fields] together for a certain sum of money; but one of them
fell sick on the first day, and was unable to work, and he went back and lay down in his
cell. Then one of the two brethren who remained said unto his companion, "Behold, O my
brother, thou seest that our brother hath fallen sick, let us exert ourselves a little,
thou and I, and let us believe that by his prayers we shall be sufficiently strong to do
his share of the work of harvest for him. Then when the harvest was ended, and they came
to receive their hire, they called the [sick] brother, and said unto him, "Come, brother,
and take also the hire of thy harvesting"; and he said, "What hire can there be for me
since I have not been harvesting? And they said unto him, "Through thy prayers the harvest
hath been reaped; come now, and take [thy] hire. Then the contention between them waxed
strong, for the [sick] brother contended that he ought not to receive [any wages], and
they said, "We will not leave thee until thou dost.

So they went, that they might be heard by a certain great old man, and that brother
answered and said, "O father, three of us went to harvest, but I fell sick on the first
day, and went and lay down in my cell, and although I did not work even one day these
brethren urge me, saying, 'Come and take the hire for which thou didst not work.'" Then
the two brethren said, "Three of us went to the harvest, and we took certain fields [to
reap] together, and if we had been thirty we should have succeeded in reaping them with
great labour; but through the prayers of this our brother the two of us reaped them
quickly, and we said to him, 'Come, take thy hire, because, through thy prayers, God
helped us, and we reaped quickly,' but he would not take [it]. Then the old man said unto
the brethren who were with him, "Beat the board, and let all the 'brethren be gathered
together,' and when they were assembled he said unto them, 'Come, O ye brethren, and hear
this day a righteous judgement,' and he related before them the whole matter, and they
decided that the brother was to receive his hire, and that he might do whatsoever he
wished [therewith]. And the brother went away weeping and distressed.

417. On one occasion a certain demoniac came to Scete, and having passed a long time there
without being healed, he complained about the matter to one of the old men, who made the
sign of the Cross over him, and healed him. But the devil was angry, and said unto the old
man, "Now that thou hast cast 'me out I will come upon thee'; and the old man said unto
him, 'Come gladly, and I shall rejoice.' And the old man passed twelve years with the
devil inside him, vexing him, now he used to eat twelve dates each day, and after these
years that devil leaped out of him, and departed from him. Now when the old man saw that
he was taking to flight, he said unto him, 'To whom dost thou flee? Continue [with me]
longer'; and the devil answered and said unto him, 'By Jupiter, God hath made thee
useless, O old man; God alone is equal to thy strength.'

418. The old man Theodore asked Abbâ Pambô, saying, "Tell me a word"; and with much labour
he said unto him, "Theodore, get thee gone, and let thy mercy be poured out on 'every man,
for [thy] lovingkindness hath found freedom of speech (or boldness) before God.' 419. A
certain brother went to buy some linen from a widow, and as she was selling it to him, she
sighed; the brother said unto her, "What aileth thee?" and the widow said unto him, "God
hath sent thee this day that my orphans may be fed." Now when that brother heard [these
words] he was distressed, and he took secretly from the linen which was his, and threw it
on to the widow's side of the scales until he fulfilled an act of charity towards her.
420. A certain brother came to Abbâ 'Ôr, and said unto him, "Come with me to the village,
and buy me a little wheat of which I am in need'; now the old man was greatly troubled at
this, because he was not accustomed to go to the village, nevertheless, being afraid [of
transgressing] the commandment, he rose up and went with him. And when they arrived at the
village the old man saw a man passing by, and he called him and said unto him, Do an act
of kindness, and 'take this brother and satisfy his need,' and in this way he was able to
flee to the mountain.

421. 97 421. On one occasion Adlēp, Bishop of Neapolis, went to visit Abbâ Sisoes, and
when he wished to depart the old man made him and the brethren who were with him to eat in
the morning; now the days were the first days of the fast. And when they had made ready
the table to eat, behold, certain men from the plough knocked at the door, and the old man
said unto his disciple, "Open to them, and put some of the 'boiled food in a dish, and set
it before them to eat, for they have just come from labour." The Bishop said, "Let it
'alone, or perhaps they will say that Abbâ Sisoes eateth at this time." And the old man
looked at the youth and said unto him, "Go, and give them the food"; and when the
strangers saw the boiled food they said unto him, "Have ye 'strangers with you?
Peradventure Abbâ is also eating with them?" And the disciple said unto them, "Yes." Then
they cried out and spake words of condemnation to the company, saying, "May God forgive
you, for ye have made the old man 'to eat at this time of the day. Perhaps ye are unaware
that ye are causing him much vexation thereat?" And when the Bishop heard these things he
expressed contrition, and said unto him, "Forgive me, I have behaved after the manner of a
'man, but thou hast acted like God."

422. They used to say that, [on one occasion] when Abbâ Agathon came to the city to sell
his handiwork, he found a stranger lying sick in the market, and he had no man to care for
him, and the old man stayed with him; and he hired a room in the town and remained therein
working with his hands, now [what he received therefor] he spent on the rent of the room
and on the needs of the sick man, for a period of four months, and when the sick man was
made whole the old man departed to his own cell. 423. And an old man used to say, "It is a
defect in a man 'if, when he is reviled by his brother, or when any evil cometh to him
from him, he cannot strengthen his love before he meeteth him." 424. A brother was, on one
occasion, sent from Scete by his Abbâ on a camel to Egypt to fetch palm leaves for
[making] baskets, and having gone down and brought the camel, another brother met him and
said unto him, "Had I known 'that thou wast coming up I should have begged thee to bring a
camel for me also"; and when the brother came and told his Abbâ what had been said unto
him by his companion, his Abbâ said unto him, "Take the camel and lead it to that
'brother, and say unto him, We have taken counsel, and we have given up the intention of
bringing up palm leaves at present, but do thou take [the camel] and bring some up for
thyself.'" Now the brother did not wish to accept the camel, but [his companion] entreated
him [to do so], saying, " If thou dost not take him we shall waste what we have paid " in
hire for him." So the brother took the camel and brought up his palm leaves. And after he
had gone up to Egypt that brother took the camel a second time, and he came back that he
himself might go up; and the brother said unto him, " Where " takest thou the camel?" and
he said unto him, " To Scete, " so that we also may bring up our palm leaves"; and that
brother repented and was very sorry, and he expressed contrition and said, " Forgive me,
my brethren, for your great " charity hath taken away my hire."

425. One of the brethren said, " Whilst we were sitting and " talking about love, Abbâ
Joseph said, ' Do we know what " 'love is?' And he said that Abbâ Agathon had a little
knife, " and that a certain brother came to him and said, ' Father, " 'the little knife
which thou hast is pretty'; and Abbâ Agathon " did not let him depart until he had taken
it." 426. Abbâ Agathon used to say, " If I could find an Arian to " whom I could give my
body and take his in its place, I would " do so, because this would be perfect love." 427.
A brother asked Abbâ Muthues, saying, " What shall I " do if a brother come unto me, and
it be a time of fast or the " morning, and I am in tribulation?" The old man said unto
him, " If thou art afflicted, and dost eat with the brother thou " doest well; but if thou
dost not look at the man, and dost " eat, this is a matter of thy will only."

428. Mother Sarah used to say, " It is a good thing for a " man to give alms, even though
he do so for the approbation " of the children of men, for from this he will come to do it
for " God's sake." 429. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, " If I find a " place wherein
there is pleasure for the brethren, dost thou " wish me to dwell there?" The old man said
unto him, " Where " thou wilt not do harm to thy brother, there dwell." 430. Abbâ Poemen
used to say that whenever Isidore, the priest of Scete, used to address the brethren in
the church, he spake the following words only: " My brethren, it is written, " Forgive thy
brother that thou also mayest be accounted " worthy of forgiveness" (St. Luke vi, 37; St.
Matthew vi, 14). 431. They used to say that at the beginning Abbâ Zeno refused to take
anything from any man, and that those who brought him things used to go away sorrowfully
because he would not be persuaded to accept them from them. And other men used to come and
ask him to give them gifts as of a great old man, and they also went away sorrowfully
because he re-

99 II-7a fused to do so. Then the old man said within himself, "Those who bring go away in
sorrow, and those who beg also go away grieving because they have received nothing; I
will, therefore, act as follows: If any man bringeth me anything I will take it, and if
any man asketh me for anything I will give it"; and he did so, and pleased every one. 432.
The disciple of Abbâ Theodore said, "A certain man on one occasion came to sell onions,
and he filled a basin with some of them and gave them to us; and the old man said to me,
'Fill [the basin] with wheat and give it to him.' Now there were two baskets of wheat
there, one full of clean wheat, and the other was full of wheat which was dirty, and I
filled the basin with the dirty wheat and gave it to him. Then the old man looked at me in
wrath and anger, and in my fear I fell down, and broke the basin; and the old man said
unto me, 'Arise, thou art not akin to me, but I know well what I said unto thee.' And the
old man went in and filled his garment with clean wheat, and gave it to the man with the
onions, together with his onions."

433. A certain monk used to dwell by the side of a coenobium, and he was occupied in great
ascetic labours, and led a life of hard work, and strangers came to the coenobium, and
forced him to eat before his time; and afterwards the brethren said unto him, "Art thou
not now afflicted, father?" He said unto them, "Although I am afflicted I have cut off my
desire." 434. A certain old man used to say, "It is right for a man to take up the burden
for those who are akin (or near) to him, whatsoever it may be, and, so to speak, to put
his own soul in the place of that of his neighbour, and to become, if it were possible, a
double man; and he must suffer, and weep, and mourn with him, and finally the matter must
be accounted by him as if he himself had put on the actual body of his neighbour, and as
if he had acquired his countenance and soul, and he must suffer for him as he would for
himself. For thus is it written:—'We are all one body,' and this [passage] also affordeth
information concerning the holy and mysterious kiss."

435. An old man said that the father had a custom of going to the cells of the new
brethren, who wished to live by themselves, to visit them, lest one of them might be
tempted and injured in his mind by the devils, and if they found any man who had been
harmed they would bring him to the church, and would place a wash-basin full of water [in
the midst], and when prayer had been made on behalf of him that had been brought there,
all the brethren would wash themselves and then pour some of the water upon him, and
immediately that brother was cleansed. 436. A brother asked an old man, saying, "If I find
a brother concerning whom I have heard [that he hath committed] some offence, I never rest
until I have brought him into my cell; but if I see a man who leadeth a good life I bring
him unto myself gladly." The old man said unto him, "Do that which is good twice over unto
the former man, for he is sick, and he needeth help."

437. An old man used to say, "Defeat cometh to a man if, when he is reviled and treated
with contempt by his brother, he doth not shew him evenness of heart before he repenteth
and asketh him to forgive him." 438. There was a monk, and away on the mountain, which was
about ten miles distant from him, was another monk; and the first monk had some bread in
his cell, and he meditated in his mind and determined to invite the other monk to come and
partake of his bread. And again he thought in his mind, saying, "Since the bread is with
me I shall give my brother the labour [of walking] ten miles [if I invite him to come
here], but it will be more helpful [to him] if I take one half of the bread which I
possess, and carry it to him"; so he took the bread to carry it to the cell of the other
brother. Now as he was journeying along, he tripped up, and fell, and injured one of his
fingers, and as the blood was running down he began to cry because of the pain; and there
appeared unto him suddenly an angel who said unto him, "Why weepest thou? And the monk
said unto him, "I have hurt my finger, and it paineth me"; and the angel said unto him,
"Dost thou weep because of this? Weep not, for the number of every step which thou takest
for our Lord's sake is written down, and is estimated at a great reward (or hire) before
Him, and the report of the labour of such things goeth up to Him.

And that thou mayest be certain that such is the case, behold, in thy presence I will take
some of this blood and carry [it] to our Lord"; and immediately the monk was healed, and
with rejoicing and thanksgiving to God he set out again on his journey to go to his
companion. And having come to him and given him the bread, he related unto him concerning
the love for man which is found in the good Lord, the Creator of the universe, and then
went back to his cell. Now after one day he took the other half of the bread and went to
carry it to another monk. And it happened that he also was found to be burning with
anxiety to emulate works of this kind, and he wanted to do even as the other monk had
done; and having set out to go and carry the bread of the first monk, they happened to
meet each other on the way. Then the first monk who had done good to the other monk began
to say unto him, "I possessed a certain treasure, and thou wishest to rob me [of it]"; and
the other monk said unto him, "Where is it written that the strait and narrow door is
sufficient for thyself alone? Let us, even us, go in with thee. Then straightway, whilst
they were holding converse, the angel of the Lord appeared, and said unto them, "Your
contending hath ascended unto the Lord even as a sweet smell."

439. On one occasion, a certain excellent man, who feared God in his life and works, and
who was living in the world, went to Abbâ Poemen, and some of the brethren, who were also
with the old man, were asking him questions [wishing] to hear a word from him. Then Abbâ
Poemen said to the man who was in the world, "Speak a word to the brethren"; but he
entreated him, saying, "Forgive me, father, but I came to learn." And the old man pressed
him [to speak], and, as the force of his urging increased, he said, "I am a man living in
the world, and I sell vegetables, and because I do not know how to speak from a book,
listen ye to a parable. There was a certain man who had three friends, and he said to the
first, 'Since I desire to see the Emperor come with me'; and the friend said unto him, 'I
will come with thee half the way.' And the man said to the second friend, 'Come, go with
me to the Emperor's presence'; and the friend said unto him, 'I will come with thee as far
as his palace, but I cannot go with thee inside'; and the man said the same unto his third
friend, who answered and said, 'I will come with thee, and I will go inside the palace
with thee, and I will even stand up before the Emperor and speak on thy behalf.'" Then the
brethren questioned him, wishing to learn from him the strength of the riddle (or dark
saying), and he answered and said unto them, "The first friend is abstinence, which
leadeth as far as one half of the way; and the second friend is purity and holiness, which
lead to heaven; and the third friend is lovingkindness, which stablisheth a man before
God, and speaketh on his behalf with great boldness."

440. A brother went to visit a certain monk, and when he went forth from him, he said unto
him, "Forgive me, father, for having made thee to desist from thy rule"; and the monk said
unto him, "My rule is to refresh thee, and to send thee away in peace." 441. On one
occasion a command was given to the brethren who were in Scete, and it was said unto them,
"Fast ye this week, and celebrate the Passover." And it happened that some brethren came
from Egypt to Abbâ Moses, and whilst he was boiling for them a little food, his neighbours
saw the smoke [of his fire] rising up, and they said to the clergy, "Behold, Moses hath
broken the command, and hath boiled some food in his cell"; and they said unto them, "Hold
ye your peace, and when he cometh to us we will speak to him." Now when the Sabbath
arrived, the clergy, having regard to his great ascetic labours, said unto him before the
whole assembly, "O Abbâ Moses, though thou dost break the command of men, thou stablishest
[that of God]."

442. They used to tell the story of a certain brother who, when he was throwing away the
handles of his baskets, heard his neighbour say, "What shall I do? For the festival
draweth nigh, and I have no handles to put on my baskets"; and the brother went
straightway and picked up the handles of his baskets, and brought them to his companion,
saying, "Behold I have these, of which I have no need, take them and put them on thy
baskets"; and he left his own work and completed that of his companion. 443. Certain of
the old men went to Abbâ Poemen, and said unto him, "Dost thou wish us if we see brethren
sleeping in the congregation, to smite them so that they may wake up?" And he said unto
them, "If I see my brother sleeping, I place his head upon my knees, and I give him a
place to rest upon"; then an old man said unto him, "And what dost thou say unto God?"
Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "I say unto Him thus: Thou Thyself hast said, 'First of all
pluck the beam out of thine own eye, and then thou wilt be able to see to take the mote
out of the eye of thy brother'" (St. Matthew vii, 3).


THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 (CHAPTER 10. OF HUMILITY AND OF HOW A MAN SHOULD THINK LIGHTLY OF HIMSELF, AND SHOULD ESTEEM HIMSELF THE INFERIOR OF EVERY MAN)
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THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 continued

CHAPTER 10. OF HUMILITY AND OF HOW A MAN SHOULD THINK LIGHTLY OF HIMSELF, AND SHOULD ESTEEM HIMSELF THE INFERIOR OF EVERY MAN

444. Abbâ Isaac, the priest of the Cells, used to say: When I was a young man I used to
dwell with Abbâ Chronius, and he never at any time told me to do any work; now he was an
old man and he trembled, but he would stand up and give water with his hands to me, and to
all of us alike. And with Abbâ Theodore of Parmê it was the same, for he never told me to
do any work whatsoever, but he would make ready the table with his own hands, and would
say, "Brother, come [and] eat." And I said unto him, "Father, I came that I might assist
thee, and how is that thou dost not tell me to do something?" But the old man in all this
held his peace. And I went up and informed the old men, and they came to him, and said
unto him, "Father, this brother came unto thy holiness that he might be assisted [by
thee], and why dost thou not tell him to do something?" Then the old man said unto them,
"Am I the head of a monastery that I should give him a command? I shall say unto him
nothing except that [I] wish him to do that which he seeth me do." And from that time I
was always before him in doing that which the old man was going to do; now whatsoever he
did, he did in silence, and in this manner he made me to know and taught me to work in
silence also.

445. There was a certain Egyptian monk in Constantinople under the reign of Theodosius the
Less, and he used to dwell in a little cell, and when the Emperor went forth [on one
occasion] to take his pleasure, he came by himself to the monk; now the following of men
who were with him waited for him at a distance. And the Emperor took off his crown from
his head, and hid it, and he knocked at the door of the monk, and when he opened to him he
knew that it was the Emperor, but he [feigned] forgetfulness and would not recognize him,
and he welcomed him as one of his own rank in life, and he prayed and sat down. Then the
Emperor began to question him, saying, "How are the fathers who are in Egypt?" And the
monk said unto him, "They all pray for thy health." And the Emperor examined his cell, and
saw nothing there except a small basket wherein was bread, and the monk said to him,
"Eat," and he dipped the bread in water, and poured oil on it, and salt, and he gave it to
the Emperor, who ate it; and he gave him some water, and he drank. Then the Emperor said
unto him, "Knowest thou who I am?" And the monk said unto him, "God knoweth who thou art."
And the Emperor said unto him, "I am Theodosius, the Emperor," and straightway the monk
paid homage unto him. Then the Emperor said unto him, "Blessed art thou in that thou hast
none of the cares of this world; verily I was born to kingship and before this day I have
never been satisfied with bread and water, and they have pleased me greatly"; and the
Emperor began to pay honour to him. And straightway that monk fled to Egypt with all the
speed that was possible.

446. A certain brother came to Abbâ Macarius, the Egyptian, and said unto him, "Father,
speak to me a word whereby I may live." Abbâ Macarius saith unto him, "Get thee to the
cemetery and revile the dead"; and he went and reviled them, and stoned them with stones,
and he came and informed the old man [that he had done so]. And the old man said unto him,
"Did they say nothing unto thee?" and the brother said unto him, "No." And again the old
man said unto him, "Go to-morrow and praise them, and call them, 'Apostles, Saints, and
Righteous Men'; and he came to the old man, and said, " I have praised them." And the old
man said unto him, " And did they return thee no answer?" and he said " No." And the old
man said unto him, " Thou seest how thou hast praised them, and that they said nothing to
thee, and that although thou didst revile them they returned thee no answer. And thus let
it be with thyself. If thou wishest to live, become dead, so that thou mayest care neither
for the reviling of men nor for [their] praise, for the dead care for nothing; in this
wise thou wilt be able to live."

447. One of the fathers used to relate that he had an old man in a cell, who performed
many ascetic labours, and who clothed himself in a palm-leaf mat; and this old man went to
Abbâ Ammon, who, seeing that he wore a palm-leaf mat only, said unto him, " This will
profit thee nothing." And the old man asked him, saying, " Three thoughts vex me. Shall I
go to the desert, or shall I go forth into exile, or shall I shut myself up in a cell, and
receive no man, and eat once every two days?" Abbâ Ammon said unto him, " Thou art not
able to do any one of these things, but go, sit in thy cell, and eat a very little food
each day, and let there be in thine heart always the word[s] of the publican, ' God be
merciful to me ' a sinner,' and thus thou shalt be able to live" (St. Luke xviii, 13).

448. Abbâ Daniel used to relate a story, saying:—There was with us in Babylon of Egypt the
daughter of a man who was the captain of a company of soldiers, and she was possessed of a
devil, and her father took her to many places, but she could not find healing. Now her
father had a friend who was a monk, and he said unto him, " No man is able to cure her
except those monks of whom I spake unto thee, but even if we entreat them to do this they
will not agree to it, because they flee from the love of the approbation [of men].
Nevertheless, when they come to sell [their] baskets, ye shall pretend that ye wish to buy
some, and when they come to sell and to take the price of the baskets from thy house, we
will say unto them, ' Put up a prayer, and this maiden shall be healed' "; and the man did
so. And they came as it were to buy baskets, and they found the disciple of these holy men
sitting down and selling [them], and they took him and the baskets, and carried him to
their houses, and then they set another man in his place, and commanded him when the monks
came to bring them to them. Now when their disciple entered the house, the maiden who was
possessed of a devil went forth and smote him on the cheek, but that brother fulfilled the
commandment and turned to her the other cheek, and straightway that devil, who was unable
to bear the blow of the commandment of Christ which was fulfilled, cried out with a loud
voice, and departed. And when the monks came [the people in the house] related unto them
the reason for what had happened, and they glorified God, and said, It is customary for
the boasting of the Evil One to fall before the humility of the commandments of Christ."

449. On one occasion Abbâ Ammon went to Abbâ Anthony, and he lost the way, and sat down
for a little and fell asleep; and he rose up from his slumber, and prayed unto God, and
said, "I beseech Thee, O Lord God, not to destroy that which Thou hast fashioned." Then he
lifted up his eyes, and, behold, there was the form of a man's hand above him in the
heavens, and it shewed him the way until he came and stood above the cave of Abbâ Anthony;
and when he had gone into the cave to the old man, Abbâ Anthony prophesied unto him,
saying, "Thou shalt increase in the fear of God." Then he took him outside the cave, and
showing him a stone, said, "Curse this stone, and smite it," and he did so, and Abbâ
Anthony said unto him, "It is thus that thou shalt arrive at this state, for thou shalt
bear heaviness, and great abuse"; and this actually happened to Abbâ Ammon. Now, through
his abundant goodness Abbâ Ammon knew not wickedness. And after he had become a Bishop,
through his spiritual excellence they brought unto him a virgin who had conceived, and
they said unto him, "So-and-so hath done this deed; let them receive correction"; but he
made the sign of the Cross over her belly, and ordered them to give her six pair of linen
cloths, and he said, "Peradventure when she bringeth forth either she or the child will
die, [and if either dieth] let them be buried." Then those who were with him said unto
him, "What is this that thou hast done? Give the command that they receive correction."
And he said unto them, "See, O my brethren, she is nigh unto death, and what can I do?"
Then he dismissed her. And the old man never ventured to judge anyone, for he was full of
lovingkindness and endless goodness to all the children of men.

450. They used to say that [on one occasion] when Abbâ Arsenius the Great fell ill in
Scete, a priest went and brought him to the church, and he spread a palm-leaf mat for him,
and [placed] a small pillow under his head; and one of the old men came to visit him and
saw that he was lying upon a mat and that he had a pillow under his head, and he was
offended and said, "And this is Arsenius lying upon such things! Then the priest took the
old man aside privately, and said unto him, "What labour didst thou do in thy village? and
the old man said unto him, "I was a shepherd. And the priest said unto him, "What manner
of life didst thou lead in the world? and he said unto him, "A life of toil, and sore
want. And when the old man had described all the tribulation which he had endured in the
world, the priest said unto him, "And here what manner of life dost thou lead? And the old
man said unto him, "In my cell I have everything comfortable, and I have more than I
want"; and the priest said unto him, "Consider [the position of] Abbâ Arsenius when he was
in the world! He was the father of kings, and a thousand slaves, girt about with gold-
embroidered vests, and with chains and ornaments round their necks, and clothed in silk,
stood before him; and he had the most costly couches and cushions [to lie upon].

But thou wast a shepherd, and the comforts which thou didst never enjoy in the world thou
hast here; but this man Arsenius hath not here the comforts which he enjoyed in the world,
and now thou art at thine ease whilst he is troubled. Then the mind of the old man was
opened, and he expressed contrition and said, "Father, forgive me; I have sinned. Verily
this is the way of truth. He hath come to a state of humility, whilst I have attained to
ease. And the old man having profited went his way. 451. They used to say that on one
occasion Abbâ Macarius was passing along the road when Satan met him, and the Devil wished
to cut him down with the scythe which he held in his hand, but he was unable to do so, and
he said unto him, "Macarius, I am dragged along by thee with great force, but I cannot
overcome thee. Now, behold, everything which thou doest I can do also. Thou fastest, and I
never eat at all. Thou watchest, and I never go to sleep, and there is one thing only
wherein thou dost conquer me." Then Macarius said unto him, "And what is that?" And Satan
said, "It is thy humility, for it is because of this that I cannot vanquish thee"; then
Macarius spread out his hands in prayer, and the Devil was no more seen. 452. On one
occasion a devil took a knife and stood over Abbâ Macarius wishing to cut off his leg, and
when he was unable to do so on account of the humility [of the old man], he answered and
said unto him, "Everything which ye possess we possess also, and it is only in humility
that ye are superior to us, and [it is only by means of it] that ye conquer us."

453. Abbâ Anthony said, "I saw all the snares of the Enemy laid out upon the ground, and I
groaned and said, 'Who can escape from these?'" And the devils said unto me, 'Humility
maketh a man to escape from these, for we cannot attain unto it.'" 454. An old man said,
"Whensoever a man is praised it is meet for him to think upon his sins, and he should
consider, saying, 'I am unworthy of the things which are said about me.'" 455. The blessed
Macarius behaved towards all the brethren without any wicked suspicion, and certain people
said unto him, "Why dost thou act in this manner?" And he said, "Behold, for twelve years
I have been supplicating my Lord to give me this gift, and would you advise me to
relinquish it?" If it happen that one of the brethren commit a sin before the eyes of him
who possesseth no wickedness, and he know that it is an evil thing, it is not right that
he should bear some of the pain of him that hath fallen."

456. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "No monk should condemn any man in anything, and no monk
should reward a man with [evil for] evil, and no monk should be a man of anger." 457. An
old man asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "Some brethren dwell with me; dost thou wish me to give
them commandments?" And he said unto him, "No, but thou thyself must first do work, and if
they wish to live, they will observe [it] and do [it]." The old man said unto him, "Ought
they also to wish me to govern them?" And Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "No, be unto them an
example, and not a lawgiver." 458. Abbâ Poemen said, "If a brother come unto thee, and
thou be not benefited by his coming in [to thee], enquire in thine heart, and learn what
thought thou hadst [in thy mind] before the entrance of that brother, and then thou wilt
learn whence cometh the source of injury; if thou wilt do this with humility and
knowledge, behold, thou wilt live without blame with thy brother, and thou wilt bear thine
own shortcomings. If a man maketh his habitation with knowledge it will not fall, for God
is before it, and, as it appeareth to me, from this habitation a man may acquire the fear
of God."

459. A brother asked an old man, saying, "By what means may a man go forward? and the old
man said unto him, 'The greatness of a man consisteth of humility, for in proportion as a
man descendeth to humility, he becometh exalted to greatness.'" 460. Abbâ John used to
say, "We relinquish a light burden when we condemn ourselves, but we take upon ourselves a
heavy burden when we [attempt to] make ourselves righteous." 461. On one occasion Abbâ
Theophilus went to the Nitrian Mountain to visit the fathers, and the priest of the
Mountain came to him; and Abbâ Theophilus said to him, now he was Theophilus the Bishop of
Alexandria, "What thing of excellence hast thou found on this road?" And the old man said
unto him, "I make accusations against myself, and I blame myself at all times"; and Abbâ
Theophilus said unto him, "Verily this is the way of truth."

A variant reads: "On one occasion the Archbishop Theophilus went to the mountain of
Nitria, and a certain Abbâ of the monks who was in the mountain came unto him; Abbâ
Theophilus said unto him, What more do the monks find in this way [than in any other]?"
The old man said unto him, "They condemn themselves continually, and they do not judge
their neighbours"; and Abbâ Theophilus said, "There is no way but this." 462. On one
occasion they brought a man possessed of a devil to one of the old men of Thebes, and
entreated him to cast the devil out, but the old man was unwilling [to do so]; but since
they urged him strongly he was persuaded, and he had mercy on the man, and he said to the
devil, "Get thee out from that which God hath fashioned." Then the devil answered and
said, "I am going out, but I would ask thee to tell me one thing: What is the meaning of
that which is written in the Gospel, Who are the goats and who are the sheep?" The old man
answered and said, "I myself am [one of] the goats, but God knoweth who the sheep are";
and when the devil heard this, he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Behold, I go forth
because of thy humility," and straightway he left the man and departed.

463. They used to say that on one occasion a few early, white figs came to Scete, but
because they were nothing [of importance] they did not send any to Abbâ Arsenius, not
wishing to insult him; and when the old man heard of this he did not come to the
congregation, saying, "Ye separated me from the blessed gift which God sent to the
brethren because I was unworthy to partake of it." And when the old man heard [this] they
profited [greatly] by his humility, and the priest went and carried some of the figs to
him, and brought him to the congregation with great joy. 464. A certain Abbâ asked Abbâ
Muthues, saying, "If I go to a place to dwell, how wouldst thou have me conduct myself?"
The old man said unto him, "If thou wishest to dwell in a certain place, [do so,] but do
not let go forth concerning thyself any fame for praiseworthy acts, [or say,] 'I do not
eat,' or, 'I do not drink,' for such things only produce empty fame; and thou wilt find at
length that thou wilt profit from many, for men will go where they can find qualities of
this kind." Then the brother said unto him, "What shall I do?" and the old man said unto
him, "Wheresoever thou dwellest conduct thyself in a simple manner like every one else,
and what thou seest those who fear God do, [I mean] those in whom thou hast confidence,
that do also, and thou shalt be at ease. For to be as all other men are is true humility,
and the men who see that thou art like unto all other men will regard thee as they regard
every one else, and thou wilt not be troubled."

465. A certain brother went on one occasion from Egypt to Syria to visit Abbâ Zeno, and
the Egyptians began to make accusations against his thoughts before the old man. And when
Abbâ Zeno heard this, he marvelled and said, "The Egyptians always hide the spiritual
excellences which they possess, but they describe the shortcomings which they do not
possess; on the other hand, the Syrians and the Greeks declare that they possess the
virtues which they have not, and they hide the shortcomings which they do possess." 466.
They used to talk about a certain old man who fasted for seventy weeks, and who only ate
each Saturday; and he asked God that a word from the Book might be given unto him, but it
was not given. Then he said within himself, "Behold, I have laboured in all these things,
and I have omitted nothing; I will arise and go to my brother and question him [about
it]." And when he had shut the door to depart, the angel of the Lord appeared, and said
unto him, "The seventy weeks wherein thou didst fast have not come nigh unto God, but,
inasmuch as thou hast humbled thyself to go to thy brother, I have been sent to make known
unto thee a word, and to give thee rest"; thereupon he made the word known unto him, and
gave him rest, and departed.

467. A brother asked an old man, saying, "What shall I do? For the love of praise is
killing me." The old man said unto him, "Thou doest well, for behold, thou hast made the
heavens and the earth." Then the brother was sorry because of what the old man had said
unto him, and he expressed contrition, and said, "Father, forgive me, but I have done
nothing of the kind"; the old man said unto him, "If now He Who did make them came into
this world in humility, why dost thou who art mud boast thyself?" 468. One of the old men
said, "Be not humble in thy words only, but also in thy deeds." 469. On one occasion a
certain governor came to see Abbâ Simôn, and when the old man heard of his coming from
those who came to make it known to him beforehand, he straightway girded up his loins, and
went up a palm tree to clean it. And when those who came cried out to him, saying, "Old
man, tell us where the monk is," he said unto them, "He is not here"; so they departed
from that place.

470. One of the fathers from Parmê told a story of how, on one occasion when he had
returned to Abbâ Theodore, he found him wearing a ragged shirt, and his breast was naked
and bare, and his outer garment was dragged round in front of him. And, behold, a certain
Count came to see him, and when his followers knocked at the door, and called the old man,
he went out to meet him quite carelessly; and I took a small piece of coarse cloth and
threw it over his shoulders that his breast might be covered, but the old man took it in
his hand and waved it, and threw it away. And when the Count went I said to him, "Father,
what is this that thou hast done? For a nobleman came unto thee to be helped, and to gain
profit, and behold, he hath perhaps gone away offended." And the old man said unto me,
"Get thee gone, Abbâ. We are still subject unto men. We have done the deed, and he is
gone; but whether he wisheth to be benefited, or whether he wisheth to be offended is his
affair. As for me, as far as I am able I shall always meet men of this kind in this way."
And he commanded his disciple, saying, "If any man cometh and wisheth to see me, say not
to him anything after the manner of men, but if I am eating, tell him that I am eating,
and if I am asleep, tell him that I am asleep."

471. A certain woman who was afflicted in her lungs with the disease called cancer, heard
concerning Longinus and wished to see him; now he used to dwell in [the monastery of]
Hantôn in Alexandria. And whilst the woman was seeking and wishing for him, it happened
that the blessed man was gathering sticks on the sea-shore, and when the woman found him,
she said unto him, "Father, where dwelleth the man of God, Abbâ Longinus?" Now she did not
know that he himself was Longinus. And he said unto her, "What dost thou want with that
lying hypocrite? Do not go to him, for he is a liar. What is it that causeth thee pain?"
Then the woman shewed him the place, and the old man made the sign of the Cross over it,
and he dismissed her, saying, "Go, and may our Lord heal thee, for Longinus is unable to
do thee any good whatsoever." And the woman went away believing in the word, and she was
healed straightway; and afterwards when she was telling folks the story, she said, "I have
learned by the marks which were on the old man that he himself was Abbâ Longinus."

472. On one occasion a certain governor arranged to see Abbâ Simôn, and the clergy told
him beforehand, saying, "Father, make thyself ready, for a certain governor hath heard of
thy life and works, and he wisheth to come and be blessed by thee"; and the old man said
unto them, "I am ready." Then the old man went in and took in his hand some bread and
cheese, and went out to the door and sat down there, and he changed about from place to
place eating; and when the governor came with his company, and saw him sitting and eating,
they despised him, saying, "So this is the monk of whom 'I have heard!'" And they left him
and departed. 473. An old man was asked, "How is it that there are men 'who say, We have
seen a vision of angels?'" and the old man said, "Blessed is he who seeth his sins
continually."

474. They used to say that when any man came to Abbâ Poemen he used to send him to Abbâ
Job, his brother, saying to him, "He is older than I am"; and Job used to say to those who
came, "Go unto my brother Poemen, for he possesseth 'the grace of these gifts.'" Now if
Abbâ Joseph was sitting with him Abbâ Poemen would not speak before him. 475. When a
certain brother went to the festival he asked Abbâ Poemen, "What wouldst thou have me to
do?" The old man said unto him, "Be thou a friend unto him that lead-eth thee away by
force, and sell thy work graciously." 476. A brother asked an old man, "What is the work
of 'exile?'' And the old man said unto him, I knew a brother 'who went forth into exile,
and he went in to lodge in a church, and it happened that the brethren were about to eat
some of the sacramental bread; and when they sat down this man sat down with them. Now
when some of the other monks saw him, they said, Who hath brought this man in [to eat]
with us?' And one of them said [unto him], 'Arise, and get thee outside,' and straightway
he rose up and went forth 'as the brother had told him; but the others being sorry about
this matter went out and brought him in. And after these things a certain man asked him,
What was in thy mind when thou didst go out and come in again?' He said unto 'them, I
thought in my mind that I was like a dog which when he is driven out goeth out, and when
he is called cometh in.''

477. They used to say that when Abbâ Moses was one of the clergy he wore a long outer
garment, and that the Bishop said unto him, "Behold, thou art wholly white, O Abbâ
'Moses.'' The old man said unto him, Is the Pâpâ within 'or without?'' And again, wishing
to try him, the Bishop said unto the clergy, When Abbâ Moses goeth into the 'sacrarium
drive him out, and go after him and hear what he saith.'' Now when he went into the
sacrarium they rebuked him and drove him out, saying, Get outside, O Ethiopian"; and
having gone forth he began to say to himself, "They have 'treated thee rightly, O thou
whose skin is dark and black; thou shalt not go back as if thou wert a [white] man.'' 478.
An old man used to say, "Do not despise or think lightly of him that standeth before thee,
for thou knowest not whether the Spirit of God is in thee or in him, though thou callest
him who standeth before thee him that ministereth unto thee."

479. Abbâ John the Less used to say, "Humility and the fear of God are more excellent than
all the [other] virtues." 480. They used to say that a certain old man, who had young men
living with him, told them on one occasion to do something, and when they did it not he
said nothing further to them about it, but rose up himself in their sight and did what he
had told them to do without anger, and without labour. 481. Another old man used to say,
"Humility is not without salt, but it is salted with salt." 482. An old man used to say,
"I would rather learn than teach." 483. And he also used to say, "Do not learn before the
time, so that thou mayest not have little admonition all thy time." 484. Abbâ Agathon
said, "If a man of wrath were to raise the dead, he would not be accepted by any man."

485. A brother asked Abbâ Timothy, saying, "I myself can see that my memorial is ever
before God"; and the old man said unto him, "It would not be any great thing for thy
thought (or mind) to be with God, but it would be a great thing for a man to see his soul
beneath all creation." 486. Abbâ Theodore used to say, "There is no spiritual excellence
greater than that of a man who despiseth not his companion." 487. An old man was asked,
"By what means doth the soul receive humility?" And he said, "By searching into it, and by
remembering the evil things which have been done by it." 488. One of the old men said, "I
asked Abbâ Sisoes, saying, 'Tell me a word,' and he said, 'It is right for a monk to
humble himself lower than the idols'; and I went to my cell, and took counsel with myself,
and meditated for an hour, saying, 'What do the words lower than the idols" mean?' Then I
returned and went to the old man, and said unto him, 'What do the words "lower than the
idols" mean?' And he said unto me, 'It is written concerning the idols, "They 'have a
mouth and speak not, and they have eyes and see 'not, and they have ears and hear not";
even thus is it right 'for a monk to be.' And because idols are an abomination, a man must
hold himself to be abominable in his own sight."

489. A brother asked Abbâ Sisoes of Thebaïs, saying, "Speak a word to me," and Sisoes said
unto him, "What have I to 113 say unto thee? I read the New Testament, and I reflect on
"the Old Testament." 490. That same brother went to Abbâ Sisoes of Pâtârâ, and told him
the word which Abbâ Sisoes of the Thebaid had spoken, and Abbâ Sisoes said unto him, "I
lie down to sleep in my sins, and I rise up in my sins." 491. There was a certain monk who
lost himself in the desert, and he said to himself, "I have kept myself rightly, and I
possess all the virtues," and he prayed to God and said, "If I be lacking in anything,
shew Thou me how I may perform it." And God, wishing to humble his mind, said unto him,
"Go to such and such a head of a monastery, and whatsoever he telleth thee to do that do."
And God sent a revelation to the head of the monastery, and said unto him, "Behold, such
and such a monk will come unto thee, and say thou unto him, Take a whip in thy hands, and
go forth and pasture swine." And the monk went forth immediately, even as the head of the
monastery told him, and pastured swine, and when those who had known him formerly, and
those who had heard about him, saw him pasturing swine, they said, "Ye see the great monk
about whom we have heard, behold, his heart hath gone mad, and a devil hath seized him,
and he is [now] pasturing swine." Then God, when He saw his humility, and that he was
hearing and bearing the reproach of men, set him free so that he might go back where he
had been formerly.

492. An old man used to say, "If a man hath laid some work upon a brother to do, he must
perform that command in the fear of God and in humility; for he who for God's sake layeth
[some work] upon a brother maketh the brother to submit himself thereto, and [the one
brother] must do what [the other brother] hath laid upon him. But if a man wisheth to give
commands to a brother, not in the fear of God, but on his own authority, wishing to be
unto him a master and a governor, God, Who seeth the hidden things of his heart, will not
allow him to be obedient unto him and to do [that] work, for the work that is for God's
sake is evident, and that which is of the man's own authority is well known. For that
which is for God's sake cometh with humility and entreaty, whilst the works which are of
man's own authority are with wrath and trouble, and they come from the Evil One."

493. A brother asked Abbâ Isidore, "Why is it that the devils fear thee so greatly? The
old man said, Because from the time that I became a monk I have laboured hard not to allow
anger to enter into my throat; that is why they fear me." 494. An old man used to say, "On
one occasion I went to the fair to sell with [other] brethren a few things, and I saw
anger drawing nigh unto me, and I left the things and fled straightway." 495. Abbâ John
the Less used to say, "On one occasion when I was going up on the Scete road with some
palm leaves I heard a camel speaking words to me, and he was about to make me angry, but I
straightway left the palm leaves and fled." 496. The same old man when he was in the
harvest [field] heard a brother speaking to his companion in anger, saying, "Come hither,"
and straightway he left the harvest and fled.

497. A brother asked an old man, "Why is it, when I am performing my little services of
prayer and praise, that I sometimes see in myself that there is nothing lacking in my
heart, and that I do not wish it?" The old man said unto him, "How then can a man appear
to love God?" 498. Abbâ John the Less said unto the brethren who were with him, "Although
we be little folk in the eyes of men, let us consider how we may be held in honour before
God." 499. They used to say that Abbâ Patrâ and Abbâ Ampîkôs were close and affectionate
friends, and that when the old men were eating in the church, and they were urging them to
come to the table of the fathers, it was only with hard work that Abbâ Patrâ would go by
himself; and after he had eaten, Abbâ Ampîkôs said unto him, "How didst thou dare to go to
the table of the old men?" Abbâ Patrâ said unto him, "If I had sat with you the brethren
would have honoured me as an old man, and they would have required it of me to be the
first to say the blessing, and I might have thought in my mind that I was greater than you
all. But since I went to the fathers I am the least of you all, and I am abased, and I
think in my thoughts that I am nothing."

500. On one occasion a brother committed sin in the church, and the priest drove him out
therefrom, and there was there a man of discretion whose name was Bessarion, and he also
arose and went out of the church, and said, "If ye have judged that this man who hath
committed only one offence is not fit to worship God, how very much less fit am I, who
have committed many sins, to do so?" And the old man said, "'Woe be unto him that is
without more than unto him that is within,' that is to say, 'Woe be unto him that is
[within him that is without!] Now this is what I would say, When a man in the world
findeth a cause [of complaint] against a man who liveth a life of silent contemplation, or
who hath departed from the world, this is a [cause of] judgement and of a fall unto him
who giveth him reason [for complaint]. Take the greatest possible care then, O monk, not
to commit sin, lest

115 II-8a thou disgrace God, Who dwelleth in thee, and drive Him out from thy soul." 501.
Abbâ Piôr worked hard to be able to overcome the disposition to say "Thou" to any of the
brethren. 502. The disciple of Abbâ Arsenius used to say, "When the old man was about to
die, he commanded us, saying, 'Do not let it be a care unto you to make a commemoration
for me, but offer up the Offering only; for, he used to say, if during my life-time I have
done anything which is worthy of commemoration, I shall most certainly find [a memorial of
it].'" 503. Abbâ Ammon said, "A man may pass one hundred years in his cell, and not know
rightly how a monk should live in his cell, or even how to live secluded for one day." And
he used to say, "The proper way and manner for a monk to live is to condemn himself
continually."

504. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "If a man will only condemn himself he will be able to
endure and continue wheresoever he dwelleth." 505. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "We live in
the troubles and trials which come upon us because we do not take to ourselves the humble
names which the Scriptures have given us; and because we do not consider how our Lord
Jesus relieved the Canaanitish woman (St. Matthew xv, 22) who took to herself abominable
names, moreover, we do not consider how, when Abigail said unto David, 'On me be the sin'
(1 Samuel xxv, 24), he was entreated by her and loved her. Abigail must be taken as
[representing] the person of the soul, and David as the Godhead; if then, the soul will
condemn itself before God, He will love it, and will give it the delight of rest." 506. An
old man used to say, "In all thy trials blame no man; blame thyself only, saying, 'These
things have happened to me because of my sins.'"

507. On one occasion Abbâ John was called to the church, and the brethren surrounded him
and asked him questions about their thoughts; and one of the old men said unto him, "John
is like unto a whore who adorneth herself that she may multiply lovers for herself; thus
art thou." And Abbâ John sighed and said, "Father, thou hast spoken the truth." Afterwards
a certain man told him that he loved him, [and said], "Art thou not disturbed within?" He
said unto him, "No. But as I am without, even so am I within." 508. One of the old men
used to say about Abbâ John, that he lived in such a way that, through the humility which
he possessed, he held all Scete suspended on his finger. 509. Abbâ John of the Thebaïd
used to say that, before all else, it was right for a monk to acquire humility, for this
was the first commandment of our blessed Redeemer, Who said, "Blessed are the poor in
spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God" (St. Matthew v, 3).

510. John Kolob used to say, "Humility is the door which leadeth into the kingdom, and our
fathers, through many revilings, have gone into the city of God rejoicing." 511. An old
man used to say, "It is good for a man to say, 'Forgive me,' and then to make an offering
of something; for this suiteth the monkish garb." 512. The same old man also said, "A dog
is better than I am, for he hath love, and he cometh not to judgement." 513. Abbâ
Eupraxius used to say, "The tree of life which riseth in the heights is humility." He also
said, "Make thyself like unto the publican; and be not made guilty with the Pharisee;
choose for thyself the meekness of Moses, so that thine heart, which is as hard as steel,
thou mayest change into a fountain of water. 514. One of the old men said, "I would rather
have defeat with humility than conquest with boasting."

515. An old man said, "When the thought of pride goeth up in thee, and thou becomest
arrogant, examine thy conscience [and see] if thou hast kept all the commandments, and if
thou lovest thine enemies, and if thou lovest the approbation of thine enemy, and if thou
art grieved when he is afflicted, and if thou art considered by thyself to be an
unprofitable servant, and a sinner greater than any other man. And even if thou hast
performed rightly all the demands of ascetic excellence, thou shalt not be proud, for thou
must know that the thought of pride abrogateth and maketh unprofitable all the virtues."
516. An old man used to say, "He who is held in greater honour or is more praised than he
deserveth suffereth great loss; but the man who receiveth neither honour nor praise from
men shall be praised above all." 517. A brother asked an old man, saying, "Is it a good
thing for us to repent many times?" The old man said unto him, "We see that when Joshua,
the son of Nun, lay upon his face the Lord spake with him" (Joshua v, 14).

518. An old man was asked, "Why do the devils fight against us in the way they do?" And he
said, "Because we throw away from us our armour, that is to say, obedience, humility, and
abstinence." 519. The old men used to say, "Whensoever we have no war to wage then
especially it is meet that we should abase ourselves, for God, because He knoweth our
feebleness, giveth us His protection for nothing, but if we boast ourselves, He removeth
it from us and we perish." 520. A brother asked an old man, saying, "What is the
perfection of a monk?" The old man saith unto him, "Humility, for when once a man hath
arrived at humility, he can reach forward to the goal." 521. The old man said, "If a man
can say unto his brother, 'Forgive me,' and can humble himself, this belongeth to the
perfection of the monk."

522. One of the old men said, "When a man saith unto his companion, 'Forgive me,' and at
the same time humbleth himself, the devils are consumed." 523. A certain brother was
offended at his brother, and when the latter heard thereof he went to him to express his
contrition, but he would not open the door; then he who had offended his brother went to
another old man and related the matter unto him, and the old man answered and said,
"Observe lest in thine own mind thou art justifying thyself, and art condemning thy
brother, as if he were the offender, for it may be that because of this he would not be
persuaded to open unto thee. Nevertheless, do thou what I am going to tell thee. For
although he hath offended thee, go thou, and hold firmly [to the belief] that thou hast
offended against him, and may God put it into thy brother's mind to be reconciled to
thee."

524. And the old man related unto him a story which explained the matter, saying, "There
were two men who were living in the world, and were fearers of God, and they were both of
the same mind, and they went forth and became monks; and when they heard in a plain manner
the word of the Gospel which saith, 'There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs
for the sake of the kingdom of heaven' (St. Matthew xix, 12), they arrived at the hottest
point of their love, and they made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of
heaven. Now when the Bishop heard [of this] he set them aside and excommunicated them.
Then those men, wishing to show that they had done what was good, said unto one another,
'We have made ourselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, and this Bishop
driveth us out! Let us go and make a complaint against him to the head of our monasteries,
that is, to the Bishop of Jerusalem'; and when they had gone to him they related unto him
the whole matter. Then the Bishop said unto them, 'And I also set you aside and
excommunicate you'; and being greatly grieved at this remark also they went to the Bishop
of Antioch, and related the matter unto him, and he also drove them away with the same
words.

"Then the two brethren said unto each other, 'Let us go to the Patriarch of Rome, and he
will avenge us and will take vengeance on all these [Bishops].' And having gone to the
great Patriarch and Bishop of Rome, and made him to know their matter, and what the Bishop
and Patriarch [of Antioch] had said unto them, they said at length, 'We have come unto
thee because thou art the head of them all.' Then the Bishop of Rome also said unto them,
'I also excommunicate you and excommunicate ye shall be.' Then, not knowing what to do,
they said to each other, 'All these men accept the persons each of the other, and each
honoureth the other, because they are accustomed to assemble together at the Synods, but
let us go to the holy man of God, Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus, because he is indeed a
Bishop, and he doth not accept the person of any man.' Now when they drew nigh unto the
city, it was revealed unto Epiphanius concerning them, and he sent [a man] to meet them,
and to say unto them, 'Ye shall not come into the city.' And when they came to themselves
they repented, and said, 'In very truth we have sinned; with what can we justify
ourselves? For, even supposing that the Bishop and the Patriarchs have excommunicated us
in an unseemly manner, peradventure this man is a prophet besides, for behold, God hath
revealed unto him concerning us beforehand;

let us then condemn ourselves in respect of everything which we have done.' Then when God,
Who knoweth that which is in the hearts [of men] saw that they had in very truth condemned
themselves, He worked upon the mind of Epiphanius so that, of his own accord, he sent and
brought them, and associated them in communion with him. And he also wrote concerning them
to the Bishop of Jerusalem, saying, 'Receive thy sons, for they have repented in truth.'"
And the old man said, "This is the healing of a man, and God desireth that a man should
lay the offence of his companion upon himself." And when that brother heard [this story]
he acted according to the word[s] of the old man, and he went and knocked at the door of
that brother, who, immediately he perceived and knew from inside [that it was he],
expressed his contrition to him whilst he was as yet inside, and then straightway opened
the door; and they made friends together, each with each, with all their souls, and the
two of them were in great peace. 525. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "As the earth falleth not,
because it is fixed from below, even so he who abaseth himself shall never fall." 526.
Abbâ Sisoes asked Abbâ 'Ôr, and said unto him, "Tell me a word of excellence"; and he said
unto him, "Dost thou think me true, and dost thou believe my promise?" And Abbâ Sisoes
said unto him, "Yes." Abbâ 'Or said unto him, "Go, and whatsoever ye have seen me do, that
also do thyself"; and Abbâ Sisoes said unto him, "What do I see in thee, O my father?" And
Abbâ 'Or answered and said unto him, "My mind is more abased than that of the least of all
the children of men."

527. On one occasion seven brethren came to Abbâ Arsenius and they entreated him, saying,
"What is the work of monks?" And the old man answered and said, "When I came to dwell in
this place I went to two old men, and I asked them this same question. And they answered
and said unto me, 'Dost thou believe in us?' and I said, 'Yes.' Then they said unto me,
'Go, and whatsoever thou hast seen us do, that also do thyself.'" And the brethren asked
him subsequently, saying, "Tell us, father, what was their work?" Then the old man said
unto them, "The one acquired great humility, and the other obedience." And they said unto
him next, "Tell us what is thy work?" and the old man said unto them, "According to my
will, and according to my mind; it is a great thing for a man not to bind himself with any
matter"; and having profited they departed in gladness, giving praise unto God.

528. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "What shall I do with the weight of weariness
which holdeth me?" And the old man said unto him, "Both large and small boats are provided
with thick ropes for towing, and if there be blowing a wind which is not favourable to the
course of the ship, they throw them round their breasts and pull them along [from] dry
land; and quietly and little by little they let the ship go on her way until God sendeth a
wind which is suitable for bearing her along whithersoever they wish her to go. But if
they learn that a storm hath begun to rise, they make haste and drive a stake in the
ground, and tie up the ship lest she should drift away. Now the stake is that a man should
condemn himself." 529. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, "How is it possible for a man to avoid
speaking evilly to his neighbour?" The old man answered and said unto him, "We and our
brethren possess two images. Whensoever then a man condemneth himself, his brother
appeareth unto him beautiful and excellent; but whensoever a man appeareth beautiful to
himself, his brother will be found to be, in his sight, hateful and abominable."

530. Another old man said also, "Humility is not insipidity, but it is seasoned, as it
were, with salt." 531. He also used to say, "For a man to despise himself is a strong
wall." 532. He also used to say, "Him who hath become despised for our Lord's sake, will
our Lord make wise." 533. An old man used to say, "Take heed, with all thy might, that
thou doest nothing which meriteth blame, and desire not to adorn thyself." 534. An old man
used to say, "If humility descendeth to Sheol it is exalted unto the heavens; and although
pride goeth up to the heavens it shall be brought down to Sheol." 535. There were two
brethren in Scete, and he who was younger than his fellow was the older in the monastic
garb, and one of the fathers having come to visit them, they brought out a vessel of water
and wanted to wash him. And the man who was the younger in respect of years drew nigh to
wash the old man, but the old man laid hold upon his hands, and prevented him, and then he
drew near him that was the elder [in respect of years] to wash him. And the brethren who
were standing near him said unto him, "The younger brother, O father, is the older in
respect of the monastic garb"; then the old man said unto them, "I take the priority in
the monastic garb of the younger man and place it upon him that is the elder."

536. There was a certain brother in a monastery, and he used to take the whole weight of
the brethren upon himself, and seeking to be held in contempt in the sight of every man,
he used to make accusations against himself, even to the committing of fornication, and he
used to say, "I have committed it." Now the brethren who did not understand his life and
works used to murmur against him, saying, "How very many are the wickednesses which this
man doeth here, and because of them he doth not even work." Then their Abbâ, because he
knew his works, and because he knew also that he was taking the affairs of every man upon
himself, and that he did not do these things, spake unto the brethren, saying, "I will
undertake that he will make one mat in a week, in humility, [which is more than all] your
work [which is done] with boasting, and if ye wish to know whether the matter be so [or
not], bring hither all your work, and bring hither also the mat of that brother, and light
a fire and throw therein all your work"; [and when they had done so] everything was
consumed except the mat of that brother. Now when the brethren saw this, they feared, and
expressed their contrition, and from that time they held him to be an Abbâ.

537. They used to say that Abbâ Poemen never gave his mind to the Lord, and that his
knowledge was superior to that of [any] one of the old men. 538. Abbâ Ammon asked Abbâ
Poemen concerning the impure thoughts that were born of a man, and [concerning] vain
lusts; and Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "Shall the axe boast itself against him that
wieldeth it?" 539. Abbâ Betimius asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "If a man be angry with me,
and I express my contrition, and he will not accept it, what am I to do?" the old man said
unto him, "Take with thee two of thy friends, and express thy contrition [in their
presence]." And the old man Betimius said unto him, "And if he will not be persuaded [to
accept it] then? And Abbâ Poemen answered and said, Take with thee five others"; and Abbâ
Betimius answered and said, "And if he will not be persuaded by these?" Abbâ Poemen saith,
"Then take with thee a priest"; and Abbâ Betimius said, "And if he will not be persuaded
[then]?" Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "Without anger and without excitement pray unto God
that He may put into his mind [the desire for peace], and straightway thou shalt have no
further care."

540. An old man used to say, "Tell me, brother, if thou hast acquired the seal of work,
which is humility?" A holy man who saw another sinning wept bitterly, saying, "This man
may sin to-day, but how many times shall I sin to-morrow? In whatsoever way a man may sin
before thee, do not condemn him, but think in thy mind that thou art a greater sinner than
he, even though he be a man in the world, and [remember] besides that he is sinning
greatly against God." 541. Certain brethren went to visit Abbâ Poemen, and whilst they
were sitting with him, they praised a certain brother, saying, "He hateth evil things."
Abbâ Poemen said unto him that spake unto him, "What is the hatred of evil things?" Now
the brother was astonished, and he found nothing to say; and he rose up and threw himself
before the old man, saying: "Do thou tell me what is the hatred of evil things." And the
old man said unto him, "The hatred of evil things is for a man to hate his own sins, and
to justify those of his neighbour."

542. A certain brother committed an offence in Scete, the camp of the monks, and when a
congregation was assembled on this matter, they sent after Abbâ Moses, but he refused to
come; then they sent the priest of the church to him, saying, "Come, for all the people
are expecting thee," and he rose up and came. And he took a basket with a hole in it and
filled it with sand, and carried it upon his shoulders, and those who went out to meet him
said unto him, "What meaneth this, O father?" And he said unto them, "[The sands are] my
sins which are running down behind me and I cannot see them, and I, even I, have come this
day to judge shortcomings which are not mine." And when they heard [this] they set "free
that brother and said nothing [further] to him. 543. Abbâ Moses entreated Abbâ Zechariah,
saying, "Speak a word of consolation unto the brethren," and Zechariah took his cloak, and
laid it beneath his feet, saying, "Except a man let himself be trodden upon thus he cannot
be a monk."

544. A brother asked Abbâ Alônîs, saying, "What is the meaning of a man despising
himself?" The old man said unto him, "It meaneth that thou must set thyself below all the
beasts, for thou must remember that they will not be judged." 545. And the same old man
said also, "If a man accustom himself to be a teacher, this act belongeth to labour." 546.
A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "What is the right manner for me to live in my cell?"
Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "How a man should live in his cell is known to men, that is to
say, he must work with his hands, and eat once [daily], and hold his peace always, and
meditate on the Holy Scriptures; but for a man to gain profit inwardly (or secretly), he
must bear the condemnation of himself whither-soever he goeth, and he must not neglect the
times of service and of secret labour. And if it happen that thou hast made the time
unprofitable, when thou goest into the congregation of service complete thy service
without troubling thyself; by the fulfilment of these things, grasp to thyself an upright
congregation, so that thou mayest draw nigh thereto, but keep thyself remote from the
assemblies of evil things."

547. On one occasion when Abbâ Arsenius was in his cell the devils rose up against him and
vexed him; and those who used to minister to him came to him, and as they stood outside
his cell they heard him crying out to God, saying, "O God, forsake me not. I have never
done before Thee anything which is good, but grant, O Lord, according to Thy grace, that I
may begin in the way." 548. Now, when he was about to die Alexander and Zoius, his
brethren and disciples, were greatly disturbed, and he said unto them, "Why are ye
troubled? The hour hath not yet come." They said unto him, "We are not troubled about
thee, father." And he said unto them, "When the hour hath come I will tell you, for it
will be for me to rise up against you before the throne of Christ if ye give my bones to
any man." Then they said unto him, "What shall we do then? For we do not know how to bury
[thee]." The old man said unto them, "Do ye not know how to throw a cord round my legs and
to carry me outside the mountain?"

549. And his word at all times was this, "Arsenius, because thou didst go forth"; and he
used to repeat this saying, "That I have spoken I have many times repented; that I held my
peace I have never repented." 550. On one occasion the governor of the country seized one
of the inhabitants of his village, and the people entreated the old man to go and bring
out him that had been seized; and the old man said unto them, "Leave me for three days,
and afterwards I will go." Then Abbâ Poemen prayed to the Lord, and said, "Lord, if thou
dost not grant me this act of grace the people will not allow me to live in this place";
and the old man went to entreat the governor, and the governor said unto him, "Yea,
father, thou makest entreaty for a thief." And the old man rejoiced that he did not
receive from Him this act of grace.

551. On one occasion certain old men went to visit Abbâ Anthony, and Abbâ Joseph was with
them, and the old man wishing to try them spake a word from the Book, and began to
question the youngest of them, saying, "What is the meaning of this word?" And each of
them said, "I have never yet understood it," and last of all Abbâ Anthony said unto Abbâ
Joseph, "And what dost thou say that this word meaneth?" Abbâ Joseph saith, "I do not
know." And Abbâ Anthony said unto him, "In truth, Abbâ Joseph, thou hast found the way to
say, 'I do not know.'' 552. Abbâ Muthues said, "In proportion as a man draweth nigh unto
God, it is meet that he should regard himself as a sinner, for the Prophet Isaiah (chap.
vi, 5), who saw the Lord, calleth himself wretched and unclean." 553. The old man used to
say, "Who sold Joseph?" They said unto him, "His brethren," and the old man said unto
them, "No, it was humility that sold him. For he never said, I am your brother," and he
never answered them, but held "his peace. He sold himself by his humility, and this
humility made him governor over the land of Egypt."

554. A brother came to Abbâ Muthues, and said unto him, "How is it that those who are in
Scete do more than that which is written in the Book, for they love their enemies more
than themselves?" Muthues said unto them, "I do not yet love even the man who loveth me
more than I love myself." 555. There was a certain old man in Egypt before those who
belonged to the company of Abbâ Poemen came there, and he possessed knowledge and great
honour; and when those of the following of Abbâ Poemen went up from Scete, every man left
[that old man] and came to Abbâ Poemen and those who were with him, and the old man was
filled with envy, and he cursed the followers of Abbâ Poemen because of this. Now Abbâ
Poemen heard of it, and he was vexed about it, and he said unto the brethren who were with
him, "What shall we do for this old man? For the men who have forsaken him have cast us
into vexation, and they have left that holy old man and turned their looks upon us, who
are nothing. How then can we satisfy this old man? Then he said unto the brethren who were
with him, "Make ye some bread and boil a little food, and we will go to him, and will take
with us also a vessel of wine, and we will eat with him, and perhaps by these means we
shall be able to pacify him"; and they took the food and went to him. And when they had
knocked at the door his disciple looked out and asked them, "Who are ye? And they said
unto him, "Tell the Abbâ that it is Poemen, and he wisheth to be blessed by him";

and when his disciple had told him this, the old man said, "Send them away," and he said,
"I have not leisure [to receive them]. Then the disciple told them these things, but they
stayed there lovingly, saying, "We will not go away unless we are held to be worthy of the
blessing of the old man. Now, when the old man saw their humility and patient persistence,
he repented, and opened the door to them, and when they were eating together, he said unto
them, "Verily, the things which I have heard were in you are not in you, but indeed what I
see in you is a hundredfold [greater than what I expected]"; and he became unto them a
friend from that day. 556. On a certain occasion when Abbâ John was sitting before the
church, the brethren surrounded him, and asked him about their thoughts, and when one of
the old men saw him, he said unto him, "Thy repentance is full of sorceries." Abbâ John
said unto him, "It is even so, and this thou sayest having only seen what is without, but
if thou couldst see what is within what wouldst thou say?" 557. Muthues repeated the
following:—"When I was a young man I used to say to myself, 'Perhaps thou wilt do
something good'; but now that I am an old man I see that I have not done even one good
work." 558. He used to say concerning Abbâ Macarius that, if the brethren drew nigh unto
him in fear, as to a great and holy old man, he would not answer them a word, but if one
of the brethren treated him with familiar contempt, [saying], "Father, if thou wert a
camel wouldst thou not steal the natron and sell it, and would not the driver beat thee?"
he would answer him. And if any man spake unto him in anger, or with words similar to
these, he would answer any question which was put to him.


THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 (CHAPTERS 11. OF FORNICATION–14. OF THE GREATNESS OF THE SUBLIME RULE OF THE SOLITARY LIFE)
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THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 continued

CHAPTER 11. OF FORNICATION

559. A certain monk was engaged, on one occasion, in a war against fornication, and he had
in his heart, as it were, a burning fire by day and by night; but he bore this agony, and
did not bring low his mind, and after a long time the war passed away from him, but he was
unable to vanquish it in any way except by patient endurance, and straightway light rose
on his mind. 560. And another brother also was engaged in a war against fornication, and
he rose up by night, and came to one of the old men and told him his mind, and the old man
persuaded him [to endure], and he was helped, and went [back] to his cell. And again he
came unto the old man, and again he helped him, and the brother went [back] to his cell;
and the war came upon him the third time, and again he went back by night to the old man,
and the old man did not cause him pain but spake with him for his benefit, and said unto
him, "Give it no opportunity, but come hither whensoever the devil vexeth thee, and thou
wilt expose him, and when he hath been exposed he will take to flight. For nothing vexeth
the devil of fornication so much as that a man should hide his thoughts and not reveal
them." Now that brother came to the old man eleven times and made accusations against his
thoughts, for he wished to be helped; and when the old man spake unto him that devil took
to flight, but when he came [back] to his cell the war came upon him. At length the
brother said unto the old man, "Do an act of grace, father, and tell me a word [whereby I
may live]." The old man said unto him, "Be of good courage, my son, and if God permitteth
my thought it shall come to thee, and thou shalt bear it no longer, but thou shalt depart
being innocent." He said this, and God did away the war of that brother.

561. And another brother was engaged in a war against fornication, and he bore it with
very great self-restraint for fourteen years, and he guarded his mind against being
subservient to lust, and at length he came to the church, and made known the matter unto
all the people; and when they heard [it] they were pained, and they prayed for a whole
week to God on his behalf, and afterwards He did away the war that was in him. 562. On one
occasion Abbâ Moses of Pâtârâ was engaged in a war against fornication, and he could not
endure being in his cell, and he went and informed Abbâ Isidore of it; and the old man
entreated him to return to his cell, but he would not agree [to this]. And having said,
"Father, I cannot bear it," the old man took him up to the roof of his cell, and said unto
him, "Look to the west," and when he looked he saw multitudes of devils with troubled and
terrified aspects, and they shewed themselves in the forms of phantoms which were in
fighting attitudes. Abbâ Isidore saith unto him, "Look to the east," and when he looked he
saw innumerable holy angels standing [there], and they were in a state of great glory.
Then Abbâ Isidore said unto him, "Behold, those who are in the west are those who are
fighting with the holy ones, and those whom thou hast seen in the east are they who are
sent by God to the help of the saints, for those who are with us are many." And having
seen [these] Abbâ Moses took courage and returned to his cell without fear.

563. One of the old men said concerning the lustful thoughts which come into the heart of
a man, and which are not carried into effect, that they are like unto a man who seeth a
vineyard, and who desireth to eat the grapes thereof, but is afraid to go in lest he be
caught and suffer death. If he be caught outside the hedge he will not die, because he
hath neither gone into the vineyard nor hath eaten the grapes, but hath only desired; now
he shall be beaten with few stripes, because he hath coveted, but he shall not die. 564.
There was a certain old man, who lived in a cell, and his thoughts said unto him, "Go,
take to thyself a woman"; then he rose up straightway and kneaded together some mud, and
made the figure of a woman, and he said to himself, "Behold thy wife! It is necessary for
thee to labour with all thy might that thou mayest be able to feed her." And he laboured
with his hands and twisted many ropes. Then after a few days, he rose up and made a figure
of a woman, and said unto his thoughts, "Behold, thy wife hath brought forth, it is
necessary for thee to work harder to keep thy wife and to clothe thy daughter"; and thus
doing he vexed his body sorely. And he said unto his thought, "I cannot bear [all] this
work, and since I am unable to bear the work, a wife is unnecessary for me"; and God saw
his labour, and did away his thoughts [of fornication], and he had peace.

565. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "As the sword-bearer stand-eth before the king, being always
ready [to smite], so is it meet for the soul which is prepared to stand [ready] to resist
the devil of fornication." 566. They used to say that Mother Sarah contended against the
devil of fornication for seven years on the roof [of her house], before she vanquished
him. 567. One of the old men said, "It is written concerning Solomon that he loved women,
but every male loveth the females, and we must restrain and draw onwards our nature by
main force to purity." 568. A brother asked Abbâ Daniel, and said unto him, "Deliver to me
a commandment"; [and he said unto him], "Never place thy hand in a dish and eat with a
woman, and thou wilt be able to flee from the devil of fornication." 569. They used to say
that the great old man Abraham arrived at a monastery, and that he also saw there a youth,
and that he refused to pass the night there; and the brethren who were with him said unto
him, "Art thou also afraid, O father?" The old man said unto them, "Indeed, my sons, I am
not afraid, but of what use is a vain war to me?"

570. A brother asked an old man, saying, "What shall I do? For my thoughts are [fixed]
always upon fornication, and they will not give me peace even for a moment; and thus is my
soul vexed." And the old man answered and said unto him, "When these thoughts spring up in
thee speak not with them, for it belongeth to them to rise up with continual anxiety, and
not to be sluggish, but they have no power to force thee, for it belongeth to thee either
to accept them or not. Hast thou not seen what the Midianites did, how they adorned their
women and set them up, but they forced no man to take them? those who wished to do so fell
into them, and those who did not became wroth, and made a slaughter in their wrath. Even
so is it with the thoughts." Then that brother said unto him, "What then shall I do? For I
am weak, and passion overcometh me." The old man said unto him, "Consider thy thoughts
well, and when they begin to speak to thee, answer them never a word, but rise up and
pray, and meditate upon holy words." And the brother said unto him, "Behold, father, I do
meditate [on holy words], and the passion riseth not in my heart, but I do not know the
power of the words"; then the old man answered and said unto him, "Thou canst only
[continue] to meditate, but I have heard Abbâ Poemen and many fathers say this word: 'The
enchanter knoweth not the power of the words which he uttereth, but when the animal
heareth them, it knoweth their power, and he becometh subservient, and submitteth itself
[to him].' Even so is it with us, for although we do not know the power of the words
whereon we meditate, the devils know their power as soon as they hear them."

571. The old men in Scete were asked concerning fornication, "When doth a man see a face
in the passion stirred up in him?" And they said, "This matter is like unto a table which
is loaded with meats of all kinds, and a man who seeketh and desireth to eat of them; but
if a man putteth not forth his hand and taketh not of the meats he becometh a stranger
unto them." 572. They used to say that Abbâ Isaac went out and found the footprint of a
woman on the road, and he thought about it in his mind and destroyed it, saying, "If a
brother seeth it he may fall." 573. A brother asked Abbâ Agathon concerning fornication,
and he said unto him, "Go, cast thy feebleness before God, and thou shalt find relief."
574. A brother asked a father, and said unto him, "There is a war of fornication against
me," and the old man said unto him, "If it be a good thing, why goest thou away from it,
but if it be a bad thing why dost not thou command it [to depart]?"

575. A certain brother, being vexed by the spirit of fornication, went to a great old man,
and entreated him, saying, "Do an act of grace, and pray for me, for I am disturbed by
fornication," and the old man made supplication unto God and entreated Him. And the
brother came to him a second time, and said the same words as before, and the old man also
was not neglectful in beseeching God on his behalf. Now when the brother had come to the
old man, and troubled him in this way many times because he was disturbed by fornication,
the old man afterwards entreated God, and said, "O Lord, reveal unto me the manner in
which this brother liveth, and whence cometh the reason why I have entreated Thee so often
on his behalf, and he hath not found relief." Then God revealed unto him the affair of
that brother, and he saw him dwelling with the spirit of fornication by him, and that
brother lusting for it, and an angel was standing by [ready] to help him; and he was angry
with that brother because he did not cast himself upon God, but was involving his mind
therein. And straightway the old man knew that the cause lay with the brother himself, and
he made him to understand this, and he roused him up, and afterwards he took heed to
himself.

576. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "The body is feeble, but my passions are not
weak"; the old man said unto him, "The passions make thorns to grow and burst into
flower." 577. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen concerning the passions of the body, and the old
man said unto him, "They are like unto those who sang praises to the image of
Nebuchadnezzar, for if those who sang had not burned men [people] would never have
worshipped the image; and in this wise the Enemy also singeth to the soul by means of the
passions, so that he may perchance be able to make it commit sin through the passion of
the body." 578. 129 578. An old man used to say, "Salt is produced by water, but if it
falleth into water it becometh dissolved and is lost; similarly monks are born of women,
but if they fall into women they are dissolved and perish from God."

579. A certain father when he went out to become a monk was a virgin, and he did not even
know that a whore existed among the children of men. And when he was dwelling in his cell
the devils began to stir up in him the passion of fornication, and lifting up his eyes he
saw the devils going round about him in the forms of Ethiopians, and they incited him to
yield to the passion; then he rose up straightway and prayed, and said, "O Lord, help me,"
and when he had said these things immediately a stone fell from the roof, and he heard, as
it were, a sweet voice, and he seemed to enjoy a short respite from the thoughts of
fornication. And he rose up and came to one of the old men and related the matter to him,
and the old man answered and said, "I know not what this meaneth"; and he sent him on to
Abbâ Poemen, and that brother related the matter unto him also. Then the old man said unto
him, "The stone which thou didst see fall is the Calumniator, and that voice which thou
didst hear is lust. Take heed unto thy soul, and make supplication unto God, and behold,
thou shalt be freed from this war"; and Abbâ Poemen taught him how to contend against
devils, and having prayed, he dismissed him, and that brother came to his cell. And he
made entreaty and supplication unto God, and God granted him to attain to such a gift [of
excellence] that, when that brother died, He was pleased that there should be revealed
unto him whether it was well with his soul or not.

Now in another manuscript instead of the words, "He rose up and prayed," it is thus
written:—He saw the devils surrounding him in the forms of Ethiopians and they were
inciting him to yield to the passion. And he said, "This natural member which stablisheth
man is like unto a spout in a tank which letteth out water, and it is also like a conduit
which carrieth the water off a roof; similarly this member carrieth off water from a man."
And having said these words straightway the stone fell, &c. 580. On one occasion a certain
man went out to Scete to become a monk, and he took with him his son as soon as he had
been weaned; and when the boy was grown up and had become a young man, the war of
fornication attacked him, and he said unto his father, "I will go into the world, father,
for I cannot endure this striving against fornication." Then his father entreated him to
persevere, but at length the boy said to his father, "Father, I cannot bear it any longer,
let me go"; and his father said unto him, "My son, hearken to me for this time only.

"Take thee seven pairs of cakes of bread, and a few palm leaves, sufficient for forty
days, [and get thee into the desert], and may God's will be done." And his son hearkened
unto him, and he took [the bread and palm leaves] and departed, and he remained [in the
desert] working, and twisting dry palm leaves into ropes, and plaiting mats, and eating
dry bread, and he lived a life of seclusion for twenty days. And he looked, and behold,
the work of fornication came and drew nigh unto him, and it stood up before him in the
form of an Ethiopian woman whose smell was exceedingly foul; but he was unable to endure
her smell, and he drove her away from his presence. Then she said unto him, "In the hearts
of men I am a sweet smell, and a pleasant one, but because of thine obedience and labour
God hath not permitted me to lead thee astray; but I have, nevertheless, made thee
acquainted with my smell." And the young man rose up, and came to his father, and said
unto him, "I no longer wish to go into the world, for I have seen the matter of
fornication, and I have smelled its foul odour"; now the father knew of a certainty that
the young man had been satisfied in his mind on the subject, and he said to his son,
"Hadst thou remained [in the desert] forty days and kept my commandment, thou wouldst most
certainly have seen a vision which was far more excellent."

581. On one occasion a brother came to Abbâ Poemen, and said unto him, "What shall I do,
father, for I am vexed by fornication? And behold, I came unto Nebatîôn [Anicetus], and he
said unto me, 'It is not right that those thoughts should stay with thee so long.'" Abbâ
Poemen saith unto him, "The labour of Abbâ Anicetus is high and exalted, and his thoughts
are above with the angels, and he hath forgotten that I and thou are whoremongers; but if
thou wishest, hearken unto me, and I also will speak to thee: If a monk can hold fast his
belly, and his tongue, and his love for going about as a stranger, thou mayest be sure
that he is able to become a monk in very truth, and that he will not die." 582. A brother
asked an old man, and said unto him, "What shall I do? For fornication is killing me." The
old man said unto him, "When a mother is about to wean her son she smeareth aloes over her
breasts, and when the child cometh to suck as usual, he shrinketh away and taketh to
flight. Do thou also then put bitter aloes in thy heart, and straightway the wicked devils
will fly therefrom." And the brother said unto him, "What kind of bitter aloes is it right
for me to place therein." The old man saith unto him, "The remembrance of the death and
punishment which are laid up in the world which is to come."

131 II-9a 583. A brother asked an old man, "Whence come the temptations of fornication
which attack me?" The old man said, "They come because thou eatest and drinkest largely,
and because thou sleepest until thou art satisfied." 584. Abbâ John used to say,
"Whosoever talketh as much as he can with a woman, hath already committed adultery with
her in his mind." 585. On one occasion a certain brother came to Abbâ Muthues and asked
him, saying, "Is calumny worse than fornication?" And the old man said, "Fornication is
worse." The brother said unto him, "How can this be?" And the old man said unto him,
"Calumny is a wicked thing, but it receiveth healing quickly, and the calumniator
repenteth, saying, 'I have spoken evilly many times'; but fornication in the body is death
in [its] nature." 586. There was in Scete a certain monk who strove hard [against sin],
and the Enemy sowed in him the remembrance of a certain woman with a beautiful face, and
he troubled him greatly through her. And by the Providence of God a certain brother who
came down from Egypt went to visit him, and it came to pass that whilst they were
conversing together the brother who had gone to visit him said, "Such and such a woman is
dead"; now she was the very woman the remembrance of whom was being stirred up in the
monk. And when the other brother heard this, he rose up, and took his headcloth, and went
up by night to Egypt, and opened her grave, and he smeared himself with the filthy and
putrefying matter of the dead body of the woman, and then went back to his cell. And he
set that thing of filth before his mind at all times, and he did battle with his thought,
saying, "Behold thy lust, and that which thou didst require! Behold, I have brought it
unto thee; take thy fill thereof." And he used to torture himself with [the remembrance
of] that filthy thing until the war which was in him was quieted.

587. One of the brethren asked Abbâ Zeno, now he had great freedom of speech with him,
saying, "Behold, thou hast grown old, how is the matter of fornication?" The old man said
unto him, "It knocketh, but it passeth on." Then one of the brethren asked him, "What is
the meaning of 'It knocketh, but it passeth on?'" The old man said unto him, "Imagine now
that one brought to thy mind the remembrance of a certain woman, and that thou didst say,
'Oh,' but that thou didst not allow it to go up in thy mind; [that is what 'It knocketh,
but passeth on' meaneth]; now young men are excited by it." 588. A brother asked Abbâ
Theodore of Scete, saying, "The thought of fornication cometh, and it troubleth and
disturbeth the mind, but it is not able to commit the deed; and it certainly cannot help,
but it can hinder the course towards spiritual excellence"; and the old man said unto him,
" The man who is wakeful and strenuous struggleth and casteth it from him and standeth up
to prayer."

589. And again a certain old man from Parmís [spake] against this thought, saying, " If we
do not possess thoughts we become the prey of the Enemy, for he, even like an ordinary
enemy, demandeth that which is his; therefore let us, in the same manner, do what is ours
to do. Let us stand up in prayer, and straightway he will flee; be constant in the service
of God, and thou shalt conquer; strive, and thou shalt be crowned." 590. Against this
thought of fornication a brother asked an old man, saying, " What shall I do about the
mind of fornication which vexeth me?" And Abbá Copres the Alexandrian answered and said, "
If thou hast no minds (or thoughts) thou wilt have no hope, so then their work is with
thee; for he who performeth their work hath no thoughts. Peradventure thou hast the custom
of talking with a woman?" And the brother said unto him, " No, I have not, but they are
thoughts of former times and of recent times which trouble me." The old man said unto him,
" Thou shalt not be afraid of the dead, but fear the things which are living, and cast
thyself down in prayer before God. For if we have no thoughts we are mere animals. As the
enemy worketh for that which is his, even so let us do for that which is ours. Let us
stand up in prayer, and let us have a care for doctrine, and let us endure, for patient
endurance is victory. Unless a man striveth he will never be crowned. For there are in the
world athletes who though wounded conquer nevertheless, and however many times one man may
be wounded by two [others], if he can endure the blows he will be able to conquer those
who smote him. Observe then what a degree of endurance is possessed by such men for the
sake of the merchandise of this world! Do thou then endure, and God shall strive with
thine enemies on thy behalf whilst thou mayest remain quiet."

591. Against the thought [of fornication] another old man who dwelt in the desert used to
say, " Thou wishest to live whilst thou art asleep! Go, and labour. Go, and work. Go,
seek, and ye shall find. Awake and stand up. Knock, and it shall be opened unto thee. For
there are in the world athletes who are called 'pugilists,' who smite each other, and who
are held to be worthy of the victory because they fight persistently and endure; these men
do not withdraw defeated when they are wounded, for however many times one [of them] may
be smitten by two [others], and however [many may be] the blows which he will suffer from
them, he continueth to fight, and he conquereth and is crowned." 592. Against the thought
[of fornication] another old man said, "Such things will happen unto thee through
negligence. For if it be certain to us that God dwelleth in us, we can never become a
habitation for others, and we can never give our souls over to become vessels for the
service of aliens. For our Lord Who dwelleth in us, and is found in us, is able to watch
over our lives; and it is not right for us to neglect or to hold lightly Him for Whose
sake we have put Him on, and Whom we see. But let us make ourselves pure even as He is
pure. Stand up then upon a rock, and if the river be violently disturbed thou shalt not
fear, and behold, thy building shall not shake; and sing with might, saying, Those who put
their hope in the Lord shall be like Mount 'Zion (Psalm cxxv, 1), and he who dwelleth in
Jerusalem shall never be moved.' The Enemy said unto our Redeemer, 'I will send these who
belong to me against those who belong to Thee that they may drive them back; and if they
do evil to Thy chosen ones I cannot [help it], and I will trip them up, even though I can
only do so in dreams of the night.' Then our Redeemer said unto him, 'If an abortion can
inherit his father[s possessions] this also shall be accounted as sin to My chosen ones.'"

593. Against the thought [of fornication] another old man spake, saying, "Be thou like
unto a man who passeth through a street of tavern-keepers, and who smelleth the odour of
boiling meats, or the whiff of something which is being roasted; he who wisheth entereth
into [one of them] and eateth, and he who doth not wish [to do so] smelleth the meats as
he passeth by and then goeth on. Drive away then from thee the fetid smell of evil
thoughts, and stand up and pray, saying, 'O Son of God, help me.' The same thing is also
to be said about other thoughts, for we are not the roots of the thoughts, but are those
who strive against them."

Excellent Counsels concerning Fornication by one of the holy old Men

594. Now on thy account, O son of man, Christ was born, and the Son of God came that He
might make thee to live. He became a Child. He became a man, being also God. He Who was
the Lawgiver became a reader [of the Law], and He took the Book in the congregation, and
He read, saying, "The Spirit of God is upon me, and for this reason He hath anointed me,
and hath sent me to preach the Gospel unto the poor." Like a servant He made a whip of
rope, and He drove forth from the temple all those who sold oxen, and cattle, and doves,
and other things. Like a servant He girded a napkin about His loins, and washed the feet
of His disciples, and He commanded them to wash the feet of their brethren. Like an elder
He sat among the elders, and taught the people. Like a Bishop He took bread, and blessed
[it], and brake, and gave to His disciples; and He was beaten for thy sake, that is to
say, for thy sake He was crucified, and for thy sake He died. Yet thou for His sake wilt
not even endure insult! He rose as God. He was exalted as God. All these things for our
sake, all these things by Divine Providence, all these things properly and in due order
did He do that He might redeem us. Let us then be watchful, and strenuous, and constant in
prayer, and let us do everything which will please Him, and will gratify His friends, so
that we may be redeemed and live. Was not Joseph sold into Egypt, and did he not live in
an alien land? And the three simple young men in Babylon, had they not men who opposed
them? Yet, because they were fearing God, He helped them, and made them glorious.

595. An old man who had delivered himself unto God used to say, "The monk must have no
will of his own, but he whose will is of God continueth to minister to Him unwearyingly;
for if thou doest thine own will, thou becomest weary, and thou labourest, and God
hearkeneth not to thee." And the old man also said, "He who liveth in God liveth with Him,
for He saith, I will dwell in them, and I will walk in them, and they shall be to Me a
people, and I will be to them a God" (Exodus vi, 7). 596. And the old man also said, "God
saith unto thee thus:— If thou lovest Me, O monk, do that which I ask, and do not that
which I do not desire. For monks should lead lives wherein they act not in iniquity, and a
man should not look upon evil things with his eyes, nor hear with his ears things which
are alien to the fear of God, nor utter calumnies with his mouth, nor plunder with his
hands; but he should give especially to the poor, and he should not be [unduly] exalted in
his mind, and he should not think evil thoughts, neither should he fill his belly. Let him
do then all these things with discretion, for by them is a monk known." The old man also
said, "These things [form] the life of a monk: Good works, and obedience, and training. A
man should not lay blame on his neighbour, and he should not utter calumnies, and he
should not complain, for it is written, The lovers of the Lord hate wickedness."

597. A brother on several occasions troubled an old man, and said unto him, "What shall I
do with the impure and wicked thoughts of divers kinds which force their way into me by
various means?" The old man answered and said unto him, "Thou art like unto a cistern
which hath been dug out, and which is sometimes full, but which, when a man cometh to draw
water thereat, is found [to be dry]. Why dost thou not make thyself more like a fountain
of water which is never without [water]? Persistence is victory, and victory is constancy,
and constancy is life, and life is kingdom, and kingdom is God." Here end the Questions
concerning the Thoughts of Fornication, and the Answers thereto, and the Counsels of the
Holy Old Men

CHAPTER 12. OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF REPENTANCE, AND OF HOW IT IS RIGHT FOR US TO REPENT IN TRUTH

598. Two brethren were in restraint to the lust of fornication, and they went and took to
themselves wives. At length, however, they repented, and said to each other, 598. "What
have we gained by leaving the labour of angels, and coming to this [state of] impurity,
since after the present life we shall be delivered over to fire and everlasting torture?
Let us return to the desert and repent. And they went forth straightway, and came to the
desert to the fathers, and they entreated them to offer up supplications on their behalf;
now the outward appearance of both was the same, and they shut themselves up for one year,
and they made supplications to God, and entreated Him to pardon them, and to each of the
two brethren a like quantity of bread and water was given. Now after their period of
repentance was fulfilled, they went forth from their seclusion; and the old men saw that
the countenance of one was changed, and that it was exceedingly sad, whilst that of the
other brother was cheerful and glad, and the fathers marvelled why, seeing that the two
men had been partaking of the same amount of food, and had endured the same restraint, the
face of one was so different from that of the other. And they asked him of the sad face,
saying, "What didst thou think about in thy cell?

And he said, "On the evil things which I have committed, and I think about the torture
which is to come, and by reason of my fear my flesh cleaveth to my bones. And they asked
him whose appearance was cheerful, saying, "Do thou also tell us what thou didst think
about in thy cell. And he said, "I gave thanks unto God, Who hath delivered me from the
impurity of this world, and from everlasting punishment, and Who hath brought me to this
labour of angels, and with such things I remembered God and rejoiced. Then the old men
said, "The repentance of each is equal before God." 599. An old man was asked by one who
toiled, "Is the repentance of sinners accepted by God?" And the old man, after he had
taught him with many words, said unto him, "Tell me, O my beloved one: if thy cloak were
to be torn in rags, wouldst thou throw it away?" And he said unto him, "No, but I would
sew up the rents, and then I could use it again." And the old man said unto him, "If thou
wouldst shew pity upon thy garment which hath no feeling, shall not God shew pity on that
which He hath fashioned, and which is His work?"

600. A certain brother fell into temptation, and through tribulation relinquished the garb
of monkhood; and he wished to begin to renew his ascetic life, but he saw the great
difficulty of the matter, and he drew back, and said, "When shall I ever find myself in
the same condition as I was formerly? And through fear he did not begin his work, and he
went and made the matter known to an old man, and the old man said, "The matter is thus:
There was a certain man who possessed an estate, and he held it to be of no account and
did not cultivate it, and it became full of tangled undergrowth and thorns. Now one day he
remembered it, and he sent his son, and said unto him, 'Go, clean the estate.' And when he
had gone and seen the abundance of the undergrowth he was afraid, and said to himself,
'When shall I be able to clean away all this undergrowth?' And he threw himself upon a
bed, and lay down, and went to sleep, and thus he did every day. Then his father went
forth and found that he was asleep, and that he had done nothing;

and he said unto him, 'How is it, my son, that no work whatsoever hath been done by thee?'
And he said to his father, 'When I came to work and saw the abundance of the undergrowth,
I was afraid and said, When shall I be able to clean all this away?' And his father said
unto him, 'My son, work according to the measure of thy sleep each day, and it shall be
sufficient for thee'; and when he heard [this] the young man plucked up courage, and did
thus, and in a short time he cleansed the estate. Thus also thou shalt not be afraid, but
begin the work of thy rules, and God, by His Grace, will establish thee [among those in]
the first rank. Now when the brother had done thus he was helped. 601. A brother asked one
of the old men, and said, "If a monk stumble and fall into sin, are many labours necessary
for him, and if he doeth them will he be able to stand in the grade wherein he was
formerly? He who goeth forth from the world, and beginneth the cultivation of spiritual
excellence, will find it easy to advance, for he who is occupied in labours, if it be that
he is reduced from the grade wherein he stood by his stumbling, will be afflicted and
grieved in his mind. Then the old man answered and said unto him, "A monk is like unto a
house which hath fallen down, and if he be awake in his mind (or thought), and if he be
zealous and anxious to build that which was fallen down, he will find ample material which
will be of use in his building among the remains of that which fell down before [he began
to build]; for he will find the foundation stones, and the old stones from the walls, and
other things, which were employed in the old building, and out of these, if he be so
disposed, he will be able to make his building to rear itself up better than the man who
hath not yet dug the places for the foundations and laid the foundation stones, and who
doth not possess the materials which are to be employed in the building, and who only
beginneth to build with the hope that he will be able to finish.

And thus is it with him that fallet from the practice of rules and works of the monkish
life into temptation, for if he turn back, and repent, he will possess ample material from
[his] former works of the ascetic life which he possesseth [to begin his building afresh],
I mean to say, the training and the service of the work of the hands, which is the
foundation [thereof]. Whosoever then hath gone forth from the world, and beginneth the
cultivation of ascetic excellence, when he hath done these things he will still be found
standing in the front rank of the solitary (or monkish) life." 602. One of the old men
told the following story, saying:— There was a certain monk who dwelt in the desert, and
he lived a life of strict and severe rule, and he was famous among men, and he could even
cast out devils and heal the sick. And it came to pass that, through the agency of Satan,
the passion of fornication was stirred up against him, and because he was not sufficiently
humble to reveal his war unto the old men who were before him, in a few days' time he fell
into fornication with a woman who used to come to him continually for assistance. Now
having fallen, he despaired about himself, and he rose up to go to the world, and he was
sad and grieved concerning his fall; and he meditated, saying, "I will go into the desert
which is further away, and I shall not see any man, and I shall not be seen of any, and
there I will die like the wild animals. And when he had gone, and he was wandering about
in the desert and in the mountains, he used to cry out by night and by day, saying, "Woe
is me! woe is me! And he ceased not to weep and to groan.

Now there was in that desert a certain solitary old man who dwelt in a cleft in the rock,
and when he heard the sound of the weeping and lamentation, his mercy for him revealed
itself, and he went forth and met him, and they saluted each other. And the old man
answered and said unto him, "Why weepest thou in this fashion? And the young man said,
"Because I have angered God, and because I have fallen into fornication. Then was the old
man astonished, and he said, "O how greatly did I fear and tremble at thy lugubrious
voice. For I thought that thou hadst been entrusted with the governorship of the brethren,
and that thou hadst governed unjustly, or that thou hadst squandered in an unseemly manner
the work of the community. For the harlot repented, and for the unbeliever there is a
foundation, and the thief is a son of the kingdom, but Ananias and Sapphira were slain
because they stole the money of the community of the brethren, and thus is slain the soul
of every one who with fraud or carelessness squanders the possessions of the religious
houses. But be thou of good courage, O brother, and go back again to thy cell, and make
thine entreaty to God as thou repentest, and He will stablish thee in thy former grade.

Then the monk went back to his place, and he shut himself in, and never again undertook to
talk with any man, except him that handed in to him his food through the little window of
his cell, and there he remained until the end of his life, and he attained to a most
exalted state of perfection. 603. Abbâ Ammon of Rîtheaôn asked Abbâ Poemen about the
impure thoughts which are produced in a man, and the vain lusts; and Abbâ Poemen said unto
him, "It belongeth to Satan to sow them, but it is our affair not to welcome them." 604. A
brother asked Abbâ Ammon, saying, "Behold, there were two men, the one was a monk, and the
other a son of the world; now the monk used to determine in the evening to cast away from
him in the morning the garb of the monk, and the son of the world used to make up his mind
that on the morrow he would take the garb of monkhood. Now it happened that both men died
on the same night; how will they be regarded, and which determination will be reckoned to
them?" The old man said unto him, "He who was a monk died a monk, and he who was a child
of the world died as such, for as they were found [to be] so were they taken."

605. A brother asked Abbâ Sišoes, saying, "What shall I do, father? For I have fallen."
The old man said unto him, "Rise up"; and the brother said unto him, "I did rise up, but I
fell again." The old man said unto him, "Rise up again"; and the brother said unto him, "I
did rise up again, many times, and I fell [again]." The old man said unto him, "Rise up
again"; and the brother said unto him, "Until when?" The old man said unto him, "Until
thou advancest, either in good deeds or in falling; for in the road wherein a man
advanceth he goeth, whether it be to death or to life." 606. It happened on one occasion
that a brother in the monastery of Abbâ Hatîl (or Helît) was tempted, [and he fell,] and
having been expelled from that place he went to the mountain, to Abbâ Anthony, and having
remained with him for a long time, Abbâ Anthony sent him back to the monastery from which
he had gone forth. Now when the sons of the monastery saw him, they cast him out, and he
returned to Abbâ Anthony, and said unto him, "Father, they have refused to receive me";
and Abbâ Anthony sent them a message, saying, "A storm rose up against a ship on the sea,
and destroyed the freight which she carried, but with the greatest difficulty she was
saved [and brought] to land. Now what do ye wish to do? Do ye wish to drown him that hath
been saved?" And when those monks [heard the words of] Abbâ Anthony, they sent to the
brother, and welcomed him with gladness.

607. Abbâ Anthony used to say, "There are many who fall and who rise up to an attitude of
rectitude, but there are some who fall from good deeds to polluted things; better is he
who falleth and riseth up than he who standeth and then falleth." 608. Abbâ Poemen said,
"If a man sinneth, and he saith, 'I have not sinned,' and thou chidest him, thou cuttest
off his will; but if thou sayest unto him, 'Be not sorry about this, but guard thyself
from sinning again,' by these means thou wakest his soul to repentance." 609. He also
said, "I prefer a man who hath sinned, and done wickedly, and repented, to the man who
hath not sinned and hath not manifested repentance; for the former possesseth a humble
mind, and the latter esteemeth himself in his thoughts a just man." 610. Abbâ Sarmâtâ used
to say, "I prefer a man who hath sinned, and who knoweth how to acknowledge his sins, to
him that doeth righteousness, and who saith, 'I do what is fair.'"

611. Abbâ Theodore of Parmê used to say, "The man who is in [a state of] repentance is not
bound by the Law." 612. They used to say that the thoughts of a certain old man used to
say unto him, "Let to-day go by, and repent to-morrow"; but he would say, "Nay, not so,
for I will repent to-day, and to-morrow shall be as God willeth." 613. There was at one
time among the brethren a certain man who at the beginning of his [ascetic] career took
good heed unto his soul, but when a short time had elapsed, he began to treat the
salvation of his life with contempt; and his Abbâ ordered him to strip off the garb of the
monks, and to put on the apparel of men who are in the world, and to depart from among the
brethren. Then the man fell down at his feet, and entreated him, saying, "If thou wilt
forgive me this once only, thou wilt gain me henceforward, for I repent of these things
which I have done through negligence." And having multiplied and prolonged his entreaties,
and made many promises that he would in the future mend his ways, he was held worthy of
forgiveness; and he struggled with all the power of his soul to such purpose as to become
a pattern to great and small.

CHAPTER 13. OF [THE FATHERS WHO] WROUGHT WONDERFUL WORKS

614. Abbâ Sisoes said: When we were in Scete, with Abbâ Macarius, seven of us went up to
reap with him, and behold, a certain widow followed after us gleaning, and she ceased not
to weep. And the old man cried to the lord of the estate, and said unto him, "What is the
matter with the old woman who weepeth continually? He said unto him, "Her husband took a
deposit of money from a man and he died suddenly without saying with whom he had placed
it, and the owner of the deposit wisheth to take her and her children as slaves. The old
man said unto him, "Tell her to come to us at the place where we rest at the season of
noon," and it was told to her. And at the season of noon the woman came to them, and the
old man said unto her, "Woman, why dost thou weep continually? And she said, "My husband
is dead. He had taken a deposit from a certain man, and he died suddenly without telling
us where he had laid it up. The old man said unto her, "Come [and] and show me where ye
have laid him"; and he took the brethren with him, and went with her, and having arrived
at the place where the man was laid, the old man said unto her, "Get thee now to thy
house.

And after [she had departed] and he had made an end of his prayer, the old man cried out
to the dead man and said, "O Such-an-one, where hast thou laid up the deposit which
belongeth to the stranger? Then the dead man answered straightway, and said, "It is hidden
in my house beneath the leg of the bed"; and the old man said unto him, "Sleep now until
the Resurrection. Now when the brethren saw what had been done, they all fell down at his
feet in fear; and the old man said unto them, "This hath not happened because of me, O my
brethren, nor is the matter a great one, but God hath wrought this thing for the sake of
the widow and the orphans; but what is great is that God desireth a soul which is pure and
sinless. And when they had come they told the widow that the deposit was laid up in such
and such a place, and then the old woman brought it up, and gave it to its owner, and set
free her children from slavery. And every one who heard [of this] gave thanks unto God.

615. When Abbâ Miles (or Manilius) was passing through a certain place he saw a man
holding a monk by force as if he had committed murder, and the old man drew nigh and
questioned the brother, and when he learned that he was being wrongfully accused, he said
unto those who had seized him, "Tell me where is the man who hath been murdered"; and they
shewed him. Then the old man drew nigh to the murdered man, and said unto all who were
standing [there], "Let us pray"; and when he had spread out his hands in prayer before
God, the dead man rose up. And the old man said unto him before every man, "Tell us who it
was that slew thee"; and he answered and said, "I went into the church and gave some money
to the elder, and it was he who rose up and killed me, and he carried me out and threw me
in the habitation of this monk. I entreat you that the goods which I have given to him may
be taken back and given to my children."

616. On one occasion a certain man in the world went to Abbâ Sisoes in the mountain of
Abbâ Anthony, and he had his son with him, and as they were going along the road his son
died; now the man was in no wise disturbed, but he took him up in faith and brought him to
the old man, and he came with his son, and fell down before him with his son upon his
knees as if he was entreating him to bless them; and the father of the boy went out and
left his son [lying] dead at the feet of the old man. Now the old man did not know that
the boy was dead, but he thought that he was making supplication and entreaty to him; and
he answered and said unto him, "Arise, and go forth," and straightway without any delay
whatsoever, the youth rose up and went out to his father, who, when he saw him, marvelled;
and his father took him and went in and did homage to the old man, and informed him about
the matter. Now when the old man heard this he was troubled, for he did not wish this
thing to happen because of the praise of men; and his disciple commanded them not to tell
the story before any man until the day of his death.

617. One of the fathers used to relate that Abbâ Paule, who dwelt in Thebes, would take
snakes, and scorpions, and horned snakes in his hands, and kill them. And the brethren
made apologies to him, and said, "Father, tell us through what labour thou hast received
this gift." And he said unto them, "Forgive me, O my fathers, if ye possess purity of
heart, every living thing will be subject unto you as it was unto Adam before he
transgressed the commandment of God." 618. On one occasion one of the old men of Thebes
came to Mount Sinai, and having departed from there, one of the brethren met him on the
way, and with a groan he said unto the old man, "We are distressed, O father, through the
want of rain." And the old man said unto him, "Why do ye not pray and ask God for some?"
And the brother said unto him, "We have prayed and made earnest supplication, and the rain
hath not come." The old man said unto them, "Then ye did not pray with all your hearts; do
ye wish to know that the matter is thus?" And after [this] the old man stood up in prayer,
and he spread out his hands to heaven, and straightway, without any delay whatsoever, the
rain came; and the brother saw, and feared, and he fell down and did homage to him. Now
the old man took to flight, but the brother made known everything which had happened, and
when [the brethren] heard [thereof] they all glorified God.

619. They used to say that, when on one occasion, Abbâ Moses of Scete was going into
Patârâ, he grew weary through the length of the road, and he was afraid and said, "How can
I bring water for myself into this place?" And a voice was heard by him, saying, "Go on,
and fear not." Now one day a large number of the fathers came to him, and he had there
only one vessel of water, and having boiled some lentiles the water came to an end; at
this the old man was troubled, and went out and in, and prayed to God, and afterwards a
great cloud came and poured down upon them much rain, and it filled all the vessels which
he had with water. Then afterwards the fathers said unto him, "Abbâ Moses, tell us why
thou didst come in and out"; and he said unto them, "I entered into judgement with God,
who brought me hither because there was want of water, and because I had no water for His
servants to drink; therefore I came in and out."

620. The old man Joseph used to say: "I went on one occasion to Abbâ Poemen and found many
old men with him, and behold, a certain man had brought a youth who was a kinsman of Abbâ
Poemen, and whose face had been turned backwards through the operation of the Evil One;
and when his father saw the multitude of the old men who were coming to Abbâ Poemen, he
took him and brought him outside the door of the monastery, and sat down there and wept.
Now when one of the old men had ended his business, and was going forth [from the
building], he saw him, and said unto him, 'Why weepest thou, O man?' The father of the
youth said unto him, 'I am of the family of Abbâ Poemen. A trial hath come upon this
youth, but we are afraid to take him to him, for he refuseth to see us, and now, if he
learneth that I am here, he will send and drive me away; but when I knew that ye were
coming here, I ventured to come also.' And he cast the youth down on the ground at his
feet, and wept, saying, 'If thou wilt, have mercy on me, and take this youth inside, and
pray over him'; and the old man took him and carried him in with him to Abbâ Poemen.

Now the old man acted wisely in the matter, and he did not take the youth at once to Abbâ
Poemen, but beginning with the last of the brethren who was there, he brought the youth to
each and every one of them, saying, 'Make the sign of the Cross upon this youth'; and
having brought him alike to all the brethren and to all the old men who were there,
finally he brought him to Abbâ Poemen, but the blessed man refused to touch him. Thereupon
a contention arose, and they all entreated him, saying, 'Father, do thou even as we all
have done'; then Abbâ Poemen sighed, and he rose up and prayed, and said, 'O God, heal
that which Thou hast fashioned so that it may not be destroyed by the Enemy,' and he
finished his prayer, and made the sign of the Cross over him, and straightway the face of
the youth was made straight, and he was healed. And Abbâ Poemen gave him to his father
made whole, so he took him and departed with rejoicing."

621. They used to say that the face of Abbâ Pambô was like lightning, even as Moses
received the glory of the likeness of Adam, and that his face shone, and that he was like
a king who sitteth upon his throne; and thus was it also with Abbâ Silvanus and with Abbâ
Sisoes. 622. They used to say about one of the old men that as he was in the light during
the day, so also was he [in the light] in his cell by night, and that he used to work with
his hands and read in the night time just as he did during the day. 623. One of the old
men sent his disciple to draw water, now the well was a very long way off from their cell,
and that brother forgot to take the rope with him; and being distressed [thereat] he bowed
himself in prayer, and he prayed and cried out, saying, "O well, my father [saith], 'Fill
this vessel for me with water, and without delay'; and the water came up, and the brother
filled [the vessel], and as soon as he had done so the water descended to its place.

624. On one occasion Abbâ Moses came to the well to draw water, and he saw Abbâ Zechariah
praying to the stream, and the Spirit of God was resting upon him like a dove. 625. On one
occasion one of the brethren went to the cell of Abbâ Arsenius in Scete, and he looked
through the window, and saw the old man standing up, and all his body was like fire; now
that brother was worthy to see this sight. And having knocked at the door the old man came
out to him; and seeing that the brother was marvelling at the sight which he had seen, he
said unto him, "Hast thou been knocking a long time? Peradventure thou hast seen
something?" and he said unto him, "No; [I have not]." And Abbâ Arsenius spake with him and
dismissed him. 626. They used to say that a certain old man said, "Verily, as he who
worketh gold, and as he who maketh beautiful work, cleanly and at peace, so thou also by
thy beautiful thoughts must inherit the kingdom of God; but I who have passed the whole
period of my life in the desert have not been able to overtake thee."

627. They used to say about a certain great old man, who lived in Pûrpîrînê, that when he
lifted up his eyes to heaven he could see whatsoever was therein, and that if he gazed
into the earth, he could see into the depths, and whatsoever was in them. 628. Abbâ John,
who was cast out by the Marcionites, used to say:—On one occasion we went from Syria to
Abbâ Poemen, and when we wished him to speak to us about hardness of heart [we found that]
the old man did not know Greek, and there was no interpreter with leisure [to interpret
there]. And the old man saw that we were troubled at this, and he began to talk to us in
the Greek tongue, and at the beginning of his speech he said, "Water is by nature soft,
and stone is hard, nevertheless if thou suspendest a vessel full of water above a stone,
and wilt pour it out upon it drop by drop, it will wear away the stone. In the same way
the Word of God is soft, and our heart is hard, but if it heareth continually the Word of
God, the heart will be opened, and will turn to the fear of God."

629. A certain monk lived in the desert, and there was another brother who lived in a cell
by his side, and when he visited him from time to time he used to see him praying and
entreating our Lord that the wild animals might be at peace with him. And after the prayer
a panther which was suckling her young was found by him, and that brother went down upon
his knees and sucked with them. And on another occasion the blessed man saw that brother
praying and beseeching God to make fire to be at peace with him; and he lit a fire, and
knelt 145 II-IO down in the middle of it, and prayed. And that old man used to say, "If
thou wishest to become a monk, bring thyself into subjection that thou mayest be in the
congregation of the community, and mayest enter the monastery; but if thou canst not cast
away from thee care concerning [all kinds of] occupations and affairs, thou canst never
dwell in the congregation. All the power thou hast is over a bottle of water."

630. And there are also wonderful things which the blessed Bessarion performed. He made
the waters of the sea sweet, and Saul his disciple drank [of them]; he crossed over the
water of the river; he prevented the sun from setting in the heavens; and the rooting up
of the temples of the idols was revealed unto him. As they were going to John the Theban
his disciple became thirsty, and Bessarion prayed, and water bubbled up, and he gave him
to drink; and he healed also the young man who was a paralytic, so that he ran to his
father; and he cast out a devil from a young man who was always asleep, and whom his
parents besought him to wake up. I have, however, written down all these things in the
history of the holy man Bessarion, wherein it is written that he was sitting at the door
of the monastery and weeping bitterly.

CHAPTER 14. OF THE GREATNESS OF THE SUBLIME RULE OF THE SOLITARY LIFE

631. There was a certain old man amongst the fathers who used to see visions, and this man
testified, and said, "That power which I have seen existing in baptism, I have also seen
in the apparel of the monks when they take the garb of the monk." 632. An old man from
Thebaïs used to say:—I was the son of a priest of idols, and when I was young I lived in
the temple, and I have on many occasions seen my father go into the temple to perform the
sacrifices to the idols. Once I went in secretly after him, and I saw Satan sitting
[there], with his whole army before him, and, behold, one of his devils came and did
homage to him. And Satan answered and said unto him, "Whence comest thou? And the devil
made answer, saying, "I was in such and such a country, and I stirred up many wars and
revolts, and I caused the shedding of blood, and I have come to tell thee these things.
Satan said unto him, "How long did it take thee to do this? and the devil said "Thirty
days. Then Satan commanded him to be beaten, saying unto him, "Is this all that thou hast
done in so long a time? And, behold, another devil came and worshipped him, and to him he
said, "Whence comest thou? And the devil answered and said, "I was in the sea, where I
stirred up storms, and sank ships, and drowned many men, and I have come that I may inform
thee of these things. Then Satan answered and said unto him, "In how much time hast thou
done this?

and the devil answered and said unto him, "In twenty days," and Satan commanded that he
also should be beaten, saying unto him, "Why is it that in all these days thou hast only
done [what thou sayest]? And when he had said this, behold, a third devil came and
worshipped Satan, who answered and said unto him also, "And where dost thou come from? and
the devil answered and said unto him, "I have been in such and such a city wherein there
was a marriage feast, and I stirred up a war there, and caused the shedding of much blood,
and the death of the bridegroom and the bride; and as soon as I had done this I came to
inform thee. And Satan said unto him, "In how many days hast thou done this? and the devil
said, "In ten days"; and Satan commanded that he should be beaten, saying, "In all these
days thou hast only done this. Then afterwards, behold, a fourth devil came and worshipped
him, and Satan answered and said unto him, "And whence comest thou also? And he who was
asked answered and said unto him, "I have been in the desert for forty years striving with
a monk, and to-night I have hurled him into fornication";

and when Satan heard this, he rose up straightway and embraced and kissed that devil, and
he took the crown off his head, and placed it upon him, and he made him to sit by his side
upon his throne, saying, "And so thou hast been able to do so great a work as this in so
short a time! For there is nothing which I prize so highly as the fall of a monk. And the
old man went on to say:—When I saw these things I said within myself, "Yea, so great then
is the army of the monks! And by the operation of God, Who desired my redemption, I came
forth, and became a monk." 633. In the time when Julian, the rebellious Emperor, was going
down to the territory of the Persians, he sent a certain devil to go speedily to the
country of the West, and to bring him from thence an account of what he had sent him [to
do]. Now when that devil arrived at a certain place wherein dwelt a monk, he stopped and
tarried there for a period of fifteen days without being able to move anywhere, and he was
unable to travel onwards, because the monk did not cease from praying, either by night or
by day; so he returned to the heathen who had sent him without having done anything. Then
the wicked Julian said unto him, "Why hast thou tarried so long?" And the devil answered
and said unto him, "I delayed in coming, and I have done nothing; for a monk, who
continued in prayer, came in my way and I tarried with him

147 fifteen days, expecting that he would some time cease to pray and that I should be
able to go on my way; but he never ceased from his prayer, and I was prevented from going
on, and so I delayed in coming, and I have done nothing." Then was the wicked Julian
angry, and he said, "When I come back I will take vengeance upon him"; but before a few
days were over, he was slain by Divine Providence. And straightway one of the eparchs who
were with him went and sold everything which he possessed and gave [the money] to the
poor, and he came to that monk, and himself became a chosen monk; and he died with a good
ending, and with works which were pleasing unto God. 634. On one occasion Abbâ Pambô was
travelling with some monks in the districts of Egypt; and seeing some worldly folk sitting
down he said unto them, "Rise up, and salute the monks so that ye may be blessed, for they
are always holding converse with God, and their mouths are holy."

635. Abbâ John used to say, "The whole company of the holy men is like unto a garden which
is full of fruit-bearing trees of various kinds, and wherein the trees are planted in
[one] earth, and all of them drink from one fountain; and thus is it with all the holy
men, for they have not one rule only, but several varieties, and one man laboureth in one
way, and another man in another, but it is one Spirit which operateth and worketh in
them."


THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2
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THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 continued

BOOK II — CHAPTER 15. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE RULE OF LIFE OF THE HOLY MEN WHICH THEY TAUGHT BEFORE THE MULTITUDE AND IN THEIR CELLS ON EVERY KIND OF SPIRITUAL EXCELLENCE

1. Two of the fathers entreated God to inform them as to the measure [of spiritual
excellence] to which they had arrived, and a voice came to them which said, "In such and
such a village of Egypt there is a certain man in the world who is called Eucharistos, and
his wife Mary, and ye have not as yet arrived at the same measure as they. Now when the
fathers heard [this] they marvelled, and they rose up and came to that village, and they
enquired for and found the house and the wife of Eucharistos, and they asked her, saying,
"Where is thy husband? And she answered and said unto them, "He is a shepherd, and he is
in the field pasturing sheep"; and she brought them into her house. And when the evening
had come her husband came from the sheep, and seeing the fathers he rejoiced with great
joy, and he prepared a table [for them], and brought water that he might wash their feet.
Then the fathers answered and said unto him, "We will eat nothing, but tell us what is thy
work"; and Eucharistos said unto them with great humility, "I am a shepherd, and this is
my wife. Now the fathers entreated him to inform them concerning his life and works, but
he concealed the matter, and refused to speak.

Finally they said unto him, "God told us to come to thee," and when Eucharistos heard this
he was afraid, and he told them, saying, "Behold, we inherited these sheep from our
parents, and whatsoever God provideeth as [our] income from them we divide into three
portions; one portion [we devote] to charity, one portion to the love of strangers, and
the remaining part serveth for our own use. Since the time when I took this woman to wife
we have not defiled ourselves, and she is a virgin, and each of us sleepeth alone; at
night time we wear sackcloth, and in the daytime we put it off and array ourselves in our
[ordinary] attire, and no man hath known this thing until the present moment. And when the
fathers heard [this] they glorified God. 2. They say concerning Abbâ Anthony that on one
occasion, when he was praying in his cell he heard a voice which said unto him, "Anthony,
thou hast not yet arrived [at the state of excellence] of a certain man who is a tailor
and who dwelleth in Alexandria." Then Anthony rose up in the morning, and took a palm
stick and departed to him, and when the man saw him, he was disturbed; and the old man
said unto him, "Tell me what thou doest, and how thou livest," and the tailor said unto
him, "I do not myself know that I do any good, and I know only that when I rise up in the
morning, before I sit down to the labour of my hands, I give thanks unto God, and praise
Him, and that I set my evil deeds before mine eyes, saying, 'All the men who are in this
city will go into the kingdom of God, because of their alms and good deeds, except myself,
and I shall inherit punishment for my sins'; and again in the evening, before I sleep, I
do the same things." Now when Abbâ Anthony heard these things, he said, "Verily, as the
man who worketh in gold, and who doeth beautiful work, cleanly, and in peace, even so art
thou; through thy beautiful thoughts thou wilt inherit the kingdom of God, whilst I, who
have passed the whole of my life in the desert, separated [from men], have never overtaken
thee."

3. Abbâ Anthony received a revelation in the desert, saying, "In such and such a city
there is a man who resembleth thee; he is a physician, and he worketh and giveth
whatsoever he earneth to the poor and needy, and each day he, with the angels, ascribeth
holiness to God three times a day." 4. When Abbâ Macarius was praying in his cell on one
occasion he heard a voice which said, "Macarius, thou hast not yet arrived [at the state
of excellence] of two women who are in such and such a city"; and the old man rose up in
the morning, and took in his hand a palm stick, and he began to set out on the road to
that city. Now therefore, when he had arrived at the city, and learned the place [of the
abode of the women], he knocked at the door, and there went forth one of the women and
brought him into the house. And when he had been sitting down for a little, the other
woman came in, and he called them to him, and they came nigh and sat down before him. Then
the old man said unto them, "On your account I have made this long journey, and have
performed all this labour, and with great difficulty have come from the desert; tell me,
then, what works do ye do. And they said unto him, "Believe us, O father; neither of us
hath ever been absent from, or kept herself back from, her husband's couch up to this day;
what work, then, wouldst thou see in us?

Then the old man made apologies to them, and entreated them to reveal to him and to show
him their labour, and thereupon they said unto him, "According to worldly considerations
we are strangers one to the other, for we are not kinsfolk, but it fell out that the two
of us married two men who were brethren in the flesh. And behold, up to this present we
have lived in this house for twelve years, and we have never wanted to quarrel with each
other, and neither of us hath spoken one abominable word of abuse to her companion. Now we
made up our minds together to leave our husbands and to join the army of virgins, but,
although we entreated our husbands earnestly to allow us to do so, they would not
undertake to send us away. And as we were unable to do that which we wished, we made a
promise between ourselves and God that, until death, no worldly word should go forth from
our mouths. Now when Macarius heard [this] he said, "Verily, virginity by itself is
nothing, nor marriage, nor life as a monk, nor life in the world; for God seeketh the
desire [of a man], and giveth the Spirit unto every man."

5. They used to tell a story about certain brethren who were members of the household of
Abbâ Poemen. Now whilst these men were dwelling in Egypt their mother wished to see them,
but was unable to do so, and she watched for them as they were going to the church, and
went out to meet them, but as soon as they saw her they went back to their cell and shut
the door on themselves, and then their mother took up her stand by the door, and spake
[unto them], and wept and sighed heavily. And when Abbâ Job heard her, he went in to Abbâ
Poemen and said unto him, "What shall we do in respect of this old woman who is weeping by
the door? Then Abbâ Poemen rose up and drew nigh to the door and pressed himself against
it and, hearing her speaking in the deepest sorrow, he said unto her, "Wilt thou, who art
an old woman, cry in this fashion? Now as soon as she heard his voice she wept the more,
and she cried out, saying, "I want to see my sons. For what is this that I see in you?
Peradventure I did not rear you? Peradventure I am not your mother? Peradventure ye did
not suck at my breasts? Peradventure ye did not go forth from my womb? I am prevented by
mine old age, but now that I have heard thy voice my bowels have been moved.

The old man said unto her, "Dost thou wish to see us here, or wouldst thou see us in that
country [beyond the grave]? She said unto him, "My sons, if I do not see you here I shall
see you there. And the old man said unto her, "If thou wilt compel thyself not to see us
here, thou shalt, in very truth, see us there. Then the old woman departed, saying, "Yea,
my son, if I shall see you there I shall not seek to see you here." 6. There was a certain
old man who lived a life of such strict self-denial that he never drank wine. And when I
arrived at his cell we sat down to eat, and one brought dates and he ate, and he took
water and drank; and I said unto him laughingly, "So thou art angry with absinthe, O
father? Since thou hast eaten dates and hast drunk water, why dost thou not drink wine?"
And he answered and said unto me, "If thou takest a handful of dust and throwest it on a
man will it hurt him?" and I said unto him, "No." And he said unto me, "If thou takest a
handful of water and throwest it over a man, peradventure he will feel pain?" and I said
unto him, "No." And he said unto me, "And again, if thou takest a handful of chopped straw
and throwest it over a man, peradventure it will cause him pain? and I said unto him, No."
Then he said unto me, "But if thou bringest [them all] and dost mix them together, and
dost knead them well, and dost dry them, thou mayest throw and hurl the mass on the skull
of a man and thou wilt not break it"; and I said unto him, "Yea, father, [that is true]."
And he said unto me, "The monks do not abstain from certain things without good reason,
and thou must not listen to the men who are in the world who say, 'Why do they not eat
this, and why do they not drink that?' Is there not sin in them? Such people know not. Now
we abstain from certain things not because the things themselves are bad, but because the
passions are mighty, and when they have waxed strong they kill us."

7. On one occasion the priest of Scete went to the Archbishop of Alexandria, and when he
had returned to Scete he wanted to send the brethren [to Alexandria], and he said unto
them, "I have heard you say that there is a large assembly of people in Alexandria.
Verily, I say unto you that I who went there did not see the face of any man except the
Archbishop." Now when they heard [this] they were disturbed, and said, "Have they sunk
into the ground, then?" And he said, "Nay, not so, but my thoughts did not compel me to
look at a man"; and when they heard [this] they marvelled, and they were greatly confirmed
by these words [in their desire] to keep themselves from looking upon the vain things of
the world. 8. One of the old men used to say: On one occasion the fathers were sitting and
conversing together on the subject of ascetic excellence, and there was in their midst one
of the old men who was a seer of visions, and he saw angels flying about over [the
fathers]; but when they came to another subject of discourse, the angels departed, and he
saw pigs rolling about among them and wallowing in the mire. And afterwards when the
fathers renewed their conversation on spiritual excellence the angels came back and
glorified God.

9. One of the fathers used to say that there were two brethren who were neighbours of his
in the desert, and that one was a stranger and the other a native of the country; now the
stranger was a man of little faith, but the native performed many works in the service of
God. And it happened that the stranger died, and the old man, who saw divine visions, saw
multitudes of angels bearing away in triumph his soul until it arrived in heaven. And an
inquiry arose concerning this, and the old man heard a voice from heaven which said, "He
was 'certainly a negligent man, but because of his being a stranger' they opened unto
him." And afterwards the man who was a native of the country died, and his kinsfolk came
to him and buried him, and the old man saw that there were no angels with him, and he
marvelled, and he fell on his face and entreated God to inform him how it was that the
stranger who was a negligent man was worthy of glory, whilst the man who had all those
labours [to his credit] was not granted the same thing. And he heard a voice which said,
"When the native 'with all his works came to die, he opened his eyes and saw his kinsfolk
weeping, and his soul was refreshed; but the stranger, although he was negligent, saw none
of his kinsfolk, and he sighed and wept."

10. One of the fathers told a story, saying: There was a certain monk in the desert of
Linopolis, and a man who was in the world ministered unto him; and there was in the city a
certain rich and wicked man who died, and he was accompanied to his burial by the whole
city, and by the Bishop, with lights and great honour. Now the man who ministered to the
monk went forth to give him some bread, but he found him dead and eaten by the panthers;
and he fell upon his face before the Lord and said, "My Lord, I will not rise up from
'this place until Thou makest me to know why this wicked man is buried with such great
honour, and why this monk who served Thee by night and by day hath come to such an end."
And an angel came and said unto him, "That wicked 'man did one good work, and he was
rewarded here so that he might not find even one pleasure in the world to come; but this
holy man, because he was a man who was adorned with divine virtues, although inasmuch as
he was a man he possessed certain shortcomings, will receive these things in the world to
come, so that there he may be found perfect therein." And having heard [this] he returned,
and glorified God for His judgements because they are good.

11. A brother asked an old man, saying, "Is it the name 'or the work which maketh to
live?" The old man said unto him, "I knew a certain brother who was praying on one
'occasion, and who thought within himself, saying, I wish to see the soul of a righteous
man, and the soul of a sinner when they are leaving the body'; and because God wished
neither to make him grieve, nor to deprive him of his desire, whilst he was sitting in his
cell a wolf went in to him, and laid hold of him by his clothes and dragged him outside,
and then having pulled him along he carried him to the outside of a certain city, and then
he left him there and departed. " Now whilst he was sitting outside the city there was a
man who lived in a monastery, and who had gained renown, and and concerning whom a report
had gone forth that he was a monk of spiritual excellence; and this man was grievously
sick, and was waiting for the hour of his departure [from this world]. And that brother
looked on and saw the preparations which they were making, and the things which they were
putting ready for the event, namely, the wax candles, and the lamps which they were
trimming and preparing, and he saw that all the city was weeping for him, and that his
people were in grief, and saying, ' By his hand God hath ' given us meat and drink, and by
his hands He hath de- ' livered us, and hath kept us and the whole city alive; if '
anything happeneth to him we shall die.' And when the time for this man to end his life
had come that brother looked, and saw, and behold, the keeper of Sheol went in having in
his hand a fork of fire with three prongs, and he heard a voice which spake [to the
keeper], saying, ' Thou shalt not give ' his soul any rest, even for a moment, and thou
shalt not ' shew any compassion unto him when thou takest away his ' soul.

Then he who had appeared to that brother went in, and he drove that fiery, three-pronged
fork which he had in his hand into the heart of the dying man, and he tortured him for a
long time, and then he carried away his soul. And after these things, when that brother
was going into the city, he saw a certain brother who was a stranger, and who was lying
sick in the market-place, and there was none to care for him; and he remained with him for
one day, and at the time when his soul was departing the brother saw Gabriel and Michael
come for his soul, and they sat down, one on his right hand, and the other on his left,
and they stayed there entreating his soul and wishing to carry it away. And since his soul
refused to leave its body, Gabriel said to Michael, ' Lift up his soul and take it, so
that we may depart';

and Michael said unto him, ' We were commanded by our Lord ' to bring it out without pain
and without suffering, and ' therefore we cannot constrain it and do it violence.' Then
Michael cried out with a loud voice, saying, ' What dost Thou ' command concerning this
soul which will not be entreated to come forth, O Lord?' And there came unto him a voice
which said, 'Behold, I will send David and his harp, and all those who sing with him, so
that when the soul heareth the sweetness of their voices it shall come forth'; and they
came down and surrounded the soul, and as they were singing psalms and hymns the soul
leaped forth, and it was rejoicing in the hands of Michael, and was taken up on high with
gladness." 12. They used to say that a certain old man went on one occasion to a city to
sell his handiwork, and it chanced that he sat down by the door of a house of a rich man
who was dying, and whose death was very near at hand; and as he was sitting [there] he
looked and saw black horses, with their black riders, who were exceedingly terrible, and
they held in their hands staves of fire. And when they had come to the door of the house,
they set their horses outside, and they went in together, and as soon as the sick man saw
them, he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "O Lord, help me." Then those who had been
sent unto him said, "Now that the sun hath set upon thee thou hast come to call God to
remembrance; why didst thou not seek Him while it was yet day? Now thou hast neither a
portion of hope nor consolation left." Then they took away his soul and departed.

13. There were two brethren who lived in cells, and one of them was an old man who had
persuaded the younger man, saying, "My brother, let us dwell together," but he said unto
him, "I am a sinner, and I cannot let thee be with me, O father." Then the old man
entreated him, saying, "Yes, we can [live together]"; now that old man was pure in his
thoughts, and he was not content to hear that there was in the young man the thought of
fornication. And the brother said unto him, "Father, leave me for one week, and we will
speak [on the subject] again"; and when the week was ended the old man came and, wishing
to try him, the brother said unto him, "During the past week, O father, I fell into great
temptation, for I went to a certain village on business, and I met a woman." The old man
said unto him, "There is repentance"; and the brother said unto him, "Yea, there is." And
the old man said unto him, "I will bear the half of this sin with thee"; then the brother
said unto him, "We shall now be able to dwell together." So they dwelt together until the
end of their lives.

14. Certain brethren from the great monastery went forth and departed to the desert, and
they came to one of the monks who received them with gladness; and when he saw that, as
was usual with monks, they had come from labour, he prepared for them a table before the
appointed season, and whatsoever he had in his cell he set before them, and refreshed
them. Now when the evening was come they sang twelve Psalms, and they did the same thing
during the night, but the old man left them to rest, and he departed that he might sing
and pray by himself. And whilst he was keeping vigil, he heard the brethren conversing
together and saying, "The monks who live in the desert live more comfortably than do we
who are in the monasteries. And when they were making ready in the morning to go to an old
man who was his neighbour, he said unto them, "Salute him for me"; and they said unto him,
"Thou shalt not water the green herb," and when he heard [this], he understood the matter.
And he kept them until the evening working and fasting, and when the evening had come they
sang the great service through, and the brother said unto them, "To-day, because ye have
come from toil, we have shortened the service somewhat," and he also said unto them, "We
are not in the habit of eating every day, but because of you we will eat a little.

And he prepared for them dry bread and salt, and he said unto them, "It is fitting that on
your account we should this day make a feast," and he sprinkled a little vinegar in the
salt, and they rose up to sing and pray until the morning, and he said unto them, "We are,
on account of you, unable to perform the whole of the service as we are wont to do, for ye
must rest a little, and ye are strangers. Now when the morning had come they wished to
escape, but he entreated them, saying, "Spend a few days with us, especially that ye may
live according to the custom of the desert, for we cannot let you go"; and when they saw
that he did not want to send them away, they rose up and fled secretly. 15. On one
occasion a certain brother came to Mount Sinai to visit Abbâ Sylvanus, and he saw the
brethren working with their hands to supply their wants, and he said unto Abbâ Sylvanus,
with boasting, "Ye toil for the food which perisheth; Mary chose a good portion for
herself." Then Abbâ Sylvanus said unto Zechariah, his disciple, "Give him a book and take
him to a cell wherein there is nothing." And when the time of the ninth hour had come, the
brother looked this way and that way to see if they were going to send for him to come and
eat, but no man came to seek him. Then he rose up and came to the old man and said unto
him, "Father, have not the brethren eaten to-day?" and he said unto him, "Yea." And the
brother said unto him, "Why have ye not called me?" The old man said unto him, "Thou art a
spiritual man and hast no need of the meat which is for the body, but we are corporeal
beings, and we require to eat, and it is for this reason that we work. Thou hast chosen
the [good] part; read all day, and do not seek after the food of the body." Now when that
brother heard [this] he expressed his contrition, and said, "Father, forgive me"; and the
old man said, "Even Mary had need of Martha, for through the labour of Martha Mary
triumphed."

16. It happened on one occasion that a certain heathen priest came to Scete, and he
visited the cell of one of the brethren, and passed the night there, and he saw the
labours of his rule, and marvelled; and he said unto him, "Do ye labour so greatly and yet
do not see visions from your God?" and the brother said unto him, "We do not see
[visions]." The priest of idols said unto him, "When we perform the part of priests to our
god he hideth nothing from us, and he revealeth unto us his mysteries, whilst ye who
perform the labours of vigil, and abstinence, and silent contemplation, as thou sayest,
see nothing. There must be in your hearts evil thoughts which separate you from your God,
and it is for this reason that He doth not reveal unto you His mysteries." Then the
brother went and informed the old men of the word[s] of that priest of idols, and they
marvelled and said, "It is thus, for the thoughts which are not clean alienate a man from
God."

17. One of the brethren said unto one of the great old men, "If I could find one of the
fathers according to my desire, I would choose to die with him," and the old man said unto
him with a laugh, "Good, my lord," and the brother said, "Such is my desire." Now he did
not understand the mind (or thought) of the old man. And when the old man saw that the
brother was in truth speaking concerning himself that which he thoroughly believed, he
said unto him, "If thou didst find an old man according to thy desire, wouldst thou be
able to dwell with him?" And he said unto him, "Yea." The old man said unto him, "Well
hast thou said, 'If I could find [an old man] according to my desire'; and afterwards he
said unto him, Thou dost not wish to be subject to the will of the old man, but the old
man must be subject unto thee!" Then the brother rose up, and made apologies to him,
saying, 'Forgive me, father; I have boasted greatly. I thought that I was saying that
which was good, but I find that I possess that which is of no value.'

18. Abbâ Daniel used to say about Abbâ Arsenius that immediately he heard that the fruits
were [ripe] on the trees, he would tell them in his desire to bring him some, and that he
used to eat once a year of every kind of fruit, so that he might give thanks to God. 19.
Abbâ Abraham asked Abbâ Theodore, saying, "Father, which is the better thing for me to do,
[to give] praise or to blame?" The old man said unto him, "I myself prefer to perform the
works of praise, and not of blame"; and Abbâ Abraham said unto him, "How is this?" And the
old man said unto him, "If I perform good works, and I be praised therefor, I find that I
can bring an accusation against my mind whilst I flee from the love of approbation, and I
can say that I do not deserve this praise, but blame belongeth to evil works, and how
shall I be able to comfort my heart, because men are offended at me? It is necessary for
us to do good works, and to be praised, without receiving upon ourselves the love of
approbation, and not evil deeds, lest we be blamed." And Abbâ Abraham said, "Thou hast
said well, O father; even so is it."

20. They used to say about one of the fathers who had lived in the world, that when he was
in the desert he was occupied in fighting [his desire] to return to his wife whom he had
married before [he became a monk], and when he related the matter to the fathers, they
appointed him certain works, so that he might be kept back from the fight [within him].
Now because he was an obedient man and one who laboured, he performed these works in
excess, and at length his body became so emaciated that he was unable to rise up from his
place. And, by the operation of God, a certain father who was a stranger came to the place
of Scete, and he passed by the cell of that monk and found it to be empty; and as he
passed by he said in his mind, "How is it that no man hath come out to meet me from this
cell? And he went back there, and knocked, saying, Perhaps he is sick"; and when he
knocked the brother who was grievously sick went forth, and the father said unto him,
"What is thy sickness, O father? And the brother told him of all his suffering, saying, "I
belonged to the world, and the Enemy made war upon me through my wife, and I told the
fathers the story, and they imposed upon me severe labours; and having performed these my
body hath become ill, and the war hath waxed stronger against me.

Now when the old man heard these things, he was grieved, and he said unto him, "The
fathers have imposed upon thee great labours as if [thou hadst been] a mighty man, but if
thou wilt hearken to my feeble [voice] thou wilt relinquish those labours, and partake of
a little food, at the appointed time, and wilt sing and pray a little, and wilt cast thy
business upon God. For by thy pains and sickness thou wilt not be able to conquer this
matter, because our body is like unto a garment; if thou take care of it, it will last,
but if thou neglect it, it will come to an end. Now the brother having heard these things
acted thus, and in a few days the war passed away from him. 21. One of the fathers asked
Abbâ Nastîr, the friend of the blessed Anthony, saying, "What is the best work for me to
do?" And he said unto him, "Not all kinds of labour are the same. For the book saith that
Abraham was a lover of strangers, and that God was with him; and Elijah was a lover of a
life of silent contemplation, and God was with him; and David was a humble man, and God
was with him; therefore whatsoever work thy soul wisheth to do, provided that it be of
God, that do, and keep thy heart from evil things." And the brother asked him again,
saying, "Father, tell me other things"; and the old man said, "Abbâ Anbastîôn asked Abbâ
Athrî, saying, 'What shall I do?' And he said unto him, 'Go, make thy belly little, and
the work of thy hands great, and be not troubled in thy cell.'"

And again the brother asked him, saying, "If there be a persecution, is it better to flee
to the desert or to the habitation of men?" And the old man said unto him, "Go wheresoever
thou hearest that true believers are, and have no friendship with a youth, and do not
dwell with one; and if thou art able so to do, dwell in thy cell, for this is good, and
cleanse thy garden herbs. This is far better than going to a man and asking him
questions." And again the brother asked him, "I wish to dwell in close friendship with a
brother, and I want to live a life of silent contemplation by myself in my cell, and he
must give me what I want, and I will give him the work of my hands." The old man said unto
him, "The fathers have never sought after a thing of this kind; and if thou dost not give
bread to the poor Satan will not permit thee [so to live]."

22. Abbâ Daniel Parnâyâ, the disciple of Abbâ Arsenius, used to tell about a man of Scete,
and say that he was a man of great labours but simple in the faith, and in his ignorance
he considered and declared that the bread which we receive is not in very truth the Body
of Christ, but a similitude of His Body. And two of the fathers heard this word which he
spake, but because they knew of his sublime works and labours, they imagined that he had
spoken it in his innocence and simple-mindedness; and they came to him and said unto him,
"Father, we have heard a thing from a man which we do not believe, for he saith that this
bread which we receive is not in very truth the Body of Christ, but a mere similitude. And
he said unto them, "It is I who have said this thing," and they entreated him, saying,
"Thou must not say thus, father, but according to what the Holy Catholic Church hath
handed down to us, even so do we believe, that is to say, this bread is the Body of Christ
in very truth, and is not a mere similitude.

As, in truth, God straightway took dust from the earth, and fashioned man in His image,
[and no man is able to say that he is not the image of God], so also was it the case of
the bread of which He said, 'This is My Body,' for it is not to be regarded as a merely
commemorative thing, and we believe that it is indeed the Body of Christ. And the old man
said, "Unless I be convinced by the thing itself I will not hearken [to this]"; then the
fathers said unto him, "Let us pray to God for the whole week on this mystery, and we
believe that He will reveal [it] unto us," and the old man agreed to this with great joy,
and each man went to his cell. Then the old man prayed unto God, saying, "O Lord, Thou
knowest that it is not from wickedness that I do not believe, but in order that I may not
go astray through ignorance, reveal Thou therefore unto me, O Lord Jesus Christ, this
mystery"; and the two other old men prayed unto God and said thus, "O Lord Jesus Christ,
make Thou this old man to have knowledge concerning this mystery, and we believe that he
will not destroy his labours."

And God heard the entreaty of the two fathers, and when the week was ended they came to
the church, and the three of them sat down by themselves on one seat, and the old man was
between the other two; and the eyes of their understandings were opened, and when the time
of the Mysteries had arrived, and the bread was laid upon the holy table, there appeared
to the three of them as it were a child on the table. And when the priest stretched out
his hand to break the bread, behold the angel of the Lord came down from heaven with a
knife in his hand, and he slew the child and pressed out his blood into the cup; and when
the priest broke off from the bread small members, the old man drew nigh that he might
partake of the Holy Offering, and a piece of living flesh smeared and dripping with blood
was given to him. Now when he saw [this] he was afraid, and he cried out with a loud
voice, saying, "I believe, O Lord, that the bread is Thy Body, and that the cup is Thy
Blood"; and straightway the flesh which was in his hand became bread like unto that of the
Mystery, and he took it and gave thanks unto God. And the old men said unto him, "God
knoweth the nature of men, and that it is unable to eat living flesh, and for this reason
He turneth His Body into bread, and His Blood into wine, for those who receive Him in
faith." Then they gave thanks unto God for that old man, and because he had not permitted
Satan to destroy him from his labours, and the three of them went to their cells in
gladness.

23. Abbâ Daniel used to say that Abbâ Arsenius told him a story, as if he were speaking of
some other man, saying:— Whilst a certain old man was sitting in his cell, there came unto
him a voice which said, "Come hither, and I will shew 'thee the works of the children of
men'; and he rose up and went out. And the voice led him out and shewed him an Ethiopian
cutting wood, and he made up a large bundle and wished to carry it away, but he was unable
to do so. Then instead of making the bundle smaller, he went and cut down some more wood,
and added thereto, and this he did many times. And when he had gone on a little further,
the voice shewed him a man who was standing by a pit drawing up water, which he cast in a
certain hollowed out place, and when he had thrown the water therein it ran down again
into the pit.

And again the voice said unto him, "Come, and I will shew 'thee other things.' Then he
looked, and, behold, there was a temple, and two men, who were riding horses, were
carrying a piece of wood as wide as the temple was, and they wanted to go in through the
door, but the width of the wood did not permit them to do so, for they would not humble
themselves to go in, one after his companion, and to bring it in end-wise, and therefore
they remained outside the door. Now these are the men who bear the yoke of righteousness
with boasting, and they will not humble themselves to make themselves straight and go in
the humble way of Christ, and therefore they remain outside the kingdom of God. And the
man who was cutting wood is the man who laboureth in many sins, and who, instead of
repenting and diminishing from his sins, addeth other wickednesses thereunto. Now he who
was drawing water is the man who doeth good works, and who, because other things are
mingled in his good works, destroyeth his works thereby. Now it is meet that a man should
be watchful in his labour, lest he toil in vain.

24. On one occasion Abbâ Macarius was going from the wood to his cell, and was carrying
[with him] some palm leaves, and Satan met him on the road holding a scythe [in his hand];
and when Macarius sought to wound him, Satan was afraid, and he fell down and did homage
to the blessed man. Then the old man fled from that place, and he related to the brethren
everything which had happened, and when they heard [it] they glorified God. 25. An old man
used to say, "Be like a camel when thou 'bearest thy sins, and be thou tied closely to him
that knoweth the way." 26. An old man used to say, "Become not a lawgiver unto 'thyself,
and judge no man, for thou art not under the Law, 161 but under grace; but give thou
everything to Him that is able to do everything, for thou art unable to do anything. Judge
then [in] this [way], and do not sin at any time."

27. He also said, "He who wisheth to dwell in the desert should become a learner, and he
should not practise doctrine lest he suffer loss; and his occupation should be with a man
who loveth God." 28. Unto one of the old men Satan appeared in the form of an angel of
light, and said, "I, even I, am Gabriel who have been sent unto thee"; and he said unto
him, "Hast thou not been sent unto another? for I am a sinner"; and when Satan heard this
he did not again appear. And the old man said, "If in very truth an angel appeareth unto
thee, say, 'As unto whom [hast thou come in coming] to me? I am not worthy.'" 29. When
Abbâ Gregory was dying he said these [words]:— "God demandeth three things from the man
who hath been baptized, true faith from the soul, and truth from the tongue, and chastity
from the body."

30. The old man said, "God seeketh nothing from Christians except true faith, and [belief]
that the things which are spoken shall come to pass in deed, and that we should be
persuaded by the orthodox fathers." 31. An old man was asked, "How can a man find God? By
fasting? By works? By watching? By mercy?" And he said, "By means of these certainly when
they are mingled with discretion, but I say that there are many who have afflicted their
bodies without discretion, and they have departed vainly, having gained nothing. Our mouth
becometh foul through thirst, and we repeat the Scriptures with our mouth, and we go
through all the Psalms of David in our service, but that which God requireth, and which is
necessary we have not, that is to say, a good word for each other. For as a man cannot see
his face in troubled waters, so the soul, unless it be cleansed from alien thoughts, is
not able to appear before God in prayer."

32. A certain monk was going along the road and he met some nuns, and he turned aside out
of the path, and she who was leading them said unto him, "Hadst thou been a perfect monk
thou wouldst never have regarded us as women." 33. Abbâ Anthony used to say, "A man's life
or death cometh from his neighbour; if we benefit our brother we benefit ourselves, and if
we offend him we sin against God." 34. A certain brother came to Abbâ Theodore, and he
began to talk and to speak about the things which he had not done; and the old man said
unto him, "So far thou hast not found a ship, and thou hast not let down in it thy
possessions, and before thou hast embarked thou hast gone to the city whereto thou wishest
to go. First of all do the work, and then thou shalt arrive at that concerning which thou
art now talking."

35. A brother asked Abbâ Anthony, saying, "What [commandment] shall I keep so that I may
please God?" And he answered and said unto him, "That which I command thee observe. Set
thou God before thine eyes continually, wheresoever thou goest; whatsoever thou doest make
to it a witness (or testimony) from the Scriptures; and in whatsoever place thou dwellest
be not easily moved therefrom, but abide therein persistently. Observe these three things,
and thou shalt be saved." 36. They used to say about a certain old man that whensoever he
sat in his cell toiling in the contest, he saw the devils face to face, and that he
treated them with contempt and despised them through his contest. Now when Satan saw that
he was being overcome by the old man, he appeared unto him in human form, and said unto
him, "I am Christ." And when the old man saw him, he winked his eyes and made a mock of
him. Then Satan said unto him, "Why dost thou wink thine eyes? I, even I, am Christ." And
the old man answered and said unto him, "I do not desire to see Christ here"; and when
Satan heard these things he departed from him and was no more seen.

37. Abbâ John used to say, that he saw in a vision one of the old men in a state of
stupefaction, and behold, three monks were standing on the shore of a lake, and a voice
came to them from heaven (or from the other shore of the lake), which said, "Take ye wings
of fire and come to me"; and two of them took wings of fire and flew over to the other
side, even as it was told them. Now the third remained behind, and he wept abundantly, and
cried out, and at length wings were given to him also, but they were not of fire like
those of his companions, for they were weak and feeble wings, and it was only with the
greatest difficulty, and after dropping down into the water, and with most painful
exertions that he reached the [opposite] shore. And even so is it with this generation,
for although it taketh to itself wings, they are not the powerful wings of fire, but it
forceth itself to take weak and feeble wings.

38. An old man used to say, "Every wickedness which is not perfect is not wickedness, and
every righteousness which is not perfect is not righteousness; for the man who hath not
good and evil thoughts is like unto the land of Sodom, 163 II-11a which is salted, and
which bringeth forth neither green herb nor fruit. Now good ground produceth wheat and
expelleth tares from itself." 39. Certain brethren came and asked Abbâ Anthony a question
about the Book of the Levites, and the old man went forth to the desert, and Abbâ Ammon,
who knew his habit, followed him secretly. And when the old man had gone some distance, he
cried out with a loud voice, and said, "O God, send Moses unto me, and let him teach me
[the meaning of] this verse"; and straightway a voice was heard holding converse with him.
Now Abbâ Ammon heard this voice, and said, "I heard the voice which spake with him, but
the force of the verse I never learned."

40. On one occasion when Abbâ Poemen was a youth, he went to an old man to ask him
[concerning] three matters, and having gone into his presence he forgot one of them, and
he turned to go to his cell; and as he put the key [in the door] to open [it], he
remembered the matter which he had forgotten, and straightway he left the key in the door
and returned to the old man, and the old man said unto him, "Thou hast returned quickly,
brother." And Abbâ Poemen told him the story thus:—"When I put the key [in the door] to
open [it], I remembered the matter which I wanted to know, and I did not open the door
because I came back hither speedily." Now the rocky ground which [he had traversed] in the
interval was of no inconsiderable length. And the old man said unto him, "Thy name shall
be spoken about throughout all Egypt."

41. A brother said unto an old Abbâ, "Behold, I have entreated the old men, and they talk
to me about the redemption of my soul, but I can lay hold upon nothing in their words;
what is the use, then, of making them toil when I can do nothing [with what they say], for
I am wholly in a state of uncleanness?" Now there were there two basins, and the old man
said unto him, "Go, bring me one of these basins, and pour some oil into it, and rinse the
basin round with it, and then empty it out"; and he did so twice. Then the old man said
unto him, "Bring now the two [basins] together"; and the brother did as he told him. [And
the old man said, "Look and see which basin is the cleaner," and the brother said unto
him], "That into which the oil hath been poured is the cleaner." The old man said unto
him, "And thus also is it with the soul, for even if it layeth hold of nothing through
that which it asketh, it is cleaner than if it had never asked a question at all."

42. A brother asked Abbâ John, and said unto him, "How is it that the soul which hath
blemishes in itself is not ashamed to speak about its neighbour, and to calumniate it?"
And the old man spake unto him a word concerning calumny, saying, "There was a certain man
who was poor, and he had a wife, and he saw another woman who hearkened unto him, and he
took her to wife also; now the two women were naked. And when there was a fair in a
certain place the two women persuaded him to take them to it, and he took his two wives,
and put them in a boat, and when he had gone up out of the boat he arrived at a certain
place. Now when the day had waxed hot, and every man was resting, one of the women looked
out and saw that there was no man outside, and she leaped up and went forth to a heap of
waste rubbish, and chose therefrom some old rags and made a girdle for herself, and then
walked about boldly. Meanwhile her companion was sitting down naked, and she said unto her
husband, 'Look at that harlot going about naked and without shame'; then her husband, with
sadness, said unto her, 'The thing to be wondered at is that, whilst she hath, at least,
covered her shame, thou art entirely naked, and dost speak these words without being
ashamed.' Now a calumny [uttered] against a neighbour is like unto this."

43. They used to say that one of the old men asked God that he might see the fathers, and
he saw them [all], with the exception of Abbâ Anthony; and he said unto him that shewed
[them] to him, "Where is Abbâ Anthony?" And he said unto him, "Wheresoever God is there is
Anthony." 44. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "This is what is written, 'As the hart crieth out
for the water-brooks, even so crieth out my soul unto Thee, O Lord' (Psalm xlii, 1). For
the harts in the desert swallow many serpents, and when the poison of these maketh them
hot within, they cry out to come to the water-brooks, but as soon as they have drunk the
burning which cometh from the serpents inside them is cooled. And thus is it with the
monks who are in the desert, for they are burnt up by the envy of evil devils, and they
wait for the Saturday and Sunday that they may come to the fountain of water, that is to
say to the body of Christ, and they sweeten and purify themselves from the gall of the
Evil One."

45. On one occasion when the brethren were sitting with Abbâ Moses, he said unto them,
"Behold, this day have the barbarians come to Scete; rise up and flee." And they said unto
him, "Wilt thou not flee, father? He said unto them, I have been expecting this day to
come for many years past, so that might be fulfilled the command of our Redeemer, Who
said, 'Those who take the sword shall perish by the sword'" (St. Matthew xxvi, 52). And
they said unto him, "We then will not flee, but will die with thee." He said unto them,
"This is not my affair, but your own desire; let every man look after himself in the place
where he dwelleth." Now the brethren were seven in number. And after a little he said unto
them, "Behold, the barbarians have drawn near the door"; and the barbarians entered and
slew them. Now one of them had been afraid, and he fled behind the palm leaves, and he saw
seven crowns come down and place themselves on the heads of those who had been slain.

46. The brethren asked an old man, saying, "How is it that God promiseth in the Scriptures
good things to the soul, and that the soul desireth them not, but turneth aside to
impurity?" And he answered and said unto them, "It is my opinion that it is because it
hath not yet tasted the good things which are above, and therefore the good things which
are here are dear unto it." 47. Abbâ Arsenius used to say, "The monk is a stranger in a
foreign land; let him not occupy himself with anything [therein], and he will find rest."
48. They used to say that on one occasion when Abbâ Macarius the Great went up from Scete,
and was carrying palm leaves, he became weary and sat down; and he prayed to God, and
said, "God, thou knowest that I have no strength," and straightway he found that he was by
the side of the sea (or river).

49. There was a certain old man in the mountain of Athlibâ (Athribis), and thieves came to
attack him, and he cried out; and when his neighbours heard [his cry] they hunted down the
thieves, and they sent them to the governor, who shut them up in prison. And the brethren
were sorry, and said, "They were delivered into our hands"; and they rose up and went to
Abbâ Poemen, and informed him about the matter. Then he wrote to that old man, and said
unto him, "Thou must understand whence hath come the first betrayal, and then thou wilt
perceive how the second betrayal arose; for if thou hadst not been betrayed first of all
by those that were within thou wouldst never have effected the second betrayal." Now when
the old man heard the letter of Abbâ Poemen, who was famous throughout all that country,
and who kept himself strictly secluded in his cell, and never went out, straightway he
rose up and went into the city, and took the thieves out of prison, and thus the assembly
set them free.

50. On one occasion Abbâ Macarius, wishing to rebuke the brethren, said unto them, "There
came here a young man with his mother, and he was under the power of a devil, and he said
unto his mother, 'Rise up, let us depart from here'; and she said unto him, 'I cannot
walk.' Then the young man said unto him, 'I will carry thee myself.'" And Abbâ Macarius
marvelled at the wickedness of that devil, and sought to drive them away. 51. On one
occasion five brethren came to visit a great old man, and he asked the first one, saying,
"What kind of work doest thou? And he said unto him, "I twist palm leaves into ropes,
father"; and the old man said unto him, "God shall plait a crown for thee, O my son. Then
he said to the second brother, "And what dost thou do? And he said unto him, "I make mats,
father"; and the old man said unto him, "God shall give thee strength, O my son. And he
said unto the third brother, "And what dost thou do? And he said unto him, "[I make]
sieves, father"; and the old man said unto him, "God shall preserve thee, O my son. Then
he asked the fourth brother, saying, "What dost thou do? And he said unto him, "I can
write well. And the old man said unto him, "Thou knowest. Then he said unto the fifth
brother, "And what dost thou do? And he said unto him, "I weave linen. Then the old man
said, "I am not near," and he said also, "If the twister of palm-leaf ropes be watchful
with God He will plait him a crown for him; mat[-making] requireth strength because there
is labour therein; and God must protect him of the sieves because he hath to sell them in
the villages;

as to the scribe, he must be humble in heart, for there is in his business exaltation of
spirit, as regardeth the linen weaver, I am not near (i.e., concerned) to speak, for he is
a merchant and he tradeth. But if a man seeth a brother afar off carrying palm branches,
or palm-leaf mats, or sieves, he saith, 'This man is a monk, for grass is the work of our
hands, and he is avoiding the burning of the fire'; and if he seeth a man selling linen,
he saith straightway, 'Behold, the merchants have come, for the [selling of] linen is the
work of this world, and it doth not benefit many.'" 52. Abbâ Jacob used to say, "It is not
only words which are required, for in this [life of] time many have abundance of words,
but it is work which is required, and it is necessary to have it, and not words wherein
there is no work." 53. One of the old men used to say, "That which is hated by thee do not
unto thy companion; if it be hateful to thee for him to calumniate thee, do not thou
calumniate any man; if it be hateful to thee to be accused, accuse thou no man; if it be
hateful to thee for a man to revile thee, or to treat thee with contempt, or to pluck thee
away, or to do any such thing unto thee, do not thou do unto any man anything of the kind.
He who is able to perform this commandment is able to redeem his own soul."

54. " On one occasion I went to Abbâ Muthues, and when I was about to return, I said unto
him, ' I wish to go to the ' Cells'; and he said unto me, ' Salute Abbâ John for me.' Now
when I came to Abbâ John, I said unto him, ' Abbâ ' Muthues saluteth thee'; and the old
man said unto me, ' Behold, Abbâ Muthues is indeed a man of Israel in whom ' there is no
guile.' And after one year I went to Abbâ Muthues, and I told him the greeting of Abbâ
John; and the old man said unto me, ' I am unworthy of the old man's ' words, but know, if
ever thou hearest an old man praising ' his companion more than himself, that he hath
attained ' unto a great measure of perfection, for it is indeed obe- ' dience for a man to
praise his companion more than ' himself.' "

55. A brother asked an old man, and said unto him, " My brother abuseth me, and I cannot
bear him any longer; what shall I do? Shall I rebuke him, or shall I speak evil words to
him?" The old man said unto him, " Both things are bad, whether a man rebuke him, or
whether a man speak unto him evil words"; and the brother said unto him, " And what shall
I do? For I cannot endure either." The old man said unto him, " If thou canst not bear
both things, speak to him, but do not rebuke him; but if thou speakest unto him with words
of evil, and he listeneth, thou wilt be able to quiet him, saying, ' I did not say such
and such a thing, and ' it will be possible for the matter which is between you to ' be
healed; but if thou rebuke him to his face, thou wilt ' make a sore which will be
incurable.' "

56. Certain brethren came to Abbâ Anthony that he might tell them about the visions which
they used to see, whether they indeed came from devils [or not]; now they had with them an
ass, and he died on the road as they were coming, and when they had gone into the presence
of the old man, he said unto them straightway, " How was it that your ass died on the
road?" And they said unto him, " Whence doth the Abbâ know that our ass is dead?" And Abbâ
Anthony said unto them, " The devils shewed me [the matter]." Then they said unto him, "
We have come to ask thee questions because we have seen phantoms, and also because on
several occasions they have actually become real things, and we want to learn whether we
have erred or not"; and the old man shewed them that such phantoms which arise through
certain devils cannot be inquired into.

57. They were saying that Abbâ Sylvanus used to sit in secret in a cell with a few chick
peas, and he made of them one hundred bundles; and behold, a man came from Egypt leading
an ass loaded with bread, and having knocked at the door of his cell, he went in, and set
down [the bread], and the old man took these bundles, and loaded them upon the ass, and
sent him away. 58. They used to say that when Abbâ Zeno dwelt in a cell in Scete he went
forth one night from his cell as if for a purpose, and wandered about; and when he had
passed three days and three nights in travelling, being exhausted by toil and hunger, and
ready to die, he fell upon the ground. And behold, a youth stood before him carrying some
bread and a pitcher of water, and he said unto Abbâ Zeno, "Arise, and eat bread"; and the
old man rose up and prayed, thinking that the youth was a phantom. Then the youth answered
and said unto him, "Thou hast done well"; and again Abbâ Zeno prayed twice, and three
times, and the youth said unto him, "Thou hast done well"; and the old man took the bread
and ate. Then afterwards the youth said unto him, "How is it that thou hast gone so far
from thy cell? But arise and follow me"; and immediately he found himself in his cell. The
old man said unto him, "Come, enter into the cell with me, and make thy prayer," and as he
was going on in front he was swallowed up from his sight.

59. They used to say that a certain brother had such an attack of blasphemy that he was
ashamed to speak, and wherever he heard that there were great old men he used to go to
them wishing to tell them [about it]; but whenever he had come to one of them he was
ashamed to speak to him. Now having gone to the fathers several times, on one occasion
Abbâ Poemen saw him, and he perceived that he was full of thoughts, and he was sorry for
him; but when the brother would not reveal the matter to him, and he made as if he would
pass him by, as soon as the brother had gone a little way from him, the old man said unto
him, "How often hast thou come hither to tell me the thoughts which thou hast in thy mind!
Yet, when thou comest here, thou findest it hard to tell me. How long wilt thou go on in
this manner and be vexed by such thoughts in thy mind? Tell me, my son, what is it that
aileth thee?" Then that brother answered, and said unto him, "I am fighting against the
devil of blasphemy of God, and though I have often sought [to tell thee] I have been
ashamed to do so." And when he had told him the matter, the face of Abbâ Poemen broke into
a smile, and he said unto him, "Be not vexed, O my son, for when this thought cometh to
thee, speak thou to it, saying, 'I have nothing to do with this thought, and my soul
desireth it not; let this blasphemy be upon thee, Satan, for nothing in [my] soul desireth
it, for the time is short.'" And when that brother heard these things he departed
rejoicing.

60. A brother asked an old man, saying, "How is that the soul is obstinate, and that it
wisheth not to fear God?" The old man said unto him, "The soul wisheth, O my son, to fear
God, but there is no time, for the fear of God belongeth to perfection." 61. One of the
old men used to say, "Be not thou asking for one thing after another, but ask concerning
the matter of the war wherein thou art at the time engaged, and when thou hast eradicated
that then ask concerning something else; but if when there is in thee one passion, thou
settest it aside and askest about another, the former passion will never be eradicated
from thee." 62. A brother asked one of the old men, saying, "What shall I do? for my
thoughts wish to wander and go round about by reason of the sight of the fathers." And the
old man answered and said unto him, "If thou seest that thy thoughts wish to go forth by
reason of the strictness of the restraint, or through need, make unto thyself a division
in thy cell, and thou wilt henceforward seek not to go out; but if thou seest that they
wish to go out for the benefit of the soul, go out."

63. There was a certain brother in the Cells, who, when the service in the church was
ended, used to remain until the last and to wait for some one to lead him home; one day,
however, when the church was being dismissed, he went out before any one else and ran to
his cell, and the priest saw him and marvelled. And when the brother came on the following
day, the priest said unto him, "Tell me truly why thou, who hadst been in the habit of
going out last, dost now go forth first of all?" and he said, "Up to the present I made a
distinction by not boiling any food [on the First Day of the week], and I waited that,
peradventure, some one might take me to his cell; on that day, however, before I came [to
the church] I boiled a few lentiles, and therefore I departed quickly." And when the
priest heard this he gave a commandment to the brethren in the church that before each man
came to the service in the church, he should on the First Day of the week boil some food,
by way of making a distinction.

64. The brethren used to tell about a certain old man who had a disciple who, when he sat
down to eat, used to put his feet on the table, and although the old man had suffered this
war for many years he did not rebuke him. At length, however, he went to another old man,
and told him about the brother, and the old man said unto him, "Complete thy love, and
send him to me." Now when the brother came to that old man, at the appointed time for the
meal the old man rose up and made ready the table, and as soon as they had seated
themselves the brother straightway put his two feet on the table; and the old man said
unto him, "Father, it is not good for thee to set thy feet on the table"; and he said unto
him, "Forgive me, O my son. Thou hast well said, for it is a sin." And the brother
returned to his master, and told him about [it], and when the old man had learned this he
perceived that this matter had been corrected in his disciple. And from that time the
brother did not put his feet on the table.

65. A brother asked Abbâ Muthues, saying, "Speak unto me a word whereby I may live." He
said unto him, "Go, entreat God to give thee mourning and meekness of heart, and consider
at all times thy sins, and do not judge other people, and make thyself lower than every
other man, and have no love for a boy, and no acquaintance with a woman, and no friendship
with heretics, and put aside from thee all free-dom of speech (or boldness), and restrain
both thy tongue and thy belly, and guard thyself somewhat against wine, and if a man speak
with thee concerning any matter whatsoever, do not quarrel with him, but if he saith that
a thing is good, say 'Yes,' and if he say that it is bad, say, 'Thou knowest.' This is a
meek spirit." 66. A brother came unto Abbâ Poemen and said unto him, "I have very many
thoughts, O father, whereby I am vexed"; and the old man took him out into the air, and
said unto him, "Spread out thy skirt, and catch the winds," and the brother said unto him,
"I cannot do this." The old man said unto him, "Thou canst not do this, neither canst thou
prevent thy thoughts from coming, but it belongeth to thee to stand up against them."

67. The brethren were on one occasion gathered together to Abbâ Joseph, and as they were
sitting and asking him questions about their thoughts he said unto them, by way of
[affording] them consolation, "This day am I a king, for I have controlled my passions."
68. A brother asked Abbâ Ammon, saying, "Why is it that a man laboureth in prayer and
maketh petitions, and that for which he asketh is not given to him?" The old man said unto
him, "Hast thou never heard how Jacob wearied himself for her whom he took to wife, and
that he did not obtain her whom he sought, but her whom he did not seek, and how
afterwards he worked and toiled more, and finally received her whom he loved? Thus is it
with the monk also, for he shall fast and keep vigil, and yet shall not receive that which
he asketh; and again, he shall labour with fasting and vigil, and shall receive the gift
of grace which he asketh."

69. One of the old men asked Abbâ Sisoes, saying, "Did Satan persecute the men of olden
time as he doth those of to-day?" Sisoes said unto them, "He persecuteth the men of this
age especially, because his time hath come." 70. Abbâ John the Less, who was a young man,
and had an elder brother, used to say, "I wanted to be without any care whatsoever, and to
be like the angels of God, who do nothing except sing and pray to Him." And straightway he
cast from him the garments which he had on, and went forth to the wilderness, and when he
had passed one week there, he returned to his brother; now when he knocked at the door his
brother did not answer it, but asked him, "Who art thou?" And John said unto him, "I am
John," and his brother answered and said unto him, "John hath become an angel and is no
longer among men"; and John entreated him, saying, "I indeed am John," but his brother
left him outside in affliction, and did not open the door until the morning. And when he
came to open the door he said unto John, "If thou art indeed a man, it is necessary for
thee to work so that thou mayest live."

71. Abbâ Pûrtê said, "If God wisheth me to live, He knoweth how to lead me, and to
strengthen me, and to provide for me; but if He desireth it not unto whom shall I go to
live?" And he would accept nothing from any man, not even when he was lying upon his bed,
"For," he used to say, "if a man maketh an offering of any kind to me, and not for the
sake of God, I myself have nothing whatsoever to give him, and he will receive nothing
from God, for I am not in the place of God, so therefore he who offereth will suffer
loss." 72. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "Everything which ariseth through passion is sin"; and
he used to say also, "Every [exercise of] power which is for God's sake, is thanksgiving
(or confession)." 73. An old man used to say, "Acquire silence, and take no care for any
earthly thing, and examine closely thy meditations, and when thou sleepest and when thou
risest up, be with God, and fear not the attack of the wicked."

74. On one occasion a brother came to a father, and said unto him, "Abbâ, I sow a field,
and I reap the harvest therefrom, and I give alms also thereof"; and the old man said unto
him, "Be strong, my son, for thou doest well." So the brother went away rejoicing in this
desire. And Abbâ Job said unto Abbâ Poemen, "Since thou hast spoken unto that brother in
this fashion, [I know that] thou dost not fear God." Then, after two days, Abbâ Poemen
sent and called that brother, and said unto him whilst Abbâ Joseph was listening, "What
didst thou say to me when thou camest to me, for my mind was occupied in another place?"
The brother said unto him, "I sow a field, and I reap the harvest therefrom, and I give
alms also thereof"; and Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "I thought in my mind that it was thy
brother, who is in the world, of whom thou wast speaking when thou didst tell me that he
did these things; but if it be thou thyself who doest them [I must say] that it is not the
work for monks." And when the brother heard these [words] he was grieved, and he said, "I
cannot do without sowing, for I know not how to do any other work but this." Now when that
brother had departed, Abbâ Job expressed his contrition to Abbâ Poemen, and said unto him,
"Forgive me." Then Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "I also knew that this work was not the
works of monks, but, according to the measure of his desire, I gave him that wherewith I
knew he would be edified, and I knew that he would thus abound in love; but now he hath
departed in sorrow."

75. Mother Sarah said, "If I were to pray to God that all men might be built up through me
I should be found expressing contrition at the door of each one of them; but I pray to God
especially that my heart may be pure with Him and with every man." 76. Certain brethren,
whilst talking to an old man about the thoughts, said unto him, "Our hearts are hard, and
we are not afraid of God; what shall we do that we may fear God?" The old man said unto
them, "I think that if a man have knowledge in his heart about Him that will rebuke him,
it will bring him to the fear of God." Then the brethren said unto him, "What is the
rebuke?" The old man said, "In every matter a man should rebuke himself, saying, 'Remember
that thou art about to go forth to meet God.' And he should also say, 'What do I require
from man?' And I think that if a man remain in these things the fear which is in God will
come to him."

77. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "An evil will is a wall of brass between a man and God; but
if a man would set it aside he must also say, 'By [the help of] my God I will leap over a
wall' (Psalm xviii, 29)—God Whose way is without blemish —but if that which is seemly
lendeth help to the thought, a man is not easily turned aside." 78. They used to say that
on one occasion, when Abbâ Alônis was singing the service, and the old men were sitting
[close by], these old men watched him [performing the] service, and that they praised him;
but when he heard them he answered them never a word. Then a certain man spake unto him
aside and privately, saying, "Why dost thou not make answer to 'the old men who have
praised thee?'' Abbâ Alônîs said unto them, Because if I made answer to them I should be
as one 'who had accepted the praise.''

79. An old man used to say, "If a word of the Book goeth 'up in the heart of a brother
when he is sitting in his cell, and if he pursue that word before it hath arrived at its
maturity, not being driven by God, the devils will demonstrate the word before it [become
complete] according to their desire.'" 80. Abbâ Sarânîs used to say, "I have worked during
the 'whole period of my life in reaping, and in twisting ropes, and in sewing mats, and
notwithstanding these things, if the hand of the Lord had not fed me I should not have had
enough to eat.'" 81. An old man used to say, "Spread abroad the Name of 'Jesus in
humility, and with a meek heart; shew thy feeble-ness before Him, and He will become
strength unto thee.'" 82. Abbâ Macarius said unto Abbâ Zechariah, "Tell me, 'what is the
work of monks?'' He said unto him, Dost thou 'ask me, father?'' The old man said unto him,
I beseech thee, 'my son, Zechariah, for there is something which is right I should ask
thee.'' And Abbâ Zechariah said unto him, Father, I give it as my opinion that the work of
monks consisteth 'in a man restraining himself in everything.''

83. An old man also said, "He who constraineth himself in 'everything, for God's sake, is
a confessor.'" And again he said, "He who constraineth himself for the sake of the Son of
God 'will not be forgotten by the Son of God.'" And he also said, "Him who hath made
himself a fool for the sake of God, God 'will make him to be wise.'" 84. An old man used
to say, "If when thou art sitting down, 'or standing up, or when thou art doing anything
else, God be set before thine eyes continually, no [act] of the Enemy can terrify thee; if
this thought abide with a man, the power of God will abide with him also.'" 85. An old man
also said, "The man who hath his death 'before his eyes continually will overcome
littleness of soul.'" 86. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "Hunger and slumber have 'not allowed
me to notice these small matters.'"

87. Abbâ Theodore said, "Many men in this age are desirous 'of life before God giveth [it]
to them.'" 88. He used to say also, "Be a free man, so that thou mayest 'not be crafty in
thy words.'" 89. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "Keep thyself aloof from every man who is
contentious in speech." 90. An old man said, "In all [thy] trials blame no man except
thyself, and say, These have happened me for my sins." 91. An old man said, "In the
sluggard and the useless man God hath no pleasure." 92. A brother asked Abbâ Timothy,
saying, "I wish to guard my soul from things that will hurt it"; and the old man said unto
him, "How can we guard our soul when the door[s] or our tongue and belly are open?" 93.
They used to say that a certain man asked Abbâ Sisoes about Abbâ Pambô, saying, "Tell us
about his life and conduct"; the old man made answer to him, saying, "Abbâ Pambô is great
in his works."

94. Abbâ Joseph related that Abbâ Poemen said, "The meaning of the words which are written
in the Gospel, 'Whosoever hath a garment, let him sell it, and buy a sword' (St. Luke
xxii, 36), is, 'Let him that hath a life of ease relinquish it, and lay hold upon [a life
of] toil.'" 95. They used to say that [on one occasion] when certain of the old men were
sitting with Abbâ Poemen and were discussing some of the fathers, and were [asking each
other] if they remembered Abbâ Sisoes, Abbâ Poemen said, "Quit talking about Abbâ Sisoes,
for he hath surpassed the measure (or limit) of all histories." 96. On one occasion a
father came to Abbâ Theodore of Perâmê, and said unto him, "Behold, O father, such and
such a brother hath gone back to the world"; and the old man said, "Dost thou wonder
thereat? Marvel not at this, but thou mayest marvel when thou hearest that a man hath been
able to flee completely from the world."

97. An old man related of Moses that when he slew the Egyptian he looked on this side and
on that, and saw no man, and explained the meaning of the passage as being that Moses did
not see his thoughts. And when he saw himself, and that he was doing no evil thing, and
that that which he was about to do was for God's sake, he then slew the Egyptian. 98. An
old man also said concerning the verse of the Psalms wherein it is written, "I will place
his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers" (Psalm lxxxix, 25), that it was
spoken concerning our Redeemer, Whose left hand is on the sea, that is to say the world,
and Whose right hand is in the rivers, that is to say, the Apostles, who water the whole
world with faith. 99. A brother asked one of the old men, saying, "What shall I do? For I
am troubled about the works of my hands: I love making mats, but I am unable to make
[them] here." The old man said unto him, "Abbâ Sisoes used to say, 'It is not the work
which is easy for us that we ought to do, but that which befitteth the place, and a
brother should labour according to what it will cost to keep him.'"

100. Abbâ Joseph used to say, "When we were sitting with Abbâ Poemen he made mention of
Abbâ Agathon, and we said to him, 'He was a young man, why dost thou call him Abbâ?' Abbâ
Poemen said unto him, 'His mouth made him to be called Abbâ.'" 101. One of the old men
used to say, "Wheresoever the bee goeth it maketh honey; and thus also it is with the
monk, for wheresoever he goeth he doeth the work of God." 102. An old man used to say,
"Satan is a twister of cords, and as long as thou givest him threads he will plait them";
now he spake this concerning the thoughts. 103. Abbâ Sisoes shewed us the cave of Abbâ
Anthony, and said, "Thus in the cave of a lion a fox dwelleth." 104. They used to say of
those who were in Scete that no pride was found among them, because they surpassed each
other in spiritual excellences. They fasted so much that one would only eat [once] every
two days, and another [once] every four days, and another [once] every seven days; another
would eat no bread, and another would drink no water, and to speak briefly, they were
adorned with every spiritual excellence.

105. They used to relate that a certain old man entreated God and made supplication unto
Him that the devils might appear to him, and it was revealed to him that "It is not
necessary for thee to see them"; but the old man made entreaty, saying, "Lord, Thou art
able to hide me in Thy grace." Then God opened his eyes, and he saw them like bees
surrounding a man, and they were gnashing their teeth upon him, and the angels of God were
rebuking them and driving them away from men. 106. A man asked a certain old man from
Thebes, and said unto him, "Tell me how I may be redeemed"; and the old man said unto him,
"Three things [thou must do]. Sit in thy cell and keep silence, and consider attentively
thy sins, and keep thyself wholly from judging any man, and accept no gift from any man,
and let thine hands be sufficient to find thee thy food. And if thou art unable to give
alms of thy work at least supply all thy needs by thine own hands."

107. They used to say that one day when Abbâ Sisoes was sitting down he cried out with a
loud voice, and said, "O my feebleness"; his disciple said unto him, "What aileth thee, O
father?" And the old man said unto him, "I wish to speak to a certain man, and I am unable
[to do so]." 108. They used to say that when the barbarians came the brethren took to
flight, and that Abba Daniel, who was in Scete, said, "Unless God taketh care for me, why
should I live?" And he passed through all the barbarians, and they saw him not. Then
afterwards he said in himself, "Behold God hath cared for me, and I am not dead, I also
will do as a man doeth, and I will flee as the [other] fathers have fled." 109. When Abba
Sisoes was about to die, and the fathers were sitting about him, they saw that his face
was shining like the sun; and he said unto them straightway, "Behold, Abba Anthony hath
come"; and after a little while he said also, "Behold, the company of the prophets hath
come"; his face shone again, and he said, "Behold the company of apostles hath come"; and
again his face shone with twofold brightness, and he became suddenly like unto one who was
speaking with some one. Then the old men who was sitting [there] entreated him, and said,
"Show us with whom thou art talking, father"; and straightway he said unto them, "Behold,
the angels came to take me away, and I besought them to leave me so that I might tarry
here a little longer, and repent." And the old men said unto him, "Thou hast no need to
repent, father"; the old man said unto them, "I do not know in my soul if I have rightly
begun to repent"; and they all learned that the old man was perfect. Then again suddenly
his face beamed like the sun, and all who sat there were afraid, and he said unto them
straightway, "Look ye, look ye. Behold our Lord hath come, and He saith, 'Bring ye unto Me
the chosen vessel which is in the desert"; and straightway he delivered up his spirit, and
he became [like] lightning, and the whole place was filled with a sweet odour.

110. Abba Paphnutius, the disciple of Abba Macarius, used to say, "I entreated him,
saying, 'Father, tell me a word'; and he said unto me, Do no harm to any man, and condemn
no man; observe these [words], and thou shalt be redeemed." III. A brother asked a certain
old man, saying, "In what form doth the fear of God dwell in the soul?" The old man said
unto him, "If a man possess humility, and practise abstinence, and judge no man, in this
manner doth the fear of God dwell in the soul." 112. Abba Hilarion of Syria came to the
mountain to Abba Anthony, and Abba Anthony said unto him, "Hast thou come, O star of
light, who shinest with the morning?" And Abba Hilarion said unto him, "Peace be to thee,
O pillar of light, who sustainest creation!" 113. 177 113. Certain of the fathers used to
say, "God bringeth not young men to monasteries, but Satan, so that he may turn back the
mighty men."

114. A brother said unto Abbâ Anthony, "Pray for me, father"; the old man said unto him,
"I cannot help thee, and God will not, if thou wilt not abolish thyself and ask Him
thyself [to do so]." 115. They used to tell of a certain old man who had passed fifty
years [of his life] without eating bread or drinking water; and he used to say, "I have
slain fornication, and the love of gold, and the love of glory." Now Abbâ Abraham heard
[of him], and came to him, and said, "Didst thou say these things?" and he said, "Yea."
Abbâ Abraham said unto him, "If thou wert to go into thy cell, and find a woman on thy
mat, wouldst thou be able to keep from thinking that she was a woman?" And the old man
said unto him, "No, but I should struggle against my thoughts so as not to touch her."
Abbâ Abraham said unto him, "Behold, then, thou hast not slain it (i.e., the lust for
fornication), but the passion is still alive, though fettered. Behold, also, if thou wert
travelling along a road and thou didst see lying thereon some potsherds and among them a
talent of gold, would thy mind be able to look upon the money in the same way as the
potsherds?" The old man said unto him, "Nay, but I should contend against my thoughts in
such wise as not to take it." Then Abbâ Abraham said unto him, "Behold, the passion [of
love of money] is still alive, though fettered. Behold now, if thou didst hear of two
brethren, one of whom was esteeming thee highly and praising thee, and the other was
hating thee and reviling thee, if these men came to thee wouldst thou be able to regard
each of them with equal friendliness?" And the old man said unto them, "No, but I would
strive against my thoughts in such a way that I would treat him that cursed me as well as
I did him that loved me." Then Abbâ Abraham said unto him, "Behold, then, the passions are
still alive, but they are fettered in the saints."

116. There was a certain old man who was a monk, and who dwelt in the desert far away, and
he had a kinswoman who with difficulty discovered after very many years where he was
living, and then, by the operation of Satan, she rose up and came to the road to the
desert, and she found camels which were going to travel on that road, and she entered [the
desert] with them. Now she was [driven to do this] by the devil. And as soon as she had
come to the cell of the old man, she began to give him proofs about herself, saying, "I am
indeed thy kinswoman," and she remained with him. Now there was another monk who lived in
the neighbourhood of men, and he filled a vessel full of water, and set [it] down, and at
the season when he ate, being urged by the operation of God, he meditated within himself,
and said, "I will arise and will go into 'the desert, and will learn from that old man
what this is.'" Now as he was travelling along the way, the night overtook him, and he
went into a house of idols which was on the road, and passed the night there, and he heard
the devils saying to each other, "This night we have cast down such a monk by
'fornication.'" Now when he heard this he marvelled, and he came to the old man, and found
him sad, and he said unto him, "Father, what shall I do?

For I filled a vessel with water, but 'when I came to eat my meal I found that it had been
spilled.'" And the old man said unto him, "Hast thou come to ask me 'about a vessel of
water which hath been spilled? What am I myself to do? For this night I have fallen into
fornication.'" The monk said unto him, "I know it also; hold thy peace.'" The old man said
unto him, "How knowest thou? And the monk said unto him, "Last night when I was sleeping
in a 'house of idols which is on the road, I heard the devils say '[so] to each other, and
I was distressed [thereat].'" And the old man said unto him, "Henceforth I will go to the
world," but the monk persuaded him, saying, "Nay, father, but stay 'in thy place, and send
the woman away, for this is a temptation of the Enemy'; and the old man hearkened unto
him, and sent her away, and he himself continued in his ascetic works, and he mourned, and
made supplication unto God with abundant tears, until at length he arrived at his former
state of ascetic excellence.

117. A brother asked one of the fathers, saying, "What 'shall I do, for I am disturbed in
mind when I go up to perform the office of the deacon?'' And the old man said unto him, It
is not good for thee to be disturbed when thou goest 'up to minister, but if thou art, and
thou art disturbed in thy cell, thou must labour, and give thanks, and receive the hire of
which thou art worthy.'' Then that brother said unto him, If I can find a man who will
minister for me for a gift, 'and I cheat him not, may I [let him] do so?'' The old man
said unto him, If thou canst find a man who is in the world 'who can perform thy
ministration, and will take his hire, yes, but if he be a monk, no.'' 118. A brother said
unto Abbá Poemen, "Can a man rely 'upon any one work of spiritual excellence [for
salvation]?'' The old man said unto him, John the Less said, 'I should wish that a man
should take to himself a little of each kind of spiritual excellence.''

179 II-12a 119. These are the words which Abbâ Moses said to Abbâ Poemen, and the first
word which was spoken by the old man was : 120. "It is better for a man to put himself to
death rather than his neighbour, and he should not condemn him in anything." 121. "It is
good for a man to die unto every work which is evil, and he should not vex a man before
his departure from the body." 122. "If a man doth not put himself in the attitude of a
sinner, his prayer will not be heard before God." A brother said unto him, "What is a
sinful soul?" And the old man said, "Every one who beareth his own sins, and considereth
not [those] of his companion." 123. The old man also said unto him, "If works do not
correspond to prayer he who prayeth laboureth in vain." And a brother asked him: "What is
the equality of works with prayer?" The old man said unto him, "He who prayeth that he may
receive the remission of sins must not henceforth be negligent, for if a man relinquisheth
his own will, he will be accepted by God rightly."

124. A brother asked an old man, saying, "Fasting and praying which spring from men, what
do they effect?" The old man said unto him, "They make the soul to be humble before God,
for it is written, 'Look upon my subjugation, and my labour, and forgive me all my sin'
(Psalm xxv, 18). For if the soul be afflicted it will receive mercy from God." 125. A
brother said unto an old man, "What shall a man do in every temptation which cometh upon
him, and during every thought of the Enemy?" The old man said unto him, "It is right for a
man to weep before the grace of God so that He may help him, and he shall speedily find
relief if he make his supplication with knowledge, for it is written, 'The Lord is my
Helper, I will not be afraid what man shall do unto me'" (Psalm cxviii, 6; Hebrews xiii,
6).

126. The perfection of all spiritual excellences is for a man not to judge his neighbour.
For when the hand of the Lord slew the first-born of Egypt, there was no house wherein
there was not one dead person. Then a brother said unto the old man, "What is the meaning
of these words?" The old man said unto him, "If we allow ourselves to view closely our own
sins we shall not see those of our neighbour. It is folly for a man to forsake his own
dead and to lament over that of his neighbour." 127. And in respect of the words "A man
should put his own soul to death rather than [that] of his neighbour," they mean that a
man should bear his own sins, and should be remote from the anxiety of all men. And he
should not say, "This is good, and this is bad"; and he should not do harm to any man; and
the wickedness of thy neighbour should not be remembered in thy heart; and thou must not
hold in contempt the man who hath done wickedness to thy friend; and thou must not deliver
thy will over to him that doeth evil to thy neighbour; and thou must not rejoice in that
which causeth evil to thy neighbour. This is the meaning of the words that a man "should
die rather than [his] neighbour." And thou shalt not speak evilly of a man, but say, "God
knoweth every man"; and thou shalt not take pleasure in evil converse, and thou shalt not
deliver thy will over to him that revileth thy neighbour. This is the meaning of the
words, "Judge not that ye be not judged." And thou shalt not make enmity against any man,
and thou shalt not make any enmity in thy heart, and thou shalt not hate him that worketh
enmity against his neighbour, and thou shalt not judge his enmity, and thou shalt not keep
wrath against a brother who keepeth wrath against his neighbour. For this is peace.

128. Now the conclusion of all these things is that whatsoever thou hearest thou must
speak, but this is not the opinion to which I incline, and I am a sinner; for because of
these things God will give thee rest. When thou risest up in the morning each day, lay
hold upon a governor who will suit every kind of spiritual excellence, and every command
of God with abundant long-suffering, and in humility of soul and of body, and with
patience and tribulations, and with thoughts and prayers, and supplications, and with
groanings, and with the cleansing of the tongue, and with watching of the eyes, in
suffering abuse without being angry and maintaining peace, in not rewarding evil for evil
without discretion. And thou must not regard the lapses [of others], and thou must not
measure thine own [excellence], but thou must be the lowest thing in creation through
alienation from the things of the body and multitudinous affairs, through the agony of the
cross, and poverty of spirit, and good desire, and spiritual self-abnegation, and fasting,
and repentance, and tears, through the strife of war, and discretion, and purity of soul,
through noble patience, and vigil by nights, and hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, and
cold, and labours. And thou must keep hold upon thy grave as if thou wert already dead,
and as if death were thy neighbour every day, in the mountains, and in the caves, and in
the holes of the earth; and take heed that thou dost not become merely a hearer of the
Word and not a doer of it. For those who do these things are indeed they who are clothed
in the wedding garments, and they it is who have worked with the talents.

129. A brother asked an old man, saying, "Father, what answer shall I return unto those
who abuse us and say that we do not return to the world because of our laziness, and that
by the work of our hands and the labour of our souls we do not relieve strangers?" The old
man said unto him, "Although we have from the Law and from the commandments of our Lord
many things wherewith we could make answer concerning the crown of perfection, yet we must
make answer, with humility, in this wise: Beloved, when the Nine-vites were in need of
repentance, which of them did these things for the necessity of the world and the rights
thereof? Did not even the king himself refrain from this thing and take the same course as
the men of olden time, and those of the later time, and those who were before them? And he
kept silence and was quiet, even according to all the characteristics of the world, and up
to the present no [men] have described the punishment which befitted them. Thus also it is
with us, and because we have sinned against and transgressed the natural and written law
we bring to naught all [the characteristics] of the world until we shall perceive that
reconciliation hath come, and the penalty of the rights of olden time and of the
commandments hath been dissolved. And did not Paul also teach us this, [when he said], 'He
who wageth a strife keepeth his mind [free] from everything else?' (Compare 1 Corinthians
ix, 24, 25.) And a man must not rest until the Lord blot out seed from Babel."

130. A brother asked an old man, saying, "What shall I do with my mind which fighteth
[against me]? For it is better and also a greater thing for me to go into the world and to
teach and convert many, and to become like unto the Apostles." The old man said unto him,
"If there be in thy mind no fear that thou hast fallen short in the matter of any of the
commandments, and if thou hast also felt that thou hast arrived at the haven of rest, and
if thou hast no feeling about anything in thy mind, then go; but if thou hast not all
these things together in thee, [the desire] is due to the operation of wickedness which
urgeth thee on, so that it may cast thee down from thine integrity." 131. On one occasion
the brethren were eating together in Scete, and John Kolob was with them, and a great
priest rose up to give them a pitcher of water, but no man would accept it from him except
John Kolob; and they all marvelled and said unto him, "How is it that thou who art the
least among all of us hast been so bold as to take the pitcher from him, and drink, whilst
none of us dared to do so?" Then Abbâ John said unto them, "When I stand up I rejoice that
every man should take [the pitcher] from me and drink, so that I may have a reward, and I
considered on this occasion also, and I took [the pitcher] and drank so that there might
be a reward to him, and that he might not be grieved because no man accepted [water] from
him, and that his [good] will might not be wronged." And when he had said this the fathers
marvelled at his intelligence, and they all obtained benefit by his word[s].

132. A brother asked Poemen, saying, "I observe my soul, so that wheresoever I go I may
find help"; the old man said unto him, "Even those who bear swords have a God, Who hath
mercy upon them in this life. If then we were to find ourselves in islands of terror God
would deal with us according to His mercy." 134. Abbâ Poemen used to say that Abbâ Ammon
said, "One man spendeth the whole period of his life holding an axe in his hand [ready] to
cut down a tree, and never findeth the opportunity of wielding it; and another man, who
knoweth well how to fell trees, heweth with three axes, and wieldeth them [against trees].
Now," he said, "the axe [in this case] is discretion [or discernment]." 135. Abbâ Poemen
also said that Abbâ Anthony said concerning Abbâ Pambô, "This man feared God so greatly
that he made the Spirit of God to dwell in him."

136. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "The fear of God teacheth a man all spiritual excellences."
137. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "Why do my thoughts persuade me to esteem myself
and compare myself with one whose rule of conduct is more excellent [than mine], and to
despise that man as much as if he had been my inferior?" The old man answered and said,
"The blessed Apostle spake concerning this, saying, 'In a large house there are not only
vessels of gold and vessels of silver, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware. If now
a man will cleanse his soul from all these things, he shall become a vessel which is
suitable and convenient for the honour of his Lord, and he will be ready for every good
work'" (2 Timothy ii, 20, 21). That brother said unto him, "How are these matters to be
explained?" And the old man said unto him, "They are to be explained thus. The house is
the world and the vessels are the children of men. The vessels of gold must be taken as
representing the perfect, and those of silver are the men who are inferior to them in the
measure of ascetic deeds, and the other vessels of wood and earthenware are those who
possess a little ascetic excellence. If now a man will cleanse his soul from all the
things which are outside what is right, he will become a pure vessel of honour suitable
for the use of his Lord, and be ready for every good work."

138. A brother also asked Abbâ Poemen, "Why is it that I am not allowed to be free in my
thoughts like the other old men?" The old man said unto him, "John Kolob used to say, 'The
Enemy doth not rejoice in anything so much as in those who do not reveal and lay bare
their thoughts to their fathers.'" 139. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "Men are wont to speak
great and perfect things, but in their deeds they draw nigh unto the things which are
little and inferior." 140. An old man used to say, "Neither shame nor fear confirms sin."
141. An old man used to say, "As the company of the monks is more excellent than and
superior to the children of the world, so it is meet that the monk who is a stranger
should be a mirror to those who are found in a monastery which is devoted to the ascetic
life."

142. A brother asked an old man, saying, "What shall I do?" The old man said unto him,
"Go, and love the constraint of thyself in everything." 143. The same old man said unto
him, "Reveal and shew forth thy gift"; and the brother said unto him, "My thoughts will
not permit me [to do so]." The old man said, "It is written, 'Call upon Me in the day of
affliction, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt praise Me' (Psalm 1, 15); call then
upon Him, and He shall deliver thee." 144. An old man used to say, "Teach thy heart to
keep and to take heed unto the things which thy tongue speaketh." 145. An old man used to
say, "If a man teacheth and performeth not he is like unto the large basin which receiveth
the water for the assembly, which watereth and cleanseth many, but cannot itself be
cleaned, and is full of dirt and impurity."

146. Abbâ Jacob used to say, "As a lamp illumineth a dark chamber, so doth the fear of
God, if it abide in the heart of a man, illumine him, and teach him all the excellences of
the commandments of God." 147. Abbâ Muthues used to say, "I would rather have the man with
a little work, which abideth and is constant, than him who at the beginning laboureth
severely, and soon ceaseth altogether." 148. On one occasion Abbâ Theodore went to Abbâ
John, who was an eunuch from his mother's womb, and as they were talking together about
spiritual excellences, he said, "When we were in Scete the cultivation of the soul was our
labour, and we worked with our hands only in the ordinary way, and we only did work of
this kind when it came [in the way]; to-day, however, the cultivation of the soul is made
our ordinary work, which is performed whensoever it happeneth to come [in the way], and
the work of our hands, which was always regarded as a common matter, hath become unto us a
serious matter and an object of earnest solicitude."

149. A brother asked an old man, saying, "What is the cultivation of the soul like? And
what is the labour of the hands like?" The old man said unto him, "Whatsoever happeneth
for God's sake is the cultivation (or labour) of the soul; but whatsoever a man doeth for
himself, or whatsoever he gathereth together for himself, is the labour of the hands."
That brother said unto him, "Father, teach me a proof of this matter which I do not
understand." The old man said unto him, "It is as if a man were to say, Behold, thou
hearest that I am sick, and thou sayest in thyself, Now I have a piece of work to do,
shall I leave [it], and go and visit him, or shall I finish it first and then go? And
however many times thou art prevented [from going] for some reason or cause, and however
many times the brother saith unto thee, Come, take me, and help me, thou sayest within
thyself, Shall I leave my work and go and help him? But if thou goest not, behold, thou
hast abrogated the commandments of God, which are for the cultivation of the soul, because
of the work of the hands. If then a man ask thee, go with him, since this is a work of
God, for He said, 'If a man compel thee to go a mile with him, go two'" (St. Matthew v,
41).

150. A brother asked Abbâ Marcianus, saying, "What shall I do so that I may live?" And the
old man answered and said unto him, "He who looketh above seeth not what is below; he who
is occupied closely with the things which are below hath no knowledge of what is above.
And he who understandeth the things which are above is not concerned with what is below,
for it is written, 'Turn ye, and know that I am God'" (Psalm xlvi, 10). 151. Abbâ Poemen
said that Abbâ John cultivated all spiritual excellences. 152. A brother asked one of the
old men, saying, "If I am being tempted, and a temptation come upon me, and I have no one
in whom I have confidence to tell about it, what shall I do?" The old man said unto him,
"I believe in God, and that He will send His Grace, and will comfort thee, and give thee
strength if thou will ask Him in truth and wilt make supplication unto Him. For I have
heard that a matter like unto this took place in Scete, where there was a man whose rule
and conduct were excellent, and he fell into temptation, and he became oppressed in his
mind, and because he had no man in whom he had confidence to reveal the matter to, and
none to bid him be of good courage, he made himself ready to depart. And behold, the grace
of God appeared unto him by night in the form of a virgin, and she comforted him, saying,
'Depart not, but dwell here with me, for not one of the things of which I have heard shall
be performed'; and straightway his mind was healed, and he was consoled and strengthened."

153. A certain brother used to say, "I knew an old man who dwelt in the mountain who would
never agree to accept anything from any man; now he possessed a little water, and with it
he used to care for and water a few garden herbs which he had. And he lived this life for
fifty years, and he never went outside the fence of his cell. He was exceedingly famous
because of the numerous cures which he wrought daily upon those who came to him. He died
in peace, leaving in his place five brethren." 154. There was a certain old man in Scete
who toiled in the works of the body, that is to say, in fasting and in standing up; and in
his thoughts he was a simple man, and he was neither keen in intellect nor learned. And he
went to Abbâ John Kolob to ask him about his thoughts, and when the old man had spoken to
him he returned and went to his cell, and forgot what the old man had said to him. And he
came a second time to the old man, who told him what he had already said unto him, and
when he had departed he forgot it again; and though he did this several times he always
forgot what had been said to him. Then, after these things, he went unto the blessed man
once more, and said unto him, "Thou knowest, O father, that I forgot [thy words] again;
but I did not come to thee because I did not wish to weary thee. Abbâ John said unto him,
"Go, and light a lamp"; and he went and did as he commanded him. And Abbâ John said unto
him, "Bring several lamps, and light [them all] from it"; and he lit [them] as he had told
him. And Abba John said to the old man, "Is the lamp wherefrom thou hast kindled the many
lamps in any way the worse? and he said unto him, "No.

And the old man John said unto him, "If all Scete were to come unto him John would not be
the worse for it, neither would the gift of the grace of Christ be impeded thereby.
Whensoever then thou wishest, and art in doubt, come [to me]. Thus by the patient
endurance of both of them he removed and did away error from that brother. For this was
the work of those who were dwelling in Scete, and they devoted themselves, and delivered
over their wills to compel those who were engaged in [spiritual] war to inherit the good
things (or virtues) each from each. 155. There was a certain old man who was sick, and as
he possessed nothing which he required for his wants, the Abbâ of the coenobium received
him [there], and said to the brethren, "Exert yourselves a little to relieve this sick
man." Now the man who was sick had a pot full of gold, and he dug a hole below where he
was [lying] and buried it; and it happened that he died without confessing and revealing
the matter. And after he was buried, the Abbâ who had taken him in said unto the brethren,
"Remove this bench from here," and whilst they were rooting it out they found the gold.
Then the Abbâ said, "Since he confessed not about this when he was alive, he cannot reveal
the matter when he is dead"—now he knew that the sick man's hope had been in it—"but go ye
and bury it with him." And fire came down from heaven, and it continued above his grave
for many days in the sight of every man, and all those who saw it marvelled.

156. A certain brother came on one occasion to the cell of Abbâ John at the time of
evening, and he was in a great hurry to depart; and they talked about spiritual
excellences [for a long time] without knowing [it], and when he went forth to set him on
his way, they tarried talking together until it was the sixth hour of the night. Then Abbâ
John made him go back to his cell, and they ate together, and then he sent him away, and
he departed. 157. Abbâ Ammon said:—On one occasion I and Abbâ Betimius went to visit Abbâ
Akhîlâ, for we had heard that he was meditating upon the passage, "Fear thou not, O Jacob,
to go down to Egypt" (Genesis xlvi, 3), and that he was repeating these words several
times; and when we knocked he opened unto us, and he asked us, saying, "Whence are ye?"
And being afraid to say, "[We come] from the cells," we made answer that we were from the
Mountain of Nitria, and he brought us in, and we found that he was working by night at
plaiting palm leaves, and we asked him, saying, "Speak a word unto us." Then he answered
and said, "Between the evening and the morning I have twisted twenty branches, but in very
truth I have no need for all this, only [I am afraid] lest God be angry with me, and He
chide me, saying, 'Though thou wast able to work thou hast not done so'; therefore I toil
and I work with all my might."

158. Certain of the fathers used to tell a story about a holy man who was indeed a great
man, and if people came to ask him a question he would say unto them with wisdom, "Behold,
I take upon myself the face (or Person) of God, and I sit upon the throne of judgement;
what now dost thou wish me to do for thee? If thou sayest, 'Have mercy upon me,' God saith
unto thee, 'If thou wishest Me to have mercy upon thee, thou also must have mercy upon thy
brother, and then I will have mercy upon thee; and if thou wishest Me to forgive thee,
thou also must forgive thy brother, and then I will forgive thee.' Can any blame rest upon
God? God forbid! But the cause resteth with us, and if we wish we are able to live." 159.
On one occasion a certain brother departed into exile from the countries and places
wherein dwelt Abbâ Poemen, and he went to a monk who used to live in that country where-to
he was going; now this man was one who possessed love, and many folk thronged to him—and
the brother related unto that monk stories concerning Abbâ Poemen, and when he heard about
his spiritual excellences he longed to see him. And the brother came back again to Egypt,
and after some time the monk [unto whom he had gone], who lived in that country, came to
Egypt to him, for the brother had already told him where he lived, and when the monk saw
the brother he rejoiced greatly. Then the monk said unto the brother, "Do [me an act of]
love, and take me so that I may go to Abbâ Poemen," and he took him to Abbâ Poemen, and
the brother told him the story of the monk who was with him, saying, "He is a great man,
and is much beloved, and he hath no small honour in his own country. I related unto him
stories concerning thy holiness, and he greatly desired to come and see thee"; and Abbâ
Poemen received him with gladness, and having saluted each other they sat down. Then the
stranger began to converse with Abbâ Poemen from the Scriptures concerning spiritual and
heavenly things, but Abbâ Poemen turned away his face and returned him no answer
whatsoever.

And when he saw that Abbâ Poemen would not speak unto him, he was grieved, and went
outside, and said unto the brother who had brought him, "In my opinion I have toiled in
vain in coming all this long journey to see the old man, for behold, he refuseth to speak
to me. Now when the brother went in to the old man Poemen, he said unto him, "Father, this
great man, who is so greatly praised in his own country, came on thy account; why didst
thou not speak with him? Poemen said, "He spake about the things which are above and
concerning heavenly matters, but I can only talk about things which are below and about
the things of earth; had he spoken to me about the passions of the soul I would have given
him an answer; but since he talked about spiritual things, I know nothing about them. Then
that brother went forth to the monk and said unto him, "The old man is not one of those
who wish a man to talk to them from the Scriptures, but if thou wilt converse with him
about the passions of the soul he will return thee answer. And straightway the monk
repented, and he came to the old man, and said unto him, "Father, what shall I do so that
I may bring into subjection the passions of the body? Then the old man looked upon him
gladly, and said unto him, "Now thou art welcome!

Open now thy mouth on such matters as these, and I will fill it with good things. And the
monk, having been greatly helped, and having gained benefit, said, "In very truth this is
the way of truth"; and he went back to his country, giving thanks to God that he had been
held worthy of such converse with the holy man. 160. Abbâ Poemen said concerning Abbâ John
that he cultivated spiritual excellences of every kind. 161. Abbâ Muthues used to say that
there were three brethren who were in the habit of coming to Abbâ Anthony, and that two of
them used to ask him questions about the thoughts, and about life, and redemption, and the
discretion (or intelligence) of the soul, whilst the third one held his peace continually.
And after a long time Abbâ Anthony said unto him, "Brother, thou comest here each year,
and askest nothing!" And he answered and said unto the old man, "It is sufficient for me
to see thee." 162. Abbâ Sisoes asked Abbâ Poemen about filthy thoughts, and the old man
said unto him, "The matter is like unto a box of clothes: if a man leaveth the clothes
inside it for a long time without being turned, they will become eaten up in process of
time and destroyed. And thus also is it with the thoughts, and if a man doth not drive
them out from his body they will be destroyed and perish."

163. Abbâ Joseph asked Abbâ Poemen about the wicked and vain thoughts which a man
produceth, and the old man said unto him, "It is as if a man were to take a snake and a
scorpion, and throw them in a vessel (or cloth), and close (or wrap) them up tightly for a
long time, when they would die owing to the period [which they have been shut up]; even so
do the evil thoughts, which spring up in the mind through the workings of devils, decay
and become destroyed through patient endurance." 164. Abbâ Elijah used to say, "What is
sin able to do where repentance is found? And what will love profit where there is pride?"
165. One of the fathers said, "The early [fathers] did not depart from their places except
for the three following reasons:—First: If one of them was vexed with his neighbour, and
it was impossible for him to make clean his heart in respect of him. Secondly: If the
abundant approval of the children of men was gathered together to him. Thirdly: If the
temptation of fornication clung to him. Whensoever they saw these three reasons they
departed."

166. On one occasion when he saw him pouring some water over his feet, Abbâ Isaac said
unto Abbâ Poemen, as one who possessed freedom of speech before him, "How is it that,
whilst the fathers exercised themselves in such stern labours and mighty deeds of
asceticism that they oppressed their bodies, behold, thou art washing [thy feet]?" Abbâ
Poemen said unto him, "We have not learned to be slayers of the body, but slayers of the
passions." 167. This same Abbâ Isaac heard the voice of a cock, and he said to Abbâ
Poemen, "Are there such things as fowls here, father?" And he answered and said unto him,
"Isaac, why dost thou force me to speak to thee? It is only people who are like thyself
that hear such sounds as these; he who is strenuous concerneth not himself with matters of
this kind." 168. An old man used to say, "Wisdom and simplicity form the perfect order of
the Apostles and of those who examine closely their rules of life and their conduct, and
to this Christ urged them, saying, 'Be ye harmless as doves and subtle like serpents' (St.
Matthew x, 16). And the Apostle [Paul] also admonished the Corinthians to the same effect,
saying, My brethren, be not childish in your minds, but be ye as babes in respect of
things which are evil, and be ye perfect in your minds' (1 Corinthians xiv, 20). Now
wisdom without simplicity is wicked cunning, and it is the subtlety of the philosophers
among the pagans of which it is said, 'He catcheth the wise men in their own cunning' (Job
v, 13; 1 Corinthians iii, 19), and again, 'The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that
they are vain' (Psalm xciv, 11; 1 Corinthians iii, 20). And simplicity without wisdom is
the foolishness which is prone to error, and concerning this also the Apostle spake, and
he wrote unto those who possessed it, saying, 'I fear lest, even as the serpent led Eve
into error by his craftiness, so your minds also may be destroyed in respect of your
simplicity which is towards Christ' (2 Corinthians xi, 3). For they accepted every word
without testing it, even as it is said in the [Book of] Proverbs, 'The simple man
believeth every word'" (Proverbs xiv, 15).

169. They used to say that one of the old men in Scete had been a slave, and that he came
each year to Alexandria, and brought with him a gift for his owners from [the results of]
labour, and they received him, and paid him homage. And the old man [formerly] poured
water into a basin, and brought it so that he might wash the feet of his owners, but they
said unto him, "Nay, father, thou shalt not honour us [thus]." Then he said unto them, "My
lords, I acknowledge that I am your slave, and that I have received from you an act of
grace in that ye have let me become a free man to serve our Lord, and if I may not wash
your feet accept at least my gift"; but they objected to this, and would not accept [it].
And he said unto them, "Since ye refuse to accept it I shall dwell here, and be subject
unto you"; then they allowed him to do what he wished, and they sent him away with great
gifts of various kinds, so that he might do acts of kindness on their behalf to the
brethren who were in need, and because of this he became famous in Scete. Now he conducted
himself with great humility towards every man.

170. There was a certain man who was a slave and he became a monk, and he persisted in a
life of self-abnegation for five and forty years, and bread, and water, and salt, were
sufficient for his food; now after some time the man who had been his master repented, and
he also made himself to be remote from the world. And when the time came for him to depart
from this world, he said unto his slave, who was now his Rabbâ, "I see the hosts of
wickedness surrounding me, but through thy prayer they are going back from me." And when
the call came for that slave one stood on his right hand, and the other on his left, and
he heard them saying unto him, "Dost thou wish to come, O father, or shall we go and leave
thee?" And he said, "I desire not to remain, take my soul"; and thus he ended [his life].

171. A certain man made himself remote from the world, and he had a wife and also a
daughter, and the latter died before she had been baptized by the disciples; and her
father distributed among the poor the portion which came to her, and also that of his
wife; but he never ceased to make entreaty to God on behalf of his daughter who had
departed from the world without being baptized. And a voice was heard by him as he was
praying, which said, "I have baptized thy daughter, have no sorrow"; but he did not
believe. And that voice, which was hidden, spake again unto him, saying, "Uncover her
grave, and look [in], and thou wilt not find her"; then he went to her grave, and dug it
up, and he found her not, for she had departed, and had been laid with the believers. 172.
The old man Macarius used to say, "These are the three principal things, and it is right
that a man should set them before him at every season. The remembrance of his death should
be before him at every hour, and he should die to every man, and he should be constant
always in his mind towards our Lord. For, if a man have not the remembrance of his death
before him at all seasons, he will not be able to die to every man, and if he die not to
every man he will be unable to be constantly before God."

173. The old man Macarius used to say, "Strive for every kind of death, for the death of
the body, that is to say, if thou hast not the death which is in the spirit; strive for
the death of the body, and then shall be added unto thee the death which is in the spirit.
And death of this kind will make thee to die to every man, and henceforward thou wilt
acquire the faculty of being constantly with God in silence." 174. The same old man also
said, "If thou hast not the prayer of the spirit, strive for the prayer of the body, and
then shall be added unto thee the prayer in the spirit. If thou hast not humility in the
spirit, strive for the humility which is in the body, and then shall be added unto thee
the humility which is in the spirit. For it is written, 'Ask, and ye shall receive'" (St.
Matthew vii, 7; xxi, 22).

175. A brother asked an old man, saying, "Why do I keep my sins in remembrance without
being pained about them?" The old man said unto him, "This happeneth unto us through
contempt and negligence. When a man wisheth to boil some food for his need, and he findeth
some small sparks of fire in his fireplace, he desireth to take care of them, and preserve
them, and to kindle therefrom a large flame; but if he neglecteth them they become black
and die out. And thus also is it with ourselves, for if, according as God hath bestowed
upon us, we remember our sins, and we desire and come to the life of silence, and we
possess persistence in remembering our sins, we shall acquire great grief in our hearts;
but, if we hold them in contempt and do not even remember them, we shall be rejected. 176.
A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "Who is a hypocrite?" The old man said unto him, "The
hypocrite is he who teacheth his neighbour to do a certain thing which he himself hath not
performed, and to the doing of which he hath not attained; for it is written, 'Hypocrite!
why dost thou look at the mote which is in the eye of thy brother, and behold there is a
beam in thine own eye? And how canst thou say to thy brother, Let me take out the mote
from thine eye, seeing that thou hast not first taken the beam out of thine own eye?'"
(St. Matthew vii, 5.)

177. A brother asked Abbâ Chronius, saying, "What shall I do in respect of the error which
leadeth captive my mind? For I do not perceive it until it bringeth me to the committal of
sin." And the old man said unto him, "When the Philistines took captive the Ark of the
Lord because of the evil deeds of the children of Israel, they dragged it along and
carried it until they had brought it into the house of Dagon their God, and then Dagon
fell down on his face in that place" (1 Samuel v, 3). The brother said unto him, "What
[meaneth] this word?" The old man said unto him, "If the unclean devils take captive the
mind of a man by their own means, they lead it on until they bring it to invisible and
unknown passion; but if, on the spot, the mind turneth and seeketh God, and remembereth
fervently the judgement of the world which is to come, straightway the passion departeth,
and is destroyed. For it is written, 'When ye repent and groan, ye shall be redeemed, and
ye shall know in what condition ye are.'"

178. Again a brother asked Abbâ Chronius, saying, "In what manner doth a man come to
humility?" The old man said unto him, "In my opinion a man doeth this by restraining and
withdrawing himself from everything, and by devoting himself to the labour of the body,
and as far as he hath the power so to do he should remember his departure from the body,
and the awful judgement of God." 179. Abbâ Anthony used to say, "Behold a time shall come
to the children of men when they shall become silly, and they shall turn aside and depart
from the fear of God, and if they see a man who is neither as mad nor as silly as they
are, they shall rise up against him, saying, 'Thou art both mad and silly,' because he is
not like unto them." 180. Abbâ Ammon of Nitria went to Abbâ Anthony, and said unto him, "I
see that the labours which I perform are greater than thine, how then is it that thy name
is more renowned among men than mine?" Abbâ Anthony said unto him, "Because I also love
the Lord more than thou."

181. When Abbâ Poemen heard that Abbâ Nastîr was dwelling in the coenobium he desired
greatly to see him, and he told his Abbâ that he ought to send him to go and visit him,
but he refused to send him by himself, and he would not let him go. Now a few days
afterwards the steward of the coenobium, who had certain thoughts, persuaded Abbâ to send
him to Abbâ Nastîr, and he dismissed him, saying, "Take this 193 brother with thee, and
send me an old man because of him; and because I could not trust myself to send him alone
I did not send him at all." Now when the steward had come to the old man Nastîr, he told
him his thoughts, and Abbâ Nastîr healed him. And afterwards the old man asked Abbâ
Poemen, saying, "Whence hast thou gotten such humility that whensoever it happeneth that
there be trouble in the coenobium thou dost not speak, and dost not interfere to put an
end to contention?" And the old man having pressed the brother, Abbâ Poemen answered and
said unto him, "Forgive me, father! When I first entered the coenobium I said unto my
mind, I and the ass are one. As the ass is beaten and speaketh not, and is cursed and
maketh no answer, so also act thou, according to what the blessed David said, 'I was a
beast with Thee'" (Psalm lxxiii, 22).

182. On one occasion Saint Theophilus, Archbishop of Alexandria, came to Scete, and when
the brethren were gathered together they said unto Abbâ Pambô, "Speak a word to the
Bishop, so that we may be built in this place"; the old man said unto them, "If by my
silence [we] are not helped, [we] shall not be builded by my word." 183. One of the
brethren entreated Abbâ Sisoes, saying, "Do an act of love, father, and do thou thyself
speak to me a word"; and he answered and said, "He who holdeth with knowledge [the belief]
that a man should not esteem himself fulfilleth the whole Book." 184. An old man used to
say, "This is what is written: Because of two, and because of three transactions of Tyre,
yea, because of four, I will not turn back from them" (Amos i, 9); "[that is to say,] to
be content with wickedness, to fulfil a thought, and to utter it; and the fourth is to
carry a thought into effect. For at such a thing as this [last] the wrath of the Lord
turneth not back."

185. They used to say concerning a great old man who dwelt in Scete that, whenever the
brethren were building cells in Scete, he would go out and lay the foundation, and would
not depart until [the building] was completed. Once, however, when he went forth to build,
he was exceedingly sad, and very sorry, and the brethren said to him, "Why is it that thou
art thus grieved and sorry?" And he said unto them, "My sons, this place shall be laid
waste. For I have seen a fire kindled in Scete, and have seen that the brethren took palm
leaves and beat upon it until they extinguished it; and it broke out again, and the
brethren took palm leaves and extinguished it; but it broke out a third time, and it
filled all Scete, and the brethren were never again able to extinguish it. It is for this
reason that I am grieved, and sad, and sorry."

186. An old man used to say, "It is written, 'The righteous man shall blossom like the
palm tree' (Psalm xcii, 12). Now these words make known that the soulacquireth height, and
straightness of stature, and sweetness from beautiful deeds. But there is another quality
which is found in the palm, that is, a single, white heart, which is wholly suitable for
work (or useful for being worked). And this must be found in the righteous man, for his
heart must be single and simple, and it must be accustomed to look towards God only. Now
the heart of the palm tree is also white by reason of that fire which it possesseth
naturally, and all the service of the righteous man is in his heart; and the hollowness
and the evenness of the tops of the leaves [typify] the setting up of sharpness of the
soul of the righteous man against the Calumniator."

187. Another of the fathers used to say, "The eyes of the pig are so arranged by nature
that they look always on the ground, and the animal can never look upwards to heaven. And
thus is it with the soul which hath once been swallowed up in the gratification of the
lusts, for it is caught henceforward in the filthy mire of the gratification of the
passions, and it is only with difficulty that it is able to look towards God, or to
meditate upon any of the things which are worthy of praise." 188. The fathers prophesied
concerning the later generation, saying, "What manner of work will they do?" And one of
them, whose conduct was exalted, and whose name was Isô-khôrôn, said, "We perform the
commandments of God"; and the others answered and said unto him, "And those who will come
after us, what manner of work will they do?" And he said, "They will attain to the half of
our service." And again they answered and said, "What manner of work will those who come
after these do?" And he said, "Those who are in that generation will possess no work of
any kind, for many trials are about to come upon them, and those among them who are found
to be chosen men will be found to be greater than ourselves and our fathers."

189. An old man was [once] asked, "How is it that thou art never dejected?" And he said,
"Because each day I hope to die." 190. A brother asked an old man, "Why is it that, when I
happen to go out by myself at night, fear attacketh me?" The old man said, "Because the
life of this world is still dear to thee." 195 II-13a 191. An old man was asked, "What is
the work of monks?" And he said, "To cultivate [all] the virtues, to make themselves
strangers to all wickedness, and to be watchful against judging and condemning others;
prayer, and obedience, and the cultivation of the virtues are the mirror of the monk. For
his soul is a fountain, and if it cast forth from it the things which are abominable it
shall be made pure; but if he dig a pit, God is not wicked that He should lead us out from
one house of bondage and carry us into another."

192. An old man used to say, "Do nothing without prayer, and afterwards thou wilt never be
sorry." 193. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "The work of the monastic life is poverty, and
trouble, and separation; for it is written, If there be there these three men, Noah,
Daniel, and Job, as I live, saith the Lord (Ezekiel xiv, 14). Noah must be taken [as
representing] the personification of self-abnegation, and Job as representing labours, and
Daniel as representing separation; if then a man possess these three rules of conduct the
Lord dwelleth in him." 194. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, "Which is the better, to speak or
to keep silence?" The old man said unto him, "He who speaketh for God's sake is a good
man, and he doeth well, and he who holdeth his peace for God's sake doeth well." 195. A
brother asked Abbâ Poemen about pollutions and impurities of all sorts and kinds, and he
said unto him, "If we establish in ourselves a portion [only] of the work of our soul[s],
a man may seek for impurity or uncleanness and it shall not be found."

196. An old man used to say, "We saw in Abbâ Pambô three virtues which appertained to the
body, namely, fasting from one evening to the other, and silence, and abundant work of the
hands." 197. Abbâ Pambô asked Abbâ Anthony, saying, "What shall I do?" The old man said
unto him, "Put no confidence in thine own righteousness, and regret not nor cogitate upon
a matter which is past, and be persistent in restraining thy tongue and thy belly." 198.
An old man was asked, "What is it right for a man to do that he may live?" Now the [old
man himself] used to plait palm leaves into mats, and he never lifted up his head from the
work of his hands, but he occupied himself at all times therewith. And the old man
answered and said unto him that asked him, "Behold, what thou seest." 199. The old men
used to say, "There is nothing worse than a man passing judgement upon his neighbour."

200. And the old man used to say, "From those who are beginners in the monastic life God
demandeth nothing except work, and the vexing of the body, and that a man should be
obedient." 201. An old man used to say that separation was the most excellent of all
spiritual virtues. 202. Abbâ Arsenius used to say, "Thou shalt not depart from a place
without great labour, and thou shalt do none of the things which, evilly, thou desirest,
and thou shalt do nothing without the testimony of the Scriptures." 203. Abbâ Arsenius
used to say, "If we seek God He will be revealed unto us, and if we lay hold upon Him, He
will remain with us." An old man used to say, "If we seek God He will be revealed unto us,
and if we lay hold upon Him, He will remain with us." 204. Abbâ Poemen used to say to Abbâ
Job, "Turn away thine eyes from beholding what is vain, the lust for which destroyeth
souls."

205. The old man used to say also, "It is impossible for him who believeth rightly, and
who worketh in the fear of God, to fall into the impurity of the passions, and into the
error of devils." 206. Abbâ Macarius used to say, "If we remember the wickedness of men we
destroy the power of the memory, but if we remember how the devils act wickedly we shall
remain uninjured." 207. On one occasion Abbâ Macarius went up from Scete to Therenuthum,
and at eventide he came upon a certain place wherein he went that he might refresh himself
and rest; and there were there some old bones, and bodies of the dead, and he took some of
them and placed them under his head that he might lie down and rest a little from the
labour of the road. Now when the devils which dwelt there saw his confidence and courage,
they were smitten with envy, and wishing to disturb him they cried out and shouted from
one to another the name of a woman, saying, "O So-and-so, O So-and-so, come with us, and
let us go to the bath." And another answered from out of the bones which were under the
head of the blessed man, and said unto him that called him, "There is a stranger who is
lying upon me, and I am unable to come"; but the blessed man was not moved, neither was he
astonished, but with confidence and great courage he knocked upon the bones, saying, "Rise
up, and get thee into darkness backwards." Now when the devils heard this, they cried out
with a loud voice, saying, "Thou hast conquered us"; and they fled away ashamed.

208. Abbâ Anthony used to say, "Let us put God before our eyes continually; remember death
and Christ our Redeemer; hate the world and everything which is therein; hate the world
and all bodily pleasure; die unto this life, so that thou mayest live unto God, for God
will require it of thee in the day of judgement. Be hungry, and thirsty, and naked; weep
and mourn; watch and groan in thy heart; examine thyself [and see] if thou art worthy of
God. Love labour and tribulation, so that thou mayest find God, and treat with contempt
and despise the body, so that thy soul may live." 209. An old man was asked, "What is the
straight and narrow way?" And he answered and said, "The straight and narrow way is for a
man to constrain his thoughts, and to restrain his desires for God's sake, and this [is
intended to be understood when] it is said, 'Behold, we have left everything and followed
Thee.'"

210. Abbâ Poemen asked Abbâ Joseph, saying, "What am I to do when passions rise up against
me, wishing to make me quake? Shall I stand up against them, and drive them away, or shall
I allow them to enter? The old man said unto him, "Let them shake thee, and do thou strive
with them. But to another brother who had come from Thebes, and gone down to Scete, and
asked the same old man the same question, he spake differently; and when he returned from
Scete to Thebes, he said before all the brethren, "I went to Abbâ Joseph, and I asked him,
saying, 'If passions draw nigh unto me, shall I drive them away so that they may not make
me shake, or shall I permit them to enter into me?' And he said unto me, 'Thou shalt not
let them draw nigh to thee in any way, but cut them off quickly.'" Now when Abbâ Poemen,
who happened to be there, heard that Abbâ Joseph had spoken differently to that Theban, he
rose up and went again to Abbâ Joseph, and said unto him, "Abbâ, I have believed in thee
as in God, and I have revealed unto thee my thoughts, and behold, thou hast spoken unto
that Theban in one way, and to me thou hast declared the opposite. The old man said unto
him, "Dost thou not know that I love thee? And he answered and said unto him, "Yea, I do.

The old man said unto him, "Didst thou not say unto me, Tell me as if thou wast telling
thyself? If, then, thoughts enter into thee, and thou art mingled with them, and thou
givest and takest, and art not injured, they prove thee to be one who is tried and chosen
especially. Now I spake unto thee as I would unto myself. But there are others whom the
passions cannot even approach or touch, nevertheless it helpeth them to cut them off
quickly." 211. Abbâ John Kolob used to say, "I am like unto a man who is sitting under a
great tree, and who seeth multitudes of wild beasts and creeping things coming towards
him, and because he is unable to stand up against them, he runneth and goeth up the tree,
and is delivered. In like manner I sit in my cell, and I see evil thoughts coming against
me, and because I cannot stand against them I flee and take refuge in God by prayer, and I
am delivered from the enemies, and I live for ever."

212. Abbâ Hilarion was asked, "How can it be right for a strenuous brother not to be
offended when he seeth other monks returning to the world?" The old man said, "It is meet
that he should consider the hunting dogs which follow after hares, for as one of these
dogs giveth chase to the hare so soon as he seeth it (now the other dogs which are his
companions look at that dog as he runneth, and although they run with him for a certain
time, they at length become exhausted and turn back, whilst he continueth his running by
himself, and is not impeded in his headlong course, and he striveth to advance, and
neither resteth nor ceaseth from running because of those who have remained behind, but he
runneth until he hath overtaken that which he seeth, even as I have already said, and he
feareth neither the stones which come in his way, nor the thorny brambles and briars, and
passeth on among the thorns, and though often torn and lacerated thereby he neither
resteth nor ceaseth from his course), so also for the brother, who wisheth to follow after
the love of Christ, is it right to fasten his gaze upon the Cross until he overtaketh Him
that was crucified, even though he see others who have begun to turn back."

213. A brother asked an old man, saying, "What work ought the soul to do in order to
produce fruits of excellence?" The old man said unto him, "In my opinion the work of the
soul is as follows: To live in silence, persistent endurance, self-denial, labour,
humility of body, and constant prayer. And a man should not consider the shortcomings of
men, but his own lapses; if now a man will persist in these things the soul will after no
great time make manifest the fruits of spiritual excellence." 214. An old man used to say,
"Strife delivereth a man over to anger, and anger delivereth him over to blindness of the
mind, and the blindness of the mind maketh him to do everything which is bad." 215. Abbâ
Elijah used to say, "I am afraid of three things: When my soul shall be about to go forth
from the body; and when I am about to go forth to meet Christ; and when the sentence of
doom shall be about to be sent forth upon me."

216. Abbâ John used to say, concerning the soul which wisheth to repent, thus: There was a
certain harlot in the city who had many lovers, and a certain judge came and said unto
her, "Consent to lead a good life, and I will marry thee"; and she agreed, and he took her
and brought her up to his house. Now when her lovers wanted her, they said, "A judge hath
taken her up to his house, and if we go to his door, and he learn about it he will punish
us. But let us come behind the door and whistle to her, and she will recognize the whistle
and will come down to us, and we shall be blameless." And when the harlot heard the sound
of the whistling, she sealed up the hearing of her ears, and she jumped up and went into
the inner bed-chamber, and shut herself in. Now the harlot is the sinful soul, and the
lovers are the passions, and the judge is Christ, and the house is the wakeful mind, and
those who whistle to the soul are the wicked devils; but the soul always fleeth to God.

217. They used to tell a story of a certain great old man, and say that when he was
travelling along a road two angels cleaved to him and journeyed with him, one on his right
hand and the other on his left. And as they were going along they found lying on the road
a dead body which stank, and the old man closed his nostrils because of the evil smell,
and the angels did the same. Now after they had gone on a little farther, the old man said
unto them, "Do ye also smell as we do?" And they said unto him, "No, but because of thee
we closed our nostrils. For it is not for us to smell the rottenness of this world, but we
do smell the souls which stink of sin, because the breath of such is nigh unto us." 218.
Abbâ Anthony besought God to inform him why young children died whilst so many old men
lived, and why upright men were poor whilst the wicked were rich, and why some were blind
and others had their sight, and why the righteous suffered from illness whilst the wicked
were healthy, and a voice came, which said, "Anthony, take care of thine own self, for
these matters are the judgements of God."

219. Whilst Abbâ Sylvanus was sitting down and the brethren with him, he dropped into a
stupor which was of God, and he fell upon his face; and after a long time, when he was
standing up, he wept, and the brethren entreated him, saying, "What aileth thee, O
father?" But he held his peace, and they continued to press him to tell them what [ailed
him]. Then he answered and said unto them, "I have just been snatched away to the place of
the judgement of God, and I have seen many who belonged to our order, that is to say,
Christians, going to punishment, and many men who have lived in the world going into the
kingdom"; and the old man mourned and refused to come out of his cell. And he covered his
face with his cloak, saying, "Why should I seek to see the light of time wherein there is
no profit?"

220. On another occasion his disciple Zechariah came to him, and found him in the stupor
of prayer, and his hands were raised up to heaven, and he went out and closed the door;
and he came [again] at the ninth hour, and found him in the same attitude, and when he
came again about the tenth hour, and found him still in the same attitude, he knocked at
the door, and then went in and found him in a state of silence. And he said unto him,
"What hath happened unto thee to-day, O father?" And the old man said unto him, "My son, I
felt weak and ill"; but the disciple laid hold upon his feet, saying, "I will not leave
thee until thou tellest me what thou hast seen." The old man said unto him, "Swear to me
that thou wilt not reveal the matter unto any man until I go forth from the body, and then
I will tell thee"; and the disciple entreated him, and the old man said, "I was snatched
up into the heavens, and I saw the glory of God, and I remained there until now, when I
was dismissed."

221. On one occasion Abbâ Macarius went to Abbâ Anthony in the mountain, and he knocked at
his door, and he went out unto him, and said unto him, "Who art thou?" And Macarius said
unto him, "I am Macarius," whereupon Abbâ Anthony closed the door and went inside, and
left him outside, but when he saw the patient endurance of Macarius he opened the door to
him, and said unto him with a smile, "O Macarius, I have been wishing to see thee for a
long time past, for I have heard about thee"; and having welcomed him he made him rest and
refresh himself, through his love for strangers, for Abbâ Macarius had [come] from great
toil. Now when the evening had come, Abbâ Anthony soaked a few palm leaves in water for
himself, and Abbâ Macarius said unto him, "Give the command, and I will soak some for
myself," and Abbâ Anthony said, "Soak [some]"; and he made up a large bundle for himself,
and soaked it in water, and they sat down from the evening [until the morning], and they
talked together about the redemption of souls as they plaited the palm leaves, and they
threw their work into the cave through the window. And when the blessed Anthony went into
the cave in the morning, and saw the heap of palm-leaf work of Abbâ Macarius, he
marvelled, and he seized his hands and kissed them, saying, "Great strength hath gone
forth from these hands."

222. Abbâ Poemen said, "If a man will throw himself before God, and will not esteem
himself, and will cast his pleasures behind his back, [he will find that] such things are
the instruments of the work of the soul." 223. The same old man also said, "If a man
observeth his grade he will not be troubled." 224. The same old man also said, "Make thou
the desire of thy lust of no effect through the remembrance of God, and thou shalt find
rest." 225. He also said, "A certain brother went to Abbâ Sîmôn to ask him for a word, and
although he remained with him for seven days the old man returned him no answer; but as he
was making himself ready to go away he said unto him, 'Go, and take good heed unto
thyself, for at present my sins have become a dense wall between myself and God.'"

226. Abbâ Alônîs said, "If I had not hidden (or suppressed) myself wholly I should not
have been able to build myself." 227. The same old man said, "A man is not able to know
outside himself the thoughts which are in him, but when they resist him from within, if he
be a warrior, he will cast them out from him." 228. The same old man also said, "A man,
wheresoever he cleaveth, is built up; look not upon thy mind." 229. The old man often
said, "Esteem not thyself, but cleave thou to him that leadeth a good life." 230. He also
said, "[In] this [life] we do not discern matters, and it doth not permit us to profit by
the things which are good." 231. The old man said, "If a thought about some bodily need
come to thee and thou cast it forth once, and it come to thee a second time, and thou
drivest it away, if it come to thee a third time, look not upon it, because it is war."

232. A father who was about to die said to his sons, "Dwell ye not with heretics, and have
no converse with a brother who hath a sister, and have no business with the Government,
and let not thy hands be spread out to gather in, but to give to the poor who are in
need." 233. On one occasion Abbâ Evagrius said unto Abbâ Arsenius, "Since we are without
learning according to the world, and we have no wisdom whatsoever, [how is it that] these
Egyptian villagers possess such spiritual excellences?" Abbâ Arsenius (or Abbâ Macarius)
said unto him, "We possess nothing whatsoever of the learning of the world, but these
Egyptian villagers have acquired spiritual excellences through their labours." 234. On one
occasion Abbâ Arsenius asked an Egyptian old man about the thoughts, and afterwards
another brother said unto Abbâ Arsenius, "How is it that whilst thou hast so much
learning, both Greek and Latin, thou askest questions about the thoughts of this
villager?" Then Abbâ Arsenius said unto him, "With Greek and Latin learning I am well
acquainted, but I have not yet learned the alphabet of this villager."

235. Now on one occasion when the Archbishop wished to go to visit him, he sent a message
to this effect to him, and the old man sent him [back] word, saying, "If thou comest I
will open unto thee, and if I open unto thee I must open unto every man, and if I open
unto every man I cannot remain here." And when the Archbishop heard these things, he said,
"If I would drive him away I must go to the old man, therefore I will not go." 236. On one
occasion a brother entreated him to let him hear a word from him; and the old man said,
"As far as it lieth in thy power, lead an ascetic life; and work thou that secret work
which is within, if it be for God's sake, [for] it shall vanquish [thy] passions which are
external." 237. Abbâ Poemen said, "If there be three [brethren] together, and one leadeth
a fair life of silent contemplation, and the other being a weak man giveth thanks, and the
other singeth and prayeth with a lowly mind, all three are performing work [of equal
merit]."

238. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, and said unto him, "Tell me: what meaneth it that thou
dost not reward evil for evil?" Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "In this perception there are
four divisions; the first is of the heart, the second is of the sight, the third is of the
tongue, and the fourth is that in actions a man returneth evil for evil. If now thou art
able to overcome the heart, thou wilt not come to the sight, but if thou comest to the
sight, take heed that thou dost not speak with the tongue; but if thou speakest cut it off
immediately, so that thou mayest not actually reward evil for evil; and this is the first
of the four which a man may cut off, and the tongue is the second, and the third is the
sight, and the fourth is the heart." 239. The old man Anthony used to say also, "If the
baker did not put a covering over the eyes of [his] animal, it would turn round and eat up
its hire, and in like manner we also have received a covering by the operation of God, so
that we may first of all be working good deeds without seeing them, so that we may not
ascribe happiness to ourselves and so destroy the hire of our labour. Therefore are we
left from time to time in unclean thoughts, and we see these only so that we may condemn
ourselves, and those filthy thoughts may become a covering of the few good things which we
perform. For when a man blameth himself he will not destroy his hire."

240. Abbâ Moses asked Abbâ Sylvanus, saying, "Is it possible for a man to make a beginning
each day?" And he said unto him, "If he be a man who is a worker it is possible for him to
make a beginning every day." 241. A brother asked Abbâ Sisoes, "Why do my thoughts not
depart from me?" He said unto him, "Because thy things are within thee; give them their
pledge and they will depart." 242. A brother asked Abbâ Theodore, and said unto him, "If
an earthquake were to take place suddenly wouldst thou not be afraid, O father?" The old
man said unto him, "Even if the heavens were to cleave to the earth Theodore would not be
afraid"; now he besought God formerly that trembling might be removed from him, and it was
because of this fact that he who put the question to him asked him.

243. They used to say that when Abbâ Theodore was a deacon in Scete he refused to perform
the ministrations of deacon, and that he fled to several places [to avoid doing so], but
the old men would bring him back again, saying, "Thou shalt not forsake thy place." Abbâ
Theodore said unto them, "Permit me to make a request unto God, and if He permit me I will
stand up in my place"; and when he made his petition to God, he said, "If it be Thy will,
O my Lord, for me to remain, permit me [so to do]." Then there appeared unto him a pillar
of fire [which reached] from earth to heaven, and a voice said unto him, "If thou art able
to be like unto this pillar, go and perform thy ministrations"; but although he heard
these things he would not consent to minister. And when he came to the church the brethren
fell down before him and entreated him, saying, "If thou refusest to minister, at least
hold the cup," but he refused and said, "If ye will not allow me [to be] here [as I am], I
will depart from these places"; and so they left him [there].

244. They used to tell a story about Abbâ Macarius the Great, who became, as it is
written, an earthly God, for as God overshadoweth the world so also did Abbâ Macarius
cover over the shortcomings which he saw as if he did not see them, and the things which
he heard as if he heard them not. 245. On one occasion a maiden came to Abbâ Macarius to
be healed of a devil, and a certain brother arrived from a monastery which is in Egypt,
also, and the old man went out by night and saw that the brother was committing sin with
that woman, but he did not rebuke him. And he said, "If God Who fashioned him seeth [him],
and is long-suffering, for if He so desired He could consume him, who am I that I should
rebuke him?" 246. I heard that the blessed man Anthony used to say, "God doth not permit
wars to wax as fierce in this generation as as He did in the generations of old, for He
knoweth that men are [more] feeble [now], and that they could not bear [them]."

247. Abbâ Macarius used to say to the brethren concerning the desert of Scete, "Whensoever
ye see cells which are turned towards the wood, know that the fall thereof is near; and
whensoever ye see trees planted near the doors, [know] that it is near the door; and
whensoever ye see young men dwelling therein, then take up your possessions and depart."
248. Abbâ Muthues used to say, "Satan knoweth not by means of what passion the soul may be
conquered, but he soweth, not knowing whether he will reap; but with the thoughts of
fornication, and of calumny, and of all the passions towards which he seeth the soul
incline doth he fight against it, and fetter it." 249. When, on one occasion, I was
sitting with a certain old man at Oxyrhyncus, now this old man used to make great alms and
oblations, a widow came to him and demanded a little wheat, and he said unto her, "Go and
bring a measure, and I will measure out [some] for thee." And when she had brought it, and
he took the measure in his hand he said unto her, "This is too large"; and he put the
widow to the blush. And when she had gone, I said unto the Abbâ and priest, "Wast thou
selling the wheat to the widow?" and he said, "No; I gave it to her in charity." Then I
said unto him, "If thou didst give all this wheat to her in charity, why didst thou act
harshly with her, and measure it, and [so] put her to shame?"

250. Three of the fathers came on one occasion to an old man at Scete, and one of them
spoke to him, saying, "I repeat the Old and the New Testaments by heart"; and the old man
answered and said unto him, "Thou hast filled the air with words"; and the other father
spoke to him, saying, "I have copied the Old and New Testaments"; and the old man said
unto him, "Thou hast filled the cupboards with quires of paper"; and the third father
answered and said unto him, "In my fire-place the grass groweth"; and the old man answered
and said unto him, "Thou hast also driven away the love of strangers from thee." 251. Abbâ
Poemen used to say that Abbâ Isidore used to twist into ropes a great bundle of palm
leaves each night, and [on one occasion] the brethren entreated him, saying, "Rest thyself
a little, for thou hast worked too much." And he said unto them, "If we were to burn
Isidore and to scatter his ashes to the winds, he would win happiness, for the Son of God
came to the Passion because of us."

252. A brother said to Abbâ Poemen, "If I stumble and commit a few minor sins my mind
afflicteth me, and blameth me, and maketh accusations against me, saying, 'Why didst thou
fall?'" The old man said unto him, "Every time a man falleth into any shortcoming or
folly, if he saith, 'I have sinned,' immediately God will receive him." 253. Abbâ Poemen
used to say, "It is not right for a man to be persuaded to the thought of fornication, or
to utter calumny against his neighbour; and he should not in any way whatsoever incline
towards these two thoughts, and he should not utter them, and he should not meditate upon
such things in his heart. And if he desireth to think about them and to turn them over in
his heart, he will not benefit thereby, but will rather suffer damage; but if he will act
against such with ferocity, he will subsequently find rest."

254. One of the brethren asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "Father, what shall I do when the
thoughts of fornication bestir themselves in me, or any other of the evil passions which
are injurious to the soul?" Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "The first time they come upon
thee, flee; and the second time they come upon thee, flee also; and the third time they
come, set thyself against them like a sharp sword." 255. The same old man used to say,
"Unless Moses had been gathering together sheep into the fold he would never have seen Him
that was in the bush." 256. On one occasion the brethren saw that Abbâ Joseph was sad, and
that he was greatly distressed, and they asked him to tell them about his sorrow, and what
was the cause thereof, but he was unable to speak to them; and they began to say each man
among them to his companion, "What are the suffering and grief which possess the old man,
for behold, we have dwelt with him for many years, and we never before saw him in such
grief and suffering as this? Perhaps we have in some way offended him. Then they threw
themselves on their faces before the feet of the old man, saying, "Peradventure we have
offended thee in some matter, O father, [and if we have] forgive us for Jesus' sake. And
the old man made answer to them in a state of grief, saying, "Forgive ye me, O my
brethren, for I am not offended by you, but I am grieved by myself, because I see that I
am going backwards rather than forwards, and that I am the cause of offence and loss, not
only to myself but also unto all the others. For I see that at this present we are
trafficking, and are losing in respect of our souls very much more than we ever gained at
any time of the profit of the fear of our Lord, because shamelessness and fearlessness
have gained dominion over us.

For in times past when the fathers were gathered together to each other they were wont to
form bands and ascend into the heavens, but we are lax folk, and are dead in our sins.
Whensoever we draw nigh to each other we come to speak that which is hateful about one
another, and one by one we are raised up that we may descend to the bottom of the deepest
abyss. And we do not make to sink ourselves and each other only, but also the fathers who
come to us, and the strangers who gather together to us, and also the people who are in
the world who visit us as if we were solitary monks, and as if we were holy men, and to
these last we become a cause of stumbling and loss. "For thus also did Abbâ Sylvanus and
Abbâ Lôt say unto me: 'Let us not abide here any longer.' And when I asked them, 'Why do
ye depart from us?' they spake to me as follows: 'Up to this day we have benefited by our
abiding with the fathers, but from the time of Abbâ Pambô, and Abbâ Agathon, and Abbâ
Petra, and Abbâ John, the commandments of the fathers have been held lightly, and we do
not observe the ordinances and the laws which our fathers laid down for us. And by
assemblies together we suffer loss over and over again through the useless things which
are spoken among us. And when we sit down at table, instead of doing so in the fear of
God, and with gratitude, and eating that which God hath prepared for us with praise and
thanksgiving, we occupy ourselves by conversing together and telling insipid stories; and
as we sit at table in this fashion we become so much changed that we do not even hear what
is being read to us on account of the noise of the profitless talk which we hold with each
other. And besides this, after we have risen up from eating, we converse together with
empty talk.

What benefit is it to us to live in the desert, seeing that we profit nothing thereby?'
And Abbâ Lôt said, 'Many times have I heard from brethren who are strangers, and from the
people who live in the world, and who come to visit us, that we hold the commandments of
the fathers lightly, and they have said of us, We should never have thought that they were
monks!"' And one of the brethren who were strangers said, 'I have come to the fathers on
several occasions, and [I see that] year by year they certainly observe less and less the
early rules and conduct of the fathers.' What now do ye wish? Will ye correct your lax
behaviour, and observe carefully the commandments of our fathers, or must I also depart
from you?" And it came to pass that when the brethren heard these things, they beat the
board for assembling the monks, and the whole brotherhood gathered itself together, and
Abbâ Joseph spake unto them all the words which are [written] above. And when all the
brethren heard the words of Abbâ Joseph, and learned the reason of his pain and grief, and
that he wished to depart from them, they cast themselves down upon their faces weeping,
and they expressed their contrition to him, saying, "For-give us, O father, for the sake
of Jesus. We have made God angry by our deeds, and we have caused thy holiness grief. Then
each of the fathers said, "Would that thou hadst rebuked us on the very first day wherein
thou didst hear [about us] from the fathers, and that they had not departed from us! And
would, too, that we had roused ourselves up from our slumber and sluggishness! But what
are we to do? For the old men and the holy men do not teach us, and they do not even take
their proper places in our congregations, or when we sit at meat. Very many of us wish to
hear the histories and commandments of the fathers read, either whilst we are sitting at
table or between one sitting and the next, but we are never able to hear a word of their
talk. And Abbâ Elijah said, "Abbâ Abraham and Abbâ John spake much at table, and at the
time of reading, and at the time of the service;

and they began to become excited against each other, and the one said, 'Father, such and
such a man is excited,' and the other said, 'Such and such a man maketh us excited.' Now
when Abbâ Joseph saw that the whole brotherhood was stirred up, he made supplication unto
them, and besought them, saying, 'I beseech you, O my brethren, to cease from your
commotion, for God hath called us to peace, and I therefore beg you to come and pray, and
to make supplication unto God that He may make to pass by us the legions and the host of
the enemy. For, behold, I see them standing up in wrath and anger, with their swords
drawn, and they wish to destroy us all if God doth not stand up to help our
wretchedness.'" And when he had said these things he was able, with some difficulty, to
quiet them, and Abbâ Joseph himself began to sing the words of the harpist David, saying,
"Their swords shall enter their own hearts, and their bows shall be broken, and God shall
make them like a wheel and as dust before the wind. And God shall arise and all His
enemies shall be scattered. O God, deliver me, O Lord, remain to help [me]" (Psalm xxxvii,
15; lxxxiii, 13; lxviii, 1; vii, 1). And when they had recited the Psalms of the spirit
altogether, and had made an end of the service, they said, "O holy God, O holy mighty One,
O immortal holy One, have mercy upon us"; and they all knelt down in prayer. And as they
were praying they heard the voices of the devils in the air, and the sounds of armour and
of horses, and of many horsemen, and they also heard the voices of the devils who were
saying to one another, "Ye shall not have mercy upon them." And again they said, "O
luckless monks, why do ye stand up against us?" If we were to "do [what we could do] to
you not one of you would be found on the face of the earth! We will never be absent from
you, and we will never cease from you."

And after the filthy legion had been driven away by the secret power, and the wicked
devils rested from their wickednesses, all the fathers rose up from the earth whereon they
had been poured out in prayer, the earth having been adorned by their tears, and they all
offered repentance unto Abbâ Joseph, saying, "Forgive thou us, and pray for us that the
Lord may forgive us, for we have sinned and have provoked Him to wrath." Then Abbâ Joseph
said unto them: "Rouse ye yourselves, O my brethren, and take good heed unto your souls,
for, behold, ye have heard with your ears the sound of the chariots of the Adversary, who
threateneth us and seeketh to destroy us. Let every man be reconciled to his neighbour,
and forgive ye every man from his heart the offence [which he hath committed]. And bind ye
yourselves with the love of our Lord, with an urgent mind, and a pure heart, to the Lord
and to each other. And draw nigh unto God that He may draw nigh unto you, and stand up
against the Adversary, who is Satan. If ye wilt observe the commandments of the fathers, I
will become a surety (or pledge) for you that Satan shall not be able to injure you, and
that the Barbarians shall not come hither; but if ye will not observe them, believe me, O
my beloved, this place shall be laid waste."

And they offered repentance each to the other, and they became reconciled to each other,
and lived in love and in great peace; and they laid down ordinances among themselves on
that day to the effect that no man should henceforth conduct himself with negligence and
without absence of fear; and that they should neither do nor say anything at the table
which was alien [to their mode of life]; and that if any man be found hereafter despising
and holding lightly the commandments of the fathers in such a way that he become an
occasion of offence and a cause of loss, first to himself, and next to those who dwell
with him, and then also to the strangers who come to us, he shall know that he is bringing
a punishment upon him- 209 self, and that he shall become an alien to all the brotherhood.
And Abbâ Joseph sent a brother to bring back Abbâ Sylvanus and Abbâ Lôt, and when these
fathers knew what had taken place among the brethren, and that they had laid down
ordinances to keep the commandments of the fathers, they praised God, and they rose up,
and came, and [when] they saw Abbâ Joseph they saluted him and wept; and Abbâ Joseph told
them everything which had taken place, and they glorified God Who had not rejected those
who feared Him. And as regardeth the canons and the ordinances which they had laid down
among themselves, the brethren observed and performed them all the days of their life; and
they died at a good old age, [after] living lives which were well-pleasing unto God.

257. Abbâ Ammon used to say, "I have spent fourteen years in Scete in making supplication
unto God by day and by night that He would grant me to overcome anger. 258. An old man
used to say, "Be like unto a camel when thou art loaded with thy sins, and be tied unto
and cleave unto him that knoweth the way." 259. One of the old men used to say, "Formerly,
whensoever we met each other we used to speak words of profit about each other, and we
formed companies, and were lifted up into the heavens; but now when we are gathered
together, we come to hateful converse concerning each other, and we drag each the other
down to the bottom of the deepest abyss." 260. Abbâ Achilles came on one occasion to the
cell of Abbâ Isaiah, and found him eating; now there were in the basin [from which he ate]
water and salt, and the old man saw him hide the basin behind a mat. Then Abbâ Achilles
said unto him, "Tell me, what wast thou eating?" And Abbâ Isaiah said unto him, "Forgive
me, I was cutting some palm leaves, and I went up in the heat, and placed in my mouth a
morsel of bread and salt; and my throat was dry by reason of the heat, and the food did
not go down, and I was pained thereby, and I threw a little salt and water into my mouth,
so that I might be able to eat. But forgive me." The old man said unto him, "Come ye and
see Abbâ Isaiah who eateth food which stinketh in Scete; if thou seekest to eat stinking
food, get thee to Egypt."

261. There was a certain monk who had a brother that lived in the world, and this brother
was poor, and whatsoever the monk earned by the labour of his hands he used to give to his
brother, but in spite of this the brother became poorer still. Then the monk went to one
of the old men and told him the matter, and the old man said unto him, "If thou wilt
hearken unto me thou wilt not give him any more, but wilt say unto him, ' My brother,
whilst I have anything to give I give it ' unto thee, but now thou must bring me some of
what thou ' earnest by thy labour'; and whatsoever he bringeth unto thee, that take from
him, and where thou knowest there is a stranger, or a poor old man, give it unto him"; and
he entreated them to offer up prayer on his behalf. Then the monk went and did thus, and
when his brother who lived in the world came to him, he spake unto him even as the old man
had told him to do; and the brother went to his house with a sad mind. And on the first
day he brought [to the monk] as the result of his labour a few garden herbs, and the monk
took them and gave them to the old men, and entreated them to pray for him; and he was
blessed and departed.

And the old man who was in the world returned on another occasion and brought the monk
bread and garden herbs, and his brother took them, and did [with them] as he did at first.
Then he came a third time, and brought many costly gifts, and wine, and fish, and his
brother saw [this] and wondered, and he called the poor and relieved them therewith. And
the monk said unto his brother who was in the world, " Peradventure thou art in need of a
little bread, O my brother? And he said unto him, " Nay, my lord, whilst I took from thee
that which used to enter into my house, I spent everything I had; but since I ceased to
take anything from thee, God hath blessed me and hath had mercy upon me. Then the monk
went and informed the old man everything which had taken place, and the old man said unto
him, " Knowest thou not that the labour of a monk is fire, and that wheresoever it
entereth it consumeth? But it is beneficial for him to shew mercy from his own toil, and
prayer from the holy men shall be upon him, and thus he shall be blessed."

262. On one occasion whilst Abba Macarius was passing through Egypt with certain other
brethren, he heard a child saying to his mother, "My mother, a rich man loveth me, but I
hate him; and a poor man hateth me, and I love him"; and when Abba Macarius heard [this]
he marvelled. And the brethren said unto him, "What is the [meaning of] these words,
father?" The old man said unto him, "Verily our Lord is rich, and He loveth us, and we do
not desire to hear Him; our Enemy, Satan, is poor, and he hateth us, and we love his
hateful things." 263. On one occasion, whilst Abba Zechariah was dwelling in Scete, there
appeared unto him a vision from God, and he rose up and came to his father, Abba Kiriion,
and the old man was perfect, and did not take pains to boast of these things.

211 II-14a And he rose up [and smote him, and said unto him, "They are of devils"; and
when he had thought about the matter a long time, he rose up] and went by night to Abbâ
Poemen, and informed him about the matter, and how his thoughts were burning in his heart.
Then the old man knew that the matter was of God, and he said unto him, "Get thee to such
and such an old man, and whatsoever he saith unto thee that do." And having departed to
that old man, before he could tell him anything, the old man said unto him, "The vision is
of God; but do thou go and be subject unto thy father." 264. A certain old man from Scete
was dwelling in the mountain of Pîlîsîôn, and there came unto him a man from the palace
who had a devil, and he healed him, and the man who had had the devil offered him a bag
which was full of gold, but the old man refused to accept it. Now when he saw that he was
offended, the old man took the bag itself, which was empty, and he said unto him, "Go
[and] distribute the gold among the poor and the wretched," and he made the bag into a
colubium, and wore it; now it was made of hair, and was very stiff, and he wore it for a
long time so that he might vex his body.

265. Abbâ Longinus asked Abbâ Lucius three things, saying, "I wish to become a stranger";
the old man said unto him, "If thou dost not hold thy tongue, where wilt thou go?" "Wilt
thou not become a stranger? Hold thy tongue here," and behold thou art a stranger." And
Abbâ Longinus said unto him also, "I wish to lead a twofold life"; and the old man said
unto him, "If thou dost not bend thy neck like a hook thou art nothing; purify thy wicked
thoughts." Abbâ Longinus said unto him, "But I wish to flee from men"; and the old man
said unto him, "If thou canst not set thyself straight first of all with men, thou wilt
never be able [to live] by thyself." 266. A brother asked Abbâ Joseph, saying, "I want to
go out from the monastery, and live a solitary life"; the old man said unto him, "Where
thou seest that thou wilt find rest for thy soul, there dwell." And the brother said unto
him, "I am content to live in the monastery, and I am content to live alone; what shall I
do then?" The old man said unto him, "If thou art content to live in the monastery, and
art [equally] content to lead a solitary life, do this: Weigh thy thoughts as it were in a
balance, and the thought which outbalances the other, that fulfil."

267. An old man used to say, "What beast is as mighty as the lion and yet for the sake of
his belly he falleth into the snare, and all his strength is made weakness? in this wise
also shall we fall if we be overcome by our bellies." 268. An old man also said, "When the
fathers of Scete were eating bread and salt they said, 'We must not afflict ourselves
overmuch with bread and salt'; and living in this wise they became valiant in the works of
God." 269. Whilst Abbâ Sylvanus was living on Mount Sinai brother Zechariah went to the
work of the service [i.e., singing and prayer]; and when he had gone the old man said unto
him, "Open out the water [courses] and water the garden." Then he went forth straightway,
and covered his face with his cloak, and he could see only his feet; and during the time
when he was watering [the garden], a brother came to him, and he perceived what he was
doing, and he went in to him, and made an apology, and entreated him, saying, "Tell me, O
father, why thou didst cover thy face with thy cloak and didst in this manner water the
garden?" The old man said unto him, "My son, [I did so] that mine eyes might not look upon
the trees, and that my mind might not be distracted in its work, and become buried in the
trees."

270. They used to say that, [on one occasion], when a certain old man was sitting in his
cell, a brother happened to come by night to go in to him; and when he arrived at the
door, he heard his voice raised in a dispute, saying, "It is sufficient; how long? Get ye
gone forthwith." And again he said, "Come, come to me, my friends." And when the brother
had gone in to him, he said unto him, "With whom wast thou speaking, O father?" He said
unto him, "I was driving away my evil thoughts, and calling my good thoughts to me." 271.
There was a certain old man who had a disciple who dwelt in the desert, and the old man
took a piece of dry wood, and planted it, and he said to his disciple, "Pour a basin of
water over it every day until this piece of wood beareth fruit." Now the fountain of water
was so far away from them that a man would set out for it in the evening and return the
next morning. And the disciple did as he had been told, and after two or three years that
wood became alive, and bore fruit, and the old man took the fruit thereof, and brought it
to the church, and said unto the brethren, "Take ye, and eat the fruit of obedience."

272. A certain brother on one occasion found on the road a piece of wood which had dropped
from camels, and he came to the cell of his Rabbâ bringing it with him; and his Rabbâ
said, "Whence hast thou this piece of wood?" And the brother said unto him, "From the
road." The old man said unto him, "If it be of the things which are taken from the road
bring it inside; but if not, go and put it in the place wherefrom thou didst take it."
273. They used to say that Zechariah, the disciple of Abbâ Sylvanus, took certain
brethren, and without [the knowledge of] Abbâ Sylvanus, they broke through the fence of
the garden, and enlarged the garden, and then built up the fence again. And when the old
man learned this, he took [his cloak], and wrapped himself up therein, and went forth, and
he said to the brethren, "Pray ye for me." Now when they saw him, they fell down at his
feet, saying, "Tell us, father, what hath happened to thee"; and he said unto them, "I
will neither go inside [my cell], nor unwrap myself from my cloak until ye bring the fence
back to its former position"; and [when they had done so] straightway the old man went
into his cell.

274. They used to say that when the old man Rabbâ Magatîs went forth from his cell, and
the thought rose up in his mind that he would depart from the place, he returned not to
his cell; now he possessed nothing whatsoever of the things which are required in this
world. But he took pleasure in the work of splitting up the palm leaves which he twisted
into ropes, for he performed sufficient labour each day to provide him with the very small
amount of food which he needed. 275. A brother asked an old man, saying, "If a certain
brother cometh to me, and saith, 'Perform an act of love, and come with me here, or go
[with me] to a certain place,' and I am inconvenienced by the command, what am I to do?"
The old man said unto him, "If thou knowest that without offence thou canst fulfil the
commandment, go, and it shall be accounted unto thee as an acceptable sacrifice; but if
thou knowest that there will be some offence, thou shalt not go. And if thou dost go, take
good heed to thy soul."

276. A brother asked an old man, saying, "How is it that there are at this present men who
labour, but who do not receive grace as the early fathers did?" The old man said unto him,
"Formerly love existed, and one brother was raised up by the other; but now love hath
grown cold, and we each drag the other down, and in consequence we do not receive grace."
277. They used to say that when Abbâ Theodore dwelt in Scete, a devil came and wanted to
go into him, and the old man perceived that he wanted to go into [his cell], but he kept
him fettered outside. Then another devil came to go in, and the old man fettered him also,
and a third devil also came, and finding the other two fettered by the door, he said unto
them, "Why do ye stand outside here?" They said unto him, "He who dwelleth within will not
permit us to go in"; and the third devil stirred up strife, and, holding Abbá Theodore in
contempt, made so bold as to go in. Now when the old man saw him he fettered him also, and
being afraid of the prayers of the old man, they entreated him, saying, "Set us free." And
the old man accepted their petition, and released them, saying, "Get ye gone"; and then
they departed being ashamed.

278. They used to say that a certain old man had a young man living with him, and that he
one day saw him doing something which was not beneficial for him; and he said unto him
once, "Thou shalt not do this thing," but the young man hearkened not unto him. Now when
the old man saw that he would not hearken unto him, he let him alone, and troubled no more
about him; and the young man shut the door of the place where the bread was kept, and
departed from the cell, and left the old man without bread for three days, and when he
went back, the old man did not say unto him, "Where 'hast thou been?' or, 'What hast thou
been doing outside?' Now the young man treated the old man in this fashion, like a beast.
Then afterwards, when one of the old man's neighbours perceived the delay of the young
man, he boiled a little food, and let it down to the old man from the wall, and made him
eat it; and when, by chance, his neighbour said unto him, 'The young man tarrieth a long
time,' the old man said unto him, 'He hath not tarried, but when he is disengaged he will
come.'

279. A certain brother made a second key and opened the cell of one of the old men and
took his money out of the cupboard, and the old man wrote on a piece of paper, saying, "Do
me an act of love and leave me one half of my money, 'for I have need of it for my
necessities'; and he divided the money (or oboli) into two parts, and laid the paper upon
them. And the brother who stole the money came as usual, and he tore up the paper and took
all the money. Now two years later that brother was forced to die, but his soul was not
permitted to go forth from him, and then he called the old man, and made entreaty unto
him, saying, 'Father, pray on my behalf; it was I who took thy money.' Then the old man
said unto him, 'Why didst thou not confess this before the light became black to thee?'
And the old man prayed and set free the spirit of that brother, and he sold his Book of
the Gospel and made a memorial for him.

280. A certain man used to relate that an old man from Scete went up to the Thebaïd to
dwell there, and according to the custom with those who are from Scete he made bread
sufficient for his wants for several days. And behold, the men of the Thebaïd came to him,
saying, "How is it that thou dost not keep the word of the Gospel which commanded men not
to care for the morrow?" The old man said unto them, "What is your custom?" And they said
unto him, "We work day by day with our hands, and we sell [what we make], and buy food for
ourselves in the market." The old man said unto them, "My market is my cell, and
whensoever I have need I lay down the work of my hands, and take up food for myself." 281.
An old man used to say, "Discretion is the most excellent thing of all."

282. They used to say that certain men came to plead a case for judgement before Abbâ
Ammonius, and the old man paid no attention to them, but behaved as if he did not hear
them; and behold, a woman said unto her companion, "This old man hath no stability." And
the old man heard her speaking thus to her companion, and he called her, and said unto
her, "How many labours have I performed in the desert so that I might acquire this
instability! Yet, through thee, I have destroyed this day." 283. An old man used to say,
"Do not eat before thou art hungry, and do not lie down before thou art sleepy, and do not
speak before thou art questioned." 284. A brother asked an old man, saying, "Do I eat too
many garden herbs?" The old man said unto him, "It will not benefit thee [to do so], but
eat bread and a few vegetables, and thou shalt not go to thy kinsfolk for the sake of
things [to eat]."

285. An old man used to say, "It is meet that a monk should be like the Cherub—all eyes."
286. An old man used to say, "For a man to attempt to teach his neighbour, when he hath
not been required [so to do], is the same as offering him a rebuke." 287. Abbâ Poemen used
to say, "Why doth a man distress himself to build the house of others, and to overthrow
his own?" 288. He also used to say, "Why is it necessary for a man to enter by cunning,
and not to learn [how to do so] properly?" 289. He also used to say, "Everything which is
immoderate is from the devils." 290. The old men used to say, "God demandeth nothing from
Christians except that they shall hearken unto the Divine Scriptures, and shall carry into
effect the things which are said in them, and shall be obedient unto their governors and
the orthodox fathers."

291. An old man used to say, "Whensoever I have been able to overtake my soul when I have
transgressed, I never stumbled a second time." 292. An old man used to say, "The man who
setteth death before his eyes at all times easily overcometh dejection and littleness of
soul." 293. An old man used to say, "Take heed, with all thy might, not to do anything
which deserveth blame, and do not take pleasure in making thyself acceptable." 294. Abbâ
Theodore used to say, "There is no spiritual excellence so sublime [as that which
consisteth in] not despising a man and treating him with contempt." 295. An old man was
asked, "How, and by what means can the soul acquire humility?" And he made answer, saying,
"By examining and enquiring into its own wickednesses only." 296. Abbâ Poemen used to say,
"All the spiritual excellences have entered into this monastery, with the exception of the
one without which in labour [no] man standeth"; and they asked him, saying, "Which
spiritual excellence is that?" and he said, "That which maketh a man blame and despise
himself."

297. The disciple of a certain old man and Rabbâ was attacked by the lust for fornication,
and he went into the world, and betrothed to himself a wife; and the old man, being
greatly grieved, prayed to God, and said, "O Lord Jesus Christ, do not Thou permit Thy
servant to be defiled." And it came to pass that when he was shut up with the bride in the
bedchamber he yielded up his spirit, and he was not polluted with the union of marriage.
298. An old man used to say:—"If temptation come upon a man, and attack him on all sides
to such a degree that his mind falleth into despair, and he murmureth, all his friends
will turn away their faces from him as if by reason of the temptation"; and he related the
following story (in illustration of this statement) and said: "There was a monk in a cell,
and temptation came upon him, and all his friends and beloved ones who met him refused
even to salute him, and not one of them would allow him to enter into his cell. If he
lacked provisions, and wanted a man to lend him some, none would lend him, and he was
compelled by reason of his tribulation to go and work in the harvest field; and when he
came back he did not find any bread in his cell. Now it was the custom among the holy men
that every man who went to work in the harvest field should on his return eat in the
church, but when that brother came on the Sabbath no man took him and gave him refreshment
in the usual way, and he went to his cell, and he gave thanks unto God without
complaining. Now when God saw his patient endurance, He abated the temptation in him, and
straightway a man came and knocked at his door; and he had with him a camel carrying bread
which had been sent to him from Egypt; then he began to smite himself and to weep, saying,
'I am not worthy [of this].' And the temptation having departed, all the fathers took him,
and gave him refreshment, and they persuaded him to let them take him to their cells, and
through his patient endurance he found great benefit."

299. On one occasion certain Greeks came to give gifts of grace in the city of 'Estarkīnā,
and they took with them the stewards of the city that they might show them what it was
necessary for them to give them, and they took them to a certain brother who had
elephantiasis, but he refused to accept anything, saying, "Behold, I have these few palm
leaves, I will work at them, and weave ropes, and will eat bread." Then they carried them
to a certain widow, and they knocked at the door, and her daughter answered from inside,
for she was naked, now her mother had gone out to work, for she was washing clothes and
lived by her labour. And when they saw that the maiden was naked, they gave her clothes
and money, but she refused to accept them, saying, "My mother will come, and say unto me,
'My daughter, God hath willed [it], and I have found some work to-day, and again we have
sufficient food for this day.'" Then when the mother came, she refused [to accept the
apparel and money], and said unto them, "O ye men, I have One Who provideth for me, that
is, God, and ye seek to take away from me this day Him that hath provided for me all my
days"; and when they saw her faith they glorified God.

300. A certain man offered gold to one of the aged fathers, saying, "Take [it] and let it
be to thee for expenses, because thou hast grown old"; now the old man was an Arian, and
he answered and said unto him that had given [the gold] to him, "Hast thou come to take
away from me Him that hath reared me for sixty years? For it is sixty years since I have
been in this sickness, and I have wanted for nothing because God fed me and provided for
me"; and he would not consent to accept anything. 301. One of the fathers told the
following story, saying, "I was in the room for receiving strangers, and some poor folk
came to receive charity at eventide on the Sabbath, and there was among them only one man
who had a mat to lie upon when they lay down; and he threw it down under him, and then
reclined upon it. Now it was exceedingly cold, and he took a half of the mat from under
him and covered himself over therewith, and he reclined on the other half. And I went out
during the night and heard him complaining about the cold, and then the man turned to
himself and said, ' I ' give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, because how many are the ' rich
men, and the owners of possessions who are at this ' present moment lying in irons, and in
afflictions, and in ' prisons, and there are, moreover, others whose feet have ' been put
in the stocks, who are unable to turn round to any ' side, whilst I, like a king, can
spread out my feet and lie ' down, and besides this, I can go whithersoever I please.' '
And when he had said these things, now I was standing up ' listening to him, I went in and
told them to the brethren, ' and they benefited by the words of that poor man."

302. An old man used to say, " Let me think first, and pray next, and then let us begin
the work, and afterwards let us boast ourselves in God." 303. A certain brother asked an
old man, saying, " Why is it that I feel disgusted when sitting in my cell, and why am I
sluggish in respect of works of spiritual excellence?" And the old man answered and said
unto him, " Because thou dost not keep in mind the rest which those who labour expect, and
the torments which are laid up for the lazy. For if, in very truth, thou wert seeing these
things, thou wouldst be watchful and strenuous in thy labour." 304. An old man used to
say, " The man who maketh a boast of the Name of God, and who doeth not the works which
are suitable to that Name, is like unto a poor man who, when a feast cometh, borroweth
some clothes and putteth them on, and who, when the feast hath passed, strippeth them off
himself because they are not his own, and giveth them to their owners."

305. Abbâ Ammon used to say concerning Abbâ Paphnutius the Simple, who was from Scete, "
When I went down there I was a young man, and he would not allow me to dwell there,
saying, ' In my days I will not permit the faces ' of young men, which resemble those of
women, to dwell in ' Scete, because of the war of the Enemy against the holy ' men.' "
306. Abbâ Poemen (or Ammon) used to say, " If Nûzardân (Nebuzaradan), the chief of the
warriors, had never come to the land of Judea, he would never have burnt down the temple
of God which was in Jerusalem with fire"; [now the meaning] of these words is, that if the
pleasures of the lust of the belly had never entered in on the soul the mind would never
have been vanquished in the war of the Adversary.

307. A certain man asked Abbâ Sisoes, saying, " Hast thou not even yet arrived at the
measure of Abbâ Anthony, our father?" And the old man answered and said, " If I had even
one thought like unto Abbâ Anthony, the whole of me would become like unto fire; but I
know one man who, even with great labour, is able to bear his thoughts." 308. Abbâ Abraham
asked Abbâ Agathon, saying, "How is it that the devils make war upon me?" And Abbâ Agathon
said unto him, "Do the devils make war upon thee? But they do not make war against us so
fiercely as we ourselves do with our own wishes, though they do make war against us in
proportion as our wishes do. Our desires become devils, and they force us to fulfil them.
Now if thou wishest to see against whom they have made war, [it is] against Moses and
those who resemble him."

309. A brother asked an old man, saying, "In what condition is it meet for a monk to be?"
And he said, "Even as I myself am, if one may [compare] one man with another." 310. And an
old man was also asked, "Why am I afraid when I go about in the desert?" The old man said
unto him, "Because thou art still alive." 311. A brother asked an old man, saying, "Why
doth my spirit go round and round violently?" And he said unto him, "Because thou hast not
yet seen the storehouse of life." 312. And he was also asked, "What is it meet for a monk
to do?" And he said, "Let him perform all kinds of good works in very deed, and let him
acquire remoteness from every evil thing." 313. And he was also asked, "What is a monk's
work?" "And he said, He must possess discretion."

314. An old man said, "Unto every thought that riseth up in thee say, Art thou of us, or
of our enemies?" And the thought will always make confession unto thee. 315. Abbâ Agathon
used to say, "The crown of the monk is humility." 316. Abbâ Isidore said, "When I was a
youth and was living in a cell, I possessed not the capacity for the service [of prayer
and praise], for by night and by day there was service to me." 317. He also said, "For
forty years, I neither leaned upon anything nor lay down." 318. He also said, "I was
standing forty nights, and did not lie down." 319. He also said, "For twenty years I
continued to fight against one thought—that I might see all men of one mind." 320. An old
man was asked, "Why is it that whilst I am sitting in my cell my heart wandereth about?"
The old man said to his questioner, "Because thine external lusts feel the motions which
are in hearing, and in breathing, and in taste, for from these, if it be possible for a
man, there is pure labour, and he should make them to be healthy and satisfied within."

321. An old man was asked, "How is it possible for a man to live so that he may be seemly
in God's sight?" and he said to him, "[It is possible if a man have an] equable [mind]."
322. An old man also said, "Our labour is wood which burneth away." 323. Abbâ Benjamin
said unto his disciples, "Do these things and ye shall be able to live. Rejoice at all
times, and pray without ceasing, and give thanks for everything. 324. He also said,
"Abstinence in respect of the soul consisteth in making straight its ways and habits, and
courses of action, and in cutting off the passions of the soul." 325. He also said,
"Travel in the path of the kingdom, and count the miles, and thy spirit shall not be sad
in thee. 326. An old man said, "Thou must be in the same state of fear as a man who is
going to endure tortures."

327. An old man used to say, "A man shall not trouble, but let him like a life of silent
contemplation, and hide himself, for these meditations (?) are the begetters of purity."
328. An old man used to say also, "Thou shalt desire to become a eunuch, for this will
help thee." 329. He also said, "The giving of thanks maketh entreaty on behalf of the
feeble before God." 330. An old man used to say, "I do not as yet carry all my body so
that I may fulfil all my desire." 331. Abbâ Sisoes said, "Exile consisteth in a man living
a silent and solitary life." 332. One of the fathers said, "I once asked Abbâ Sisoes and
besought him to speak a word of life to me, and the old man answered and said, He who
taketh care to guard himself against esteeming himself, and against comparing himself
[with other men] in every work of understanding (or discretion), is he who fulfilleth the
Book."

333. And I asked him also, "In what doth the power of exile consist?" And he said unto me,
"Wheresoever thou dwellest hold thy peace; and about whatsoever thou seest, be it good or
be it evil, say nothing; and if thou hearest anything from a man which befitteth not the
upright conduct of the ascetic life, say, 'This concerneth me not; I have to do with
myself, and myself only.' This is [the power of] exile." 334. One of the old men said,
"The love of the work of the hands is the ruin of the soul; but the stablishment thereof
is rest and peace in God." 335. Abbâ Theodore said, "If I did not cut off my soul from the
friends of this world they would not let me be a monk." 336. He also said, "If we seek God
He will reveal Himself unto us, and if we lay hold upon Him He will protect us."

337. On one occasion certain of the old men were sitting and talking about the thoughts,
and one of them said, "They would not appear to be a great matter if a man were to see his
thoughts from a distance." 338. Another [old man] said, "I have never allowed error to
have dominion over me even for an hour." 339. Abbâ Poemen said, "As long as the food which
is being boiled is on the fire the flies will not approach it, but as soon as it is taken
off they cluster round it"; the meaning of this is that as long as our hearts are fervent
in the spirit impure thoughts will not approach us, but that if we are negligent and make
ourselves to be remote from the converse (or occupation) of the spirit they will then gain
dominion over us. 340. An old man used to say, "It is necessary to make enquiries
concerning spiritual works, for through them we advance in excellence; for it is great
labour for us to go forth from the body in such wise that we do not perform the works of
the body."

341. An old man used to say also, "Affliction and poverty are the instruments wherewith a
monk cultivateth his handiwork." 342. Certain of the old men used to say, "Whosoever hath
not the instruments of the craft of labour cannot remain long in his cell, whether they be
the instruments of the craft of the labour of spiritual beings, wherewith he findeth
comfort from God in his inner man in the spirit, or the instruments of the craft of human
labour. He who possesseth not the one or the other class of instruments cannot remain very
long in his cell." 343. The spirit of God rested upon Abbâ John because of the fear in
which he held God; for it is the fear of God which teacheth a man all good works. 344.
Abbâ Poemen used to say, "Abbâ Paphnutius was exceedingly great and mighty, and he ran at
all times to minister unto shortcoming."

345. An old man was asked by a brother, "How should a monk dwell in his cell?" The old man
said unto him, "Let him dwell by himself, so that his thoughts may be with God." 346. And
a brother also asked him, saying, "What shall I do, for when I am by myself I am greatly
afflicted by the multitude of evil thoughts of all kinds which crowd upon me, and by the
weight of the disgust which troubleth me?" The old man said unto him, "Give thy soul work,
that is to say, have a care to pray and have love towards God, and straightway the spirit
of Satan will flee from thee." 347. An old man used to say also, "If thou doest something
which is good, and thou art praised for it, destroy it; guard thyself against the thoughts
which praise thee, and which hold thy neighbour in contempt."

348. Abbâ Isidore's thoughts praised him, saying, "There is none like unto thee among the
fathers"; and he said, unto them, "Am I like Anthony or Abbâ Agathon?" And the devils said
unto him, "After all the labours which thou hast performed thou wilt go to torment"; and
he said unto them, "And ye also will be below me. For a thief through one word inherited
the kingdom." And Judas also, who wrought mighty deeds with the Apostles, in one night
lost all his labour, and he went down from heaven to Sheol; therefore let not him that
conducteth himself uprightly boast himself. For all those who have been over confident
about themselves have fallen among the devils of greed. Retard thou then [thy desire],
saying, "Thou hast had enough; wait a little," and eat thou temperately and slowly. For he
who hasteth in his eating is like unto him that seeketh to eat much.

349. An old man saw sitting among the brethren a brother who pretended not to be of them,
and he said unto him, "How canst thou walk in a country which is not thine?" 350. They
used to say that Abbâ Poemen never wished to magnify his word over that of any old man,
but in everything he praised his and belittled his own. 351. There was a certain monk who
led a life which was full of severe ascetic labours, and the Devil laid many plans and
schemes to make him abate them, and to make him to desist therefrom; but the monk would
not give him a hearing in any way whatsoever, but, on the contrary, he played the man more
strenuously than ever, and resisted his wiles and crafts. Now when the Devil had spent
much time in this strife against him, another devil came to help him; and having enquired
of his companion what manner of war and battle he should set in array against him, and how
it was that the holy man was abating and making an end of all the things which he was
making [against him], the accursed devil who had come last, answered and said by the
counsel of the Evil One, "Do not lift up thyself below him, but raise up thyself above
him, and in this way thou shalt be able to be stronger than he."

352. An old man asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "What shall I do, father, with my son Isaac,
who hearkeneth unto me with pleasure?" Abbâ Poemen said unto him, "If thou wishest to be
of benefit to him, shew him [an example] by deeds and not by words, lest through observing
words only he be found useless; for if thou wilt shew him by deeds, the deeds themselves
will abide with him, and he will profit." 353. Certain of the fathers said to Abbâ
Macarius the Egyptian, "Whether thou eatest or whether thou fastest, thy body hath already
dried up"; and the old man said unto them, "A piece of wood which hath been burned and
consumed by the fire burneth wholly, and thus also the heart of a man, if he be purified
by the fear of God, consumeth the lusts from his flesh, and drieth up his bones." 354.
Abbâ Theodore used to say, "If God imputeth to us carelessness in prayer, and the snare in
[His] service wherein we have been captured, we shall not be able to stand."

355. They used to say of one of the old men that he had passed twenty years in the church,
and had never lifted his eyes and seen the roof thereof. 356. There was a certain monk
whose name was Paul, and his rule of life and conduct was such that he did not approach
the excessive labour of the work of the hands, nor any trafficking whatsoever, except such
as was sufficient to provide for his small amount of daily food; but he performed one sort
of work of excellence, that is, he prayed continually and ceased not, and he laid down the
rule for himself that he should pray three hundred prayers each day, and he placed sand in
his bosom, and at every prayer which he prayed, he would lay one grain of sand in his
hand. Now this man asked Saint Macarius, saying, "Father, I am greatly afflicted"; and the
old man pressed him to tell him the cause of his affliction. Then he answered and said, "I
have heard about a certain virgin who hath led an ascetic life for thirty years, and
Father Piôr related concerning her that every week she went forth and recited five hundred
prayers in the day. Now when I heard these things I despised myself greatly, for I am not
able to recite more than three hundred prayers." Then the holy man Macarius answered and
said unto him, "I have led an ascetic life for sixty years, and I make fifty prayers a
day, and I work sufficiently to provide myself with food, and I receive the brethren who
come to me, and I say unto them what it is seemly to say, and I pay my debts, and my mind
doth not condemn me as one who hath treated [God] lightly; but thou who makest three
hundred prayers in the day, art thou condemned by thy thoughts? Perchance thou dost not
offer them with purity [of heart], or thou art able to do more, and dost not do it!"

357. I used to know a certain holy man whose name was Aurelius, and he laboured so hard
that he might have been thought to be a shadow because of his disposition to work; during
the Forty Days' Fast he used to pass whole weeks [without eating], and in respect of the
other days he would eat only once every two or three days. 358. An old man was asked [by a
brother], "If I see the sin of my brother am I to despise him?" And the old man said, "If
we hide [the fault] of our brother God will also hide our [faults]; and if we expose our
brother's [faults], God will also expose ours." 359. An old man was wont to say, "There
was a brother whose name was Timothy, and he used to lead a life of silent contemplation
in a religious house; and a temptation came upon one of the brethren of that house, and
the head of the house asked Timothy, saying, 'What shall I do to this brother?' Timothy
said unto him, 'Expel him'; and when he had expelled him, the temptation of that brother
was sent upon Timothy, and he cried out to God, saying, 'I have sinned, O my Lord, have
mercy upon me.' And he passed the whole night in a grave of dead men, crying out and
saying, 'I have sinned, O my Lord, forgive me,' and the temptation was upon him until he
was greatly exhausted. And a voice came to him, saying, 'Timothy, do not imagine that
these things have happened unto thee for any other reason than because thou didst offend
thy neighbour in the time of his trial.'"

360. A brother asked an old man, saying, "How shall I be able to avoid despising my
brother?" The old man said unto him, "We and our neighbour are two faces. Now if we
provide the mirror of prayer we shall see the beam in our own eye, and we shall also see
in the mirror the face of our brother polished and pure." 361. A brother asked an old man
and said, "What shall I do? For there is no feeling in my soul, and I have no fear of
God." The old man said unto him, "Seek thou out a man who feareth God, and then cling
closely to him, and from him thou shalt learn to fear God." 362. Abbâ Poemen said that
Abbâ Athanasius used to say, "Unless a man possess good works before God giveth him a gift
because of himself, it is well known that no one can be made perfect through the weariness
which cometh to him through himself; but if he reveal [it] to his neighbour, he will then
receive the gift because of his neighbour, and be gratified."

363. A brother asked an old man, saying, "Shew me a word whereby I may live." The old man
said unto him, "Work with thy hands with all thy power, and give alms." 364. 225 364. They
used to say that Abbâ Copres attained to such a measure [of perfection] that even when he
was sick and wanted something, he would cut off his desire from that which his soul asked
him [to give it]; and he would give thanks unto God and endure his sickness with joy and
without complaint. 365. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, "What is the meaning of these words
which the Prophet spake, 'My heart shall rejoice in those that fear Thy name'?" (Psalm
xxxiii, 21.) And the old man answered and said, "The Holy Spirit spake this word to man
even unto death, and [unto] to-day also." 366. An old man also said, "If a man were to
make new heavens and new earth he would not be able to be free from care, because the
wickedness of the devil is hidden behind them; but for a man to have no care either for
his raiment or his food is possible."

367. A [brother] also asked an old man, "What shall I do in respect of that which I love,
but which is not profitable to me?" The old man said unto him, "Approach it not, and touch
it not, and it will of its own accord become an alien thing unto thee. For David the
Prophet wrote unto Joab the captain of the host, and said unto him, 'Hold fast on the war,
and fight mightily against the city until thou dost subdue it' (2 Samuel xi, 25). Now in
this case the city is enmity." 368. Anthony said, "The greatest might of a man is to bring
upon his soul his transgression at all times before God, and he must expect temptation
until the end." 369. An old man used to say, "This is the rule of conduct which God gave
to Israel, that he should remove himself from that which is outside nature, that is to
say, anger, and wrath, and envy, and hatred, and evil-speaking, and a man must not judge
his neighbour, together with all the other commandments of the olden time."

370. On one occasion certain of the brethren came to Abbâ Sisoes in order that they might
hear some profitable words, and when they had spoken much with him, he said nothing unto
them about whatsoever they had said, but only, "Forgive me." Then they saw that he was
plaiting palm leaves, and they said unto Abraham his disciple, "What are ye doing with
these palm-leaf ropes and mats?" And he said unto them, "We send them out here and there."
Now when the old man heard this he said, "Sisoes eateth here and there." And when they had
heard [these things] they were greatly profited, and they departed in great joy because
they had seen his humility. 371. Abbâ Copres said, "Whosoever loveth the gratifying of his
own will more than the gratification of the will of God hath no fear of God." 372. A
brother asked Abbâ Amônis, saying, "How ought a man to act when he wisheth to begin some
[kind of] work, or when he wisheth to go or to come, or to go from one place to another,
so that action may be according to the will of God, and may be free from the error of
devils?" The old man said unto him, "He must first consider in his mind and see the motive
of that which he wisheth to do, and whence it cometh, and if it be from God or Satan, or
from the man himself, and then let him do the work [which he contemplateth], but let him
flee from going and coming, and from going from one place to another. If he [acteth] not
[thus] he will finally become a laughing-stock for the devils. But afterwards let him pray
and beseech God that that work which is His he may do, and then let him begin the work,
and afterwards he may boast in God."

373. He also said, "Bear with every man in such a way that God may also bear with thee."
374. The disciple of Abbâ Ammon told the following story:— One night the old man came out
and found me lying down in the courtyard of the cell, and he stood up above me, and with
lamentation and tears said, "Where is the mind of this brother who can thus lie down (or
sleep) without care?" 375. There was a certain priest in Thebaïs whose name was Dioscurus,
and he was the spiritual father of many monks, and at the time when they were about to
receive the Holy Mysteries he used to say to the brethren, "Take thought and see lest any
man among you have been snared by the phantom of a woman during the night, and he be so
bold as to receive the Holy Mysteries. Now the emissions which occur as the result of a
phantom are not caused by the desire of a man, but take place independently thereof, for
they happen naturally, and are due to the excess of matter [in the body], and they do not,
therefore, lead [a man] into subjection to sin. But the phantoms which arise from the
desire are the sign of an evil wish. For it is meet that the monk should be superior to
the law of nature, and that he should not be found with the smallest impurity of body, but
that he should waste the body and humble it, and should not permit any superfluity of
matter to be found therein. Work out plans, then, that thou mayest cut off [the
superfluity of] matter by means of a long period of fasting, for if we do not thus it will
incite the other lusts to come upon us; and it is not meet that a monk should be occupied
with the lusts which rise up in him daily. And if we do not thus, in what way are we
different from those who live in the world? For we have observed that men of this kind
often make themselves to be remote from

227 II-15a the desires of their lust, either for purposes of bodily health, or for other
reasons which are not worth mentioning; how very much more, then, should it thus be
especially a care to the monk for the sake of the health of his spirit, and of his soul,
and of his body!" 376. They used to say that Abbâ Macarius the Alexandrian at one time
dwelt in a cave in the desert, and that beyond his cave was another wherein dwelt a
panther; one day when he opened the door of his cave the panther came in and did homage to
the blessed man, and she drew nigh and took hold of the corner of his garment, and dragged
him along gently and went outside. And the old man answered and said, "What can this
animal want?" And he went with her until she arrived at her cave, and she left him
outside, and went in and brought out her young, which were blind, and dropped them at his
feet; and when he saw them, he prayed, and spat in their eyes, which were opened
straightway, and the panther gave them suck, and took them and went inside. And on the day
following the panther came bringing a sheepskin, and she approached and placed it before
him; then the old man smiled to himself at the discernment and knowledge which the animal
had shewn, and he took the skin and slept upon it, until it was quite worn out.

377. Now on another occasion, when the door of his cell was shut, and the old man was
sitting in his courtyard, that panther leaped down into the courtyard from the wall and
came to him carrying one of her young in her mouth; and when the old man saw that the
little panther was blind, he spat in its eyes, and they were opened, and its mother took
it and departed. And one day later she brought to the blessed man a sheepskin, and the
blessed woman Melania told me, saying, "I received this same skin from the hands of the
old man as a gift." 378. A brother asked an old man, saying, "What shall I do if when I
have given to my brother a little bread or money, the devils pollute it, as if [it were
given to gain] the approbation of men?" The old man said unto him, "Even though the
adulation of men may come, we must give to our neighbour that which is necessary," and the
old man adduced a proof of this statement, and said, "Two men dwelt in a certain city, and
one sowed [a field] and produced a crop of somewhat dirty grain, but the other sowed [no
field] at all, and produced no crop of any kind, neither clean nor dirty; in the time of
tribulation which of these two men would live [and not die] of hunger?" And the brother
said unto him, "He who produced the crop of dirty grain"; and the old man said unto him,
"Let us then produce a few [good actions], even though they be defiled, so that we may not
die in the time of famine."

379. An old man used to say, "Dainty meats remove [a man] from heavenly honours. For
satiety, and luxurious living in this world, and the multitudes of lustful habits shut the
door in our face and prevent us from entering into the happiness of God. Consider now the
history of the rich man and Lazarus; what was it that carried Lazarus into the bosom of
Abraham? Was it not the immeasurable troubles among which he had been brought up? And what
brought the rich man to Gehenna? Was it not the pleasures and lusts which were flaming
within his body? Each one of us, then, according to his measure, by the nod of the fire of
his person which is found with him, shall receive his deserts in the world which is to
come; and each one of us, unless he be watchful, shall be shaken up with the wood, and the
straw, and the stubble. And since it is necessary for us to extinguish carefully the lusts
which bestir themselves in us, we have need [to drink] water, and not wine."

380. An old man used to say, "True obedience is like unto a chaste woman who is betrothed,
and who is not drawn aside after strange voices; and the ear which turneth away, ever so
little, from the truth, is like an adulterous woman who turneth away from her husband; and
the mind which is led by every doctrine of error is like unto a harlot, who obeyeth every
one who calleth her. Let us then rebuke the wandering mind which is corrupted by strange
voices, and which loveth the voice of its seducer instead of that of the true bridegroom;
for it hath accepted to be called by the name of a stranger, and not by that of Christ."
381. An old man used to say, "If thou hast prayed for thy companion thou hast also prayed
for thyself, but if thou hast prayed for thyself only thou hast impoverished thy petition;
and if thou hast shown that thy brother hath offended thee, thou hast also shown that thou
hast offended thyselt. Those prayers, which have not taken their mind with them when they
have ascended and gone up, stand outside the door, and it is love which openeth the door
before them. The prayer which possesseth not the wings of the spirit to [mount up] on high
standeth before the mouth of him that prayeth it, and thinking that it hath flown away he
doth not perceive that it remaineth [near him]. Offer with thine offering salt, as it is
written (Leviticus ii, 13). Let the love of thy Lord be salt for thy sacrifice, for the
sacrifice which hath not salt through His love is despised and rejected before Him."

382. One of the holy men used to say thus:—"I have passed the whole period of twenty years
in striving so that a strange thought might not enter into my heart, and I have seen
Satan, until the ninth hour, with his bow stretched ready to shoot an arrow into my heart;
and when he could not find an opportunity, he was filled with disgust, and he would depart
each day, having been put to shame." 383. An old man said, "If thou art a [true] penitent
thou hast nothing whatsoever to do with these who are in the world." 384. There was a
certain holy man in Egypt who dwelt in the desert, and a little way beyond him was an
elder (or priest), who was a Manichean; and this Manichean was obliged to make a journey
and to go to one who was of the same faith as himself, and as he was going along the road,
he arrived at eventide at the place where the holy man lived, and the Manichean was in
great distress, for he had no place near at hand wherein to enter. Now he was afraid to go
to the holy man, for he thought that he would recognize him, and would not allow him to
enter [his cell]; nevertheless, being sore pressed, and not knowing where [else] to go, he
knocked at the door of that holy man; and he opened the door, and the Manichean went in,
and the holy man received him with gladness, and he knew who he was, and he urged him to
pray, and he relieved all his wants, and the Manichean slept, and was refreshed. And it
came to pass during the night that the Manichean came to himself, and said, "How is it
that there is nothing which it was seemly to do which this blessed man hath not done for
me? Verily this is a man of God." Then he rose up and fell down at his feet, and said,
"From this day onwards I shall believe as thou believest"; and he turned to the truth, and
he became a friend of the holy man and lived with him always.

385. I have heard that Abbâ Isaac said concerning Abbâ Muthues his Rabbâ, now they both
arrived at the dignity of the episcopacy, that first of all Abbâ Muthues built his
monastery in the country of the Harbëlâyê (Herakleans), but that being much troubled by
the multitudes who came to him, he left that place, and departed, and went to another spot
in order that he might find quietness, and he built a monastery for himself there. And by
the operation of Satan as it were, he found there a certain brother with whom he was at
enmity, and he afflicted him greatly; and the old man saw [this], and he rose up and
departed to his village, so that the man might not be vexed through him, and there he
built a monastery, and shut himself in it. Now after a time, the fathers of that place
wherefrom Abbâ Muthues had departed gathered together, and they took that brother who was
aggrieved, and they went to him in order to entreat him and to bring him to his monastery;
and when they had arrived at the place where Abbâ Sôriôn used to dwell, they left their
cloaks there, and the aggrieved brother was with them. And when the fathers had knocked,
the old man brought forward a ladder, and he recognized them, and said unto them, "Where
are your cloaks? And they said, "They are here with us, with such and such a brother.

Now when the old man heard the name of that brother, in sheer joy he took an axe and
opened the door, and he ran to the place where that brother was, and the holy man fell at
the feet of the saint, and he made entreaty to him, and he kissed him, and saluted him,
and he brought him and the fathers to his cell, and he refreshed both him and them for
three days; and he made ready a meal, which he was not in the habit of doing, and he rose
up and went with them with great joy. Now afterwards he was called to the office of
Bishop, and he became a worker of signs and miracles, and he also made his disciple Abbâ
Isaac a Bishop, and he continued to lead a life of spiritual excellence until the end of
his life. 386. They used to say of Abbâ Serapion, the Bishop, that whensoever a man came
to him to receive the monastic garb, he said these words to him, "When thou prayest say,
'Lord, teach me to do Thy will.'" 387. On one occasion Abbâ Paphnutius was living in a
remote desert, and it happened that a certain brother came to him and found him sick, and
the brother took him, and washed him, and of the food which he had with him he boiled a
little, and brought it to him to eat. And when he saw [this] he answered and said, "In
very truth it had passed from my mind that this gratification for the children of men
existed"; and he brought him a cup of cream. Now when the old man saw him, he wept, and
said, "I never expected that, even to the day of my death, I should drink wine."

388. One of the fathers told a story, saying: "On one occasion two brethren according to
the body came to the desert to a certain monk, and they conducted themselves in an
excellent manner, and they were praised by the whole brotherhood. And it came to pass that
one of them fell into a sickness which lasted not a few years, and his brother ministered
unto him, and certain fathers came to visit him, and they began to praise him that
ministered unto him, saying, 'Thy willingness and thy abstinence profit the whole
brotherhood.' And he answered and said unto them with great humility, 'Forgive me, O my
fathers, for I have not as yet begun to lead a life of rule, but it is my brother who
doeth the works of excellence, and that ye may indeed learn that such is the case, come
after me and see." Then he took them in to his brother in the cell wherein he lay, and he
said unto him, "Father, where is the axe which I gave thee yesterday?" And he began to
seek for it. Then he said unto him, "See, O my brother, do an act of grace and seek for it
with me," and the sick brother took it upon himself to be asked for that which he had not
taken. And having profited [by his example] the fathers departed from that place.

389. An old man used to say, "Flee from that love which subsisteth by means of the things
which are corrupt, for with them a man also passeth away and is destroyed." 390. Abbâ
Elijah used to say, "The love which a man possesseth for his neighbour, and which is
caused by some temporal matter is, in the process of time, turned into fierce enmity."
391. And he also said, "Whatsoever hath its being for God's sake endureth and abideth for
ever with those who are true." 392. On one occasion the priest of Pîlîsîôn heard that
certain of the brethren were idle and lazy, and that they were constantly in the city, and
that they swam in the baths, and neglected the works of excellence which belong to the
life of the monk, and when they came to the congregation he took their monkish dress from
them; and having done [this] he was sad at heart, and repented, and he went to Abbâ Poemen
and informed him about them. And the old man said unto him, "Hast thou nothing of the old
man about thee?" [And he said "Yea." And the old man said unto him], "Therefore thou
thyself art like unto them, and thou art nigh unto sin." Then the priest went and
expressed his sorrow to them, and he put on them the dress of monks [once more]. Now they
were twelve in all.

393. On one occasion tribulation came upon the monks in a certain place where they were
living, and they wished to forsake it and come to Abbâ Ammon; and behold, he was
travelling in a boat, and he saw them going along by the side of the river, and he ordered
the boatmen to bring [the boat] close to land. Then he called these brethren and said unto
them, "I am Ammon to whom ye wish to go"; and he entreated them to go back to their place,
and he comforted them, and told them to endure patiently, for there was in the matter no
loss to the soul, but only human vexation. 394. On one occasion an old man went up from
Scete to the brethren in the mountain, and when they saw that he was a man of great
ascetic labours, and that he practised stern self-denial, they entreated him to let them
make a meal for him, and they brought him a little wine to drink. Now the people of the
country heard about him, and they brought him a man who was afflicted with a devil that he
might heal him; and when the devil saw him, he began to revile him, saying, "Hast thou
brought this winebibber to me?" And the old man did not wish to cast him out because of
the praise of men, but, because the devil had reviled him, he said unto him, "I believe in
Christ, and I shall not have drunk [this] cup of wine until thou hast gone forth"; and as
he began to drink that devil cried out, and said, "Thou art consuming me": and before the
old man could drink that cup [of wine] the devil went forth by the grace of Christ.

395. They used to say that a certain father who was a recluse had a brother, according to
the body, who lived in another cell, and that this brother fell ill, and sent to him a
message to come and see him before he died; and his brother said, "I am unable to go out
for the sake of my brother in the flesh." And his brother sent him another message,
saying, "Come, if it be only in the night, that I may see thee"; and the recluse said, "I
cannot do so, for if I did my heart would not be pure before God." So the brother died,
and they did not see each other. 396. They once wanted to make Abbâ Isaac priest in Scete,
and when he heard [this] he fled to Egypt, and he went into a field and hid himself among
the crop because the fathers were pursuing him, and when they came to that field they
began to weary a little; and they turned the ass which they had with them out to feed, but
he left the whole field, and went and stood up in that place where Abbâ Isaac was hidden.
And in the morning they went out to look for the ass, and they found the ass and the old
man [together] and they marvelled; and when they wished to make Abbâ Isaac take an oath
[not to run away] he would not allow them [to do so], and he said unto them, "I shall not
flee again, for it is the will of God, and whithersoever I flee I shall come to this
thing, for this is a consecration by God."

397. Abbâ Macarius asked Abbâ Arsenius, saying, "Is it good for a man not to have any
pleasure at all in his cell?" "I know a brother who used to have a few garden herbs in his
cell, and to prevent himself from having any gratification therefrom, he pulled them up by
the roots"; and Abbâ Arsenius said unto him, "This is good, but every man [must do] as he
is able, and if he hath not strength to persist in this perhaps he should plant others."
398. The old men who were in Egypt told Abbâ Elijah that Abbâ Agathon was a great man. And
the old man said unto them, "Considering his youth he was a great man in his generation,
but he was very far removed from the men of old. I saw in Scete an old man who was able to
hold back the sun in his course in the heavens like Joshua, the son of Nun"; and when they
heard [this] they marvelled and praised God.

399. A certain brother asked Abbâ Poemen about fornication, and he answered and said, "[It
cometh upon a man] because our eyes will not allow us to see the help of God which
surroundeth a man, for a man is constrained to humility and to the fear of God at all
times, even as he is constrained [to draw] the breath which goeth forth from his mouth."
400. An old man used to say, "If thou wishest to learn to know [thy] neighbour praise him
more than thou rebukest him." 401. They used to say that whensoever one of the fathers
wished to sleep a little, he would sit down in his cell at some distance from the wall, so
that whenever he nodded his head he became wide awake. 402. And whensoever another of the
old men lay down he used to hold up a book above him, and when he dropped off to sleep the
book would fall down and wake him.

403. Abbâ Besarion said, "I stood up for forty nights and did Abbâ Anthony said, "I do not
fear God, on the contrary I 404. One of the old men whilst exhorting the brethren to work
of spiritual excellence used to say, "Troubles are hard unto those who are not accustomed
to them. Troubles are like unto dogs; for as dogs bite those who are not familiar with
them and wag their tails at those who are, so also are labours, because they give pain to
those who have no experience of them, and they are pleasing unto those who are trained in
bearing them. This exception must, however, be made: lusts are wont to produce troubles
and adversities, but troubles are the cause of pleasure and delights." 405. On one
occasion Abbâ Ammon came to cross the river, and he found that they were making ready a
boat to take [some] men over, and he sat down in it; and behold, there was another boat
which was going to take over some women, and they cried out to him, "Come thou, father,
and cross over with us." And he answered and said unto them, "If I had not been going to
cross over in the public boat I could not cross [with you]." Now he had with him a bundle
of palm leaves, and he sat down and plaited mats until that boat was ready, and then he
crossed over the river [in it]. And the brethren expressed their regrets, saying, "Why
hast thou done thus?" Then the old man said unto them, "Because I do not at all times
travel in great haste, and because my thoughts are not always in a turmoil." Now this is a
proof that a man should travel on the path of God with a well ordered mind.

406. One of the old men came to one of the fathers [and asked him] to go and visit Abbâ
Joseph, and he said to him, "Tell thy disciple to go with us"; and the father said, "Call
him, and whatsoever thou commandest him, he will do." The old man said unto him, "What is
his name?" and the Rabbâ of the disciple said, "I know not." The old man said unto him,
"And how long hath he been with thee? Dost thou not know his name?" And the father said,
"Behold, he hath been with me for two years"; then the old man answered and said, "If he
hath been with thee for two years, and thou hast not learnt his name, how can I learn it
in one day?" 407. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, and said, "On one occasion I was
distressed, and I begged one of the holy men to lend me a certain thing, and he gave it to
me as a free gift; now if God prospereth me shall I give it to another man, or shall I
return it to him that gave it to me in the time of my tribulation?" The old man saith,
"The gift was most certainly from God, and it is meet for thee to return it to Him, for it
belongeth to Him." And that brother said unto him, "Supposing that I carry it to Him, and
He refuse to take it, and say unto me, 'Get thee gone, and give it as a free gift to
anyone at thy pleasure,' what am I to do?" The old man said, "The thing still belongeth to
Him. For if a man bringeth thee something of his own accord and thou hast no knowledge
about it, in this manner the thing is his; but if thou hast borrowed something, either
from a monk or from a man in the world, and he refuseth to take it back, it belongeth to
thee and thou mayest do what thou pleasest with it."

408. Abbâ Joseph related that Abbâ Isaac said, "I was on one occasion sitting with Abbâ
Poemen, and I saw that he was in a state of great stupefaction, and because I possessed
some influence over him, I offered entreaty to him, saying, 'Father, where is thy mind?'
And after I had pressed him greatly, he answered and said, 'My mind was in the place of
the Crucifixion, where the holy woman Mary, the God-bearer, was standing and weeping by
the Cross of our Redeemer, and I was wishing that I might at all times feel thus.'" 409.
They used to say that Abbâ Sisoes the Theban was wont to dwell among the reeds of Arsânîâ,
where there was, at some distance from him, an old man who was sick; and when he heard [of
it] he was distressed, for he fasted two days at a time, and that day was the day on which
he ought not to eat. And he said in his mind, "What shall I do? For perhaps the brethren
will compel me to eat, and if I wait [to go to the old man] until to-morrow perhaps he
will be dead. I can only do this. I will go, but will not break the law and eat"; so he
went, and he ate not, and he did not break the rule of life which [he observed] for God's
sake.

410. They used to say that Abbâ Netîrâ, who was the disciple of Abbâ Sylvanus, and who
dwelt in his cell in Mount Sinai, trained his body, and exercised it in ascetic labours
with moderation; but when he was called by force to the episcopacy, he afflicted himself
with stern and laborious works. And his disciple said unto him, "Abbâ, when we lived in
the desert thou didst not lead such a life of abstinence and self-denial as thou now
doest"; and the old man said unto him, "There I had the desert, and silence, and poverty,
and I only had to direct my body in moderation so that it might not become ill; but here I
have the world, and I must vex my body so that it may not be caught by any lust
whatsoever, and that I may not lose my labours." 411. They used to relate that Abbâ Poemen
and the brethren at one time worked with their hands, but he could not sell their work;
and they were distressed because they had no one to buy their work; and one of the
brethren, who was a friend of theirs, went to a certain believing merchant and informed
him of the matter. Now Abbâ Poemen [always] refused to accept anything from any man, so
that he might not be entreated [for alms] by the multitude. And when the merchant heard
[about their need], because he wished to do something for the old man, he made the excuse
that he was in need of [the kind] of work [which they did], and he bought a camel and
carried away the work as if he had been in need of the same; and the brother who had told
the merchant came to Abbâ Poemen, and hearing that the merchant had come and carried away
what they had to sell, he said before Abbâ Poemen, "Verily, O father, the merchant hath
taken [the work] away, although he did not want it." Then Abbâ Poemen said to Abbâ Job,
his brother, "Arise, stop the camel, and bring him back, for if thou dost not do so Poemen
will not dwell here with you. For I do not wish to wrong any man by making him
unnecessarily to suffer loss on my account, and to take my profit." And the brother
departed and brought the camel back with great difficulty, and then Abbâ Poemen was
persuaded to stay with them, and when he saw [the camel] he rejoiced as one who had found
a great treasure.

412. A certain stranger came to Scete, and brought there much gold, and he entreated the
priest that it might be given to the brethren, and the priest said unto him, "It is
useless to 'them'; and having entreated him many times, and the priest not consenting [to
this], the man laid the gold down openly at the door of the church. And the priest said,
My brethren, 'if any man hath need let him take [some]," but they refused to touch it, and
some of them would not even look at it. Then the priest said unto him, "God hath accepted
thy gift, go, and give 'it to the poor'; and having been greatly helped he departed. 413.
On one occasion the steward of Scete went up to Constantinople, and the Emperor seeing him
asked him how the fathers in Egypt were; and the steward did homage, and answered and said
to the Emperor, "Behold, they eat each other, 'and live.'' Now when the Emperor heard
this, he marvelled, and asked him, What is the meaning of 'They eat each other?'' And the
steward said, The meaning of 'They eat each other' is this:—When it happeneth that one of
them 'is going to die, he commandeth that whatsoever he hath shall be given to various men
according to their needs; and similarly when a man worketh he bringeth [the results of]
his labour, and refresheth all the brethren therewith, and in this way they live.'' The
Emperor said unto him, Verily 'blessed are ye, for ye are saved and freed from the cares
of the world, and also from the judgement of Gehenna. We, on the other hand, are troubled
by the cares of the world, and Gehenna is prepared for us because of our sins.''

414. They used to say of Abbâ Betimius that, when [the brethren] were coming down from the
harvest to Scete, they brought down as a gift for the brethren who were there a jar of
oil, which contained the measure of a kestâ, and was sealed with plaster. And at the
return of the period the year following when they were going to the harvest, they brought
everything which was of benefit to the church; and Abbâ Betimius made a small hole with a
needle in the vessel of oil, and poured out a little for himself, and thought that he had
done some great thing in not having consumed the whole of the oil which was in the vessel.
And when the brethren brought their vessels with the plaster coverings intact and the
vessels themselves unopened, whilst his vessel had been perforated, he stood there full of
shame, just like a man who thinketh that he hath been found [committing] fornication.

415. There was a great and holy man who used to dwell in the inner desert, in a state of
glorious ascetic excellence, and the gifts of casting out devils and of healing the sick
had been given to him by God, and he used to work great miracles in the Name of Christ,
and the beasts also made themselves subject to him at his command. For it chanced on one
occasion when he was journeying in the desert that he saw a herd of wild asses feeding,
and he said unto them, "In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, let one of you come hither";
and one of them came, and crouched before him very gently, and the blessed man mounted him
and sat upon him, and the animal carried him whither he wished to go. 416. One day when
the blessed Anthony was sitting in the desert with the brethren about him, suddenly there
fell upon him a state of stupor, and he became exceedingly sad and sorry, and he bent his
knees and prayed; and when, after a long time, he stood up, he wept and groaned, and the
old man began to pluck out his hair, and to throw it away. Now when the brethren saw him
weeping they entreated him to tell them what he had seen; and he answered and said unto
them, "A great pillar hath fallen this day from the church." Now he spake concerning that
holy man who had fallen from his rule of life. And he sent to him straightway two brethren
to see what had happened and to comfort him, and when the holy man saw them, he wailed and
cried, and took dust and cast it upon his head, and he fell down before them, saying, "Go
ye and say to 'Abbâ Anthony, Pray for me that ten days may be given me to live, and I
believe that I shall repent'; but he died before five days had passed, and did not remain
long enough to offer up repentance for his sin.

417. There was a certain man of noble rank who sold everything which he had, and divided
[the money] among the poor and the strangers, and he shaved his head and went and dwelt in
a monastery; now there remained to him a remnant of his possessions sufficient for his
wants. And after a little time, when he had obtained freedom of speech, he began to be
proud and to exalt himself above the other brethren, saying, "They 'lack education, and
the knowledge of learning"; and the blessed Mâr Basil, the Bishop, sent him a message in a
letter, saying, "Thou hast lost the great name which thou hadst in 'the world, for thou
wast called nobleman', and thou hast 'not become a monk." 418. Abbâ Gregory made an answer
against the thoughts and said to the brethren, "My brethren, inasmuch as we have passed
the measure of children, let us cease from the mind of children, that is to say, let us
free ourselves from the careless habits of filthy lusts; for it would be a shameful thing
for us if, since childhood hath passed from us, and old age hath come upon us, the things
of shame had not also passed away from us."

419. They used to say that when Abbá Macarius was walking in the desert, he went and found
a beautiful spot which was like unto the Paradise of God; and there were in it fountains
of water, and numerous palm trees, and trees of various kinds which bore fruit, and when
he had come and told the brethren about it, they begged and entreated him to go and settle
them there. Then the old men, the aged members of the congregation, who led lives of stern
labour, entreated them not to leave their place, and they said, "If pleasure and delight
be found in that spot, and if a man may live therein without vexation and labour, what
pleasure and delight do ye expect to receive from God? Nay, it is right for us to endure
the hardness of this place wherein we dwell, and to suffer tribulations so that we may
enjoy pleasure in the world to come." And when he had said these things the brethren were
restrained and departed not.

420. There was a certain holy man who used to see visions, and he told the following
story, saying, "Once when I was standing up in prayer, I heard a devil complaining in the
presence of his companion, saying, 'I am [suffering] great labour and trouble.' And when
the other devil asked him so that he might learn from him the cause of his trouble, he
said to him, 'This is the work which hath been handed over to me. When I have carried
these monks, who are in Jerusalem and its neighbourhood, to Mount Sinai I have to bring
those who are in Mount Sinai to Jerusalem, and I have no rest whatsoever.'" 421. There was
a monk who lived in a cell, far away in the desert, and this monk had a brother who lived
in the world, and whose end was nigh, for he had to die; and he sent a message to the
monk, saying, "For God's sake do an act of grace, and come that I may see thee before I
die. And when the monk heard [this], he shut the door of his cell, and set out to go to
him, and as he was travelling through the desert, he saw an old man sitting on the wayside
mending nets; now this old man was the Calumniator, who was making ready his snares to
catch in them those who were journeying on the road of spiritual excellence. And he was
exceedingly anxious to overthrow that brother, and to trip him up by his snares, for he
had not only never allowed his foot to become entangled in the meshes of his nets, but he
had also slit in pieces and destroyed his pitfalls through the remembrance of God. Now the
monk did not know that the man who was sitting by the roadside mending his nets was Satan,
and he said unto him, "Why art thou sitting here in this parched desert? And what art thou
doing here? The Calumniator said unto him, "I am mending my nets wherewith I wish to catch
the gazelle which are in the desert.

And the monk said unto him, "Make me a net also, for I want to catch with it the gazelle
which go into my garden and lay it waste. Then that devil said unto him, "Get thee on thy
journey, and I will make a net for thee which shall be better than that which thou now
seest. And when the monk had gone to his brother, he saw him, and remained with him for
two days, and on the third day his brother died; and he wrapped him up in his grave-
clothes, and buried him with the honour which is due to believing men. And as he was lying
there in his brother's house, his brother's wife rose up by night, and came and lay down
by his side through the agency of the Calumniator, and she began to say unto him
thus:—"God hath sent thee hither to provide for thy brother's children, and to bring them
up; take me, then, to wife, and take care of thy brother's house and of his children, and
stay here in peace in thine own house. And when the monk had heard what she said to him,
he was moved to wrath against her, and he said to her, "Fie upon thee, O woman! Get thee
behind me, Satan! And he rose up straightway, and took his staff, and set out to go
through the desert to his cell, and as he was journeying along the way, he saw that old
man sitting in his place and mending his nets;

and the monk said unto him, "Art thou still sitting here, O old man? Hast thou prepared
for me that net concerning which I spake to thee? Then Satan became furious, and he looked
at him in fierce anger and said, "Get thee forth from my presence. Yea, thou hast indeed
broken the net which I made for thee. Didst thou not know that thou wast breaking and
slitting in pieces during the past night that other net which was better than the first
one? I am not able to make a net which [will catch] thee. And as he was speaking he
changed himself into a great serpent. Now when the monk saw this he understood that it was
Satan who had appeared unto him; and he fled from the place in fear, and went to his cell,
and he gave thanks unto God Who had delivered him from the snare of Satan, who had wished
to snare him and to drag him down into his net through his brother's wife.

422. A certain brother had recently received the garb of a monk, and he went and shut
himself up in a cell, and said, "I am a desert monk." And when the fathers heard [this],
they came and took him out of his place, and made him to go about to the cells of the
brethren, and to make apologies to them, saying, "I am not a desert monk, and I have only
just begun to be a disciple." 423. On one occasion Abbâ Abraham went to Abbâ Arêâ, and
whilst they were sitting talking, a certain brother also came to Abbâ, and repeated the
following:—There was a certain rich man in Jerusalem who had become rich by means of
fraud, and avarice, and oppression, and wicked acts of various kinds; and when this man
came to himself, and understood that there was judgement to come, he drew nigh to a
certain teacher, and said unto him, "I beseech thee [to hearken unto me]. My mind is led
captive by worldly care, and by anxieties which are of the earth; make me whole then, so
that I may not perish. And the teacher gave him to read the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon,
and as he was reading [it], he found a verse which said, "He who hath compassion upon the
poor, lendeth to God. Then he shut the book, and gave it to the teacher, saying, "Who is
there that is more sure and more to be trusted than God, Who if I shew compassion upon the
poor, will give me back both principal and interest? Then he went immediately, and sold
everything which he possessed and divided it among the poor, and he left nothing
whatsoever of it to himself except four dinârs, which were to be [spent] in burying him;
and he fell into want, and became exceedingly poor, and he went about begging, but no man
either shewed compassion upon him or gave him food.

Finally he meditated within himself, and said, "I will go to the Lord my God, and will
enter into judgement with Him because He led me astray and made me scatter all my
possessions. Now as he was returning to Jerusalem, he saw two men fighting with each
other, and each was striving to take from his companion a certain stone of great
excellence, which had fallen from the ephod which was on Aaron, the high priest; now the
men did not know what the stone was. Then the man said unto them, "Why are ye fighting and
contending with each other? And they answered and said unto him, "We have found a stone,
and we do not know what its value is"; and he said unto them, "Give it to me, and take
four dinârs," and they gave him the stone gladly. Then the man went into Jerusalem and
shewed the stone to a goldsmith, who, as soon as he saw the stone, said unto him, "Where
didst thou find this? For behold, because [of the loss] thereof all Jerusalem hath been in
an uproar for the last three days. But go, and give it to the high priest, and he will
make thee a rich man. Now when he had gone into the temple, the angel of the Lord appeared
unto the high priest, and said unto him, "Behold, a man hath come unto thee, and he hath
with him the stone which was lost;

give him, then, gold and silver, and precious stones according to his desire, and rebuke
him and say unto him, 'Have no doubt whatsoever in thy mind, and restrain 241 not thyself
from lending to God as if thou wert not a be- " 'liever and a true man, for, behold, I
have given unto thee " 'twofold in this world [for what thou didst lend Me], and in " 'the
world to come life everlasting.'" 424. And the fathers also said:—There was a rich
philosopher in a certain city and he never gave anything to any man, and the Bishop of the
city said unto him, "Dost thou know, O my beloved brother, that when we came into this
world we brought nothing in with us, and that we shall not be able to carry anything out
with us? But from that which Christ hath given unto thee thou shouldst lend in this world,
and in the next He will reward thee several times over. Then the philosopher said unto the
Bishop, "Wilt thou be surety to me that if I lend [money] unto Him He will reward me? And
the Bishop answered and said, "Yea, I will be surety to thee"; and the Bishop having
become surety to him, straightway the rich man began to scatter his possessions, and
whensoever he gave alms to any man he used to write thus: "Behold, I have lent to Christ
such and such things, Bishop So-and-so being security for the same"; and he did thus until
he had scattered all the riches which he possessed. Now when the day arrived for him to go
forth from the world, he commanded his household, saying, "I make you to take an oath by
Christ, in Whom I have trusted, that this paper shall be laid with me in the grave"; and
they took the oath even as he made them to do.

And after many days the Bishop came to the city, and he went to the kinsfolk of the
philosopher, and he comforted them and said unto them, "Did he not give you any commands?
And did he not make a will? And they said unto him, "When he was dying he made us swear
that the paper of indebtedness should be laid with him [in the grave], and we did even as
he said. And the Bishop said unto them, "Come ye and shew me his grave," and when he had
gone and entered into the grave, he saw the paper laid on the breast of the philosopher,
and he took it, and opened it, and found that there was written in it thus, "I, the
philosopher So-and-so, have gone to Christ, and everything which I lent unto Him He hath
returned unto me many times over; and henceforward I have no claim whatsoever upon Him,
except for tranquillity and peace. And every one who saw and heard [this] praised God,
unto Whom all things are easy.

425. There was a certain rich man in Alexandria whose name was Dōmyānōs, and he fell sick
of a grievous disease, and being afraid that he was going to die he divided thirty pounds'
weight of gold among the poor; and it happened that he recovered, and then he repented of
what he had done. Now he had a rich friend, who was a chaste and excellent man, and he
revealed to him everything about which he repented, and the friend answered and said unto
him, "Be not sad, O my brother, for it is meet that thou shouldst rejoice, because thou
hast made an offering unto God of thy gold"; but the rich man did not agree with him. Then
he said unto him, "I will give thee thirty pounds' weight of gold, and thou must not be
vexed, but come with me to the temple of Mâr Mînâ, the martyr, and say thus: 'It is not I
who have given these alms, but this man,' and take that which is thine and go. And having
done this, he took thirty pounds' weight of gold, and went to go forth by the door of the
church, and the angel of the Lord smote him and he fell down straightway, and died. Then
the priests who were in the temple of Mâr Mînâ gathered themselves together, and they said
to the friend, "Take thy gold, and be gone.

And he said unto them, "God forbid that I should take anything from Christ, for I have
offered it to Him, and it is His, but if it seem [fit] to you let it be divided among the
poor"; and it was divided according to his command, and every one who heard feared and
glorified God. My brethren, let us admire the excellence of that friend, and let us not be
sad when we offer alms and oblations unto God, for we [only] offer unto Him that which is
His. And He Himself hath written that He is the debtor and the borrower, and hath promised
a reward even for a cup of cold water, saying, "Whatsoever ye do unto one of these little
ones, ye do unto Me" (St. Matthew x, 42; xxv, 40); may He make us worthy to do His will.
Amen. Here follow the counsels which belong in order to the old man who spake against the
thoughts of fornication, saying, "Be like unto a man who passeth through a street of
taverns, etc." (see No. 593, Book I). 426. O man, for thy sake was Christ born, and the
Son of God came that He might make thee to live; He became a babe, He became a child, and
He became a man, being [at the same time] God in His Nature, and the Son of God. 427. He
Who was the Lawgiver became a reader, and He took the Book in the synagogue, and read,
saying, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, and therefore He hath anointed Me, and hath
sent Me to preach the Gospel to the poor" (St. Lukeiv, 18). 428. Like a subdeacon He made
a whip of cord, and drove out from the temple all those who sold oxen, and rams, and
doves, et cetera.

429. Like a servant He girded a napkin about His loins, and washed the feet of His
disciples, and He commanded them to wash the feet of their brethren. 243 II-16a 430. Like
a priest He sat among the priests and taught the people. 431. Like a Bishop He took bread,
and blessed [it], and brake, and gave unto His disciples. He was beaten for thy sake, He
was crucified for thy sake, and He died for thy sake, yet for His sake thou wilt not even
bear disgrace! He rose as God, and He ascended as God. He wrought all things for us,
fittingly and in order, that He might redeem us. Let us, then, be watchful, and zealous,
and constant in prayer; let us do all things which are pleasing unto Him, and which
gratify those who love Him, so that we may be redeemed and live. Was not Joseph sold into
Egypt, and was he not in a strange land? And the three Holy Children in Babylon,
peradventure they acquired knowledge with man and stood in front of them [of themselves]?
Nay, it was because they feared God that He helped them, and made them glorious.

432. An old man, who hath delivered himself unto God, used to say, "The monk hath no will
of his own. Now he who 'abideth in ministering unto the will of God never wearieth, but if
thou performest thine own will thou becomest weary and exhausted, because God doth not
support thee." 433. The old man also said, "When a soldier entereth the 'battle he taketh
care for himself only, and so also is it with the huntsmen; let us then be like unto
these, for riches, and kinsfolk, and wisdom are dung without a correct rule of life and
conduct." 434. The old man also said, "God dwelleth in the man who 'worketh with God, for
He said, I will dwell in them, and I will walk in them, and they shall be to Me a people,
and I will be unto them a God.'" 435. The old man also said, "God saith unto thee thus: If
'thou lovest Me, O monk, that which I wish do, and do not what I desire not. The life of a
monk consisteth of:—Good works, obedience, training, not to blame his neighbour, not to
calumniate any man, and not to complain, for it is written, The mercy of the Lord hateth
evil things.'"

436. The same old man used to say, "The life and conduct 'of a monk are these:—He must not
act iniquitously, and he must not look upon evil things with his eyes, and he must not
hearken with his ears unto things which are alien to the fear of God, and he must not
utter calumnies with his mouth, and he must not seize things with his hands, but must give
especially to those who are in need, he must neither be exalted in his mind nor meditate
with wicked thoughts, and he must not fill his belly. All these things he must perform
with intelligence, for by them is a monk known." 437. A certain brother vexed an old man
several times by saying unto him, "What shall I do in respect of the wicked and filthy
thoughts of all sorts and kinds which go through me?" And the old man answered and said
unto him, "Thou art like unto a stagnant pool which is at one time filled with water, and
which at another, when water hath been drawn up from it, runneth dry. Why canst thou not
rather be like unto the spring which never faileth? Patient persistence is victory, and
victory is constancy, and constancy is life, and life is kingdom, and kingdom is God."

438. Abbâ Epiphanius used to say, "Whatsoever food thou wishest to eat with pleasure
desire not to give to thy body, especially when thou art not sick, and that food for which
thou lustest thou shalt not eat. When, however, thou art eating the things which are sent
unto thee by God, give thanks unto Him at all times, and be grateful unto Him. We have
received pleasures and delights because of the name of monastic life, but we perform not
the works of monks, and it shall be that thou art not a monk. What then? Wilt thou not
play the man that, peradventure, thou mayest be clothed in the apparel which is alien unto
thee? Tell me, O brother, how can a man possess the seal of service unless he possesseth
humility? For the humble man who seeth another sinning weepeth bitterly, saying, 'This man
may perhaps sin to-day, but how many times shall I sin to-morrow?' But, if any man sin
before thee, no matter who he may be, condemn him not, but consider thyself to be a
greater sinner than he is, even though he be both a child of this world, and make people
to sin against God."

439. He also used to say, "Know thyself, and thou shalt never fall. Give work unto thy
soul, that is to say, constant prayer, and the love which is in God, before another can
give it evil thoughts; and pray ye that the spirit of error may be remote from you." 440.
He also used to say, "Whatsoever thou doest successfully, and makest a boast of, that
destroy, for it is not right for a monk to boast about his good deeds, and if he boasteth
he will fall." 441. "When thou prayest say with a hidden voice unto God, Lord, how am I to
acquire Thee? Thou, even Thou knowest that I am a beast, and that I know nothing. Thou
hast brought me to the highest point of this life, O redeem me for Thy mercy's sake. I am
Thy servant and the son of Thine handmaiden. O Lord, by Thy wish make me to live."

442. The old man is falsehood, and the new man is truth. Truth is the root of good works,
falsehood is death. If the liar, and the thief, and the calumniator, knew that they were
to be exposed and made known to all at a subsequent period they would never commit their
offences, and it is even thus with those who commit adultery. 443. The sons of Eli, Hophni
and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord, but they feared not God, and they and all their
house perished. 444. He who layeth hold upon, and bindeth, and taketh to himself the
remembrance of evil things, is like unto the man who burieth fire within chopped straw.
445. If thou wouldst talk to a man concerning life, and if thou wouldst say a word unto
him with suffering, and with repentance, and with weeping, speak unto him that heareth and
doeth; and if thou dost not [do this] speak not at all, lest thou die, and depart without
profit from the words wherewith thou didst wish to vivify others. For unto the sinner God
saith, "What are the Books of My commandments unto thee, for thou hast taken My covenant
in thy mouth?"

446. Abbâ Epiphanius said, "When the thought cometh to fill thy bosom, that is to say, thy
heart, with vainglory or pride, say thou unto it, 'Old man, behold thy fornication.'" 447.
And he also said, "If we do evil things God will be unmindful of His longsuffering; but if
we do good things it will not help us greatly, for in order to increase the profit of
freedom, and that the merchandise of the will may not be spoiled, a man must rejoice in
contending." 448. On one occasion the brethren entreated Rabbâ Epiphanius, saying, "Speak
to us, father, something whereby we may live, even though thou speakest and we keep not
the seed of thy word because our ground is a salted thing." And the old man answered and
said unto them, "He who doth not receive all brethren, and who maketh distinctions between
them, he who doth this, I say, cannot be perfect."

449. If a man revile thee, bless him, and if he accept the blessing it shall be good for
both of you; and if he doth not, he shall receive the reward of his reviling, and thou of
the blessing. 450. It is right for a monk to live even as Abbâ Arsenius lived. Take care
each day to stand before God without sin, and draw nigh unto Him with tears as did the
sinful woman; and pray thou unto the Lord God as if He were standing before thee, for He
is near and looketh at thee carefully. 451. He who wisheth to dwell in the desert must be
a teacher by his own knowledge, and he must not be in need of being taught, lest,
peradventure, he be harmed by devils, and lest he scrutinize his understanding too
closely, and lest, in some form or other, he become a laughing-stock to the beings who are
above, and to those who are below.

452. The correct rule of conduct for him that loveth God is to be without blame. 453. A
certain old man returned an answer against evil thoughts, and said unto the brethren, "Now
I beseech you, O my brethren, that we cease from the ascetic life and its labours, and
that we also desist from the anxieties of evil thoughts. For what are we? A sound which
cometh from the fine dust, or a sound which cometh from the dust of the ground. Joseph of
Râmâh, having asked to [be allowed to] take away the body of Jesus, removed it and swathed
it with swathings of fine linen, and then laid it in a new grave. Now the pure heart is
the new grave of the new man." 454. The devils said unto one of the old men, wishing to
lead him astray, "Dost thou wish to see Christ?" And he said unto them, "My curse be upon
you, and on that which ye say, for I believe in Christ Who said, 'If they say unto you,
Behold, here is Christ, or, Behold, there is Christ, believe them not'" (St. Matthew xxiv,
23); and immediately the devils disappeared.

455. What is [the meaning of] the word which the Apostle spake, "To the pure all things
are pure?" (Titus 1, 15.) The old man said unto him, "If a man cometh to this word, and
arriveth at this measure, he will see that he himself hath more shortcomings than any
other creature, and that he is inferior to every being." The brother said unto him, "How
is it possible for me to consider myself more imperfect than a murderer and inferior to
him? Is it possible for me to consider the murderer and the fornicator, whose actions are
abominable, better than myself?" And the old man answered and said unto him, "If a man
attaineth unto this word, and he seeth his neighbour committing a murder, or doing
something else which is not good, he will think within himself, saying, 'This is [only]
one sin, and this man hath only committed this one sin, but I am at all times a murderer
through hatred and a wicked will.'"

456. A brother asked Abbâ Job, the brother of Abbâ Poemen, concerning a word which the
Apostle spake, saying (Philippians ii, 3), "Esteem every man to be more excellent than
thyself." And the old man answered and said, "If a man hath arrived at this measure, and
he seeth the offence of his brother, he will conceal it as if it had never happened." 457.
An old man used to say, "I never take a step without first learning where I am about to
put my foot, but I stand up and look about me carefully, and I am not careless, and I do
not let [my foot go] until God guideth me, and leadeth me on the path to the place which
pleaseth Him." 458. An old man used to say, "God giveth a man the opportunity to repent as
long as he wisheth to do, and in proportion as he wisheth, for it is written, 'Speak first
thy sins, and thou shalt be justified.'"

459. An old man used to say, "Silence is filled with all life, but in the speech which is
abundant death is hidden." 460. And the old man also said, "Lying and sin are wont to lie
in ambush in the words which are long and broad." 461. An old man used to say, "Humility
never becometh angry, and never provoketh a man to wrath." 462. Abbâ Joseph said unto Abbâ
Lôt, "Thou art unable to become a monk, but thou mayest become wholly like a flame which
burneth and blazeth fiercely." 463. An old man was asked, "What is humility?" And he said
unto him that asked the question, "If thy brother offend thee, and thou forgive him before
he can repent and entreat thee [that is humility]." 464. An old man also said, "Keep thy
conscience with thy brother, and thou shalt find rest." 465. Abbâ Paphnutius used to say,
"He who esteemeth himself as nothing, whithersoever he goeth, or wheresoever he dwelleth,
he shall find rest."

466. The same old man said, "During all the days of the life of the old men I used to go
and visit them twice each month, and my cell was distant from them twelve miles, and in
respect of every thought about which I asked them, they never said to me anything except,
'Wheresoever thou goest esteem thyself as nothing, and thou shalt find rest.'" 467. One of
the old men used to say, "Love knoweth not how to keep a storehouse [full] of
possessions." 468. The same old man also said, "I do not know the actual thing whereby, on
two occasions, the enemies led me into error, and into the committing of sin, and into the
transgression [of the Law]." 469. Certain old men asked John the Less, saying, "When thou
wast in Crete with the fathers, how didst thou see them conducting themselves?" And he
said unto them, "By night and by day they were performing with all their might the work of
God, that is to say, [they were reciting] the service, and they prayed, and read, and were
anxious with divine solicitude, and instead of being idle they worked with their hands."

470. On one occasion Abbâ Ammon came to the brethren, and they, whilst expressing regret
[for troubling him, asked him] to say some words of excellence to them; and the old man
answered and said unto them, "It is right that we all should travel the path of God with
well-ordered [minds]." 471. Abbâ Anthony used to say, "When we rise up in the morning each
day let us think that we shall not abide until the evening, and when we come to lie down
also let us think that we shall not abide until the morning; for we know not the days of
our life, but they are known unto God. If we do this each day we shall not sin, and we
shall do nothing wicked before God, and we shall not lust eagerly for anything belonging
to this world, and we shall not be angry with anyone, but in everything we shall be
regarding our souls, even as men who await death."

472. And he also said, "As fish die when they are drawn out of the water, even so do
monks, who have forsaken the world, become sluggish, when they remain with the children of
this world or dwell with them; it is then meet for us to hasten to the mountain even as
fish haste to the water." 473. Now they used to say that Abbâ Anthony was wholly
[illuminated] by the appearance of the light of the spirit, and that he could see what was
happening from a distance; now on one occasion he saw the soul of the blessed Ammon being
taken up into heaven by the hands of angels, although he was distant from him ten stages.
474. One of the brethren asked him once about the thoughts, and the old man answered and
said unto him, "Do not carry them into effect, but let them settle down and down until
they breed worms and perish."

475. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "If a man pass a hundred years in the cell he will not
understand his departure from this world and become a monk, unless he attribute sin to
himself at all times, and make himself to be remote, both in his mind and in his actions,
from those things which he knoweth will separate him from God, and make supplication unto
God at all times through suffering and tears." 476. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying,
"What is the repentance of sins?" And he said unto him, "The repentance of sins consisteth
in a man not committing the sin again from the moment wherein he repenteth of it; and on
account of this the righteous were called 'spotless,' and because they had forsaken
[their] sins, and had cleansed themselves from them." 477. And another brother also asked
him, saying, "Shew me a word whereby I may live"; and the old man said unto him, "The
first thing of all which the fathers have given us [to do] is to mourn."

478. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "The passions are four heads"; and a brother said unto him,
"What are they?" The old man said unto him, "Worldly grief which cometh about many things,
the love of money, vainglory, and fornication; and it is meet that we should be on the
watch against these before all other passions." 479. He said also, "If a monk hateth two
things he is able to free himself from the world, and these are," said he, "the
gratifications of the body, and vainglory." 480. The same old man also said, "Wrath is a
natural thing in man, it is his nature, but it must be used to cut off evil passions.
Hunger is natural in a man, but it must be employed [in satisfying] the want of the body,
and not [to gratify] the feeling of eager lust [to eat], even as the blessed David said,
'With him whose eye is lofty and whose heart is greedy I have not eaten' (Psalm ci, 5;
cxxxi, 1). Sleep too is natural in man, but [it must not be indulged] to satiety."

481. A brother asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, "Tell me, why it is that when I offer repentance
to a brother who is wroth with me I do not see him pleased with me?" The old man said unto
him, "Tell me truly: when thou offerest to him repentance hast thou not the opinion that
thou art not doing it because thou hast sinned against him, but because of the
commandment?" And the brother said unto him, "It is even thus." The old man said unto him,
"Because of this God doth not permit him to be pleased with thee, and because thou dost
not offer repentance to him in fulfilment of thine own desire, but as if thou hadst not
sinned against him, but he had sinned against thee." 482. They used to say that when the
disciples of Abbâ Agathon were building a cell he remained with them for a period of four
months, and when they had finished it, on the first Sabbath on which they dwelt in it, the
old man saw in it something which did not afford him profit, and he said unto his
disciples, "Arise, let us go away from here." And when they heard [this], they were
greatly troubled, and they answered and said unto him, "If thou hadst this thought to
depart, why have we done all this work and built the cell? Moreover, men will be offended
with us, and will say, 'They have left this place because they can abide nowhere.'" Now
when the old man saw that their souls were grieved, he said unto them, "If some men be
offended at us, there are others who will be edified by us, and they will say, 'These
blessed men departed for God's sake, and they considered nothing [else].' However, let him
that wisheth to come with me come, for I shall certainly depart." Then they threw
themselves on the ground, and entreated him to let them go with him.

483. Abbâ Agathon also used to say, "The monk's cloak is a sign of the absence of
wickedness"; and he also said, "God asketh from those who begin the service of the works
of the fear of God nothing except that they shall order their bodies by obedience to the
commandments against the passions of the lusts." 484. Abbâ Agathon also said, "He who
removeth from before his eyes accusations, and disgrace (or insult), and loss (or
belittlement) is able to live." 485. A brother said unto Abbâ Agathon, "Father, I had the
order to dwell in a certain place, and I have war there, and I want to depart; I would
fulfil the command, but I am afraid of the war." The old man said unto him, "If it were
Agathon, he would keep the command, and overcome the war." 486. The same old man also
said, "If the inner man be watchful he will be able to guard the outer man also; but if he
be not, let us guard the tongue by every means in our power."

487. The old man Benjamin was asked by a brother, "Of what consisteth the life of a monk?"
And he answered and said, "A mouth of truth, a holy body, and a pure heart." 488. They
used to say concerning a certain old man that, on account of the great humility which he
possessed, God gave him the gift of becoming a seer of visions, and he could see
beforehand when anyone was coming to him, and it was revealed to him concerning it; now
the old man was sorry and did not wish for this thing, and he made supplication unto God
that it might be taken away from him. And he went to an old Rabbâ, and entreated him,
saying, "My brother, labour for me, so that this gift may be removed from me"; then each
of them sat down in his cell and made entreaty unto God concerning this matter, and a
voice was heard by that old man, saying, "Behold, I remove the gift from thee, but
whensoever thou wishest it is thine." And he went straightway to the old Rabbâ and shewed
him what had been said unto him, and when he heard [it] he gave thanks unto God.

489. The fathers once asked Abbâ Sylvanus, saying, "What work of ascetic excellence hast
thou performed that thou didst receive the wisdom which thou dost possess, and the gift
with which is endowed thy face?" And the old man answered and said unto them with great
humility, "[I received these things] because I never left in my heart a thought which
could provoke God to wrath." And they used to say that the face of the old man Sylvanus
shone so brightly, even as did the face of Moses, with the glorious splendour which he had
received from God, that no man was able to look upon it with his eyes wide open. 490.
Zeno, the disciple of Abbâ Sylvanus, said on a certain occasion, "Dwell not in a place
which is famous, and abide not with a man who hath a great name for ascetic ex-cellence."
491. One of the brethren asked an old Rabbâ, saying, "Abbâ, what shall I do? For
whensoever I see the face of a woman the war of fornication is stirred up against me." And
the old man answered and said, "My son, guard thine eyes against looking on a woman, and
behold, henceforth thou wilt have no fear." The brother said unto him, "Behold, how very
often doth a man meet women by chance, without expecting to do so!" The old man said unto
him, "As far as it is pos-sible for thee to do so keep thy watch carefully, both within
and without; and as concerning that which happeneth by chance, and a man meeting women
without thinking about it, [in that case] passion will have no power to bestir itself. But
take good heed to thyself that such a thing doth not happen unto thee of thine own will,
for it is this which the Holy Book condemneth, saying, 'Every man who looketh upon a woman
to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.' For if when thou
art not thinking about them thou meetest women, and the passion stirreth itself up against
thee, lift up thy mind immediately to God, and He will help thee." Then wishing especially
to strengthen that brother, he answered and said unto him, "Behold, my son, know thou that
thou hast been with me for two years, and that I have not as yet seen what manner of face
thou hast, whether it be good, or whether it be bad, and it was this [façt] which urged me
to tell thee to guard thine eyes from the sight of women." And afterwards he made a prayer
over him, and sent him away to depart to the coenobium, for that brother used to dwell in
the church.

492. They used to say about one of the old men that when the church was dismissed, he fled
straightway and departed to his cell, and [they said] that he had a devil, but the holy
man was [only] fulfilling the work of God. 493. An old man used to say, "Without prayer
thou shouldst do nothing, and afterwards thou wilt not be sorry." 494. A brother asked an
old man, saying, "If I am in a clean place, and the time for service hath arrived am I to
return?" The old man said unto him, "Who, when he remembereth riches, will return to
poverty?" 495. The old man Theodotus used to say, "Constant hunger maketh monks to be
emaciated and driveth them mad." 496. Abbâ Daniel used to say, "Constant vigil especially
drieth up and maketh the body to diminish." 497. Abbâ Ammon asked Abbâ Sisoes, saying,
"When I read in the Book my mind wisheth to arrange the words so that there may be an
answer to [my] question." The old man said unto him, "This is unnecessary, for only purity
of heart [is required]." From this it ariseth that a man should speak without overmuch
care.

498. Abba Theonâ used to say, "Because we put ourselves out of the sight of God we are led
captive by the passions of the body." 499. Abbâ Poemen used to say, "Temptations are a
sure sign whereby a monk may be known." 500. Abbâ Agathon once fell sick, and another of
the old men with him, and as they both were lying in the cell a brother read the Book of
Genesis to them; and when he came to the place where Jacob said unto his sons, "Joseph is
not, and Simeon is not, and ye would take Benjamin away that ye may bring down my grey
hairs with sorrow to Sheol," the old man answered and said, "Were not the ten other sons
suf ficient for thee, O Jacob?" And Abbâ Agathon said, "Hold thy peace, old man, if God
holdeth a man to be innocent, who shall condemn him?"

501. One of the fathers came to Abbâ Theodore of Pirmê, and said unto him, "O father,
behold, brother So-and-So hath gone back to the world." And the old man said unto him,
"Dost thou marvel at this? Wonder not at this, but be surprised when thou hearest that a
man hath been able to flee wholly from the world." 502. If a man thinketh filthy thoughts,
doth he himself become defiled? Some of the old men said, "Yes, he is defiled," and others
said, "He is not defiled, for if he doth it is impossible for simple folk like ourselves
to live at all; but [the truth] is that a man must not carry his filthy thoughts into
deeds." 503. A certain brother went to a strenuous and tried old man, and asked him about
this matter, and the old man said unto him, "Every man is required [to do] according to
his ability." Then a brother entreated the old man, saying, "For our Lord's sake explain
these words to me." The old man said unto him, "Behold, supposing that some very desirable
thing were placed here, and that two brethren came in, one being of great stature and the
other of little stature. If now the mind of him that was of full strength were to say, 'I
wish to possess that thing,' and he did not carry his soul's desire into effect, but
straightway cut it short, the man would not be defiled; if then the man of lesser strength
were to desire the thing, being incited thereto by his thoughts, and he took it not, he
also would not be defiled. But, if he desiring it were to take it, he would be defiled."

504. The old man said, "If thou seest a young man going up to heaven of his own will, lay
hold upon his leg, and sweep him away therefrom; for thus will a man help him." 505. The
same old man used to say, "If thou criest unto God in prayer with a pure heart thy prayer
shall not return unto thee fruitless." 506. The same old man used to say, "As two words
cannot be uttered [at the same time] by one voice, and be recognized and understood, so is
it with the mixed prayer which is uttered by a man before God." 507. He also said, "If
thou seest the wings of ravens stretched out in flight, even so is the foolish prayer of
the mind which is lifted up." 508. He also said, "If thou art earnest in asking God for
things, but wilt not pay back as far as thou art able, thou must hear the words, 'Thou
shalt ask and shalt not receive, because thou didst accept a loan and didst not pay it
back.'"

509. He also said, "The words of the mouth of him that prayeth purely before God are a
fetter wherewith he shall be able [to bind] the devils beneath his feet like a sparrow;
and, as prisoners tremble before him that is their master, even so will they quake at the
words of his prayer. 510. He also said, "As the rain when it falleth upon the earth taketh
the place of a key in the lock thereof, and openeth [it] and bringeth forth to sight the
growth of the seeds and roots which are in it, so are the soul and the mind of him that
receiveth and tasteth the heavenly droppings, for by the words of his lips shall be made
known unto man his hidden conduct before God, I mean to say, that when a man's request and
entreaty about everything are made within the words of his pure prayer, he openeth the
door of the treasury of the Trinity, Who is the Lord of treasures, and bringeth out
therefrom the treasures which are hidden for those who are worthy of them."

511. Concerning Abbâ Anthony they used to say:—There was a man with an unclean spirit
which sought to cast him into the water, and the monks who were with Abbâ Anthony came and
entreated him to pray over the man who was thus troubled, but he excused himself [from
doing so]. And when the demoniac had remained with him for a long time, he smote the
blessed man on his cheek, whereupon the old man made ready the other cheek; and having
done this that evil spirit took to flight. 512. A brother asked Abbâ Muthues, saying,
"What shall I do? for my tongue vexeth me. Whensoever I sit among the brethren I am unable
to restrain myself, but I condemn them in every good work, and treat them with contempt.
What shall I do, then?" The old man answered and said unto him, "If thou art not able to
restrain thyself, get thee away, and stay by thyself, for this is a disease. Now, he who
sitteth among the brethren must not possess four corners, but he must be altogether round,
so that he may move smoothly in respect of every man." And the old man said unto him also,
"I myself do not dwell alone as an example of spiritual excellence, but as an emblem of
feebleness, for mighty men are those who are among the brethren."

513. When the brethren were talking to an old man about the thoughts they said unto him,
"Our hearts are hard, and we do not fear God; what are we to do so that we may come to
fear God?" The old man said unto them, "I think that if a man will lay hold in his heart
upon that which rebuketh him, it will bring to him the fear of God." And they said unto
him, "What is the rebuke?" The old man said unto him, "In every act a man should rebuke
his soul, and say unto it, 'Remember that thou hast to go forth to meet God.' And let him
say also, 'What do I seek with man?' I think that if a man remain in these things the fear
of God will come to him." 514. Abbâ Timothy said unto a certain brother, "How art thou?"
The brother said unto him, "I destroy my days, O father." And the old man said unto him,
"My son, my days also are destroyed, and I give thanks."

515. An old man used to say, "The Shunammite woman received Elisha because she had no
human promise with man; and they spoke of the Shunammite woman [as] a person of the soul,
and of Elijah [as] a person of the Spirit of God; when the soul maketh itself remote from
commotion and trouble, the Spirit of God abideth on it, and then it is able to bring
forth, though hitherto it hath been barren." 516. Abbâ Ammon used to say, "I said unto
Abbâ Poemen, 'If I go to my neighbour's cell, or he cometh to mine concerning any matter
whatsoever, are we two to be ashamed to speak, lest some alien subject of discourse appear
between us?' The old man said unto him, 'Thou wilt do well, for youth hath need of care
and watchfulness.' And I said unto him, 'What do the old men do?' And he said unto me,
'The old men have been skilled, and have had experience, and they have arrived at the
measure for speech, for in them there is nothing alien which they can speak with the
mouth.' And I said unto him, 'And supposing that I have the necessity to talk with a
neighbour, wouldst thou that I should speak with the words of the Scriptures, or with the
words of the old men?' And he said unto me, 'If thou art not able to hold thy peace it is
better for thee to use the speech of the old men rather than that of the Scriptures, for
there is danger in a man employing the speech of the Scriptures.'"

517. Abbâ Daniel used to say that a man of business once came to Abbâ Arsenius, and
brought him a testament of a certain kinsman who had left him a very large inheritance,
and having received the deed he wished to tear it to pieces. Then the man of business fell
down at his feet, and said, "I beseech thee, do not tear it up, for if thou dost I shall
die." And Abbâ Arsenius said unto him, "I died before he did, though he hath only now
died, but shall I live?" And he sent the man of affairs away without having taken
anything. 518. A monk went to a nunnery to visit his sister, for she was sick; now she was
a woman who was great with God, and a firm believer, and she never allowed herself to see
the face of a man, not even that of her brother, lest through her he might go in among the
women. And she sent him a message, saying, "Go, my brother, and pray for me, that Christ,
by His grace, may make me worthy to see thee in that world of the kingdom of heaven."

519. A brother asked an old man and said unto him, "What is the best thing for me to do,
so that I may do it and live thereby?" And the old man said unto him, "God [alone] knoweth
which is best; but listen. One of the old men said that the mind which rebuked a man was
his [best] adversary, for it resisted a man who sought to carry out his desires in the
flesh, and to rebel against God, and not to be obedient unto Him, and it would also
deliver a man over to his enemies." 520. An old man also said, "It is meet that the soul
should be occupied in the service [of God] by day and night, even like Huldah, the
prophetess, who used to sit in the house of the Lord with supplication and ministration;
and also like Hannah, who never ceased in her ministrations during a period of eighty
years."

521. A brother asked an old man, saying, "What shall I do, father? For my belly vexeth me,
and I am unable to restrain it, and therefore I am leading a life of luxury." The old man
said unto him, "If thou dost not throw on it the fear of fasting thou wilt never be able
to straighten the path. Place before it the following parable. A certain man had an ass,
and as he was sitting upon it and journeying along, the animal would not go straight, but
went first to this side of the road and then to that; and he took a stick and smote it.
And the ass said, 'Beat me not, and henceforward I will go straight.' Now when he had gone
a little further on, the man alighted from the ass, and placed the stick in [his] cloak-
bag which was on it, but the ass knew not that the stick was on his back. And when the ass
saw that its master was not carrying the stick, he began to hold him in contempt, and he
walked among the crops; thereupon his master ran after him, and took the stick and beat
him with it until he went straight. Now the belly of the body is even like unto the ass."

522. A brother said to Theodore of Parme, "Speak a word to me, for behold, I am about to
perish." And with great labour the old man said unto him, "I stand in danger myself, and
what have I to say to thee?" 523. Abba KeriOn used to say, "I have performed more bodily
labours than my son Zechariah, but I have not reached his measure of humility and
silence." 524. Abba Macarius used to say, "Guard thyself against freedom of word and deed,
for it is meet for a monk not to permit his thought to be his judge in anything
whatsoever." 525. Mother Sarah used to say to her brethren, "It is I who " am a man, and
ye who are women." 526. A brother asked Abba Poemen, "How can it be right for me to take
good heed to my ways when I am sitting in my cell?" The old man said unto him, "For a
season I was a man who had fallen into the mire up to my shoulders, and a basketful of
gall hung from my neck, and I was crying out to God, 'Have mercy upon me.'

527. They used to say of the men who were in the cells "that their rules were so strict
that during the night they slept four hours, and assembled for service four hours, and
worked for four hours; that during the day they worked with their hands until the ninth
hour, and that after that they prepared the small quantity of food which they ate, and if
any man had anything to do in his cell he then did it. In this way they filled up their
day." 528. A brother asked Abba Sisoes, saying, "Why do not the passions depart from me?"
The old man said unto him, "Because their possessions are in thee; give them their pledge
(or security), and they will depart." 529. On one occasion the fathers were summoned by
the Archbishop Theophilus, and they went to Alexandria to him 257 so that he might make a
prayer and cleanse a house of idols; and as they were eating with him, flesh of a calf was
set before them, and they ate it in simplicity, doubting nothing. And the Archbishop took
a piece of meat and gave it to an old man who was near him, saying, "Behold, this piece of
meat is very good, father"; and they all answered and said unto him, "Behold, up to the
present we have been eating herbs, but if it be flesh, we do not eat flesh," and not one
of them ate anything more.

530. They used to tell a story of a brother who was the neighbour of an old Rabbâ, and say
that he would go into the cell of the old man, and steal whatsoever he found there, and
though the old man saw him he never rebuked him, but worked with his hands and wearied
himself the more, saying, "Perhaps that brother is in need"; and the old man suffered much
tribulation at the thought, and ate his food in sadness. And when the old man was about to
die, the brethren sat round about him, and when he saw in their midst the brother who used
to steal from him, he said unto him, "My son, come near to me"; and when he had drawn nigh
to him, he kissed his hands, saying, "My brother, I am grateful to these hands, for
through them I shall enter the kingdom of heaven." Now when that brother heard these
things he was sorry, and he also repented, and he became a well-tried monk through the
things which he had seen in that old man.

531. On one occasion, when Abbâ Agathon was travelling, and some young men were with him,
one of them found a small bag on the road, and he said to him, "Father, dost thou wish me
to take this little bag?" and the old man looked at him in wonder, saying, "My son, didst
thou place it there?" And the young man said, "No." Then the old man said unto him, "If
thou didst not place it there, how canst thou desire to take it?" 532. Abbâ Joseph, the
priest of Ascalon, told us the following story, saying: There was a certain merchant in
Ascalon who borrowed from other people much money, and he hired a ship for himself and put
out to sea; and a fierce storm rose up against him, and he lost everything which he had
with him; but he himself was saved. And when he returned to the city those to whom he owed
money seized him, and they took everything which he had in his house, and sold it, and
shut him up in prison; but they left him his wife as an act of charity, so that she might
beg for him and feed him. And the woman went about from door to door, and she herself
begged for bread for her husband; and one day as she was sitting and eating bread with her
husband, one of the chief men of the city went in to give alms to the prisoners who were
there, and he saw the woman and lusted for her, for she was beautiful. And he sent his
servant to call her, and she came thinking that he wished to give her alms; but he took
her aside, and said to her, "Why hast thou come here? And she related unto him the whole
matter. Then he said unto her, "If I pay one-third of thy husband's debt wilt thou lie
with me this night?

And that chaste, free woman said unto him, "I have heard that the holy Apostle said, 'A
woman hath no power over her body, but her husband.' I will first ask my husband, and
whatsoever he commandeth me that will I do. And having come she told her husband, and he
was grieved; and he wept, and said unto her, "Go, and say unto him, 'I have told my
husband, and it hath not pleased him, and I have hope in God that He will not forsake
us.'" Now there was in the prison-house a certain thief who had been a highway robber, and
he was shut up [in a room] inside beyond them, and at that moment he happened to be
sitting at a window which faced them, and he heard everything which they were saying; and
with tears he said unto himself, "Woe is me! For although these people are in such great
trouble, they are not willing to deliver over their freedom, and accept money, and go
forth from this place, but they hold their chastity to be more valuable than riches. What
then shall I, the wretched one, do? For the thought that there is a God hath never entered
my mind, and I never remember that my evil deeds will be judged, and I have committed many
wickednesses, and many awful murders. And I know that when the judge cometh here he will
kill me without asking a question, as is just.

And he answered and said unto the woman and her husband, "Because I see that ye preserve
the purity of your bodies for Christ's sake, and that ye have chosen to remain in great
tribulation and not to destroy your chastity, God hath put it into my heart to do unto you
an act of grace which ye deserve, and perhaps God will shew me mercy through you on the
day of judgement. Go ye to the northern side of the city wall, and dig there in a certain
place, and behold, ye shall find there a large earthen pot, beneath which is a vessel full
of gold. Take it, and pay your debt, and may a great blessing abide with you so that you
may live upon it; but I beseech you to pray for me continually, that I may find mercy
before God in the day of judgement."

And after three days the judge came to the city, and he ordered them to cut off the head
of that thief without [asking any] questions, and after he had been slain, that noble
woman said unto her husband, "Wilt thou command me to go and 259 II-17a see if that which
the thief said is true?" And he said unto her, "Go." And she went at the time of evening,
and by the indications which the thief had given her, she found the place, and having dug
a little she found the money, even as he had told her, and she took it and went to her
house, giving thanks unto God. And she brought it out little by little, and she gave it to
the creditors, who thought that she brought it to them as the result of her begging, a
little from here and a little from there; then when she had paid her husband's debt, he
came forth from prison, thanking and glorifying God.

Then Abbâ Joseph said unto us, "Behold these men, O my brethren! Because they chose to
live in affliction, and refused to despise the command of God, God multiplied His grace
unto them without delay. For even if the woman had hearkened unto that lascivious man he
might not, perhaps, have given her what he promised her; but because they preserved their
chastity which is pleasing to God, God rewarded her with the whole amount of their debts,
and brought them to a greater state of prosperity than [that which they enjoyed] at first.
And, my beloved, I think thus concerning Adam when he was in Paradise. Had he kept that
little command, honour greater than that which he had at first would have come to him; but
when he transgressed the command of his Lord, he fell from and was driven out of the
delight and pleasure wherein he lived. May our Lord make us worthy to keep His
commandments! Amen."

533. On one occasion when Abbâ John and the brethren who were with him were going up from
Scete, he who was guiding them lost the way, and the brethren said unto Abbâ John, "What
shall we do, father? For this brother hath lost the way, and peradventure we shall die in
wandering about." Abbâ John said unto them, "If ye tell him he will be grieved and feel
ashamed. But behold I will feign to be sick, and will say that I am not able to go on any
further"; and the brethren said, "Father, thou hast well said." And they acted thus, and
decided that they would stay where they were until the morning, rather than rebuke the
brother who was guiding them. 534. Abbâ Serenus used to say, "I have passed the whole
period of my life in cutting and twisting and sewing palm leaves, and in spite of it all,
had not the hand of the Lord fed me I should not have had enough to eat."

Demonstrations which are suitable to Lazy Men and Sluggards, and to all those who take no
care for their Souls 535. Those who are in despair, and who have delivered themselves over
to the filthy work of their abominable lusts, and who make loose their ways at all times,
and who love the lusts which harm them, are like unto the sterile land, and the arid
desert, and a house laid waste, and a vineyard without grapes, and an empty vessel, and a
body without a soul, and eyes without light, and a dead body without a voice, and hands
which are cut off, and knees which are bowed, and a paralytic lying on a bed, and a vessel
filled with stinkingness. 536. Against those who love vainglory, and those who boast of
their alms. Those who love vainglory, and those who boast of their fair works and life,
are like unto a broken cistern, and a bag with a hole in it, and a tree without fruit, and
a naked man, and a moth-eaten garment, and a worm-eaten beam of wood, and unto other
things which are consumed by their [false] glory.

537. Against him that is not careful (or watchful) in respect of his tongue. He who is not
watchful in respect of his tongue is like unto him whose house door is open, and whose
riches are plundered by every man, and he is like unto an uncovered vessel (or unrolled
garment), and like that which is unsealed. 538. Against those over whom evil thoughts have
dominion, and in whose mind wicked cogitations rise up. Those who through their
sluggishness give a hand to the thoughts which make a mock of them, and by their
negligence help filthy devils to have dominion over them, are like unto an abode which is
full of snakes, and a house which is full of evil-smelling things, and a ship which is
tossed by the waves, and a poor piece of land which is full of briars and brambles, and
unto the thorns that choke it, the end of which is burning.

539. Against him who doth not suppress in himself wrath and anger, and who keepeth his
hatred against his brother. He who doth not suppress in himself wrath and anger, and who
keepeth his hatred against his neighbour, is like unto a savage animal which cannot be
tamed, and which goeth along every road, and wandereth about in an erring manner, and unto
the man who burieth fire in chopped straw, and like the man who putteth in his bosom the
spawn of serpents, and like a den which is full of enraged serpents, and like a cleft in
the rock which is full of reptiles which shoot out venom, and a mad dog that barketh at
every man, and a wild boar that gnasheth his teeth as soon as he seeth a man, and like the
evening wolf which goeth about with his mouth wide open to destroy the simple lambs, and
the panther which leapeth upon the gazelle in the desert, and the ship which saileth on
the sea with an evil spirit for her steersman, and the savage beast which cannot be
subdued, and which walketh on every road and wandereth about in error without discernment.
These [words] are [directed] to those who are not humble, so that they may correct
themselves and their savage habits, and to those who are lifted up against their brethren
in their pride, and who do not wish to travel in the path of the humility of Christ.

540. Against the change of the evil will of those men who deny the grace which is
performed towards them. One of the teachers said, "If thou hast made thyself humble, they
despise thee without discernment. If thou hast made thyself angry, they hate thee without
understanding. If thou hast made thyself pleasant, they swallow thee, and thou
disappearest. If thou hast made thyself bitter (or cruel), they reject thee, and thou art
reviled. And if thou hast mingled with folk they hold thee to be a liar fair[-spoken], and
wandering. If they have fallen ill, they command thee, and if they are despised, they
judge thee; if they be visited, they abuse thee; and if thou art whole, they leave thee;
and if they are reclining, they drive thee away; and if aught be required from them, they
curse thee; and if mercy be shown unto them, they oppress thee. Neither grace (or
goodness), nor justice will ever please those who belong to every evil of every kind."


THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 (CHAPTERS 16. QUESTIONS BY THE PUPILS AND THE ANSWERS [TO THE SAME] BY THE HOLY FATHERS AND MONKS–18. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE VISION OF THE MIND)
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THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 continued

CHAPTER 16. QUESTIONS BY THE PUPILS AND THE ANSWERS [TO THE SAME] BY THE HOLY FATHERS AND MONKS

Brother. How is love (or charity) acquired by men of understanding? 541. Old Man. True and
pure love is the way of life, and the haven of promises, and the treasure of faith, and
the interpreter of the kingdom, and the herald of that which is hidden. 542. B. I do not
know the power of the word. O.M. If a man loveth not God, he cannot believe in Him, and
His promises are not true [to him], and he feareth not His judgement, and he followeth Him
not. Now because love is not in him [he cannot] be free from iniquity, and await the life
which is promised, but he performeth at all times the plans of sin; and this [happeneth]
because the judgement of God is [too] exalted in his sight. Therefore let us run after
love, wherewith the holy fathers have enriched themselves, for it is able to pay back
[what is due] to its nature and its God. This then is praise.

543. B. How doth wisdom dwell in man? O.M. Now when a man hath gone forth to follow after
God with a lowly mind, grace bestoweth itself upon him, and his conduct becometh
strengthened in the spirit, and when he hateth the world he becometh sensible of the new
conduct of the new man, which is more exalted than the impurity of the human abode; and he
meditateth in his mind the humility of the rule of the life which is to come, and he
becometh a man of greater spiritual excellence. 544. B. How is love made known? O.M. By
the fulfilment of works, and by spiritual care, and by the knowledge of faith. 545. B.
What are the works? O.M. The keeping of the commandments of the Lord with the purity of
the inner man, together with the labour of the outer man. 546. B. Is he who is destitute
of work also destitute of love?

O.M. It is impossible that he who is of God should not love, and it is impossible for him
that loveth not to work, and it is impossible to believe that he who teacheth but worketh
not is a true believer, for his tongue is the enemy of his action, and though he speaketh
life he is in subjection unto death. 547. B. And is he who is in this state free from
retribution? O.M. Such a man who speaketh the things of the spirit, and performeth the
things of the body, and supplieth his own wants, is not deprived of reward, but he is
deprived of the crown of light, because the guidance of the spirit refuseth to rule him.
548. What are fasting and prayer? O.M. Fasting is the subjugation of the body, prayer is
converse with God, vigil is a war against Satan, abstinence is the being weaned from
meats, humility is the state of the first man, kneeling is the inclining of the body
before the Judge, tears are the remembrance of sins, nakedness is our captivity which is
caused by the transgression of the command, and service is constant supplication to and
praise of God.

549. B. Are these able to redeem the soul? O.M. When internal things agree with external,
and manifest humility appeareth in the hidden works which are from within, verily, a man
shall be redeemed from the weight of the body. 550. B. And what is internal humility? O.M.
The humility of love, peace, friendship, purity, restfulness, tranquillity, subjection,
faith, remoteness from envy, and a soul which is free from the heat of anger, and is far
from the grade of arrogance, and is redeemed from the love of vainglory, and is full of
patient endurance like the great deep, and whose motion is drawn after the knowledge of
the spirit, and before whose eyes are depicted the fall of the body, and the greatness of
the marvel of the Resurrection, and the demand for judgement which shall come after the
revivification, and its standing before the awful throne of God. [If the soul hath these
things] redemption shall be unto it.

551. B. Is there any man who fasteth that shall not be redeemed? O.M. There is one [kind
of] fasting which is from habit, and another from desire, and another from compulsion, and
another from sight, and another from the love of vainglory, and another from affliction,
and another from repentance, and another from spiritual affection; for although each of
these seems to be the same as the other in the mind externally, yet in the word of
knowledge they are distinct. Now the way in which each is performed by the body is the
same, and the way in which each is to be undertaken is wholly the same by him who
travelleth straightly on the path of love, and who beareth his burden with patient
endurance spiritually, and who doth not rejoice in his honour. 552. B. Who is the true
[monk]? O.M. He who maketh his word manifest in deeds, and beareth his passion with
patient endurance; with such a man life is found, and the knowledge of the spirit dwelleth
in him.

553. B. Who is the pure habitation? O.M. He who is destitute of the good things of the
body, and who rejoiceth in the love of his neighbours in the love of God; for spiritual
relaxation is produced in proportion as need ruleth over the soul. 554. B. With what is a
man able to overcome lust? O.M. With spiritual remembrance. If the desire for the delights
which are to come doth not obliterate that of the things which are here, a man cannot
conquer; for if the ship of the merchant did not arrive over and over again by means of
hope, he could not endure the storms, and he would go on his way of tribulation. 555. B.
How doth a man go forth from the world? O.M. By forsaking entirely the gratification of
desire, and by running to the utmost of his power in the fulfilment of the commandments;
for he who doth not act in this way falleth.

556. B. Behold, through what have the men of old triumphed? O.M. Through the fervour of
their supernatural love, and through the death of the corruptible man, and through the
contempt for pride, and through the abatement of the belly, and through the fear of the
judgement, and through the promise of certainty; through the desire for these glorious
things the fathers have acquired in the soul the spiritual body. 557. B. How can I conquer
the passions which trouble me when they are fixed in me by nature? O.M. By thy death to
this world; for if thou dost not bury thy soul in the grave of persistent endurance the
spiritual Adam can never be quickened in thee. When a dying man hath departed from this
temporary life he hath no consciousness of this world, and all his perceptions are at rest
and are abated. Now if thou forsakest that which is of nature naturally, and thou dost not
perform it voluntarily in thy person, thou art dead; but if thy desire dieth in
repentance, the whole of [thy] nature ceaseth from this temporary life by the death of the
spirit just as do the motions of the body at the natural end of time.

558. B. To what extent is a man held capable of revelation? O.M. To the same extent as a
man is capable of stripping off sin, both internally and externally. For when a man dieth
by spiritual sacrifice, [he dieth] to all the words and deeds of this habitation of time,
and when he hath committed his life to the life which is after the revivification, Divine
grace bestoweth itself upon him, and he becometh capable of divine revelations. For the
impurity of the world is a dark covering before the face of the soul, and it preventeth it
from discerning spiritual wisdom. 559. B. Is he who loveth money able to believe the
promises? O.M. No. If he believeth, wherefore doth he possess [riches]? Perhaps our hope
is [set] upon gold, or perhaps the hand of the Lord is too small to redeem [us]? The body
of our Lord is given unto us for [our] happiness, and His blood is the drink of our
redemption, and He withholdeth from us the loaves of bread and the apparel which groweth
old. He who loveth money is divided in his mind concerning God, and he prepareth for
himself pleasures before God giveth them unto him; and though he rejoiceth in the promises
in [his] word, he maketh them to be a lie by his deed. True indeed is the word of our Lord
which He spake, "It is as difficult for the rich man" to enter the kingdom of heaven as it
is for a camel to go "through the hole of the needle"; it is impossible to possess in one
dwelling both God and mammon. Monks should, then, not belong unto the things which are
seen.

560. B. Who is indeed the man of excellence? O.M. He who crieth out always that he is a
sinner, and asketh mercy from on high, whose word is laden with the feeling of
discernment, and his senses with the watchfulness of deeds, and who, being silent, yet
speaketh, and who, though speaking, holdeth his peace, and whose actions are wholly good
fruits for the life of time, and the revelation of Christ. 561. B. What is the way of
life? O.M. The going forth of a man from this world on his entrance into another. But if a
man forsaketh his childhood of humility and cometh to the old age of this world in his
love, he revealeth the way of life. To go forth truly from this world is to be remote from
it. 562. B. And what shall I do in respect of the world which troubleth me?

O.M. This world troubleth thee because its care is in thy mind, and the love of it is in
thy body, and its pleasures are in thy heart; forsake the world and it will depart from
thee, and root up from thyself all its branches, and behold, the war thereof will die down
in thee. For as long as thy body seeketh its gratifications, and its lust is of this
world, thou art not capable of life. 563. B. What is pure prayer? O.M. Pure prayer is
little in speech and great in deeds, for if it were not so work would be more excellent
than supplication. . . . For if it be not so why do we ask and yet not receive, seeing
that the mercy of God aboundeth? The method of penitents is, however, something different,
as is also the labour of the humble, for the penitents are hirelings, and the humble are
sons.

564. B. From what is the love of money produced? O.M. From desire, for unless a man
desireth he doth not possess. When a man desireth he possesseth, and when he possesseth he
hath fulfilled his desire; and when he hath fulfilled his desire, he becometh greedy; and
when he hath become greedy he committeth fraud, and when he hath committed fraud his
possessions have become many. When his possessions are many his love diminisheth, and when
his love hath diminished the remembrance of God is removed from his heart. And when the
remembrance of God hath been removed from his heart, the mind becometh darkened, and his
understanding is blinded; and when his understanding hath become blinded the power of
discernment is darkened, and when the power of discernment hath become dark, the soul
loseth its sight. And when the soul hath lost its sight good is rooted out therefrom, and
wickedness entereth in, and sin taketh up its rule; and when sin hath taken up its rule
the thought of God is blotted out, and the passions of the body are stirred up, and they
seek to satisfy their needs. And having taken that which they sought for, it is necessary
for much money to be collected, and when money is multiplied, the gratification of the
body is fulfilled, and it eateth and drinketh, and committeth adultery and fornication,
and it lieth and worketh fraud and oppression, and it transgresseth the covenant, and
destroyeth the Law, and treateth the promises with contempt, and the lust for the things
which are seen is fulfilled. Let money be an abominable thing in our sight, and let us not
love it; but if we perform the lust of the flesh it is an absolute necessity to love
money; for money belongeth to the flesh and not to the spirit, even as saith the Apostle,
"The flesh hurteth the spirit, and the spirit the flesh, and both are opponents each of
the other" (Galatians v, 17).

565. B. What is the kind of prayer which is not acceptable before God? O.M. The
destruction of enemies, and asking for evil things [to come upon] those who do harm to us,
and the health of the body, and a multitude of possessions, and abundance of
offspring—prayers for these things are not acceptable before God. But if God beareth with
us whilst we are sinners and commit offences against Him, how much more is it right that
we should bear with each other? It is not right for us to ask for the things which belong
to the body, for the wisdom of God provideth all things. 566. B. What is purity of soul?
O.M. Remoteness from anger and from the error of the remembrance of evil things, and being
weaned from the bitter nature, and reconciliation with our enemies, and peace which is
beyond troubling, and simplicity of love which is above this world; with these things is
the inner man cleansed, and he putteth on Christ and is redeemed.

567. B. What is envy? O.M. Hatred towards the virtues of other folk, and wickedness
towards the good, and a bitter mind towards the innocent, and anger against those who are
prosperous in this world, and the cloaking of the upright conduct of those who repent, and
vexation with the peace of the lovers of God. 568. B. How ought we to pray before God?
O.M. For the return of sinners, and the finding of the lost, and the bringing near of
those who are afar off, and friendliness towards those who wrong us, and love towards
those who persecute us, and a sorrowful care for those who provoke to wrath; if a man
doeth these things verily there is repentance in his mind, and sinners will often live,
and their soul[s] be redeemed in life. For the prayer which our Lord delivered unto us for
the need of the body is a word which covereth the whole community, and was not uttered
solely for those who are strangers to the world, and who hold in contempt the pleasures of
the body. For he in whose dwelling the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof are
found lacketh nothing, even when he asketh [not].

569. B. What is remoteness from the world? O.M. The thought (or mind) which overcometh the
love of the body; for if the body be not trampled upon by the feeling of patient endurance
a man cannot conquer in his strife. 570. B. Is the soul of a man, which is held fast in
the lust of the things which are seen, fair in the sight of God? O.M. Who is able to live
chastely when the body is making demands upon him? Or, in what soul is found the love of
our Lord which bestoweth itself upon the things which are seen and which are corruptible?
A servant cannot serve two masters, and the soul cannot please God with spiritual
excellence so long as the memories of the things which are corruptible are in its mind,
for the mind of the flesh cannot please our Lord; and except the world die in the heart
humility cannot dwell therein, and except the body be deprived of its lusts, the soul
cannot be cleansed from thoughts.

571. B. Why is the mind disturbed at meeting women? O.M. Because they make use of the lust
of nature. For, when the sight hath fallen upon the construction for the production of
children and the gratification of the body, that old poison layeth hold upon it, and the
law of the desire is confounded; now desire conquereth nature, not by the stirring up of
the passions, but by the will, [and] by the fulfilling of works of humility, which, by the
might of our Lord, conquer everything by their love, and by the patient endurance of the
merit of Christ. 572. B. Who is the mighty man, he who is remote from the world, or he who
dwelleth therein? O.M. The mighty man conquereth in every place, whether he be in the
world or without. Nevertheless, the fathers departed to the wilderness, the place which is
preserved from the uproar of those who are afraid that as long as they dwell in the body
the passions which give trouble will cleave to them. Now, for those who have ended the
great strife of their conflict in the world Divine grace hath worked with its power, and
it still worketh for the remembrance and benefit of the community, and truly great is the
crown of those whose spiritual ship hath not sunk to the bottom of the tossed and troubled
sea of this world, and hath not ceased its course heavenwards by the straight road which
is full of fear.

573. B. Is it helpful to the soul to make oneself a stranger? O.M. With perfect
thanksgiving it doth help, provided that the soul beareth chastely afflictions, and
rejoiceth in our Lord who giveth pleasure; but if it doth not, its good seed is made of no
effect because it doth not give fruit beloved of God, and if it endureth and uttereth
blessing it hath a reward, but if it lack these things it becometh a mere wandering of the
mind, and a sight which is without profit. The best thing of all is the quietness of the
mind which is akin to God. 574. B. Since all the creatures of God are holy, why do the
fathers make the sign of the blessed Cross over the things which they eat? O.M. It is true
that all the creatures of God were pure [when they came from] Him that created them, but
because sin gained dominion everything became polluted; but the advent of our Lord came,
and sin was abrogated and righteousness had its rule, and everything was made holy,
whether it was in the heavens or on the earth. But because the blessed fathers knew the
wiles of Satan, and that they would certainly bring upon them that which would do them
harm by means of such things as are employed as food, they signed what they ate with the
holy sign of the Great Cross so that they might slay all the craftiness of the
Calumniator.

575. One of the fathers said, "On one occasion I was lying down at night, and I thirsted
for water to drink; now there was near me one of the holy men who lived in a holy manner,
and he saw that I took up the vessel to drink without having made over it the [sign of]
the Cross. And he said unto me, 'Wait, master, wait'; and he made the sign of the Cross
over it, and straightway the Calumniator fell from the vessel in the form of a flash of
fire, and both he and I saw it. And we wondered at the great might of our Redeemer, and at
the marvellous symbol of His merit." A variant [reads]:—One of the fathers said, "I was
lying down one night, and I thirsted for water to drink. And there was with me a certain
widow who lived a chaste life, both when she was with her husband, and afterwards, and she
said unto me, 'Wait, master, wait,' and she made the sign of the holy Cross over the
vessel of water, and straightway there fell from it the Calumniator in the form of a flash
of fire, and both she and I saw him. And we wondered at the might of the Redeemer, and at
the marvellous symbol of His merit."

These things were indeed told to us by the blessed mouth which is remote from falsehood;
therefore it is required of us necessarily to do this [i.e., make the sign of the Cross]
for the protection of our life. Now the Enemy used to wage war openly against that widow
who did these things, even as I have learned from the chosen ones of our Lord, and one of
the holy men who heard [this] from her own mouth spake thus:—The blessed woman said as
follows:—One day I went to the house of God, and Satan drew nigh, and said unto me, "Why
dost thou pray like a man, and say, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Ghost?" And I said unto him, "How then shall I pray?" Then Satan said unto me, "Thou
shouldst pray in this wise, and say, Glory be to thee, Mary, mother of Christ." Then I
answered and said unto him, "There is dust in thine eyes, Satan. Why should I forsake the
Lord and worship a handmaiden?" And he disappeared from me.

576. And the blessed man said unto me also:—The same old woman said in my presence:—And
again I went to the church according to [my] custom, and I entered in and prayed, and then
the Enemy came and made blind my eyes, and I could not see, and I called one of the women,
and she carried me to my house. And after three days he departed from before my eyes, and
he began to go in front of me; then I said unto him, "There is a thing which thou must do
for me. Go thou to where thou didst first seize upon me." And we went to the church, I and
he. And I left him where he had seized me, and went away a short distance, and turning
round I looked for him, and I saw him standing like a shadow; then I went a little
further, and I turned round again, and I [still] saw him. And I shut the door of the
church and went out, and then I opened it again and went in, and I saw him still standing
there, and he ceased to practise his wiles upon me. Such were the great things which
happened to the blessed old woman. For the monk must not boast himself over the man who is
in the world, for in it are mighty men; and if such things as these are to be found in
Eve, how much more ought they to be found in the Adam which hath been redeemed by [the
second] Adam?

577. One of the fathers said, "Whilst I was sleeping one night, the Enemy came and smote
me, and said unto me, 'Go to the world and work righteousness; why dost thou shut thyself
up like a beast in a cave?' And knowing the wickedness of the Enemy, who regarded me with
an evil eye, I made the sign of the Cross, and he fled from me. Then, having waited a few
days, he came and smote me on the neck in a bantering fashion, saying, 'Now that thou hast
become a righteous man, go to the world that I may not destroy thee'; and when I prayed
and made the sign of the Cross over my face he departed from me. And after a short time he
came again, and he took up a seat upon my neck, and then I bade my soul to be of good
cheer, and stood up, and made the sign of the Cross, the symbol of merit, before him, and
he disappeared again, for he was not able to stand before me." Now these things took place
and happened in this wise in very truth, and we may therefore know and understand the
conduct wherein God rejoiceth, and there is, even as this [story sheweth], no reason for
fearing the devils and all the evil spirits. Whosoever holdeth in contempt humility, and
penitence of the mind, and the subjugation of the body, and remoteness from the care for
the things which are seen, falleth into the inclination of the world, and despiseth the
good riches of the fear of God, and his hope for the inheritance of holy men is cut off,
and for the delights of heaven which neither pass away nor are dissolved. May we, through
the grace and mercy of Christ, be held to be worthy of these things! Amen.

CHAPTER 18. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE VISION OF THE MIND

578. A brother asked an old man, saying, In what manner ought a monk to dwell in silent
contemplation in his cell? The old man said, He should have no remembrane of man
whatsoever whilst he is dwelling in the cell. 579. B. What kind of labour should the heart
perform? O.M. The perfect labour of monks is for a man to have his gaze directed towards
God firmly and continually. 580. B. In what way should the mind persecute abominable
thoughts? O.M. The mind is unable to do this of itself, and it hath not the power [to do
it], nevertheless whensoever a thought [of evil] cometh against the soul, it is required
of it to flee immediately from the performance thereof, and to take refuge in supplication
[to God], and that shall dissolve the thoughts even as wax [is dissolved] before the fire,
for our God is a consuming fire.

581. B. How did the fathers who dwelt in Scete give answers to their enemies? O.M. That
service also was great and excellent, but there was labour therein, and not every man was
able to stand firm therein, and there was in it, moreover, wandering of the understanding.
582. B. How? O.M. When a thought hath come against the soul, and the soul hath, with great
difficulty, been able to drive it out, another thought maketh ready to come, and in this
manner the soul is occupied the whole day long in a war against the thoughts, and it is
unable to occupy itself with the sight of God, and [to enjoy it] continually. 583. B. With
what intent, then, should the mind flee towards God? O.M. If the thought of fornication
rush upon thee, seize thy mind and carry it to God immediately, and raise it upwards with
strenuousness, and delay not, for to delay is to be on the limit of being brought low.

584. B. If a thought of vainglory rise up in my mind, and it maketh me think that I can be
free from the evil passions, is it not necessary that I should contend against it? O.M.
Whensoever thou contendest against it, it will become exceedingly strong against thee, and
will act cruelly and sharply, and thou wilt not, as thou imaginest, become strengthened by
the Spirit of God; for it is better able to contend against thee than thou art able to
contend against it, and thou wilt [not] find thyself, apparently, sufficient of thyself to
resist the passions of the thoughts. For as it is with the man who hath a spiritual
father, that giveth to him his every desire, and who is without any care whatsoever, and
who hath, therefore, no judgement with God, so also is it with him that hath committed his
soul to God, for it is, henceforward, unnecessary for him in any way whatsoever to fall
into care concerning the thoughts, or to allow a thought to enter into his heart. But if
it should happen that a thought hath entered, lift it up strenuously towards thy Father,
and say, "I myself know nothing; behold, my Father knoweth." And whilst thou art raising
up thy mind, the thought itself will leave it and take to flight half way, for it cannot
ascend upwards with thee, and it dare not stand with thee there. There is no service which
is superior to this, for it belongeth to confidence, and it hath no care in all the
Church.

585. B. How is it that the fathers who dwelt in Scete made use of answers against their
enemies, and pleased God thereby? O.M. Because they worked in simplicity and in the fear
of God, and because of this God helped them, and afterwards the service of the vision of
God rose upon them, with His help, because of their works of excellence, and because of
the mercy of God, and that old man who taught in this wise said, "Once 'I went to Scete to
visit an old man there who had become aged in ascetic labours. And having saluted each
other we sat down in silence, and that old man made [me] no answer whatsoever. Then,
whilst I was sitting down, my mind became occupied with a vision of God, and that old man
continued to sit there and to make baskets of palm leaves, and he neither lifted up his
gaze to me, nor did he tell me to eat, and for six whole days I ate nothing whatsoever.
Now that old man was occupied with his work of basket-making the whole day long, and when
the evening came he soaked some palm leaves in water, and worked the whole night through.
And on the following day, after the ninth hour, he answered and said unto me, Brother,
when hast thou the power to perform this work of the spiritual vision?' And I answered and
said unto him, 'Yea, father, and whence hast thou the power ' [to work thus]? We have
accustomed ourselves to learn this from our youth.' And the old man said unto me, 'I have
never received teaching of this kind from my fathers.

But as thou seest me now, even so have I been all [my] days. A little work and a little
meditation, and a little singing of the Psalms, and a little prayer; I have cleansed my
thoughts according to my power, and I resist [as far as I can] the thoughts which rush
upon me. And in this manner, afterwards, there dawned upon me the spirit of visions, as I
learned this [faculty], and I knew not that any man possessed this gift.' Then I answered
and said unto him, 'I have learned this from my youth up.'" 586. B. How ought a man to see
the order of the divine vision? O.M. The Scriptures have shown [him how]. 587. B. How?
O.M. Daniel saw Him as the Ancient of Days. And Ezekiel saw Him on the chariot of the
Cherubim. And Isaiah saw Him upon a lofty and glorious throne. And Moses persisted in
being with Him Who cannot be seen, as if he saw Him. 588. B. And how can the mind see that
which cannot be seen? O.M. A king cannot be seen, as far as his exact image is concerned,
when he is sitting on the throne. 589. B. And is it right for a man to depict God in this
manner? O.M. And what is the better for a man to depict God in his mind in this manner, or
to bow himself down to many abominable thoughts? 590. B. Peradventure this is accounted as
sin?

O.M. No. Only thou must hold according to what the Scriptures have shown [thee], and the
fulfilment of the matter will come of itself, even as the Apostle said, "Now, as in a
miracle, we see in parable, but then face to face," the meaning of which is as if a man
were to say, "When the mind hath been made perfect, then it will be able to see with ease
and freedom." 591. B. And is there no confusion in the mind in respect of this? 273 O. M.
If a man performeth his strife in truth there will be no confusion in the mind, "For,"
said the old man, "I have passed a whole week of days without a remembrance of any human
thing having entered my heart." And another old man said, "I was once journeying along the
road, and behold, I saw two angels close to me, one on this side, and one on the other,
and they walked along with me, and I did not look at them."

592. B. Why? O. M. Because it is written, "Neither angels nor powers shall be able to
separate me from the love of God, which is in our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans viii, 39).
593. B. Can the mind be occupied with, and stay with the divine vision continually? O. M.
Although the mind cannot be occupied with and stay with the divine vision continually,
still when it is pressed by the thoughts it can fly to God, and it shall not be deprived
of the divine vision. But I say unto thee that if the mind be made perfect in this
respect, it shall be easier for thee to move mountains than to bring it down from above.
For as the blind man who is shut up in darkness, if his eyes be opened and he go forth
into the light, will be unwilling for the darkness to overtake him again, so the mind
having begun to see the light of its own person, hateth the darkness, and is unwilling to
remember it again. And one of the fathers also said, "I wished to look upon my mind,
saying, Perhaps if I allow my mind to do so it will go and wander about in the world; but
when I set it free it stood still, and was silent, and did not know where to go. And
again, I lifted it up on high, for it knew that if it departed and wandered about I had to
admonish it; quietness and prayer make strong this class of service." And the same old man
said, "If a man prayeth continually it will bring correction to the mind immediately."

594. B. How is it possible for a man to pray continually? For the body becometh ill
through constant prayer. O. M. The standing up of a man in his prayer [once] is not said
to be prayer, but [he must do so] continually. 595. B. How is [prayer to be made]
continually? O. M. Whether thou art eating, or drinking, or even travelling on the road,
or if thou art doing some piece of work, thou shalt not let prayer be remote from thy
heart. 596. B. But suppose I be talking with some one, how is it possible for me to fulfil
the command, "Be ye praying continually"? O. M. Now concerning this the Apostle spake, "In
[all your] prayers, and in [all your] supplications, pray ye at all times in the spirit;
and when it would be unseemly for thee to pray, because thou art speaking with another
man, pray thou through supplication."

597. What manner of prayer is it necessary for a man to pray? O. M. The prayer in the
Gospel which our Lord taught His disciples. 598. B. What limit ought there to be to
prayer? O. M. No measure hath been laid down to prayer; because He said, "Pray ye at all
times, and continually," He did not lay down any measure to prayer. For if the monk only
really prayeth when he standeth up in prayer, he who is thus doth not pray with the heart
but with the mouth only. Now the old man said, "It is necessary for the man who is thus to
look upon all [men] in the same way, and he must be remote from all calumny for the love
of Christ; to Whom be glory for ever! Amen." 599. In another manuscript I have found the
following:—A certain monk who was a foreigner, and was chaste in his conduct, and who came
from the city of Antioch, from the monastery which is called Kawsyān, went once to pray in
Jerusalem, and to see the holy places wherein our Lord Jesus Christ went about, and after
he had lived there for a long time, and had worked a way which was full of every
excellence, he wished to return to his country in peace. Now he lacked food for the
journey and the money which was necessary for his wants, and he knew not what to do; and
when he had gone in to pray in the great temple of the Resurrection of our Lord, he
prayed, and sat down in sorrow, and he was troubled about his departure, and the lack of
that which he needed.

And having sat down, he dropped into slumber, and slept, and he saw in his dream our Lord
Jesus Christ, Who bade him be of good cheer, saying, "Arise, be not sorrowful, but go in
to the steward of My house of the Resurrection, and say unto him, 'Jesus hath sent me unto
thee so that thou mayest give me the one dīnār of which I am in need, and when He cometh
He will give it [back] to thee for me.'" Now when the monk had awoke from his sleep, he
arose, and prayed first and believed the vision which had appeared to him, and he rose up
and went to the steward [of the Church] of the Resurrection, as he had been commanded to
do, and he spake to the steward, as he had been told in the vision. Then the steward said
unto him, "When will Jesus come and repay me? And the monk said unto him, "I have told
thee what I have heard from Him, and as for thee, thou must do what thou wishest. And the
steward said unto the monk, "Give me a paper in thine own

275 II-18a handwriting for the dînâr, and take [it] and go"; and the monk sat down and
wrote thus: "I, John the monk, the stranger, from Antioch, a city of Syria, and from the
holy monastery of Kâwsyân hereby testify that I have received from the steward one dînâr
for food by the way, and I have, of mine own free will, set my handwriting thereto saying
that when Jesus cometh He will pay him for me." And after the monk had taken the dînâr and
departed, the steward saw that same night in a vision of the night, that a man of splendid
appearance came and said unto him, "Take the dînâr which thou gavest to that monk, and
give me the written paper which he gave thee." And the steward said in the vision, "My
Lord, the monk said unto me, 'Jesus will come and repay me, and will take from thee the
paper which I have written.'" And the man said to the steward, "I, even I, am Jesus; take
thy dînâr, and give Me the writing which the monk gave thee. Or, wouldst thou take
anything more from him?" Then the steward took the dînâr from Him, and he laid it in his
hand, and gave Him the written paper, and He tore it up.

Now when the steward awoke from his slumber he found the dînâr in his hand, but the
written paper had disappeared; and he marvelled and wondered, and praised God. Then he
sent some of his people to bring back the monk wheresoever he might be found, and having
gone they found him praying, and they said unto him, "Come with us; behold, the steward of
the Church of the Resurrection seeketh thee. And when the monk heard [this], he feared
greatly, and said in his heart, "Peradventure he wisheth to take back the dînâr"; and he
went with them being troubled and sorrowful. Now when the steward saw him, he said unto
him, "For the love of Christ I entreat thee to eat with me this day," and whilst they were
eating, the steward said unto him, "What hast thou done with the dînâr? and the monk said,
"Behold, it is still with me. The steward said unto him, "Mâr Abbâ, take thou as many
dînârs as thou wishest, only give me the paper which thou didst write [saying] that Jesus
would come and repay me. And the monk said unto him, "My lord, forgive me, but I have
received nothing else from thee, for that which I did take was sufficient for me. Then the
steward related unto him that which had appeared unto him, saying, "The dînâr hath been
paid back to me, and the paper which thou didst write hath been taken by our Lord Jesus
Christ from me";

and the steward entreated the monk, saying, "Take from me, if thou wishest, ten pounds of
gold, only write me [a paper, saying], 'Jesus will come and pay thee for me,' and do thou,
my lord, depart in peace. And the monk said unto him, "Master, verily I say unto thee,
thou shalt not receive from me another jot, and I will not take anything else from thee.
And all those who heard [this story] praised God Who neglected not those who call upon Him
in truth. 600. An admonition of the holy fathers. Be thou an enemy unto all folly and sin.
Dejection driveth away the fear of God, captivity [to sin] driveth away the virtues from
the soul. There are three excellences which illumine the mind always; a man must not see
the vices of his neighbours, and he must do good unto those who do evil to him, and he
must bear with gladness all the trials which come upon him. And these produce three (sic)
other excellences, namely, a man must not look upon the vices of his brother, and this
excellence produceth love; and he must bear the trials that come upon him, and this
excellence produceth self-denial. There are three excellences of which the mind hath need,
and a man should observe them always: He should lean away from follies, and he should not
be lax in his service, and he should make strong his heart. There are three excellences,
the which if a man see them with him he knoweth within himself that he is delivered from
devils, namely, knowledge whereby he will be able to understand and to discern between
thoughts, and the sight of everything before it cometh to pass, and the power of not
becoming entangled with evil thoughts of any kind. There are three things which gain
dominion over the soul until it arriveth at great weakness, captivity [to sin], and
dejection, and sickness, and these contend against every man's soul, and from them are
produced evil thoughts, and when a man buildeth up they overthrow [what he hath built].
There are three excellences which benefit and strengthen the soul: mercy, the absence of
lust and long-suffering, and besides these three excellences the mind hath need to pray
without ceasing continually, and a man must fall down and cry out before God, and hate all
evil passions.

601. And he also said:—The fear of God driveth away all evil things, but dejection (or
lowness) driveth away the fear of God from a man; the wandering of the thoughts driveth
away good works from the soul. There are four things which are good:—Silence, the keeping
of the commandments, humility, and tribulations. There are four good things which protect
the soul:—Love towards every man, absence of lust, long-suffering, and a man severing from
himself wickedness. And the soul hath need of the four following virtues at all seasons:—A
man must pray without ceasing, and he should pour himself out before God continually, and
he should declare his own defects in his heart, and he should judge no man, and his own
mind should be tranquil. The four following things help a young monk:—Doctrine, the
repetition of the Psalms at every moment, and he should not be lax in obedience to
fasting, and he should esteem himself to be of no account whatsoever. Through four things
the soul is corrupted:—For a man to walk about through the city without guarding his eyes,
for a man to have anything to do with women, for a man to have friendship with the rich
men of the world, and for a man to love empty talk. Of four things fornication is
begotten, namely, by eating and by drinking overmuch, by sleeping overmuch and by
idleness, by laughter and by silly words, and by the arrangement of the apparel. By four
things the mind is darkened:

by a man hating his neighbour, by hating his brother, by crying out evil things, and by
uttering them. By four things is the soul laid waste: by a man not keeping silent (or
tranquil), by loving the works of the world, by trafficking in material things, and by the
evilness of the eye. Through four things anger cometh: By a man giving and taking (i.e.,
buying and selling) in the world, by doing his own will, by loving to teach, and by
thinking in himself that he is a wise man. There are three virtues which a man acquireth
by weariness (or exhaustion): by mourning always, by observing his sins, and by having his
death before his eyes every day. He who taketh care to keep these virtues shall be able to
be saved by the mercy of God and, to speak briefly, these are necessary for the man who
seeketh to live: Faith, and hope, and love, and love of God, and obedience, and humility,
and patient endurance, and self-denial, and fasting, and constant prayer, and vigil, and
service, and going into exile, and voluntary poverty, and absence of evil passions, and
the silence of discretion, and deprivation of various meats. For if a man doth not
believe, he can neither hope nor love, nor have affection, nor be obedient; and if he be
not obedient, he cannot either be humble, or endure patiently; and if he cannot endure
patiently, he cannot practise self-denial, and if he cannot practise self-denial, he
cannot draw nigh to fasting.

And if he cannot fast, he cannot pray continually, and if he hath no prayer, he cannot
keep vigils; and if he keepeth not vigil, service will not be found in him, for he will
say and sing the service in a hurried manner. And he who possesseth these things only in a
little degree cannot go into exile and become voluntarily poor, and without the love of
these things he cannot deprive himself of meats; and a man cannot acquire the silence of
discretion when all these things are remote from him. Let us, then, take care to perfect
all these things in ourselves with all our might, through the help of God, to Whom be
glory for ever and ever! Amen. 602. An Exhortation. Now therefore I have written down for
thee all these things so that thy soul may not become sluggish, and so that thou mayest
not become the cause of [others] being like unto thee. And because of this I counsel thee
to take the yoke of pleasantness upon thy neck, for it will help thee to sit by thyself in
silence, and to withdraw thyself from human intercourse, and from cares about the things
of this world which will hinder thee. And make thyself as the dust in [thy] humility
towards every man, knowing [at the same time] that there is hope [for thee]. And let not
weeping cease from thine eyes, for there is the occasion of tears. And make thy cell a
hall of judgement of thyself, and a place for striving against devils and evil passions,
and let there be depicted therein the kingdom [of heaven], and Gehenna, and death and
life, and sinners and the righteous, and the fire which never is quenched, and the glory
of the righteous, and the outer darkness, and the gnashing of the teeth, and the light of
the righteous, and their joy in the Holy Spirit, and the Passion of our Lord, and the
memorial of His Resurrection, and the redemption of creation. And let thy habitation be
free from superfluous things, for one of two things will happen unto thee; either through
thinking of them thou wilt suffer injury, or in withdrawing thyself from them thy war will
be added to and become fiercer.

And take heed lest, through [holding in] honour and sparing other folk, thou bring thyself
to evil case in the war; whatsoever belongeth to lust and is of the eyes thou shalt not
possess, for the wars of thy passions are sufficient for thee. Heal thou and make whole in
thy habitation those in whom God hath pleasure; it is He Who knoweth thy sitting down, and
thy coming in, and thy going forth. And in all thy conduct be constant in prayer,
especially in the night seasons, for [night] is the acceptable time for prayer, as it is
written, "Be thou like unto thy Lord, Who prayed to God continually throughout the night
until the rising up of the Sun. When all voices are quiet do thou fill thy mouth with
praise, and thy tongue with glorifying, and whilst others are lying like dead men on their
biers do thou depict in thyself the waking of the Resurrection. The night which is
darkness unto other folk shall be to thee bright as the day, and instead of filling
thyself with wine as other men do, fill thou thyself with the love of God; and in the
night season, when silver and gold are stolen, do thou steal the kingdom [of heaven] like
a thief. In the night season, when sinners perform their evil deeds to their own injury,
do thou labour for the benefit of thine own soul, and take care, continually of all
excellences.

Then He Who is merciful in His gifts, and rich unto every one who calleth upon Him, will
come unto thee quickly and will help thee, and thou shalt smite the Evil One, and shalt
bring to naught his crafty acts. And thou shalt make thy mind to shine, and the Lord of
All shall place in thee the innocent thoughts of uprightness, and He shall comfort thy
mind; then shall the rugged ground become smooth before thee, and the difficult ground
shall be as a plain, and thy ship shall anchor in [its] haven. And thou shalt lead
beforehand the life which is to come, and thou shalt fulfil the Will of God, according to
His Will, both in heaven and on earth; and thy knowledge shall grow and thy joy increase
in proportion to thy spiritual conduct, and thou shalt be held to be worthy of the sight
of the righteous by the grace and mercy of Christ our Lord, to Whom, with His Father, and
the Holy Ghost, be glory now, and always, and for ever and ever! Amen.

603. An admonition of abbâ mâr john. Now thou wilt not be able to find a more excellent
way than this: He who would repent to Christ of his sins and follies must fall on his face
many, many times, [and be sorry for] the sins which he hath committed, and he must make
supplication and entreaty to the mercy of God. Moreover, our other fathers have incited
[us] to kneel down, and he who continually kneeleth down and prayeth rejoiceth in God. Woe
is me, me the man of negligence! Now he who sigheth, and weepeth, and sheddeth tears in
prayer, possesseth all excellences together; for if we do not keep watch on and remember
always our feebleness, whilst despising ourselves, and holding ourselves in contempt, the
devils will lead us astray. Wake thyself up, O my beloved one, and keep in thy remembrance
always three moments, and forget them not; the first is the moment of death, with its
sorrow, and grief, and trouble, which is immeasurable, that overtaketh every man, when [a
man shall stand] before the awful throne of Christ; the second moment is the moment of
fear and quaking when men and angels shall rise up, when a man doth not know what command
shall come forth concerning him, whether it shall be for life everlasting or for torment
everlasting; and the third moment is that when the penalty (or decree of doom) shall come
forth upon us, with its repentance of soul which shall last for ever, and shall be with us
afterwards in the years which shall have no end. At the [remembrance of] these three
moments all men fear and quake; may God in His compassion save us from Gehenna and its
endless torments! Amen.

I am an apostle, and I cast out devils, and I perform mighty deeds, but how am I to know
that the end of Judas may not be mine, and how am I to know that I shall [not] inherit
hanging, and be called by our Lord "Satan" and "son of perdition"? If thou seest,
moreover, a man who is a murderer, and a thief, and an adulterer, and a shedder of blood,
thou mayest think whence I shall know [this]; for if this murderer at the end confesseth
Christ, he will precede me in the kingdom of heaven, and thou shalt think thus concerning
every man. If thou, O man of God, whithersoever thou goest, thinkest these and suchlike
things continually, and if thy humility be in proportion to the greatness of thy power,
thou shalt never fall. But if a man be neglectful, even for the twinkling of an eye, of
his humility, and if pride be mingled in his negligence, he shall be cut off quickly from
the height of the love of God, and he shall fall, even as quickly as a glass vessel full
of water, which is suspended by a thread of a spider's web, would fall if that thread were
to be severed. Now the conduct of humility is thus.

If at the beginning, or in the middle, or at the end, or wheresoever it may be, a man
first of all layeth hold upon perfect humility, and upon complete contempt of himself, the
devils will be unable to approach him, on the contrary, they will flee before him, like
flies before smoke, both they and their thoughts; but if a man [doth not] acquire
humility, either at the beginning, or in the middle, or at the end of his career, there is
nothing which [can stand up] against the strife and contest. As the holy man Evagrius
said, "After the vanquishing of [all] the other passions, there still remain two which
will wage war against the perfect man until death, namely, vainglory and pride. And John,
the seer of Thebaïs, used to say, "He against whom the devil of vainglory still fighteth,
wandereth without measure, and is divided [in his mind] to a boundless degree. The Teacher
used to say, "Humility possesseth two characteristics which are superior to the other
excellences of the spirit, for it seeth to what degree it can abase itself to the lowest
depth, and grace also exalteth humility to God, [and] to the height which is above; and
because grace exalteth it continually towards God, it acquireth faith at all times, and
strengtheneth confidence.

And the second characteristic of humility is that it feareth not that which opposeth it,
that is to say, it feareth neither devils, nor wild animals, nor evil men, even as the
holy man Evagrius said, 'The man who is proud and wrathful is a timid man, but the humble
man is without fear.' And he said, 'Humility by itself vanquisheth both passions and
devils, and the labours of the body, and the contests of the mind only serve to strengthen
humility the more. Therefore there is never a time when the monk hath not need of
humility. Now it is right for him that dwelleth in silence wishing to arrive speedily at
purity of heart, and to take care of [his spiritual] splendour, to guard the three
following things:—he must guard his hearing against listening to any word which may strike
him and may rouse him up to anger; and he must guard his tongue, not only against rebuking
and chiding any man, even though he be a man of no account whatsoever and a man of
ignorance, and he must not [attempt] to teach or to admonish. But if a man ask him for a
prayer, he must esteem himself to be the servant of him that asketh him, and he must kneel
down before the cross and say, "O Lord, provide for my brethren according to Thy Will, and
according to Thy design, and according as it may be beneficial for them before Thee, and
make me, a sinner, worthy of Thy mercy through my prayers";

let him pray after this example, and it shall suffice. Do not think in thy mind, which may
lead thee astray, that thou wilt be able to acquire even one spiritual excellence, no
matter which it may be, without afflictions and troubles, whether with or without the
desire; for no man who feedeth his body daintily on lusts is able to enter through the
door, even as the camel cannot go through the narrow hole of the needle. Now the pleasures
of the body come into being because of unbelief, because the wretched body doth not
believe in those good things which are promised unto the hungry, and in the woes which are
prepared for those who are filled with food and who live delicately. Therefore he, who
believeth in the promises and threats, goeth hungry, and he denieth himself, and he
watcheth in prayer, and he humbleth himself, and he layeth hold upon abstinence, and
restraineth himself from the gratification of his pleasures, and he inheriteth the purity
which is promised to those who are blessed. But if he leadeth a life of sluggishness and
pleasure, from it he shall inherit the impurities and the punishments which are prepared
for him in Gehenna. Now the desire of the Holy Spirit is thus:—Remoteness from the
habitation of men, continual quiet, weeping and sorrowful cries, joyful hymns, the singing
of the Psalms, and praises, fasting, and abstinence, and vigil, poor apparel, a humble
gait, the cloaking of the thoughts of the passions, the hidden prayer of the mind; know ye
that such are the things in which those who are in the desire of the spirit wish to walk,
and they never wish to perform the lusts of the flesh. And to speak briefly unto you, O my
brethren, fasting, and service, and standing up, and vigil, and abstinence from meats, are
the constituent parts of a fair rule of life and conduct, and those who perform them will
receive a reward from the true God if they perform them in truth, and if there be no alien
pretence in their service. But hearken, O my brethren, for this is the true work of the
monastic life, the binding of the understanding which is in God, and the suppression of
the alien thoughts which enter his heart; and whosoever hath his heart [set] upon God
acquireth for his soul pleasure, and the life which is everlasting. Amen and Amen.

Here end the Histories & the Narratives of the Triumphant Acts of the Holy Fathers and
Monks which were composed by the holy and excellent Palladius, Bishop of the City of
Belenopolis, & which he wrote to Lausus the Prefect. To God be glory, and honour, and
adoration, and worship, and exaltation, for ever and ever! Vya and Amen.


THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2
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THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 continued

APPENDIX

Questions of the Brethren, and Answers of the Fathers, which are exceedingly fair and
beautiful The brethren said:—There were two brethren who were the sons of a merchant, and
their father died, and they divided their inheritance between themselves, and unto 604.
each one there came five thousand dinârs. And one of the brethren divided his inheritance
among the churches, and the monasteries, and the poor, and he himself became a monk, and
he chose for himself a life of continual silence, and fasting, and prayer; now the other
brother built a monastery for himself, and gathered brethren to him, and he took care of
the strangers, and the poor, and the sick, whom he received and relieved. When the two
brothers were dead there was questioning among the brethren about them, and they went to
Abbâ Pambô and asked him, "Which manner of life and conduct was the more excellent and
exalted?" And having learned from God, he said unto them, "They are both perfect, and in
my sight they appear to be of equal merit." Explain to us now the old man's words, for how
can the man who is destitute, and the man who hath possessions be equal [in merit]? The
old man said, "Since the whole conduct of these brethren was to God, and since whatsoever
they did they did it for God, with an upright aim, and since the aim of each was the same,
they appeared to be in the old man's opinion of equal merit before God."

605. The brethren asked Abbâ Nastîr, "What rule of life and conduct should a man follow?"
The old man said, "All rules of conduct are not alike. "Abraham was a lover of strangers,
David was a humble man, Elijah loved silence, and God accepted the work of all of them.
Whatsoever work is of God, if thy soul desireth it, that do, and God be with thee." 606.
The brethren said:—Abbâ Pambô said, "If there be three monks in one place, and one of them
live in silence [it is] well, and if another be sick and he give thanks in his weakness,
and if another minister to men and relieve them, all three of them are in the same
service." Reveal to us now the mind of this holy man. And Abbâ Pambô said, "If a man dwell
in silence for God's sake, and not for the sake of vainglory, or any other human thing;
and if another, who is sick, give thanks to God for his sickness, and he endure him that
ministereth unto him with longsuffering, he becometh like unto him that is in silence; and
if he who ministereth unto men doeth it not for a reward of this world, but for God's
sake, and if he constraineth himself in everything, and doeth the will of those who are
ministered unto by him in love and gladness, he thus becometh like unto him who shutteth
himself up in silence, and like unto him that is sick, and in this way the work of all
three is of equal merit. For Abbâ Joseph and Abbâ Poemen divided the perfect ascetic life
into three classes, and therefore Abbâ Nastîr said to that brother, 'If thou conduct
thyself according to any one of the three thou shalt be perfect.' And this is well known
from that which Abbâ Anthony said, 'Many have afflicted themselves with labours and
tribulations, and because they had not in them the power of discernment, they did not know
the way of truth.' And again he said, 'One man might live in a cell for a hundred years,
and yet not know how to dwell therein '[rightly] for one day, because he humbleth not
himself, and accounteth not himself a sinner, and a feeble man, and ignorant, but he
justifieth himself, and blameth others;

nevertheless it is right that we should know that, even though some are sick, and others
relieve the wants of men and minister unto them with an upright aim, those who lead a life
of silence lead a superior life, and follow a line of conduct which is more excellent than
all the rules of life which are followed among brethren. And this life is superior in the
same way that the Spirit of God is more exalted than the holy angels, according to what we
have learned from the history of the holy men Abbâ Arsenius and Abbâ Moses the Ethiopian.
For when one of the brethren went to the blessed Arsenius [to enquire of him] concerning
the love of a silent life of contemplation, he neither set a table for him nor gave him
refreshment; then he went to the blessed Abbâ Moses and he both welcomed him and gave him
refreshment. And when one of the great fathers heard [this], he entreated our Lord to
reveal to him this matter, saying, 'How is it that one fleeth for Thy Name's sake, and an-
" '"other welcometh and giveth refreshment for Thy Name's " '"sake? And there appeared
unto him on the river two 'ships, in one of which were Abbâ Arsenius, and the Spirit of
God Who was travelling along in silence, and in the other was Abbâ Moses, who was
travelling with holy angels that were feeding him upon honey, with the comb thereof.

And by this the fathers understood that the life of silent contemplation was as greatly
exalted above alms and ministrations as was the conduct of Matthew the Evangelist above
that of Zacchaeus the tax-gatherer.'" 607. The brethren said: The brethren asked Abbâ
Pambô, saying, " Supposing that a man who liveth in the world hath a wife and children,
and supposing that he giveth much alms, and setteth free slaves, and redeemeth those in
captivity, and visiteth the sick, and relieveth those who are afflicted, and fulfilleth
all the things which are proper for him [to fulfil], is not such a man equal in labour to
one of the three classes of monks, that is, to the man that dwelleth in silence, or him
that is sick, or him that ministereth unto the poor?" And the old man said, " Not
altogether." And the brethren said, " Wherefore?" And the old man said, " Because,
although the man who is in the world leadeth a life of righteousness, his whole conduct is
outside the body, but all the labour of the monks is inside the body, that is, fasting,
and prayer, and vigil, and hunger, and thirst, and the constraint of the will at every
moment, and wars, both secret and manifest. And it is well known and manifest that the
men, who are in the world and who are exceedingly excellent in their conduct, are not
equal to the monks in their labours; for our Lord Jesus Christ surnamed the monks ' sons
of light,' and those who are in the world ' sons of the world.' Now the monks with their
members, and with their thoughts, and with their bodies, and with their conduct serve God
perfectly with stern labours and afflictions, and they offer themselves up to God as a
living, and rational, and holy sacrifice, with rational and spiritual service, and they
are crucified unto the world, and the world is crucified unto them, according to the word
of our Lord, Who said, ' Whosoever wisheth to come after Me, let him take 'up his cross,
and follow Me,' that is to say, Let him not fulfil his own will, but let him do My will
only, and bear tribulations of all kinds. And monks shall leave father, and mother, and
brothers, and sisters, and kinsfolk, and country, and in return for these they shall
receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

And to the men who are in the world, He said, 'Acquire for yourselves friends of the
mammon of unrighteousness, so that when it hath come to an end they may receive you into
their everlasting habitations.' For as men who are in the world receive monks into their
houses, so shall the monks receive those who have lived in the world into the kingdom of
heaven; and by this our Lord shewed that all the good things of God and His kingdom belong
to the monks who, from their youth even to their old age, have laboured to God in the
excellent works of the ascetic and monastic life. But it is right that we should know to
what degree the soul is superior to the body. The life which is led by the monks in silent
contemplation, and the works thereof, are as much superior to the life which is led by
righteous men in the world, as the life and conduct of the angels are superior to those of
men. And the life and conduct of the monks are superior to those of men who are in the
world, because the latter please God because of their love for men, whilst the monks do so
because of their love for God."

608. The brethren said, "Into how many orders have the fathers arranged the monastic
life?" And the old man said, "Into three orders." 609. The brethren said, "What are they?"
And the old man said, "The perfect, those who are half perfect, and the beginners." 610.
The brethren said, "Whence canst thou prove to us that this is so?" The old man said:
"From the words of our Lord in the Gospel. For he said, 'The sower went forth to sow. And
some [seeds] fell on the roadside, and others fell on the rock, and others among thorns'
(St. Matthew xiii, 3 ff.) Now these three [kinds of] seed are those who are in the world.
And as concerning the other seed of which He spake, saying that it fell on good ground,
and gave fruit, some thirtyfold, and some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold, these are the
grades of monks, for the seed which yielded fruit thirtyfold is the beginners, and that
which yielded sixtyfold is the half-perfect, and that which yielded one hundredfold is the
perfect."

611. The brethren said, "And supposing a man in the world conducteth himself in a wholly
perfect manner, and according to what is right, is not his labour equal unto that of a
beginner?" The old man said, "No." 612. The brethren said, "Why [not]?" The old man said,
"Although the monk is little and is a beginner, he is still more excellent than the man in
the world who keepeth every just [demand] of righteousness." 613. "Why did Abbâ Anthony
say unto Paule, his disciple, 'Go and dwell in silence that thou mayest receive the
temptations of devils?' The old man said, 'Because the perfection of the monk ariseth from
spiritual conduct, and spiritual conduct is acquired by the conduct of the heart, and
purity of heart ariseth from the conduct of the mind, and the conduct of the mind from
prayer which is unceasing, and from strife with devils; but unceasing prayer, and the
contendings with devils, both in the thoughts and in visions, have no opportunity for
existence without silence and solitariness."

614. The brethren said, "What is the meaning of that which Paphnutius and James the Lame
said to Mâr Evagrius, 'Every lapse which taketh place through the tongue, or through lust,
or through an action, or through the whole body, is in proportion to the measure of pride
which a man possesseth'? Now what is the lapse which cometh through lust? And what is the
lapse which cometh through an action? And what is the lapse which cometh through the whole
body? Enlighten us about these [various] kinds of lapses." The old man said, "The lapse
through lust is the fall which taketh place inwardly through pride, even as the blessed
Maca-ruis said, 'Thou shalt not be lifted up in thy heart and in thy mind through the
knowledge of the Scriptures, lest thou fall into a spirit of blasphemy in thy mind.' And
the lapse through the tongue resembleth that into which one of the monks once fell through
his pride, and he reviled the holy man Evagrius and the fathers who were in the desert of
Scete. And the lapse through an action resembleth that into which another monk fell when
he became lascivious and abominable; and the lapse through the whole body resembleth that
when, through his pride, one of the brethren was abandoned to the hands of thieves, and
they burned him with fire."

615. The brethren said:—Palladius said, "Once the blessed man Diocles said, 'The mind
which falleth from God is either delivered over to the devil of wrath, or to the devil of
fornication.' And I said unto him, 'How is it possible for the human mind to be with God
uninterruptedly?' And he said, 'In whatsoever work of the fear of God the soul [is
engaged], provided that the soul hath due care, its mind is with God.' What is the meaning
of the action of which the old man spake?" The old man said, "He calleth [a man's] care
concerning God's promises 'action of the fear of God,' wishing to say thus: —If thou art
unable to bind thy thought continually in various ways to God, though thou thinkest about
His Majesty, and His power, and His grace, and thou prayest to Him without ceasing and
without wandering [in thy prayer, thy mind cannot be with Him]; but if thou reducest thine
understanding by means of the constant labour of prayer and by the thought which is on
God, and more particularly through the war with devils that [accompanieth] this work,
bring down thy mind by degrees from the thought which is about God, and from prayer, and
fetter it with the thought which is lower than this, and meditate on the promises of God,
and think upon His commandments and the correction of thyself. And set not free thy mind
from spiritual care, and do not make it wander and think the thought of passibility, but
fetter thy mind to some thought of excellence, which will make it gain profit. And when it
hath rested somewhat, then raise it up on high, and make it to labour in the thought which
is of God, and in pure prayer which hath no wandering therein.

For as the growth of the capacity of those who are as yet in the grade of bodily prayer
and the reading [of the Scriptures] still existeth, even when they are exhausted by
standing up, and by the singing of the Psalms, and they rest their bodies for a little by
sitting down and by meditation upon the reading, and when they have rested their bodies
and their mind hath become enlightened through the reading, they stand up for service and
prayer, so also it is right for those who have arrived at a correct conduct of the mind,
and who think continually about God, and who pray to Him without wandering, when they are
exhausted by this severe labour, to bring down their minds from time to time, and to
relieve it by means of thought concerning some profitable subject which is less exalted
than the thought about God. And this thought must take the place to them of reading, and
they must meditate upon God's promises and commandments, and upon their straightness which
is in God; and if some abominable thought knock [at the door of their minds] they must
quickly make their minds to enter into prayer and into the thought which is upon God. And
if there stir in their heart a thought of passion, as soon as they have refreshed
themselves by means of thinking about some profitable subject, they must make their mind
to enter into the height of prayer, and they must pray without ceasing, and meditate upon
God.

And from this we know that when the soul meditateth with understanding upon some
profitable subject, or upon some profitable action, its mind is with God, even as the
blessed man Diocles said. Similarly, whensoever a monk thinketh about the passions of sin,
or about deeds connected with the world, his mind is with Satan." 616. The brethren said,
"Why is it that the Divine Light did not shine in the hearts of all the monks until a long
time after they had been cleansed by labours and contests? And why is it that the light of
grace did shine upon some men before they went forth from the world and came to the
ascetic life, as it did in the heart of Abraham Kindônâyâ through the Divine revelation on
the day of his feast, and straightway he left his feast, and went forth from the world?
The old man said, "Whensoever this light riseth in its order in the hearts of men,
according to what the fathers say, it cometh in this wise. First of all Divine Grace
maketh a man hot with the love of God, and he hateth all the glories and honours of this
world; and next he cometh in a state of poverty to this rule of life, and Divine Grace
itself first giveth him the love of labours, and it maketh the things which are hard easy
to him. And it protecteth him from the fierce attacks of the war of devils, so that they
may not, whensoever they wish and will, assault him, but only according to his strength,
and his capacity, and as is convenient for his growth. And thus after many labours and
contests, his heart is purified with abundant humility, and he shineth with the light of
grace, and he is held to be worthy to see Christ in a revelation of light.

And the fathers also said, that in proportion as the monk himself travelleth along the
path of ascetic excellences to meet our Lord by means of labours and contests, so doth our
Lord advance to meet him with light until they meet each other, and then the monk
remaineth in our Lord by means of labours, and our Lord remaineth in him by means of his
light, even as Abbâ Isaiah said in his interpretation of that which our Lord said, 'Remain
in Me and I in you.' Thus thou seest, O my brother, that He wisheth us to remain in him
first of all by the labours of righteousness, and then He will remain Himself in us in
purity and in light. And the words, 'The monk travelleth along the path of ascetic
excellences until he seeth Him and is illumined by Him,' explain the verse, 'My soul
thirsteth for Thee, the Living God,'" et cetera.

617. The brethren said, "Why is it that though the holy fathers incite us continually to
the labours of excellence, and to the contending against passions and devils, Abbâ Isidore
restrained Abbâ Moses the Ethiopian from works, and from contests with devils, saying,
'Rest thee, Moses, and quarrel 289 not with the devils, and seek not to make attacks upon
them, for there is a measure [i.e., moderation] in everything'; doth this apply also to
works and to the labours of the ascetic life?" The old man said, " Because at the
beginning Abbâ Moses was ignorant of the rule of the ascetic life, and because he was
healthy of body, he worked overmuch, and he thought that he would be able to prevail
mightily against devils by the multitude of his works alone, and that he would be able to
vanquish them. Therefore, because the devils perceived his object, they attacked him more
severely with frequent wars, both secretly and openly, but Abbâ Isidore, wishing to teach
him the truth, and to make him to acquire humility, said unto him, ' Without the power of
the Spirit which our Lord gave us in baptism for the fulfilling of His commandments, the
which is confirmed in us each day by the taking of His Body and Blood, we cannot be
purified from the passions, and we cannot vanquish devils, and we cannot perform the works
of spiritual excellence'; thereupon Abbâ Moses learned these things, and his thoughts were
humbled, and he partook of the Holy Mysteries, and the devils were conquered, and they
reduced their war against him, and from that time forward he lived in rest, and knowledge,
and peace. Many monks have imagined that their passions would be healed, and that they
would acquire soundness of soul merely by their labours and strenuousness, and therefore
they were abandoned by grace, and fell from the truth.

For as he who is sick in his body cannot be healed without the physician and medicines,
however much he may watch and fast during the time he is taking the medicine, so he who is
sick in his soul through the passions of sin, without Christ, the Physician of souls, and
without the partaking of His Body and Blood, and the power which is hidden in His
commandments, and the humility which is like unto His, cannot be healed of his passions,
and cannot receive a perfect cure. Therefore, whosoever fighteth against the passions and
the devils by the commandments of our Lord is healed of the sickness of the passions, and
acquireth health of soul, and is delivered from the crafts of the devils." 618. The
brethren said, " With what object did those two monks say to Abbâ Macarius, ' If thou art
not able to become a monk like us, sit in thy cell, and weep for thy sins, and thus thou
shalt be like us?' The old man said, " Because " they knew that, if a man was able to be a
solitary in his body, and a dweller in silent contemplation, and a worker both in his soul
and in his body, who made himself humble and who wept each day for his sins, and who cut
off from himself all memories of every kind of passion and anxious thought, and who
meditated only upon God and upon his own correct behaviour, such a man was a monk (or
solitary) in very truth, even as the blessed Evagrius said, 'The monk who is remote from
the world is he who hath cut off from himself all the motions of his passions, and hath
fastened unto God all the mind of his soul.'"

619. The brethren said, "Why is it that certain of the Fathers were called Mēshannayānē
[i.e., men who transferred themselves from one place to another], since they were
recluses, and never departed from their cells?" The old man said, "Because after much
silent contemplation, and unceasing prayer, and watching of the mind, they were worthy to
depart from the earth in their minds, and to ascend unto heaven to Christ the King. And
they did not do this on occasions only, but continually, for whensoever they wished, or
whensoever they sang the Psalms, or prayed, or meditated upon God, straightway their mind
was exalted to heaven, and stood before our Lord. But there were other [kinds of]
'Mēshannayānē,' that is to say, those who lived with wild beasts in the deserts, such as
Abbā Bessarion, and others who were like unto him." 620. The brethren said, "What is [the
meaning] of the fact that when one of the monks saw a brother in the mountain he fled from
him, and was unable to bear the smell of the children of men?" The old man said, "The monk
fled because he saw that the brother was carrying silver. And when the brother saw that
the monk fled, he cast off his garments and pursued him. And when the monk saw that he had
cast off his garments, he waited for him, and welcomed him gladly, saying, 'Since thou
hast cast off the matter which is of this world I have waited for thee. I was not able to
bear '[the sight thereof] because I myself am naked.' I looked beyond my rule of life and
saw that he was carrying a burden upon his shoulder like a man who was in the world."

621. The brethren said, "Why did the monk not permit that brother who came to him to dwell
in the cave by his side, but did say unto him, 'Thou art not able to bear up against the
attack of devils?'" The old man said, "Because he knew his manner of life and works, and
also that he possessed not the labours and the strenuousness which were sufficient to make
him strong to resist the fierce assault of the savage nature of the devils which make war
against the monks. For according to the labour of every man, and according to his
striving, and his rule of life and strenuousness, and accord- 291 II-19a ing as he is able
to bear, so much the greater are the ferocity, and the wickedness, and the bitterness, and
the craftiness of the devils who make war against him. Similarly, when one of the brethren
entreated Abbâ Apellen to allow him to live with him in the desert, he said unto him,
'Thou art not able to bear the temptation of the devils.' Finally, when the brother urged
him [to let him do so], he commanded him to dwell in a cave by his side. And the devils
came against him in the night and sought to strangle him, until Abbâ Apellen came, and
surrounded the cave with the sign of the Cross, after which the brother was able to live
in the cave. For not all monks are able to fight against the devils, but only such as are
perfect and humble."

622. Why is it that the two Romans who went to Abbâ Macarius, did not, during the whole
period of three years which they lived [near him] come to him and ask him, or any other
aged man, questions about the thoughts? The old man said, "Because the elder brother was
exceedingly wise, and perfect and humble. Had he gone to Abbâ Macarius, or to one of the
other old men, his perfection would have been revealed, and he would have [received]
praise throughout Scete from the Fathers, who would have wondered, saying, 'How is it that
a young man hath become perfect in three years'? It is, however, not right for us to make
ourselves like unto these two brethren, and to neglect the doctrine of the old men. As for
the two brethren, the elder was perfect, and the younger was humble, and learned from
him." 623. The brethren said, "The history of the triumphs of Bessarion saith that during
all the days of his life he dwelt in waste places, and in the desert and in the mountains,
and among the rocks. Once having come to a certain monastery, he stood up by the door like
a wandering beggar, and then sat down weeping and crying out, even as one who had been
rescued from a storm. And when the brethren entreated him to go in and rest with them, he
said, 'Before I find the possessions of my house which I have lost I cannot endure being
under a roof; for thieves fell upon me on the sea, and a storm reared itself up against
me, and I have been robbed of the riches which I once possessed, and from being a man of
high estate I am become of no account.' Now what were the riches which [he inherited] from
his parents and lost? And what does this [story] mean? Who are parents? What does he refer
to by the words 'sea, and storms, and waves'? Who were the thieves? Are these words spoken
of himself or of the other persons? The old man said, These things are said of all the
monks who are still striving and contending against passions and devils, and who are
lacking at the present time purity of heart, and fruits of the spirit, and visions of our
Lord, and they are not spoken of men who are perfect as he was.

The word 'sea' he applieth to the sea of the mind whereon the monk saileth with works of
spiritual excellence, wherefrom he entereth the haven of impassibility, even as the
blessed Macarius saith, 'He who wisheth to cleave the sea of the mind, maketh himself
longsuffering.' And he calleth temptations 'storms,' and the passions 'waves,' and the
'thieves' are devils, and his 'parents' are the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
One God, in Whose image and likeness we are made, even as our Creator said, 'Come, let us
make man in our image and likeness,' and also as 'our Lord said, Be ye like unto your
Father, Who is in heaven.' And He calleth the spiritual excellences, which contain
likenesses of the similitude of our Father, Who is in heaven, and which make us heirs of
God, and sons of the inheritance of Jesus Christ, by the name of 'riches and possessions
of his parents,' and these are faith, and hope, and the love of God and man, and joy, and
rest, and peace, and graciousness, and pleasantness, and lowliness, and humility, and
longsuffering, and patient endurance, and integrity, and simplicity, and purity, and
mercy, and cleanness of heart, and the holy light of the mind, and pure prayer, and the
divine light which riseth on the heart at the hour of prayer, and spiritual prayer, and
Divine knowledge, and the visions and revelations of our Lord. These are the possessions
of the soul, some of which it acquireth naturally, and some by Divine Grace;

now those which it acquireth naturally are they which the Creator sowed in its nature at
the beginning of its creation, and those which it acquireth by Divine Grace are they which
are bestowed upon it by the baptism in Christ. And these possessions are lost to a man
through pleasures, and honours, and lusts, and benefits, but they are found and acquired,
and the soul waxeth rich in them, through tribulations, and revilings, and oppression, and
hardships. Now although Abbâ Bessarion, and men who were as perfect as he was, possessed
these things, other men lack them and are strangers unto them. [And as regards the words]
'He once came to a certain monastery, and sat down outside the door like a wandering
beggar,' [they mean that] he saw clearly with the secret eye of the mind that the greater
number of the monks were destitute of this spiritual possession, and of the spiritual
excellences and gifts which have been already mentioned. And being incited there, to by
the law of affection and of brotherly love, he cried out and wept on their behalf, as if
it had been on his own, and he made supplication to the lovingkindness of God that He
would make them worthy of the riches of His love, and of the possession of His Grace."

624. The brethren said, "What are the nine spiritual excellences which that holy man
possessed, and what did he lack? The old man said, "Although they are not written down I
think that they were as follows: 1. Voluntary poverty. 2. Abstinence, 3. Constant evening
fasting. 4. Vigil. 5. The recital of the whole Book of the Psalms seven times during the
night and day. 6. The reading of the Holy Books between times. 7. Lowliness. 8. Humility.
9. Love of man. These are the nine spiritual excellences which he possessed, and by means
of them he vanquished all passions. By poverty he overcame the love of money. By
abstinence he conquered unbridled appetite and gluttony. By fasting he overcame the
passion of the love of the belly. By vigil he vanquished sleep. By the recital of the
Psalms he did away idleness. By reading he kept away the converse of evil. By lowliness he
dispelled wrath and anger. By humility he overcame vainglory and pride. By love of man he
conquered hatred, and spite, and enmity. Now the spiritual excellence which he lacked, and
which is the tenth, was the constant fervour of the love of God, which is in our Lord
Jesus Christ, and this can [only] be gathered together, and stablished and acquired by the
secret prayer of the mind, which is unceasing and wandereth not, and by the strict and
constant suppression of the thoughts of the passions, and the incitements of devils, when
they first begin to bestir themselves in the heart.

And because among all the works of ascetic excellence there is none more difficult [to do]
than this, for, even as the blessed Macarius said, 'All the fightings and fierce, and
crafty, and evil temptations of the devils are set in array against it,' the holy man is
not able easily to become perfect in the love of Christ, which is acquired by the
concentration of the mind and by deep thought about God. Therefore the blessed Evagrius
said, 'If thou canst overcome the wandering of the thoughts, it is the end of all ends;
and if thou canst make deep thought about God have dominion in thee, thou canst overcome
all passions, and thou shalt be worthy of the perfection of the love of Christ.' By the
love of man and by the other virtues a monk may, by the help of God, vanquish all the
passions; but by the love of Christ he shall conquer the evil passion of the love of the
soul, which is the first of all the passions, and which embraceth them all, even as Saint
Evagrius said, 'The first of all the passions is the thought of the love of the soul, and
after it come the following eight.' And again he said, 'Conquer the strife of the love of
the soul which is in thy bosom, by that which is towards God.' For until the monk is
worthy of this love, he is unable to acquire exact consolation from the remainder of the
labours of the other spiritual excellences, even though it be that he obtaineth assistance
from them, as Abbâ Isaiah said, 'Although the children of Leah were a help to Jacob, yet
he loved Joseph most of all, and when Joseph was born, he wished to leave Laban and go to
his parents,' that is to say, When a monk hath become worthy, and hath acquired the
perfect love of Christ, which is stablished by silent contemplation, and the power to pray
without ceasing, and his soul is at all times rejoicing and exulting with gladness, he
will not be content to remain in this life;

but each and every day he will be desiring eagerly and longing to depart from the body,
and to be with our Lord in Paradise, which is the habitation of the spirits of just men
who have become perfect, and the holy country which is exalted above the passions, and
devils, and the striving of those who cultivate the virtues until the revelation of our
Lord Jesus, Who loveth to make perfect a man with the never-ending happiness of His love
in a glorious kingdom." 625. The brethren said, "Explain to us the course of life and
labour of the old man [who made] baskets, [and dropped] small stones in them. The old man
said, "The course of life of that old man was one which was of the mind, and it was stern,
and excellent, and it swiftly brought the monk unto purity of heart. And as concerning
that which he said, 'I set two baskets, one on my right hand and one on my left,' etc. it
doth not [mean] that he sat the whole day with his baskets round him, but that his two
baskets were set in two places.

And he himself was occupied with service and prayer, and with his toil, and for every
thought, good or bad, which entered his mind he cast a pebble [into the baskets], that is
to say, the labour is very severe for the man for a certain time at the beginning, because
the devils are envious at the purity of heart which is acquired by him, and therefore they
afflicted this old man also for a long time with the multitude of evil thoughts which were
stirring in him, even as he said, 'Many days I have eaten nothing, because the good
thoughts did not outnumber the bad ones.' Now he used to afflict his body with the labour
of much fasting, so that he might do away the evil thoughts, because it is not the soul
only which feeleth the labours of the body, its counterpart through its union with it, but
also those devils which wage war against the soul, and they feel the labours of the body
more than doth the soul. For immediately the devils see the monk afflicting his body with
labours, they become afraid, and stagger about, because they are more tormented by the
labours than is the man who is engaged in them. Therefore the blessed Evagrius, when the
demon of fornication assailed him, stripped off his tunic and stood the whole night long,
in the season of winter, under the open sky, and by these means he made the demon to
suffer pain, and he fled from him.

And again, when the demon of blasphemy attacked him, he stood naked under the open sky, in
the season of winter, for forty days. And because the thought of gluttony stirred in the
heart of Abbâ Zeno, and made him to eat a cucumber by stealth, he crucified his soul in
the sun, during the season of summer for five days. In this wise the holy men were
afflicting themselves with labours and tribulations, and when the devils were stirring up
in them the thoughts of sin, the demons were afflicted and tortured far more than they
thereby. Now the demons were afflicted and tormented by the labours of the patient
endurance of the monks not only in their minds but in their persons, through the operation
of the holy angels, and by the command of God, even as, on one occasion, one of the devils
was tortured the whole night in the cell of those two brethren who were brothers
naturally, when he wished to separate them from each other. For when the younger brother
lighted a lamp the devil threw down the candlestick, and extinguished the light, whereupon
the [elder] brother smote him [on] the cheek; and the other brother expressed his
contrition, and said, 'My brother, have patience, and I will light the lamp [again].' And
when God saw the patient endurance and humility of the young man, He commanded His angel,
and he fettered the devil the whole night long in their cell;

and the devil was tormented therein until the morning because of that [blow on] the cheek
which he made the one brother to suffer from the other through his wicked agency; and that
wicked devil was fettered and tortured the whole night long. And the devils are tortured
not only when we afflict our bodies with labours, in order that we may not consent to the
will of devils, but also when they stir up in us evil thoughts; if we constrain ourselves
a little, and cast them from us, at the same time calling our Lord to our assistance,
straightway the holy angels which cleave unto us will constrain the demons, and will drive
them away from us, and we shall be full of light, and of fervour, and of gladness. Even as
one of the demons said to Abbâ Pachomius, A certain monk, against whom I wage war, is very
strenuous, and whensoever I draw nigh unto him to sow evil thoughts in him, he betaketh
himself to prayer, and I, though burning with fire, have to depart from his presence
blazing (? even like iron which hath been thoroughly well [heated] in the fire.' Now monks
are, at the beginning [of their career] afflicted for a long time, not only by the
stirring up of the evil thoughts themselves, but also by their tarrying in the heart;

but after a known time a man receiveth strength from our Lord, through their tarrying, and
also after a known time their motion is restrained, and then the monk also hath rest from
strivings, and he is held to be worthy of purity of heart. For at the beginning of the
strivings the devils stir up evil thoughts in the heart mightily; sometimes, however,
these are destroyed through prayer at the very beginning of their movement, and sometimes
they remain. And afterwards the mind becometh strong against them, and doth not permit
them to tarry altogether in the heart, but it is as yet unable to restrain their violent
movement, and the [tribulation which they cause], even as one of the old men said, 'I
carried on a strife for twenty years in order that an evil thought might not enter my
heart, and until the ninth hour I used to see Satan with his bow drawn to shoot an arrow
into my heart. And when he found no opportunity of doing this, he would become dejected
and go away ashamed each day.' Now the old man [of whom we first spake] held fast to his
rule in respect of the baskets, and though he was afflicted for a long time by the motion
of evil thoughts, and sometimes even by their tarrying in his heart, finally he received
power over their tarrying only, for their rising up remained for a considerable time.

And having laboured in striving for twenty years against the motion of the thoughts,
finally he became strong [enough to resist them], and he overcame them. And the devils
fled from him, and he arrived at a state of purity, and at the haven of impassibility, and
he was held to be worthy of revelations." 626. The brethren said, "If the holy men
themselves afflict themselves with labours of tribulation because of the tarrying of the
evil thoughts which bestir themselves in them, and if they sin against God though not
consenting to them, why should we toil against the motion of the devils? For behold, even
as the blessed Evagrius said, 'Whether they fight against us or not the matter is not in
our hands.'" The old man said, "The perfection of the monks ariseth from a spiritual rule
of life, and a spiritual rule of life cometh from purity of heart, and purity of heart
from divine vision; 'Blessed are those who are pure in heart, for they shall see God.'
When, therefore, a monk laboureth, and afflicteth himself because of the motion of evil
thoughts, in order to prevent their remaining for a long time in his heart, and when after
a considerable time his heart becometh pure, there remaineth disgust only therein, and it
vexeth the mind of the monk, and preventeth his ascent to God, and cutteth off his
journeying to Him, and doth not allow him to enjoy the vision of glory.

Now when a monk worketh for a considerable time because of the motion of evil thoughts [in
him], God hath compassion upon his trouble, and not only doth his heart become cleansed,
and his soul pure from every thought of evil, but he is also held to be worthy of the
sight of our Lord in a revelation of light, and henceforth, the devils never again dare to
stir up evil thoughts in the heart of him that hath been esteemed worthy of this great
thing. And should it happen that they dare so to do, they suffer pain and burn even as he
suffereth who is hot, and who kicketh away with his feet the piercing goads of iron which
glow with heat in the fire. During the interval between the beginning of the strife
against evil thoughts and [the attainment of] purity of heart, the devils sometimes vex
the monk, and sometimes are vexed by him, even as the blessed Evagrius said, 'If those who
go down to the conflict afflict [others], they are themselves afflicted'; so the devils
afflict us, and they are also afflicted by us. They afflict us when we receive their evil
thoughts, and they are afflicted by us when we, by means of prayer and wrath, hide (i.e.,
suppress) their thoughts.

When, then, we labour and afflict ourselves for a considerable time in order that their
thoughts may not tarry in us, we also afflict ourselves with labours and prayer so that
they may not vex and hinder us by [their] violent motion, and afterwards power is given
unto us by our Lord to lift ourselves up upon the necks of our enemies, and thenceforward
our heart resteth and is at peace, not only from the perception of their thoughts, but
from all the violence of their motion. And the peace and rest of God rule over our souls,
and we see that there remaineth only the war which is manifest of the visions of devils
until the time of death merely to terrify us, so that we may not be exalted [unduly] and
destroy ourselves. And should it happen that the devils stir up thoughts in the heart of
him that hath been made perfect, straightway they become extinguished, even as fire is
extinguished when water falleth thereon."

627. The brethren said, "Why do the devils fear the labours of the monks, even as the
Fathers say, 'If thou wishest the devils to be afraid of thee, despise lusts?' The old man
said, They are afraid because of three things. 1. First. Be- " cause our Lord treated with
contempt three kinds of passions, wherein are included and contained all the various
classes of passions, and these are they: The love of the belly, the love of money, and
vainglory. By means of these the Calumniator fought against our Redeemer, and through His
constancy in the wilderness, and silent contemplation, and fasting, and prayer, He
overcame Satan; therefore all the monks who travel in His footsteps, and who by means of
fasting, and prayer, and silent contemplation, hide away all the thoughts of sin, and who
perform their labours in righteousness, our Lord maketh to conquer by His strength, and He
vanquisheth the devils who are their enemies.

And as the demons fear and tremble, not only by reason of the Crucifixion of Christ, but
even at the sign of the Cross, wheresoever it be made apparent, whether it be depicted
upon a garment, or whether it be made in the air, so also do the devils fear and tremble,
not only by reason of the labours of our Lord and His constancy in the wilderness, but
also at the existence of the monks in the wilderness, and at their silent contemplation,
and their fasting, and their prayers, and their patient persistence in the performance of
difficult labours, which take place for Christ's sake. Therefore on one occasion Abbâ
Macarius said unto Palladius, 'Speak to the devils which war against thee with disgust,
and sluggishness, and despair: if I had no labours of spiritual excellence, nevertheless
for the sake of Christ I would guard these walls and His Name would be sufficient for the
redemption of my life.' 2. Secondly. The war and contest which the devils [wage] against
the monks possess both rule and system, and they are neither irregular nor unsystematic.

And as when the devils stir up the monks by means of evil thoughts of sin, and the monks
accept them, and consent to them, and let themselves be incited to commit sin thereby,
straightway their souls become dark, and remote from God, and sorely afflicted, and
ashamed, and guilty, and weak and miserable, so when their souls accept not these
thoughts, and they do not consent to them, and do not allow themselves to be incited to
sin thereby, but drive them away and cast them out as soon as ever they begin to have
motion [in them], and call upon our Lord to help them, straightway all the former things
which come against the monks, inasmuch as they do not acquiesce in their incitings, are
hurled upon the demons with greatly intensified force, and they become ashamed, and
tremble, and are destroyed, even as the blessed Mark said, 'As he who breaketh into a
house which is not his own taketh to flight with fear and trembling as soon as he heareth
the voice of the master of the house, so also doth Satan,' etc. 3. Thirdly. Because
without labours and humility we who are rational beings are unable to please God, and
because without them neither men nor angels can enjoy His love and His blessings,
therefore also the demons and devils, which live wholly in a state of pride and laxity,
[cannot enjoy them]."

628. The brethren said, "Why is it that although the Fathers gave the admonition,
'Whensoever a demon appeareth unto a man in any form whatsoever, let that man make the
sign of the Cross, and pray, and that similitude will disappear,' we see that on several
occasions the devils still remain, and not in appearance only, but also in terrors, which
remain for a long time, and in many cases in blows and stripes?" The old man said, "The
holy Fathers gave the admonition because it would apply in the majority of cases. For
since our Redeemer was crucified for us, and since He exposed to disgrace the Rulers and
Dominions, which are evil demons, and put them to shame openly by His Person, even as it
is written, from that time onwards, whensoever they have made themselves visible to the
adorers of Christ in divers form [to do them] harm, as soon as a man hath made mention of
the Name of Christ, and hath signed himself with the sign of the Cross, the devils have
fled straightway, and their forms have disappeared. And this happeneth not only in the
case of holy men, and perfect men, but also in respect of ordinary men who possess
shortcomings."

629. The brothers said, "Why was the blessed Martīnyānā, after all the great ascetic
practices which he had acquired, and the gifts of the spirit which he had received, and
after he had burned his fingers for the sake of the harlot, still afraid of the war of
fornication, and why, having gone and dwelt in the island in the sea for thirty years, did
he not stay [for] a season with that woman whom he had brought up from the sea, but cast
himself in the sea being afraid of the contest? The old man said, "Because the whole
strength of the demon of fornication was discharged upon him, and he was, therefore,
properly afraid. For those who have not with them this war in all its fierceness imagine
that they have overcome it, but let them not boast themselves, and let them know the
truth, that is to say, they have not vanquished the demon of fornication, and it is only
that he hath not waged war against them with all his strength, because he hath not been
permitted so to do, and he hath not been permitted to do so because of their feebleness
and laxity. For the war of fornication which cometh upon a man only attacketh him in the
degree which he is able to bear.

For, behold, the great and famous fathers who endured this war in all its severity for a
long time were always in a state of fear and trepidation, as was also Abbâ Arsenius, who
was a man eighty years old; and when the noble lady came to him and said, 'Remember me in
thy prayers,' he did not hesitate to say, 'I will pray to God that He may blot the
remembrance of thee out of my heart.' And by means of this which he spake, he put to shame
the demon of fornication, and shewed how great was the hatred for this unclean passion
that warreth against the holy men which he possessed." [The story of Martînyânâ and the
harlot is as follows:— There was a certain monk who dwelt in the desert, and whose name
was Martînyânâ, and he laboured in great works, and God wrought by his hands many mighty
deeds, and he was applauded by all men. Now when Satan, the Evil One, saw that he was
greatly applauded he became bitterly angry, and he wished to distract and to withdraw him
from his rule of life and ascetic labours. One day Satan saw that many folk were
glorifying him, and he went and dwelt in a certain harlot, and he sent her to the blessed
man in order to make him fall. So the harlot took her attire, and placed it in a bag, and
went to the holy man, and when she arrived at his abode it was evening; and she knocked at
the door and said, "O Saint Martînyânâ, open the door to me, so that the wild beasts may
not eat me. Now the holy man thought that she was a phantom, and he rose up and prayed,
and since meanwhile she ceased not to cry out, he rose up from his prayer, and opened the
door to her, and said to her, "Whence comest thou to me, O devil? And she said, "[My]
companions have forsaken me on the road, and I wandered about in the desert, and have
arrived hither"; and he left her [there], and went into the inner cell, and shut the door
thereof between himself and her.

And after the old man had laid down to sleep the harlot arrayed herself in her attire, and
put on her ornaments, and then sat down; and when the morning had come, the old man went
forth from his cell, and seeing her dressed he said to her, "Whence art thou? What is thy
business? And she said, "I am a daughter of people of high degree, and my parents are
dead, and they have left me great wealth. I heard that thou wast a great man, and I have
come to thee, and I beg thee to come to my house and take me to wife, and we will live on
thy excellence. Then the old man said unto her, "How can I forsake my labour and my rule
of life, and take thee to wife, and fall from my covenant? And she said unto him, "What
sin is there in it? Did not Adam and all the Fathers take wives, and Noah, and Abraham,
from whose seed Christ hath risen? Now by repeating these and suchlike things, she well-
nigh succeeded in leading the holy man away captive, and he said unto her, "O woman, tarry
a little so that I may see, lest peradventure some one may come and see us. And having
gone up to the roof to look, he woke up in his mind, and he made a flame of fire and stood
up in it, and stayed in the fire until he burnt his toes;

and when the harlot saw this, she fell down at his feet and wept, saying, "I have sinned
against God and thee," and she revealed unto him the whole truth, [saying], "I repent. And
the holy man sent her to a nunnery, and he remained in his cell until his feet were healed
of the burning of the fire. And after he was healed of his sickness, he rose up and went
and dwelt in an island in the sea, where there were neither women nor men.] 630. The
brethren said, "What is the meaning of that which one of the old men said, 'If thou seest
the wings of ravens flying about thou wilt also see the prayer of him that is oppressed in
mind being exalted?'" The old man said, "As the ravens do not in the course of their
flight mount upwards to the height of heaven like the eagle, but fly close to the surface
of the ground and wheel about [seeking] for their unclean food, so is the mind of the man
who is not fervent in the love of God, and who is continually in a state of sluggishness
and dejection, for when he standeth up for service or for prayer, his thought will not be
exalted to the height of the love of Christ, but his mind will wander after evil
passions."

631. The brethren said, "An old man said, 'If thou seest a young man who, in his desire,
ascendeth unto heaven, take hold of his foot and sweep him hence, for in this way thou
wilt help him'; what is the meaning of the words, 'Who in his desire ascendeth unto
heaven?'" The old man said, "This resembleth that which Isaiah spake, 'If the mind seeketh
to ascend to the Cross before the feelings cease from feebleness, the wrath of God shall
come upon him because he hath begun to do something which is beyond his capacity, without
having first of all cured his feelings.' Now certain of the beginners in the ascetic life
are so silly and bold as to dare to undertake things which are far above their capacity
and their strength; they do not wish to learn, and they will not be persuaded by the
commands of their Fathers, but, without having lived the proper period of time in the
coenobium, they dare to enter the cell, even as it is written concerning one of the
brethren in the Book of Paradise, for immediately he had received the garb of the monk, he
went and shut himself up as a solitary recluse, saying, 'I am a monk of the desert'; and
the Fathers went and brought him out into the monastery [again]. There are others, too,
who seek to shut themselves up for a week at a time, and it in no wise helpeth them;

and there are others, the children of this world, who at the beginning of their careers
imitate the exalted rule of life of the Fathers, and who imagine that they can imitate the
rule of the mind, that is to say, of the spirit, when as yet they have not fulfilled the
rule of the body. Therefore their lives and works are not open to the Fathers, and they
will not receive correction, but they live according to their own desire, and they are
delivered over into the hands of the devils who make a mock of them." 632. The brethren
said, "One of the brethren asked Abbâ Poemen, saying, 'My body is feeble, and I cannot
lead an ascetic life.' Abbâ Poemen said unto him, 'Canst thou lead the ascetic life in thy
thought, and not permit it to go with deceit to thy neighbour?' Tell us how the feeble man
was able to lead the ascetic life in his thoughts. The old man said, "This question
belongeth closely, both in order and meaning, to that which a certain brother asked Abbâ
Poemen, saying, 'My body is feeble, but my thoughts are not.' Now in the former case he
spake having regard to those who were afraid that through pains and sickness they would
become negligent of the labours of spiritual excellence, and, in a different manner, that
they might fall into pains and sickness by way of punishment; in the latter case he spake
having regard to those who had toiled for a very long time in the labours of self-denial,
and who had finally become enfeebled, either through old age, or through pains and
sicknesses, and who were ceasing from ascetic labours. Now this is what Abbâ Poemen
[meant] when he said, 'If thou art not now able, by reason of thy weakness, to toil in the
labours of the body as thou didst formerly, toil in the labours of the soul, that is to
say, the ruling of the thoughts, which is the ruling of the mind; if thou art unable to
fast from meats, fast from evil thoughts;

and if thou art no longer able, through the weakness of the body, to stand up and to
recite as many Psalms as formerly, make thy mind to stand up before our Lord, and pray
before Him vigilantly with the prayer which is secret and pure, and be tranquil, and
humble, and pleasant, and good, and forgiving, and merciful; and endure thy sickness and
weakness with praise, and make no man to be sorry by thy tongue; and judge not, and blame
not, and condemn not thy brother in thy heart. Now these excellences may be cultivated in
the soul with the labours of the mind, and not those of the body, and they are not impeded
by the weakness of the body.' " 633. The brethren said, ' Why is it that the monks are "
obliged to go round about begging for the meat and raiment of which they have need, like
those who are in the world, although our Lord promised them, saying, ' Seek ye 'first the
kingdom of God and its righteousness, and that of which ye have need shall be given to
you?' " (St. Matthew vi, 33). The old man said, " This [saying] is a proof of the wisdom
and grace of God towards those who are in the world, for, in the majority of cases, the
righteousness of the children of this world consisteth of alms and compassion; but the
children of light are righteous men and monks who, in their persons, and in their members,
and in their thoughts, serve our Lord. And God hath made the monks to have need of the
children of this world because of His love, so that they may care each for the other, and
may pray each for the other, that is to say, the children of the world must care for the
monks, and the monks must pray in love for them. And as the children of the world make the
monks associates with them in the corporeal things of the world, the monks must make the
children of the world to be associates with them in the things of heaven, for our Lord
spake to the children of the world, saying, ' Make ye to yourselves friends of this
'mammon of iniquity, so that when they have become perfect they may receive you into their
tabernacles which are for ever' " (St. Luke xvi, 9).

634. The brethren said, " What is the difference between [the words], ' I will dwell in
you,' and ' I will walk in you,' which God spake concerning the righteous? And what is the
meaning of 'dwelling,' and 'walking' ? " The old man said, " God dwelleth in the saints
through the constant remembrance with which they remember Him, as they marvel at Him, and
His works; but He walketh in them by means of His visions and revelations [which He
sendeth] upon them as they marvel at His majesty, and rejoice continually in His love. "
635. The brethren said, " With how many, and with what names is the meditation upon God
called? " The old man said, " Its names are six, and they are as follows:—1. Hope in God.
2. The state of being bound to our Lord. 3. Continuance with God. 4. Persistence in all
the good works of God.

"5 Holding fast to God. 6. Dependence upon God. Hope in God [meaneth], fix ye your gaze
upon Him, and hope in Him, that is to say, meditate ye upon Him. Being tied to our Lord
[meaneth] that we should be bound to our Lord, and should fast and pray, until the old man
cometh to an end, both without and within. Continuance with God is the state of being
gratified through Him. Persistence [meaneth] that we should possess persistence in the
Lord in all the good works of God. Holding fast to God [meaneth], 'Cut off from thyself
all cares which are not of Him, and let thy mind fasten its gaze upon God only.'
Dependence upon God [meaneth], 'Hang thyself upon God,' to Whom be glory (or praise)!
Amen." 636. The brethren said, "An old man was asked a question by one of the brethren,
who spake thus:— 'If I am in a state of admiration of God, and in purity of soul, and the
time of prayer arriveth, ought I to come to prayer or not?'" And the old man said, "'What
man who possesseth riches will make himself poor?' Explain to us the meaning of the words
of the holy man. The old man said, "The holy man calleth 'admiration of God and purity [of
soul]' that to which the blessed Mark gave the name 'meditation upon God' and 'atmosphere
of freedom.' There are some brethren whose hearts become pure after labours and great
strivings, and they become worthy of pure prayer, and their hearts also become illumined
from time to time by the light of Divine Grace, and they attain to the meditation which is
on God, and to the spiritual understandings which are superior to custom. The Fathers
would not permit the men who attained to this capacity, when they were standing in the
purity of soul of this nature, and in the atmosphere which was free from trouble, and when
the beater struck the board, and the season for prayer arrived, to leave this enjoyable
meditation, and to stand up and sing the Psalms, but they [allowed] them to remain therein
until it had come to an end.

For a man to sing the Psalms 'and to perform the service could always be found, but such
meditation and such purity of the understanding, and the atmosphere of freedom could not
at all times be acquired, and a man is neither able nor hath the power to attain to this
state whensoever he pleaseth, for it is a gift from heaven which is given by our Lord from
time to time to him that is worthy thereof. For this reason one of the Fathers gave the
following commandment:—If a man enjoyeth such meditation whilst he be standing up at the
service, let him not interrupt it until it cometh to an end, for such meditation filleth
the place of the service of the Psalms. See then that thou drivest 305 not away from thee
the gift of God, and let thy subservience (or submission) to the same stand firm; but it
is right to know that certain brethren have not as yet attained to meditation of this
kind. They have thought that these words were spoken for every man and for men of every
kind of capacity, and although their minds have been illumined somewhat by the Psalms and
prayers, they have relaxed the fulfilment of the canon of their service, wherein are
placed their consolation, and their wages, and their profit, and have occupied themselves
[with the meditation], but on several occasions they have been interrupted in the
meditation which hath come to them by the devils. It is, therefore, not right for the
brethren who are beginners in the ascetic life to do this, but they should commit their
life and works and meditation wholly to God, and if it should happen that this meditation
cometh to them, let them reveal the matter to one of the old men who is acquainted with
such things, so that the demons may not lead them astray and work their destruction."

637. The brethren said, "By what means did the Fathers sing the Psalms of the Holy Spirit
without wandering [of mind]? The old man said, "First of all they accustomed themselves
whensoever they stood up to sing the service in their cells to labour with great care to
collect their minds from wandering, and to understand the meaning of the Psalms, and they
took care never to let one word (or verse) escape them without their knowing the meaning
thereof, not as a mere matter of history, like the interpreters, and not after the manner
of the translator, like Basil and John [Chrysostom], but spiritually, according to the
interpretation of the Fathers, that is to say, they applied all the Psalms to their own
lives and works, and to their passions, and to their spiritual life, and to the wars which
the devils waged against them. Each man did thus according to his capacity, whether he was
engaged in a rule of life for the training of the body, or of the soul, or of the spirit,
even as it is written, 'Blessed ' are the people who know Thy praises, O Lord,' that is to
say, blessed is the monk who, whilst glorifying Thee with praise, collecteth his mind from
wandering, and understandeth clearly the knowledge and meaning of the Psalms of the
spirit, even as it is written, 'Sing ye unto God with ' praise, sing ye unto our King.'
When then a man singeth the service in this manner, and payeth attention to the meaning of
the verse, he acquireth daily the faculty of singing a song mingled with the meditation of
God and with the gaze [which is fixed] upon Him. And after the time in which he hath
arrived at the spiritual rule of life, immediately a monk hath begun to sing the Psalms,
though one or two sections of them become too great for him, he is permitted to sing them
with understanding and with the meditation which is on God, and he refraineth from the
customary Psalms, and he singeth a song which is superior [to that of] body and flesh, and
which is like unto that of angels, even as the Fathers say."

638. The brethren said, "By means of what thoughts of excellence may the children of this
world not be offended by the monks, when they see or hear concerning the stumblings (or
lapses) which come upon them through the frailty of [their] nature, and from the wars of
the devils?" The old man said, "When they consider and look upon the monks as frail men,
who are clothed with a body which is full of passions, and who although they are monks are
striving to imitate the life and deeds of angels, yet owing to the weakness of their
bodies, and the inclination of their souls, and the need which cleaveth unto them, and the
strivings of the devils against them, the children of the world will see that it is quite
impossible that the monks should not be snared, involuntarily, by certain weaknesses. For
behold, some of the perfeet men [mentioned] in the Old and New Testaments were caught in
snares against their will, through the frailty of their nature and the war of the devils,
as, for example, the blessed and perfect men Moses, and Aaron, and David, and Samson, and
Hezekiah, and Peter and Paul."

639. The brethren said, "Why do the monks who have led a life of hard labour become in
their old age silly, and simple, and act in a foolish way like children and drunken men?"
The old man said, "Because all the ascetic excellences which God hath placed in the nature
of their souls, and which appear in them from their youth up, perish through the relaxing
of the will, and through the love of the body, and the war of the devils, and finally
through labours and contendings. Sometimes they receive them from our Lord as gifts, even
as it is written, 'Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the
kingdom of God,' even as our Lord said." 640. The brethren said, "What should be the
beginning of the fight against sin of the man who hath cast all impediments out of his
soul, and who hath entered the arena, and where should he begin the contest?" The old man
said, "It is well known unto every man that in all the contests against sin and its lusts
the labour of fasting is the first thing [to undertake], and it is so especially in the
case of him that fighteth against the sin which is within him; and the sign of

307 the enmity against sin and its lusts becometh apparent in those who go down to this
invisible conflict when they begin to fast. And next cometh the rising up in the night,
and whosoever loveth the occupation of fasting all the days of his life is a friend of
chastity. For as the pleasure of the belly, and the laxity caused by the sleep which
inciteth to a polluted bed, are the head and chief of all the sins which are in the world,
and all the abominations thereof, so fasting, and strict vigil in the fear of God, with
the crucifying of the body throughout the night against the pleasures of sleep, are the
foundation of the holy path of God, and of all the spiritual excellences. For fasting is
the strengthener of all spiritual excellences, it is the beginning and end of the strife,
and it is the foremost of all virtues; and as the enjoyment of the light cleaveth closely
to the eyes which are healthy, so doth the desire for prayer cleave closely to the fasting
[which is observed] with discernment. For as soon as a man hath begun to fast, he desireth
greatly to converse with God in his mind. The body which is fasting cannot continue to lie
on [its] bed the whole night, for fasting naturally inciteth to wakefulness towards God,
not only by day, but also by night;

for the empty body is not fatigued overmuch by its conflict with sleep, even though it be
weak in the senses thereof, for its mind is towards God in supplication, and it is better
for it to cease from labour through weakness than from the weights of meats. As long as
the seals of fasting lie upon the mouth of man, his thoughts meditate upon repentance, and
his heart maketh prayers to arise; and mildness lieth upon his countenance, and abominable
motions are remote from him, and rejoicing never, in the smallest degree, appeareth in his
forehead, for he is a foe of lusts and of unprofitable converse. The man who fasted
regularly and with understanding, and whom abominable lust brought into subjection hath
never been seen, for fasting is the abode of all spiritual excellences, and he who holdeth
it in contempt disturbeth them all. Now, the first commandment which God laid down for our
nature at the beginning gave [Adam] warning concerning the eating of food, and the head of
our race fell through eating, therefore, at the point where the first corruption took
place [in asceticism], must begin the building of the fear of God, when they lay down the
first course for the observance of the law. And moreover when our Lord shewed Himself at
the Jordan He also began at this point, for after He was baptized the Spirit took Him out
into the wilderness, and He fasted for forty days and forty nights;

and all those who travel in His footsteps lay the beginning of their strife on this
foundation. For who shall treat with contempt, or hold lightly the armour which hath been
forged by God? If He Who laid down the law fasted, who is there among those who would keep
the law that hath not need thereof? Immediately this armour appeareth on a man straightway
terror falleth upon the thoughts of the chief of the rebellion, that is, Satan; and his
power is shattered at the sight of the arms which our Captain of the host hath placed in
our hands, for as soon as he seeth the might of this armour on a man he knoweth at once
that he is ready for the contest. What armour is there which is as strong or which giveth
such boldness in the fight against evil spirits as hunger for the sake of Christ? For in
proportion as a man is harried and brought low in his body, at the time when the phalanx
of Satan surroundeth him, doth his heart support itself with confidence, and he who
treateth this with contempt is lax and is a coward in respect of other spiritual triumphs,
because he hath not upon him the armour whereby the divine athletes have gained the
victory.

And at the very beginning the sign of weakness appeareth in him, and he himself giveth the
opportunity of defeat to his adversary, and since he goeth naked into the strife it is
evident that he will emerge therefrom without victory, because he hath cast away from him
the strength which would stir up in him the divine zeal; for his members are not clothed
with the flame of hunger, that is to say, fasting. As merchants cannot without labour and
trouble save up riches, so the righteous man without anguish and labour for the sake of
righteousness cannot expect the crown and the reward." 641. The brethren said, "If a man
attaineth unto purity of heart what is the sign thereof? And when will he know himself if
the heart is coming to purity?" The old man said, "When he seeth that all men are fair,
and when no man appeareth to him to be unclean or polluted; whosoever is thus indeed
standeth in purity. And if this be not the case, how can he fulfil the word of the Apostle
which saith, 'When a man standeth wholly in purity, he will think that every man is better
than he in heart and in truth,' unless it be that he attaineth to the state of him of whom
it is said, 'He whose eyes are pure seeth not wickedness.'" 642. The brethren said, "What
is purity? And to what length doth its limit extend?" The old man said, "In my opinion
purity consisteth in oblivion of the various kinds of knowledge which are beyond nature,
and which nature hath discovered in the world; and the limit thereof is that a man should
be wholly free from them, so that he may arrive at the state of natural simplicity and
integrity which he possessed at first, and which somewhat resembleth that of a child,
except in the case of small matters."

643. The brethren said, "Is it possible for a man to attain to this state?" The old man
said, "Yea. Behold, one of the old men attained to this state to such a degree that he was
in the habit of asking his disciple continually if he had eaten or not. And on one
occasion one of the saints, who was a very old man, became too innocent and simple, and
attained to such a state of simplicity and purity that he did not even know how to keep
watch upon himself so that he might partake of the Mysteries, or whether he had done so or
not, until at length his disciples kept him in his cell, and took him that he might
partake of the Mysteries, just as if he had been a child. Now although he was in this
state as regards the things of this world, he was perfect in his soul."

644. The brethren said, "What are the [subjects of] meditation and conversation which it
is meet for a man to have whilst he is living the life of the recluse and passing his time
in silent contemplation, so that his understanding may not occupy itself with casual
thoughts?" The old man said, "Dost thou ask concerning meditation, what shall a man have
wherewith to put to death the world in his cell? Hath the man whose soul is strenuous and
watchful any need [to ask] the question as to what labour he shall occupy himself with
when he is alone? What is there for the monk to occupy himself with except weeping? If,
then, the monk be unoccupied with weeping, and he be able to pay attention to [any] other
thought, what is the meditation which hath died out of him? And if we come to silent
meditation, we can also be constant in weeping, and therefore let us beseech our Lord most
earnestly with the mind that He may grant this unto us."

645. The brethren said, "Since, then, a man is not sufficient for the constant exercise of
this faculty, because of the frailty (or sickness) of his bodily nature, it is right that
he should have something else besides this which shall be useful for the consolation of
his mind, so that the passions may not attack him through the idleness of the
understanding." The old man said, "The passions cannot attack the soul of the monk, whose
heart hath been cut off from the world by living a solitary ascetic life, unless he hath
been negligent of the things which it is proper for him to do; and this is so especially
if he hath, besides the employment [of reading] the Scriptures, the helpful thoughts of
the man who is occupied with spiritual excellence. And living alone and in silence will
help this [result] greatly, and he will receive in his mind the hope of the world which is
to come, and the glory which is laid up for the saints."

646. The brethren said, "One of the old men said, 'I have toiled for twenty years that I
might see all men together '(i.e., alike).' How can a man attain to this measure, and
'when, and by what means? Give us a demonstration concerning this matter." The old man
said, "It is only the per- 'fect men who attain to this measure, and according to what the
Fathers say, without contemplation in silence, and prayer, and great conflicts, and
humility, no man can attain thereto. And there is a similarity to this demonstration in
the case of natural parents, for as they regard all their children in the same way, and as
they love them all equally, and pity and spare all of them alike, even though there be
among them great and small, and healthy and sick, and righteous and sinners, and good-
looking and bad-looking, so the strenuous Fathers after the labours and the contests which
they have passed through during long periods of time spent in silent and solitary
retirement, regard all men, both the righteous and the sinners, in the same way, and they
love them all alike and without distinction. And as God maketh the shadow to fall upon all
men, both upon the righteous and upon sinners, even though he loveth the righteous for
their righteousness, yet He sheweth most compassion upon the sinners. And the coming of
our Lord was for the sake of sinners, for [saith He], I did not come to call the
righteous,' &c."

647. The brethren said, "Why was it, when the brother, according to the body, of one of
the Fathers who was living the life of a recluse, sent to him, when he was about to die,
to come and see him, that he would not do so, and that the one brother died without seeing
the other? And what is the meaning of the words which he spake, 'If I go forth and see him
my heart will not be pure before God'?" The old man said, "The holy man was living
secluded in a cell, in a habitation of the brethren, and his brother according to the body
was also living, like the other brethren in another cell, and when the latter became sick
unto death, he wished to see his brother before he died. Now to the holy man, since he was
keeping silence in respect of all the other brethren, it did not appear to be right to go
forth to his brother according to the body, and not to go forth afterwards to his
spiritual brethren, that is to say, to those who dwelt in the monastery with him. Had he
gone forth to his brother according to the body at the season of his death, and had not
gone forth to his brethren in the spirit, he would not have found freedom of speech with
God at the season of prayer, but his mind would have passed judgement upon him, and his
mind would have been darkened, as if he had held in contempt and treated his brethren in
the spirit in a dishonourable fashion, and had done more honour to his brother according
to the body than to them. This is the meaning of what he said, 'I cannot go forth, for if
I do, my heart will not be pure before God.'"

648. The brethren said, "The sage said, 'Whosoever possesseth not the art of labouring,
that is, either the things which belong to the labour of the spirit, whereby he may find
consolation from God in his inner man in the spirit, or the things which belong to the art
of human labour, cannot tarry long in his cell; whosoever doth not possess one or other of
these cannot tarry long in his cell.' Explain to us the words of the old man." The old man
said, "The things which belong to the art of human labour are well known unto every man;
but things which belong to labour of the spirit he calleth the following: fasting, vigil,
the singing of psalms and hymns, the prayers which are said kneeling down, anguish,
weeping, tears, and other labours which are like unto these. And together with these
[there must be the recital of] the offices for the seven hours [of the day and night], and
the reading of the Holy Scriptures and of the [books of] doctrine of the old men, and
these make the monk to acquire patient endurance, and the ability to live the ascetic life
alone in a cell, and they produce for him joy and spiritual comfort. If he be a beginner
in the ascetic life and strong, and he toileth in labours, he will acquire consolation;
and if he be a feeble old man, or sick, he will labour in the labours of the mind, and
will find joy. For as all the objects which are of gold are wrought by means of anvil, and
a hammer, and a pair of tongs, so by means of the labour of the body in a place of silence
and seclusion, and the striving of the mind, are wrought all the fruits of the spirit,
which the Apostle said were love, joy, peace, faith, humility, graciousness, pleasantness,
long-suffering and patient endurance."

649. The brethren said, "On one occasion, when the brethren were sitting down and asking
questions about the thoughts, one of them said, 'It is not a great matter if a man seeth
thoughts afar off.' What did he want to say? Explain to us the words of the old men. The
old man said, "When the brethren drew nigh to the Fathers and asked them questions
[wishing] to learn concerning the mode of action and thought in respect of the wars of the
devils, the Fathers did not persuade those among them who appeared to possess subtlety of
thought, and intelligence, and understanding, and to hate the passions, and to be fervent
in the spirit, to cast out from themselves straightway the thoughts of the passions
whensoever they stirred in them, and to make them to depart foolishly, but they ordered
them to tarry with them, and to examine carefully how they arose, and then to contend
against them; for in proportion as they were trained in the knowledge of strivings and
contendings against the passions and against devils they would benefit not themselves
only, but many other people also. And in this wise acted also Evagrius, that man of
understanding, and Abbâ Poemen, and others who were like unto them.

Therefore Abbâ Joseph said to Abbâ Poemen, 'When the passions rise up in thee, give unto
and receive from them, and understand carefully their crafty nature, and train thyself to
contend against them.' Now there are certain weak and foolish brethren whom in no way
whatsoever doth it benefit to dally with the rise of the thoughts of the passions which
are in the heart, on the contrary, it is far better for them, immediately they perceive
the motions of the passions, to cast them forth from them by prayer, and with anger and
hatred. Therefore, when several of the Fathers were gathered together and were discussing
the conflicts of the thoughts, and whether it was right to dally with them because of
knowledge [concerning them], or to suppress them by means of prayer through fear [of
them], one of the Fathers said, 'Even to understand the thoughts afar off is a great and
excellent work, but it is a far greater work, and one which maketh a man to acquire
practice, for him to understand the thoughts, and to wage war against them. When he hath
gained experience of their crafty character, then he will suppress them and make them to
disappear by the power of prayer and humility. Now the meaning of this question is this.

When a man hath laboured in conflict and contest against the passions for a long time in
seclusion, by the grace of our Lord his heart becometh purified, and rest and peace reign
in his soul, and he hath relief from tribulation, and he rejoiceth in God at all seasons,
and the devils have no power henceforth to stir up evil thoughts in his soul, because his
heart is filled with divine thoughts, and the understanding of spiritual things, and he is
never without the mind which is in God, and the remembrance of His fear and mercy. And
should the demons dare to stir up thoughts in him, they will not [succeed] in rousing
those which cause anguish and which bring to naught spiritual excellences, but only those
which are of an ordinary nature, and which impede the vision, even as Evagrius said.'"
650. The brethren said, "How is it possible for a man to live in such a way as to be
pleasing to God?" The old man said, "It is impossible for a monk to rise to the height of
the love of God, unless he first of all regard with affection and love man, the image of
God; for this is the end of all the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ, even as He
Himself said, 'If ye love Me, keep My commandments.'"

651. The brethren said, "An old man said, 'If there rise up in thy mind a thought about
the need of the body, and thou castest it out once, and it cometh to thee a second time,
and thou castest it out, should it come a third time, pay no regard to it, for it
appertaineth to war'; explain to us these words. The old man said, "If whilst thou art in
seclusion, and art engaged in spiritual labour, Satan, being envious of thee, and wishing
to drive thee out of the cell, or to impede thy spiritual progress, stir up in thee one of
the thoughts which goad a man into sin, either to eat before the proper time, or to lie
down and sleep, or to visit some one, or to do something else; and if he sheweth thee thy
power of discretion [saying], 'It is unseemly for thee to do this thing'; or again, should
some evil devil constrain thee, and hinder thee, and wishing to make thee to cease from
thy labour, should mock and scoff at thee; then stand thou up quickly, and bestir thyself
boldly, and bow thy knee before our Lord, and pray, and ask, and entreat for help, and
mercy, and protection. For that brother who soaked palm fibres in water, and who sat down
to plait ropes and mats, was engaged in a similar war, and a demon roused up in him the
thought to go and visit one of the brethren;

and he cast the thought from him twice, and thrice. Now finally, because he did not
understand that the war was of the Evil One, who sought to stop [his work] and drive him
out of his cell, he was overcome by the war, and he left the palm leaves soaking in the
water, and ran and hurried out in great haste. At length the matter was revealed unto one
of the holy men who was a neighbour of his, and he cried out to him, saying, 'Captive,
Captive,' and made him to come back to his cell, and afterwards the devils cried out with
a loud voice, saying, 'Ye have overcome us, O monks.' For the demons are so wicked, and
they are so envious of the monks when they remain constantly in seclusion for our Lord's
sake, that on several occasions they have, in an irregular manner, driven them out of
their cells, as if for a good object, but their object was not a good one."

652. The brethren said, "Why was it that Abbâ Ammon was not able to overcome the passion
of wrath for fourteen years, although he said unto us, that he had entreated God, with
anguish and tears, both by day and by night unceasingly, to give him the victory over it?"
The old man said, "That passion probably overcame him to an excessive degree through the
natural constitution of his body, but it is quite certain that the passions and the devils
waged war against him like a mighty man and a warrior. For the devils made war upon the
Fathers with intense fierceness and violence, upon each man according to his capacity, and
in proportion to their power to triumph, through long-suffering, that is to say, through
patient and persistent endurance, the battle against them was protracted." 653. The
brethren said, "Abbâ Dorotheus said, 'Our lack of ability to distinguish between matters
will permit us to acquire great excellence in the virtues'; explain to us what the old man
[intended] to say." The old man said, "He wished to say as follows:—'Because of our lack
of ability to distinguish between matters we do not make progress in the virtues, and our
heart is not quickly purified, and we do not ascend to perfection, because we do not
labour with the knowledge and power of discernment which it is right '[for us to have];
but [we progress] painfully, and [only] for the sake of vainglory, and as the result of
chance circumstances, and without discretion. And, as it cometh, this resembleth that
which the blessed Evagrius spake, saying, 'As it is not the material foods themselves
which nourish 'the body, but the power which is in them, so it is not 'matters themselves
which make the soul to grow, but the 'power of discernment which [cometh] from them." And
'he also said, "As the feeding, and health, and growth of 'the body do not come through
the actual materials of our 'foods, for these are cast out of the body in the draught,
'but from the hidden power which is in them, so also the 'nourishment and the growth of
the soul take place 'through the fear of God. And the healthy state thereof 'which ariseth
through impassibility, and the perfection 'thereof which is in righteousness, do not exist
through 'the labours of the body only, but from the deeds and acts 'which [are performed]
with knowledge, that is to say, 'with a straight object, and from the action of the mind
'which hateth passions, and from the prayer which is joined 'to humility, and from the
mind which is in God."'"

654. The brethren said, "Abbâ Arsenius said unto one of the brethren, 'Lead the ascetic
life with all the strength that thou hast, and the hidden labour which is within, and
which is performed for God's sake, shall vanquish thine external passions'; to what doth
he give the name of 'passions'?" The old man said, "In this case Arsenius calleth the
labours of the body 'passions.' For labours are also called by the name of 'passions,'
because they constrain those who toil, and make them feel pain, even as Abbâ Macarius
said, 'Constrain thy soul with pains and labours of every kind in ascetic excellence.' And
this is what Abbâ Arsenius said to that brother, Labour with all thy might in the work of
righteousness, and toil with the labours of the mind more than with all the various kinds
of work of the body. For the labours of the body only incite and gratify the passions of
the body, but the labours of the mind, that is to say, the thought which is in God, and
prayer without ceasing, and the suppression of the thought[s] with humility, liberate [a
man] from all the passions, and they vanquish devils, and purify the heart, and make
perfect love, and make him worthy of the revelations of the spirit."

655. The brethren said, "What is the meaning of that which Abbâ Benjamin said, 'Had Moses
not been gathering the sheep into the fold he would not have seen Him that was in the
bush'?" The old man said, "What he said was this:—As the blessed Moses, who was held
worthy of the vision in the bush, first gathered together the sheep which he was tending
into one company lest, when going to see that wonderful sight, his mind should be
perturbed through anxiety about the sheep which were [wandering] in the desert, so also is
it with the monk, for if he wisheth and desireth the purity of heart which looketh upon
God in the revelation of light, it is right that first of all he should abandon every
earthly possession, and his feelings, and his passions, and he should live in seclusion
always, and should collect his mind and free it from all wandering and straying, and
should have one object only to gaze upon, that is God. In this manner he will become
worthy of purity of heart, and he will enjoy visions and revelations concerning Him."

656. The brethren said, "Hieronymus said that the blessed Evagrius commanded the brethren
who were with him not to drink their fill of water, and said, 'There are always demons in
the places wherein there is water'; what opinion is this? The old man said, "The blessed
Evagrius interpreted these words spiritually, as being suitable to our mode of life, and
he said that which our Lord said, 'The demon goeth round about in the places wherein there
is no water, that he may seek for rest, and he findeth it not'; which saying maketh us to
understand that when the unclean devil of fornication wageth war against the monk, if the
monk afflicteth himself by eating food sparingly, and especially by drinking water
sparingly, Satan will never be able to injure him by means of this passion. And the devil
will never be gratified at the fulfilment of this passion by him, for there is nothing
which will dry up the arteries, and prevent the accident of the night, and make a monk to
possess chaste and quiet thoughts by day, so much as the restraining of the belly by
thirst. Some fast the whole day until the evening, and some fast for [several] nights at a
time, yet when they break their fast and eat a little food, because they drink much water,
they benefit in no wise by their fasting and by the sparing use of food which they
practise because of the war of lust.

For the drinking of much water filleth the arteries [of the monk] with [excessive]
moisture, and Satan findeth an occasion for exciting him by means of thoughts in the
daytime, and he trippeth him up by means of dreams by night, and he depriveth him of the
light of purity. Therefore, in another place, Abbâ Evagrius admonisheth the monk, saying,
'If thou wishest for chastity make little thy food, and restrain thyself in the drinking
of water, and then impassibility of heart shall rise upon thee, and thou shalt see in thy
prayer a mind which emitteth light like unto a star." 657. The brethren said, "In how many
ways doth Divine Grace call the brethren unto the life of the solitary ascetic?" The old
man said, "In very many and different ways. Sometimes Divine Grace moveth a man suddenly,
even as it moved Abbâ Moses, the Ethiopian, and sometimes by the hearing of the
Scriptures, as in the cases of the blessed Mâr Anthony and Mâr Simon Stylites, and at
others by the doctrine of the word, as in the cases of Serapion, and Abbâ Bessarion, and
others who were like unto them. Concerning these three ways whereby Divine Grace calleth
to those who would repent, I would say that Divine Grace moveth the conscience of a monk
in the manner which is pleasing to God, and that through these even evil-doers have
repented and pleased God. And there is, moreover, the departure from this world by the
hands of angels, by terrors, and sicknesses, and afflictions, even as that which took
place in respect of the blessed Evagrius; and sometimes God Himself calleth from heaven
and taketh a man out of the world, as in the cases of Paul, and Abbâ Arsenius."

658. The brethren said, "Wherefore is it that the beginning of the doctrine of the old men
is laid down in the books from the choice (or election) of Abbâ Arsenius, and on [his]
coming forth from the world into a monastery, and from a monastery of the brethren into
the seclusion which is in a cell?" The old man said, "Because he was called by God to the
monastery, and from the monastery to the cell, and because it is certain that these two
calls were according to the Will of God, well was it that the beginning of the doctrine of
the old men [was derived] from the history of this holy man." 659. The brethren said,
"Explain unto us these two calls of Abbâ Arsenius. What is the meaning of that which was
said in the first call, 'Flee from the children of men and thou shalt live,' and what is
the signification of that which was said at the second call, 'Flee, keep silence and live
a life of contemplation in silence, for these are the principal things which keep a man
from sinning?'' The old man said, The meaning of 'Flee from the children of men, and thou
shalt live,' is this:—If thou wishest to be delivered from the death which is in sin, and
to live the perfect life which is in righteousness, leave thy possessions, and family, and
country, and depart into exile, that is, to the desert and mountains to the holy men; and
cultivate with them My commandments, and thou shalt live a life of grace. And the meaning
of 'Flee, keep silence, and live a life of contemplation in silence' is this:—Since when
thou wast in the world thou wast drawn towards anxieties about the affairs thereof, I have
made thee to come out from the world, and I have sent thee to the habitation of monks, so
that after a short time of dwelling in the coenobium thou mayest be drawn, first to the
cultivation of My commandments openly, and secondly to contemplation in silence.

And now that thou art trained in the former sufficiently, thou mayest flee, that is to
say, get thee forth from the monastery of the brethren, and enter into thy cell, just as
thou didst go forth from the world, and didst enter into the monastery. And the meaning of
'Keep silence, and lead a life of contemplation in silence,' is:— Having entered into thy
cell to contemplate in silence, thou shalt not give the multitude an opportunity of coming
in to thee, and talking to thee unnecessarily, except on matters which relate to spiritual
excellence; if thou dost not do this thou wilt benefit by sitting in silent contemplation.
For through the sight, and the hearing, and the converse of the multitude who shall come
in to thee, the captivity of wandering thoughts will carry thee off, and thy silence and
thy contemplation will be disturbed. But do not imagine that the mere fact of having left
the brethren in the monastery, or not bringing other men into thy cell to be disturbed by
them will be sufficient to make thy mind to be composed, or to enable thee to meditate
upon God, and to correct thyself, unless thou dost take good heed not to occupy thy mind
with them in any way whatsoever when they are remote from thee.

For until a man arriveth at a state of impassibility, and overcometh by striving both the
passions and the devils, whensoever a monk remembereth any man in his cell, he remembereth
him in connexion with some passion, that is to say, with desire (or lust), or with anger,
or with vainglory. And if it should happen that the mind wandereth in respect of ordinary
things (or means), unless he cutteth them off from him, his wandering inclineth through
absolute necessity towards a remembrance which is allied to some passion. And it is also
thus in the case of a neophyte, for whensoever during his contemplation in silence he
remembered women he falleth into the lust of fornication; and whensoever he remembereth
men, he is either wroth with them in his thoughts, and he maketh accusations against them,
and blameth them, and condemneth them, or he demandeth from them vainglory, and he
inclineth to passibility. Therefore when Abbâ Macarius was asked, 'What is the right way
for a brother, who is a neophyte, to live in his cell?' he said, Let no monk when he is in
his cell have any remembrance whatsoever of any man, for he cannot profit in any way in
restraining his feelings from the conversation of men, except he take care to withhold his
thoughts from secret intercourse with them.' This is the meaning of the words, Flee, keep
silence, and contemplate in silence.'"

660. The brethren said, "What is the meaning of the words which one of the old men spake,
saying, 'He who dwelleth with men, because of the commotion of worldly affairs is unable
to see his sins; but if he dwell in the silent repose of the desert he will be able to see
God in a pure manner?'" The old man said, "The excellences which are cultivated in the
world, and to which our Lord, speaking in the Gospel, ascribed blessing, are
lovingkindness, peace-making and the other commandments which are like unto them, and it
is quite possible for such virtues to be cultivated in the world by certain strenuous
persons. But the purity of heart which seeth God, and to which our Lord ascribed blessing,
saying, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,' cannot be acquired without
dwelling in the desert, and solitary and silent contemplation, and the monk must acquire
it in the following way. First of all a man must go forth from the world, and dwell in a
monastery, and after his training in a monastery and having gone into his cell, he must
die through contemplation in silence, and through the other labours of his body, and
through striving against the passions, and through conflict with devils.

Then through the tranquillity of mind [which he will acquire] in silent contemplation, he
will remember his sins, and when he hateth his passions, and hath petitioned for the
remission of his sins, and hath suppressed his thoughts, and hath become constant in pure
prayer, and hath cleansed his heart from odious thoughts, then shall he be worthy to see
in his heart, even as in a polished mirror, the light of the revelation of our Lord
[shine] upon it, even as the Fathers say. Well, then, did that holy man say to those
brethren, Visit the sick, reconcile the men of wrath, for he who cultivateth spiritual
excellences in the world cannot, by reason of the commotion of the affairs thereof, see
his sins; but if he continue in silent contemplation and prayer he shall see God." 661.
The brethren said, "What is [the meaning of] that which Abbâ Sisoes said to Abbâ Ammon,
'Freedom of my thoughts in the desert is sufficient for me?'" The old man said, "Sisoes
was a great and a perfect old man, and he dwelt all the days of his life in the remote
desert, and after he had become old, and was exceedingly feeble, the Fathers brought him
to the monastery of the brethren, who used to go in and visit him each day, for the sake
of some profitable discourse and helpful prayer. And because he was unaccustomed to feel
comfortable in the presence of many folks, his mind began to wander about in remembering
the brethren, and to meditate upon many things, and he was unable to find that dominant
freedom for the continuous, secret prayer of the mind, which is superior to every
influence that would make it decline, and is free from every [other] attraction, and he
was, therefore, rightly grieved.

Now one day, Abbâ Ammon went to visit him, and he saw that he was sorry about his coming
from the desert, and he said unto him, Father, it is not right for thee to be sorrowful
because thou hast drawn nigh to the place where the brethren dwell, for thy body hath
become feeble, and thou art unable to perform those works wherein thou wert wont to labour
in the desert.' Now when Abbâ Sisoes heard these things, he looked at Abbâ Ammon sternly,
and he answered him with indignation, saying, 'What sayest thou to me, Ammon? Was not the
freedom of the thoughts which I had in the desert sufficient to take the place for me of
all labours? And as regards thyself also, O Ammon, who art conscious of the life and acts
of the freedom of the mind, and who art not subject unto the constraint of wandering and
disturbance of the mind, and who art not impeded by old age and infirmity, tell me what
thou art able to do in the desert at thy great age? Even if I be unequal to the labours of
the body, because I have become infirm through old age, I am better able to perform the
labours of the mind than I was in the time of my early manhood.

Or, perhaps in thy opinion the clear shining of the mind, which a monk acquireth by a life
of contemplation in silence, and the constant intercourse with God, and the prayer which
is without ceasing, and the remembrance of Christ, and the constant gazing upon Him, and
the exultation of the soul in Him, and the favour of His love, and the affection for His
commandments, and the desire for His good things, and the meditation upon His glory, and
the thought about His excellence and His majesty, and the admiration of His humility, are
matters which are small and contemptible? All these labours of the mind, and many others
which are like unto them, neither old age nor infirmity impedes, but they are prevented,
and brought low, and, by degrees, are destroyed, by converse with the children of men, and
by seeing many people, and by care about worldly affairs."

662. The brethren said, "They used to say that when the service in the church was over,
Abbâ Macarius was wont to flee to his cell, and that the brethren said, 'He hath a devil,
but he doeth the work of God.' Now who were those who said that he had a devil? And what
was the work of God which he used to do?" The old man said, "Those who said that he had a
devil were the lazy brethren. Whensoever Satan seeth the monks who are leading a life of
spiritual excellence in the monastery, the devils stir up the lazy brethren to wage war
against them, by means of abuse, and revilings, and backbiting, and calumny, and by means
of the trials which they bring upon them. Now the work of God which Abbâ Sisoes did when
he fled [to his cell] was this: Prayer accompanied by weeping and tears, according to the
exhortation of Abbâ Isaiah, who said, 'When the congregation is dismissed, or when thou
risest up after eating, sit not down to talk with any man, either concerning the affairs
of the world, or concerning matters of spiritual excellence; but go thou into thy cell,
and weep for thy sins, even as Abbâ Macarius the Alexandrian said unto the brethren who
were with him, Brethren, flee." And the brethren said, "Father, how can we flee more than
[in coming] to the desert?" and he laid his hand upon his mouth, and said "unto them, Flee
ye in this manner"; and straightway "every man fled to his cell and held his peace.'"

663. The brethren said, "Abbâ Anthony said, 'As a fish dieth when it is lifted up out of
the water, so doth the monk '[die] if he remain long outside his cell'; explain these
words 321 to us." The old man said, "Because the remembrance of God is, in our Lord Jesus
Christ, the life of the soul, which the Fathers call the 'repository of life,' and 'the
breath of the life of the soul and of the mind,' when the monk tarrieth in the cities, and
in the sight and converse of the children of men, he dieth in respect of the breath of
life which is in God, that is to say, he forgeteth God, and the love of Christ groweth
cold in his heart, the love which he hath acquired by many labours, and he forgeteth his
virtues, and he becometh lax in respect of [his] liking for tribulations, and he loveth
pleasures, and hath an affection for lusts, and the sincerity of his heart is troubled
through the disturbance which entereth into his senses, that is, seeing, and speaking, and
hearing, which are indeed the strength of the soul; and it happeneth also that he falleth
into great passions, wherefrom may Christ God save us! Amen."

664. The brethren said, "The excellent man Hieronymus said in the history of the triumphs
of the blessed Isidore, the archimandrite, that he had in his monastery one thousand
monks, and that they all lived within the gate of his habitation, and that none of them
ever went outside it until the day of his death, except two brethren who only set out
therefrom to sell their handiwork, and who brought in only such things as were required
for their absolute needs. How is it that in an assembly of our early Fathers, that is, a
congregation containing one thousand brethren, two men only were sufficient [to provide
for] their ministrations? In our generation if there was a congregation of five and fifty
monks, only five would lead a life of ascetic excellence in seclusion, and the [other]
fifty would be going out and coming in ceaselessly and without rest to supply them with
what they needed. The old man said, "Concerning the love for labours, and the watch which
the early Fathers kept [on themselves], and concerning the love of pleasure, and the
laxity of ourselves who belong to a later time, if it be right to tell the truth, we ought
to speak most concerning the laxity and ignorance of the governors of monasteries. In
former times the brethren who lived lives of contemplation and seclusion and loved
spiritual repose were many, and those who went out on to the high roads, and entered the
cities, and performed outside labours were few;

but in our days, in a congregation which, as ye have said, containeth five and fifty
monks, five will lead a life of spiritual repose inside the monastery, and the other fifty
will toil ceaselessly in the works which are outside it, and during the whole time they
will complain and blame the five who are inside, because they do not go out and serve even
as do they. And through the words of these foolish and insolent men all the spiritual
excellences which are cultivated in the monastery will perish and come to an end. And
according to what I say, if the Fathers set the life of contemplation in silence against
the whole of the labour of the ascetic life, and if it be more excellent than it all, who
would blame him that loveth spiritual contemplation and repose, and the quiet of the
cell?" 665. The brethren said, "On one occasion a congregation of monks assembled on the
great festival of the Resurrection, and there were gathered together in the monastery all
the Fathers, and all the recluses, and other monks, and all the old men in the
congregation were asked, Which is the mightiest and most severe war which can come upon
monks? And they all agreed that no war is harder or more cruel than that which maketh a
man to leave his cell and depart, and that when that war is fought down, all other
contests may be easily reduced. Explain to us the meaning of these words." The old man
said, "Constant spiritual repose in a cell hath hope closely bound up in it, but going out
there from is united to despair. As long as a man liveth in spiritual repose, and loveth
the quiet of the cell, little by little he goeth forward, one step at a time, according to
the order of succession; and he hath hope that in our Lord he will vanquish each of the
passions, and that through his repose and labours he will acquire spiritual excellences
and the grace of Christ. But if the life becometh tedious to him, and he go forth and
leave his cell, and wander about, he will neither vanquish the passions, nor acquire
spiritual virtues, but he will incline to despair, and to utter destruction. Therefore the
Fathers have well said that no war is more cruel than the war of wandering."

666. The brethren said, "Abbâ Theodore and Abbâ Lûkî passed fifty years in being harassed
by their thoughts which urged them vexatiously to change [their] place [of living]; and
they said, 'When the winter cometh we will change.' And when the winter had come, they
said, 'We will change in the summer'; and thus they continued to do till the end of their
lives. Reveal to us if it were the devils who were urging these famous Fathers to go forth
from their cells for a period of fifty years, that is, until their death." The old man
said, "The devils urged the great Fathers to wander and to go forth from their spiritual
repose because they well knew the benefit which accrued to them therefrom, and these holy
Fathers were urged by the devils also, but did not leave their cells. To-day, however, in
this generation, the same 323

II-21a devils harass the monks, and drive them out of their cells by this war of
departure, and therefore the great Fathers who have felt this war of wandering and of
departure have said, 'There is no war which is more cruel to the monk than this; may
Christ help us and deliver us from it.'" 667. The brethren said, "Abbâ Anthony used to
say, 'He who dwelleth in the desert is free from three wars, that is, from speaking,
hearing, and seeing'; explain these words to us. The old man said, "The old man did not
speak [thus] because the strife of him that dwelt in spiritual repose in the desert was
less fierce than that of him that wandered about and mingled with men, but that he might
show how much more hard and laborious was the war of devils which taketh place in the
heart of those who dwell in spiritual repose than that which cometh in the heart of those
who dwell with brethren. And because of this the fathers pursued after a life of
contemplation in silence, lest when the wars of speaking and seeing and hearing were added
unto that which was already in their heart, they would fall by reason of their severity,
even as actually happened on one occasion, for a woman came to the monks who were living a
life of silent contemplation, and there was added to the war which was already in their
hearts the wars of seeing, and hearing, and speaking, and they would have been vanquished
by the severity thereof had it not been that the grace of our Lord supported them.

That the war which taketh place in the senses of the soul against the monks who live a
life of silent contemplation is mightier and fiercer than that which taketh place in the
senses of the body, is well known from the words which the blessed Evagrius spake, saying,
Against the monks who lead a life of silent contemplation the devils in person wage war,
but against those who lead a life of spiritual excellence in a general assembly of
brethren, the devils only stir up and incite the lazy brethren; but the war which ariseth
from the sight, and the hearing, and the speech is much less fierce that that which is
waged against the monks who dwell in silent solitude." 668. The brethren said, "What is
the meaning of that which Abbâ Anthony said, 'A monk's cell is the furnace of Babylon, and
it is also a pillar of light'?" The old man said, "There are two things peculiar to the
cell; the one warmeth and setteth on fire, and the other giveth light and rejoicing. To
neophytes it is oppressive and troublesome, by reason of the many wars and the dejection
which are therein, but it rejoiceth the perfect and maketh them glad, with purity of
heart, and impassibility, and revelations of light; and it is even thus with those who
begin to live in silent contemplation, for although at the beginning they are for a
considerable time afflicted by the wars of the passions, and by devils, they are never
forsaken by the help of Divine Grace. For our Lord Himself, the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
cometh to them secretly, and he becometh to them a helper and a companion, and after they
have overcome both passions and devils, according to systematic order, He maketh them
worthy of the happiness which is in His perfect love, and the revelation of His glorious
light."

669. The brethren said, "Abbâ Moses the Ethiopian was on one occasion reviled by certain
men, and the brethren asked him, saying, 'Wast not thou troubled in thy heart, O father,
when thou wast reviled?' And he said unto them, 'Although I was troubled, yet I said
nothing.' What is the meaning of the words, 'Although I was troubled I spake not?' The old
man said, 'The perfection of monks consisteth of two parts, that is to say, of
impassibility of the senses of the body, and of impassibility of the senses of the soul.
Impassibility of the body taketh place when a man who is reviled restraineth himself for
God's sake and speaketh not, even though he be troubled; but impassibility of the soul
taketh place when a man is abused and reviled, and yet is not angry in his heart when he
is abused, even like John Colobos. For on one occasion when the brethren were sitting with
him, a man passed by and upbraided him, but he was not angry, and his countenance changed
not; then the brethren asked him, saying, Art thou not secretly troubled in thy heart, O
father, being reviled in this fashion?' And he answered and said unto them, 'I am not
troubled inwardly, for inwardly I am just as tranquil as ye see that I am outwardly'; and
this is perfect impassibility.

Now at that time Abbâ Moses had not arrived at this state of perfection, and he confessed
that although outwardly he was undisturbed, yet he was waging a contest in his heart, and
he maintained silence and was not angry outwardly; and even this was a spiritual
excellence, although it would have been a more perfect thing had he not been angry either
inwardly or outwardly. And the blessed Nilus made a comparison of these two measures of
excellence in the cases of the blessed men Moses and Aaron. The act of covering the breast
and heart with the priestly tunic which Aaron performed when he went into the Holy of
Holies represented the state of a man who, though angry in his heart, suppresseth his
wrath by striving and prayer; and the state of a man not being angry at all in the heart,
because he hath been exalted to perfection by [his] victory over the passions and the
devils, Nilus compared to that which is said of the blessed Moses, saying, 'Moses took the
breast for an offering, because the soul dwelleth in the heart, and the heart in the
breast.' And Solomon said, 'Remove anger from thy heart,' and concerning Aaron the Book
saith, 'He was covering his breast with the ephod and tunic,' and this teacheth us monks
that it is meet for us to cover over the wrath which is in the heart with gentle, and
humble, and tranquil thoughts, and that we should not allow it to ascend to the opening of
our throat, and that the odiousness and abomination thereof shall be revealed by the
tongue."

670. The brethren said, "Why is it that, although all the fathers used to admonish the
brethren to ask the old men questions continually, and to learn from them, and to reveal
to them their thoughts, and to live according to their directions, one of the old men said
to one of the brethren, 'Go, sit in thy cell, and thy cell shall teach thee everything?'"
The old man said, "There is no contradiction in these words of the Fathers, and what the
old man said hath an object, the meaning of which is well known. The old man who
admonished the brother that he should learn like a beginner was great and famous, and to
that brother who asked him the question he spake thus:—In the early days when thou goest
to thy cell lay hold upon the habits (or orders) of the neophytes, and live according to
them for a considerable period, that is to say, with fasting, and vigil, and reading, and
reciting the offices, and all the other things, until at length, after the lapse of time,
the life of contemplation in silence shall give thee the order which befitteth thy
seclusion, and will add those things which are seemly, and will diminish those which are
not. This is the meaning of that which was said by the holy man, 'Sit in thy cell, and it
shall teach thee everything.'"

671. The brethren said, "One of the old men used to say, 'A man shall have no care, and he
shall contemplate in silence, and shall cover up himself; three meditations shall teach
purity.' What is the meaning of these three words?" The old man said, "'A man shall have
no care' means that he shall not care concerning the shortcomings of others, and that all
his anxiety shall be concerning his own shortcomings. And, 'He shall contemplate in
silence' means that he shall not speak even concerning matters of spiritual excellence if
it will trouble any man or condemn him. And 'He shall cover up himself' meaneth that he
shall not reveal his life and deeds, but as far as possible, he shall be unknown and
unhonoured. Now by these things is established the purity of heart which seeth God in a
revelation of light." 672. The brethren said, "How is it possible for a monk to die every
day for the love of Christ, even as the blessed Paul said, 'I swear by your boasting, my
brethren, that, in our Lord Jesus Christ, I die daily, and the world is dead unto me, and
I am crucified unto the world, and the world is crucified unto me, and I live, yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me'? The old man said, "A man [can do this] if he contemplate in
silence at all seasons, and perform the other works of the body, I mean fasting, and
vigil, and the recital of the books of the Psalms, and prayers, and genuflexions, and
groanings, and pain, and weeping, and tears, and sighs, and the reading of the Holy
Scriptures. And he must especially take care concerning the works of the mind, that is,
the constant remembrance of God, and meditation upon Him and His blessings, and upon His
commandments and His threatenings; and his gaze must always be on our Lord, and his prayer
must be without ceasing and without wandering, and the odiousness of the passions must be
away from the heart, and he must suppress with keenness the thoughts of the devils which
arise at their prompting. And he must possess that excellence which is the first and most
important of all the spiritual virtues, and of all the labours of the ascetic life of the
mind, that is to say, death in respect of all the anxieties and cares of this world.

And a monk must have no care, and no anxiety, and he must not think about anything, or
seek anything, or desire anything, or lust for anything, except for the time when he will
attain to the perfect love of God in our Lord Jesus Christ. And he must fulfil at all
times the command of the blessed Paul, and his admonition to us wherein he said, 'Love ye
your Lord, rejoice in your hope, pray without ceasing, be fervent in spirit, endure your
tribulations, be not anxious about anything, cast all your care upon the Lord; and let all
your prayers, and all your requests, and all your petitions be made known unto God, to
Whom be glory for ever and ever! Amen.'" 673. The brethren said, "How can love be acquired
by men of understanding?" The old man said, "True and pure love is the way of life, and
the haven of promises, and the treasure of faith, and it sheweth [the way of] the kingdom,
and it is the expositor of the judgement, and the preacher concerning what is hidden."
674. The brethren said, "We do not know the power of the word." The old man said, "If a
man doth not love God he will not believe in Him, and His promises are not certain to him,
and he feareth not His judgement, and he goeth not after Him; but, because love is not in
him, so that he may flee from iniquity, and wait for the life which hath been promised, he
is always performing the work of sin. And he doth this because His judgement is raised too
far above his eyes. Therefore let us run after love, wherein the holy fathers were rich,
for it is able to reward its nature and its God, and this is its praise."

675. The brethren said, "In what way doth wisdom live in a man?" The old man said, "Now
when a man hath gone forth to follow God with a sincere mind, grace taketh up its abode in
him, and his life and deeds are strengthened in the Spirit, and he hath taken a hatred to
the world, for he perceiveth that new spiritual life which is in the new man, and which is
exalted above the impurity of human life, and in his mind he thinketh upon the humility of
the life and works which are to come, and which are [more] excellent than those here."
676. The brethren said, "By what is love made known?" The old man said, "By the fulfilment
of work, and by spiritual meditation and by the knowledge of faith." 677. The brethren
said, "What are works?" The old man said, "The keeping of the commandments of God in the
purity of the inner man, together with the [performance of] labours by the outer man."

678. The brethren said, "Is every man who is destitute of works also destitute of love?"
The old man said, "It is impossible for the man who is in God not to love and it is
impossible that he who loveth should not work; and it is incredible that he who teacheth
and doth not work is indeed a believer, for his tongue is the enemy of his actions, and
although he speaketh life, he is in subjection unto death." 679. The brethren said, "And
is he who is in this state destitute of reward?" The old man said, "The man who speaketh
the things of the spirit, and who performeth the things of the body is not destitute of
reward, and that which he needeth is fulfilled for him, but he is deprived of the crown of
light, because he desireth not that the rule of the spirit shall have dominion over him."

680. The brethren said, "Fasting and prayer: what are they?" The old man said, "Fasting is
the subjugation of the body, and prayer is converse with God, vigil is the war with Satan,
abstinence is the being weaned from meats, standing up is the humility of the primitive
man, genuflexion is the bowing down before the Judge, tears are the remembrance of sins,
nakedness is our captivity through transgression, and [reciting the] service is constant
supplication and the praising of God." 681. The brethren said, "Are these things able to
redeem the soul?" The old man said, "When the things which are within agree with the
things which are without and the humility which is manifest appeareth in the hidden works
which are within, in very truth a man is redeemed from the heaviness of the body." 682.
The brethren said, "And what is internal humility?" The old man said, "It is humility of
love, peace, concord, purity, restfulness, gentleness, subjection, faith, remoteness from
envy, [and it is] the soul which lacketh the fervour of anger, and is remote from the lust
of arrogance, and is separated from vainglory, and is filled with patient endurance like
the great deep, and whose motion is drawn after the knowledge of the spirit, and before
whose eyes is depicted the departure from the body, and the great marvel of the
Resurrection, and the call to judgement, which [shall come] after the quickening, and its
standing before the awful throne of God, and the being redeemed."

683. The brethren said, "Is it possible for a man to fast and not to be redeemed?" The old
man said, "There is a fasting which is a matter of habit, and another which is of desire,
and another which is of constraint, and another which is of the sight, and another which
is of vainglory, and another of tribulation, and another of repentance, and another of
spiritual love; and although each one of them is the same outside the mind, yet in the
word of knowledge they are distinct. Now although the manner of each in respect of the
body is the same, yet each should be undertaken with thorough purpose, and a man should
journey straightly along the way of love, and should bear his burden with spiritual
patience, and he should not rejoice in his honour." 684. The brethren said, "Who is the
true [monk]?" The old man said, "He who maketh his word manifest indeed, and endureth his
pain patiently; with such a man new life is found, and the knowledge of the spirit
dwelleth in him."

685. The brethren said, "Who is he that liveth purely?" The old man said, "He who is free
from the delights of the body, and who rejoiceth in the love of his neighbours in the love
of God; for in proportion as need hath rule over the soul is spiritual repose produced
[therein]." 686. The brethren said, "With what can we vanquish lust?" The old man said,
"With the remembrance of the good things of the spirit; for, if the desire for the good
things which are to come doth not abrogate the lust for the delights of this world, a man
cannot overcome at all. Except the merchant's ship be laden with manifold hope it will not
be able to endure the storms, and will sail on the path of tribulation." 687. The brethren
said, "In what way doth a man go forth from the world?" The old man said, "He doeth this
when he forsaketh the gratification of all his lust, and when, so far as it lieth in his
power, he runneth to fulfil the commandments; the man who doth not do this will fall."

688. The brethren said, "Through what did the men of old triumph over nature?" The old man
said, "Through the fervour of their love which was above nature, and through the death of
the man which is corruptible, and through contempt of arrogance, and through abatement of
the belly, and through the fear of the judgement, and through the sure and certain
promise; through the desire of these glorious things the Fathers acquired in the soul a
spiritual body." 689. The brethren said, "How can we vanquish the passions which afflict
us, since they are placed in our nature?" The old man said, "Through your death to the
world, for except a man burieth himself in the grave of continence the spiritual Adam can
never be quickened in him. For when a dead man departeth from this temporary life, he hath
no perception of the world, and all his senses are at rest and they are useless. Now if
that which appertaineth to thy natural body thou dost forsake naturally, and thou dost not
do the same voluntarily in respect of thine own person, thou wilt die; but if thy desire
dieth through repentance, [thy] nature will cease from this temporary life in the death of
the spirit, even as the natural emotions of the body ceased through its natural end."

690. The brethren said, "To what extent is a man held to be worthy of revelations?" The
old man said, "To the same extent as he is held to be worthy to cast off sin inwardly and
outwardly. For when a man dieth through spiritual slaughter to all the conversation of
this temporary life, and when he hath committed his life to the life which is after the
quickening, Divine Grace alighteth upon him, and he is held to be worthy of divine
revelations; for the impurity of the world is a dark covering to the soul, and it
preventeth it from discerning spiritual meanings." 691. The brethren said, "Can the man
who loveth money be faithful to the promises?" The old man said, "If he believeth why doth
he possess [anything]? Is our hope fixed upon gold? Or is the hand of the Lord too short
to redeem? He gave us the Body of our Lord for happiness, and His holy Blood as a drink
unto our redemption; and hath He kept back from us the loaf of bread and the apparel which
grow old?

"He who loveth money hath a doubt in his mind concerning God, and he prepareth [the means
of] life before God giveth them unto him; and, although in his words he rejoiceth in the
promises, he maketh them to be a lie by his deeds. True is the word of our Lord, Who said,
'It is as difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God, as for a camel to go
into the eye of a needle' (St. Matthew xix, 24); to possess both God and mammon in one
abode is impossible. Now those who follow the ascetic life do not belong to the things
which are seen." 692. The brethren said, 'Who is truly the man of ascetic ex- "cellence?'
The old man said, 'He who at all times crieth out that he is a sinner, and asketh mercy
from the Lord, whose speech beareth the sense of discretion, whose feelings bear the
excellence of works, who though silent yet speaketh, and who though speaking yet holdeth
his peace, and whose acts and deeds bear good fruit to his temporary life and the
manifestation of Christ."

693. The brethren said, "Which is the way of life?" The old man said, "That whereby a man
goeth forth from this world in his entrance into the other; but if a man forsaketh his
childhood of humility, and cometh to the old age of this world in his love, he revealeth
the way of life. Now the true departure from this world is remoteness therefrom." 694. A
brother said, "What shall I do to this world when it troubleth me?" The old man said, "The
world troubleth thee because the cares thereof are in thy mind, and love therefor is in
thy body, and its delights are in thy heart. Let the world depart from thee, and tear out
from thee all the roots (or branches) thereof, and lo, the war thereof will cease from
thee. For as long as thy body seeketh [its] pleasures, and its lust is of the world, it is
impossible for thee to live."

695. The brethren said, "What is pure prayer?" The old man said, "That which is of few
words and is abundant in deeds. For if [thy] actions be not more than thy petition, thy
prayers are mere words wherein the seed of the hands is not; and if it be not thus, why do
we ask and not receive, since the mercy of Grace aboundeth. The manner of the penitent is
one thing, and the labour of the humble is another; the penitent are hirelings, but the
humble are sons." 696. The brethren said, "By what is the love of money produced?" The old
man said, "From lust, for except a man lusteth he will not possess [money], and if he doth
not possess [money] he will not lust. When a man lusteth he possesseth [money], and having
acquired it he fulfilleth his lust; "and having fulfilled his lust, he becometh greedy,
and having become greedy he committeth fraud; and having committed fraud his possessions
increase, and when his possessions have increased love becometh little in him. And when
love hath diminished the remembrance of God is wanting in the heart, and the intelligence
becometh darkened, and his power of discernment becometh blinded, and when the power of
discernment hath become blinded, the power of distinguishing is darkened, and when the
power of distinguishing hath become darkened, the soul goeth blind. And when the soul hath
become blind goodness is rooted out therefrom, and wickedness entereth in, and sin hath
dominion; and when sin hath obtained dominion the thought of God is blotted out, the
passions of the body are roused up, and they seek for the means for working out their
needs. And when they have obtained that which they seek it becometh necessary for much
money to be gathered together, and when money hath multiplied the pleasure of the body is
fulfilled, and a man eateth, and drinketh, and committeth adultery and fornication, and he
lieth and acteth fraudulently, and transgresseth the covenant, and he destroyeth the Law,
and despiseth the promises, and lust is fulfilled, and God is wroth. For if the lust for
the things which are seen be hated in our sight, we shall not love money, but if we
perform the lust of the flesh it is necessary to love money, because it belongeth to the
flesh and not to the spirit, even as the Apostle said, 'The flesh hurteth the spirit, and
the spirit the flesh, and both are opponents each of other'" (Galatians v, 17).

697. The brethren said, "What kind of prayer is that which is not acceptable before God?"
The old man said, "[The prayer for the] destruction of enemies. When we ask that evil
things [may come] upon those who do harm to us, and for bodily health, and abundance of
possessions, and fertility in respect of children, these requests are not acceptable
before God. If God beareth with us, who are sinners and who offend Him, how much more is
it right that we should bear each with the other? It is, then, not meet that we should ask
for the things which concern the body, for the wisdom of God provideth everything
[necessary]." 698. The brethren said, "What is purity of soul?" The old man said,
"Remoteness from anger, and the error of remembrance of evil things, being weaned from a
bitter disposition, friendliness towards our enemies, peace which is superior to
troubling, and sincere love which is above the world; by means of these the hidden man is
purified, and he putteth on Christ, and is redeemed."

699. The brethren said, "What is envy?" The old man said, "Hatred towards the virtues of
others, and wickedness towards the good, and a bitter disposition towards the innocent,
and anger against those who are prosperous in this world, and the concealment of the
upright acts and deeds of the penitent, and vexation at the peace of the friends of God."
700. The brethren said, "In what way ought we to pray before God?" The old man said, "For
the repentance of sinners, and the finding of the lost, and the drawing nigh of those who
are afar off, and friendliness towards those who do us harm, and love towards those who
persecute us, and sorrowful care for those who provoke God to wrath. And if a man doeth
these things truly and with a penitent mind, the sinners will often gain life, and the
living soul will be redeemed. Now the prayer which our Lord delivered to us as to the
needs of the body, is one which applieth to the whole community, and it was not uttered
for the sake of those who are strangers to the world, and with whom the pleasures of the
body are held in contempt. He in whose habitation (or life) the kingdom of God and His
righteousness are found lacketh nothing, even when he asketh not."

701. The brethren said, "What is remoteness from the world?" The old man said, "The
thought which vanquisheth the love of the body, for if the body be not trodden down by the
lust of patient endurance, a man cannot conquer in the fight." 702. The brethren said,
"Can the soul of a man who is held fast in the love of the things which are seen be
pleasing unto God?" The old man said, "Who is able to live in chastity when the body is
making demands upon him? Or, how can be found the love of our Lord in the soul which hath
its abode with the things which are seen and are corruptible? No man can serve two
masters, and the soul cannot please God with spiritual excellence so long as the
remembrances of corruptible things are in its mind, for the mind of the flesh is not able
to please God; except the world dieth out of the heart humility cannot live therein, and
except the body be deprived of its lusts, the soul cannot be purified from thoughts."

703. The brethren said, "Why is the mind disturbed at the meeting with females?" The old
man said, "Because they are employed in the fulfilment of the lust of nature. When the
gaze falleth upon the structure which [is intended for] the production of children, and
for the pleasures of the body, the poison of olden time seizeth upon a man, and the law of
his will becometh confused; now the will conquereth nature, not by the stirring up of the
passions, but by the fulfilment of works. The humble by the power of our Lord conquer
everything by their love through the patient endurance of the merit of our Lord." 704. The
brethren said, "Who is the mightier man? He who is remote from the world, or he who
dwelleth therein?" The old man said, "The mighty man, wheresoever he dwelleth, conquereth
whether he be in the world or out of it. Now the Fathers departed to the desert place
which was free from noise and tumult, because they were afraid that so long as they abode
in the body the passions which afflicted them would cleave unto them; but those who have
completed the great strife of their contest in the world [have performed] an act of grace
the power whereof hath worked, and still worketh, for the help and benefit of the
community. And verily their crown shall be a great one, because into the disturbed and
troubled sea of the world their spiritual ship, which was on its way to heaven along the
straight path which was full of fear, hath not gone down."

705. The brethren said, "If a man maketh himself a stranger to the world, is it helpful to
his soul?" The old man said, "If it fulfilleth with praise it is helpful, and if it
endureth tribulation in chastity, and rejoiceth in our Lord, it is beneficial, but it is
not, if it doeth away the good seed and preventeth it from producing beloved fruit unto
God. If it beareth and is blessed, it hath a reward, but if it lack these things it
becometh a wandering to the mind, and a sight which is profitless; but best of all these
things is the tranquillity of the mind which is nigh unto God." 706. The brethren said,
"Since all the creatures which God hath made are holy, why were the Fathers in the habit
of making the sign of the blessed Cross over such of them as they ate as food? The old man
said, "Verily, all God's creatures are pure, through the Grace of Him that created them,
yet, because sin obtained dominion, every one of them became polluted; then came the
advent of our Lord and abrogated sin, and righteousness obtained dominion, and everything
became sanctified, whether it was in the heaven or on the earth. But because the blessed
Fathers knew the harmful disposition of Satan, who even by means of such things as are
used as food carrieth on a war to our injury, they sealed their foods with the holy sign
of the Great Cross, that they might bring to naught all the crafts of the Calumniator. For
one of the old men said, 'On one occasion, when I was lying down at night, I thirsted for
water to drink. And there was near me a holy man who lived chastely, and he saw me take up
a vessel of water to drink without having made over it the sign of the Cross. And he said
unto me, Wait, master, wait," and he made the 'sign of the Cross over it, and straightway
there fell from the vessel the Calumniator in the form of a flash of fire;

and both he and I saw this, and we marvelled at the great power of the Redeemer, and at
the wonderful sign of His merit.' An- 'other version of the story reads:—And one of the
Fathers said, On one occasion I was lying down at night, and I thirsted for water to
drink. And there was near me a certain widow, who led a chaste life, both when she was
with her husband, and afterwards, and she said to me, Wait, master, wait,' and she made
the sign of the Holy Cross over the vessel of water, and straightway the Calumniator fell
from the vessel in the form of a flash of fire; and both she and I saw it, and we
marvelled at the great power of our Redeemer, and at the wonderful sign of His merit.
These things were indeed spoken by that holy mouth which was remote from falsehood.
Therefore we must necessarily do this (i.e., make the sign of the Cross over our food) for
the protection of our life.

For against this holy woman who did these things, the enemy waged war openly, according to
what I have learned from a certain saint, a chosen man of God, who heard the matter from
her own mouth, and he spake thus:—The blessed woman spake unto me, saying, One day I went
to the house of God, and Satan drew nigh, and said unto me, Why dost thou pray like a man,
and say, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost? And I said unto
him, If I am not to pray thus, how shall I pray? And the blessed woman said, Satan said
unto me, Pray thus, and say, Glory be unto thee, O Mary, mother of Christ. Then I answered
and said unto him, [There are] ashes in thine eyes, O Satan. Why should I forsake the Lord
and adore the mother? And Satan disappeared. And the blessed man also said unto me, This
same old woman said unto me:—On another occasion I went to church according to custom, and
I knelt down and prayed, and then the Enemy came and made blind mine eyes, and I could not
see, and I called to one of the women, and she led me to my house. After three days Satan
departed from before mine eyes, and he began to go away from before me, and then I said
unto him, There is something which I must make thee do. Go thou to the place where thou
didst seize upon me;

and we went to the church, both he and I, and I left him where he seized upon me. Then I
went away a short distance, and when I turned and looked at him I saw that he was standing
like a shadow; and I went on again, and then turned, and still I saw him. And I shut the
door of the temple and went forth, and then I opened it again and went in, and I saw him
still standing [there], and at that time his wiles ceased from me. Such were the great
things which happened to that blessed old woman. For the monk must not boast himself over
the man who liveth in the world, for there are mighty men in the world; for if such
qualities are found in Eve, how much greater ones should be found in the Adam which is
redeemed by Adam?"

"One of the Fathers said unto me, 'One night whilst I was sleeping, the Enemy came and
smote me, and said unto me, Get thee into the world and cultivate righteousness, for why
dost thou shut thyself up like a beast in caves? "And knowing the wickedness of the Enemy,
who was looking at me with an evil eye, I made the sign of the Cross in his face, and he
fled from me. Then he waited a few days, and came and smote me on the neck, and said unto
me mockingly, Now thou art a righteous man, rise up, and get thee into the world, that I
may not destroy thee"; and "having prayed, and made the sign of the Cross over my face, he
departed from me. And a little while afterwards he came again, and sat upon my neck; then
I made myself bold, and stood up, and made the sign of the Cross, the emblem of merit,
before him, and again he disappeared, for he was unable to resist me. For all these things
took place, and happened in very truth, and we may therefore know and understand that
there is no rule of life in which God so much rejoiceth, or which is so terrible unto the
devils, and unto all evil spirits, as the rule of humility, and penitence of mind, and the
subjection of the body, and remoteness from the things which are seen. Whosoever despiseth
these things will fall into the mire of the world;

and whosoever holdeth in contempt the good riches of the fear of God, shall have his hope
of the inheritance of the saints cut off, and of the delights of heaven, which never pass
away and never end. May we all be held worthy of these through the grace and mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the True God, to Whom, with His Father, and the Holy Spirit, be glory,
now, and always, and for ever and ever! Amen.'"


THE HISTORIES OF THE MONKS OF EGYPT (SYRIAC VERSION) (CHAPTERS 1. THE APOLOGY, AND THE REASON FOR [WRITING] THE BOOK, [WHICH ARE ADDRESSED] TO THOSE WHO REQUIRED [THEM] FROM HIM–8. THE TRIUMPHS OF ABBA ELIJAH)
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THE HISTORIES OF THE MONKS OF EGYPT (SYRIAC VERSION) Desert Fathers (anonymous)

4th–6th century

The Syriac version of the Histories of the Monks of Egypt, ascribed in the manuscripts to
Jerome: the visit of seven monks to the hermits and communities from Lycus in the Thebaid
down to Nitria, with the miracles and sayings of each father they met.

CHAPTER 1. THE APOLOGY, AND THE REASON FOR [WRITING] THE BOOK, [WHICH ARE ADDRESSED] TO THOSE WHO REQUIRED [THEM] FROM HIM

1 Blessed be God Who desireth the welfare of all the children of men, Who wisheth that
they may live and come to the knowledge of the truth, Who hath led us also into Egypt, and
hath shewed us the great and marvellous things which are worthy to be remembered at all
times, and to be written down in a book, Who hath given us the Cause of our salvation and
of every one who wisheth to be helped further, and Who hath given unto us a demonstration
of the good life and the doctrine which is able to rouse up the soul to the excellent rule
of the ascetic life. Now therefore, I am not worthy to begin this history, for inferior
men are not capable of approaching the histories of great men, since they are unable to
narrate them as they really are, and still less are they able to set them down in writing
in a book, and they ought not to be so bold as to attempt to explain matters which are
difficult in mean and halting words; and it must appear to be great presumption which will
bring danger in its train, for incapable men to undertake such things, and to be so bold
as to write in a book sublime histories.

2 But inasmuch as I have been requested, earnestly and frequently, on several occasions,
by the brotherhood of blessed men who had their habitation in the Mount of Olives, to
write an account of the lives and deeds of the blessed men, and of the solitary dwellers
who were in Egypt, according to what I myself have seen of their abundant love, and their
patient endurance, and their vexatious toil for God's sake, I have then put my trust in
their prayers, and have been so bold as to narrate the following history, and to set it
down in writing, so that I myself may gain a fair and abundant reward, and so that those
who hearken unto the same may be benefited [thereby], and may emulate such beautiful
deeds, and may depart from the world in a state of perfection, and may enjoy peace and
rest through the excellent long-suffering of their toil. For in very truth I have observed
and seen the treasure of Christ which is hidden under human garments, and I have not
buried it for the advantage of many, but have brought it forward that it may be for the
good of every one. And I am sure that for me to give this benefit to the blessed brethren
will be noble merchandise for me, for they will pray for the redemption of my soul.

3 At the beginning of this book then I make [mention] first of all of the coming of our
Redeemer Jesus Christ, by Whose doctrine the blessed and holy brethren who are in Egypt
are led, for I have seen many fathers there who were living the lives of angels, and were
fashioning their lives into the similitude of that of the Redeemer. And I have also seen
others, who were young men, and who were like unto the Prophets; and they did work which
was divine and marvellous, and they were men who were indeed servants of Christ, and they
had no care of this earth and nothing belonging to time vexed their minds. Verily these
men, although they appeared to be living upon earth, had their habitation in heaven; for
some of them were not even conscious that it was the world [wherein they lived], and did
not even know that there were wickednesses committed in the world. And verily [it was with
them] even as it is written in the Psalm, "Great is the peace of those who love Thy Law"
(Psalm cxix, 165); and again it is written, "I will be to them a Father, and they shall be
unto Me sons and daughters, saith the Lord" (2 Corinthians vi, 18), the Stay of all
creation.

4 And, moreover, many of them when they heard of what was spoken in the world [found it]
to be strange unto them, and all the good things and all the cares of this world were
forgotten by them; for a man saw them sown in the desert, and they were, like true sons,
expecting their father Christ, and like husbandmen of the truth and honourable servants
they waited for Christ their companion. They had care neither for houses, nor meats, nor
raiment, for the coming of Christ their hope was the one thing for which their thoughts
waited. Therefore, whensoever any of them lacked the things which were necessary, they
sought neither city, nor village, nor brother, nor friend, nor parents, nor children, nor
servants that the things which they lacked might be supplied by them, but their desire and
their faith were sufficient for them, [and they only needed] to spread out their hand in
supplication, and to offer up the confession of their lips to God, and immediately their
prayers were ended everything [they needed] was found before them. Why is it necessary to
speak at length concerning their faith in Christ, which was able to remove mountains? And,
moreover, many of them restrained fountains and streams of running water, and walked upon
the floods of the river Nile, and destroyed serpents, and worked cures, and wonders, and
mighty deeds, even like unto those of the holy Prophets, and the blessed Apostles, by the
might of their Lord. And it is a well-known and evident thing to every inhabitant of that
country that the world standeth through their prayers, and that through them the life of
the children of men is held to be precious by God.

5 And I have also seen [in Egypt] a numerous nation of monks who could neither be defined
nor counted, and among them were men of every sort and condition, and they lived both in
the desert and in the villages, and no earthly king hath ever been able to gather together
so great a number of men into his service; for there is neither village nor city in Egypt
or in the Thebaid which is not surrounded by monasteries as by walls, and many multitudes
of people rest upon their prayers as they do upon God. Some of the monks live quite close
[to the towns and villages] in caves and on the waste land, and many of them afar off, and
they all in every place make manifest their labour in a marvellous manner as if they were
envious of each other. The object of the zeal of those who [live] afar off is that none of
their fellows shall surpass them in the labours of the fear of God, and the greatest
anxiety of those who [live] near is to vanquish by their life and deeds those who lived at
a distance and are famous, even though the things of evil (or wickednesses) vex them from
every place.

6 Therefore, as one who hath obtained great benefit from them, and as one who hath
examined carefully the labours of the life and deeds, whereby I have also obtained
benefit, I now approach this history with the view of making the successful monks [more]
zealous by the memorials which I hand on [to them], and for the edification and profit of
those who are beginning to emulate strenuously their rules of life. First of all then, by
the grace of God, I will write at the beginning of this history the narratives of the
lives and deeds of the great and holy fathers, by whose hands our Lord hath wrought at
this present time the same kind of things as he wrought by the hands of His Prophets and
Apostles; for it is our Lord Himself, Who then, as now, worked, as He still worketh,
everything in every man.

CHAPTER 2. THE TRIUMPHS OF MAR JOHN THE RECLUSE, THE PROPHET OF THE THEBAID WHO LIVED IN LYCUS

1 I SAW then on the borders of the city of Lycus, in the Thebaid, the great and blessed
man John, a man who was truly holy and excellent, and by his works it was known unto every
man that he possessed the gift of prophecy. And he made known unto the believing Emperor
Theodosius, before they took place, the things which God was about to do unto the children
of men, and he revealed [to him] what manner of ending they would take, and the arrogance
of the kings who would rise up against him, and how they would speedily be destroyed, and
how the nations which would gather together to make war upon him would perish, [and his
ability to read the future was] so [great] that even a general came to enquire of him, if
he should be able to conquer the Kûshâyê peoples (i.e., the Nubians), who at that time had
boldly invaded Syene, which is the beginning of the Thebaid, and who had overrun the city
and laid it waste. And the blessed John said unto him, "Thou shalt go up against them, and
shalt overtake them, and thou shalt conquer them, and shalt be victorious [or triumphant]
before the Emperor"; and these things were actually done. Now this blessed man possessed
the power of prophecy to an extraordinary degree, according to what I have heard from the
fathers who were constantly with him, and as the lives of these men were well known to the
inhabitants of that country, and were carefully scrutinized by them, it is impossible to
think that their stories about him were in any way hypocritical; on the contrary, their
language was incapable of describing his honourable life and deeds.

2 There was a certain tribune who came to him, and who begged and entreated him to allow
his wife to come to him, for she was exceedingly anxious to see him; she was about to go
up [the river] to the district of Syene, and before she went up she wished to see him,
that he might offer up prayer on her behalf, and bless her, and then send her away [on her
journey]. And because the blessed man had taken a vow not to see women, and because he was
ninety years of age, now he had been in a cave for forty years, and he had lived therein
the whole time, and had never departed from it, and because he never allowed any man to
come into his abode, he excused himself from seeing the noble lady; and he was in the
habit of saluting folk through his window only, and of blessing those who came to him
therefrom, and he spake with every man only concerning the care which it was necessary to
take in the matter of the life and works of ascetic excellence. And, although the tribune
multiplied greatly his supplications and entreated him to allow his wife to come to him,
now the dwelling of the blessed man was situated in the mountainous desert about five
miles distant from the city, the holy man would not be persuaded to do so, but said, "This
thing is impossible"; and he dismissed the tribune in grief and in sorrow.

3 And the woman tormented her husband by day and by night, and she took an oath, saying,
"I cannot go to any other place until I have seen the holy prophet. And when the oaths of
the woman were revealed to the blessed man by her husband, he discerned the faith of the
woman, and said unto her husband, "I will appear unto her in a dream this night, but she
must never [try] in addition to see my face in the body"; and the tribune made known to
his wife the words of the blessed man. And as she was lying in her bed at night she saw
the prophet himself come to her, and he said unto her, "What have I to do with thee, O
woman? Why dost thou so eagerly desire to see my face? Am I a prophet or a righteous man?
I am a sinner and a man of passions even as ye are, but behold, I have prayed for thee and
for thy husband, and for thy dwelling, that even as ye have believed, so may it be unto
you. Therefore get ye gone in peace; and having said these words he departed from her. And
when the woman woke up she related to her husband the words of the prophet and described
his form and appearance, and she offered her thanks to the prophet through her husband.

4 Now when the holy man John saw that her husband had come, before he could speak he said
unto him, "Behold, thy request is completed, for I have seen thy wife, and I have
fulfilled her petition, and thou must never see my face again; but depart ye in peace." 5
Now the wife of another prefect was with child, and she was nigh unto [her time] for
bringing forth; and her husband was away at a distance, and on the day in which the
blessed man John met her husband she was afflicted, even unto death, with the pains of her
bringing forth. And the holy man John gave the news to her husband, and said unto him, "If
thou didst only know the grace of God, for behold, a son hath been born unto thee this
day, thou wouldst praise God, for his mother hath suffered in no small degree. Behold,
thou shalt go and shalt find the boy to be seven days old on thine arrival, and thou shalt
give him the name of John, and when he hath grown up, and hath been instructed, and is
seven years of age, thou shalt send him to the solitary monks in the desert."

6 And the blessed John also made manifest wonderful things like these to stranger folk who
used to come to him, and he very frequently made known to the people of the city who used
321 to come to him beforehand concerning their affairs, and showed them the things which
were about to happen. And he told each one of them that which was done by him in secret,
and he foretold concerning the rise of the river Nile, and the good crop which there would
be as the result thereof, and described it unto them; and he declared and pointed out the
time when the anger of God was about to come upon them, and rebuked those who were the
cause of the same. Now the blessed man John did not himself work his cures openly, but he
used to consecrate the oil and give [it] to those who were afflicted, and they were
healed. Thus the wife of a certain nobleman had the light of her eyes taken away through
the cataract which obstructed the light thereof, and she begged and entreated her husband
to take her to him, and when he said unto her, "The blessed man hath never met a woman,"
she besought him to have a message sent to the holy man asking him to offer up a prayer on
her behalf; and this the blessed man did, and he also sent her some oil over which he had
said a blessing and made the sign of the Cross, and when she had smeared her eyes
therewith three times, after three days she was able to see. Then she praised God the Lord
of all, and openly gave thanks unto Him always.

7 And what shall we say about his other deeds? [Nothing]. We can only tell of the things
which we saw with our own eyes. Now there were of us seven brethren who were strangers,
and who went to him all together, and having given us the salutation of peace with his
glorious face, and shown his gladness [at seeing us] to each one of us, we asked him
before anything else to offer up a prayer on our behalf, for it is the custom with all our
fathers in Egypt to do this. Then he asked me if there was, perchance, a man among us who
was a priest or deacon, and although we said there was none such among us all, he well
knew that there was one among us who was hiding his honourable rank. Now there was among
us one who had received the hand of deaconship, but only one of the brethren, and he was
with us, knew of this, and the deacon, by reason of his humility, prohibited him from
making this known to anyone, "For," said he, "in comparison with these holy men I am not
worthy to be called even Christian; permit me then not to make use of the honour of
deaconship. Then the blessed man pointed out to us all with his hand the deacon, and said,
"This brother is a deacon";

8 whereupon the deacon denied this repeatedly, thinking to lead us astray, but the blessed
man grasped the hand of the deacon through the window, and kissed it, and begged him,
rebuking him at the same time, saying, "Wrong not the grace of God, O my son, and lie not
concerning the gift of Christ with the denial of an alien; for falsehood, whether it be
uttered concerning a small matter or a great one, or something which is convenient, is
still falsehood, and is not to be praised. For our Redeemer said, 'All falsehood is of the
Evil One'" (St. Matthew v, 33, 37; St. John viii, 44). And the deacon being thus rebuked
accepted the reproof of the old man pleasantly. 9 And when we had prayed and made an end
of our supplications, one of us became afflicted with shiverings and strong fever, and he
begged the blessed John that he might be healed. Then the blessed man said unto him, "This
sickness is for thy benefit, because a diminution of faith hath come upon thee," but he
gave him some oil, and let him anoint himself therewith, and when the man had rubbed the
oil upon his body, every evil thing which was inside him he cast forth through his mouth,
and he was completely cured of his sickness, and departed on his own feet with us to the
place where travellers rested.

10 Now the blessed man appears to have been about ninety years old, and his whole body was
emaciated and frail as if by the severity of his rule of life, and no hair whatsoever
remained upon his cheeks; and he ate nothing whatsoever except dried vegetables (or
fruits), and in the period of his old age he did this at sunset. In the early part of his
career he suffered severely, because he would neither eat bread, nor anything which had
been cooked by fire. And he commanded us, and we sat down with him, and we gave thanks
unto God that we were esteemed worthy to see him; and he rejoiced [in us] as if we had
been beloved children of his who were meeting their father after a long absence, and with
a joyful countenance he held converse with us, saying, "Where do ye come from, my sons,
and from what country? Ye have come to a miserable and wretched man." And when we told him
[the name of] the country, and that we had come to him from Jerusalem for the benefit of
our souls, and that that which we had received with our ears we might see with our own
eyes, for the hearing of the ears is less trustworthy than the sight of the eyes, and
frequently error maketh its way into what is heard by the ears, whilst the remembrance of
what a man hath seen can never be blotted out from the heart, and the description of the
same will be permanently fixed in the mind, the blessed man John answered and said unto
us, "What great thing did ye think ye would see, O beloved sons, that ye have come all
this way, and have toiled all this great toil? Did ye desire to come and see miserable and
wretched men? We possess nothing whatsoever which is worth looking or wondering at. There

11 323 21a are, however, in every place men who are wonderful and who are worthy of
admiration, that is to say, men who are called in the church the Prophets and Apostles of
God, and of these it is meet that we should emulate their example. 12 " But I marvel
greatly at the indefatigable zeal which made you treat the tribulations of the journey
with contempt in order that ye might come hither, for your welfare, to those men who,
because of their sluggishness, are unwilling to go out of their caves. And I say that,
although that which ye have now done meriteth praise, ye must not allow th thought to come
into your minds that ye have fulfilled completely every duty, but ye must make yourselves
to be like unto your fathers in respect of the glorious rules of life by which they were
guided and the works which they did. For although ye possess all the virtues, which is a
difficult matter to accomplish, ye must not even so be [over-] confident in yourselves,
for the men who have become puffed up with pride, and who thought they had arrived at the
stage of [being worthy of] praise, have subsequently fallen from their high estate. But
examine yourselves carefully and see whether your consciences are pure, so that purity may
not be driven out from your minds; and let not your thoughts wander about at the season
when ye stand up in prayer before God, and let not any other thought enter into your mind
and turn it away from that glorious sight of God which riseth upon the pure heart at the
season of prayer, and which enlighteneth and maketh the understanding to shine; and let
not the remembrance of evil thoughts disturb your minds.

13 And examine yourselves and see whether ye have truly made a covenant with God, and
whether ye have not, after the manner of men, entered in that ye may attain the freedom
which is in Christ, and whether ye do not desire to possess the vainglory of ascetic
deeds, and whether ye do not, after the manner of men who boast themselves before men,
[possess only] the similitude of our ascetic deeds. And take heed lest any passion
whatsoever vex you, or any longing for honour or glory from the children of men, or any
deceitful desire of priesthood, or of self-love. And do not think that ye are righteous
men only, but be ye diligent and zealous in very truth that ye may neither be boastful nor
unduly exalted by applause. 14 " And let there not be any anxiety about family in the mind
of him that prayeth unto God in very truth, neither shall there be to him any remembrance
of the fair things which have been done by him, nor love for other folk, nor any memory
whatsoever of the world, for if the man who holdeth converse with his Lord be reduced, or
drawn aside, or led away by any other mind [than this] his labour is emptiness. Now this
falling away happeneth to the mind of man after man who doth not deny the world
absolutely, and who hunteth after the approbation of the children of men; for he devoteth
himself unto everything in multitudes of ways, and his mind is divided among many kinds of
thoughts, both of the body and of the earth, and thereupon he is obliged to strive against
his own passions and is not able to see God. It is therefore not seemly for a man to think
that he hath found knowledge with absolute certainty, [lest peradventure being unworthy of
knowledge], and having only acquired a small portion thereof, he imagine that he hath
found the whole of it, and so he devote himself wholly to destruction. But it is right
that we should always draw nigh unto God with moderate ideas and in faith, so far as it is
possible to approach Him in the mind, and so far as the children of men are able to attain
unto Him.

15 It is right therefore that the mind of every man who loveth God should be remote from
all these things, for he who in truth seeketh after God with all his heart will remove his
mind far away from every earthly thing, and he will direct the gaze of his understanding
towards God, for it is written, 'Turn ye and know that I, even I, am God' (Psalm xlvi,
108). He therefore who is worthy of a little of the knowledge of God, for man is not able
to receive the whole of it, is able to acquire the knowledge of many things, and to see
those mysteries which the knowledge of God will shew him. And he will see the things which
are about to happen beforehand, and glorious revelations will be made known to him as
[unto] the saints, and he will do mighty works, and everything which he asketh from God he
shall receive."

16 And having said these things unto us, and many others which also concerned the rules of
the life of ascetic excellence, he added the following:—"It is right that every one who is
a man of discernment should wait for his departure from this world as if he were going to
approach a life of happiness, and that he should not set before his eyes the humiliation
of the body, and should not fill his belly with that which he hath; for the thoughts of
him that filleth himself full of meats resemble those of men who are fed upon delicate
meats. But strive ye in your life and deeds to acquire the power of enduring lusts and
appetites patiently, and let no man seek after the things which are fine, and those which
are gratifying to the body, but let him restrain himself in the short time [which we have]
here so that he may inherit rest and relaxation in the kingdom of God, for it is said,
'Through abundant tribulation it is meet for us to enter into the kingdom of God' (Acts
xiv, 22). And in this manner also Paul the Apostle admonished us, and he spake that which
he had learned from our Redeemer, Who said, 'How strait and narrow is the way which
leadeth to life, and few there be who find it (St. Matthew vii, 14);

17 and how broad is the gate, and wide the way which leadeth to destruction, and many
there be who travel upon it.' And let us not be in despair in this country, for in a very
little while we shall depart unto the world of rest; and let not any man be [unduly]
exalted through the fair deeds which he performeth, but let him be always in a state of
penitence. And let him betake himself away far into the desert whensoever he feeleth
within himself that he is becoming [unduly] exalted, for on several occasions the monastic
dwelling which is nigh unto villages hath harmed those who were perfect. And he must do as
did one unto whom this happened, who said in his Psalm (Psalm lv, 6, 7), 'Behold, I fled
away to a remote place, and I took up mine abode in the whirlwind,' and I waited for God
to deliver me from littleness of soul, and from the spirit of the world. And this very
thing hath happened unto many of our own brethren, and because of their pride they fell
away from the mark which they had set for themselves.

18 " Now there was a certain brother who dwelt in a cave which was in the desert nigh unto
Shainâ, and he followed the ascetic life with the utmost strenuousness, and he used to
provide himself with bread day by day by the labour of his hands; and because he was
constantly in prayer, and excelled greatly in praiseworthy actions, and had confidence in
himself, and was proud of his fair life and deeds, the Tempter, having asked God for him
as he asked Him for Job, shewed him the form of a beautiful woman who was wandering about
in the desert in the evening. Now this woman, finding the door of the cave open, leaped
up, and passed through the door, and fell upon the knees of the man, beseeching him to let
her rest there because the night had overtaken her, and he, having compassion upon her,
[did] what was not right, and received her into the cave, and he wished to learn from her
how she had come to lose her way. Then she spake unto him, and sowed words of sin and of
incitement to lust in his ears, and she prolonged her conversation with him so that by
means of her lascivious flattery she might excite him to the hateful lust;

19 and there being much speech between them, together with laughter and jesting, she led
him astray little by little by means of much speaking until at length she took hold of his
hand, and then of his beard, and then of his neck, and finally she made the valiant man
her captive. Meanwhile as thoughts of these things were chasing each other through his
mind, and he believed that the matter was in his own hands, he waited for the moment and
the opportunity when he would be able to fulfil his lust; and having delivered himself
over to his wicked imagination, he strove diligently to work it out, and to be united to
the woman like a man who hath lost his mind, and like a horse mad with desire, [and as he
was about to fulfil his lust] the woman cried out several times, and suddenly escaped from
out of his hands, and flew away like a shadow. Then straightway there was heard in the air
the great shouts of laughter of the multitudes of devils who had overthrown him and made
him to fall into error, and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Whosoever exalteth
himself shall be humbled; and as for thee, O thou who didst exalt thyself unto the
heavens, behold, thou hast been brought down into the deepest depth.

20 " And it came to pass after these things that the man rose up in the morning having
been clothed with grief the [whole] night, and he beat his breast and cried over himself
the whole day through; and having given up all hope of his redemption, he did that which
was unseemly and went back to the world again. For it is of the cunning of the Evil One
that, having vanquished a man in the strife, he bringeth him to a senseless state of
despair, and he is never able to stand up again. Therefore, O my sons, it helpeth us not
to dwell in caves near to the villages, and the meeting with women is not beneficial to
us, for we keep in our minds a remembrance which cannot be blotted out from the mind, both
of their words and appearance, and moreover it is not right that we should reduce
ourselves to despair; for behold, very many men have been in despair about themselves, but
the compassion of God hath not forsaken them.

21 " For there was a young man in a certain city who had committed multitudes of sins and
great wickednesses, with a most evil intent, yet at a sign from God he repented of his
sins, and departed to the place of the tombs, where he wept over his former sins; and he
cast himself upon the earth face downwards, and did not care to lift up his voice and to
make mention of the Name of God in his mouth, or to make entreaty to Him, and he thought
that he was not worthy to live, and before his death he shut himself up in the place of
the tombs, groaning from the depth of his heart, because he had lost all hope of his life.
Now when he had passed a whole week of days in this manner, those devils who had formerly
injured his life rose up against him by night, and cried out, saying, 'Where is that
corrupt and filthy man who, having filled himself as full as he could with pollution and
corruption, doth now unseasonably and suddenly appear to be both chaste and good, and
because he is not able to do so he wisheth to become a Christian, and a man of well
ordered life? What then is the beautiful thing which thou expectest to acquire now that
thou hast sated thyself with every kind of wickedness? Wilt thou not stand away from where
thou art, and come with us and [enjoy] the things which thou usually hast?

22 Behold, whores and tavern companions are waiting for thee, wilt thou not then come and
gratify thy lust with us? Every hope for thee hath been extinguished, and truly thy
punishment shall arrive swiftly, and in this manner thou wilt slay thyself. Why art thou
terrified at '[the idea of] punishment, O wretched man? And why strivest thou that it may
not come upon thee swiftly?' And they said 'unto him very many other things, and cried out
to him, Thou art ours, for thou didst make a covenant with us. Thou didst commit every
kind of wickedness, and thou wast worse than every one of us, and wouldst thou dare to
flee '[from us]? Wilt thou not return us an answer, and wilt thou not agree with us and go
forth with us?' 23 "But the young man continued to weep steadily, and he neither inclined
his ear to hearken unto them, nor made answer unto them. Then, when those devils had
remained with him a long time and had done nothing [unto him], as they were speaking
wicked and abominable devils laid hold upon him, and smote him with severe stripes, and
tore to pieces his whole body, and entreated him most evilly, and then departed, leaving
him with very little life in him. And the young man lay groaning in the same place where
they had left him, for he was unable to turn round and depart to another place, and
shortly afterwards, when he had regained a little of his breath, the members of his house
and his relatives went forth in sorrow to seek him, and when they found him they learned
from him the cause of the stripes, and they besought him to go with them to his house; but
the young man did not yield to their frequent and urgent entreaties.

24 And again, on another night, those devils made to come upon him stripes which were more
numerous and more severe than the former ones, nevertheless he would not consent to depart
from that district at the entreaty of his relatives, but he said unto them, 'It is better
for me to die [thus] than to live with the blemishes of this world upon me.' On the third
night, however, within a very little, through the multitudinous stripes of the devils, he
departed from this temporary life, for they fell upon him without mercy, and they smote
him with blows where the former blows had fallen, and they entreated him so evilly that he
was obliged to fight for [his] breath. And when they saw that he would not yield to them,
they left him for dead and departed from him, and they went away from him, crying out and
saying, 'Thou hast conquered us, thou hast conquered us, thou hast conquered us.' And
afterwards nothing evil came upon him.

25 "And the pure young man continued to dwell in the grave and to lead a pure life
gloriously, and he was so weighted with the fear of God in the wonderful and mighty deeds
which he made manifest, that many folk marvelled at him, and desired greatly [to do as he
did], for those who had entirely abandoned all hope of their souls devoted themselves to
the performance of his excellent rules of life. And in him was fulfilled that which is
written, 'Whosoever humbleth himself shall be exalted' (St. Luke xiv, 11). Therefore, O my
sons, I beseech each and every one of you before all things to lead a life of humility,
for that is the foundation of all the glorious virtues; but besides this, the dwelling in
a remote desert place is exceedingly helpful to the performance of deeds of ascetic
excellence. 26 "And there was also another solitary monk who dwelt in a place which was a
long way off in the desert, and having led for many years a life of perfection with all
credit, in the time of his old age he became tempted by devils; he had been a strenuous
man and had loved the life of quiet contemplation all his days, and he excelled
exceedingly in prayers, and in [singing] praises, and in multitudes of visions, and
spiritual manifestations were revealed unto him with such scrupulous exactness, some in
revelations and some in dreams, that finally he was able to walk in the footsteps of
incorporeal beings. And because he was not stablished in the earth, and took no care about
his food, he sought not in the trees the things of which the body hath need, neither in
the green herb, nor in the birds, nor in the animals of the desert, and he was full of
trust in God. For from the time when he went forth from the habitation of men into the
desert, he had no care whatsoever in his mind about that whereon he was to live and to
support his body, but wholly forgetting all such things his whole love was exalted to God.

27 And he awaited his call from Him and his departure from this world, and he enjoyed
exceedingly the visions and the hope of that which was to come, and his body did not
shrink by reason of length of years nor did his soul decay, and he possessed a beautiful
nature through his chaste life. But God took care of him, and at certain welldefined
intervals, that is, once every two or three days, he found bread upon his table; and
whensoever he felt that his body needed food, he would go into the cave and take rest, and
having refreshed himself, and bowed himself before God, he would return again to his
praises, and say 'Amen' in his prayer and in his visions. And rejoicing in his peace every
day he added to the glory of his life and works, and he waxed stronger daily in the hope
of that which is to come, like a man who was confident that he would depart from this
world in virtue, which actually took place within a very short time from his fall, through
the temptation that subsequently came upon him.

28 "But why should we not tell the story of his sin whereto his folly was exceedingly
close? For, having become proud in his mind, and thinking therein that he was better than
many men, and that he possessed some faculty for goodness which was greater than that
possessed by all other men, and trusting in himself that this really was so, at no remote
time there was born in him first of all a degree of negligence which was so small that it
might be imagined that it was not negligence, and then there burst into existence
contempt, which is a greater [sin] than negligence, and then sluggishness made itself
felt, and as a result of these things he used to stand up in vigil and prayer in a
listless fashion, and the entreaty of his prayer became small, and his praises of God were
short, and his soul longed for pleasures, and his mind inclined to terrestrial things, and
his thoughts wandered to hateful things, and in secret he meditated upon the abominable
things of lust. But, however, the constraint of his former life and deeds was still with
him as a protection, and at eventide, after his usual prayer, he found upon his table the
bread which had been given to him by God, and he ate and was refreshed. And because he did
not cast away his shortcomings, and did not consider that his negligence injured his
strenuousness in ascetic virtues, and increased his zealousness in the performance of
other things which were hateful, and because he did not turn to the healing of his
wickednesses, and because it was a small matter in his sight that he had fallen away
entirely from the things which were seemly, the evil lust of filthy fornication seized
upon his mind, and carried him away in his thoughts to the world.

29 "And having remained [thus] for one day, he turned to his usual service of singing the
Psalms, and he prayed, and praised God, and went into the cave, and he found therein his
bread which had been placed there at [the fixed] time, but it was not as pure as it was
usually, and it was somewhat dirty; and though he marvelled thereat, and was sad about it,
he ate the bread and was refreshed. And it came to pass on the third night that there was
added a threefold evil, and he delivered over his wicked mind quickly to his guilty
thoughts; now it seemed in his consciousness as if there was a woman close to him, and
lying by his side, and as if he was looking at her with his eyes, and as if he was
actually performing an act of union with her. Now on the third day he went out to his
occupation of prayer and praise, but his thoughts were not clean, and his mind was
wandering about hither and thither, and he was moving the sight of the pupils of his eyes
in all directions, and the remembrance of his lusts shortened his good work. And he went
back in the evening seeking for bread, and when he had gone into the cave he found upon
his table bread, part of which had been eaten by the mice, and part had been gnawed by
dogs, and the rest was dry; then he groaned again and wept, but not sufficiently to
restrain him from his wickedness. And having eaten the bread, which was not according to
his taste, he endeavoured to take some rest.

30 "Then again the evil thoughts stirred in him, and made war upon his mind so that they
might lead him along the road and carry him to the world; and he rose up by night and went
forth from his cave to travel in the desert to Shainâ, and whilst he was still far from
the habitations of men, the day overtook him, and the heat of the sun afflicted him, and
he looked round about him that, peradventure, he might see a monastery wherein he might
enter and rest himself. And he saw a monastery, and went into it, and the chaste and
believing brethren who regarded him as a true father received him; and they washed his
face and his feet, and when they had prayed, and set forth a table, they entreated him
lovingly to partake of whatsoever they had, and when he had eaten and was refreshed, they
asked him to address to them a word of help and to tell them how they might be able to
escape from the crafty snares of the Enemy, and to rise up and to prevail like men over
lascivious thoughts. Then that monk, like a father who was admonishing his sons, commanded
them to persevere in the labours of ascetic life, even unto weariness, as men who, after a
short time, would depart to abundant delight; and having spoken unto them several other
most excellent things he helped them greatly.

31 And having made an end of his admonitory discourse, he remembered himself a little, and
thought within himself, saying, 'How is it that I am able to rebuke others, and remain
myself without reproof?' Then having understood his guiltiness, he ran back with all speed
to the desert, and wept over himself, saying, 'If it had not been that the Lord helped me
my soul would have been destroyed by misery, for I am within a very little of '[falling]
into every kind of wickedness, and my life would have been destroyed in the earth.' And it
was fulfilled in him the saying, 'A man is helped by his brethren, even as a city is
helped by its fortress, and he is like a wall which shall never fall.' And from that time
onwards, for the whole period of his life, that monk mourned and wept because he was
deprived of his heavenly table, and he obtained his daily bread only by means of great
toil. And he shut himself up in the cave, and [put on] sackcloth and ashes, and he humbled
himself in prayer; and he neither rose up from earth nor ceased from groans and sighs,
until he heard in a dream a sound of angels which came to him, [and said], 'God hath
received thy repentance, and hath had mercy upon thee. Therefore take good heed that thou
stumble not a second time into sin.

32 And the brethren whom thou didst admonish shall come unto thee and console thee, and
shall bring unto thee a blessing [which] thou shalt receive from them, and ye shall be
refreshed and shall give thanks unto God always.' These things which I have narrated unto
you, O my sons, [shew] that ye should acquire humbleness of mind before every other thing
in your life and works, and in all matters which shall be unto you, whether they be small
or whether they be great, for this is the first commandment of our Redeemer, Who said,
'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven' (St. Matthew v, 3).
Take good heed that ye be not confounded by the Devil when filthy visions rise upon you,
and go not astray after devils when they shew you a lying vision. But if anyone come unto
you, be it brother, or friend, or wife, or old man, or father, or teacher, or mother, or
sister, or son, or daughter, first of all lift up your hands in prayer, and if it should
happen that any lying vision of devils should come, it will depart quickly from before
you. And moreover, if men or devils would lead you astray, and would incite you [to sin]
by flattering you, be not persuaded by them, and be not lifted up in your minds.

33 For in this way they have led even me astray on several occasions, and the devils would
let me neither pray nor take my rest in the night season, and they used to show me lying
visions the whole night long, and then in the morning they would laugh at me, and would
bend the knee before me, and say, 'Father, let us vex thee [by day] 34 ''in the same way
as we did all night long,' and I would say ''unto them, 'Get ye gone from me, O ye workers
of iniquity, for ''ye shall not vex the servant of God.' Therefore, O my sons, ''after
quietness, follow ye after and love peaceful meditation, ''and train yourselves at all
times in the vision of excellence, ''and ye shall acquire in prayer to God the broadness
of a ''pure mind. For he is a good and fair athlete of Christ, ''and a noble and strenuous
man, who shall at all seasons ''train himself in labours, who shall do fair deeds con-
''tinually, who shall shew forth love for the brethren and for ''strangers, who shall
perform love and mercy, who shall ''visit and relieve all those who are nigh unto him, who
shall ''help the suffering and support the sick, and who shall bring ''his days to an end
without stumbling. For if a man bring

35 ''his days to an end without stumbling, even though he ''labour in and be held fast by
the things of earth, he is a fair, ''and good, and noble soldier and workman, and worker
and ''doer of the commandments. ''But the spectator of the mind who leaveth all these
things ''for others to administer [or provide] is far better, and more ''excellent and
greater than he, and he pursueth spiritual ''instead of corporeal things, and leaveth the
transitory things ''of this world unto others; for he denieth himself, and for- ''getteth
himself, and taketh up his cross and cleaveth unto ''Christ, and he embraceth the things
of heaven continually, ''and he maketh his escape from everything [earthly], and ''draweth
nigh unto God, and he will not allow himself to be ''drawn to turn behind him through any
care whatsoever. ''And such a man as this is, through his godly works, and

36 ''the praises which he offereth up continually before God, with ''God, and, being free
and unfettered by any tie whatsoever, ''he standeth before God in security, and his mind
is not ''drawn away by any other care. He who is in this condition ''holdeth converse with
God continually, and offereth up to ''Him unceasingly praise and glorifying. But it is
necessary ''[that those who seek after God should forsake] everything ''which is visible,
and should turn themselves completely to- ''wards God, and should commit themselves to Him
that He ''may protect their lives; for the man in whom God dwelleth ''doth not know even
that the world existeth, since the whole ''of creation is an alien thing in his eyes,
because he is crucified ''unto all the world, and it is accounted by him as nothing.''
These then were the things which the blessed John related unto us (now he told us many
others), and he held converse and talked with us for three days, and he healed our souls
until the season of the ninth hour; and when he gave us [his] blessing, he spake unto us
also a word of prophecy, saying, "This day letters [recording] the victory of Theodosius
the Emperor have entered Alexandria, and these make known that he hath slain [A.D. 394]
Eugenius the tyrant, and the death which the Christian Emperor Theodosius himself will
die." Now these things actually happened as he said. And having seen many other fathers,
other brethren came and informed us that the life of the blessed John had come to an end
in a most excellent and exemplary manner; for he commanded him (i.e., his disciple) that
for three days no man should be allowed to go up to him, and he bowed his knees in prayer,
and his career was crowned, and he went to our Lord, to Whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.

CHAPTER 3. THE TRIUMPHS OF THE HOLY MAN ABBA HOR

1 And we saw also another wonderful man whose name was Abbâ Hôr, now he was the Abbâ of
one thousand monks, and he had an angelic form and was about ninety years of age; his
beard flowed down over his breast, and it was white and beautiful, and his countenance was
so glorious that those that saw him were reproved by the sight thereof only. And this
blessed man had for a very long time lived a life of the utmost austerity at a remote
place in the desert, but subsequently he took certain monasteries in the desert which was
near Shainâ, and gathered together a brotherhood, and he planted so many wild trees at
that spot that they formed a dense wood in the wilderness. For the fathers who lived with
him there said that before this man came there from the desert there was not even a shrub
in the place; now he planted these trees in order to fill a want, and to prevent the
brethren who were gathered together to him from being troubled by searching for wood. And
in his prayer to God he took the same pains and strove that all the needs of the brethren
might be supplied, so that they would only have to be anxious about their redemption, and
that nothing which they used might be wanting for them, [so that they might have no excuse
for negligence].

2 When formerly the blessed man lived in the desert of Dalgâw he used to eat roots and
herbs, and to drink water when he was able, and he passed the whole time of his life in
prayer and praise; but when he arrived at complete old age, an angel appeared unto him in
a dream, in the desert, and said, "Thou shall become a great race, and shalt be set in
authority over a numerous people, and those who shall be saved through thee shall be ten
myriads [in number], and thou shalt be a governor in the new world, and above every one
else in the world thou shalt have life. And," said the angel unto him, "fear not, for thou
shalt never be in want of food, whensoever thou criest unto thy God, until the day of thy
departure from this world." 3 And having heard these things the blessed Abbâ Hôr journeyed
on his way diligently and came to the desert which is nigh unto Shainâ, and first of all
he lived there by himself in a little tabernacle (or booth), which he made, and he fed
upon garden herbs soaked in vinegar, and on several occasions he ate only once a week. And
because originally he had no knowledge of letters, when he rose up to go forth from the
desert into Shainâ, the knowledge of the Holy Books was given unto him by Divine Grace so
fully that he was able to repeat all the Scriptures by heart; and when he had come [to
Shainâ] and a book was given unto him by the brethren to read, he read it forthwith as if
he were a man who had been always acquainted with books. And there was added unto him also
the gracious gift of being able to cast out devils, and many of them came to him by the
constraint [of this gift], against their wills, and would shriek out through his acts. And
he wrought so many other cures so often that from all sides there were gathered together
unto him brethren who lived in monasteries, one thousand in number.

4 And when the man of God saw us, he rejoiced in us, and saluted us, and straightway he
offered up a prayer; and he washed our feet with his own hands, and began to teach us, for
he was exceedingly well acquainted with the Scriptures, even as a man who had received the
gift from God, and he expounded to us many chapters of the Scriptures, and delivered to us
the orthodox faith; moreover, he urged us to prayer, and to partake of the Mysteries. For
it was the habit of all the great monks not to give food to their bodies until they had
offered spiritual sustenance to their souls, that is to say, the participation in the Body
and Blood of Christ. And having partaken of the Mysteries we gave thanks unto God, and he
urged us [to come] to the table of food, and he called to our recollection the ascetic
lives of noble men, and said, "I know a certain man in this desert who for three years
past hath not eaten anything which is of this earth, but an angel cometh to him once in
three days, and bringeth him heavenly food and placeth it in his mouth, and this sufficeth
him instead of meat and drink.

5 And I know that there came to this man in a lying vision devils who were in the forms of
horses and chariots of fire and numerous horsemen, as if they had come from a king, and
they said unto him, 'Thou hast become perfect in everything, O man, but now, bow down and
worship me, and I will take thee up [to heaven] like Elijah.' Then the monk said in his
mind, 'I worship the King and Redeemer every day, and if this creature were '[a king] he
would not ask me to worship him now.' And 'when he had said unto him that which was in his
mind, I have a King, and I worship Him always, and thou art not a king,' immediately the
Devil removed himself and was no 'more found. Now Abbâ Hôr told us these things because he
wished to conceal his own rules and manner of life, and to tell us stories about those of
other monks, but the fathers who were always with him told us that it was Abbâ Hôr himself
who had seen these things.

6 Now this man was more glorious in his life than very many of the fathers. And because of
the multitude of the monks who came to him he used to call the brethren who were with him,
to come to make houses for the new comers each day; some of the brethren spread the mud,
and others brought the bricks, and others cut down the wood, and when their building was
finished, he would supply the needs of those who came. On one occasion a lying brother who
had hidden his clothes came to him, but the blessed man rebuked him before every man, and
brought his clothes into the light, so that as a result of this [exposure] no man might in
future dare to tell a lie in his presence. Now the beauty of his life and deeds made him
so glorious that he was able to gather together very many monks to him, and one saw the
congregation of the monks with him in the church like a band of righteous men who were
splendid in their garb, and they glorified God with praises continually.

CHAPTER 4. THE TRIUMPHS OF ABBA AMMON

Now we saw in Thebaïs another man whose name was Ammon, who was the Abbâ of three (or
thirty) thousand monks; and they called these monks also "men of Tabenna." And they lived
lives of the greatest austerity, and they used to put their head cloths over their faces,
and they covered themselves when they ate, and they turned their looks towards the ground,
so that one might not see the other; and they kept strict silence, so that they might
think that they were in the desert, and they did these things in order that each might
hide his works of ascetic excellence from his fellows. When they sat at table it was a
mere matter of form, and they did so in such a way as to deceive each other, and to make
each other say, "Behold, they are eating." Some of them only carried their hands to their
mouths once or twice and took a piece of bread, or an olive, or a portion of something
else of all the food which was set before them, and it was unto them sufficient for a
meal; and others ate in silence a piece of bread only, and endured [hunger] without
touching any of the other dishes of food which were placed before them; and others only
reached out their hands to the dishes of cooked food three times and ate. Now their souls
were weaned from everything. And since we marvelled at all their glorious deeds we
obtained benefit from them all.

CHAPTER 5. THE TRIUMPHS OF ABBA ABBAN [BENUS]

And we saw another blessed man whose virtues were more abundant than those of all [other]
men, and whose name was Abbân [Benus]; the brethren who were with him related that he had
never sworn, or told a lie, or been angry with any man, or rebuked any man even by a word.
He had passed his whole life in silent contemplation and in humility, and in his manner of
life he was as one of the angels, and he clothed himself in the deepest humility. And when
we had entreated him earnestly to address to us a word of exhortation, it was only with
the greatest difficulty that he could be persuaded to say unto us a few words. On one
occasion, when the labourers in the fields which were near the river begged him [to drive
away] a certain hippopotamus which was doing them harm by his [great] strength, the
blessed Abbâ Abbân [Benus] commanded the animal in a gentle voice, saying, "I adjure thee
to depart in the name of Jesus Christ"; and the hippopotamus, as if driven away by an
angel, never more appeared in that district.

CHAPTER 6. THE HISTORY OF THE LIVES AND ACTS OF THE BRETHREN WHO WERE IN THE CITY OF OXYRHYNCUS

1 And we came also to Oxyrhyncus, a great city in Thebaïs, but we are not able to relate
all the wonderful things which [we saw] therein; for the city is so full of the
habitations of the brethren that the walls thereof are wellnigh thrust out with them, so
many are the brethren! And there are so many other monasteries round about the walls, on
the outside, that one would think that they were another city, and the sanctuaries of the
city, and the temples which are therein, and all the spaces about them, are filled with
the monks. And besides these there were thirteen churches in which the people assembled,
for the city was exceedingly large. There was a place set apart for the monks to pray in
each of the 2 337 monasteries, and one might think that the monks were not very much fewer
in numbers than the ordinary inhabitants of the city, for they were so numerous that they
even filled the [buildings at] the entrances to the city, and some of the monks lived in
the towers by the side of the gates thereof. Now the people said that the monks who lived
inside were five thousand in number, and that five thousand brethren lived round about it,
and there was not an hour, either of the day or the night, wherein they were not
performing the service of God. But there were also heretics in the city, and they were not
of the heathen who dwelt therein. And all the inhabitants of the city were believers, and
they would hearken to the Scriptures so readily that the Bishop was able to proclaim peace
to the people even in the streets; and the officers and the princes of the city, who were
lavish in their gifts to the congregations, used to place watchers at the gates and
entrances thereof that if they saw any needy person or any stranger they might bring him
to them, in order that they might supply his need from their gifts. And what shall we say
concerning the fear of God which was in these men to such a degree that, when they saw us,
who were strangers, passing through the streets, they drew nigh, like angels, unto us [and
helped us]?

3 And how can a man describe adequately the multitude of monks and the innumerable virgins
who used to live there? Now we would make known that which we have learned from the holy
Bishop who was there, namely, that he had under his authority ten thousand monks and
twenty thousand virgins. I am wholly unable to express how great is the love of strangers
and the affection which exist among these men and women, for our cloaks and the other
portions of our apparel were wellnigh torn to rags by the force which each one of them, in
the ardour of his love, displayed in dragging us to his home. And we saw there multitudes
of fathers and of great monks who possessed gifts of divers kinds, for some had the gift
of speaking, and some of doing works, and some of doing mighty deeds, and some of working
signs.

CHAPTER 7. THE TRIUMPHS OF ABBA THEON

1 And we also saw another blessed man, who lived at some distance from the city, at a
place which faced the open desert, and his name was Theon; he was a holy man who had shut
himself up in a small house by himself, and he had kept silence for thirty years, and
because he had performed many mighty deeds he was held to be a prophet among the people.
For every day a multitude of sick folk went forth to him, and he would stretch out his
hand through the window and lay it upon them, and would send them away healed. Now the
countenance of the blessed man appeared to be like that of an angel, and his eyes
sparkled, and he was filled with all the grace of God. A short time ago certain thieves
came by night against the blessed man from a great distance, thinking that they would find
a large quantity of gold with him, and they were prepared to kill him, but when he had
said a prayer they found themselves fast bound with ropes before the door, [and they had
to stay there] until the morning. And when the crowds of people came to him in the
morning, they had it in their minds to commit the thieves to the flames, but the blessed
man felt himself urged to speak a word unto the men, and he said, "Let these thieves
depart in peace, for if ye do not let them, the gracious gift of healing which I possess
will depart from me." Then the multitudes hearkened unto his words, for they did not dare
to treat them lightly, and straightway the thieves went and took up their abode with the
brethren [and] monks, and changed their former manner of life, because they truly repented
of that which they had done in the past.

2 Now this man, through the gift which God had bestowed upon him, knew three languages,
and he was able to read Greek, Latin, and Egyptian, a fact concerning the blessed man
which we have learned from many folk; and when he knew that we were strangers he wrote
down [the fact] in a book, and thanked God on our behalf. His food consisted of garden
herbs, and they said that he used to go forth from his cell by night and mingle with the
wild animals of the desert, and he gave them to drink of the water which he found. The
footmarks which appeared by the side of his abode were those of buffaloes, and goats, and
gazelle, in the sight of which he took great pleasure.

CHAPTER 8. THE TRIUMPHS OF ABBA ELIJAH

And we also saw another priest in the desert of Antinoë, the metropolis of the Thebaïd,
whose name was Elijah; he was about one hundred and ten years old, and the monks used to
say that the spirit of Elijah the Prophet rested upon him. Now this blessed man Elijah was
famous in the desert, for he had lived therein for seventy years, and it is wholly
impossible to find a word which would adequately describe the sterility and desolation of
that desert, and of the mountain in which he lived. He never went down to Shainâ, but
there was a narrow path along which a man could walk with the greatest difficulty and make
his way to him [guided] 339 22a by the rough stones which were placed on both sides of the
way; and his dwelling was under a rock in the cave. Now his appearance was terrible, for
by reason of old age which had laid its hold upon him he trembled greatly; nevertheless he
worked signs daily, and he never ceased to heal the sick. And the fathers told us
concerning him that there was no man among them who could remember the time when he went
up [to live] in the mountain. In his old age he used to eat three ounces of bread every
evening, and three olives, but in his early manhood he partook of food only once a week,
and subsisted thereon.


THE HISTORIES OF THE MONKS OF EGYPT (SYRIAC VERSION) (CHAPTERS 9. THE TRIUMPH OF THE BLESSED APOLLO [AND AMMON]–14. THE TRIUMPHS OF ABBA COPRES AND OF THE BLESSED PETARPEMOTIS)
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THE HISTORIES OF THE MONKS OF EGYPT (SYRIAC VERSION) continued

CHAPTER 9. THE TRIUMPH OF THE BLESSED APOLLO [AND AMMON]

1 And we saw also another priest, whose name was Apollo, who lived in the Thebaid, on the
borders of Hermopolis, whereunto our Redeemer went with Mary and Joseph, that there might
be fulfilled the word of Isaiah (xix, i), who said, "Behold the Lord is mounted upon swift
clouds and shall go into Egypt, and the idols of Egypt shall tremble before Him, and shall
fall upon the earth." And we also saw there the house of idols wherein all the idols that
were in it fell down upon their faces on the ground when our Redeemer went into that city.
And we saw, moreover, that this man who dwelt in the desert was the Abbâ of five hundred
monks who lived in the monasteries which stood around the base of the mountain, and that
he was exceedingly well known throughout the land of Thebaïs; for he possessed the
excellent virtues of the ascetic life, and God performed many great and mighty deeds
through him, and very many signs took place by his hand. And this man Apollo, whose
ascetic labours were so wonderful from his youth up, in the time of his old age was held
to be worthy of an act of grace from God, for when he was eighty years of age he took
possession of a great monastery containing five hundred marvellous men, who were also able
to work miracles, and when he was fifteen years [older] (i.e., when he was ninety-five
years of age), he departed from this world, having lived for forty years in the inner
desert, where he led a perfectly spiritual life.

2 And towards the end he heard a voice like unto that of an angel, which said unto him,
"Apollo, I am about to destroy the wisdom of the wise men of Egypt by thy hands, and I
will remove the knowledge, which is not knowledge, of the fools of the nations; and thou
shalt destroy for Me with them also the wise men of Babel (i.e., Babylon of Egypt), and
thou shalt wipe out all the service of devils. And now, get thee away quickly to the
desert, to the region thereof which is nigh unto the habitations of men, for thou shalt
beget for Me a holy people, who shall be exalted by [their] good works." Then Apollo made
answer, and said, " My Lord, take Thou away from me pride, lest peradventure I become
[unduly] exalted over the brotherhood, and I lose all the blessing thereof." And the
[divine] voice spoke again unto him, and said, " Place thine hand upon thy neck, and
whatsoever thou layest hold upon, take it down and bury it in the sand"; then he quickly
laid his hand upon his neck, and laid hold upon a small Ethiopian, and he buried him in
the sand, as the creature cried out and said, " I am the spirit of pride." And again the
voice came to him, and said, " Get thee gone, and whatsoever thou shalt ask from thy God
shall be given unto thee."

3 So the blessed man, having heard [this], straightway set out to come to Shainâ, in the
time of Julian, the Emperor [and] tyrant. And at first he lived in the desert which was
nigh unto Shainâ, in a small cave which he found there on the side (or base) of the
mountain, and his occupation was as follows:—he offered up prayer unto God the whole day
through, that is to say, he prayed one hundred times in the night, and as many times in
the day, and he bowed his knees when he prayed. As concerning his food he took no care
whatsoever, for that was given unto him by God, and it was brought into the desert by an
angel; his apparel consisted of a short-sleeved garment which covered his body, and a
small napkin which he wore on his head, and these remained upon him in the desert and
never wore out. He lived in the desert which was nigh unto Shainâ in the power of the
spirit, and he worked miracles, and performed many wonderful cures, the glory of which it
is impossible for a man to describe, but we have heard thereof from the elders who were
with him, and who were also perfect men, and from the heads and governors of the
brotherhood. This man, then, was famous as a new prophet, and as an apostle who had
appeared in our generation.

4 And when his fame had travelled abroad on all sides, all the monks who lived scattered
about in various places came unto him in a body as unto a true father, and they offered
themselves to him as an offering. And the blessed man stirred up some of them to divine
visions, and others to glorious deeds of spiritual excellence, but he first of all shewed
them by actual examples the things which he was exhorting them to do by his words, and he
incited them on several occasions to perform work of ascetic excellence. One Sunday after
another he ate with them, but he tasted nothing but the herbs which grew of themselves in
the earth, and he ate neither bread, nor pulse, nor the fruit of trees, nor anything which
had been prepared by fire. 5 Now in the reign of Julian, the blessed Apollo heard that a
certain brother, who had been seized for military service, had been thrown into prison,
and he took brethren, and went to visit him, and to comfort him; and having gone to him,
he told that brother to endure the suffering, and to despise the tribulations which were
surging in upon him, for the sake of the hope which is to come. Now that time was a season
of strife, and the believing mind was sorely tried by the temptations which came upon it.
And when he had strengthened the soul of the brother by such words as these, one of those
who had been appointed by the Chiliarch to guard [him] came and said unto the Chiliarch,
"The brethren wish to get that man out [of the prison]. Now when the Chiliarch heard this,
he rose up, and came in an evil fury, and shut the doors of the prison, and set seals
[upon them], and appointed stricter guards, and thus confined the blessed man, and all the
brethren who were with him, in the prison, saying, "These men also are useful for military
service," and then he departed to his house without listening to the petition they made to
him.

6 But in the middle of the night the angel of the Lord, who held a lamp in his hand, lit
up with his light the whole prison-house so brightly that all the watchmen were
astonished, and they entreated the brethren who were therein to go away from them, and the
doors were opened before them; and they said, "It is better for us to die for them, than
to neglect the freedom which hath been sent from God to men who have been imprisoned in an
unseemly manner. And the Chiliarch and the noblemen who were with him came in the morning
to the prison-house, and pressed the brethren to depart from the city, for his house had
fallen down through an earthquake, and had buried the noble folk of his house; and when
they heard this they went forth, and glorified God with a loud voice, and they departed to
the desert with rejoicings.

7 Now all these brethren lived together after the example of the Apostles, and they
possessed one mind and one soul, and the blessed man admonished them daily that they
should excel in glorious works, and that they should drive away quickly and immediately to
a distance, before they came, the evil crafts of the Calumniator which burst into the
thoughts. For he said, "When the head of the serpent is bruised all his body dieth, for
our Lord commanded us to be watchful against the head of the serpent, which is this:—We
must not only take care that filthy and corrupt thoughts do not come into our minds, but
we must blot out also the hateful appearances which are produced in our minds. Now,
therefore, strive eagerly and earnestly that ye may emulate each other in the gloriousness
of the ascetic works, so that no man may be found to be in any way inferior to his
neighbour in spiritual excellence. And this is the sign that ye have approached the glory
of ascetic labours, if ye can keep your bodies from the passions of the lusts; for the
beginning of the gift of God is when a man acquireth also the manifestation of the
wonderful [character] which is from God, lest peradventure he become [unduly] exalted
thereby, or be lifted up in his thoughts, as if he were superior to his fellows, and lest
he become like a man who maketh it to appear that he is worthy of all this grace; but if
not, he will certainly forget that he lacketh divine grace, and that it hath been snatched
away from his mind."

8 Now therefore this man possessed the precious treasure of great doctrine in his mind,
which we also heard from him on another occasion, and his works were more excellent than
his teaching; for every petition which he asked of God was granted unto him, and visions
also appeared unto him; for on one occasion he saw that his brother, who was older than
he, and who also brought his life to an end in the desert, possessed more spiritual works
than himself. And he saw, as in a dream, that he had become a counterpart of the Apostles,
and that God had made him to inherit glory, and he was begging and entreating Him to bring
about his departure from the world speedily, so that he might rest with him in heaven, and
that it was said unto him by our Redeemer, "It is necessary for Apollo to live upon the
earth a little longer, until many shall become perfect through envy of his glorious deeds,
for he is prepared to be set over a great nation of monks, and of men who cultivate
righteousness, so that he may receive glory proportionate to his labour."

9 Such were the things which he saw, and they came to pass in connexion with the
congregation of monks who came to him, and who, through his abundant doctrine, and through
his numerous ascetic habits, became aliens to the world. And a great monastery for
brethren grew up about him in the mountain, and at length five hundred men came to live
there together; they had their habitation in common, and they sat at meat at one table,
and verily, they appeared to be as angels, and they were like unto workers who were
ornamented with princely ornaments, and were arrayed in white apparel. Thus were fulfilled
the words of the Scriptures which say, "The dry desert shall rejoice, and the open plain
shall leap for joy" (Isaiah xxxv, 1); and, again, "Shout, and cry out, O thou who hast
never brought forth, for the children of the barren woman are more numerous than those of
her who hath had a husband" (Isaiah liv, 1). And the word of the Prophet concerning the
church among the Gentiles was fulfilled, and was completed also by the desert of Egypt,
for the sons of God were more numerous there than in the land which had become settled and
occupied by people. For in many of the cities of Egypt true congregations of monks
increased even as they drew nigh to God in the desert thereof, and in proportion as the
nation was at peace even so did the monks multiply in the desert of Egypt, and in them
were fulfilled the words of the Apostle (Romans v, 20), who said, "Where sin increased
there also did grace abound."

10 Now at one time in Egypt the exceedingly abominable worship of idols was more common
than among any other nation, for they worshipped dogs, and apes, and other things, and
even garlic, and onions, and common garden herbs were considered to be gods, according to
what we heard the holy man Apollo say, and he described the reason for the worship of
idols which existed among the Egyptians, and said, "These heathen, and the early
inhabitants of the country worshipped the bull because he was useful in ploughing the
ground wherefrom they obtained their food, and they worshipped the waters of the Nile
which irrigated their whole country, and also the earth itself which yielded to them
excellent crops, and which is far more excellent than the soil of other countries. And
they held in reverence their other polluted things, that is to say, dogs, and apes, and
all their abominable animals and vegetables, because they had been to them the cause of
redemption; now they had been brought to naught in the time of Pharaoh, when he and those
who were with him were drowned whilst the children of Israel were pursued by them. For
they did not cleave unto Pharaoh in that day, but each man among them made that which was
his familiar [spirit] his god, and said, 'This is my god, and through him I shall not
perish with Pharaoh.'"

11 Such were the things which were in the discourse of Apollo, but it is meet that we
should write down his deeds before his words. Once heathen peoples dwelt in the various
places which were round about the blessed man, and the ten villages which were near him
were very wicked, and they went astray in respect of the worship of idols. In one of these
villages was a temple, and the idol which was in that village was very famous, and he was
made of wood, and the priests danced before him, and carried him about in a procession
from village to village, and then the people who were with him leaped and danced about.
And once, when they were performing their play on the bank of the river, the blessed
Apollo, and a few brethren who were with him, happened to be passing through the district
at that time, and, when from a distance he saw the crowd which had begun its devilish
sports, he bowed the knee on the spot where he was, and prayed to the Redeemer of all, and
straightway all the people became bound with cords, and he put all the heathen in such a
state that they were unable to crawl away from where they were, and as they were not able
to depart from that place, one by one became parched [with thirst], and was obliged to
suffer under the fierce heat of the sun the whole day long, and they marvelled at what had
happened to them. Then their priests said, "There is a certain Christian in your borders,
and it is he who hath done these things to them," now they were speaking of the blessed
man Apollo, who, by means of his prayers had brought to naught their festival, "and it is
right that we should make entreaty unto him that we may not come into tribulation."

12 And when the inhabitants of the country round about them heard [these things], they
came at the sound of the uproar and asked them, saying, "What is this commotion which hath
suddenly come upon you? And what is the cause thereof? And they said, "We do not know, but
we have a suspicion, we confess, of a certain man who is a Christian, and who liveth on
the side of the mountain, and it is right that we should make entreaty to him. Then the
inhabitants bore testimony, saying, "Yea, this blessed man did pass through this country,"
and the priests begged them that they would help them at once; and, wishing [to know]
whether they were able to move the idol from his place, they brought oxen to draw him
along, but the idol and the oxen became like unto beings who had been fixed there a long
time. Now when there was not a (successful) issue to their undertaking on any side
whatsoever, and no [help could be obtained] by entreating the people round about them, the
priests of the idol sent to the holy man, saying that, if they were delivered from that
place, they would turn aside from all their error. And when all these things had been told
to the blessed man by a message, that servant of God came down quickly, and prayed over
them, and released them from that restraint;

13 and straightway they all followed him, and they believed in the Redeemer, the Lord of
all, Who doeth wonderful things, and they straightway delivered the idol over to burn in
the fire, and they became converted, and were baptized, and were added to the number of
the sons of the Church, and many of them live to this very day in the habitation of the
monastery. Thereupon the report of this old man went forth quickly into every place, and
so many people believed on the Lord through him that in those borders henceforward no man
gave himself the name of "heathen." 14 And after a short time two villages quarrelled and
fought over certain fields, and as soon as the blessed man heard thereof he went down to
them quickly, that he might sow peace between them; now the men who were on one side would
not be persuaded by his words, but they disputed them for the reason that they were
relying, forsooth, upon a certain mighty man, who was a captain of a band of thieves, and
he stood up on their behalf in the struggle. And when the holy Apollo saw this man
disputing fiercely, he said unto him, "If thou wilt be persuaded by me, O my beloved, I
will beseech our Lord to forgive thee thy sins"; and when the man heard these words,
without any hesitation whatsoever he threw his weapons away from him, and fell at the
knees of the holy man, and he turned his partisans back into their houses. And when there
was peace between them, and every man had departed to his place this famous captain of
thieves clung to the blessed man, and entreated him and openly demanded from him [the
fulfilment of] his promise; and the holy man took him with him to the desert, and
entreated him, and admonished him to be patient and said unto him, "God is able to grant
thee this thing."

15 And when it was night the two men saw in a dream that they were standing before the
throne in heaven, and the two men also saw that the angels and the righteous men were
worshipping God; and when they also knelt down on their knees, and bowed down on their
faces before Christ, the voice of God came to them, saying, "What connexion hath light
with darkness? Or what portion hath the believer with the unbeliever? (2 Corinthians vi,
14, 15.) Why then doth this murderer stand with this righteous man, seeing that he is not
worthy of this sight? But, O man, get thee gone, for behold, this little one among thy
sons who hath taken refuge in thee shall be saved because of thee." Now they saw and also
heard many other things which the mouth must not dare to utter nor the ear to hear. And
when they woke up they related the dream to those [who were with them], and those who
heard how exceedingly glorious were the stories of these men [marvelled] that two men were
able to relate one and the same dream. Now the captain of thieves remained in the
monastery with the monks, and led therein a life of ascetic excellence until his departure
from the world; and from being a wolf he had turned into a simple lamb; and in him was
fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah (xi, 6, 7), who said, "The wolf and the lamb shall feed
together, and the lion shall eat chopped straw like the ox."

16 And we saw also there Ethiopians who lived with the monks, and they excelled to such a
degree in the ascetic life that in them were fulfilled the words which are said in the
Book, "Kûsh (Ethiopia) shall deliver the hand unto God" (Psalm lxviii, 31). And on another
occasion when [the heathen] were arming against the Christians because of [a dispute
concerning] the boundaries of certain territories, the blessed Apollo came to make peace
between them. Now a certain chief of the force of the heathen was boasting and saying,
"There can never be peace until death," and the blessed man said unto him, "According to
thy word even so let it be, for no man on either side shall die except thyself; and the
earth shall not be thy grave, but the bellies of wild beasts." And it came to pass that
the man died, and in the morning his body was found, having been torn to pieces by
vultures and hyenas; and when the conclusion of the matter was known they gave thanks, and
believed in Christ, saying, "This man is certainly a prophet."

17 Now the dwelling-place of the blessed Apollo was formerly in a cave, with five brethren
who had been converted by him in the desert before he left the wilderness. And when the
Easter Festival came, and they had performed the service of God in the cave, they made
ready to eat whatsoever food they had; now their food consisted of a small quantity of
dried bread and pickled vegetables. And the blessed Apollo said unto them, "O my sons, if
we are believers and true servants of Christ, each one of us, let us entreat God to give
us whatsoever He willeth to eat"; and they devoted their whole petition to this object,
despising themselves as men who were unworthy of this gracious gift. And when the blessed
man had prayed with a joyful countenance, and had made an end of his prayer, and they had
all said, "Amen," they found there in the night certain men standing by the door of the
cave, and the men were strangers, whom no man knew, and they said concerning themselves
that they had come from a far country. And they had brought with them from that country
many things of which the brethren had never heard, and which existed not in the land of
Egypt, that is to say, various kinds of fruits from Paradise;

18 grapes, and pomegranates, and figs, and nuts, and almonds, which at that period did not
exist [in Egypt], and honey in the comb, and a box of milk (or butter), and dates of huge
size, and ten loaves of bread which were still hot; and the men who had brought these
things gave them unto them under the pretence that they had been sent by a great and rich
and honourable man, and then they returned to their own country with the greatest haste
and diligence. Then the holy men partook of what had been sent to them, and the food was
sufficient [to last them] until Pentecost. And whilst they were wondering and saying,
"Verily, these have been sent unto us by God," one of the monks who were with him
entreated the blessed Apollo that he might offer up a prayer for him to be worthy of the
gracious gift, and having offered up a prayer on his behalf, the graces of humility, and
of graciousness (or happiness), and of patient endurance, were bestowed upon him to such a
degree that many marvelled at the excellence of the humility which he possessed. And the
fathers related to us stories of the wonderful and mighty works which he performed, and
many brethren testified concerning the miracles [which he wrought].

19 And a short time afterwards there was a great famine in the district of Thebaïs, and
when the peoples of the country who were dwelling in that place heard that the monks who
were with the blessed man were living without labour, they gathered themselves together,
and came to him with their wives and children, and asked him for alms and for food, and
he, like a man who did not fear that peradventure food would be wanting for himself and
those who were with him, gave unto all those who had come to him that which was sufficient
for each one of them from day to day. And when three baskets full of bread were all that
remained, and the famine was still severe, he commanded and they brought these baskets
into the midst [of them, and he found that] they would only suffice for one day's food for
the monks and those who were with them; and in the presence of all the crowds, who were
listening, and the whole brotherhood of monks, he said with a loud voice, "Is not the hand
of the Lord able to increase [these]? "For thus saith the Holy Spirit, 'Bread shall not be
wanting'" "in these baskets until we all eat new bread.'" And all those who were near him
said, "In very truth the bread was sufficient to feed them for four months.

20 And he was in the habit of doing thus from time to time in respect of oil and wheat,
until Satan came and said unto him, "Peradventure," "thou art Elijah, or another of the
Prophets, or one of the Apostles that thou darest to act thus? Then the blessed man said
to him, "And why should I not act thus? Were not the holy Prophets and the blessed
Apostles men? And have not [the Fathers] handed down [to us] the tradition that they used
to do such things? Or, is our Lord akin to them at one time and remote from them at
another? Therefore, at all times God is able to do things like unto these, and there is
nothing which is difficult for Him. If then God is good, why art thou, O corrupt one,
evil?" 21 Why now should I not describe the things which we saw with our own eyes? Now at
the time when the five hundred brethren were about to refresh themselves the baskets came
in full, and when the brethren had eaten and were filled from them, by the blessing of the
blessed man they went forth still being full. And it is right that we should describe
another miracle which we saw there and marvelled at. Now when we three brethren went to
visit the blessed Apollo, and the brethren saw us from where he was, they recognized us by
the descriptions which they had heard from him of our journey, and they met us with
gladness and sang songs of praise, for such is the custom with all the brethren. And
having bowed down with their faces to the ground, they rose up, and gave us the salutation
of peace, and said to their companions, "Behold, the brethren of whom our Abbâ spake unto
us three days ago have come to us," for he had said, "Behold, after three days three
brethren will come to you from Jerusalem." And some of the brethren were going before us,
rejoicing and singing Psalms, and some followed behind answering them, until we arrived at
the place where the blessed man was; and when our father Apollo heard the sound of their
singing, he also came forth to meet us, according to the custom of the brethren, and when
he saw us, he was the first to bow low to the ground, and he stretched out his hand, and
rose up, and kissed us, and he led us in, and prayed, and washed our feet with his own
hands, and pressed us to rest ourselves and to partake of food, for it was his custom to
do this to all the brethren who came to visit him.

22 Now the brethren who were with him did not approach their food straightway, but they
first of all partook of the Eucharist of Christ together; and they used to do this daily
at the season of prayer at the ninth hour, and afterwards they ate their meal; whilst they
were sitting at meat they learned his commandments until the time for sleep, and
afterwards some of them would go forth into the desert and repeat the Scriptures by heart,
the whole night long, whilst others would take their meal with him and would glorify God
until the morning. And we ourselves saw that such men began to sing the Psalms and hymns
of praise in the evening, and that they continued to sing them until the day broke. Now
many of them used to come down at the time of the ninth hour and receive the Eucharist,
and then return to their places, and the spiritual food alone would be sufficient for them
till the ninth hour on the day following; even thus did they, and many of them would
continue to do thus, and remain without [ordinary] food for several days at a time, even
from one Sunday to another.

23 And we observed their joy in the desert, with which nothing on the earth, and no bodily
delight, can be compared, for there was among them no man who was sorry or afflicted with
grief, and if any man was found to be in affliction, our father Apollo knew the cause
thereof, and was able to make known to him the secret thoughts of his mind. And he would
say unto such an one, "It is not seemly for us to be afflicted at our redemption, for we
are those who are about to inherit the kingdom of heaven; but let the Jews weep, and let
the men of iniquity be in mourning, and let the righteous rejoice. For they have their
happiness in earthly things, and they cultivate the things of earth, and why should not
we, who are worthy of the blessed hope, rejoice always, even according to the encouraging
words of the blessed Apostle Paul, who said unto us, 'Rejoice in our Lord always, and pray
at all seasons, and in everything give thanks" (1 Thessalonians v, 16-18).

24 And what shall a man say concerning the grace which dwelt in the words of the blessed
Apollo, and concerning his other glorious qualities, about which, because of their great
number, we keep silence, and concerning which we have heard from others? Now he discussed
many things concerning strenuousness in ascetic deeds together with us, and exhorted us
how to receive the brethren, and he told us that when the brethren came to visit us it was
seemly to bow low before them, "Not," he said, "that we bow down before them, but before
the God Who is in them. [When] thou seest thy brother, thou seest Christ. The custom of
urging the brethren from time to time to come in and rest and refresh themselves we have
derived from Abraham, and also from Lot, who pressed the angels [to stay with him]. And if
it be possible it is fitting that the monks should partake of the Mysteries of Christ each
day, and whosoever shall make himself to be remote from them shall remove himself from
God; and whosoever shall do this shall receive our Redeemer always. For the voice of our
Life-giver saith thus, 'He who eateth My Body, and drinketh My Blood, remaineth in Me and
I in him,' and it is very helpful to monks to remember the Passion of our Redeemer at all
times, because by the remembrance thereof which we thus keep we become worthy of the
forgiveness of our sins always. Therefore it is right that we should always make ourselves
worthy to receive the holy Mysteries of our Redeemer.

25 "Let then no man remit the well-known fasts which have been ordained unless it be for
some cause [which] worketh tribulation. We keep the fast on the fourth day of the week
because on that day the Jews plotted to betray our Lord, and also on the eve of the
Sabbath because on that day He was crucified, and he who remitteth these becometh one of
the betrayers and a Jew; but if thy brother cometh to thee during a period of fasting, and
is in need of refreshment, although the time be unseasonable, set before him thy table
[and let him eat] by himself, and if he wisheth not this, constrain him not, for this is
an universal tradition [of hospitality]." And the blessed man blamed severely those who
wore woven stuffs and dressed their hair in such a way that they would be seen by children
of men to be fasting, and he called them seekers after the vainglory of men, for monks
should humble their bodies by fasting and abstinence, and should work the things which are
good in secret; and those who do not these things shew themselves only unto the multitude.

26 And what shall one say concerning all the teachings of the blessed man, which resembled
his life and deeds, and which it is impossible for a man to write down, or even to mention
in a fitting manner? On several occasions we conversed together the whole Sabbath, and
when he was escorting us [on our way back] he said to us, "May ye have peace one with one
another, and let no man separate himself from his companion on the way." Then he said to
the brethren who were with him, " Who among you is willing of his own accord to go and
escort [these] brethren on the way to the other fathers?" And, with but very few
exceptions, all the brethren sought anxiously to go with us and to escort us on our way;
but the holy man Apollo selected three of them, men who were mighty in their ascetic
labours, and understanding in their speech. Now they had been instructed in the languages
of the Greeks, and the Romans, and the Egyptians, and, sending them with us, he commanded
them not to leave us until we had seen all the fathers whom we wished to see, and had
rejoiced in holding converse with them. Now it would have been impossible for a man to see
all the fathers, even in the whole period of his life. Then he blessed us, and sent us
away, saying, "May the Lord bless thee out of Zion, and may ye see the prosperity of
Jerusalem all the days of your life" (Psalm cxxviii, 5).

27 And as we were journeying along our way through the desert, at the season of noon, we
suddenly saw the marks of a monster serpent which had been lying like a log of wood on the
sand, and we were afraid, but the brethren who were with us bade us be of good courage,
saying, "Fear ye not, but come and see us slay him by faith For we have slain with our own
hands many snakes, and asps, and vipers, so that there may be fulfilled that which is
written, 'I have given to you power to trample under foot serpents and scorpions, and all
the power of the Enemy'" (St. Luke x, 19). Now we, because of our terror, begged the
brethren that we might go straight on our journey, and might not follow the trail of the
serpent, but one of them left us, and went forth and wandered about tracking the creature
by the marks which it had left behind it, until at length he stood over its hole, and he
besought us to go and see it, and the brethren who were with us encouraged us so to do,
and we went there feeling afraid. Then a certain brother came to meet us, and led us to
the monastery, and he said to us, "Ye are not able to resist the attack of the serpent,
for he is fifteen cubits long, and, moreover, I have never seen a serpent larger than this
one"; and conformably to his words we remained in our places. And the brother [who had
found the serpent's hole] went and begged that brother to let us go and slay the serpent,
and blamed us because of our little faith, but he turned him back, and then took all of us
into his monastery, and made us rest therein, and he related to me the following story:—

28 In the times which are past a certain holy man, whose name was Ammon, used to dwell in
this monastery, and he it was who converted me, and the thieves used to vex him, for they
stole his apparel and his food, and by reason of their vexatious attacks he went forth and
departed into the desert; and he brought two great serpents and commanded them to guard
the door of his abode, and when the thieves came according to their custom, they saw the
serpents and marvelled, and, by reason of their fear, they fell down on their faces upon
the ground. Then, having gone forth and seen the thieves, the blessed man spake unto them,
and reviled them, saying, "Observe how much worse ye are than the serpents! These
creatures are, for God's sake, obedient to our command, but ye are neither afraid of God,
nor do ye hold His servants in reverence"; and he took them into his dwelling, and fed
them, and admonished them, and told [them] that they ought to change their mode of life.
And straightway they repented and took up their habitation in a monastery, and they
excelled more than many in spiritual works, until at length they also were able to work
miracles.

29 Now on another occasion the inhabitants of that country came to the blessed Ammon, and
made complaints to him about another serpent, and they entreated him to destroy it off
their land because it used to slay their sheep and cattle; but he, as one who was not able
to help them, dismissed them, and they went away in sorrow. And in the morning he rose up,
and went to the place over which that serpent used to pass, and he knelt down there in
prayer; now when the serpent came to pass by there, according to his wont, and saw the
blessed man, he blew upon him, and hissed, and darted forward to strike him three times.
Then the blessed man said unto him boldly, "May Christ, the Son of God, Who is about to
destroy the great serpent, destroy thee also"; and immediately that he had uttered the
word, the serpent burst asunder, and all his gall and blood came forth. And when the
inhabitants of the country came and saw the serpent, they marvelled, and at the command of
the blessed man, because of the stench, they heaped up the sand upon the serpent, but
without the word of Abbâ Ammon they would not have approached the reptile, even though he
was dead.

30 And on one occasion, whilst a certain youth was pasturing sheep, it happened that he
saw that serpent, and he was smitten with wonder, and threw himself down in the field
without saying a word; and his kinsfolk went forth to seek him, and they found him at
eventide in a wretched and terror-stricken state, and they brought him to the blessed
Ammon, and told him that they did not know the cause of his condition, and were ignorant
of what had happened unto him; and the blessed man prayed, and anointed him with oil, and
the boy was healed, and related what had happened to him, and for this reason especially
the blessed man was constrained to destroy that serpent.

CHAPTER 10. THE TRIUMPHS OF ABBA APELLEN

1 And we saw also another Abbâ whose name was Apellen, and he had persevered in the
sternest and most austere ascetic labours with the brethren who were by his side, from his
youth up; and on several occasions he carried fire in his bosom, and stirred up the
brethren to give a manifestation also of the miracles [which] they could [work], and he
said unto them, "If ye are, in very truth, servants of God, make manifest forthwith
glorious miracles." And whensoever he was by himself in the desert, and the desire to eat
honey rose up in him, straightway he would find a honeycomb on a rock, and he used to say,
"Get thee gone from me, O evil desire, for it is written, 'Ye shall walk in the spirit,
and ye shall not perform the lust of the flesh" (Galatians v, 16); and then he would leave
the honeycomb [on the rock] and depart. And again, when he had fasted for three weeks in
the desert, and he found some fruit which had been blown down,

2 353 he answered and said, "I will neither taste nor touch it, lest I make to offend my
brother, that is to say, myself. For it is written that 'man liveth not by bread alone'"
(St. Matthew iv, 4). Then he fasted another week also, and he slept a little, and an angel
came unto him in a dream, and said unto him, "Rise up, and take as much as thou canst, and
eat [it]." Then he rose up, and looked round about him, and he saw a fountain of water,
and roots, which were exceedingly to be desired, were growing round it; and when he had
drunk [some] water, and had eaten [some] green herbs, he said, "There is nothing so sweet
and pleasant as this anywhere." Now he found in that country a little cave, and he dwelt
therein for a few days without any food, and when he began to feel an hungered, he knelt
down, and prayed, and straightway he found his food placed by his side, that is to say,
hot bread, and olives, and fruits of various kinds.

3 And from time to time he used to visit the brethren who lived near him in the desert,
and he admonished them frequently. On one occasion he was very anxious to go to his own
desert, and to carry there such things as were necessary for him of the blessings (i.e.,
gifts) which the brethren had given him, and as he was going along the way he saw some
goats feeding and he said unto them, "In the Name of Jesus Christ, let one of you carry
this load"; and straightway one of them came, and he placed his hands upon [its back], and
bowed himself, and sat upon it, and he arrived at his cave in one day. On another occasion
the blessed man spread out his bread in the sun, and the wild animals came according to
their custom to the fountain of water [where it was], and any animal which approached the
bread died.

4 And on another occasion he went to certain monks on the first day of the week, and he
saw that they were ceasing to perform the service of the Holy Mysteries, and he blamed
them, saying, "Why do ye not perform your service? And they said unto him, "Because no
priest hath come unto us from over the river"; and he said unto them, "I will go after
him, and call him. Then they made answer unto him, saying, "It is impossible for any man
to cross over the river, both on account of its depth, and because of the crocodiles which
destroy human beings"; but he went a little distance and came to the place where the river
was usually crossed, and he seated himself fearlessly upon the back of a crocodile, and
passed over [to the other side]. And having gone and found the priest, he entreated him
not to neglect the brethren, and when the priest saw that Apellen was dressed in old and
ragged garments, he marvelled at his humility, and at the poorness of his apparel; and he
clung to him, and followed him to the cave. Now when they came [to the river] and found no
boat to take them over, the blessed man Apellen cried out with a loud voice to that
crocodile, which straightway heard him and came to him, and it made ready its back before
the holy man to sit upon;

5 and the blessed man entreated the priest to sit with him and pass over to the other
side, but when the priest saw the crocodile, he was afraid, and he returned to his own
place. And the brethren, who were dwelling in the mountain on the other side of the river,
feared when they saw the blessed man sitting in the water on the back of the crocodile;
and as soon as he had crossed over on to dry land, and had come up [out of the water], he
slew the crocodile, saying, "Death is better for thee than punishment for the souls which
thou hast already slain, and wouldst slay"; and the animal died straightway. 6 And Apellen
remained with the brethren three days, and he sat and taught them the commandments, and
the thoughts which one of them had secretly he made clear and plain before them, saying,
"This man is vexed by lust, and this man by love of vainglory, and this by evil dislike,
and this by pride, and this by arrogance, and this by envy, and this by boasting, and this
by anger, and this by greediness, and this by avarice; and this man is humble, and this
man is straight, and these men are praiseworthy and good, and these are bad and
rebellious." And he admonished [them] and shewed forth [these things], and when the
brethren heard them they marvelled, for in very truth it was even as [he had said]. And he
also said, "Prepare for us a meal of garden herbs, for many brethren are coming to us,"
and when they had prepared them, the brethren came, and they saluted each other; and one
of them entreated him to let him be with him in the desert, and the blessed man said unto
him, "Thou art not able to endure the temptations of devils," and at length the brother
said, "I can bear everything." Then having received him Abba Apellen commanded him to
dwell in a cave by the side of him. But the devils came by night and sought to strangle
him. Now first of all they troubled him sorely with filthy thoughts, and that brother
fled, and departed from the cave. And when he had shewn all these things to the blessed
Apellen, the Abba set out and made for him an abode at a distance, and he commanded them
to there live without fear.

7 And on a certain occasion when they were in the cave they lacked bread, and an angel in
the form of a brother brought them food, and once, when ten of the brethren had been seek-
355 23a ing him by another way, and had found him after they had been fasting for seven
days, he commanded them to come in and to rest and refresh themselves in his cave; and
when they reminded him about the food, he said unto them, "God is able to prepare for us
food in the wilderness," and immediately an angel of God in the form of a beautiful youth
stood and knocked at the door whilst they were praying; and they opened the door, and
[found there] a youth carrying a large basket wherein were bread and olives, and they took
it from him, and ate therefrom, and gave thanks unto God, and the youth removed himself
from them. These and many other wonderful things were performed by the blessed Apellen.

CHAPTER 11. THE TRIUMPHS OF ANOTHER APOLLO, AND OF JOHN, THE DWELLER IN THE DESERT

1 And we also saw another holy man in the region of 'Or (or Akûr, i.e., Acre), whose name
was also Apollo, who was a righteous man; his handicraft was originally that of a
blacksmith, but he had been converted to the way of truth, and he laboured afterwards in
the service of the brethren, and supplied their needs. And on one occasion Satan came unto
him in the form of a woman, who appeared to be anxious to work in the service of the
brethren, and the blessed man happened at the time to be working at his trade, and he took
up the red-hot iron and thrust it into the woman's face, and burned it so severely that
she shrieked out, and the brethren who were in the chambers heard her cries. And from that
time forward the blessed man was able to hold red-hot iron in his hands without being
hurt. And this man also received us, and gave us refreshment, and he related unto us the
histories of the men who had lived with him in that country, and of those who still lived
there, and said :—

2 There is in this desert one of our brethren whose name is John, who is now exceedingly
old, and whose works of ascetic excellence are superior to those of all the other monks in
the country. No man can find him at once, because he wandereth about from place to place
in the desert. During the early period [of his life] he stood for three whole years
praying, and he never sat down or went to sleep, but he was in the habit of snatching a
little sleep as he stood. A certain priest used to bring him the Offering (i.e.,
sacramental bread) from Sunday to Sunday, and besides that he ate nothing. And one day the
devil stood up in the form of a priest, and was exceedingly anxious to bring him a woman,
but as soon as the blessed John had recognized him, he said unto him, "Out upon thee, O
thou who art full of guile, thou father of all falsehood, thou enemy of all righteousness!
Wilt thou never cease to lead astray the souls of Christians? And dost thou dare to
trample underfoot even the Holy Mysteries? Then the Devil said unto him, "A very little
more, and I should have been master over thee in thy fall, for thus have I led many a man
astray, and I have driven him out of his mind and made him mad, but when many holy men
made supplication to God on his behalf in their prayers, he came back to his senses.

3 And having said these things unto him the Devil departed from him. Now the legs of the
blessed man burst open because of standing over much upon them, and a discharge of water
and pus ran from them; but the angel [of the Lord] drew nigh unto him and said, " The Lord
shall be thy meat and the Holy Spirit thy drink, and thou mayest be certain that this
spiritual food shall suffice for thee. And having healed his wounds he made him to pass
from that place. Then the blessed man went about in the desert and fed himself upon roots,
and he used to come Sunday by Sunday to his place and partake of the Holy [Offering]. 4
Now a certain man who was paralysed wished to go to him and be healed, and immediately his
legs touched the back of the ass which he was going to ride, through his faith only they
were healed, before the holy man had offered up even a prayer on his behalf. On one
occasion the holy man John begged the priest who ministered unto him to bring him a few
palm leaves, as it were for pleasure, and he brought them to him, and the blessed man
plaited them together; and the priest took some of the plaits and made a girth of them for
his ass. Now there was a certain paralytic who wished to go to the blessed man and be
healed, and he entreated the priest to carry him to him; and the priest took him and set
him upon the ass, and immediately his legs touched the back of the ass which he was going
to ride and the girth which the blessed man John had plaited, through his faith only they
were healed, before the holy man had offered up even a prayer on his behalf. (Such is the
story as told in another manuscript.) On another occasion he sent a gift (or blessing) to
those who were ill, and immediately they had tasted it they were healed of their
sicknesses.

5 And on another occasion it was revealed to him that some of the brethren of his
monasteries were not upright in their lives and works; and he wrote an epistle to them
all, and accused the elders of being negligent, and the brethren of running after
adulation, and it was known that this really was so. And he wrote also to the fathers who
were neglectful, and who held lightly the salvation of the brethren who were with them,
and he told the others to amend their lives, and to make their deeds better, and he
revealed [to them] also how that a reward (or penalty) was laid up for both groups of
them. And he called the others to perfection in the spiritual life and its works, and he
reminded them that they must neglect the things which are visible, and follow after those
which are invisible. "For it is time that we shewed forth the manner of our life and the
works thereof, and it is meet that we should not pass the whole period of our lives [as]
children and youths, but we must draw nigh unto the perfection of knowledge, and take up
our stand upon the majesty of [its] glory." These and many other things did our father,
the holy man Apollo, relate to us concerning the blessed John, and we marvelled at the
greatness thereof. Now we have not written them all down, not because they were not true,
but because of the want of faith of various men; but we ourselves believe them to be true,
and we are fully persuaded that they are so, because those who related unto us the
wonderful things of his life and deeds had certainly seen them with their own eyes, and
these men were both numerous and great.

CHAPTER 12. THE TRIUMPHS OF ABBA PAPHNUTIUS, THE SPIRITUAL MERCHANT

1 And we saw also the place of the dwelling of the blessed Paphnutius, a great and
glorious man who had departed from this world, and had brought his life to a close but a
very short time before in the district of Herakleia which is in Thebaïs; and concerning
this man many men relate very many mighty things. For after he had performed great
spiritual deeds, he entreated God to inform him which of the saints whose lives had been
pleasing unto Him he resembled; and an angel appeared unto him and said, "Thou art like
such and such a singer who liveth in such and such a city." Then the blessed man made his
way to the singer with great zeal and diligence, and having found him, he asked him about
his deeds, and made enquiries [concerning his life]. And the singer made answer unto him,
telling him at the same time what was actually the truth, saying, "I am a sinner, and a
miserable wretch, and a whoremonger, and it is only a short time ago since I gave up a
life of theft and became as I am." And when Paphnutius enquired of him, "What hast thou
done which is good?" he made answer unto him, saying, "I did not know that I had ever done
anything good except once. When I was a thief I saw a certain virgin of God being forced
by thieves, and she was nearly seduced, and I rescued her from them and carried her by
night to the city.

2 "And on another occasion I found a beautiful woman wandering about in the desert, and
she had fled from the men of the company of the general and counsellor because of a debt
for taxes which her husband had incurred; and she was crying to herself because of her
troubles, and because she was compelled to roam about and wander in the desert, and when I
saw her I asked her the cause of her weeping. And she made answer unto me and said, 'My
lord, ask me no questions, and make no enquiries about a miserable woman [like myself],
but take me to be thine handmaiden, and carry me whithersoever thou pleasest. My husband
oweth a debt of three hundred darics for taxes to the governor, and behold, during the
whole of the past two years he hath been scourged and kept in prison; my three beloved
children have been sold into slavery, and I myself have been seized on several occasions,
and carried off and beaten cruelly, and [finally] I escaped and fled, and I have been cast
forth from place to place. And now I am here wandering about in this desert, and behold,
for the last three days I have eaten nothing whatsoever.' Thereupon I had compassion upon
the woman, and I took her to my cave, and gave unto her three hundred dinârs, and then I
carried her off to the city so that she might be able to free herself, and to redeem her
children and her husband."

3 Then the blessed Paphnutius made answer unto him, and said, "I do not know in myself
that any such thing as this hath been done by me, but thou must have heard concerning my
labours and that I am famous, for I have never passed my life in negligence; now God
revealed unto me concerning thee and told me that thou wast not inferior to me in thy
works. Since the care which God hath for thee is not small, even as He Himself hath shewn
me, O brother, neglect not thyself as if thou wert of no account." And immediately the
singer cast away from him the reed pipe which he was holding in his hands, and he
abandoned the songs which he used to sing to cheer the workmen, and he turned to the sweet
words of the Holy Spirit, and he clung to Paphnutius and departed to the desert. And
having passed three years in strenuous labour [there] he brought to an end the period of
his life with praises and prayers, and with other works of ascetic excellence, and he
travelled the road of the heavenly beings, and was numbered among the company of the holy
ones and among the army of the righteous, and went to his rest.

4 And having despatched this man unto God with good and glorious works, and since he had
added excellence to his own labours, Paphnutius asked God again to inform him which of the
saints he resembled. And again a divine voice came to him, and said, "Thou art like unto a
certain chief of a village which 'is near thee"; and straightway Paphnutius went down
thereto, and when he had knocked at the door, the master of the house came nigh, as was
his wont, to receive strangers, and he opened the door, and brought him inside, and he
washed his feet, and set a table before him and entreated him to eat. And the blessed man
asked him, saying, "Tell me, O man, 'what fair deeds and actions thou doest, for,
according to what God hath made known to me, thou art more excellent than many monks. Then
the man said unto him concerning himself, "I am a sinner, and I am not worthy of the
heaven 'of the monks. And the blessed man having made enquiries of him persistently, the
man answered and said unto him, "I 'do not feel constrained overmuch to relate to thee the
history of my deeds, but since thou hast said, I have been sent by God', I will shew thee
what I have done. Behold, for the 'last thirty years I have kept myself away from my wife,
and three times only have I had intercourse with her; I have three children by her, and
they minister unto my affairs.

5 But to this very day I have never ceased to receive strangers, and no man in my village
can boast that he hath excelled me in hospitality to strangers, and no poor man and no
stranger have ever departed from me with an empty hand, or without having been suitably
supplied by me with provisions for the way. I have never neglected to comfort with my
gifts the poor man who hath been brought low. I have never accepted the person of my son
in judgement. The possessions of strangers have never entered my house. No strife hath
ever taken place near me which I have not ended peacefully. The members of my house have
never been blamed for the committal of abominable deeds, and my flocks and herds have
never drawn nigh to the fruits of strangers. I have never sowed my fields except for the
poor, and I have set them aside for the pleasure of every man, and I have gathered in that
which remained over. I have never allowed the poor man to be carried away by the rich man
by force. I have never made a man to grieve in [all] my life. And I have never passed a
decree of wickedness upon any man. These, according to the will of God, I know within
myself that I have done."

6 And when the blessed Paphnutius heard the glorious character of the life and works of
the man, he kissed him upon the head, and said unto him, "May the Lord bless thee out of
Zion, and mayest thou look upon the prosperity of Jerusalem! (Psalm cxxviii, 5.) For these
things thou hast performed well, but thou art lacking one of the prime virtues, that is to
say, the knowledge of the wisdom of God, which thou wilt not be able to acquire without
any labour whatsoever, for a man must deny the world and himself, and must take up the
Cross of our Lord, and follow Him." And when that man had heard these things, straightway,
without taking counsel with the children of his house, he clung to the blessed man, and
went forth with him to the mountain. And when they had come to the bank of the river, and
found that there was no boat to be seen, the blessed Paphnutius commanded that they should
pass over it on foot, a thing which no man had ever done at this place because of the
depth of the stream. And as they were passing over at that place, the water reached up to
their backs; and when they had passed over, Paphnutius left him at the place in that
country where he, the first one, went to his rest and completed [his life].

7 Now when he had gone from him a little way, Paphnutius entreated God that he might see
which was the most excellent of these, and after the short period of three years, he saw
an gels carrying the soul of that man up to heaven, and praising God, and saying, "Blessed
is the man in whom Thou hast pleasure, and whom Thou bringest to dwell in Thy habitation"
(Psalm lxv, 4); and the righteous were also returning answer, and saying, "May the peace
of those who love Thy law increase" (Psalm cxix, 165); and Paphnutius knew that that man
had filled full his measure. 8 And when he had continued in prayer, and had fasted for
very long periods, he prayed to God and again entreated Him to shew him which of the
saints he resembled, and again the Divine Voice said unto him, "Thou art like unto a
merchant who is seeking for beautiful pearls. But arise, and make no long tarrying, for
thou shalt meet a man who resembleth thee." So the blessed man went down [from the
mountain], and he saw a certain God-fearing Alexandrian merchant, who was trafficking with
twenty thousand [pieces of] gold and three ships, and who had come down from the upper
part of the Thebaid, and he used to give all his possessions and merchandise to the poor,
and to the brethren [and] monks, and he and his household used to take up ten sacks of
garden herbs to the blessed man every year. Now when the blessed Paphnutius saw him, he
said unto him, "What [meaneth] this, O my beloved?" And the merchant said unto him, "The
fruits of my trafficking are for the relief of the righteous, and I offer them unto God."
Then the blessed man said unto him, "Wherefore is it that thou art not honoured by the
same name as that which we have?" And the merchant answered and said unto him, "I confess
that I have great anxiety so to be called"; and the blessed man said unto him, "How long
wilt thou occupy thyself with such earthly things, and wilt not draw nigh unto the things
of heaven? Leave, even this very moment, such things to others, and do thou cling to
Christ in the things which are [more] excellent, for after a little thou shalt depart unto
God."

9 Then the merchant with joy commanded the members of his household to distribute the
remainder of his possessions among the poor, and he went up the mountain, and he confined
himself to that place wherein the two men had been crowned, and he awaited God with
prayers, and tears, and abundant fastings. And after a short time he also left his
corruptible body, and became a son of the city of the heavenly beings. Now since
Paphnutius had escorted this man also to heaven, he asked for death for himself also,
after the manner of one who was not able to live the life of the upright and glorious
deeds which are exalted in majesty; and an angel stood by his side, and said unto him,
"Come now, O blessed old man, and take thy rest in the everlasting tabernacles which God
hath prepared for the blessed, who stand there [waiting] to receive thee, that is to say,
the Prophets in their companies, and the Apostles in their grades; these are they whom
thou resemblest. I did not reveal this unto thee earlier, lest through being exalted
[overmuch] thou mightest lose somewhat of thine honour." Now after these words Paphnutius
lived one day only. And when all the things which had been done by him had been narrated
in the presence of the elders who had come unto him through a revelation, he delivered up
his soul, and those same priests, after his death, plainly saw him carried upwards with
the companies of the saints, and with angels who were praising God.

CHAPTER 13. THE TRIUMPHS OF THE BLESSED EULOGIUS

1 And we saw also another mighty elder whose name was Eulogius, who entreated God to give
him at the time when he was about to offer up the Offering such knowledge that he might be
able to know the mind of each and every one of the monks who drew nigh to [partake of] the
Holy Things; and on several occasions this man saw monks prepared to draw nigh to the Holy
and Glorious Mysteries, and restrained them, saying, "How is it that ye dare to draw nigh
to the Holy Mysteries [seeing that] ye have evil minds?" And to another of them also he
said, "This night thou hast pondered in thy mind about filthy fornication." And to another
he said, "Thou hast thought in thy mind that whether a man be righteous or wicked there is
nothing to hinder thee from drawing nigh to the goodness of God." And to another he said,
"Thou hast had doubt in thy mind whether the Holy Things are able to sanctify those who
draw nigh to them; therefore keep thou away for a little from the Holy Mysteries, and
repent with all thy soul, so that thou mayest obtain remission of [thy] sins, and thou
mayest be held worthy of association with Christ. For if ye do not cleanse your thoughts
before ye draw nigh [to them] ye will be unable to [obtain forgiveness]."

Here endeth the Triumph of Eulogius Chapter xiv. The Triumph of Isidore

2 And we also saw in Thebaïs the monastery of the blessed Isidore, which was a strong
building with a high brick wall, and in it dwelt thousands of monks; in it also were a
well, and a garden, and whatsoever was required for the food of its inhabitants. None of
the monks ever went forth from the monastery, for they had as a doorkeeper a certain elder
who would neither permit any man to depart, nor to come in, except him who had determined
in his mind to remain there until the day of his death, and never to leave. And this
doorkeeper had a small house by the side of the gate wherein he received such strangers as
came [by night], and in the morning he would give them a blessing (i.e., a gift) and
dismiss them in peace. Now there were two of the elders who used to go outside the
building, and they did so to sell the work of the brethren, and to bring in such things as
were required by them. And the elder who was always at the door was in the habit of saying
that all the monks who dwelt within the building were so holy that all of them could work
miracles, and that it was impossible for any one of them to fall into sickness before the
day of his departure from the world, and that whensoever the end of any of them was coming
he knew it beforehand, and told all the the brethren about it, and then he lay down and
died.

Here end the Triumphs of Isidore Chapter xv. The Triumph of Dioscurus

3 And we saw also another holy man in Thebaïs, whose name was Dioscurus, and he was the
Abbâ of one hundred monks. And when the monks were about to draw nigh to the gracious gift
of the Mysteries, he would say to them, "Peradventure there is a man among you who dareth
to draw nigh to the Holy Things, in whose mind the lust for women hath risen up during the
night. The nocturnal pollution which is not of the thoughts, is a customary though
involuntary emission, and it is not the result of desire, for it is a natural result, and
is derived from the actual substance of the body; therefore we are not guilty of sin. On
the other hand, the filthy vision proceedeth from the mind, and the evil desire is the
cause of the same." And Dioscurus used to say, "It is right that a monk should be superior
to the law of nature, and that the smallest impurity whatsoever should not be in his body;
but he should humble himself in such wise that owing to much fasting the physical matter
of the body may not be able to increase. And it is not right for a monk to approach lusts,
for if he doth, in what respect are we superior to the men of this world whom we see in
several cases curbing their lusts, either for the sake of the health of the body, or for
other befitting causes? How much more, then, is it fitting for a monk to take care
concerning the health of his mind, and of his soul, and of his spirit?"

CHAPTER 14. THE TRIUMPHS OF ABBA COPRES AND OF THE BLESSED PETARPEMOTIS

1 And again we saw another holy man whose name was Copres, and he dwelt in the desert, and
was the archimandrite of fifty men; he used to perform many mighty deeds, for he could
cure many sicknesses and diseases of various kinds, and he cast out devils, and drove away
evil spirits, and did other wonderful works, some of which we saw with our own eyes. Now
when he saw us, he saluted us, and prayed over us, and washed our feet, and he began to
ask us questions about the world and the affairs thereof, but we entreated him to relate
to us the story of his life and works first of all, and how it came to pass that God gave
him such gifts, and by what kind of works he had become worthy of the same. And the
blessed man, in whose mind there existed not the smallest degree of pride, began to tell
us about his own life and works, and also about those of the great, and wonderful, and
perfect fathers, the examples of whose lives and works he strove both to imitate and to
emulate; and he answered and said unto us:— O my sons, my manner of life and my mourning
are not to be compared with those of the early fathers.

2 For there was here before me a certain man, whose name was Petarpemōtis, who was first
and chief of all the monks who dwelt in this place; it was he who first made manifest
(i.e., wore) this garb, and it was he who invented it. Now formerly he had been a thief,
and a plunderer of the tombs of the heathen, and he had a great reputation for committing
wickednesses of every kind connected with robbery and theft, and the following matter was
the cause of [his finding] life. He once went to rob the religious house of a certain
blessed woman who dwelt therein chastely, and without knowing it he found himself upon the
roof of her house; and being unable to go into her house and plunder it, because the roofs
of the house were as flat as the ground and they had no rain water pipes [leading
thereto], for there is no rain in Thebaïs, and there was no place on the roof whereby he
could enter the house, or by which he could leave it again, and he was neither able to
descend nor to escape from it, he [was obliged to] stay there until the morning, and he
wondered meanwhile in his mind what he should do until the daylight came. And whilst he
was there he sank into a light sleep, and he saw in the form of a man an angel who said
unto him, "Devote thou not such close attention, and diligence, and watching to thy life
of thievery.

3 If thou 'wishest to change thy wickedness into a life of good deeds thou must serve with
the service of angels before Christ the King, and thou shalt receive from Him this power
and authority. And immediately he had heard [these things] he received [them] from him
with gladness, and he who had appeared unto him in the form of an angel shewed him a
company of monks, and commanded that he should have dominion over them. 4 And when he woke
up from his slumber, he saw the nun standing before him, and saying unto him, "O man, what
'doest thou here? And what is thy report? Whence comest thou? Who art thou? He saith unto
her, "I know not, but 'I beseech thee to shew me the church. And when she had shewn him
the church, he went and fell down before the feet of the elders, and he entreated them
that he might become a Christian, so that he might find an occasion for repentance. Now
when the elders knew who he was, they marvelled at him, and they began to admonish him
that henceforth he must not be a slayer of men; and he begged them that he might [be
allowed] to learn the Psalms, and when he had learned three verses of the first Psalm, he
said, "These are sufficient for me 'to learn. And he tarried with the elders for three
days, and straightway he went forth from them, and departed into the desert. And when he
had lived [there] for five weeks without bread, a man came to him carrying bread and
water, and he entreated him to eat thereof and to refresh himself. Now Petarpemôtis lived
there for three years in prayer and tears, and he fed himself upon the roots which were in
the desert, and wandered about eating them;

5 and after three years he returned to the church, and repeated before the fathers the
belief and all the doctrine of the Church, and although he had never learned letters, he
could repeat the Scriptures by heart. Then the elders marvelled at him and wondered how a
man of his kind could have attained such a degree of learning and asceticism, and they
gave him further light in respect of speech and learning, and when they had bestowed
baptism upon him, they entreated him to remain with them. And he tarried with them for
seven days more, and he went forth and departed to the desert, where he lived for a
further period of seven years; and this blessed man was held to be worthy of a constant
[gift of] bread, which was found every Sunday in his pillow-cloth. When he had prayed and
given thanks, he would partake thereof, and then he would fast again until the following
Sunday without in any way suffering.

6 And he came back again from that wilderness with works of spiritual excellence, and he
departed from the desert, and made manifest his rule of abstinence and self-denial, and he
incited many to follow after him. Now there drew nigh unto him a certain young man who
entreated him that he might become his disciple, and having received him Petarpemôtis
dressed him in the way that he himself was dressed, that is to say, he wore a shirt with
short sleeves, and an outer garment, and he placed a cowl upon his head, and tied a napkin
about his loins, and he showed him the way and the rules of a life of mourning, and he
trained him [in the life and deeds of the monks], and he placed a cape on his shoulders. 7
Now the custom of the blessed man was as follows: When a Christian died he remained with
him the whole night long in vigil and prayer, and he would reverently dress him and bury
him. And when that disciple saw him dressing the Christians who died in this way, he said
unto him, "Wilt thou also dress me in this manner when I die, O master?" And he said unto
him, "I will dress thee in this fashion, and I will wrap thee in a shroud until thou shalt
say unto me, 'I have enough.'" Now after no great length of time that disciple died, and
the words of his master were indeed fulfilled, for Petarpemôtis dressed him reverently in
the fear of God, as was right, and he said in a loud voice before all those who were
standing [there], "Have I dressed thee well, O my son, or dost thou still lack anything?"
And the dead man sent forth a voice, and they all heard it, saying, "Thou hast dressed me,
O my father, thou hast fulfilled thy promise, and hast completed thine undertaking"; and
wonder laid hold upon all those who were standing there, and they glorified God. Then the
blessed man departed into the desert according to his custom, and he went that he might
occupy himself in his daily round of devotion, even as a man who fleeth from vainglory.

8 And after these things he went forth from the desert and departed to work for the
brethren who were his disciples, and who were sick; now one of these was nigh unto death,
and this God had revealed unto him, and the day wherein he would pass away was nigh, and
the village was far away. And because he did not wish to enter therein by night (for he
suspected evil), and because he would fulfil the word of our Lord, which said, "Walk in
the light whilst ye have the light, and he who walketh in the light shall not be tripped
up" (St. John xii, 35), when he saw that the day was declining, he answered and said unto
[the sun], "Tarry thou on the path of thy course, and wait for me a short time until I can
come to the village"; and the sun stood still for a while, and went not down, and remained
in his place, and he neither set nor went to rest until Petarpemôtis had entered the
village. Now this appearance was known unto all those who dwelt in the village, and they
all ran, and stood still, and gazed for a long time at the sun, which set not. And when
they saw Petarpemôtis coming from the desert, they asked him, "What is the meaning of the
sign of this sun which goeth not down?" Then he said unto them, "Do ye not remember the
word of our Lord which said, 'If ye have in you faith like unto a grain of mustard-seed,
ye shall work miracles which shall be greater and more excellent than these'?" (St.
Matthew xvii, 20.) Now when they heard these things great fear laid hold upon them, and
they knew immediately that it was he who had held back the sun, and large numbers of them
remained with him and became his disciples.

9 And he went into the house of one of his disciples who had been sick, and found that he
was dead, and he drew nigh to the bier whereon the dead man was lying, and he prayed, and
kissed him, and said unto him, "Dost thou desire to depart to God now, O my son, or
wouldst thou remain alive in the body?" And the dead man sat up, and made answer unto him,
saying, "It is better for me to leave the body that I may be with Christ, for I have no
desire to live in the body"; and the blessed man said unto him, "Then die in peace, my
son, and make entreaty before God on my behalf that thou mayest go unto Him." And
immediately the blessed man had said these words the man died on his bier. Then fear fell
upon all those who were standing there, and they said, "Verily this is a man of God"; and
when the blessed man had dressed him carefully (or well), he kept vigil the whole night
[by him] and prayed and sang Psalms, and [then] he buried him in a proper manner.

10 And Petarpemôtis went and visited another brother who was sick, and he saw that he was
dying with difficulty, and that he was troubled in his mind; now his mind was rebuking
him, and his conscience was pricking him because of his wickednesses. And the blessed man
said unto him, "How canst thou go to God seeing that thou art prepared to carry with thee
the accusation of neglect of thy works, that is to say, lax intentions in respect of thy
manner of life?" Then that brother begged and entreated him to pray to God on his behalf,
that there might be given unto him a little longer period of life so that he might amend
his ways and deeds. And he answered and said unto him, "Now that thy life hath come to an
end thou askest for time for repentance! What hast thou been doing all thy life long? Wast
thou not able to heal thy blemishes? Yet thou hast added others to thy negligence!" But
the man made supplication the more to him, and begged and entreated him to pray that he
might rise up [again from his bed of sickness]. And Petarpemôtis said unto him, "If thou
wilt not add sins to thy sins, but wilt seek with all thy soul to repent, I will entreat
God on thy behalf, for He is good and merciful, and ask Him to grant thee time and life
that thou mayest pay back all that thou owest." And when he had prayed he said unto him,
"God hath granted thee to live in the body for three years longer, but only through
earnest supplication (?)"; then he took him by the hand and raised him up from his
sickness straightway, and he led him away with him and carried him off to the desert,
where he lived with him for three years.

11 And when the three years were ended, he brought him back to his village, and set him
before God, not as an ordinary man merely, but as a messenger who had been chosen by God,
and they all marvelled at his works. And when the brethren were gathered together to him,
Petarpemôtis set that brother in the midst, and he narrated unto them the doctrine of life
the whole night long; and suddenly he sank into a slumber, wherein he departed from this
life to our Lord. Then the blessed man dressed him for burial, and he accompanied him to
the grave with prayers. 12 Now they used to say that very many wonderful works were
wrought by him, and they testified that on several occasions he walked upon the waters.
And besides this he was once found in an upper chamber with the brethren, although the
doors had been shut, for he had come in to them in the air by the power of angels. And
they also said that he obtained from God everything which he asked for, and that he had
the power to go whithersoever he pleased and whensoever he pleased, without trouble. And
the blessed Petarpemôtis once related to the brethren a story of how, on one occasion when
he had gone out from the desert, he saw in his dream as if he had been taken up into
heaven, and he saw there the good things that were prepared for the monks, and that the
mouth of man could not describe, and that could not be uttered thereby. And he also said,
"I saw Paradise with the eyes of this body, and I saw there the many multitudes of the
saints, and I tasted the fruits of Paradise." And he produced a proof of his assertion,
that he might shew that the things which had been said by him were true, for he gave his
disciples to eat [of the fruit of] a great, and marvellous, and extraordinarily large fig-
tree, which possessed an odour that was different from any other smell in the world.

13 And whilst this holy man Copres was relating unto us all these things concerning
Petarpemôtis, he said, "I have seen in my youth [portions] of that fig-tree in the hands
of his disciples, and I kissed them, and wonder at the odour thereof laid hold upon me;
and the tree remained with his disciples for many years as a manifestation [of the truth
of his words] unto many. For it was great beyond measure, and it had such wonderful
properties that any sick person who inhaled its odour was straightway healed of his
sickness." 14 Now they say that at the beginning of his going into the desert, when he had
not tasted food of any kind whatsoever for five weeks he found a man in the parched desert
carrying bread and water, who begged of him to eat, and when he had done so he removed
himself from him. And on another occasion the Evil One shewed him some fine gold which [in
quantity] surpassed the treasures of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he answered and said unto
him that showed him the gold, "May thou and thy money go to hell." These and suchlike
great things were, according to what they said, performed by Abbâ Petarpemôtis, and they
spake many other things before us the which [if written] the world could not contain. And,
according to what these men said, Petarpemôtis spake unto us, saying, "If we who are
little people perform things which are little, like unto ourselves, that is to say, if we
heal the halt and the blind, which selfsame things the physicians do by means of their
art, in what consisteth the greatness?" Now whilst Copres, the elder, was relating these
things unto us, one of us slumbered and fell into a sleep, and this man did not believe
the things which he had heard the blessed man say. And having fallen asleep, he saw a
marvellous book, and the book was laid upon the knees of this elder, and it was written
wholly in gold, and above it there stood an old man who said unto him

15 369 in a very threatening manner, "Didst thou not hear well what was being said that
thou didst fall asleep?" Then immediately the man awoke from his sleep, and told us in the
Greek tongue what he had seen. 16 Now whilst our brother was relating this dream to us, a
certain villager was found to be standing there before him bearing upon his shoulders a
bucket of sand, and he was waiting there to hear the end of his story; and we begged him
to tell us why he was carrying the sand, and why he stood there, and what he wanted. Then
Abbâ Copres answered and said unto us, "My sons, it is not seemly for us to boast, but it
is fitting that we should declare before you the triumphs of the fathers, so that we may
not be unduly exalted in our minds, and so lose our reward. Nevertheless, because of the
earnestness, and for the sake of the welfare of you who have come unto us from a distance,
we will not deprive you of benefit, and we will relate before your brotherhood whatsoever
God hath wrought by our hands. At one time the land which is about us produced nothing,
and it was with the greatest difficulty that the villagers who owned it were able to
gather from it as much again as they sowed, for the worms were produced in the ears, and
they destroyed all their harvest. Now some of those husband-men had been converted by us,
and they begged us to pray for their harvest, and we said unto them, 'If ye have faith in
Godeven this desert sand shall bring forth crops for you'.

17 Then, without any doubt whatsoever, they filled their bosoms with the sand which is
trodden under our feet, and they entreated us to bless it, and when we had prayed that it
might be unto them even according to their faith, they went and mixed it with the wheat
and sowed it in their fields, and immediately their land produced for them abundant crops,
and they were larger than the crops obtained from the other lands in Egypt. Thus it became
the custom for them [to bring sand] each year, and to trouble us [to bless it]." 18 And he
also related unto us a certain wonderful thing which the Lord had wrought for us when
large numbers of the brethren were gathered together, and he said, "On one occasion I went
down to the city, and I found there a certain Manichean who was leading the multitudes
into error, and because I was unable to rebuke and convince him openly I turned towards
the multitudes, and said unto them, 'Kindle ye a large fire, and let the two of us go into
it when it is burning brightly, and he who remaineth in the fire without being burnt shall
be the man who possesseth the true faith.' And when this had been done, and the crowd had
lit a fire with ready zeal, I urged the Manichean to go with me into it, but he said, 'Let
each of us go in by himself, and, moreover, it is meet that thou shouldst be the first to
go in because thou didst give the command to have it made.' Then, having made upon myself
the sign of the Cross in the Name of Jesus Christ, I went into the fire, and was unharmed
thereby, for the flame parted asunder on this side and on that, and it vexed me in no
wise. And when I had remained in the fire for half an hour, and the multitudes had seen
the wonderful thing, they cried out, and gave thanks to God, and compelled the Manichean
to go into the fire, and when, because of his fear, he was unwilling to go into it, the
crowd took him, and pushed him into the fire, and he was wholly consumed. As for me they
took me, and escorted me to the church, and ascribed praise to God as they went.

19 "And on another occasion when I was passing by a certain heathen temple, the heathen
were offering up sacrifices to their idols; and I said unto them, 'Why do ye who are
rational beings offer up sacrifices to things which are dumb? Are ye of your own will dumb
that ye sacrifice to dumb things?' And they admitted that what I said was good, and they
came after me, and believed in Christ. "And, moreover, we had a garden in a certain
neighbouring place which was [intended] for the pleasure of the brethren who came unto us
from afar off, and a certain poor man used to work therein. And one of the heathen went
into the garden and stole some vegetables and departed; but he was not able to cook them,
for although he kept the fire burning under the saucepan for three hours, they remained in
the same state as when they were taken from the garden, and even the water would not boil!
And when the man came to his senses he took the vegetables and brought them to us, and he
begged that he might be forgiven the offence, and become a Christian; and he actually
became one. Now on that very day certain brethren came unto us from a distance, and it is
probable that those vegetables were brought on their account, so that they might enjoy
them; and when we had tasted them, we gave thanks unto our Lord, for we had a twofold joy,
first, because of the redemption of the soul of the man who had stolen them, and secondly,
because the brethren who had come to us enjoyed them."

20 These and many other wonderful things did our holy father Copres relate to us, and when
he had made us rest, he took us into his garden and shewed us the palms and other fruit
trees which Kopris [sic] had planted with his own hands for the encouragement of those
husbandmen who believed in Christ, and to whom he had said that this desert was able to
bring forth fruit for those who believed in God; "And," said he, when "I saw that they had
sown sand, and that their crops were abundant, I also planted this garden for the
enjoyment of the brethren, and it has come to its present state [of perfection]."


THE HISTORIES OF THE MONKS OF EGYPT (SYRIAC VERSION) (CHAPTERS 15. THE TRIUMPHS OF ABBA HÔR, AND ISAIAH, AND PAUL, AND NÔPI, THE CONFESSORS–28. THE TRIUMPHS OF APOLLO THE LESS, THE READER AND MARTYR)
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THE HISTORIES OF THE MONKS OF EGYPT (SYRIAC VERSION) continued

CHAPTER 15. THE TRIUMPHS OF ABBA HÔR, AND ISAIAH, AND PAUL, AND NÔPI, THE CONFESSORS

1 On a certain occasion it happened that Abbâ Hôr and Isaiah, and Paul met each other by
chance by the side of a great river, and all three of them were chaste and perfect
ascetics, who were going to visit a certain great confessor whose name was Nôpi, who lived
at a place which was three stages distant, and they said to each other, "Let each of us
shew the other his triumphs, and in what way, and to what extent he is, on account of his
deeds, honoured by God." And Abbâ Hôr said unto them, "I beg God for this gift—that we may
journey to the place in that country by the might of the Holy Spirit, without any labour
[on our part]"; and immediately he had prayed, a boat was found to be ready, and a wind
favourable for its journey was blowing, and they sailed up against the stream, and in a
short time found themselves at that place.

2 And when they had gone up from the river, Isaiah said unto them, "O my beloved, would it
not be a greater [display of the power of] God if that man whom we are going to see were
to come to us and meet us, and were to describe to each of us his life and works?" And
Paul said unto them, "God hath revealed unto me that after three days He will take him,
and that the man whom we are going to see will depart from this world into life." Now when
they had journeyed onwards a short distance from that place, the man himself met them, and
saluted them; and Paul said unto him, "Brother, explain to us thy manner of life and
works, for the day after to-morrow thou wilt go to God." And Abbâ Nôpi said unto them,
"Blessed be God, Who hath also revealed these things unto me, and hath shewn me concerning
your coming and concerning your life and works." And when he had described the upright
dealings of each one of them, and how they lived, and how they laboured, he afterwards
began to speak and to describe his own life and works, and he spake thus:—

3 "Since the day wherein I confessed the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and
God, no falsehood whatsoever hath gone forth from my mouth on earth, and I have never
taken any earthly thing, for an angel hath fed me each day with heavenly food. In my heart
I have never had any other desire than that which is of God; and God hath not hidden from
me anything which is honourable and glorious; and I have never been deprived of or lacked
the light of mine eyes. I have never gone to sleep in the daytime, and during the night
season I have never rested from making supplication to God, and the angel of God hath
accompanied me always and hath shewn me the might of the world which is to come, and His
light hath never gone out in my mind. Every request which I made unto God I have received
straightway. At all times I have seen myriads of angels standing before God. I have seen
the companies of the saints. I have seen the congregations of the martyrs. I have seen the
triumphs of the monks who mourn. I have seen the works of the solitary brethren, and the
congregations of the righteous. I have seen all created things glorifying God. I have seen
Satan delivered over to the burning fire. I have also seen his angels suffering torments,
and the righteous enjoying the happiness which hath no cessation." And, having told us
these things, and many others which were like unto them, on the third day he delivered up
his soul; and straightway the angels and the armies of the martyrs received it, and took
it up into heaven, and we saw them singing praises and heard them.

4 Here end the Triumphs of Abba Dor, and Isaiah, and Paul, and Ropi, the Confessors

CHAPTER 16. THE TRIUMPH OF EVAGRIUS

1 And we also saw Evagrius, who was a man of great ability and learning, and who, through
the experience of the matters which had passed over him, had acquired the discernment of
good thoughts; and he had on several occasions gone down to the city of Alexandria and
shut the mouths of the heathen philosophers. Now he commanded the brethren who were with
us not to drink their fill of water, because devils were always to be found in the places
where there were fountains of water, even according to the word of our Lord, Who said,
"When the evil spirit hath gone forth from a man, it departeth and wandereth about in the
places wherein there is no water seeking rest, which it findeth not" (St. Matthew xii,
43). And he spake unto us many things concerning the labours of ascetic excellence, and he
confirmed our souls in the faith. Now many of the monks neither ate bread nor fruit (God
forbid!), but bitter herbs and vegetables soaked in vinegar; and some of them never slept
at all during the night, but, either sitting up or standing, they continued to pray until
the morning.

2 Here endeth the Triumph of Evagrius

CHAPTER 17. THE TRIUMPH OF ABBA PITHYRION

And we also saw in Thebaïs a certain high mountain which lay by the river, and it was an
exceedingly terrible mountain with high barren peaks, and in the caves thereof there dwelt
many monks; and these men had as Abbâ one Pithyrion, who was a disciple of the holy man
Anthony. He was the third who had received that place from Anthony, and he used to perform
many mighty deeds, and to carry on the persecution of devils openly; and since he was the
man who had received the place of Anthony, the blessed and great man, and of Ammonius his
disciple, he received also, and rightly so, the inheritance of his labours. Now Pithyrion
spake many other things, and he discoursed with power, especially on the faculty of
discerning spirits, saying, "There are certain devils which cling to the passions, and on
several occasions they turn our good desires into evil; therefore, O my sons, those of you
who wish to drive away devils must first of all bring into subjection your lusts, for a
man must vanquish not only every lust, but he must drive away the devil thereof. It is
right that ye should overcome your lusts little by little, so that in the same way ye may
drive away the devils which appertain thereto. There is a devil which belongeth to a
wasteful and dissolute life, and he who is able to conquer the desire therefor is also
able to drive away that devil." And this man used to eat twice a week, that is to say on
Sunday, and on Thursday, and his food consisted of a little flour and some water which he
baked into a thin cake; and he was unable to eat anything else, because his nature was
thus.

CHAPTER 18. THE TRIUMPHS OF THE BLESSED FATHERS

1 And we also saw many other fathers and monks in several places throughout Egypt who used
to work mighty deeds and miracles, but they were so many in number that we cannot mention
them all, and we therefore only narrate a few things out of many. For what shall we say of
the upper part of the Thebaïd, namely that [which is near] Syene, wherein live many
wonderful men, and countless monks, who lead lives which are wholly beyond the nature of
ordinary men? For at the present time they raise the dead, and, like Peter, they walk upon
the water, and, to this very day, everything which our Redeemer performed by His saints is
performed by these holy men. Now because of the great danger which we should run of
thieves and barbarians falling upon us, we did not dare to go up the Nile any further to
the south than Lycus, and therefore could not see the holy men who were there. Now we were
not able to know even the fathers of whom we have spoken above without toil and
tribulation, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that we were able to narrate
their histories, for in order to do this we had to suffer much, and we were within a very
little of having to endure many tribulations; but at length we were worthy to see these
men. For on seven occasions we were delivered, and on the eighth evil came not nigh unto
us, because, at all times, God protected us.

2 On the first occasion we nearly perished of hunger and thirst whilst we were wandering
about in the desert [without food] for five days and five nights. On the second occasion
we fell among savage, rugged mountains until our feet were pierced by the stones, and we
suffered very great pain, and very nearly had to yield up our souls. On the third occasion
we sank in the mud several times up to our backs, and there was none to help [us], and we
cried out the words of the blessed David, "Save me, O God, for the waters have come even
unto my soul, I have sunk into a dark abyss, wherein is no place on which to stand. Save
me from the mire that I sink not" (Psalm lxix, 1, 2). On the fourth occasion a flood of
many waters burst upon us at the period of the inundation of the Nile, and we walked about
in the water, and we sank down very nearly to the nostrils [of the animal which we rode],
and we cried out and said, "Drown us not, O Lord, in a whirlpool of waters, and let not
the abyss swallow us up, and let not the pit close its mouth over us" (Psalm lxix, 14,
15).

3 On the fifth occasion we fell in with some river thieves whilst we were walking along on
the river banks to go into the city of Dekapliôs, and they pursued us and sought to
capture us, until very little breath was left in our nostrils, for they chased us for a
distance of ten miles. On the sixth occasion we were sailing on the Nile when the boat
capsized and sank under us. On the seventh occasion we were arriving at Lake Mareotis, and
we were cast up on a small desert island, where the papyrus plant groweth, and we passed
there three whole days and nights under the open sky in severe cold and with the rain
falling upon us; now the season was the days of the Epiphany. 4 The story of the eighth
occasion may be superfluous, but it is helpful. For when we were going to Nitria we passed
a great deep place in one of the fields, which was full of water, and after the waters had
run off the fields several crocodiles remained therein; now three very large crocodiles
were stretched out on the edge of the pool, and we drew nigh to them that we might see
them, because we thought they were dead. But they ran after us very fast, and we cried out
with a loud voice, saying, "In the name of Jesus Christ, spare our souls," whereupon the
crocodiles, as if they had been driven away from us by angels, cast themselves into the
water. And we made our way to Nitria with all possible haste, and as we went we meditated
upon the words of the righteous man Job, who said, "Seven times He shall deliver thee from
tribulation, and on the eighth evil shall not draw nigh unto thee" (Job v, 19). Therefore
we gave thanks unto our Lord, who had redeemed us out of all tribulations, and had made
manifest unto us great and marvellous revelations by the hands of his believing saints and
monks.

CHAPTER 19. THE TRIUMPHS OF THE MONKS WHO WERE IN NITRIA

1 And we came also to the district of Nitria, where we saw many great disciples who had
departed from the world, and some were natives of the country, and some were strangers
(i.e., foreigners), who were more excellent in glory than the others, and they were
emulating each other in the beautiful deeds of strenuousness, and were striving to
outstrip each other in their noble and glorious lives and works. Now some of them
possessed divine vision, and others works of ascetic excellence. And as we were coming
from the desert some of their number saw us when we were afar off, and they met us on the
way, and some of them brought water, and others washed our feet, and others washed our
garments, and others entreated us to eat, and others called us to the doctrine of glory,
and others to the vision of divine knowledge, and each one of them wished to help us so
far as it lay in his power to do so. And however much a man might speak about their
glorious life, it would be impossible for him to describe it as it really is.

2 For they dwell in a waste place, and their dwellings are remote, and the men live apart
from each other so that one man may not be known to his fellow, and that he may neither be
seen readily nor his voice heard, and they live in the strictest silence, and each one of
them is secluded within his cell, and only on Saturday and Sunday do they assemble in the
church, and so meet each other. On several occasions many of them have been found dying in
their chambers without ever having seen each other except when assembled for service in
the church; for some of them only assembled once every three or four months, and thus they
were remote from each other. Now these monks have much affection both for each other and
for the rest of the brethren, for each one of them would be exceedingly anxious to give up
his chamber to any man who wished to seek for grace.

CHAPTER 20. THE TRIUMPH OF AMMON THE FIRST

1 There was in the early times in Nitria a certain man whose name was Ammon, whose soul
the blessed Anthony saw being taken up to heaven, and this man became the chief of the
monks who were in Nitria. He belonged to a noble family, and because his parents were
exceedingly rich, they urged him to marry a wife, although he was unwilling to do so; and
having persisted in urging him [he did so], but in the wedding chamber he persuaded the
maiden who became his bride to keep [her] virginity, and he promised to do the same. Now
after a few days he departed to the country of Nitria, and the maiden herself called all
the members of her household to virginity, and turned her house into a nunnery. Now the
blessed Ammon was living by himself in the country of Nitria, and they brought unto him a
certain young man who had been seized with madness and he was bound with chains; a mad dog
had bitten him, and the madness of the animal had entered into him, and his body was torn
by the severe pain which was in it. And when the blessed man saw that the relatives of the
young man were making supplication unto him, he said unto them, "What are ye bringing to
me, O men? Ye are seeking from me what is greater than my power, and besides it lieth in
your own hands to help and to heal the young man. Get ye gone, and restore [the value of]
the widow's bull which ye slew secretly, and your son shall be given back to you healed."
Then they, as people who had been rebuked, fulfilled his commandment with gladness, and he
prayed straightway, and their son was healed.

2 And on one occasion certain people came to visit the blessed Ammon, and he, having
learned their mind, said unto them, "Bring hither to me a large potter's vessel, so that
there may be an abundance of water for the people who come here." Now, although they
promised him that they would do so, one of them, as soon as he had gone to his village,
took counsel and said unto his companion, "I am not going to carry the potter's vessel on
my camel and kill it"; and when the other man heard this, he saddled his asses, and
carried the vessel to the holy man with great labour. And the blessed man Ammon said unto
the man before he could speak, saying, "What [is this]? Behold, thy friend's camel died
whilst thou wast coming here"; and when the man returned he found that the camel had been
killed by wolves. And many [other] miracles were worked by this man.

CHAPTER 21. THE TRIUMPH OF ANOTHER AMMON WHO WAS IN NITRIA

And we also saw there a certain Abbâ whose name also was Ammon, and he possessed [a number
of] small houses which were exceedingly beautiful, and a courtyard, and a well of water,
and other things for use; and a certain brother, who wished earnestly to obtain mercy,
came to him, and said unto the blessed man, "Build me a little house wherein I may dwell."
Then the holy man, like one who was going forth [to do] this, ordered him not to depart
from these chambers until he could find one which would be convenient for him; and he left
to him everything he had, together with the chambers, and went and shut himself up in a
house which was far away from that place. And if the brethren who came to him seeking to
have mercy shown to them were many, he would assemble the whole brotherhood, and [tell]
one to draw water, and another to bring bricks, and a house for them would be completed in
a day. Then the brethren would invite those who were ready to inhabit the chambers to
refresh themselves in the church, and whilst they were resting there he would fill his
cloak, and baskets also, with bread and with other things which they would want to make
use of, and would carry them to the new house, and it was not known to any man that he was
the source (or head) of the gifts of each one of them. And at eventide the brethren who
were ready to take up their abode in these [new] chambers would come there, and would find
ready before them whatsoever they required.

CHAPTER 22. THE TRIUMPH OF DIDYMUS

And we also saw there another blessed man whose name was Didymus, and he was very far
advanced in years, and his countenance was beautiful; and this man used to kill scorpions
and other venomous reptiles with his feet, which no other man dared to do.

CHAPTER 23. THE TRIUMPH OF CHRONIUS

And we also saw another brother among the monks whose name was Chronius, and he had
arrived at a good old age, and was one of the first men who were contemporaneous with Abbâ
Anthony; he was about one hundred and ten years of age, and he comforted us greatly and
admonished us by his humility, which he had preserved even in his old age.

CHAPTER 24. THE TRIUMPH OF THREE BRETHREN

Nd we saw there also three brethren who were learned in speech and glorious in their lives
and deeds, and because of their splendid works they were about to be raised to the grade
of the episcopate. They had cut off their ears in the fear of God, but although they had
done this with great boldness (or presumption), the object with which they had done it was
a good one, for [they wished] that henceforth no man might vex them.

CHAPTER 25. THE TRIUMPH OF PHILEMON

Nd we also saw there a certain elder who was exceedingly holy and humble, and he was
constantly seeing revelations, and his name was Philemon; and when this man was offering
unto God the service [due] to him, he saw an angel standing at the right hand of the
altar. He used to write and set down in a book the names of those brethren who drew nigh
to the Gift of Grace, and he took care that the names of those who did not come to the
congregation were erased, and such men, after three days, died. On several occasions the
devils beat this man, and they brought so many sicknesses upon him that he was unable to
stand by the altar, and could not even offer up the Offering; but an angel came and took
him by the hand, and straightway he received strength, and the angel made him to stand up
healed before the altar. And the brethren saw the scars made by his beatings, and
marvelled.

CHAPTER 26. THE TRIUMPH OF JOHN

And we saw another blessed man whose name was John, and he was an Abbâ of the monks in the
city of Dikâpôlis; and grace clung to him even as unto Abraham, and his beard flowed down
like that of Aaron. He worked many mighty deeds and cures, and he healed those who were
afflicted with gout, and the sick, and those who were paralytics.

CHAPTER 27. THE TRIUMPH OF SERAPION

And we also saw in the regions of Arsinoïtes a certain elder whose name was Serapion; he
was the father of all the monasteries, and the head of numerous brotherhoods, which
contained about ten thousand men, and he took the greatest care in providing for the wants
of all the brethren. And in the season of harvest he would make those who worked for hire
from year to year bring and gather together to him twelve ardebs of wheat, that is to say,
forty bushels, that it might serve for his ministrations to those in want, and might be
distributed by his hands, so that in that district no destitute man might be found, and he
sent to the needy in Alexandria the Great their gifts. Now the fathers of whom we have
already spoken did not at any time neglect to visit the whole of Egypt, but as a result of
the toil of the brethren they used to fill boats with food and apparel, and send them year
after year to the poor who were in Alexandria, because the poor and needy who lived round
about them were too few [to exhaust their benevolence]. And we saw in the region of
Babylon and Memphis many great fathers, and many, yea innumerable, monks who were adorned
with works which were glorious before God.

CHAPTER 28. THE TRIUMPHS OF APOLLO THE LESS, THE READER AND MARTYR

1 And we saw also the granaries of Joseph (i.e., the Pyramids of Gizah) wherein he
collected grain in the time of famine. And there was there, in Thebes, a certain monk
whose name was Apollo, and he made manifest many mighty deeds, and led a life of great
works; he was held to be worthy of the office of deacon, and his works of spiritual
excellence were as glorious and renowned as [those of] the famous monks of old. During the
period of the persecution he made many martyrs by putting courage into the hearts of the
confessors of Christ, but at length he himself was seized and put under ward in the
prison-house, and the wickedest men among the heathen used to come to him and heap words
of hatred and blasphemy upon him. Now one of those who behaved thus was a certain singer,
who was a famous man, and was beloved by all the people; and this man drew nigh and
reviled the blessed Apollo, and called him a wicked man, and a liar, and a hater of all
mankind, and said that he was guilty of death before all the people. Then to him the
blessed man Apollo made answer, and he said unto him, "O man, may God have mercy upon
thee, and may the sin which hath been uttered by thee not be accounted unto thee as
anything."

2 Now when the man who was a singer, whose name was Philemon, had heard these things, he
repented at the words of the blessed man, because he had gone into the place where he was,
and caused him pain, and he went down immediately, and stood up before the throne of the
judge, and in the presence of all the people said unto him, "O judge, thou art acting
wickedly in tormenting the servants of God without a cause, for the Christians neither say
nor do wicked things, on the contrary, they even bless their enemies." Now when the judge
heard the things which Philemon was saying, he thought at first that he had gone mad
through his pride, and that having gone mad he had spoken; but as soon as the judge
perceived that he persisted in his words, he answered and said unto him, "Thou art mad, O
man, and hast suddenly become a fool." And Philemon made answer to him and said, "I have
not gone mad, O thou wicked judge, but I am a Christian, and I fear the God of heaven."
And the judge and all the people wished to persuade him [to be quiet] by means of
flattering speeches, but, when they saw that he would not yield to them, they applied to
him all kinds of wicked tortures. And after these things they seized the blessed and holy
Apollo, and brought him [there], and they laid many stripes upon him, and they scourged
him as men scourge those who are wicked and who lead the people into error.

3 Then the blessed Apollo spake unto the judge, saying, "I pray God that thou also, O
judge, and all those who are here present with thee may follow after my error"; and when
the judge perceived that he had spoken such words unto him, he commanded that both Apollo
and Philemon should be delivered over to be burnt by fire in the presence of all the
multitude. And when they were in the blazing fire before the judge the blessed Apollo
cried out with a loud voice unto God, so that all the assembly and even the judge himself
might hear, saying, "O Lord, give not to be broken the souls which confess Thee, but make
us to see Thy deliverance boldly." Then straightway a brilliant cloud, which was laden
with dew, appeared, and it enveloped these men and quenched the flames of fire; and the
crowds and the judge marvelled and cried out, saying, "One is the God of the Christians."

4 And certain wicked men made known the things which had taken place to the governor of
Alexandria, and he chose out from among his bodyguard some savage and merciless men, and
sent them for all those who were with the judge, and for Philemon, and the blessed Apollo,
and other confessors came with them. And as they were going along the road, the gracious
gift of the Spirit lighted upon Apollo, and he began to teach the soldiers, and as he
spake they hearkened unto him, and they repented at his words, and believed in Christ, and
they all stood up with the prisoners before the throne. And as soon as the governor
perceived and knew that they could not be changed from the faith of Christ, he commanded
that they should be cast into the depth of the sea; and since they were drowned of their
own will for Christ's sake, this became unto them a sign of baptism. Now the sea refused
to keep them, and it brought them together near the shore, and on the spot where they had
lain a temple was built in their honour, and in it great miracles were wrought; and such
grace was found with the blessed man, and he was so greatly honoured that he was heard by
Christ in respect of the things for which he prayed and made supplication. And we
ourselves saw the martyrium wherein he and those who had testified with him were laid, and
we prayed and worshipped God, and also touched their dead bodies, for they were not as yet
buried because of the inundation of the Nile, but lay embalmed upon their biers in
Thebaïs, and for this reason we made ready to insert here the history of the man.

5 Here end the Triumph of Apollo, the Monk and Martyr, and the other Histories of the Holy
Men which were written by Hieronymus the Monk. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and
to the Holy Ghost, now, and always, and for ever and ever. End of Volume the First


THE HISTORY OF THE MONKS OF TABENNA (ASKETIKON) (CHAPTERS 1.–20. OF HOW UNCLEAN AND CONTEMPTIBLE IN THE SIGHT OF RABBA WAS THE MAN WHO TOILED WITH THE LABOUR OF HIS HANDS FOR THE SAKE OF VAINGLORY)
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THE HISTORY OF THE MONKS OF TABENNA (ASKETIKON) Desert Fathers (anonymous)

4th–6th century

An account of Pachomius and the monks of Tabenna in Upper Egypt, the first communities of
monks living under a common rule, with the revelations and rules that are told of
Pachomius.

CHAPTER 1.

1 By the might of our Lord Jesus Christ we begin to write the "Asketikon," that is to say,
the History of the Monks of Tabenna, who were followers of Abba Pachomius In my opinion,
the things which I am now about to write are able to assist [us] greatly if we indeed
follow after them, and they will, moreover, make the hearer more vigilant in respect of
the contemplation of the things which have been said. And if we were to excuse ourselves
through negligence from writing them down this act would bring danger upon him that made
such an excuse, and therefore, although we can only advance from the beginning but a very
little way with the living word, we will declare a few of the earlier things. It was a
custom with the God-loving brother, the holy man Abbâ Pachomius, to gather together the
brethren every evening in a duly appointed place in the monastery that they might hear his
doctrine, and once when they were all assembled according to their wont in order to hear
Rabbâ, he commanded Theodore, a man who had lived in the monastery for twenty years, to
speak to the brethren, and straightway he spake unto them concerning the things which were
to be employed as helpers, but made no mention of not stumbling. And some of the aged
sages who saw what had taken place did not wish to listen to him, and they said within
themselves, "What he is teaching us is for novices, and we [need not] listen unto him,"
and they left the congregation of the brethren and departing from that place went to their
cells.

2 And when the brethren had been dismissed from the hearing [of the sermon] Rabbâ sent and
called those who had departed and who did not wish to hear Theodore, and when they had
come into the presence of the holy man he asked them, "Why did ye leave us and depart to
your cells? And they said, "Because thou hast made a young man our teacher, and although
all the old men were standing [there], and other brethren who were much older [than he],
thou didst command a young man to speak unto us. Now when Rabbâ had heard these things he
groaned, and said, "Do ye know by what means wickedness first began to take hold in the
world? And they said unto him, "What were they? And he answered and said unto them, "By
pride, and it began when that bright star which used to shine (or rise) in the morning
fell [from heaven] (Isaiah xiv, 12), and was dashed in pieces on the earth. Or, have ye
never heard that which is written, 'The man who is haughty in heart is an abominable thing
before the Lord?' (Proverbs xvi, 5. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, but he
that abaseth himself shall be exalted (St. Matthew, xxiii, 12). Therefore deliver ye
yourselves from your false superiority, for do ye not know that the mother of the
beginning of wickednesses is pride?

3 Ye did not only leave Theodore and depart from him, but ye fled and departed from the
Word of God, [and] ye fell away from the Holy Spirit. O ye truly wretched men, who deserve
sorrow of every kind, how is it that ye cannot understand that it was Satan who was
working in you, and that, because of this, ye made yourselves to be remote from God? Oh,
what a great and wonderful thing it is that God humbled Himself, and took upon Himself the
form of a servant, and put on his body and dwelt in him, and became obedient even unto
death for our sakes! And yet we who are by nature low puff ourselves up with pride! He Who
is high above all things, and exceeding great, turned from the ordinary course [of His
greatness] and in humility fashioned the world, although He was able to destroy everything
which existeth by a glance! And yet we who are nothing make ourselves proud, being
ignorant that in thus doing we are sinking ourselves into the depths of the earth! Do ye
not observe that I stand and incline my ear to the teaching [of Theodore]? Verily I say
unto you, that I have been greatly helped by him. For I did not ask him to address you
because I thought lightly of him, but because I expected to be helped myself by his words;
how very much more, then, is it right that ye should hearken unto his words with a ready
mind and absolute humility?

4 Verily I, who am your father in the Lord, am as one who knoweth not his right hand from
his left, and therefore I listen unto him with all my soul. Therefore before God I say
unto you that, if ye shew great repentance for this folly which ye have committed, and if
ye weep and mourn for yourselves because thereof in such wise that ye be edified thereby,
that which hath happened shall be forgiven you, and if not, then ye will go to perdition."

CHAPTER 2. OF SYLVANUS THE ACTOR

1 Once there was a man among the brethren whose name was Sylvanus, who for a period of
twenty years had worn the garb of a monk; now he was originally an actor, and at the
beginning of his life as a monk he was exceedingly anxious about his soul, but after a
short time had elapsed he began to be so negligent about his redemption, that he wanted to
make merry and to enjoy himself, and besides this he used to sing fearlessly among the
brethren snatches of the lewd and ribald songs which he used to hear in the theatre. Then
Abbâ Pachomius, the holy man, called this brother before the brethren, and commanded him
to strip off the garb of a monk, and having received such apparel as was worn in the
world, to go forth from among the brethren and from the monastery. And that brother fell
down at the feet of Pachomius and entreated him, saying, "O father, if thou wilt forgive
me this once, and wilt not cast me forth, thou hast it from me that from this time forward
I will repent of those things wherein I have hitherto shown negligence, in such a manner
that thou shalt be able to see the change which hath taken place in my soul."

2 And the holy man answered and said unto him, "Dost thou know how much I have borne from
thee, and how many times I have admonished thee, and how many times I have beaten thee? I
am a man who hath no wish to stretch out my hands in a matter of this kind, because when,
of necessity, I was obliged to act thus in respect of thee, [my] soul suffered far more by
the mention of association with passion than thou didst, although the stripes were laid
upon thee. I beat thee for the sake of thy salvation in God, so that by that means I might
be able to correct thee of thy folly; but since, even though I admonished thee, thou didst
not change [thy course of life], and didst not follow after spiritual excellence, even
though I entreated thee so to do, and since even when beaten thou wast not afraid, how is
it possible for me to forgive thee any more?"

3 But when Sylvanus multiplied his entreaties, and begged for his forgiveness long and
earnestly, and promised that he would amend his life henceforward, Rabbâ demanded a surety
from him that after he was forgiven he would no more continue his evil behaviour; and when
the venerable man Petronius had made himself a surety for him concerning the things which
Sylvanus had promised the blessed man forgave him. Then Sylvanus, having been held worthy
of forgiveness, contended with all his soul, and to such good purpose, that he became the
pattern of all excellence of the fear of God, both among all the younger and all the elder
brethren. Now the virtue which surpassed all the other virtues which he possessed was that
of absolute humility, and tears flowed from his eyes so unceasingly that even when he was
eating with the brethren he was not able to restrain his weeping, and his tears were
mingled with his food. And when the brethren told him that he should not behave thus
before the face of strangers (i.e., visitors), or before any people, he took an oath,
saying, "I have sought many times to restrain [my] tears for this reason, but I have never
been able [to do so]." Then the brethren said, "Is it not possible for him that repenteth
to seek to be alone? And would it not be better for him to act thus when he was praying
with the brethren than when he was eating at the table with them? And is it not possible
for the soul to weep continually with tears other than those which are visible?" [Then
turning to him, they said,] "We wish to know what thou hast to say on the matter. For thou
art so overwhelmed with [thy] tears that many of us who see thee in this state are ashamed
to eat and take our fill."

4 Then Sylvanus said unto those who had asked him [those questions], "Do ye not wish me to
weep when I see holy men waiting upon me, men, the dust of whose feet I am unworthy [to
sweep away]? Is it not proper that I should weep over myself? I weep then, O my brethren,
because a man from the theatre is ministered unto by such holy men as these, and I am
afraid lest I be smitten even as were Dathan and Abiram. And I weep especially because,
being in ignorance, I cared so little at the beginning about the redemption (or salvation)
of my soul, that I came in danger of being expelled by the brethren from the monastery,
and I was obliged to give surety [for my better behaviour], and to take awful oaths that I
would never again treat my life with contempt. For this reason I am not ashamed [to weep],
and I have turned away from such things; for I know my sins and that if I was obliged to
deliver up my soul I should find no happiness [in heaven]."

5 And as this man strove nobly in this manner Rabbâ himself bore testimony before all the
brethren, and spake thus: "Behold, I bear testimony before God that, from the time when
this monastery came into existence, among all the brethren who have lived with me therein,
there hath been none who hath resembled completely the example [which I have conceived in
my mind] with the exception of one. Now when the brethren heard these things some of them
thought that the one man of whom he spake was Theodore, and others thought he was
Petronius, and others thought he was Arsenius, and at length Theodore asked the holy man
of which monk he had spoken when he said this thing; but Rabbâ did not wish to say. But
because Theodore and the other great fathers continued to entreat him [to tell them], for
they wished to learn who he was, Rabbâ answered and said, "If I knew that vainglory would
come to him of whom I am about to speak, and that he would be greatly praised, I would not
shew [you] who he is; but, because I know that the more he is praised, the more humble he
will become, and the more he will think scorn of himself, and because [I wish] you to
emulate his example, I will, before you all, fearlessly ascribe blessing to him.

6 Thou, O Theodore, and all those, who like thee, strive in the fight, have bound the
Calumniator with fetters like a kid of the goats, and have placed him under your feet, and
daily ye trample upon him as ye trample upon dust; but if ye are the least unmindful of
yourselves, the Calumniator, who hath been cast under your feet, will rise up again, and
will set himself against you like an armed man. But this young man Sylvanus, who but a
short time since was about to be expelled from the monastery, hath, by his strenuousness,
so completely subjugated the Calumniator, and slain him, that he will never again be able
to approach him, for he hath vanquished him utterly by his exceedingly great humility. Ye
have humbled yourselves as if ye possessed works of righteousness, and the addition which
ye would make to your spiritual excellence is reduced, for ye rely upon the things which
have already been performed by you; but this young man, however much he striveth, never
sheweth himself to the gaze [of his fellows], and he thinketh with all his mind and soul
that he is a useless and contemptible being. And tears are always nigh unto him because he
is always belittling himself, and because he saith that he is unworthy of the things which
are visible.

7 Ye, in your knowledge, and in your patient endurance, and in your strivings against the
Calumniator, which cannot be measured, are better than he is, but he hath surpassed you in
humility, because he, in this manner, cutteth off for the Calumniator nothing but
humility, and the power of action which ariseth from the whole soul. Now therefore when
Sylvanus had striven in this manner for eight years, he completed his fight, and laid down
his life in such wise that his servant, a mighty man of God, testified concerning his
departure, and said that an endless throng of holy angels, with great rejoicing and
singing, received his soul as a choice sacrifice, and that they offered it up unto God
like the marvellous incense which is found among the children of men.

CHAPTER 3. OF A CERTAIN SINNER WHO DIED

1 And it came to pass once that Abbâ Pachomius went to another monastery to visit the
brethren who were there, and as he was on his journey he met the funeral of a certain
brother of the monastery who was dead, and [the monks] were going to the funeral and were
singing as they went; and there were also among them the parents of the man who had died.
Now the brethren saw from a distance the holy man coming towards them, and they set down
the bier upon the ground so that he might come and pray over him. And when the blessed man
had come, and had said a prayer, he commanded the brethren not to sing any more psalms and
hymns over him; and he also commanded them to bring the garments of him that had died, and
they brought them, and in the presence of them all he ordered the men to burn them; then,
when they had been burned he commanded that the dead body should be taken and buried
without any further singing. Then the brethren, and the parents, and kinsfolk of him that
was dead threw themselves down at his feet and entreated him to permit them to sing over
him, but he remained unmoved; and the parents of the dead man said unto Abbâ Pachomius,
"What hast thou done, O father? This is a new thing, and thou art sending away our son in
an unlawful fashion.

2 It be fitteth not thy holiness to display such a want of compassion unto this dead man,
and moreover, this savage cruelty is like to bring about sorrow. Even an enemy who seeth
the dead body of his adversary knoweth how to shew pity many times over, although his
disposition be unutterable and immovable. We have seen a new sight with you, O Christians,
the like of which hath never been seen, even among the barbarians. Through this want of
compassion [on thy part] thou hast made to cling to the family [of the dead man] a
disgrace which shall never be blotted out. Would that we had never seen thee this day! For
then our house, which hath ever possessed an untarnished name, would not have inherited
disgrace. Would that our poor son had never come into thy savage hands! For then he would
not have bequeathed unto us this everlasting sorrow. We beseech thee now, since thou hast
caused even his clothes to be burned, to allow a Psalm to be said over him."

3 Then Abbâ Pachomius answered and said unto them, "O my brethren, in very truth I have
more compassion upon him that lieth here than ye have, and because, like a father, I am
shewing exceedingly great care on his behalf, I have commanded these things to be done. Ye
would take care of the body which is visible, but I strive for his soul [which is
invisible]; for if ye sing Psalms over him he will receive the greater torments, and a
reckoning will be demanded from him because of the Psalms which have been sung, for he
departeth not with the power of the Psalms upon him. If then ye wish to make an addition
to his everlasting sufferings, sing Psalms; but I tell you, of a truth, that if ye do
indeed sing Psalms over him, he will certainly suffer more pain because of them, and he
will curse you. And because I know what will benefit his soul I take no care for his dead
body whatsoever; for if I permit ye to sing Psalms, I shall be found to be in the sight of
God as one who [striveth to] please the children of men, because for the sake of
gratifying men I have treated with contempt that which will benefit the soul which is
about to be punished in judgement. For because God is a fountain of grace He seeketh
excuses upon which He can lay hold in order to pour out upon us the abundant streams of
His grace;

4 if then, we, who have been held to be worthy by God to become acquainted with the art of
divine healing, do not apply the binding up which is suitable to the wound, we shall, like
those who despise [God], hear that which is written, 'Those who despised [God] saw, and
marvelled at the wonderful thing, and were destroyed.' For this reason then, that is to
say, that we may lighten his punishment, I entreat you to bury the dead man without any
singing of Psalms; for the good God knoweth that in return for this slight which hath come
upon him, we are giving him rest and are calling him to life. Had he listened unto me on
the several occasions on which I admonished him, he would never have come to this pass." 5
And when the blessed man had said these things they carried him to the mountain without
the singing of Psalms, and he was buried. And the holy man passed several days in that
monastery in admonishing and teaching each one of the brethren the fear of God, and the
way to strive rightly against the Calumniator, and against his arts, and wiles, and guile,
and how in a short time, by the might of the Lord, we shall be able to bring to naught
beforehand the things which are cared for by him.

CHAPTER 4. OF THE FUNERAL OF A CERTAIN HOLY MAN WHO DIED

Now whilst Abbâ Pachomius was still there he heard that a certain brother from the
monastery of Bêth Râ-yâ was sick, [and it was said to him], "He wisheth to see thee and to
be blessed by thee before he dieth." And when the man of God heard these things he rose
up, and departed on the journey, but when he was about two miles from the monastery, the
holy man heard a holy voice in the air, and he lifted up his eyes and saw the soul of the
sick brother with the holy angels, singing hymns, and being borne aloft to a blessed and
divine life; now the brethren who were accompanying him neither heard nor saw anything.
And when the holy man had stood there and gazed for a long time towards 289 the East, they
said unto him, "Why standest thou [here], O father? Let us hurry on so that we may reach
him whilst he is still alive." And he said unto them, "We shall not reach him there, for I
have just seen him ascending to everlasting life; depart ye then, O my children, to your
monastery." And when those brethren entreated him [to tell them] in what [form] he had
seen the soul of the brother who had died, he said unto them, "In a certain form"; and
when they had heard this they departed to their monastery. And they [enquired], and
ascertained exactly from the brethren who were in the monastery, concerning the hour
whereof Rabbâ had spoken to them, and then they recognized that the things which had been
said unto them about the brother who had died were true.

CHAPTER 5. OF THE THINGS WHICH ABBA PACHOMIUS HEARD SAID IN THE AIR BY THE DEVILS AS HE WAS JOURNEYING IN THE DESERT TO HIS MONASTERY

Now when the holy old man was journeying to his monastery, and was by the side of the
desert which is called "Ammon," certain legions of devils rose up against him, and
thronged him, both on his right hand and on his left, and others ran in front of him,
saying, "Behold the blessed man of God"; and they acted in this wise because they were
plotting to sow the seeds of vainglory in him. Now he knew the evil character of their
cunning, and as they cried out these things he cried out to God, and made confession of
his sins; then, having brought to naught the evil cunning of these wicked devils, he
answered and said unto them, "Ye are not able to persuade me to [indulge in] vainglory. O
ye wicked ones, well do I know mine iniquities, and well do I know that it is right for me
to weep concerning them continually, and concerning the punishment which is for ever. I
have no need of fluent words and cunning error from you, for your work is the destruction
of souls. I am not to be carried away therefore by your praisings, for I know well your
cunning minds, O evil ones." And though the holy man Pachomius spake these words unto
them, their audacious acts did not cease, for they clung round and about the blessed man
until he drew nigh unto his monastery.

CHAPTER 6. OF THE THINGS WHICH ABBA PACHOMIUS DID WHEN HE ARRIVED AT HIS MONASTERY

1 And when the brethren went forth to meet the holy man and to salute him, a certain young
man also went out with them to salute Abbâ Pachomius, and he began to make a complaint to
him, saying, "Verily, O father, from the time when thou didst depart to visit the brethren
until this present they have not cooked either vegetables or crushed peas"; and the old
man answered and said unto him readily and pleasantly, "My son, grieve not, for from this
time forward I will make them to cook these things for thee. And having gone round about
through the monastery Abbâ Pachomius went to the place where the food was [kept], and he
found him that did the cooking plaiting a mat of palm leaves, and he said unto him, "How
long is it since thou hast cooked vegetables for the brethren? and he answered, "Two
months. And Rabbâ said unto him, "Hast thou acted thus in spite of the command and
ordinances of the holy fathers which enjoin that vegetables shall be cooked for the
brethren every Saturday and every Sunday?

2 And the cook answered and said unto him, "Truly, O father, I wanted to cook some
vegetables on each of these days, but because I saw that when they were cooked they were
not eaten (for all the brethren, so to speak, were restraining themselves, and were not
eating cooked food), except by the young men who usually ate them, and when I saw that
when they were not eaten they were thrown away, [I cooked] no more so that all the expense
and all the trouble might be avoided. Now we pour into the cooked food of the brethren
forty boxes of oil daily. And when I saw that the food was not eaten I did not cook it,
for I did not consider it to be right that we should throw away and waste such costly
things. And moreover, because I could not sit idle I began to plait a mat with the
brethren, for I thought that one man would be sufficient in the kitchen to prepare the
less important meals for brethren, that is to say, chopped garlic, and mountain herbs
[mixed with] vinegar and olive oil, and herbs from the garden."

3 And when the holy man had heard these things he said unto the cook, "How many mats have
ye made? Ye who belong to the kitchen must have been continually at this work"; and the
cook said, "Five hundred." And Abbâ Pachomius said unto him, "Bring them here, for I wish
to count them"; and having brought the mats he ordered them to be thrown into the fire.
Then, when they had all been consumed, Abbâ Pachomius said unto them, "Why have ye
forsaken the ordinance which hath been given unto you for the government of the brethren
through [your] Satanic minds? I have destroyed pitilessly the labour of your hands, and
have burned it in the fire, so that ye may learn what it is for a man to treat lightly the
laws of the fathers, which have been given for the benefit of souls. How great is the help
which ye have removed from the brethren through your not having cooked food for them! Have
ye forgotten that a man hath

4 291 19a power over a desire for food, and that he who restraineth himself from such and
such a food, for God's sake, shall obtain from God wages which are not small? while he who
hath not received authority, and who denieth himself by force or necessity will seek for
wages in return for this in vain? And do ye not know that, if cooked meat be placed upon
the table, and the brethren eat it not because they restrain themselves therefrom for
God's sake, they shall receive abundant wages? But if cooked meats be not given unto them,
because they have not seen them abstinence and selfdenial can never be reckoned unto them.
For the sake of eighty boxes of oil, for such is the excuse [which ye have made], ye have
cut off all the preparation of all the brethren; I would rather that all the world should
be wasted than that onesmall spiritual virtue should be cut off from [their] soul[s]. I
therefore truly wish to have food in abundance cooked daily and set before the brethren,
so that in practising abstinence every day, and in restraining themselves from partaking
of what hath been given to them, they may make an addition daily to their spiritual
excellence. For if a man should happen to fall sick, and did not desire to go to the
hospital, if he should come to the common table in order to partake of the vegetables
which are usually given to the brethren, and should not find any there, what would happen
to me? Would not a brother be offended in not finding at the common table that of which he
was in need? And do ye not know that young men especially [cannot] continue in spiritual
excellence unless they enjoy some small gratification or a little consolation from their
food?"

CHAPTER 7. OF THE REVELATION WHICH ABBA PACHOMIUS RECEIVED FROM GOD CONCERNING CERTAIN HERETICS WHO HAPPENED TO VISIT HIM

1 And it came to pass that when the old man had said these things to the brethren, the
doorkeeper came to him, and said, "Certain travellers, who are men of importance, have
come hither, and they wish to meet thee"; and he said, "Call them hither," and when they
had entered into the monastery he saluted them with the brethren. And after they had seen
all the brotherhood, and had gone round about among all the cells of the brethren they
wanted to hold converse with him by themselves. Now when they had taken their seats in a
secluded chamber, there came unto the old man a strong smell of uncleanness, but he knew
not whence came such uncleanness, though he thought that it must arise from them because
he was speaking with them face to face; and he was not able to learn the cause of the same
by the supplication which [he made] to God, for he perceived that their speech was
fruitful [of thought], and that their minds were familiar with the Scriptures, but he was
not acquainted with their intellectual uncleanness. Then, after he had spoken unto them
many things out of the Divine Books, and the season of the ninth hour had drawn nigh
meanwhile, they rose up that they might come to their own place, and Rabbâ entreated them
to partake of some food there, but they did not accept [his petition, saying,] that they
were in duty bound to arrive home before sunset; so they prayed, and they saluted us, and
then they departed

2 And Rabbâ, in order to learn the cause of the uncleanness of those men, went into his
cell, and prayed to God, and he knew straightway that it was the doctrine of wickedness
which arose from their souls that sent forth such an unclean smell. Thereupon he went
forth from his cell immediately and pursued those men, and having overtaken them, he said
unto them, "I beg of you to allow me to ask you one question"; and they said unto him,
"Speak." And he said unto them, "Do ye call 'that which is written in the works of Origen
heresy?" And when they had heard this question they denied and said that they did not.
Then the holy man said unto them, "Behold, I 'take you to witness before God, that every
man who readeth and accepteth the work of Origen, shall certainly arrive in the fire of
Sheol, and his inheritance shall be everlasting darkness. That which I know from God I
have made you to be witnesses of, and I am therefore not to be condemned by God on this
account, and ye yourselves know about it. Behold, I have made you to hear the truth. And
if ye believe me, and if ye wish truly to gratify God, take all the writings of Origen and
cast them into the fire; and never seek to read them again." And when Abbâ Pachomius had
said these things he left them.

CHAPTER 8. OF THE REVELATION WHICH HE RECEIVED ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT OF THE BRETHREN

1 And when Abbâ Pachomius had gone into the monastery, he found the brethren gathered
together for prayer, and he drew nigh unto them, and said all the prayers; but when the
brethren went forth to eat he remained in that chamber by himself, in order that he might
recite to the end therein the prayers of the congregation according to custom. And he shut
the door and prayed unto God that he might have information about the settlements which
were to come subsequently to the brethren. Then having prolonged [his] prayer from the
tenth hour until the time when the brethren beat [the boards to summon the brethren] to
the service of the night, for he was praying until midnight, there suddenly appeared unto
him a vision which made known to him concerning the settlements of the brethren
subsequently, and shewed him that they would live rightly in Christ, and the increase
which was about to take place in the religious houses. And he saw a congregation of
brethren which was endless, and the men were making their way along a deep and gloomy
valley, and many of them came with the intention of going up out of that valley, but were
unable to do so, and many of them met each other face to face, but because of the great
density of the darkness, they did not recognize each other; and many fell down through
exhaustion, and others were crying out with the doleful voice of lamentation.

2 Now a very few of them, with the greatest difficulty, and with much toil, were able to
go up out of that valley, and immediately they had done so the light met them; and when
they had come to the light, they gave thanks unto God mightily. Then did the blessed man
know the things which were going to happen to the brethren in later times, and the
absolute supineness which was to exist in those times, and the blindness of error, and the
removal of the shepherds which was about to happen to them, and he knew that the wicked
were to have dominion over the good, whom they were to vanquish through their great
numbers, and that those who were to come afterwards would be mere imitations of monks. Now
we set down in writing the memorial of these things lest the wicked shall be governors
over the brethren, and those who are without knowledge shall have authority over the
monasteries, and shall strive for the mastery, and the good shall be persecuted by the
wicked, and they shall not have freedom of speech in the monasteries, and the divine
things which have been said shall be turned to the things of men.

3 Now therefore, when the blessed man knew these things, he cried out to God with tears,
and said, "O Lord God, Who dost maintain the universe, if it is indeed to be thus why
didst Thou permit these monasteries to come into being? And if in those times those who
are to be governors over the brethren be wicked men, what is to become of those who are to
be governed by them? For when the blind leadeth the blind both fall into the ditch. I have
toiled absolutely in vain! Remember, O Lord, my works, and those of these brethren, who
submit to be governed with all their souls. Remember that Thou didst promise me, saying,
'Until the end of the world I will allow this spiritual seed to exist.' Thou knowest, O my
Lord, that from the time when I put on the garb of the monks, I have never satisfied
myself with whatsoever groweth upon the earth, not even with water."

CHAPTER 9. ANOTHER REVELATION ON THIS MATTER WHICH [BROUGHT] CONSOLATION

1 And it came to pass that when he had said these things, Abbâ Pachomius heard a voice
saying, "Thou boastest thyself, O Pachomius. Thou art a man. Ask mercy for thyself,
because everything standeth by compassion. Now when the blessed man heard these things, he
straightway threw himself on his face upon the ground, and he asked God for mercy, saying,
"O Lord, Who dost sustain the universe, send Thy mercies to me, and take Thou them never
away from me, for I know that without Thy mercy nothing can possibly exist. And having
said these words straightway there stood by his side two angels of God, and there was with
them a Young Man, Who had a face which is unspeakable, and an appearance which cannot be
described, and on His head was a crown of thorns. Then the angels made Pachomius to stand
up, and they said unto him, "Because thou hast asked God to send thee His mercy, behold,
this is His mercy, the Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, the Only One, His Son, Whom He sent
into the world, and Whom ye crucified; and ye set a crown of thorns upon His head. And
Pachomius said unto the Young Man, "I entreat Thee, O my Lord, and Thy holy nature, [to
remember] that I did not crucify Thee. Then the Young Man relaxed His face a little in a
smile, and said unto him, "I know that thou didst not crucify Me, but thy fathers did;

2 be of good courage, however, for the root of thy seed shall never come to an end, and
thy seed shall be preserved upon the earth even unto the end of the world. And the seeds
which shall burst into life in those times, through the abundance of darkness shall be
found to be more excellent than those of this present time, and they shall be more
completely subject to rule; for at this present, because thou art unto them as a light
which is before the eyes, they lead lives of great excellence and according to rule, and
they lean upon thy light. But those who shall come after them, and who shall live in a
region of darkness, if with a good intent and from the mind voluntarily they run towards
the truth, even though no man directeth them, they shall from out of the darkness draw
nigh unto the truth; verily, I say unto thee, that they shall be free and shall be with
those who now lead a blameless life of the highest character, and they shall be held to be
worthy of forgiveness."

3 Then having said these things straightway the Young Man went [up into] the heavens, and
the heavens were opened, and the air shone so brightly that it is impossible for us to
describe with human words the splendour of that light. And when Rabbâ had marvelled at the
things which he had heard, straightway they beat [the board to summon] the brethren to the
service of the night.

CHAPTER 10. OF THE WORDS OF DOCTRINE WHICH ABBA PACHOMIUS SPAKE TO THE BRETHREN WHEN THEY WERE GATHERED TOGETHER

1 Now when the brethren had come to the congregation of the night, and the service for the
night also was ended, they sat down to hearken unto his words; and he opened his mouth,
and said unto them, "O my brethren, so 'long as ye have breath in your bodies strive for
your redemption; and before there cometh the hour wherein we shall have to weep for our
souls let us cultivate spiritual excellence with a ready mind. And I say unto you that, if
ye knew what good things were in heaven, and the glory which is laid up for the saints,
and how those who have fallen are punished by God, and the tortures which are laid up for
those who have been neglectful, and especially for those who having known the truth have
not, as was right, guided themselves thereby, instead of inheriting the blessedness which
is reserved for the saints, [ye would do so]. Flee ye then from the punishments which are
in [these] tortures! And consider the graves, and consider the resurrection of the
children of men, who are nothing! Why then doth man, who is dust, vaunt himself with
vainglory? Why then doth he, who is altogether stinkingness, exalt himself? Let us weep
for ourselves whilst we still have the time, so that when our departure cometh nigh we may
not be found asking God for more time wherein to repent. A wretched thing is that soul,
and greatly to be blamed, which hath left the world, but which had not dedicated itself to
God, and which had not lived worthily of its promise. Let us not then, O my brethren,
allow this world, which is a small and a contemptible thing, and which resembleth a
fleeting shadow, to steal away from us blessed and immortal life.

2 "Verily I fear lest your fathers in the flesh, who lived in the 'world, and who were
carried away by the anxious cares and afflictions of the world, and who imagined about you
that ye were nigh unto the Lord, whereby ye received a pledge that ye would enter into a
life of blessedness, will be more worthy than ye are of assistance in the world which is
to come. And at that time they will be found condemning you, and saying that which is
written, How hath he disgraced you, and put you greatly to shame: the fire hath blazed out
upon you, and your branches have been destroyed, and therefore have ye become a thing of
spoil (or prey), over which the lions roar and send out their voices.' Therefore, O my
beloved, be ye like unto those who are good, and let the crown of your head be exalted.
The cities which are towards the south, how are they to be taken? There is none who will
open unto you. For the sinner shall be carried off because he seeth not the glory of the
Lord. Behold, ye have heard. Therefore, O my brethren, let us strive with all our souls,
and let us set death before our eyes, and fasten our gaze upon the terrible tortures [of
Sheol], so that by means of them the mind may arrive at the understanding, which beareth
away the soul from care; and when it weepeth [the mind] maketh it to be a spectator, and
with earthly things it enricheth it without wandering to God. And not this only, for when
it doeth these things in humility, it persuadeth it to action which is free from every
kind of worldly mind, and to contempt instead of vainglory.

3 "Let the soul then, O my brethren, practise philosophy each day in respect of this solid
body [of ours], and when we come to our beds in the evening let it say unto each one of
the members of the body, 'O legs, how much power have ye to stand up, and to move
yourselves before ye die and become things without motion? Will ye not stand up with good
will for your Lord?' And let it say unto the other members, 'O hands, there cometh an hour
when ye shall be dissolved and motionless, and when ye shall never be clasped in each
other again, and when ye shall not have any movement whatsoever; why then before ye fall
into that hour and are cut off do ye not stretch yourselves out to the Lord?' And unto the
whole body shall the soul speak thus: 'O body, before we are separated and are removed far
away from each other, and before I descend into Sheol, and receive everlasting fetters
under darkness, and before thou art changed into the primal matter of which thou art made,
and art cast out upon the earth to become filthiness and corruption, and to decay, rise up
boldly to worship the Lord without dislike, and take my intelligence, by means of tears,
and make known to thy lordship thy free will servitude;

4 and bear me on that with a good will I may give thanks unto God before thou art crushed
under the weight of other things, and dost seek to lie down, and to take thy rest, and
dost condemn me to everlasting torment. For there are times when that heavy sleep is about
to confuse thee. And if thou wilt hearken unto me, we shall enjoy happiness together in
the inheritance of blessing, but if thou wilt not hearken unto me, then woe is me that I
have ever been fettered by thee, for on thy account I, the wretched thing, shall be
condemned.' Now, if ye act thus daily, and if ye consecrate yourselves, verily ye shall
become real temples of God, and since God dwelleth in you the cunning and wiles of Satan
shall not be able to do you injury; for instead of having a myriad of teachers, the word
of God shall dwell in you, and it shall teach you more [than they], and it shall make you
exceedingly wise by its own knowledge; and it is unable to speak all the things which
belong to human speech, but these the Spirit, holy, and divine, and pure, and spotless
shall teach you, even as the Apostle saith (Romans viii, 26), 'For we know not what we
should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself prayeth for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered,' etc.

5 And there are many other helpful things which it would be possible for us to say unto
you by God's grace, yet because our mind doth not urge us to these same things we must
direct our discourse to other matters."

CHAPTER 11. OF HOW, NOT EVEN IN THE TIME OF FAMINE, WAS ABBA PACHOMIUS INDUCED TO TAKE WHEAT FOR NOTHING FOR THE USE OF HIS MONASTERY

1 When a famine took place in the days of Pachomius, and the brethren had no wheat, that
is to say, when, so to speak, no wheat could be found in all Egypt, the holy old man sent
to call one of the brethren that he might go round about in the cities and villages and
seek for wheat to buy; and he gave him a sum of money for the purchase of the wheat, that
is to say, one hundred dīnārs. And having gone round about in very many places, the man
who had been entrusted with this work came to a city which is called Armūtin, and by the
Providence of God he found there a certain governor of the state, who was an exceedingly
reverent man and a fearer of God, and who had heard of the rule of the holy man Pachomius
and of the brethren; now this governor was in charge of the wheat which belonged to the
community, and the brother approached him, and entreated him to sell him wheat to the
value of one hundred dīnārs. Then the governor said unto him, "Of a truth, O my brother,
if I had wheat of my own, or even some [belonging to] my own children, I would take it and
give it to you, for I have heard concerning your godly and spiritual rule of life; but
hearken unto what I am going to say unto thee. The wheat which hath been placed under my
charge belongeth to the community, and as it will not be required this year by the
prefect, if thou wishest to take it I have the power over the wheat of the community, and
I will keep it back until the time cometh for it to be laid up in the granary; and if thou
knowest that thou wilt be able to return it by that time, take as much of it as thou
wishest."

2 Then the brother said unto him, "I do not wish thee to act thus for me, for I am unable
to return so large a quantity as that which I wish to take; but if thou wilt sell me wheat
to the value of one hundred dīnārs, at the price which thou wishest [good and well], but
if thou art not in any way able to keep back the wheat which belongeth to the community
until the time [for storing it] in the granary, thou actest rightly [in refusing me]." And
the governor said unto him, "Yea, I have power to keep back the wheat, and not only wheat
to the value of one hundred dīnārs but, if thou wishest, another like quantity. If thou
wilt take the wheat thou wilt do me an act of grace, only pray for me." And when the
brother said, "We have only this amount of money," the governor hearkened, and said, "Have
no care about this matter, for whensoever ye are able to bring me the price of the wheat
do so, at the rate of [thirteen] ardebs a dīnār, and in no other place in Egypt wilt thou
obtain more than five ardebs a dīnār." And the brother journeyed by water to the monastery
with great joy [bringing the wheat with him].

3 And when Rabbā heard that a boat full of wheat was about to arrive, and the manner in
which it had been bought, he sent immediately to the boat and said, "Ye shall not bring
one grain of the wheat into the monastery, neither shall he who hath bought the wheat come
into my presence until he hath returned it to its place; he who hath acted thus hath
committed great wickedness. And not only this hath he done, but he hath also taken wheat
to the value of one hundred darics more than [the hundred dīnārs which I gave him], and I
never ordered him to do this; but in carrying out his own desires he wished to have a
superabundance, and having become inflamed by love of gain he hath brought us into
subjection and laid us under condemnation. And moreover, he did not approach the
generosity of the seller of the wheat satisfactorily, for he acted in a greedy manner, and
he hath brought more wheat than he needed, and on his own responsibility he undertook to
pay back that which we could never return. And not this only, for supposing that from some
human cause an accident had happened, and the boat had sunk in the river, what could we
have done [to make good the loss]?"

4 "Should we not all have become slaves? Therefore let him sell all the wheat which he
hath brought to the laity who are in this district at the rate at which he hath taken it
from him that entrusted it to him, that is to say, at thirteen ardebs a dinâr, and after
he hath sold them, let him take the gold and carry it to him that gave him credit. And
with the one hundred dinârs which are mine, let him buy wheat at the rate at which it is
sold everywhere and bring it [to me]." And the brother did even as Rabbâ said unto him,
and he brought the wheat which he bought at a rate of five and a half ardebs a dinâr. And
from that time Rabbâ did not allow that brother to go outside the monastery on business
for the brethren, and having made him to remain inside he appointed other brethren to
render service of the kind.

CHAPTER 12. OF HOW WHEN THE WORK OF THE BRETHREN WAS SOLD RABBA WAS UNWILLING EVEN THAT THEY SHOULD ACCEPT THE FULL PRICE OF THE SAME

1 And that same brother [who hath been mentioned above] took away from the shoemaker to
sell a large number of shoes (or sandals) and other kinds of objects, and having received
as their price a larger sum of money than the shoemaker had mentioned brought to him the
oboli; and when the shoemaker had received the oboli, he reckoned up the price of the
leather and of the labour of his hands, and the value of the work of the days wherein he
had made the various kinds of [leather] objects, and found that it amounted to fifty
oboli, whilst the money [which he had received] was three times that amount. Then
straightway the shoemaker went to Rabbâ, and said unto him, "Verily, O father, this
brother will never prosper by such acts as these, for he still hath in him a worldly mind.
And when Rabbâ said, "What is this matter in which he hath behaved so badly? the shoemaker
answered and said, "I gave him sandals and other kinds of [leather] things to sell, and I
said unto him, 'Their prices are so much,' but he hath sold them for a great deal more,
and he hath brought unto me a price which is three times as large as that which I
mentioned to him. When Rabbâ had heard these things, he called the brother and said unto
him, "Why hast thou done thus?

2 And the brother said unto him, "Father, I told to the people who bought the sandals and
the other things the price which this shoemaker told me to take, but they said to me,
'Brother, if these things had been stolen they would be worth a far higher price than what
thou askest'; and I, feeling ashamed, said to them, 'They have not been stolen, and I have
been commanded to sell them at the price which I have named; but whatsoever ye wish to
give [me] for them, that give'; and they gave me what it pleased them to give me, and I
never counted the oboli which were given unto me by them. When Rabbâ had heard [these
things] he said, "Thou hast sinned greatly in loving excess, but run quickly, and give
back the excess in price to those who gave it to thee, and come and repent because of this
offence, and sit in the monastery and perform the work of thy hands, for it is not good
that thou, O my son, shouldst do again work of this kind"; and the brother did even as the
old man had said unto him. Then Rabbâ appointed the holy man Zakkai, a good man, who
overcame all the praises of the children of men by the manifestation of good deeds, and he
administered all the affairs of the monastery.

CHAPTER 13. OF A CERTAIN ASCETIC BROTHER WHO WAS IN THE MONASTERY, AND WHO DESIRED A CROWN OF MARTYRDOM UNSEASONABLY

1 And there was also [there] among those who were very famous a certain brother who
cultivated the ascetic life by himself, and when he heard of the divine rule of our holy
Father Pachomius he entreated him to receive him in the monastery; and when Rabbâ had
received him, and he had passed a little [time] with the brethren, he desired greatly to
bear witness (i.e., to become a martyr), although the world was in a state of peace, and
the Church was flourishing and was, by the grace of God, at peace, and the blessed
Constantine, who had put on Christ, was at that time reigning. And this brother was
continually entreating the blessed man Pachomius, and saying, "Pray for me, O father, that
I may become a martyr"; but Rabbâ admonished him that he should not permit this thought to
enter his mind again, and said unto him, "Brother, endure the strife of the monks "
mightily and blamelessly, and make straight thy life in the " way which will please
Christ, and thou shalt have com- "panionship with the martyrs in heaven."

2 As, however, the brother made his desire for this thing stronger each day, and he was
wearying the holy man therewith, Rabbâ, wishing to drive away this kind of desire from
him, said unto him, "I will pray [for thee], but if thou seekest " for this thing thou
wilt be vanquished. And put armour on " thy soul, lest, when the hour cometh wherein thou
hast to " bear witness, thou shalt deny Christ. Verily thou wilt cer- "tainly commit sin,
because of thine own will thou drawest " nigh unto temptation, although our Lord Jesus
commanded " us, saying, 'Pray that ye fall not into temptation'" (St. Matthew xxvi, 41;
St. Mark xiv, 38; St. Luke xxii, 40, 46). And having said these things unto him, he
admonished him to take good heed unto himself, and not to meditate upon martyrdom. And it
came to pass that two years later certain of the brethren were sent by Rabbâ to a village
which was further to the south to collect wreaths [to make] mats for the monastery; now
this village was nigh unto the barbarians who are called "Blemmyes." And whilst the
brethren were there, and were on an island where there were large numbers of reeds, the
blessed man Pachomius sent the brother who was wishing to suffer martyrdom to carry a
little money to them for their expenses, and he commanded him to take good heed to
himself. And he said unto him, "The words which are written, Behold, now is the acceptable
time (2 Corinthians vi, 2) behold, now is the day of redemption,' have a mystical
signification [for thee], and ye shall not commit an offence against any man, so that
there may be no blemish in our ministration"; so the brother took an ass to carry the
money and departed to the brethren.

3 Now when he had arrived at the place which is opposite the desert, the barbarians came
down [to the river] to draw water, and they came upon the brother, and made him to come
down from off the ass, and they bound his hands, and took the ass and that which was
thereon, and they led him up to a neighbouring mountain where there were other barbarians.
Now when the barbarians saw that they came with an ass, they began to make a mock of him,
and to say, "O monk, come and worship our gods," and they slew some beasts, and poured out
libations to their gods, and they brought the monk and urged the monk to pour out
libations with them. And when he did not want to do this they rose up in wrath and came
towards him with their drawn swords in their hands in a threatening manner, and said, "If
he be unwilling to sacrifice to our gods and to pour out libations to them, we will kill
him." Then seeing the drawn swords and the savage disposition of the people, straightway
the brother took wine and poured out a libation to their gods, and because he was afraid
of dying the death of the body he slew his immortal soul by denying God, the Lord of all;
now when he had done these things the Blemmyes sent him away.

4 Then having descended from the mountain, when he had come to himself he knew his
iniquity, that is to say, the wickedness which he had committed, and he rent his garments,
and having beaten himself upon his face severely he came to the monastery; and the blessed
man knew what had happened to him, and he went forth to meet him in sore affliction. 5 And
when the brother saw that he was coming to him, he threw himself on his face upon the
ground, and shedding tears cried out and said, "I have sinned against God and against
thee, O father, and I would neither listen to thy promise nor to thine admonition, and had
I but hearkened unto thee, I should not have had to bear what I have suffered." And having
said these words, Rabbâ said unto him, "Rise up, O wretched man, thou hast snatched
thyself away from the good things which were awaiting thee, for in very truth there was
laid up for thee a crown which thou hast cast away from thee; thou wast ready to be
reckoned with the holy martyrs, but thou hast cut thyself off from their blessed
companionship. Our Lord Jesus Christ was near with His holy angels, and He wished to lay
the crown upon thy head. Through thy momentary turning back thou hast refused (or denied)
this, and in being afraid of that death which thou wast about to endure, a death which
thou didst not seek, thou hast fallen away from God and destroyed thine everlasting life.
Where are the words which [thou didst speak] before this [happened]? Where is thy desire
for martyrdom?" And the brother said, "I have sinned in all these [respects], O father,
and I am no longer able to lift up my face to heaven. I am lost, O father, I have no
position wherefrom I may contemplate what I shall do, O father, I never expected that the
matter would happen thus."

6 Then having said these words with tears, Rabbâ spake unto him, saying, "Thou, O wretched
man, hast made thyself altogether an alien to the Lord, but the Lord is good, and He never
keepeth His anger for a testimony, for He is a lover of mercy, and He is able to sink our
sins in the depths of the sea. As far as are the heavens from the earth so far hath He put
away our iniquity and sins. For He desireth not the death of the sinner, but his
repentance, and He wisheth not that a man who hath fallen should remain in his fallen
condition, but that he should rise up; and He desireth not that he who hath turned back
should keep afar off from Him, but that he should return quickly to Him. Therefore despair
not, for there is still a hope of [thy] redemption. For it is said, 'If thou cuttest down
a tree it shall renew itself' (Job xiv, 7). If then thou wishest to obey me in everything
which I shall say unto thee, thou shalt obtain forgiveness from God. And with tears the
brother said, "From this time forward I will obey thee in everything, O father.

7 Then Rabbâ commanded him to seclude himself in a cell alone, and never to hold converse
with any man until death, and to eat one meal daily, of bread and salt only, and to drink
water only for the whole period of his life, and to plait two palm-leaf mats daily, and to
keep vigil as long as possible, and never to cease from crying. So that his brother
departed, even as the blessed man had commanded him, and he carried out everything which
he had told him to do. And he held converse with no man except Rabbâ and Theodore, and
with a few of the other great sages; and he passed ten years in striving in this manner,
and died in the grace of the Lord, and Rabbâ bore witness nobly concerning his tranquil
state.

CHAPTER 14. OF THE PHANTOM WHICH THEY SAW BY NIGHT WHEN THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THE MONASTERY

1 And it came to pass once when Rabbâ, and Theodore whom he loved, were walking through
the monastery by night, that they saw suddenly a great phantom, which was full of the
deepest deceit; now that which appeared was in the form of a woman, and its beauty was of
so indescribable a character that no man was able to tell the beauty, or the form, or the
appearance, which belonged to that phantom, and even Theodore, who looked at that phantom,
was exceedingly perturbed, and his face changed colour. And when the blessed man saw that
he was afraid, he said unto him, "Be of good cheer in the Lord, O Theodore, and fear not,"
and the holy man, having said these things unto him, commanded him to pray with him, that
the phantom which was striking wonder into them might be driven away. And as they were
praying the phantom came nearer and nearer and took a solid form, and when it, and the
company of devils which ran before it, drew nigh, for their prayer did not drive it back,
it came forward and said unto them, "Why do ye labour in vain? Ye are unable at this
present to do anything whatsoever against me, for I have received power from God, Who
sustaineth the universe, to tempt whomsoever I please; and I have abundance of time in
which to do this, for this I have asked from God."

2 Then Pachomius asked her, saying, "Whence comest thou? And whom dost thou wish to
tempt?" And the phantom answered and said, "I am the daughter of the Calumniator, whose
great power cannot be described, and unto me the whole company of the devils is subject.
It was I who brought down the holy stars to the earth, and it was I who snatched Judas
from the Apostolic power. I have received authority [or power] to make war against thee, O
Pachomius, for I am not able to endure the reproach of the devils, and no man hath made me
as weak as thou. Thou hast made me to be trampled under foot by youths, and by old men,
and by young men, and thou hast gathered together against me a congregation such as thou
hast, and hast set for them [as] a wall which shall never fall the fear of God, so that my
ministers are not able to approach with boldness and freedom unto anyone of you. Now all
these things have happened unto me because of the Word of God Who was made man, for it is
He Who hath given you power to trample upon all our might, and to hold us in derision."

3 And when the holy man Pachomius asked her, "Hast thou come to tempt me alone according
to what thou sayest?" she said unto him, "I have come to tempt thee, and all those who are
like thee." Pachomius said unto her, "So then thou wilt tempt Theodore also?" And she
said, "I have received power over thee, and over Theodore, but I am never able to come
nigh unto thee." And when Pachomius had said unto her, "Why?" she said unto them, "If I
were to make war with you [two], you would have an occasion for help and not for injury,
and especially would it be so in thy case, O Pachomius, who with the eyes of thy body art
worthy to be a spectator of the glory of God; but ye will not live for ever for those for
whom at present ye make yourselves a wall through your prayers, and whom ye help; and the
time will come after your death when I shall have dominion over those whom thou now
protectest against me, for ye have made me to be trodden under foot by this multitude of
monks."

4 Then Rabbâ said unto her, "How knowest thou that those who shall come after us will not
serve the Lord more truly than do we, and that they will not be able to confirm and
strengthen those who come after us in the fear of God more than do we?" And the phantom
said unto him, "I do know this." And Rabbâ said unto her, "Thou liest by thy wicked head,
because thou hast no knowledge whatsoever beforehand of the things which are going to take
place, for unto God alone belongeth fore-knowledge; thou art then the chief of falsehood."
And the phantom answered and said unto him, "True, I have no knowledge whatsoever of
anything by [the faculty] of fore-knowledge, even as thou sayest, for it belongeth to God
alone to know what is going to happen beforehand, but I told thee that I had knowledge
because [I judged] by analogy." And the blessed man said unto her, "How canst thou judge
by analogy?" And she said unto him, "By the things which have already taken place I am
able to judge of what will take place in the future." Then Rabbâ said unto her, "How?" And
she said unto him, "I know that the beginning of every matter is in love and knowledge,
and it receiveth

5 305 confirmation from the things which are provided, and especially through the divine
care and the calling of heaven, and "by the Will of God it becometh confirmed by wonderful
things and signs, and it is confirmed also by various powers which are exercised therein;
but when that beginning waxeth old and becometh grey, it falleth away from growth, and
when growth hath fallen away [i.e., ceased], it perisheth of old age, or languisheth
through sickness, or decayeth through neglect." 6 And afterwards Rabbâ asked her, saying,
"Why hast thou come, according as thou sayest, to tempt these great [saints] and not all
the brethren? If it be as thou sayest, the destruction of souls resteth with thee to work,
and thou surpassest in power all the devils, and thou must have all this power so that
thou mightest be able to strive against men like these." And the phantom answered and said
unto him, "I have already told thee that when the strength of the Sustainer of creation,
the Redeemer Christ, appeared upon the earth, we were brought so low that, like a sparrow,
we were mocked and laughed at by men such as these who are clothed with the Spirit, and
who seek to learn the Lord; but although we have become feeble through Him, we do not
cease to work as much as we possibly can [against you], and we never cease from opposing
you by every means in our power. And we sow the seed of our wickedness near the soul of
him that striveth with us, and this we do especially when we see that he receiveth [it],
and if we see that he really permitteth us to embrace him, then do we inflame him with
fierce lusts, and we encompass him like mighty ones and cruel devils, whom it is
exceedingly difficult to defeat. But if he is not willing to receive our seed, and will
not, through his faith in God, and the watchfulness of his mind, accept with pleasure the
things which are offered unto him by us, we dissolve away even as smoke is dissipated in
the air. This is the reason why I am not permitted to wage war with all the monks, and I
do not do so because all possess not perfection. For if it were permitted to me to wage
war against them all, I should be enabled to lead astray many of those who lean upon
thee."

7 And the blessed man said unto her, "Fie upon your wickedness which never sleepeth! Ye
will never cease to stir yourselves up against the race of the children of men until the
divine and unpolluted grace of God descendeth from heaven and destroyeth you." Then,
having said these things, Rabbâ commanded the phantom to depart unto the place whither it
had been commanded to go, and never again to approach with her feet his monastery. And
when the morning was come, he cried out unto all the great brethren, and related unto them
all the things which he had seen and heard from the destroying devils, and unto the other
brethren who were living in the other great monasteries he sent letters, and informed
them, in the fear of God, by means of these concerning the vision [which he had seen].

CHAPTER 15. OF THE GIFT OF TONGUES WHICH PACHOMIUS RECEIVED

1 And it came to pass that, when the blessed Pachomius was visiting the brethren in their
cells, and was correcting the thoughts of each of them, he was obliged to visit a certain
Roman, who was a nobleman of high rank, and who knew the Greek language very well. Now
therefore, having come to this great man, so that he might exhort him with words which
would be beneficial to him, and might learn the motions of his heart, the blessed man
spake unto him in the Egyptian tongue, but the brother did not know what the blessed man
said. And because the blessed man did not know how to speak Greek, Rabbâ was obliged to
call some brother who would be able to interpret to each of them the things which were
said by the other. Now when the brother came to interpret, the Greek did not wish to
declare to Rabbâ through others the defects of his heart, and he spoke unto him thus,
"After 'God, I wish thee, and thee alone, to know the wickednesses of my heart, and I do
not desire to declare them unto thee through others, for I do not wish that any man except
thee should hear them.

2 And when Rabbâ heard these words he commanded the brother who had come to interpret to
depart, and because Rabbâ was unable to speak to the Greek brother the words which he
wished to say to him about help and redemption, for he knew nothing whatsoever of the
Greek language, he made a sign to him with his hand to remain until he came [back] to him.
Then Rabbâ left him, and went to pray by himself, and he stretched out his hands towards
heaven, and prayed to God, saying, "O Lord, Thou Mighty One, Who 'sustainest the universe,
if I am not able to benefit the children of men whom Thou dost send unto me from the ends
of the earth, because I am not acquainted with their languages, what need is there for
them to come? But if Thou wishest them to be saved here through me, give me, O Lord, Thou
Star of all creation, the power to know their languages so that I may be able to set their
souls in the straight way. And when he had prayed for more than three hours and had
entreated God to grant him this knowledge, suddenly there

3 307 was sent from heaven into his right hand something which was like unto a letter
written on paper, and when he had read it, he learned immediately how to speak all
tongues, and he sent up praise to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. And
he came with great joy to that brother, and began to talk to him both Greek and Latin with
such fluency that when the brother heard him, he saith that Rabbâ's skill in speaking
[Greek] surpassed that of all the learned men [of the day]. Then Rabbâ corrected him, as
was right, and appointed to him the penance which was suitable to his defects, and he
committed him to the Lord, and went forth from him.

CHAPTER 16.

1 Of a certain Holy Man whose name was Dawnan (i.e. Jonah), who was the Gardener of one of
the Monasteries, and of the wonderful thing which Rabba Pachomius wrought in his Monastery
2 And it came to pass on the morrow that the blessed man departed to visit the other
monasteries, and he arrived at the monastery which is called "Demeskenyânôs," and entered
therein; now there was in that monastery a fine, large fig-tree, which one of the youths
was in the habit of climbing up secretly, and he plucked the fruit thereof, and ate it.
And when Rabbâ had gone in, and had drawn near that fig-tree, he saw an unclean spirit
sitting in it, and he knew straightway that it was the devil of the love of the belly; and
the holy man, knowing that it was he who led astray the youths, called to the gardener,
and said unto him, "Brother, 'cut down this fig-tree, for it is a stumbling-block to those
who possess not a well-established mind, and it is not a seemly thing for this tree to be
in the middle of the monastery.' Now when the gardener, who was called Yâwnân, heard these
words, he was sorely grieved, for he had passed eighty-five years in the monastery, and he
had lived therein a pure and honourable life, and by himself he had cared for all the
fruit [trees] therein, and he had planted all the trees that were in the monastery
[garden]. Now, until the day of his death he never tasted any of the fruit whatsoever,
though all the brethren, and the strangers, and those who dwelt round about them used to
eat their fill in the fruit season. And this brother dressed in this fashion:

3 he joined three skins [of goats] together to form a covering for his body, and these
were sufficient [clothing] for him; he did not lay down for himself one kind of bed in the
winter season, and another in the time of summer. What rest of the body was he knew not,
because of the press of his labours, for, with a ready mind, he toiled always; he never
ate any cooked food whatsoever, neither did he partake of lentiles, or of any other food
[of the same kind], but he lived all the years of his life on plantains only, which he ate
with vinegar. And the brethren used to declare positively about him, and say, that he did
not even know where the hospital was, and that still less did he know what the sick folk
ate. 4 And besides all these things, he never, so far as we have heard concerning him, lay
upon his back until the day of his death, but he worked all day long in the garden, and
towards sunset he used to take his food and go into his cell, and sitting upon a chair
which he had in the midst thereof, he would plait ropes until [the time for the recital
of] the service of the night, and in this way it might happen that he was able to snatch a
little sleep through the absolute need of his corporeal nature, and that he slept whilst
he was plaiting the ropes which were in his hands. Now he did not plait these ropes by the
light of a lamp, but whilst he was sitting in darkness and reciting the Scriptures. And he
had only one garment of linen, which he used to put on when he was about to partake of the
Holy and Divine Mysteries of Christ, and immediately [he had done this] he would take it
off and lay it aside, so that he might keep it clean, and it lasted him for eighty-five
years. And that blessed old man performed very many other works which deserve praise, but
we have not set them down in the book of this history, lest our discourse might become
either too long or too full for those faithful ones who believe, and we should cause those
who read it to become weary.

5 Now we found out concerning this man of whom we have written these things when he was
dead, and he died in an unusual manner, that is to say, he was sitting upon a chair and
plaiting ropes, according to his custom, and the ropes were found in his hands when he was
dead. And this blessed man did not die suddenly, and so lose any portion of the happiness
which was due to his health, but he fell ill, like all other men, and he would not be
persuaded to go into the hospital, because he did not wish to be ministered to by any man,
as are other sick folk; and he did not want to eat any of the meat which the brethren who
were sick were wont to eat. And he would not lie upon his back even when he was sick, and
he would not permit anyone to place a cushion for him when he was sitting up, or anything
whatsoever which was a little soft, and was able to afford him relief. And no man was
standing by him when he died, and he went to his rest grasping his rope-work [in his
hands]. It was, moreover, a wonderful thing to hear how they buried him; for it was
impossible to stretch out his legs, because they had become [stiff] like logs of wood, and
it was impossible to make one hand lie by the side of his body.

6 It was impossible to strip off him the skin garment wherewith he was clothed, and we
were therefore obliged to roll him up in cloth like a bundle and to bury him in that
state. To this man came the blessed Pachomius, and told him to cut down this fig-tree, and
when Yáwnán heard this, he said unto Rabbá, "Nay, O father, for we are accustomed to
gather a large crop of fruit from this fig-tree for the brethren"; now although Rabbá was
greatly grieved because of this matter he did not wish to urge the old gardener any
further, and he was the more grieved because he knew that Yáwnán lived a great and
marvellous life, and that he was held to be wonderful by many, and by great and small
alike. And it came to pass on the day following that the fig-tree was found to have become
withered so completely that not one soft leaf or fruit was found upon it. Now when the
blessed man saw these things, he was greatly grieved, not for the sake of the fig-tree,
but because of his own disobedience, when Rabbá told him to cut down the fig-tree, and he
did not act according to his word.

CHAPTER 17. OF HOW ABBA PACHOMIUS WOULD NOT KEEP BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS

The blessed man Pachomius built an oratory in his monastery, and he made pillars [for it],
and covered the faces thereof with tiles, and he furnished it beautifully, and he was
exceedingly pleased with the work because he had built it well; and when he had come to
himself he declared, through the agency of Satan, that the beauty of the oratory was a
thing which would compel a man to admire it, and that the building thereof would be
praised. Then suddenly he rose up, and took ropes, and fastened them round the pillars,
and he made a prayer within himself, and commanded the brethren to help him, and they
bowed their bodies, and the pillars and the whole construction fell [to the ground]; and
he said to the brethren, "Take heed lest ye strive to ornament the work of your hands
overmuch, and take ye the greatest possible care that the grace of God and His gift may be
in the work of each one of you, so that the mind may not stumble towards the praises of
cunning wickedness, and the Calumniator may not obtain [his] prey."

CHAPTER 18.

1 Of how when on a certain occasion the Heretics came to him be did not yield to them, and
of how he let them receive an experience of him by the Sign which they asked at his hand 2
And it came to pass on a certain occasion that certain heretical monks, who were in the
habit of wearing garments made of hair, and who had heard concerning the blessed
Pachomius, rose up and came to his monastery; and they said unto certain monks of Rabbâ,
"Our father hath sent 'us to your Rabbâ with a message, saying, If thou art in truth a man
of God, and if thou art confident that God will hearken unto you, come hither, and let us
walk together across the river on our feet, so that every man may know which of us hath
more freedom of speech before God than the other.' And when the brethren informed Rabbâ
concerning these things, he was exceedingly angry with them, and said unto them, 'Why did
ye undertake to listen to those who have said these things? Know ye not that requests of
this kind are things which are foreign to God, and are wholly alien to our rule? And
besides this, they are not even things which are thought well of by men who live in the
world. For what law of God teacheth us to do these things? And more-over, our Redeemer
commandeth us to the contrary in the Holy Gospel, saying, Let not thy left hand know what
thy right hand doeth' (St. Matthew vi, 3). For thou [thinkest] of 'something which is more
wretched than the want of mind '[i.e., foolishness] in imagining that I should give up
mourn-ing for my sins, [or cease to think] how I may flee from ever-lasting punishment, or
that, even if I were a boy in my thoughts I could ever come to [make] such a demand as
that.'

3 And the brethren answered and said unto him, "How is it 'then that this man, who is a
heretic and alien to God, should be so bold as to call upon thee to do this [thing]?" And
Rabbâ answered and said unto them, "He is able to pass over 'the river as one who
travelleth over dry land through the neglect of God, and the Calumniator helpeth him, so
that his wicked heresy may not be brought to naught, and so that the faith of those who
have gone astray may be more finally established by means of works of audacity which he
performeth through him. Get ye out then, and say unto those who have brought such a
message as this: Thus saith the man of God, Pachomius, I devote all my strivings, and all
my anxious care, not that I may pass over the river by walking on the waters thereof, but
in trying to flee from the judgement of God, and to escape, by the might of the Lord, from
such Satanic wiles as these.'" Then having said these things to the brethren he strictly
forbade them to think greatly of their integrity, and to lust after the sight [of him
walking across the river on the water], and to go with those who pry into such matters as
these; [and he said] "We must not voluntarily follow after such matters as these, and we
must not put God to the test by such questions, for concerning the knowledge of events
before they happen He hath commanded us by His Holy Scriptures, saying, 'Thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God, saith the Lord'" (Deuteronomy vi, 16).

CHAPTER 19. OF THE QUESTION WHICH A CERTAIN BROTHER BROUGHT TO HIM, AND ITS ANSWER

1 Rabbâ was on one occasion asked by a certain brother, who said, "Why is it that, before
the coming of that devil who vexeth us, we possess the understanding of the mind in a
healthy state, and are able to make use of philosophy for the sake of self-denial, and
humility, and the other virtues, but that when it cometh to us to make manifest in very
deed the virtues of philosophy, that is to say, longsuffering in the hour of wrath, and
the keeping of the temper in the season of anger, and a frame of mind from which vainglory
is absent, and when there are praises [ascribed to us], and many other things which are
akin thereto, the mind (or understanding) languisheth and becometh destroyed?" 2 And Rabbâ
answered and said unto him, "It is because we are not perfectly skilled in the performance
[of these things], and because we are not so thoroughly acquainted with all the mind and
vague thoughts of the devils that we are able, through the power of the sight of the soul,
to recognize in quiet contemplation the advent of him who causeth us vexation, and who
watcheth that he may be able to gather together the outpouring of suchlike thoughts.
Therefore, every day and every hour it is the portion of the soul to watch, and we must
pour out upon it, like oil, the fear of God, that is to say, the efficacious performance
of work, and the lamp which will enable us to see the things which are falling upon us in
the healing of the mind. Whosoever then will not be strenuous [will come] to anger, and
wrath, and ill-temper, and to each of the passions which lead us on to wickedness. And the
soul will see, and will depart to that incorporeal country, and it will make the mind to
hold in contempt the things which are wrought by the devils, and will compel it to trample
under foot serpents and scorpions, and all the power of the Enemy."

CHAPTER 20. OF HOW UNCLEAN AND CONTEMPTIBLE IN THE SIGHT OF RABBA WAS THE MAN WHO TOILED WITH THE LABOUR OF HIS HANDS FOR THE SAKE OF VAINGLORY

1 On one occasion when Rabbâ was sitting with a number of the other brethren in a certain
place in the monastery, [he was told that] one of the monks in the monastery used to make
two mats of plaited palm leaves daily and that day he placed them in front of his cell,
opposite the place where Rabbâ was then sitting with the brethren. Now he did this because
he was [unduly] exalted with the thought of vainglory, and he believed that he would be
praised for such assiduity, because the rule [of the fathers] was that each monk should
make one mat daily. And Rabbâ perceived that the monk did this for the purpose of making a
display, and he understood the intention which was stirring in the man and moving him; and
he sighed heavily and said unto the brethren who were sitting with him, "See ye this man
who toileth from morning to evening? He hath endowed Satan with all his labour, and hath
left nothing whatsoever of his work for the comfort of his own soul. He hath toiled
overmuch for the praise of the children of men, and he hath not worn out his body with all
this work for the sake of God, and his soul is empty of work through the pleasure of him
that doeth it, for he hath loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

2 Then he called that brother, and rebuked him, and charged him to stand up behind the
brethren when they were praying, and to hold the two mats, and to say to them, "O my
brethren, I beseech you to pray for my degraded soul, in order that through your prayers
God may shew abundant mercy to it, for I have held these mats in greater honour than His
king-dom. And he also commanded that the man should stand up with the mats among the
brethren when they were sitting at meat until they rose up from the table; and he
commanded likewise that after this he should be confined to his cell for a period of five
months, and should make two mats daily, and should eat bread and salt only, and that no
man should visit him.


THE HISTORY OF THE MONKS OF TABENNA (ASKETIKON) (CHAPTER 21. OF A CERTAIN MONK WHO BELONGED TO THE MONASTERY)
============================================================

THE HISTORY OF THE MONKS OF TABENNA (ASKETIKON) continued

CHAPTER 21. OF A CERTAIN MONK WHO BELONGED TO THE MONASTERY

1 Now before we bring this history to a close we are obliged to mention, in addition to
those of whom we have already spoken, another holy monk who was thoroughly trained in the
spiritual excellence of the brethren, so that we may narrate a few of the things which
were wrought by him for edification. This brother, of blessed memory, because he was
afflicted in his body had a cell separate from the brethren; he lived upon bread and salt
only, and he used to make one mat of plaited palm leaves each day, and it would happen
often, when he was plaiting the ropes which were being used in making the mats, that his
hands would become covered with blood, and they were so full of wounds caused by the
reeds, that the very mats which he was making were wetted with blood. But although he
suffered from such a weakness as this, he never turned away from the congregation of the
brethren, and he never lay down to sleep in the daytime until the end of his life. And it
was his habit every night before he lay down to sleep to repeat some portion of the
Scriptures, and then he would go to sleep until they beat the board to summon the
congregation to the service of the night.

2 Now on one occasion a certain brother went to him, and seeing that his hands were
covered with blood through plaiting mats, he said unto him, "Why dost thou work and toil
in this manner, seeing that thou art so seriously ill? Thinkest thou that thou wouldst not
obtain permission not to work and to be idle from God? God knoweth that thou art sick, and
no man who hath thy complaint hath ever worked. We feed and take care of strangers and
poor folk, and are we not in duty bound to minister unto thy wants, thou who art one of
us, and art so holy a man, with all our soul and with the greatest joy and gladness?" And
the monk said unto him, "It is impossible for me not to work," and the brother replied,
"If it pleaseth thee to act thus, at least anoint thy hands with oil at eventide, for thou
wilt not become as weary as thou art now, and thou wilt not become covered with blood."
And the monk hearkened unto that brother, and anointed his hands with oil, even as he had
told him to do, yet because they were tender they were grievously chafed, and cut, and
torn by the sharp reeds (or palm-grass). Then Rabbâ himself went to visit him in his cell,
and he said unto him, "Thinkest thou, O Theodore, that the oil had any beneficial effect
upon thee? Who forced thee to work? Didst thou not place thy hope of being healed rather
upon the operation of the oil than upon God?" Peradventure was not thy God able to heal
thee? Yet when He saw that thou wast ordering help for thyself He left thee "[to fall
into] this pain." Then the monk answered and said unto Rabbâ, "O father, I have sinned
against God, and I give thanks (or confess), and I entreat thee that God may forgive me
this sin."

3 And, according to what those fathers who were with him said, he passed a full year in
mourning for this act of folly; and he ate once every two days. And at the beginning of
the period wherein this man began to gain strength considerably, Rabbâ was in the habit of
sending him to every monastery that he might be both the foundation and the type of all
the brethren, because he endured the cruel weakness of that disease with such patience.

Here endeth the History of the Followers of Pachomius, which is called in Greek the
Asketikon of the Followers of Pachomius — Further remarks by the writer Palladius

4 Now therefore, though I must here add a few remarks about my beloved brother, who hath
lived with me from my youth up until this day, I will make an end to my discourse in the
haven of silence. It is indeed a very long time since I first knew this man, who is worthy
of blessings; and I never knew him either to eat or to fast with desire; and, in my
opinion, he overcame also the lust for possessions, and especially the passion for empty
praise, and that which was his own was sufficient for him. He never arrayed himself in
fine and costly apparel, but being made contemptible he received [acts of] grace, and in
return for God's true mercy he continued thus even unto death. And this man accepted the
temptation of devils a thousand times when they rose up against him, and at length one day
a certain devil pressed him, and said unto him, "Agree thou with me for one day only, and
commit sin only once, and any woman that thou shalt mention in this world I will bring
unto thee."

5 And on another occasion that devil strove with him for fourteen nights, even as he
himself told me, and he used to kick him with his feet in the night-season, and say unto
him, "Do not worship Christ, and I will never come near thee again." And he answered and
said unto him, "It is for this very reason that I worship Him, and I confess Him and
glorify Him ten thousand times because thou art vexed thereby, and thou reelest away and
dost tremble before Him." In his coming in and going out he walked through one hundred and
six cities (or provinces) several times, and in the greater number of them he tarried for
some time. By the grace and mercy of Christ he never knew the temptation of a woman, not
even in a dream, except in [his] warfare [against fornication]. I know that he received
food from an angel thrice: One day he was in a parched desert, and had not upon him a
morsel of bread, and he found three cakes of bread in his cloak. Another time, when he
lacked [food], an angel appeared unto him in a vision and said unto him, "Go and take
wheat and oil from such and such a man"; and thereupon there came to him the man from whom
the angel had commanded him to take [wheat and oil], and said unto him, "Art thou such and
such a man?" and he said unto him, "Yea, I am"; and the man said, "A certain One hath told
thee to take thirty bushels of wheat from me, and twelve boxes of oil."

6 Now over a matter of this kind, for such was his nature, he would boast. And I know that
on very many occasions he used to weep over people who were in straits and difficulties,
and who were living in poverty, and he would give them whatsoever he possessed, with the
exception of his body only, which he was unable to give. Now I have seen him very many
times weeping over a man who had been caught in a snare, and had fallen into sin, but
through his tears he made him to become penitent, and to repent of his sin. This brother
swore unto me once, saying, "I made supplication unto God that I would never make myself
pleasing unto any man, especially the rich folk of the world, and the liars, lest they
might give me whatsoever I had need of." Now it is sufficient for me that I have been held
worthy to set down completely in writing, and to make mention of the man who, by the grace
of God, was able to make perfect all these things. Behold the summary [of the contents] of
the book hath been written above.

7 Here endeth the Second Part of the Histories of the Holy Fathers, which were compiled by
the blessed Bishop Palladius, [and dedicated] to Lausus the Prefect. Glory be to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, for ever! Amen.


SELECTED WORKS OF SHENOUTE
==========================

SELECTED WORKS OF SHENOUTE Shenoute of Atripe

c. AD 348–466

Parts of Shenoute’s sermons and letters that the Coptic SCRIPTORIUM translators have put
into English: <i>Not Because a Fox Barks</i>, parts of <i>Abraham Our Father</i> and
<i>Acephalous Work 22</i>, and shorter pieces. Most survive only in damaged manuscripts,
so the passages are fragments.

ACEPHALOUS WORK 22: YA 309-10

1 ... they will be defiled in every way, whether they are abroad or whether they are in
the community. And anyone among us who sins or will sin in secret before us or before you
too and does not tell of the sin that they committed, may all these curses come upon them,
and also who offers up sacrifices in any other place around us in strife while he is an
associate of ours or also dwells with us And whoever offers up a sacrifice in any other
place around us in strife, except in our community, the place in which all the brothers
are gathered, the location of our father, the place in which the congregation is in the
desert, may they be cursed. Our area is from the valley to the North of the village of
Atripe to the valley which is to the South of the home of our father the elder Apa Bishoy,
the place in which he first lived in the desert. Anyone who is to live among us, may they
be bound by the law which is laid down by all the brothers who are assembled together.
Four Sabbaths per year, the ones which our father has set for us Anyone who is in the
desert around us, may they also gather with the brothers to come together, except [if]
sick. But anyone who dwells in the desert who does not wish to go according to the manner
which our fathers set down for us, if he is in our community, we will cast him out,
whether it is a man or a woman.

2 And if he is in the desert around us, we will assemble and go to the place that he is
in, and we will cast him out away from us. And if it is in strife, if he fights with us,
we will bring down the place in which he dwells and throw him out of there as necessary.
But we will take care to not have us strike him because of an incitement from him.

ACEPHALOUS 22: YA 421-28

1 ... if one urinates into a vessel with a narrow neck or jar, into any other vessel like
these, without having been ordered by the elder, except for the place of those who are
very ill and the elders of advanced years and these others, he is to ask the elder. And if
it is necessary for some among us to use anything of this sort, to defecate into vessels
of this sort through necessity or physical incapacity or hindrance to the foot making him
unable to walk, they are to ask the elder. Apart from these, children or anyone else, if
they defecate into any vessels of this sort, let them be accursed. The one who ordains a
sinful deed against his neighbour in deceitfulness is accursed. He does not know, but
because of ill-feeling he says that which is not, whether a man or woman. He is accursed
who says by way of confusion that he has seen in a dream how so-and-so and such-and-such
destroy themselves with deeds of wickedness, whether man or woman. They are all accursed
who practice deceit in any assembly of the Lord, so that God is angry with a great many
people and turns His face from them in anger because of the iniquities of those among us
who practice wrongful deeds, covertly or overtly. And woe to those by whom God will be
distressed and from whose midst He will seek for a way to come, like a just man, having
sought for a way to abandon a people because of their wicked deeds, as the prophet says:
Who is it that will give to me in the desert a distant dwelling place? That I may abandon
this people and remain far removed from them.'

2 Blessed is everyone with whom God will be satisfied that He may be pleased to remain in
their midst, like a just man content with just men and pleased to remain in their midst,
because He Himself the Lord is in their midst at all times because of the right and just
deeds. All those of us who see a deceitful thing in defilement or blasphemy or any other
sort of sin leading to death and do not tell me who or what those wicked deeds are, all
these curses will come down upon them from God, whether man or woman. All the things that
it is fitting to write in this letter and which we have not written, they are all written
on the papers written from the beginning. The holy words of Our Lord Jesus written in the
Scriptures and in this letter, I will tell you what they are like. They are like candles
that burn in places of darkness. And they are like the light of day. And the mindless,
whose acts of stupidity abound, are like bats. And like those who are struck down or run
in to the darkness or places where bats are dug deep, namely bats, whenever they see the
light of the lamps' flame and the light of day, in the same way the mindless and
excessively stupid will be struck down or into passions with their desires and the
darkness of their false knowledge in the face of all the words of Our Lord, not only those
from the Scriptures, or in this letter, but in the face of all the other words written in
these documents from the beginning.

3 Again, the holy words of Our Lord Jesus are like the light of lamps in the hands of wise
men. They illuminate him in places of darkness as he does his work. As it is written:
'Your word is the lamp for my feet.' They are like the light of day and the one who pays
attention to them will not stumble, as it written: 'The one who walks in the day does not
stumble.' For this reason, blessed are the children of light, that is, those who walk in
the openness of submission and complete obedience and good. Woe to the children of
darkness, that is, those who walk in complete disobedience and ignorance. They rush in and
up to darkness in every iniquity, like the bats which rush in and up to a very deep place
of darkness. Why did the Lord God say through His saints: 'If your enemy too is hungry,
feed him and if he is thirsty, give him to drink'? Why too did He say: 'If your brother
does not listen to you, let him be a gentile and tax collector to you'? But in saying
this, do every good thing to your enemies, according to the commandment, He wishes the
good person of God to achieve goodness through the wickedness of the wicked person who is
allotted to his sinning, Satan.

4 For, in place of the wickedness of the wicked person, the goodness of the good person
removes the wickedness of the hostile person. By repaying a bad deed with a good deed, he
achieves the divine nature of God. By repaying a good deed with a bad deed he achieves the
godlessness of the godless devil. By saying 'If your brother does not listen to you, let
him be an enemy to you like one you have never seen,' in the first place the Lord wishes
us to cut him off from us, and after rebuking him, perhaps he might repent after having
been a stranger because of God, he being our brother, and return and repent that we may
forgive him up to seven times seventy times if he does not repeat the sin for we had
planned to cut him off. But if he decides not to turn from the sin for which we had
planned to cut him off, we will cut him off from us and he will not return to us and we
will not love him. But let him be an enemy for us because of God, though he is our
brother. And in this way the God-loving one reveals his entire love for the Lord that he
has loved Him more than his brother and more than his father and mother. For it is a great
perfection for a man to cut himself off from his brother or his son or his daughter or his
father or his mother or any other person of his for the sake of God, when they sin against
the One who created them, God.

5 It is a great strength for a man to love his enemies for the sake of God and pray for
those who pursue him that do harm to him for the sake of God and bless those who curse him
and sin against him. This is what He meant by 'Let your brother be for you a gentile and
tax collector for the sake of God if he sins before the Lord.' Your enemy too, who sins
against you, love him and bless him for God's sake. We too, brothers, inasmuch as we are
partners with each other, we are the children of a single man, God, and a single mother,
heavenly Jerusalem, according to the Scriptures. Our father and mother who gave birth to
us and nourished us in the flesh, are they better than our true father and mother? The One
who gave birth to us with His holy blood [

ACEPHALOUS 22: YA 517-518

... pain ... very ... to every pain which is down upon me. But for the little girls which
we have heard about, that they ran to each other in a desire of flesh. Tell me about them
assuredly, that I may know And I will tell you what it is that you will do to them. But
also because of that which you said about her, to make her go to the place that you
determined for her, to make her do her deed in it, while she had said to you: If you take
me out of this place and into that one 'I will not do anything about the thing that I did
to him.' And if she did not truly desire it then tell me, I will teach you what you will
do to her. But all of you, if you hide a deception from us on your behalf so as not to
tell us about it, what you awaken is Satan upon you yourselves And it is by yourselves
that you turn away from the help of God. Here is the old man, I have sent him to you in
this other time as long as we exist.

I SEE YOUR EAGERNESS: GL 29-30

1 Christ. Also traitors. They are thieves and apostates, those who do these deeds. The
abominations in the holy places What is the matter with a multitude of lamps that are left
upon the lamp stands? They do not burn because they are not good... … Also the one of the
holy men and the faith which dwells in it, making them see their good deeds, and which
makes light in the holy places. It is not a man who is useful for him. And he will not
benefit himself. How will he be useful? To a necessary act, or while a name that is
honored will profit from him, Judas was not useful to him alone--... … ... that apostate
to the Lord, saying: 'if man gains the whole world, he loses his soul' What will he give
him in exchange for this soul? But still he listened to him saying 'one of you will betray
me'. And he was not ashamed, nor did he pity him, he led himself astray alone for thirty
silver-- ... … ... gave him alone down to a snare of the devil. For money, oh would that
gold did not exist! Still again we receive it in plenty in making God give it to us for
some purpose. But to bear the judgment for it. It is lawlessness. Would that gold did not
exist and they would not hand over the righteous one for silver and -- ...

2 …

NOT BECAUSE A FOX BARKS: XH 204-216

1 It’s not when the fox cries out, which is you, oh servant of Mammon, in voices that
shout, that the lion, which is I, the servant of Christ, is afraid. I know it’s not
against me you fight, but against Jesus who dwells inside the Christians. Jesus still
conquers you yourself and your father the devil who dwells inside you, for which you hope.
And they too on their part, with their father who dwells inside them, Jesus, on whom they
depend. A person who has Jesus doesn’t ever have shame like you said. The shame of this
place [i.e. this life], the glory of this place, I have forsaken them, for I know that
which I’m looking out for. Those who have the glory and honor by the hand of Jesus what
have they to do with the glory and honor of people? Indeed just as there is no 'robbery'
for those who truly have Jesus, as you said against me, since I have carried your gods
quietly [i.e. took away your idols without them resisting], and since I have had them bind
your contempt and your shame to the gateposts of your house, written on pieces of
papyrus—as they broke your urine, in jars like wine —upon the threshold of your house, and
on your door and the doors of those who are like you, so also there is no freedom for
those who trust in Kronos, which is you, and those who are like you in faithlessness and
in every other impurity.

2 What act or which word among those which you have uttered is it, that does not
constitute evidence against you that you belong to Satan? It's the letters, those that you
tore up—didn’t I know even before I had sent them that you would tear them up, oh
accomplice in the work of those who destroyed with the scribe’s knife the pages of the
book of the words that the prophets sent in the name of God?— they were thrown on the
burning embers! Even as you said: “the people and my stewards take things to him,” it’s
you telling us and revealing your evil, for it’s not that you want the children of God to
carry an offering to his church, or to do another thing which is good in the name of
Jesus. You will rejoice if you hear that they have gone to the oracles of demons, because
you also worship and serve the creation rather than he who created all things, Jesus, who
is blessed for all eternity, instead of listening or seeing them going to the feet of God
in every place where he is called, and blessed, and given glory, If more than the many
about whom you said, “They take things to him,” if they transfer over to me without
restraint—for I too am a good servant to them, for they are my brothers, gathering for
them into treasures in heaven, the things that they give in honour of God— is it that they
took them from your house and the house of your fathers?

3 You rob those that are not yours oh evil man. You sin, however, and you lay down
obstacles for those who give to the poor, while they know that the things that are given
or that are given in charity for those who are in need belong to Christ, who gave them to
them for joy and to be rich in deeds that are good. Do I still sit upon the middle of your
head? For you say: 'Until what happens won't he sail away, since he says 'I will go',
while he throws away day after day?' Why is it that I’ve become this great burden down
upon you in this whole way, [whether] I have gone to the Emperors or I haven’t gone.
Aren’t the heavens and the land Christ’s, and all that is in them? Does your father Kronos
for his part indeed have anything at all except sins, these that you are a cultivator of
for him yourself and those who are like you, as you all sow and reap for him the acts of
faithlessness and the lies, and the acts of violence, and the blasphemies and every evil
deed. If you were a weed like this growing by yourself then it would be right to tolerate
you until the harvest of the field according to the word of the Lord that you blasphemed.
But you are a thorn tree and a thistle on the roads, as you form an obstacle to those who
walk; for this it is right to cut and to pull out your root.

4 But since you still said in your empty words: “If he were truly a monk then he wouldn’t
have committed 3 murders in the 40 Days [=Lent],” as you called the pigs and the cow that
I slew in the houses of the pagans “murders”. I will say for my part as follows against
your nauseating words: if what I did is not right because I made an example of idol
worshippers, then how much of a condemnation is it for you that you transgressed in the 40
Days, and in the great holy Easter that every one celebrates down to the God loving
Emperors too. But you for your part make your butchers work for you during it, while you
live in luxury and stray without fear, making others stray with you because still you sent
to me saying: “come search my houses (see) if you find idols inside them” after I have
searched it on another occasion; your house - I didn’t find any idols in it.

5 Or don’t you have any others but those that I took? Or if I take the idols that are in
your house, is it that I’ll be able to hide the sun in the sky and the moon and the stars
that you worship? Or is it that I’ll build walls in the west so that you won’t pray to the
west side? Or is it that I’ll watch over the river and over your canals so you won’t pour
libations for Kronos down into flood waters, then that’s enough of you saying these words
of blaspheme upon deception, oh man who has fallen down to great evils. For just as you
are godless, so is the way that you oppress the poor in your violent doings, or isn’t it
another kind of persecution when you pursue men, most of all the elders of the church
until you scare them out of their houses, in this very period no less, right in these
great troubles that are upon the land as you come into their places, while there is no son
and no father and nothing at all inside because they ran.

6 While you all take their beasts and their wagon, and their hay as you take them to your
gardens as you force them to turn them around beyond their strength. And what about the
great Easter too, you don’t release them to engage in celebrating it. Right down to new
boats that you have built, and you make them launch them into the water during it [i.e.
Easter], instead of mourning during it. You have made them shout aloud while it’s not
their desire, who is he who will be able to recount all your evils? As still you slaughter
your calf when it is about to die, or if it exhausts [its] measure, being unuseful for
your work, and you divide it piece by piece as is your will, and you throw it at them,
right down to the widows, and the old men, the old women, the orphans and the strangers.

7 And you extort them for copper beyond its value until you collect the price of the calf
doubled for ones least of flesh, while they are bones on something useless. As still you
give calves to them and cows according to the field for them to feed until they are strong
enough for you to take them. Some of them to give them to you in honour, you do nothing
good for them in exchange. Whereas others are still fed to you in this way: horses, and
asses, sheep, calves, and pigs. Oh would that you all would stop in this way for you would
have desired them in their animals or even in other matters You rob them by using them,
some for naught, and others with a little honor, except for bread and wine, finding food
and chaf. And barley for your animals with all the others And as still you gather them, to
make them watch over you and the boats at the time while you flee in the face of the
barbarians. Or doesn't the barbarian chase after them? It's their wives and their children
and the furniture of their poverty upon their livestock. And in their wagons as they run
for their part out of their places to other places to make them rescue themselves. This is
the way that many of them hire men under their pay and send them to you to watch over you
And you are not content with these things.

8 But rather you still add to your violence. Just as you still extort from some people a
vessel full of wheat for the house, because they are numerous—some twenty five dry
measures, others one measure of grain. through the pretext of washing in baths as they
weep, 'We don't want to to bathe. We don't have bread to eat. Such a thing is not our
concern, while our children are hungry, while our children are naked.' While their
majority testifies, 'We are not washing in baths.' Aren't they the ones who force them
until they build them [i.e. the baths]? and other buildings as you force them concerning
them [the buildings]. Or it's also farmsteads of a village. Wasn't it you who also built
their houses inside them? And every single one of these acts of oppression, you were
oppressing them inside with your forced labor and your wine that is foul, with your toils
and your violence. Oh you men whom a sound threatens, 'Those out of a quarrel who are
disobedient of the truth, but obey violence; anger and rage and oppression, and the
crushing of every human soul that does something evil.' However I will say in your
presence, the Lord of powers, ruler of all, don't be angry at my stupidity. I know that
you do not forget anything.

9 You, who have spoken through your holy prophets in the presence of this boastful man
there, Pharaoh: 'Let my people go, so that they may serve me or celebrate for me.' And you
who have said through them, 'Be at ease, as you know that I am God,' therefore, have pity
on your people, o patient one, whose mercy is great. As you rescue them from those who
oppress them. In the way of your people, Israel at that time, so that they shall be at
ease to know that there is no other god but you. Or don't you see that the pagans and the
other peoples and the godless, were not able to know you, as they were not at ease in
their apostasy? And all their impurities. Therefore, curb every lawlessness. And every
violence in every place. From those who did violence to them, from the head of the land to
the end of the world, those who know you shall be at ease to serve you. For they are not
able to serve you, while they serve those who do violence. Did you not rescue your people
Israel on that occasion from the hand of that lawless Nebuchadnezzar, and those others
which are like him, who afflicted them in making you deliver them to their hands, since
you were angry with them? And they even ask after you in those places, but they wouldn't
know to say your blessings in the way that they wish it.

10 As no open speech exists to them in the servitude of the deeds that are many. In the
way that they said: 'how will we be able to say the ode of the house of the lord in those
of strange lands?' In this way also if you don't rescue those who have violence done to
them from the hands of these merciless ones, although they proclaim your name, but they
wish also to do their desire since you are their hope. They will not be able to give you
their vow. In blessings and prayers and fasts, since no freedom exists for them right now
in the servitude of the deeds of those men who think of wicked things at every hour inside
them.

IN THE NIGHT: BV278-282

1 By Shenoute Down in the night in which we taught unwise men in the house of God, at dawn
on the ninth of the month of Tobe, with them loaded inside and bound, as we were going to
condemn the impure there to become strangers to the place of Christ, This I was seeing
while petitioning the Lord of all creation, asking 'is it appropriate to place them in
these communities, or is it appropriate to pluck their root from out of them?' Behold, a
man who takes on the form of authority, who has been sent by one who is greater than him;
he has gone into those places without asking permission with another following him as
though beneath him. He grabbed me as I passed in the streets of those places, suffering
for the pestilent people there. He starts to raise his hand against me, to fight with me,
acting like someone who takes care of those ones who were there. As for me, I fought
against him, choking him with the thing that was wound around his neck or on his
shoulders, saying these things: 'I am not afraid at all nor disturbed! What are you? What,
why do you hide yourself and don't reveal yourself? If you are a spirit or an angel come
from God, I too am his servant!', and: 'If you persist, I will not persist. Will you tell
me if they have sent you, whether it is they who have sinned before God or we who have
sinned before him? For we have deliberated about leaving them there in our midst.
Otherwise we won't forgive you, rather I will fight against you more.'

2 As I was saying these and other things, he wrestled with me because he wanted to go, and
I wrestled with him, and I was able to best him and top him. And after he acted like he
wanted to topple me, I struck him to the ground. I prevailed against his hatred with my
feet, as I stood calling to the brethren I saw around me looking after me in all this
struggle: 'seize this other one!' For I considered within me that it is impossible for a
human to defeat a spirit or angel of God, rather a human falls to the ground because of
fear if they see them, as those who appear to them scarcely make them firm against this
thought in this way. And behold, they appeared a second time quickly, as they are demons,
and I knew that this is the haste of Satan letting him deceive the multitudes that are
gathered inside in places so that they endure the mysteries of the impeity of those who
commit offensive acts inside of them until the weed becomes much more abundant than the
good seed. For the people have chosen to see to please those who belong to the ones who do
evil, rather than to please God. This is the way that one person was not cast out on
account of his father because they were ashamed, another on account of his brother,
another on account of his vain desire, another for hypocrisy and favoritism, others
looking for what they drink and reject, everything for the sake of people and not for the
sake of Jesus, according to the way in which we have said many times in many places, not
we alone, but also those who were before us choosing God truly.

3 Therefore we wait for a testimony in other forms to cut out of the body the members
which have rotten inside it. Are the Scriptures not enough, which command to pluck out and
destroy, to build and to plant? But I have told you, brothers, that the enemy misleads
many among those who believe quickly, with every word and every soul. This is the way it
happens in many places while many fight against impiety, as they trust a spirit of
deception and the teachings of demons. Truly it is no evil if one who loves Christ fights
with a good spirit if it appears before them! He will love them more and be happy about
them. For he knows that they are not fighting against him, as they guard and keep from
bending to a demon and falling under the authority of a spirit (...) thinking that it is a
holy [a]ngel. As long as I dwell in the same places together with people, male and female,
great men and great women, little boys and little girls, as long as I partake with them
and they partake with me of the mystery, as long as I pray with them and they pray with
me, as long as I eat bread with them and they eat with me, or while my hand and theirs are
in the same bowl upon this same table, and they dare to destroy the creations of God in
any defilement or profanity down in this house or those houses and those places (...) turn
them to (..) [h]is name in great toils and in heaps of gold upon copper upon every thing,
all of which you will not accept, until we set them up so some souls will benefit, and
some souls serve God in every purity.

4 not only do I become an enemy to them in the days of my life in the way that we have
said many times, as long as I speak with them in peaceful words, as long as I act as one
who rejoices with them and who blesses them, they are more cursed, and all their deeds,
and those who know about their deeds and hide them, they are more cursed together with
them, and all their deeds.

SO CONCERNING THE LITTLE PLACE BV 277-278

1 ... a person who is sick, as we send him to you or also while he is among you, since
it's to us that you will send him. Especially due to our guidance, if you do not call [me]
'father' only with your tongue. What is happening when I give him to one of you with my
hands, or also to you (Fem.)? It is not fitting for me to seize him from the hand of
others to not give him to them, or that I urge you to drink wine, it is not my wish that
the strong among us perform acts of martyrdom. And it is not the act of all the saints,
not the toil upon grief, that which is written in the scriptures: Is there or is there not
also someone at peace who does not drink it until they die? But what I want, apart from
the Rule which is laid down for us, is to not cause any of you to be vexed or to make
accusations, and to not make their goodness be according to necessity, but rather their
wish. Therefore tell me assuredly in all of your letters at once, without nonsense, by
what have you carried this condition among you, because I will know what the advantage is
before God and before the people. And your six times in the evening make your prayers only
in your house, don't do anything until I am unoccupied and consider this matter; This one
and other matters similar to these as well, since I judge not to make someone find
something to say on any occasion on judgment day.

2 And also in the morning do your prayers well, and also your other little handiwork, do
it according to your rules. Don't reach midday beyond the measure, so that you do not do
them in haste. Also don't do them earlier than the [appointed] hour. I have said many
times that it is not the place to show the strength of a person, the midst of the elder
men and women, and the children, and those that are working more among us. But the hour of
ceaseless prayer or much meditation or spending nights of vigil with strength, it appears
before the wise. And whoever wants to strengthen themselves, to suffer more, who would not
rejoice with them in heaven and on earth among all people who want the glory of God and
the honor of his holy places? Just don't be negligent, and tell me, for the fear of God is
in my presence for you at every moment. I entreat you to take care in every matter that is
fitting, giving refreshment to my heart. Stay safe as you pray for me.

GOD SAYS THROUGH THOSE WHO ARE HIS: GL283 PAR GF350

... destroy his heart to not come to us, say 'what did you say which gives glory to God,
since you have made the desert into a city?' They said in Panopolis in another way as they
change the words and lie. It was of use to them from two sides, o miserable wild men,
according to the name that they only don't call you by: so as not to hearden your hearts
until all these toils come down upon you, especially as you say ...

GOD WHO ALONE IS TRUE BV 119-122

1 ...place(s?) and not in another place. For it is not the matter for someone who is a
solitary to tend to people who are not near him all the time in the congregation, and he
does not [...] his bread with them. And he is not with them because he may be seen and
because he will know everything and this person will be seeking the news from the ones in
the other congregation, and he will struggle to speak to them the word of God every day.
Even more on the Saturdays they gather together when he teaches, he and these two men and
the ones who are appointed there to keep the scriptures for us. And if he is able to visit
the ones who are in the village from year to year, he and these two men with some others
who fear (?God) ... ... who receives ... can(?) ... to go ... that of this man ... teach
according to fasting each one at his time. ... to his work. For we brethren all of us are
a single shepherd who tends to sheep. One thing is to fight, another thing is to go
according to rank. For what was said, 'He is the one who made some apostles, others
prophets' is not hidden from each other. Each one speaks his word in his time, being in
this single place.

2 And it is the way that the saints ... speak while ... as it is written ... ...phet ...
with the ... but ... and ... Paul used to speak with Barnabas and with .. who were silent.
Jacob answered. At times they would speak one by one, not being divided, but being
together. And this is the way that the Lord Jesus would send them two by two, and also the
great prophet from ancient times Moses and Aaron. At times it was Moses who would speka,
and at times it was Aaron who would speak when they were together. At times it was Moses
who would carry the staff, and at times also it was Aaron who would carry the staff, but
not without Moses—all these things according to the command of God ... in obedience ...
according to rank. But if one says, 'These are brothers' and 'Because of this matter they
are at ease' and 'This is the way that there is no envy or malicious thing moving to
them.' Therefore he is a brother according to the flesh and not a spiritual brother who
takes care for his heart out of arrogance that causes everyone trouble who gives it a
place i.n their heart For the people of God in this time —Israel— are appointed in this
way to rule over thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens when the holy Moses became
their leader. ... over ... and over... all the fathers ... over all the ... and over all
the people.

3 In this way also Joshua (Jesus [son of Naue]) after him also ... judges according to
this way up to the holy Samuel and afterwards the kings and the ones with them, each one
according to his rank. If this matter does not please the proud person, then let him
remember that there is a time coming when God and his Christ Jesus who is over everything
so that the heavens and earth and all the things in them are in his hands, in the way of
these things, (they) will rule, and he will have the saints judge all of the world. ...
the earth ... death ... dwells in them ... gathers together with their companions, and
they see the one who will care for their souls, and a ruler will be established for them,
indeed the one through whom everything came to be established, whom the ones who rule over
these congregations and all their other companions who are appointed with them, and the
house-leaders, and the ones who are appointed with them, and the old men with ... who will
be in this way each one alone, and they will not hide any deed, nor anything else at all
from each other down to a small shoe.

4 And another truly faithful person who was appointed with them, and they shall not do
anything without asking their companions, and their words and their actions will be
examined together every ten days ... each time ... find their ... If ... pleases him ...
that is at the gate, which they will ... near each other every week. And they speak with
the people who came, and they took care in every thing and the thing that is reckoned to
be, all of it. And the way that I will appoint them to it together, while I am alive, they
shall do it every time. And it shall not be said to them, 'Each one will give an account
before God or for his place.' And it shall be said, 'You (all) will give an account for
these places,' and 'God will seek out the soul of the ones who dwell in these...

ABRAHAM OUR FATHER: YA 518-20

1 Letter of Shenoute Abraham our father wished to have children with Sarah. And Sarah
wished to have children with Abraham. And thus the Lord God gave a child to Abraham in his
old age, begetting Isaac with Sarah in her old age. They had him, their child beloved like
a myriad of children, being one . . . Neither . . . is . . . after his . . which came from
his part. And thus he gives rest to the mother who bore him and in this way he inherited
the inheritance of his ancestors according to that which was said to Abraham through God:
'That one who is Ishmael, he will not receive inheritance from you but I will bless him on
your account and I will glorify him greatly and make him a great nation which is numerous
and those who come from your [...] Isaac [it is he alone who will inher]it from you.'
Therefore indeed she spoke boldly in the knowledge of God, namely, the mother of the child
whom she had borne: 'cast out this slave with her child. For the child of this slave will
not inherit along with my child, Isaac.' Isaac prayed to the Lord, wishing that he would
have children with Rebecca and Rebecca also wished that she would have children with
Isaac, and thus the Lord God gave to them according to their heart, filling all their
requests, and Esau and Jacob were born. And Isaac blessed Jacob through God by the design
of Rebecca, the mother of Jacob, while Esau became a servant to Jacob, according to the
Scriptures, ‘The great will serve the lesser’ and also, ‘Jacob, I loved. But Esau, I
hated.’

2 And Jacob wished that he would have children with Rachel, as he had with Leah, and as he
had with Zelpha and Balla. And Rachel wished that she would have children with Jacob. And
she grieved, and found fault with Jacob in her ignorance, in the abundance of [her] grief,
‘Give me children, or I will die.’ And Jacob, who was discouraged, said to her, ‘Am I
myself the Lord who robs the fruit from you[r womb]?’ And Jacob said these things angrily
because he also wished to have children with Rachel. And thus God saw their grief, and so
he gave children to Jacob by Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. And Jacob blessed all his
children through the Lord God, he who blessed Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the
children.

ABRAHAM OUR FATHER: YA 525-30

1 (4 page lacuna, and at least part of it must be a continuation of this list to include
Anna, and the mother of the prophet Sampson, and Elizabeth, the mother of John, who was
filled with the holy spirit from the time he was in his mother's womb who are mentioned
below. What else is missing is, of course, unknown but it seems that we begin again at the
main (?) point of Shenoute’s argument.) So we are foolish, or blind, when male monks in
our community refuse argumentatively and disobediently to do certain labors that they are
capable of doing, taking care either of people who are entrusted to them, duties, or any
other kind of good work that we can do for one another through God for the salvation of
our souls. But you are stupid and wickedly stubborn when female monks in your community
choose to be barren women through God yet still argumentatively and ignorantly insist on
renouncing certain labors that they are capable of doing, taking care either of people,
duties, or any other kind of good work that you do for one another in fear of the Lord.
Given that the woman who lives with a husband according to the flesh usually is willing to
have sons and daughters, and given that Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Anna, and the mother of
the prophet Sampson, and Elizabeth, the mother of John, who was filled with the holy
spirit from the time he was in his mother's womb given that these women and others of the
ancient holy women called out to the Lord, praying and beseeching that they not be barren
women, then, whenever female monks in your community renounce people who are entrusted to
them through God, how greatly will they be disgraced since they chose to be barren women
and widows?

2 For God despised many of our ancestors, both men and women, from the first until now
because they did not wish to labor with others, so that they exist to them as sons and
daughters through God. But on account of sloth and arrogance many men renounce, so that
they do not labor with others through God even as some themselves labor with them;
likewise, many women renounced so that they do not labor with others through God, even as
others themselves labor with them, And because of their arrogance and their love of their
bodily rest they were willing that they be barren and the Lord shut the womb of their
souls like a barren woman, and caused the counsels of the teaching to dry up in our
community like empty breasts, so that they should not again teach others, from this
moment, through God. But the Lord blessed many of our ancestors down from the beginning
until now, both men and women, because they were willing to take on labor with others
through God. in the manner of our ancient ancestors and the prophets and apostles, who
were 'father' to a great many people through God; and in the manner of Deborah, who was
judge and mother in Israel; and of Odolla (Hulda), the prophet whom Josiah, the righteous
king . . . and Anna, the daughter of Phanuuel. This is not the time for parents who have
children through God to say in their ignorance, The Lord will give eunuchs and virgins
choice rank and a reputation better than sons and daughters.'

3 Just so [it is not the time] for male monks in our community and female ones in yours,
to choose to renounce those who are entrusted to them, and to not take care of them,
saying, 'We are pleasing to God,' or, 'These people and others are not our concern.' And
in their stubbornness they insert the saying of the prophet, interpreting it according to
their heart's desire, 'and their own laziness (bodily comfort?), saying, 'The Lord will
give eunuchs and virgins the kingdom of heaven.' And so they renounce others, and do not
take care of them … [the eternal teaching] of the apostle, who said, 'Do not let [a
person] seek his own salvation, but another's,' even as he himself did not seek his own
salvation, but that of many, that they might be saved. But especially the prophet, whose
saying the ignorant interpret according to their own desires, saying, The Lord will give
eu[nuchs and virgins?] choice rank [and] a reputation better than sons and daughters,' he
himself, Isaiah, not only took on many labors for the name of God, but he died for the
sake of a great multitude of people, and indeed, for all our sakes. A father or a mother,
who have sons and daughters and grandchildren and numerous possessions and whom affairs of
life make incapable of ever [caring] for their sons and daughters and all the other things
of this age, they therefore care for sons and daughters through God and all kinds of
righteous works.

4 For it is not possible that people like these be servants to their relatives according
to the flesh, and they therefore are servants to others through God. But people who do not
have sons and daughters according to the flesh, or who have renounced those they did have,
along with their numerous material possessions, because they wished to follow according to
the worth of the calling which called them to this life, are indeed eunuchs and
virgins—and this means you, brethren, as well as everyone everywhere on the whole earth
who is celibate, either those who have not known honorable marriage and the pure bed, or
those who took a wife or husband but when they were willing, through God by the counsel of
the one who said,

ABRAHAM OUR FATHER: YA 535-40

1 that he will not take vengeance on those who kill them and whip them even as they
[drag?] them and who throw them out of the city, as happened to all [the prophets and
apostles] in the synagogues and the sanhedrin, and as was done to them by governors and
kings, with great sufferings even unto death. And so we remember the sufferings of all the
saints, and we consider how our Lord Jesus despised shame as he remained steadfast on the
cross for all our salvation, because he is our savior, he is our Lord and our father. And
also we know that the good and compassionate God supports all of us from the start of the
earth to the ends of the inhabited world, from the beginning when he created the human
being on the earth until today. And he also will support [us] in the multitude of his
mercy until the consummation of the ages, for we are his servants and he is our ruler and
our king. Therefore let us not renounce such that we do not support our companions, so
that God does not become angry with us, for because we did not delay to support our
companions as the Lord, in the way the Lord, and his Christ, and his holy angels have
supported us from the beginning of creation until today and forevermore. But let us be
servants to one another, like Jesus, who took the form of a servant for us, and like Paul,
the servant of Jesus, and like all the apostles and prophets who were servants to the Lord
and his Christ, according to the Scriptures, saying, 'I sent you my servants, the prophets
on the day at the first hour; I sent them and you did not listen.'

2 How have the prophets and the apostles been servants to the Lord and his Christ except
that they chose to labor with others and that they died for the name of Jesus? Therefore,
when the Lord Jesus realizes that our fathers, the apostles, would do anything that he
commanded them to do, he will leave them up to heaven, according to the Scriptures; and
thus they completed what he commanded them to do from the beginning, while the Lord of
glory, Jesus, was with them. Therefore he said to them, 'I will not call you my servants
from now on because the servant does not know what his master is doing. But I will call
you my brothers and my companions because I have told you all the things I have heard from
my father.' He said, 'It was not you who chose me but it was I who chose you, and I send
you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. Do not fear the people who will kill your (pl.)
body. If they persecuted me, surely they will persecute you. If they guarded my saying,
surely they will guard yours. If they called the master of the house, ‘Beelzebol,’ 'then
how much [more] will they insult a member of his household sneeringly and insultingly?'
See now, brethren, how much we are disgraced because our fathers, the prophets and
apostles, completed great sufferings in a great servitude in the midst of evil and good,
and in the midst of those who hated them and those who loved them?

3 And we ourselves, are we not ashamed to say, 'We will not take care of our brethren,'
revealing that we are unworthy of the gift of the Lord, who made us worthy to approach him
through deeds-- We are not worthy of them. Therefore let no male monks or female monks in
your community pour forth the gift of the Lord and flee from taking care of others who
were entrusted to them through God, just as others have taken care of them from the
beginning and still now there are others taking care of them in everything, either in
teaching of the Scriptures or with food and clothing and also in their sickness and
everything by which those who care for them are servants to all of them. Therefore let us
not say blasphemously, ‘Those who rule us are our masters and we are beneath them like
these servants.’ Those who rule us are not over us, but we are over them and they are
beneath us, indeed they serve us because they take care of us in everything through God.
How was it that the prophets and the apostles and all the saints from the first until now
were willing to be servants to others, so that they might receive [eternal] life, except
that they saw the Lord of glory, Jesus, take the form of a servant for our sakes?
Moreover, from the beginning, God also became a workman like a servant, he being Lord and
king, in as much as he created his angels as spirits, as it is written, and in as much as
he created the entirety out of that which did not exist; he caused everything to exist:
the heavens, and the earth and everything in them, according to the Scriptures, You
established the foundations of the earth.

4 Your manual labor is the heavens. And even as he spoke so that everything might exist,
and they all came into existence by his commandment, the days and the sheep and all the
other beasts of the field, and all the birds in the sky, and the things in the water, and
the trees that bear fruit and all the things that grow on the earth, according to the
Scriptures. And also even as God took soil from the earth, and he consulted with the
first-born child of all creation, Jesus, who existed before everything, saying, ‘Let us
create a human being according to our image and according to our likeness’, and when they
created the human being according to their image and according to their likeness,
according to the Scriptures, God breathed into him a breath of life. The human being
became as a living soul, male and female God created them, as it is written. And even as
God planted a garden in Eden, he put the person in it . . .

ABRAHAM OUR FATHER: YA 547-50

1 [lacuna of 3 folios/6 pages].... . . and in your community. So that truly we shall be
like the sons of Abraham and the sons of all our ancient ancestors, whom the Lord blessed
because they not only loved their sons and daughters of the flesh and all their relatives,
but they loved everyone who believed in God and who guarded God's commandments, and thus
their seed inherited everyone who is faithful and just, from the beginning until today and
forever. But if our ancient ancestors had disobedient and sinful children, they did not
then remounce their just children in order for them to flee from them because of the
amount of ignorance of the evil children, but they cut off the sinful children and remain
with the just children all the days of their lives. 2 Therefore just as many sinful
children cause grief to our ancient ancestors, so also many just children bring them joy;
and just as God often becomes angry so to destroy many ancient tribes on account of the
many sinful children among them, so also God often turns his anger from many ancient
tribes because of the just children among them; and just as a great number [of people]
died in their wickedness in every lawlessnes, on account of many false prophets who lived
among the many ancient tribes, praising them and deceiving them and drawing the anger of
God on them, so also a great many lived in every righteousness on account of the prophets
of the Lord God, who lived among the many ancient tribes, speaking the truth, and blaming
sinners and blessing those who do good; and just as some in the ancients tribes were the
deceivers (which means the false prophets and the deceptive priests), so also some in the
ancient tribes were prophets of the Lord, such as Moses and Joshua the prophet, and
Isaiah, Jeremaiah, Ezekial, and all the prophets who find fault with everyone who sinned
or who will sin in the presence of the Lord, and they praise everyone who did, or will do,
every righteousness.

3 But all the prophets of the Lord God and the apostles of our Lord Jesus are all from the
seed of our father Abraham, and those from Abraham were not spared when they sinned in the
presence of the God who made them, but great curses were brought upon their brethren,
their kin, as it is written in the law of Moses. And also they bless everyone who gives
glory to the Lord God by their just works, but even more greatly do they curse every false
prophet and all the priests who deceive and every anti-Christ, and all false teachers, and
everyone who did not believe in our Lord Jesus from the beginning until now. But if all
the prophets, apostles and ancients ancestors and righteous people from the beginning
until today are people who perform the truth, and speak the truth, because the truth is in
them, and thus they are upstanding in all their deeds through God. As for us, brethren,
let us perform the truth and speak the truth so that we are upstanding in all our works,
and so that we might belong to the prophets, apostles and all the saints, and we would be
worthy of God, because God is truthful, and our Lord is truthful, who said, 'I am the
truth.' Therefore let us not lie about evil deeds that we do in the darkness so that we do
not belong to Satan, in whom no truth exists, because he is a liar and he does not ever
stand fast truthfully.

4 Therefore indeed he is cursed, sowing lies and every sin among his companions, as it is
written, Whenever a liar speaks, he speaks among his companions. [??] that everyone who
sins and who lies belongs to…' [text picks up in YA 551-54]

ABRAHAM OUR FATHER YA 551-54

1 [continued from YA550] Satan. Let us not be traitors and thieves, so that we are not
like Judas about whom it was said, with the Holy Spirit's help, Let the curse descend on
him like water and oil in his bones.' Therefore let us not be deceitful in the presence of
the Lord, through any wicked deed, either a pollution or a defilement, or thieving or
lying, or hatred or bragging or hypocrisy, and vainglory. Who are the braggarts but those
who shout, and who put their noses in the air and look down at those who guide them, who
take care of them and teach them so that they might live orderly according to God's
ordinances? Who are the hypocrites but the people who live with [braggarts] and conceal
their transgressions through every wickedness? Therefore let us not be deceitful falsely,
and conceal our sins from our companions because that causes disturbances in every
community, when people sin in the presence of God for all time. But let us teach our
companions by instruction not to sin in the presence of the Lord. And if we stumble and
act wickedly through a mistake, let us share blame with our companions because that is the
strength and the foundation of every community which is pleasing to God for all time.
Indeed it is not wonderful whenever we act like the false prophets and we conceal our sins
from our companions, and God must pour his curse on us angrily and wrathfully.

2 But the wonder occurs whenever we follow the pattern set by our fathers, the prophets
and apostles and we teach our companions not to sin in the presence of God; our companions
so that we repent, so the Lord can pour his blessing on us mercifully and patiently. In
addition to it being appropriate that we write many words to you in this letter, it is
also appropriate that we are sufficient and we instruct you by God and all the sayings of
the Scripture, just as the apostle said, I instruct you by God and the saying of his grace
. . . and so I give you the inheritance with all the saints.' And now, since you wrote to
us, ‘The sister whom you appointed instead of the one who died has refused the task that
you assigned to her.’ I want you to tell me why she refused the post that was assigned.
Because if I know that she refused because she was not capable of bearing up under the
task appointed to her, then she can stay peacefully in the rank where she was before. But
if it's the case that she refused argumentatively and ignorantly and she lied in the
presence of the Lord, saying, 'I refuse because I am not capable of doing this task.' And
after some days or after some time should we find out, then you know what it is you shall
do to her because she did not inform us that she had been abused administratively or
anyway in which she had been humiliated.

3 Finally, if we find out that she did not tell the truth because others prevented her, it
shall not be hidden from you how we shall punish them. For both they and she have made a
covenant with falsehood, on the advice of Satan. After all this, behold, I will send the
male elder to you so that you can remember God, and pity yourselves, female monks in your
community and male monks in ours, and you tell us all the disturbances that happen in your
community so that we can be free from pain, we and you

ABRAHAM OUR FATHER: ZH FRAGMENTS 1A-D

1 But people who do not have sons and daughters according to the flesh, or who have
renounced those they did have, along with their numerous material possessions, because
they wished to follow according to the worth of the calling, which called them to this
life are indeed eunuchs and virgins—and this means you, brethren, as well as everyone
everywhere on the whole earth who is celibate, either those who have not known honorable
marriage and the pure bed, or those who took a wife or husband but when they were willing
through God by the counsel of the one who said, ‘Let whoever can receive, receive.’ They
renounced honorable marriage, and the pure bed, and they renounced their sons, their
daughters, their siblings, their parents and everything they had, remembering the word of
the Lord, 'The one who follows me must hate his father and his mother, his children, his
brothers and sisters and even also his own soul.' (Lk. 14:26) These in this way are those
who are capable of being disciples of the Lord, according to the Scriptures.

2 And these people are the eunuchs, who do not have children according to the flesh. But
they instead are fathers to many children of God, because, since they do not have
children, or renounced all those they did have along with all their material possessions,
they 'took their cross and followed the Lord.' And such are our holy ancestors, the
prophets and the apostles, who truly were 'eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God,'
and as a result they were fathers to many people, according to the saying of the Lord,
Everyone who renounces household, or brother or sister, or father or mother, or wife, or
son or daughter, or community, he will receive them back manifold and will inherit eternal
life.' Therefore, brethren, do not let each one of us be a burden to our neighbor due to
the alienation which exists among us and by it we are divided in our hearts towards our
companions so that we, by our thoughts which only seem wise to ourselves alone (Isa 5:21),
are forced to not take care of our companions. But as fellow-laborers of God, Let each one
of us support our neighbor, either senior or junior in rank, and let us love living with
our companions peacefully, without sin or deceit, just as God and his angels live in
heaven. [Who] are the children of wise men who will not wish to do the work which their
righteous father did?

3 Which wise brother will not follow the pattern of their faithful brethren who are
superior in rank to them? This means: which wise people will not wish to do the works
which their father who is in heaven did; who is God and our Lord Jesus? Moreover, they
follow the pattern of the angels of the Lord and the pattern of the prophets and the
pattern of Paul, and all the apostles who said, Follow our pattern, our ordinance, our
faith, our patience, our love, our endurance, our persecutions, our labors.' Then also,
'We gave ourselves to you as a pattern [to follow].' And also, “Receive, my brethren, the
pattern of the labor and patience of the prophets.” Again, You will make yourself a
pattern in everything.' Then also, 'The elder women of this sort are a holy pattern.' And
most especially the Scriptures teach us about our Lord Jesus, that he is the one who set
for you a pattern so that you might follow his lead. What is the work of God and our Lord
Jesus except the work of his hands? It was his hands that formed us and created us.
Therefore, according to the Scriptures, God and our Lord Jesus work to save all humanity
up to now, according to the saying of the apostle, The one who works for us is God.' What
is the pattern of the angels in heaven, except every day to complete their glorious deeds,
blessing and praising God and our Lord Jesus, and so to complete all the duties for those
on earth so that they will inherit salvation?

4 What is the pattern of the prophets and apostles except to choose to suffer with others
even unto death? And in all these things they give thanks to the Lord, blessing those who
curse them, praying for those who persecute them, and praying to God that he will not take
vengeance on those who kill them and whip them even as they [drag?] them and who throw
them out of the city, as happened to all [the prophets and apostles] in the synagogues and
the sanhedrin, and as was done to them by governors and kings, with great sufferings even
unto death. And so we remember…


SOURCES AND CREDITS
===================

Where each text comes from, and the licence under which it may be reused.

APOPHTHEGMATA PATRUM: SAYINGS OF THE DESERT FATHERS (SAHIDIC COPTIC) The Coptic text was
edited and translated by the Coptic SCRIPTORIUM project and is published in its open
corpora (https://github.com/CopticScriptorium/corpora). English translation credited in
the corpus to: Christine Luckritz Marquis, Amir Zeldes, Tobias Paul, Paul Lufter, Marina
Ghaly, Saskia Franck, Alexander Turtureanu, Elizabeth Platte, Hayley Curtis, Duncan
Feiges, Caroline T. Schroeder, Elizabeth Davidson, Dana Robinson, Lydia Bremer-McCollum,
Nicholas Wagner, Adeline Harrington, Christine Ayad, Laura Slaughter, Mitchell Abrams,
Philippe Zaher. SermonIndex has joined the project’s sentence-by-sentence translations
into paragraphs, divided them into short sections and numbered them; the wording is the
translators’ own. Square brackets and dots mark damaged or missing places in the
manuscript. The Coptic text itself is not shown here; documents of the corpus that have no
named English translation are not included. Licence. These translations are licensed
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 . You may copy and reuse them if you credit the
translators and the Coptic SCRIPTORIUM project. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

THE PARADISE OF THE HOLY FATHERS, VOLUME 2 English translation by E. A. Wallis Budge, from
The Paradise, or Garden of the Holy Fathers , translated from the Syriac by E. A. Wallis
Budge, volume 2 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1907); public domain. The text was read by
machine (Mistral OCR) from a scan of the 1907 edition at the Internet Archive and has not
been proofread against the printed book. SermonIndex has removed running heads and page
numbers, joined words split across lines, and divided the text into chapters and short
sections; the wording is the translator’s own. Footnotes and the editor’s introduction are
left out. No original-language text is shown beside it, and no modern English version has
been made. Licence. The translation was published in 1907 and is in the public domain.
Licence: Public domain.

THE HISTORIES OF THE MONKS OF EGYPT (SYRIAC VERSION) English translation by E. A. Wallis
Budge, from The Paradise, or Garden of the Holy Fathers , translated from the Syriac by E.
A. Wallis Budge, volume 1 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1907); public domain. The text was
read by machine (Mistral OCR) from a scan of the 1907 edition from the University of
Toronto library at the Internet Archive and has not been proofread against the printed
book. SermonIndex has removed running heads and page numbers, joined words split across
lines, and divided the text into chapters and short sections; the wording is the
translator’s own. Footnotes and the editor’s introduction are left out. No original-
language text is shown beside it, and no modern English version has been made. Licence.
The translation was published in 1907 and is in the public domain. Licence: Public domain.

THE HISTORY OF THE MONKS OF TABENNA (ASKETIKON) English translation by E. A. Wallis Budge,
from The Paradise, or Garden of the Holy Fathers , translated from the Syriac by E. A.
Wallis Budge, volume 1 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1907); public domain. The text was read
by machine (Mistral OCR) from a scan of the 1907 edition from the University of Toronto
library at the Internet Archive and has not been proofread against the printed book.
SermonIndex has removed running heads and page numbers, joined words split across lines,
and divided the text into chapters and short sections; the wording is the translator’s
own. Footnotes and the editor’s introduction are left out. No original-language text is
shown beside it, and no modern English version has been made. Licence. The translation was
published in 1907 and is in the public domain. Licence: Public domain.

SELECTED WORKS OF SHENOUTE The Coptic text was edited and translated by the Coptic
SCRIPTORIUM project and is published in its open corpora
(https://github.com/CopticScriptorium/corpora). English translation credited in the corpus
to: Amir Zeldes, Anthony Alcock, Caroline T. Schroeder, Rebecca Krawiec, Heike Behlmer.
SermonIndex has joined the project’s sentence-by-sentence translations into paragraphs,
divided them into short sections and numbered them; the wording is the translators’ own.
Square brackets and dots mark damaged or missing places in the manuscript. The Coptic text
itself is not shown here; documents of the corpus that have no named English translation
are not included. Licence. These translations are licensed Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 . You may copy and reuse them if you credit the translators and the Coptic SCRIPTORIUM
project. Licence: CC BY 4.0.