George the Monk

[Of the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, in the year 5515, in the 43rd year of Augustus Caesar, in Bethlehem of Judea, on the 8th day before the Calends of January according to the Romans, that is, December 25th. He was baptized at 30 years of age, in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, on the day before the Ides of January according to the Romans, that is, January 6th. One must know that the city of Bethlehem brought Him forth according to the flesh, the city of Nazareth reared Him, and the city of Capernaum brought Him to full manhood and held Him for 30 years. The description of His appearance was as follows: The magnitude of His stature was that of a just man, neither exceeding the measure nor falling short in the opposite way, absolutely unencumbered as to His flesh; ^B He had great hair, and all the locks were curly, that is, He had twisted hair; He was unshorn, having endless hair, that is, uncut; He parted His locks in two over the forehead, had a sharp nose, was somewhat tawny, with black pupils of the eyes, long fingers, and a moderate mustache—or lip-beard—not allowing this to grow long, but being venerable in its becoming turn. And after 30 years, having chosen disciples and having preached for three years the divine and holy Gospel, then at last He was voluntarily crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, in the 19th year of Tiberius Caesar, on the 10th day before the Calends of April according to the Romans, that is, March 23rd, on the 6th day of the week. And having risen early on the [10th day before the] Calends of April, that is, March 25th, on the 1st day of the week, He was again assumed to where He had descended, on the 3rd of May, on the 5th day of the week.]

UNCERTAIN YEAR

GEORGIDES MONACHUS

EDITOR'S ADMONITION

Georgides, an author of uncertain age, whom one might perhaps conjecture to have written in the 10th or 11th century, can serve as an example of that genre of writing which flourished in the Middle Ages, both in the East and in the West, in the culling of the writings of the Fathers. Furthermore, because the fragments extracted are inscribed with their author's name, they might perhaps serve at some time to identify those authors whose writings lie anonymous in manuscript codices. Cardinal Angelo Mai produced several fragments of Georgides’ book as a specimen; we are publishing the entire book after D. Boissonade.

GNOMOLOGIUM. SENTENCES COLLECTED BY JOHN THE MONK, WHO IS ALSO GEORGIDES.

^A Beholding the beauty of these things written here, Conspicuous, wondrous, full of doctrine, Gladly receive them and use them of your own accord. For the law teaches that the mind prospers when it is directed by good things, And nature teaches this before the law; Whence it is fitting to grasp these things here, Like honey, as food sweet in a wondrous way.

Saint Basil. — Death is the best gift to man; for it frees him from the evils he was bound to commit. ^B

Envy is to be reckoned as nothing by a good man. It is impossible for human nature not to have something from which it suffers, small or great. Idleness is the beginning of vice. Profit from a useless mind is a fault. The depraved judgment of the mob has conferred power upon the worst.

Virtue preserves the principle of health, but vice is a disease of the mind. Health, indeed, is a good composition of the faculties of nature. Fortitude and wisdom, justice and prudence are more precious to the mind than health is to the body.

^A Foolish is he who looks at another's fault, but does not consider his own defect. The obstinate person speaks without reflection. Every guilty person is incapable of advocating his own cause. The mind languishes and often labors under listlessness from the forgetfulness of the presence of God, "who searches the loins and hearts." The desire for better things, when it possesses the things desired and enjoys them, compels one to despise and avoid lesser things.

The work of obstinacy is contradiction. Every evil person stirs up contradictions, but the Lord shall send a merciless angel against him.

^B Intemperance is that which has no mastery over the passions that disturb it. Bodily afflictions and external distresses are related to the prevention of sin: "I have afflicted you," he says, "and oppressed you with hunger, that I might do you good before your iniquity is poured out to an immeasurable degree."

The evil wills of women submerge the weak minds of their husbands. It is characteristic of an imbecile mind, and one possessing no strength from hope in God, to be greatly cast down and shaken by afflictions. Sin is a disease of the soul; it is the death of the immortal soul. Many who are possessed by ancient habit do not discern the foulness of their actions.

^C It is impossible for some disturbance not to arise in the human mind from temptations. Since, therefore, we commit small and light sins, just as plants are moved by a gentle breeze, we are stirred in a quiet way; but when sins are more numerous and greater, in accordance with the growth of the sins, the agitation is naturally destined to intensify.

The unsociable and avaricious man is delivered to the fire before all other sinners. It is the character of a holy man to pass through this life, but to hasten toward the other. Therefore David says: "I am a sojourner before you, and a stranger, as were all my fathers before God."

Luxurious wine is a mocker, and drunkenness is boisterous. Bodily enjoyments have more of pain than of pleasure: ^D marriages have sterility, widowhood, and infidelities; agriculture has infertility; merchandise has shipwrecks; riches have snares; delights, drunkenness, and continuous pleasures have multiple diseases and multiform sorrows.

^A Vigorous health to the extreme is perilous; it is subject to reversals and transitions, as nature falters, unable to sustain the burden of such well-being. The beginning of the impulse toward virtue is the cessation of evil. Gregory the Theologian. — The commandments of God look to nothing else but the salvation of one who obeys them. Virtue is a masterless thing and voluntary; for what is constrained and imposed by force cannot be virtue. Without prudence, none of one’s duties can be well performed. It is a thing worthy of love, which needs no association with another, but bears within itself the finest qualities. It is better to trust in veins and letters written on water than in the favor of men. For what reason? I believe it is so that, seeing the instability and inconstancy in these things, we may rather run back to God and to the future life, and take some thought for ourselves, considering the brevity of shadows and dreams. Whatever a man persuades himself is to be feared, that he suffers, even if he does not suffer it; and he is tortured more by his own self than by those who inflict it. Some of the friends of God live happily, while others, no whit worse, suffer bitter things: who knows the reasons for this, save Thee, O Word? A better hope has separated male and female; but nature has a hidden disease within. ^B It is better that God administers our affairs than that we should foresee them ourselves. Would that wickedness might perish, and its first origin, and the evil one who sows the tares while we sleep, so that the beginning of evil becomes the neglect of the good. For it touches not only the many, but also the best of men. ^{C D}

^A For simple-mindedness is the only thing that is entirely unassailable and invulnerable to the passions, so that it alone belongs to God.

Contumely does not touch him who has trained himself through humility.

Store up for the age that is beyond the end; for this present age fails even before the end.

Between two friends, truth is the more friendly.

[S] Chrysostom. — Calamities stir even the wise man to utter some word unworthy of his character.

Those diabolical harlots know the wise through the habit of their manner of life, and avoid them.

It is impossible for one who has accustomed his mouth to swear not to commit perjury frequently.

Every word supported by the aid of deeds is strong and firm; but every voice stripped of the testimony of actions is a sound that is fleeting, cast from the lips into the air.

Honors benefit the worthy, but they cast those who enjoy them without merit into greater punishment.

John Climacus. — A vigilant eye cleanses the mind; but an abundance of sleep makes the soul callous.

An ungrateful and deceitful friend is flesh, and when it is pampered, it does more harm.

A man ^C haughty of heart desires to rule; otherwise, as happens, he cannot perish at the end, or rather, he does not even wish to.

Simplicity is a habit of the soul that becomes invariable against perversity.

One cannot see simplicity separated from humility.

Love and humility are a holy union; for the former exalts, and the latter never ceases to restrain those who have been exalted.

The air, when cleansed of clouds, reveals the bright sun, and the soul, when deemed worthy of the remission of preconceptions, has seen the divine light in every way.

It is shameful for one who has heard a useful word not to learn it, and not to receive some good thing that is given by those who are kind.

^A Of Gregory the Theologian. — A timely rest is necessary for the health of the body. To do good to an ungrateful person is to be reckoned the same as anointing a corpse. Of Plato. — Without prudence it is not permitted to live well and justly; for where this is missing, life is not worth living. Verses of George of Pisidia: For always, as is fitting, calamities, Irritated by fresh troubles, Bring forth an impulse stronger than any counsel, Especially when, according to their nature, They add stimulus to a more fierce audacity. Those who depart this life have said farewell To sorrows, cares, and tribulations. The uncoordinated is the corruptor of the heart, The awakener of darkness, that first serpent, Which from without introduces pleasures within And sows base thoughts in the heart for the generation of sin.

The chorus of angels exults Because of man turned from wickedness. No man is without faults. Of Babrius. — He who proffers lies against another becomes the craftsman of evils. You will accomplish something more by persuasion than by acting with force. To live without danger in a modest state is better than in a splendid one. ^C Circumstances often happen to bring to light things worthy of silence, even contrary to expectation. Favors which hasten to be given at the first opportune moment are found to be great. It is not only present evils that are accustomed to afflict and grieve men, but already the expectation of future ones as well. Of Aristotle. — Being a man myself, I judge it foolish to reproach a person for their fortune; for if

one supposes that he is excellent and has virtue, he does not know if it will remain with him until evening; how, then, should one speak of this or reproach others?

Of Aesop:

Of Solomon, about not trusting inopportunely: A double-tongued man reveals secrets in a council; but a faithful one covers matters with his breath.

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting. ^A

An injurious man stirs up quarrels; but he who guards his mouth and his tongue will keep his soul from distress.

A man in impiety easily slanders.

A thief is better than one accustomed to lying.

When the impious fall, the just shall be fearful.

A man in labors works for himself and drives away his own destruction. The deceitful man, however, bears destruction in his own mouth.

An unwise man digs up evils for himself, and treasures up fire on his lips.

A versatile tongue will fall into evils, but the pain of the unwise man is set over it. ^B

An unrighteous man provokes friends, and leads them into paths that are not good.

An unwise man proclaims his anger immediately, but the crafty man treasures it up.

A humble answer turns away wrath.

He who is silent pacifies contradiction; he who loves his life spares his mouth.

If you see a man quick in speech, know that the unwise man has more hope than he.

The dying just man ceases to repent.

A crafty man is void of understanding.

Unpleasant things, when eaten with pain, are most sweet; for that which is prepared without sweat and provided readily is wont to be despised. ^C

Of Menander:

To speak beyond measure is the boldness of the tongue.

An evil man practices gentle speech; for he has his words like snares. ^D

^A A man of crooked ways has no friendships, for he loves to live in deceit and bites the soul. Flee the conversation of a crafty man; for he pours out poison and devours hearts. A prudent man does not have many words; for it is uncouth to speak superfluously. It is shameful for a man to depend in any part on one who is worse.

Having done shameful deeds, be castigated; but if you have done good, rejoice. ^B It is the way of wise men, unless they are unjustly punished, to keep quiet; but for the good, if they suffer injustice, it is their way to leave peace for the sake of waging war, and if things go well, to enter into a treaty again after the war; and neither to be puffed up by their success in war, nor to tolerate injustices while enjoying the quiet of peace. For he who is sluggish out of desire for pleasure is quickly deprived of the very sweetness of leisure for which he is sluggish, if he has remained quiet; and he who is puffed up by success in war does not perceive that he is inflated by an untrustworthy audacity.

Which things, since they are grave for you, are in every way so for us also; for we make all things common with our friends, whether they go well or otherwise; which is also the law of friendship.

13. Confidently say that he is engaged in philosophizing in leisure, caring only as much about those who are doing him injury as he would about those if they existed whom he does not know.

They who are bound to the world are in anguish much more than those who serve God; but these have no reward for their anguish, whereas our pain will have a reward if we endure it for God’s sake. ^C

Leisure without action is more noble than glory in vain deeds.

As soon as power has gained strength, it considers nothing more fitting than its own utility.

The beginning of practicing good things consists in the flight from evil things, for "Decline from evil," says the Psalmist, "and do good."

The splendors of the world manifest in themselves the lives of those who are observed.

Bodily pleasures have more agony than pleasure.

Of Saint Basil. — Violent discipline is not wont to last; but those things which insinuate themselves with pleasantness and grace remain in the soul for a longer time. ^D

Life is but one day to those who labor with love. ^A

14 Of those who are willing, not of those who are coerced, such is the mystery of salvation. It is better to be corrected and cleansed here, than to be sent off to punishment there, where it is a time of torment, not of purification. An earthly habitation weighs down a mind that is full of cares. [A life] is brought quickly into suspicion of evil toward which it is hard to move toward wickedness. It is better to have freedom from danger in speech that is not according to pleasure. No one has ever been illustrious without life; although many have sounded well who were speakers; for the grace is not in those who speak, but in those who live well. ^B It is better to hear a word of exhortation than to recount impossibilities. Proverbs. — A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but the folly of a foolish man is heavier than both. A dart fixed in the thigh of the flesh, thus is a word in the stomach of a fool. Good counsel will keep you, and holy thought will preserve you, that it may rescue you from an evil way and from a man who speaks no truth. Do not seek things that are deeper than you, and do not examine things that are stronger than you. Think on those things that have been commanded to you; for you have no need of hidden things. ^C John. — Run through a mutable life with caution; for it provides many pitfalls, as you know. Do not be sluggish toward doing good; for sluggishness has repentance. Life is a pit and a snare to many. A man finishing an obscure life cannot be well occupied with many cares. Of Basil. — Any life that is with the body is more burdensome than every torment and every prison for him who hastens toward the life above. Barbarian friendship, and barbarian kindness. Food and drink are supports for human weakness. The sumptuousness of foods delights the throat, but it feeds a worm of intemperance that never sleeps. ^D Of Chrysostom. — Envy of worthlessness obscures good things.

^A To force someone to become good does not prove that he is good. It is better to endure evils as they happen than to seek a solution for them; for the one removes pain, whereas the other denotes weakness. The judgment of many is heavy and grievous; but the judgment of God is just and full of loving-kindness. The span of life, while expected, is long, but what has passed is lighter than a dream and a shadow. Charicleia. — An eye so bright, and a countenance at once beautiful and lovely, bears the mark of nobility. Arist. — One will wish more than one can achieve. Sirach. — A prudent king is the stability of a people. ^B These things are grievous to a man of prudence: the upbraiding of his house and the reproach of the lender. Humility is the loathing of pride; so also is the poor man the loathing of the rich. Of Menander. Be steadfast, and associate with steadfast friends. A steadfast life, frugality in living; For earthly splendor, reaching its end, Is a phantom and a dream. Of Babrius. The life of every insatiable man is unstable. It is consumed by the hope of vain things. It is better for us to live securely in moderation, ^C than to throw ourselves into dangers by seeking pleasures. The present life is full of grief, cares, and useless anxieties; but the age to come is a seat of glory, joy, peace, and inexhaustible pleasure for those who have been found worthy—namely, the friends of Christ. Of Philo. — The company of the foolish is harmful, and the mind most often, against its will, reflects the likeness of their madness. Of Isocrates. — Be slow to make a friend, but having made one, try to remain; for likewise it is shameful to have no friend and to be always changing one's companions. To one who is deliberating, let the past be a pattern for the future; ^D

for that which is obscure is quickly rendered manifest by that which is known.

^A Aesop. — Deliberate indeed slowly, but promptly execute what has been resolved. Mortal wickedness not wild beasts, But men will conquer, being far more evil.

Georgius: The impious man who keeps a mindful anger against his neighbor, For he loves destruction, not immortality. Self-love brings forth garrulity with itself.

Proclus. — A narrative is burdensome to a distracted mind, [which is] more concerned with some weighty matter. Since the present life is short and has many vain cares, it is better to seek the future life, which is free from care, grief, and tears.

Walk on the obscure path of this life with an upright foot, lest night overtake you. It is the mark of a steadfast man to serve the houses of simple folk rather than those who possess the splendid luster of life.

Sextus. — Knowledge of God makes a man brief in his speech.

Nilus. — A tranquil life is more precious than many riches. I choose the best life; for habit will make it pleasant. Deliberate before you say or do anything; for you will not have the power to recall what has been said or done.

^C Cyrillus. — Virtue is not commonly accessible to all, but to very few and those entirely select.

Athanasius. — It is better, when in doubt, to act and believe, than to be an unbeliever because of doubt.

Paralipomenon [Chronicles]. — An abomination to a king is he who does evil; for the throne of authority is confirmed by justice. The throne of a king judging the poor in truth shall be established as a testimony. Born a man, he is immediately allotted labors, but dying, he is released from the troublesome bonds of life, from cares and anxieties, and from sorrow. It is more just to lament birth than death. ^D

^A For death is the beginning of tears, while death frees one from various temptations and sudden, unexpected evils.

Behold the circle of life rolling in disorder; but beware of the pit into which it rolls those who sleep within it.

— Of John of the Ladder. ^B Every genus desires its own kin: the horse, a mare; the ass, a she-ass; the ox, a cow; and man, a woman. And if one wishes to be prudent, he mocks the impulses of the flesh with certain strategies. ^C

The sweetness of heavenly things, which is acquired with much labor and sweat, can perish in a single moment of time.

A serene eye indicates the placidity of the soul.

The offspring of thoughts is weeping, but the father of thought is the rational mind.

Let your reclining upon your bed be to you an image of your reclining in the tomb, and you will sleep less. And let this enjoyment of the table be to you a commemoration of that painful table of those worms, and you will eat less.

Gifts are of the will, not of necessity.

The offspring of iron and stone is fire; the offspring of talkativeness and jesting is a lie.

Gluttony is accustomed to beget deep channels of unspeakable and unknown impurities.

For the farmer, watchful diligence gathers wealth on the threshing floor and in the winepress.

The rich laugh at the habits of the poor; ^D for they see their tattered rags, not their boldness.

Untimely laughter is born sometimes from the demon of lust, sometimes from vainglory—when someone inwardly prides himself indecently—and sometimes from indulgence.

The mother of gluttony is lust, and of acedia it is vainglory.

The mother of all evils is pleasure and wickedness; he who possesses them shall not see the Lord. And the absence of the former will profit us nothing, unless the latter is also absent.

The surfeit of gluttony: prudence. But he who is good...

guards his tongue, as one who loves his own soul; and he who uses adulation deceives the heart of the good man, and makes him blessed, while leading him into error.

He who is a partaker of true knowledge, and has tasted the sweetness of God, ought never to judge, nor to stir up lawsuits at all, even if those things with which he was clothed are snatched away. For the justice of the princes of this world is rather, as it were, nothing compared to the justice of God. ^A

The father of wisdom is the fear of the Lord; he who fears the Lord will not dread the multitude.

The cause of many sorrows, and the corruption of the fruits of virtue, is wont to be the liberty of speaking.

Patience makes a man quiet and tranquil.

The flattery of a woman is the hissing of a serpent.

Man is nothing but a flowing race; for he lives by death, having a life that is not durable.

*Of Lucian:* I entered the earth naked, and naked I shall go under the earth. ^B And why do I labor in vain, seeing a naked end?

*Of Theognis:* A man possesses no more beautiful treasure than a good woman.

*Of Solomon:* A double tongue has stirred up many, and he who obeys it shall not find rest.

Do not contend with a man of many tongues, and do not heap wood upon his fire.

The tongue of the wise understands good things; for the healing of the tongue is the tree of life.

A lying tongue hates truth.

Foolish laughter is in the delights of sin, and the unwise man lifts up his voice in laughter; but the prudent man ^C will smile only slightly and silently.

Venerable old age is not that which is long-lasting, nor is it computed by the number of years; for gray hair is prudence for men, and the age of old age is a life without stain.

The sleep of the servant is sweet, whether he eats little or much.

A foolish and bold woman becomes wanting in bread, she who knows not shame.

*Of Basil:* The gymnasium of humility is a life lived in the most common affairs.

If you wish to submit to womanly desires, you do not wish to study virtue. ^D

It is fitting and according to nature for women to fast, even as it is for them to breathe.

^A Of Photius: All these things are laughter and an empty race.

Of Gregory: A belly enjoying moderate nourishment will easily govern the passions.

Sirach: The knowledge of a fool is unintelligible words. A good woman is a good portion, and she shall be given in the portion of those who fear the Lord.

Be gentle in answering a word, that you may understand.

Blessed is the husband of a good woman.

A brave woman gladdens her husband, and she will fulfill the years of his life in peace.

Of Democritus: Nature has given one tongue to men, but two ears, so that we may hear twice as much as we speak from others.

Old age and poverty are two wounds difficult to heal.

Democritus said that ignorant nobles are like an alabaster flask containing vinegar.

Honors and wealth without prudence are not safe possessions.

A wise man is saved from the heat.

A perverse heart fashions evils.

It is an honor for a man to separate himself from strifes; but a fool involves himself in them.

Guile is in the heart of him who fashions evil.

Two things I ask of God before I die: remove far from me vanity and lying; for lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.

The righteous delight in wealth for many years; but the unrighteous perish quickly.

^C Of Isocrates: Test friends by the good fortune of their life and by their partnership in perils. For we test gold in the fire, but we recognize friends in misfortunes. Thus you will make the best use of friends, if you do not wait for requests from them, but offer help spontaneously in their times of need.

^A You should have two rules for speaking: either about things you know, or about things that are necessary to say. For in these cases alone is speech better than silence; in other cases, it is better to be silent than to speak.

It is necessary to know this, that we should learn what is best from the poets, and from other philosophers, if they have said anything useful, and read it; for just as we see the bee settling on every plant, so also those who are eager for instruction should leave nothing unexamined, and should gather useful things from everywhere. For with difficulty would someone gain mastery over the flaws of nature with such care.

You must not remember injuries; for the wicked man prepares wounds for himself.

One must not be grave in laughing, nor be dissolved into laughter in serious matters; for what is untimely is everywhere tiresome.

Diagoras, seeing an envious man grieving, said: ^B "Either a great evil has happened to him, or a great good to another."

I believe that two beauties wander among men, the heavenly and the common; but the heavenly, feeling aggrieved at being bound to mortal beauty, seeks to flee quickly to heaven; whereas the common is cast downwards and lingers about the bodies.

A manifold snare is the fraud of malice, by which he who is partially caught is totally entangled.

It is difficult, or even impossible, to find goodness in a sordid life.

It is difficult to root out error, where it has persisted for a long time.

The sight of a just man strengthens a weak mind.

To judge in general, ^C or to stir up lawsuits, is not good for one who aspires to immortality.

The support of demons is pride.

An inhuman judge is an adversary to God; and the root of blasphemy is pride.

Give your belly satisfying and well-cooked food, so that through satiation we may turn away its insatiable appetite, and through rapid digestion we may be freed from its burning as if from a whip.

Whoever can be exalted and flees from exaltation, proves himself a friend of wisdom and of God.

^A Nothing is so adapted to dissolve charity as openness of speech and the cultivation of hatred.

A perverse mind suffices unto its own destruction.

Demons fear meditation, just as hares fear dogs.

Every life of man is filled with tears, groans, and grief, even if he has pursued and possesses all the good things of the earth.

He who perpetually fears death avoids all iniquity just as he avoids the venom of a serpent.

28 Of Aesop. Often a poorly-composed countenance indicates The sinister state of a perverse mind. Even to the wicked, prey is given. To him who has been made a servant, O servant, fear to serve For the bull forgets the yoke when he has rested.

Of Chrysostom. — We ought not only to contemplate the things which are pleasing to God, but also to manifest good ^B impulses through our actions.

Nothing human is to be feared, neither poverty, nor disease, nor injury, nor loss, nor humiliation, nor death; but what is to be feared is sin.

While you are listening, do not vituperate anyone; listen first, and then correct. Before you hear, do not answer; and do not interject a word in the middle of a speech, because death and life are in the power of the tongue.

The powerful have great abundance to do injustice to the powerless, just as fish in the sea provide themselves food from those that are smaller. ^C

Human glory and riches dwell in the dust, and their splendor is extinguished; but the glory of virtue remains forever.

29 The diminution of a gift is the weakness of the giver.

Always think of eternal glory; for the present [glory] lies every day.

To carry water in a net or to wash a brick is easier than to remove wickedness which has been settled for a long time in the mind of man.

To discern expertly between the good and the bad belongs to a perfected faculty and to the most subtle senses.

To God who provides good things, acknowledge the grace ^D

of God in your affairs, and do not chafe if you are troubled. ^A It is better that He provides for our affairs than that we ourselves do. Cruel are dragons, and cunning are asps; The strength of woman is twofold among wild beasts. It is grievous to consult too late, and then to perceive what is for one's safety. Human nature receives the good with difficulty, like wood that is too damp receives fire. Most are ready and fit to receive evil. One must be swift to move from the worse to the better, but immovable to move from the better to the worse. Every rogue is a slave to me; whosoever is good is free.

^B Basil. — The human race is led toward virtue with difficulty, because it is often inclined toward pleasure. The type of enmity known as envy is most intractable; for while benefits otherwise soften those who are hostile, they merely incite the envious and those addicted to vice even more. Consider that you have two daughters: worldly happiness and life in heaven. If you do not wish to grant everything to the lesser, divide equally between the undisciplined daughter and the wise one; do not show this present life as more wealthy, while leaving the other naked or clothed in rags. It is the part of a just judge not to assign equal punishments for equal crimes; but as for him who is the first author of evil, one must increase the payment of his debts, if he is to become better through punishments ^C and make others more prudent by his example. The increase of wealth is the care of the needy. To be able to do good and not to do it is by no means praiseworthy; for this is the mark of an envious or lazy person. Evagrius. — It is grievous for one who does small things to have great notions. One must do good even to the wicked, not because they are wicked, but because they are human by nature. One must obey those who sin through oral exhortations, lest they one day be tortured by the pains that are inflicted through deeds. One must not ask good things from a wicked man; but if asked, he will rather provide bad things of his own accord. One must not give oneself over entirely to pleasures, because a bitter end follows them. One must foresee ^D the ends of things, and thus undertake their management.

GNOMOLOGIUM

Tobias. — In idleness there is much loss; idleness is the mother of famine, and the sister of theft. ^A

Babrius. — No word shall have the power to restrain one accustomed to serve his desires from always doing those things which tend to pleasure.

Basil. — In evil quarrels, he who conquers is the more depraved; for he departs having the greater sin.

Custom confirmed over a long period of time assumes the force of nature.

The separation of custom is unbearable even to the brute animals.

It is proper that, just as we recognize gold and precious stones by sight, so too good men should be recognized of themselves, and there should be no need for longer trials. ^B

Direct your petitions to your friends at an opportune time, avoiding appearing troublesome.

When you are in this serenity of life, expect some time the storms of affairs; for sickness will come, poverty will come, and the wind does not always blow into the stern.

Impiety is the inventress of evils, and greatly daring in action.

Gregory. — Wickedness is easily captured and falls into itself from every side.

Everything that tends to pleasure is liable to fraud.

There is for men one good and steadfast thing: celestial hope. ^C

It is easy for the wicked to adopt guises for fraud.

In the case of involuntary misfortunes, it is more fitting to pity than to reproach the unfortunate.

Isocrates. — Worship God, not only by adoring Him, but also by remaining steadfast in faith. For the former is a sign of an abundance of wealth, but the latter is a token of uprightness of character.

Accustom yourself not to be sullen, but thoughtful; for by the former you will appear arrogant, but by the latter wise.

Avoid accusations, even if they be false; for the many are ignorant of the truth, and look only to the appearance. ^D

^A If you are fond of learning, you will be learned; if you know something, keep it by study; if you have not learned something, acquire it by knowledge. For it is likewise shameful to hear a useful word and not learn it, and not to accept the good which is given by friends.

Happiness without reason provokes works of insolence.

Exercise temperance 34 regarding these: gain, anger, pleasure, grief. Let your character be such that, if you think there are gains by which you will win approval, you do not use those by which you will not; and in regard to anger, treat those who sin in the same way you would wish others to treat you, ^B if you were to suspect that you had acted disgracefully before your servants; serve in pleasures; and in grief, if you have looked upon the misfortunes of others, remember rather that you are human.

Credulity is thoughtlessness.

Be seemly in your own attire, but not fastidious. For seemliness is a matter of propriety, whereas fastidiousness is one of affectation.

Nyssen. — The active mind has been granted to us by the Creator. When, therefore, we do not provide it with useful work, it itself takes up harmful work.

Philo. — From much speaking, perjury arises. ^C

John of Damascus. — Unless the flames of the flesh are extinguished by the dew of God, it is impossible for a man to preserve purity.

Chrysostom. — God has prepared for us a laborious and burdensome life, so that, squeezed by the distresses here, we may conceive a desire for the things to come.

In the day of tranquility, remember temptation, for our life has many vicissitudes.

It is the custom of those who love to think more highly of those things which they have been able to endure for the sake of the beloved, than of the benefits they receive.

Each of our life’s tasks provides some loss, and is unable to offer a durable pleasure.

Envy no one who makes profit out of injustice, but rather support those who suffer loss with justice. For the just, if they excel the unjust in nothing else, at least surpass them exceedingly in their hope. ^D

Solomon. — It is not good for a just man to suffer loss.

^A A deceitful balance is an abomination before the Lord, but a just weight is acceptable to Him.

Living frugally is better than enjoying luxuries; for luxuries are the cause of sorrows. You will sustain life eating only an onion. The life of man abounds with tumult, groaning, and cares; It drives the passionate man to a harbor of confusion.

Aesop. — Consider leisure and rest to be a loss, and strive to do something of those things for which an account will be required of us. ^B When disadvantage is plainly present in all things, if you should receive even the smallest portion, consider it good fortune.

Theophylact. — We who live for a short time are splendid with a superficial adornment, but when we are dead, we are stripped by them of those things which are not our own. Despise, therefore, wealth and the body, and value the immortal thing, the soul. For this is unfailing and immortal, but mortal things are ours only for a short time.

John. — The living are seen by the living, but the dead are invisible to the living.

Aristippus. — It is better to live lying on a pallet and be confident, than to possess wealth and be suffocated by cares.

Chrysostom. — Whoever lives in virtue and falls into tribulations has double the profit; but whoever lives in wickedness and revels in pleasures will suffer double the punishment.

We must praise and honor good men while living, ^C but bless them when they have died. He who seeks to obtain things above, despise things below—wealth, pleasure, glory—as things that quickly perish. He who lives in wickedness is tormented before hell, being pricked by the stings of conscience.

The Theologian. — The profit of this present life is this: to be guided through the tumult of visible and agitated things to those which are durable and never agitated.

Sextus. — Fault is the profit of a convenient life. The life of a man does not arise from the abundant possession of wealth, but from virtue.

Ezechiel the Prophet. ^D Sought out and not hated by friends.

^A A just balance and a just measure, and a just hin shall be to you. Plato. — We live not that we may eat, but we eat that we may live. Chrysostom. — Human nature, when it is practiced in much tranquillity, becomes forgetful of its own nobility and does not stand in its own limits. Virtue is not recognized by lower dignities, but by the morals of the soul. Kindness is a good thing, but the head of good things is charity. Youth and folly are vanity. Freedom from passions is a feast. John. — This present life, having no permanence, is bound to many vicissitudes of affairs. Amphilochus. — A ready tongue, belching forth nothing worthy, neither deserves pardon nor condemns itself. The mind and will of men are slippery and versatile; for this reason it behooves one to be watchful and to defend our heart with every guard, so that with fear and trembling we may work out our salvation. ^B Bodily nourishment, when it has fallen into a stomach filled with malicious humors, greatly increases the disease, not because of its own nature, but because of the weakness of the stomach. The comprehension of divine mysteries, when it has fallen into a mind filled with malice, corrupts and dissolves it the more, not by its own nature, but because of the weakness of the soul receiving it. The lawful conjunction of matrimony is honorable before God, but that which is performed for the sake of pleasures is obnoxious to death. John. — Timely silence begets most wise thoughts. Compassion is a good work in life; whoever is endowed with it walks easily. Every life is a day for those who labor with desire. Let him not suspect malice who is free from malice. Sometimes grief is more honorable than pleasure, and sadness [is better] than laughter. ^{C D}

^B The association of a man is not immediately harmful, because it is not in a short time that companionship becomes perfected.

Basil: For the most part, that conversation which takes place among men becomes an occasion of many evils for those who are not on their guard.

Idleness, which arises from habit and leisure, is an insidious thing. An innocent life creates freedom of speech. Faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself.

Isocrates: Consider it best to have, from God, good fortune, and from ourselves, prudence. 40 Education is an ornament to those who are prosperous, and a refuge to those who are in adversity.

^B The possession of virtue—for those with whom it has grown along with intelligence—is the only thing that grows old with them. It is better than wealth and more useful than nobility, as it makes possible what is impossible for others; it bravely endures what is feared by the many, and it considers idleness a disgrace and labor a cause for praise.

Consider knowledge to be a greater good than ignorance, for whereas in other things that are laborious, all men act with a view to gain, this [ignorance] alone harms those who possess it all the more.

Be agreeable to all, but make use of the best; for in this way you will not be offensive to the former, and to the latter you will become a friend.

Consider good teachings to be better than much wealth. For wealth quickly fails, but these remain for all time; for wisdom alone is immortal above all riches.

^C Consider it becoming for yourself to have adornment, modesty, justice, and prudence; for by all these things the way of life of the young appears to excel.

Democritus: A favor, like the moon, seems beautiful when it becomes full. Fortune does not have constant movements, since it is variable and multiform. For, always proceeding by changes, it makes that which is incredible worthy of belief.

^D Fortune is like an unskilled judge of the games; for often it crowns those who have not won. The flight from pleasures sets up a glorious trophy for philosophy.

The vine bears three bunches: the first of pleasure, the second of drunkenness, the third of insolence.

Gratitude toward the wise never dies. ^A Aesop. — A mild and gracious character knows how to soften even those who are stony. Evagrius. — That friend is delightful who nourishes the soul along with the body. Pythagoras. — Temperance, being a short and pleasant road, has great favor and little labor. ^B Georgius. — The utterance of words reveals the disposition from which they proceed; for things which are hidden inside and not exhibited, the words uttered serve as signs. Friendship according to the flesh is dissolved very easily, for some slight cause occurring; for it is not bound to the sense of the spirit. The soul, as incorporeal, seeks heavenly goods, but the body, as it is earth, seeks earthly sustenance. To despise present pleasures willingly is impossible, unless we have tasted the sweetness of God in every sense and in abundance. The necessity of adverse circumstances proves friends, but convicts enemies. Sight and taste, and the other senses, dissipate the memory of the heart when we use them beyond measure. Great sorrow drives the mind into desperation and incredulity, and great joy invites it to presumption. This is the mark of those who still babble [like children]. ^C Chrysostom. — The strength of the mind is softened, falls away, and becomes empty when it is flooded with perpetual draughts of wine. The nature of temptations is not accustomed to produce sins, but the negligence of those who are tempted [produces them]. Sextus. — You will show yourself worthy of God by doing nothing unworthy of Him. You should wish those living with you to revere you rather than to fear you; for respect belongs to reverence, but hatred belongs to fear. ^D Let death and destruction, and all things to be feared, be before your eyes daily, and you will not covet anything greatly. Babrius. — It is not good to use wrath against one's neighbor immoderately.

GNOMOLOGIUM

^A God, in caring for men and discerning virtue and vice, loving the good, and holding the evil in hatred, does not presume that the good are treated evilly, or the wicked well.

Chrysostom. — One who possesses a good conscience ought not to fear death; for it is sleep, a departure, a migration, and rest, a tranquil harbor, a calming of tumult, and a release from the cares of life.

God, always providing for men, has given things that are burdensome in this present life, but has stored up pleasant things for the future.

Man makes himself like God by doing good, provided he does not adulterate it.

It is more beautiful to die gloriously than to live for many years in indecorous pleasure.

The multitude of sins often causes an untimely death.

Diadochus. — When the generative organs are heated by the fervor of wine, it is necessary that the mind present to itself an image of the passion of desire.

If you have the fear of God present in your soul, you will avoid all the evils through which punishments come.

He who remembers death is restrained from sinning.

Basil. — If the ways of a proud man are fostered, they are accustomed to become more arrogant than themselves.

Ignorance of God is the death of the soul.

A prudent servant appeases a man’s anger.

Solomon. — The audacious, arrogant, and glorious man is called a pest; but he who does not forget injury is a transgressor of the law.

The wealth of the impious is gathered for the just.

A discerning eye gladdens the heart.

The Thracian race is most wise: they mourn for those being born, but rejoice for those dying; saying about the former, how much he will suffer; and considering about the latter, from how many things he has been set free.

It is very pleasing to God if words are brought forth from the tongue for what is seemly.

Aesop. — By visiting friends in moderation, and not unwillingly, you will be a steady and not an odious possession.

He who anticipates honor with honor is acceptable to God.

Philo. — It is proper to God to bestow good things first and to precede with gifts, but to bring on evils with difficulty. ^{B C D}

^A God does not immediately take vengeance upon those who sin, but grants time for the healing and amendment of the fault.

Job. — Death is rest to a man: for the Lord has closed [the way] upon him.

Sirach. — The Lord has cast down the seat of the arrogant, and has raised up the humble in their stead.

Sextus. — A good mind is a sacrifice to God.

Chrysostom. — Poverty is a strong weapon, and an inexpugnable refuge, and an immovable tower.

48 The physician will know the art of an ailment... while those who say [this], do not at all harm those who listen.

Babrius. It is better to care for necessary business Than to give oneself to luxuries and banquets.

Basil. — Smoke puts the bees to flight, but drunkenness puts spiritual grace to flight.

A wicked thing kept silent becomes an incurable disease.

Aesop. Labor that has no equivalent profit Always terrifies with difficulties; A wicked man, not changing his character, Changes his appearance for the sake of deception. He who joins evils to evils, the perverse man, ^B Most certainly leads a dangerous life. Have the people you happen upon as friends, if there is need, But do not badly bestow upon them the adversity which [afflicts you].

It is always good for the lesser to follow the better, for the sake of the hope of improvement.

Hippocrates. — Natural lassitudes indicate diseases.

His own designs will surround each person.

Satiety is the beginning of insolence.

The hopes of the educated are better than the riches of the ignorant.

By associating with the wicked, you will also be wholly wicked. ^C

Better than unbridled prosperity is a disease which is a friend to wisdom.

Many judge the passions of others by their own. ^A

Better is old age with prudence than youth without understanding, and deliberate slowness than unthinking speed, and a short reign than a long tyranny. Better is a small and honorable mediocrity than a large possession which is shameful and insecure. Human affairs are carried on in a circle, and God instructs us through their opposites. As He established and arranged all things wisely, so He wisely directs and governs all things by His own incomprehensible and unattainable judgments. It is better to be defeated with honor than to conquer dangerously and unjustly. Better is a separation for the sake of piety than harmful concord. ^B God rejoices more in the production of fruit than in the magnitude of an offering and the opulence of gifts. Even the saints suffer evils, whether for the cleansing of the slightest stain, or for the proving of virtue and the testing of philosophy, or for the amendment of the weaker, so that they might become stronger from those things, and not worse through the things which they suffer. Satiety of speech is inimical to the ears, as excessive food is to the body. A brother may even accuse a brother if he is punished unjustly. Let there be for you a time for war and for peace, for marriage and for continence, for friendship and for separation. ^C To ridicule oneself is very dangerous and unprofitable. It is better to be chastised and enlightened a little than to be completely darkened. It is easier to accept wickedness than to provide virtue, since it is easier to share in a disease than to bestow health. Not having pupils, you will be in doubt about the light; and being bereft of knowledge, do not proclaim yourself. Pleasure is a thing flowing with a downward rush; but where it comes, it slips away like a stone. Better is food which is at hand,

^A a dainty meal such as a dream has fashioned. Isocrates. — He who does good to the wicked will suffer things similar to those who feed another man’s dogs. For they bark at those who provide for them, as if they were strangers, but the wicked harm those who do them good, as if they were doing them wrong.

52 The beauty of men is withered either by disease or destroyed by time; but riches are more a provider of wickedness than of probity, providing indeed leisure through power, but inviting young men to pleasures.

Consume the leisure that occurs in life by listening to [wise] words; for thus what is sought with difficulty by others will result for you in easy learning.

Despise those who pant after riches, and are not able to use what they possess. These men suffer almost the same thing as one who might acquire a beautiful horse, but does not know how to ride.

Do good to the good; for a beautiful treasure is the gratitude owed by a worthy man.

Flee those who flatter, as if they were deceivers. For if both are believed, they harm those who believe them.

The nature of flatterers is to remember evil easily, and they are easily unmindful of good things.

Theophylact. — Let us judge ourselves, and let us recognize what is good within us.

Job. — A hard heart shall be oppressed with distresses.

^B Sirach. — Wickedness if nurtured in the mind makes the heart bold; but it is put down and crushed through abstinence and the hope of the mouth.

The artificer of evil, being a man, wishes to do those impossible things which he cannot.

Of Diadochus. — A wild donkey ravages corn in a field, and envy wears away the envious man.

Aristotle. — One ought to speak as the many do, but to think as the wise do.

A winnowing fan of virtue is proud thought.

One must indeed learn virtue by word, but preach it by deed.

A waterless cistern is a soul in love with glory.

Of Solomon. — The thoughts of the just are judgments. ^{C D}

^A

The words of the lascivious are soft. The sluggard is compared to a stone covered with filth, and all will hiss at his disgrace. The throat tastes food, but the mind judges words. He who receives gifts in his bosom unjustly does not walk well in the ways.

Of the Theologian.

Of Babrius.

Of Aphthonius.

Of Gennadius:

Of Chrysostom.

Of Gregory.

Of Ecclesiastes.

A sweet throat multiplies its friends, and a fluent tongue multiplies affabilities. ^A The redemption of a man’s soul is his riches. Of the Apostle. — Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Of Solomon. — Do not give sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids, that thou mayest be saved as a doe from the snares, and as a bird from the nets. Do not love to speak much, lest thou be caught; for thy own lips are a fateful thing to a man. But he who is graceful in his lips shall be ensnared in his own entanglements. Do not, when thou art poor, mimic a rich man; for the rich man has acted unjustly and raged, but the poor man has suffered injustice and shall be oppressed by threats as well. ^B A fool in laughter raises his voice; but a wise man will barely smile silently. Do not devise evils against thy friend, who dwells with thee and trusts in thee. Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also become like unto him; but answer a fool according to his folly, lest he appear wise in his own eyes. Do not be hasty in thy mind to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools. Do not be called a whisperer, and do not lie in wait with thy tongue; for the whisperer defiles his own soul. Do not cease to do good to the poor, when thy hand has the power to help. Of the Theologian. — Neither in joys cast away fear, nor in sorrows good hope. Remember both in the serenity of the tempest and in the storm the pilot; but do not fail in tribulations, nor become a bad servant, giving thanks to the Lord when He does good, but not following Him when He corrects. ^C The greatest support for the unfortunate is the hope of change; and better is that which lies before one’s eyes.

Be not, when you are poor, like the rich, nor affect to be wiser than the wise.

The only life is to look to the life above, the only death is sin; for the perdition of the soul is other things, which some who are proud imagine, playing with the phantom of a dream, and with the deceitful apparitions of the soul.

Babrius. — Do not believe everyone quickly, and especially not those who are not yet your friends.

Whips and chastisement are wisdom at every time.

To those who sin, forgiveness is left, namely to keep silent and to speak nothing about the things that have happened.

Do not be confident, being good, lest you fall; do not despair, being evil, that you may rise again.

^B John Climacus. — Great is he who remains insensate toward touch, but greater is he who remains invulnerable toward sight, and who conquers the sight of fire by the thought of the beauty above.

Do not believe the clay in your life, and do not be confident in it, until you meet Christ.

Do not be confident in abstinence, lest you fall: for he who eats nothing is cast down from heaven.

It is proper for a magnanimous and noble mind never to despair in any calamity; for the life of man on earth is a training ground.

Always preserve the remembrance of death, and despise all glory and wealth as fleeting rubbish.

Let the remembrance of death sleep with you, and the prayer of Jesus alone.

Basil. — Do not give leisure to your thoughts to examine another’s infirmity, but pay attention to yourself.

^C Do not let the pleasant joys of human things bring immoderate [agitation] into your soul; nor let mournful sadness and anguish diminish the strength and loftiness of the soul; for both are fleeting.

Drunkenness is the destruction of reason, the dissolution of strength, premature old age, and an early death.

Philo. — Do not let yourself be terrified by the inflations of the mind: for human things are but the shadows of shadows.

Blessed is the nature which rejoices in everything, and is pained by nothing, but gives thanks for those things which happen, as for things that are occurring well and beneficially.

Isocrates. — Do not love immoderate laughter, ^D

^A nor approve a speech delivered with audacity; the one is the mark of a fool, the other of a madman. Never, when doing something shameful, hope to remain hidden; for even if you hide it from others, you are conscious of it yourself. ^B Speak to no one, unless it is equally useful for the actions to be kept silent for you who speak, and for those who are listening. Do not make someone a friend, before you have examined how he has dealt with his former friends; for expect that he will be the same towards you as he has shown himself to be towards them. Do not try your friends by causing them loss, and do not lack the experience of acquaintances, but you will do this if, not being in need, you pretend to be in need. ^B Upbraid no one for adversity; for fortune is common, and the future is unknown. Do not stand by or advocate for any wicked act; for you will appear to be doing such things yourself, if you bring aid to those who are acting so. Marci. — Do not say that virtue is obtained without difficulty; for that which comes from tranquility is illegitimate. Those who are wise in words think that only those who do wicked things are sinning; but those who are wise in spirit, even when suffering injustice, accuse themselves if they are not voluntarily enduring the injustices. Evagrii. — The greatest possession of blessings is virtue. ^C Sexti. — Only he who possesses virtue is able to proclaim it according to its worth; for he praises that which he knows, and admires that which he has come to know. Consider it a great lesson to learn when you are speaking with one who is ignorant. Small favors, when timely, are great to those who receive them in adversity. David. — Greater is the danger of the judge than of the judged. Joannis. — The work of malice is perversity; for it always rejoices with those who are in adversity. Do not grieve, if you are adorned with the good things of the soul, if you are oppressed by the ailments of the body; rather, consider that this either prepares for you crowns, or suppresses your pride.

^A It belongs to God alone to be infallible and impassive. I hate the glutton as the ruin of the soul. The Theologian. — Do not be overly exalted, lest you fall more steeply. Theoph... — Observed law removes injustices, but neglected, it brings down punishments. A moderate sleep is the physician of illnesses. Of Isocrates. — Consider nothing in human affairs to be constant; for thus you will neither be too jubilant in prosperity, nor too sorrowful in adversity. The Theologian. — Reason is that which well directs both marriage and virginity, and as if it were matter, by this instrumental art, it is directed toward virtue. To think disgraceful things and to speak them is equally unseemly. ^B Be sober, not drunken. For sin follows drunkenness, but upon sobriety follows the virtue of the soul. An anxious mind is a worm gnawing at the bones; But the body flourishes as it flees from cares. The mass of the belly drives out the subtle mind; For opposites battle with opposites. An irascible mind is a teacher of wickedness. Sloth is the wife of sleep. We are stripped of those things which are not ours after death. For this (virtue or the mind) is eternal and immortal; but mortal things are ours for a brief time. The fruits of the earth belong to specific times, but the fruits of friendship are born at all times. Of Chrysostom. — Where there is an abundance of evils, there is a scarcity of goods. This world itself is mortal and a resting place for those who are dying. Whoever has need of something, even if he ought to seek what is just, awaits the opportunity of time, so that he may submit his petition to one who is gentle and well-disposed, and who is about to give. When the mind becomes unfeeling, it yields to no one, neither to exhortation, nor to counsel, nor to admonition; but, darkened by passion, it is carried into the abyss. He who desires future things, ^C nor suffers from present evils...

is broken, nor is he puffed up by good things: but all things pass away, even as a traveler journeys.

Neither is the just man without sin, nor is the sinner entirely devoid of good.

Isocrates. These men cultivate friends only when present, but others love them even when far away. And a short time dissolves the associations of the wicked, but not even eternity can destroy the friendships of the virtuous. ^B

Be affable, not harsh, not morose, not prone to strife, not quickly answering the anger of your companions; but appease those who are angry, and reprove those who are ceasing from their anger.

If you wish to make people your friends, say something good about them to those who will report it back to them; for the beginning of friendship is praise, but of enmity, reproach.

When you are about to ask advice of someone concerning your own affairs, look first at how he manages his own; for he who judges badly of his own affairs will never give good advice about those of others. But you will be especially spurred to seek advice if you look upon the calamities that have arisen from a lack of it. For we take the greatest care of our health when we remember the pains that have arisen from sickness.

Whatever you are about to say, examine it first in your mind; for with many, the tongue runs ahead of their thought.

^C 65 Basil. As is the one who supervises and rules, such, for the most part, ought the subject to be.

Diseases are not entirely from nature, nor do they arise in us from an undisciplined diet or from certain other bodily causes, regarding which we sometimes see medicine being useful; for often diseases are the scourges of sins, brought on for our conversion.

There is no joy for prisoners in a dungeon, Nor, in turn, for monks in worldly feasting.

^D 66 The wicked man often assumes a good word or act as a mask; but it is impossible for the good man to assume any evil.

^A Neither do prosperous and happy things have anything in them that is lasting for the many; nor do calamitous and sinister things remain firmly fixed; but all things are subject to a certain agitation, and wavering, and unexpected changes. Basil. — He who is not in need can endure necessities, but he who abounds in wealth can endure evils. As riches increase, so much the more do they bring worry into life. Judge your brother even as you yourself are judged by an equal measure. The time of our life is such: the past has vanished, and the present, before it is tasted, already escapes perception. The nature of things is such: even as it grows or wanes, it is seen to have no persistence or constancy. A shelter for a roof, and old age requires the avoidance of pain. Anger is accustomed to disturb the soul more than other passions: for they say ^B that anger rests in the bosom of fools. Theognis. I do not desire to become rich, nor do I pray for it; but may it be permitted to me to live with little, having no evil. Diadochus. — Dreams are either images of wandering thoughts, or the illusions of demons. Babrius. — God does not heed prayers that are offered to Him by iniquitous and impious mouths, while they have not yet ceased from evil. Those who attempt to inflict harm upon others miserably injure themselves. Theologus. — Intent is insufficient, unless we proceed through actions; the work reveals the intention. Whatever our occupations may be in this life, such necessarily will our dreams be as well.

^A He who is not worthy of punishment is already worthy of honor; just as he who is not worthy of honor is therefore worthy of punishment.

What food is in the body, that is reason in the mind.

Not every peace is to be loved (for I know that, just as there is a most excellent discord, there can also be a most harmful concord), but that which is good and reconciles one to the good God.

Nothing is so precious to a righteous man as purity or purification.

Those who imitate the threads of spiders; And who delight in the fragile things of life, Let them know they are easily carried off by the winds, All these delights of the life that imitates the spider.

One must not fear anger against those who are fiercely angry; For the judge is one who judges those who are like himself.

Wine does not know how to compose nature, But rather stirs it up, inciting it with pleasures.

To fall is not the lot of those who lie prostrate, but of those who are striving again. Walk with straight feet, O mortal, traversing an obscure life.

Justini. — Let the good man have a good man as a friend, but the bad man neither a good one nor a bad one.

Joannis. — That man is not pure ^B who guards clay, but he who subjects its members perfectly to the mind.

He who wishes to overcome the demon of gluttony and the weariness of fornication is like one who extinguishes a fire with oil.

A haughty eye will be humbled.

What the mind does not possess, the mouth does not bring forth.

It is impossible to find a life void of all pain.

Gennadii.

Drinking wine in moderation, not to the point of drunkenness, You will obtain strength that is secure and legitimate. Replenished with wine, and eating immoderately, You will not command your deadly pleasures.

That which someone has not experienced, let him not... ^C

^A give his assent.

It is not safe to swim with robes on, nor to apply that which has passions to theology. There is nothing more senseless than the man the earth produces. Cyril. — God is bountiful in beneficence; but He awaits the legitimate will of each person. Sextus. — Not he who is rich is blessed, but he who is not in need of riches. The shortness of life is not something to be mourned, but rather the fact that, being brief, it holds various cares. Nothing so leads to love as not to judge anyone. Solomon. — Let your eyes see right things, for they are before the eyes of God. Wrath ^B destroys even the wise. He who conceals an offense seeks friendship; but he who refuses to conceal it separates friends and intimates. Sextus. — Nothing among present things is pleasant, unless it is something that always remains. Neither does a banquet without concord, nor riches without virtue help. Solomon. — He who reveals a mystery has lost his faith. He who believes with the confidence of his heart is a fool; but the wise conceal their opinion. He who guards his mouth saves his soul; but he who is prompt with his lips shall terrify himself. He who is pleasant in wine-bibbing in his fortresses leaves behind disgrace. ^C He who answers a word before he hears, it is foolishness and confusion for him. There shall be no lover of drinking, if he has before his eyes the indecencies of the drunkards. He who is prompt in speech shall be hated. A slip from the pavement is better than a slip from the tongue. ^D He who leans on lies, he pastures the winds. He who brings forth something excellent from one who is unworthy, shall be as my mouth. Go not after your desires, and turn away from your counsels; and do not take pleasure in many delicacies, and do not be poured out on many eating occasions, for in many foods there shall be disease; and he who...

attends adds life to his days.

Treasures will not profit the ungodly, but righteousness delivers from death. ^A An impatient man acts with imprudence, but a wise man endures much. He who pities the poor is blessed. The paths of life are the thoughts of the prudent, that, avoiding Hades, he might be saved. The paths of those who avenge injuries lead to death. The paths of the slothful are strewn with thorns. Proverbs. — He who is of a perverse heart shall not find good. An oblique man carries ruin in his own mouth. ^B He who lacks intellect has no need of wisdom; for he is led rather by his own prudence. The ways of the foolish are straight before them. [C 73] There is not so much need of guardians for orphan children as there is for senseless men. He who desires more is deprived even of what he has. Those who desire the greatest things do not attain even to the mediocre. He who associates with the wicked will find the same destruction as they. Wicked men exchange calamities for gifts of grace. Hippocrates. — When the body is in its prime, then it is necessary to use the lightest diet. Mark. — He who labors without consideration is always poor; but he who runs with hope is twice rich. God is like an architect: what kind of materials we provide him, such are the houses he builds for us; if we provide him with beautiful and good deeds, from these he constructs for us beautiful dwellings. God has cast us off and given us water of gall to drink, because we sinned against him. We gathered for peace, and there were no good things at the time of healing. Habakkuk. — Because you have neglected me, says the Lord, your ways and your practices have done these things to you. Woe to him who multiplies to himself what is not his! [D 74] He who accumulates evil avarice for his house. Job. — My life is swifter than a runner.

Isocrates.

Pravitas is the root of all injustice.

Gird yourself to possess greater things when you are able; but strive to be considered a lover of equity, so that you may appear to study justice, not on account of weakness, but on account of moderation.

Concerning things about which you are ashamed to speak openly, and things which you wish to communicate to some of your friends, use words as if concerning another's affair; for thus you will discern their mind, and keep yourself hidden.

Act so that you may acquire riches, wealth, and possessions. Wealth belongs to those who know how to enjoy it, but possessions to those who know how to use them.

Charicles.

To do shameful things and to speak them is equally unbecoming.

Young men are accustomed, if they are treated gently, to grow arrogant; if they are compelled by force, to yield.

See to it that you amend faults by persuasion and speech rather than by anger.

Chrysostom.

A man is not rich because he possesses much, but because he gives much.

Many, accustomed from childhood to depraved habits and living licentiously, corrupt good natures; just as, conversely, ^C some who are ill-born in body have, by a prudent life and suitable exercises, amended most of their vices.

Many among the rich consider life to be intolerable, and pray for a thousand deaths, when they experience some adversity, not knowing how to philosophize.

Marcus.

Every business dealing is like a marketplace; he who knows how to trade gains much, but he who does not know suffers loss. ^D

Dominicus, the hetaireiarches, Zoe dismisses Patriarch Nicholas together with his associates, in anger, telling them to attend to the concerns of their own church. 9. Not long after, Constantine the parakoimomenos slanders Dominicus the hetaireiarches to the Augusta, alleging that he was usurping the imperial power for his brother. Having made him a patrician under this pretext, when he came down to the church as was his custom to receive a blessing, they ordered him to remain at home. Zoe then put forward John Garidas as hetaireiarches and the eunuch Damianus as droungarios of the watch. Dominicus went off to his own house, lamenting in vain. 10. As Simeon of Bulgaria was again plundering Thrace, and the Augusta and those in authority were troubled about how to put an end to his arrogance, John the Bogas requested to be made patrician, promising to bring the Pechenegs against him. Having obtained his request and received gifts, he went off to the land of the Pechenegs; having made a treaty and taken hostages from there, he brought them to the City, the Pechenegs having agreed to cross over and wage war against Simeon. 11. There also arrived in the City Asotios, a man most famous for his strength, being the son of the Prince of Princes; it is said that he would take an iron bar, holding it by the ends with both hands, and with his overwhelming strength would bend it and twist it into a circular shape, the recalcitrant nature of the iron yielding to the force of his hands. Upon his arrival, they received him with great honor and sent him back again to his own land. 12. In the month of September, in the 3rd indiction, Pancratoukas the Armenian handed over Adrianople to Simeon. Not long after, Basil the patrician and kanikleios, and Nicetas, the Eladikian protospatharios, were sent by Zoe with many gifts, and they took it back again. 13. The emir Damianus also came to Strobilos with ships, intending to fight it with a great force; and he would have taken it, had he not fallen ill and died, the Hagarenes turning back in vain. 14. The inhabitants of Hellas and Athens, being constantly insulted by Chases, the son of Ioubes, unable to endure his debauchery, killed him miserably with stones inside the sanctuary of the temple in Athens. 15. The Augusta Zoe, seeing the exaltation of Simeon and his attack upon the Christians, consults with those in authority to arrange an exchange and peace with the Hagarenes, and to have the entire Eastern army cross over to fight and destroy Simeon. Therefore, John the patrician, the Radinos, and Michael the Toxaras were sent to Syria to effect the exchange. This having been done, they distributed the customary donative to the regiments, and taking them up along with the themes, they crossed over to the Thracian regions; Leo Magister Phokas being then domestikos of the schools, to whom endurance was attributed more than administrative prudence. When Constantine, the protopapas of the palace, called Kephalas, and Constantine Malelias brought out the venerable and life-giving woods in Thrace, all worshipped and swore to die with one another and marched forth with the whole army against the Bulgarians. John Grapson led the regiment of the Exkoubitores, and the son of Maroules led the Hikanatoi. Romanus Argyros was general, as were Leo his brother and Bardas Phokas; with them also were Melias and his Armenians, and all the other generals of the themes. Also with them for other matters was Constantine the patrician, the Lips, acting as counselor to Leo the domestikos in all things pertaining to the task. 16. On the 20th of the month of August, in the 5th indiction, the war between the Bulgarians and the Romans was joined at the river Achelous; and such were the judgments of God, as they are unsearchable and past finding out, the Romans turn in rout with their whole army, and there occurred a total flight and a frightful lamentation, some being trampled by one another, others being slaughtered by the enemy, and such a shedding of blood as had not happened since the beginning of time. Leo the Domestikos escaped by fleeing to Mesembria. There were slaughtered alongside...

Evagrius. — Words without sense are noise. ^A Wine strengthens the body, but the word of God strengthens the mind. Sextus. — It is easy to exhort to things that are impossible to do. It happens that an evil man may arrive at the sense of a good man. For the beneficence of the better sort is accustomed to urge those who are failing and slothful in spirit to obtain virtue. Nothing is more useful than timely silence. Not ruling yourself, do not presume to rule others.

Human affairs are a shadow, and not prudence. Think of God more assiduously than you breathe. A sign of ignorance is much speaking. Slippery peaks turn the simple-minded toward insolence. ^B

Idleness, without the fear of God, teaches wickedness to those who use time badly. Philo. — Verbosity is the work of a sophist, but the work of a wise man is the exploration of natural things with modesty and benevolence.

Evagrius. — Use foods that are not pleasant, but salutary. Climacus. — Friends are present in memory, even if they are absent in body. He who is wise in heart will receive commandments, but he who is intemperate in his lips will be caught in his own snares. The impious despise wisdom and instruction. Wisdom is proclaimed in the ways, and speaks openly in the streets. Wise men will hide their judgment, but the mouth of the inconsiderate is near to destruction. ^C Proverbs. — The mouth of fools brings forth evils.

The mouth of the truthful will be filled with joy. The mouth of the just will distill wisdom. Rarely set foot in your friend's house, lest he be sated and hate you.

σε. ^A 80 ... Turn away from yourself insulting words.

Wisdom of man illuminates his face; but an impudent one will be hated for his face. The mouth of the thoughtless is near to destruction, but he who saves his lips is prudent. A slippery mouth produces ruins, and a fool multiplies words. It will be more agreeable to live with a lion and a dragon than to dwell with an irascible and quarrelsome woman. An equal weight is acceptable to the Lord. Wise are the men who are corrected by adversities, and, purified by fire like gold, they say: "It is good for me that you have humbled me," ^B just as if humility produced a knowledge of the commandments. First wisdom scorns that wisdom which consists in words, and in the periods of diction, and in false and depraved antitheses. Of Chrysostom. — It is not easy for everyone to cure a sick body; but for those who are sick in mind, it is easy for all to be cured. Experience is the salvation of every man. The present life is not unlike a stage; for present things are games, which do not remain forever. The affairs of life are more hollow than a shadow and a shadow, full of many dangers. Of Basil. Moderation of speech is the purity of the heart. Arist. — The life of men appears to be like a cucumber; for its extremities are bitter on both sides. ^C Plato. — The life of men appears to be a mere point. Of John. Only humility saves man. Of John the monk. — For the body, it is good to die quickly; for it is freed from many evils of life. For the soul, it is difficult to die, because the death of the soul is sin. Sirach. — He who teaches a fool is like one who repairs earthenware.

^A An inept man clearly leads a dangerous life. A wise man, when asked by someone, "What is stronger than a statue?" replied, "An insensitive man." Of Gennadius. As for an introduced person, when there is need, do not possess him as a friend; For he has no intention toward what is good. The heart of a wise man is a haven of thoughts. Of Sextus. — Household goods which are new are better; but friendship which is old. The mouth of the prudent shall be sought in the Church. Do not have frequent conversations with the same people, nor long ones about the same things; for there is a satiety of all good things. The body is accustomed to grow by moderate labors, the mind by useful words. ^B Fear God, honor parents, revere friends, obey the laws, seek pleasures which exist with decorum. For pleasure conjoined with what is good is best; but without the good, it is worst. Be affable in manners; affability is to be otherwise toward those one meets, and urbanity is to converse familiarly with them in speech. Value the riches you possess for two reasons: that they can pay a large fine, and can provide aid to an honest and unfortunate friend. Do good to good men; for a huge treasure is gratitude owed by an honest man. One must beware of the depraved, lest by finding an opportunity they do harm. A prince ought to have prudence for opportunities, boldness against adversaries, and kindness toward those who are subject to him. ^C Justice is so much better than wealth, in that the latter profits only the living, while the former prepares honors for the dead also; the latter are found even among the depraved, but the former is impossible for the wicked to obtain. The greatest of evils the poor escape, the snares. ^D [alt-version omitted]

^A envy and hatred, to which the rich are daily exposed.

Philonis. — What is done without deliberation is all base, just as what is done with deliberation is noble.

It is impossible to render to parents equal to what one has received; for it is not possible to give them their life.

Climaci. — To exercise oneself in the prudence of speech is an effective remedy for lust.

Laughter, like salt, should be used sparingly.

Charicleae. — Beautiful even are barbarian hands, it seems, to be revered.

If someone is accustomed to lying, he is not believed even in those things which he happens to say truly.

^B Aphthonii. — Greater danger is always found in lower things.

The one who rebukes must first have concern for the honor and reputation of those whom he rebukes; for those who do not know how to blush cannot be corrected.

Cyrilli. — Fortune is accustomed to bring vicissitudes to mortals in both directions.

Aeschyli. — To live together with the base is not without harm.

Do not seek in vain what is of no benefit.

Chrysostomi. — Benefits bring the well-minded to ^C obey commands more than punishments do.

Salomonis. — A merciful man does good to his own soul.

The eyes of the wise are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness.

Theologi.

Though noble by birth, yet ignoble in character, I count him dead, even if he smells sweet.

^A Noble birth is having good character. It is equally difficult to acquire some good thing that is lacking, and to preserve what is acquired. The word influences some, examples guide others; the latter need a stimulus, the former a bridle; for those who are lazy and sluggish toward the good are to be awakened by the lash of the word. Exhortation corrects some, reproach others; and this, for those who are reproved in public, or those who are admonished in secret. For the faint-hearted, it is a great thing to flee punishment; for the magnanimous, to attain rewards. There are three orders of those who are saved: slaves, hirelings, sons. If you are a slave, dread stripes; if a hireling, see only to receiving your reward; if you are above these and are a son, revere the Father; perform the good work, because it is good to obey the Father.

^B The wheel is fixed unstably, This life of ours is short and manifold; It moves above and is dragged below. It does not stand, even if it seems to stick; Fleeing, it is held fast, and cannot flee; It strives to snatch movement from immobility, So that you would say life is nothing, Except smoke, dream, or the flower of the grass. Basil. The person who is conspicuous in wickedness attracts many of the easily led into a similar zeal. Unfeelingness is untroubled, but sympathy is sorrowful, and a persistent thought of the heart.

^C Humility is not he who despises himself (for how will he bear himself?), but he who, having been wronged by a friend, preserves his love undiminished. Evil is not a living and animate substance, but a disposition in the soul contrary to virtue, coming about in the slothful through their falling away from the good. What we have gained through labor, we receive with joy and preserve with diligence; but of those whose acquisition is easy, their possession is held in contempt. The graces of good works return to those who give them. Evil is without substance, because it does not subsist from that which exists.

^D

^A Human affairs are all more fleeting than a shadow and more deceitful than dreams; for youth flows away more briefly than the flowers of spring, and the beauty of the body withers either from disease or from time; riches are a treacherous stream; glory is inconstant, and the operations of the arts are perfected in that time. That which is especially sought for, eloquence, has grace only to the ear; but virtue alone is a precious possession for the one who has it, and a most pleasant spectacle for those who encounter it.

^B Chrysostomus. — Confidence creates a fall for him who is standing, and despair does not allow him who has fallen to rise again. Paul gives advice, saying: "Let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall."

Gregorius. — That which is humble, along with a good reputation, has security. A sepulcher, destruction, and dust are what follow after the tranquility of life.

Joannes. The demon makes light of small sins, So that he may cast the wicked into greater ones.

Joannes Monachus. Hard words are useful for the hard-hearted; For without fear, one does not love to undertake labors. A man humble in mind, upright in heart.

Josephus. Food poorly cooked brings forth a bad odor, And unsystematic speech disturbs friends. The speech of the wise man runs to the ears of the believer; But every fool, would he ever grasp it?

^C Olympiodorus. — Our entire salvation lies in the mercies and the philanthropy of the Judge.

Babrius. — Adversities show who are the true friends. A clever defense does not convince those who are wicked and unjust in their settled intent. For him who possesses many things and uses none of them, the labor is his own, but the life is another's. The wise man, even if he dwells in a distant land, And I have never seen him with my eyes, I account as a friend.

Gregorius. — Exaggerated joy often ends in sorrow, and immoderate and painted pleasure gives birth to pain.

Joannes Monachus. Give birth, viper; do not fear the labor pains; You have the experience of a mother’s delivery. ^D

Babrius. ^A Nourishing the body, do not indulge to satiety; For satiety is the minister of the passions. That which is ready for free use is slothful toward lust. The body grows old, but an evil nature does not grow old.

Lucianus. For those who do well, the whole life is short; For those who do ill, one night is an endless time.

Galenus. Flee far from windy foods; for they disturb the nature of the body.

Aristoteles. To find a faithful man is a laborious task; but the multitude of wicked men is innumerable. The eyes of a wise man are in his head.

Sextus. Pleasant things, even if they are never present, help through hope. Books are treasures to the learned, but monuments to the ignorant. You have fortune, O man; do not run in vain; If you do not have it, sleep, do not labor in vain. Wrath clings to old age.

Theologus. It is insolence for one possessing little to be much puffed up. For one who is on high, it is a penalty not to undertake greater things, nor to spread virtue to many, but to be detained in small things.

Joannes Syrus. ^B In sleep, food, and pleasant and shameful things, satiety is present to a life full of envy. The memory of God and of divine words. One cannot say that a wise man ever becomes satiated. ^C The fox feigns sleep, and the demon feigns prudence: but the former does so, that it may eat a bird, the latter, that it may destroy a soul.

Joannes. When human life is full of earthly materials, it distracts, defiles, and crushes many. Dissembled characters are products of depravity. Of the passions, these three excel; Ignorance, forgetfulness, and the clouds of sloth; Whoever overcomes these will easily obtain the others. The excess of pleasure is wont to give birth to sorrow eventually.

Sextus. ^D A man free from care sleeps a pleasant sleep. The proud seek heights and thrones; But to the humble, on the other hand, the whole earth is a seat of honor. The peak of the mind is true knowledge. Sleep, wakefulness—both, without moderation, are an evil.

^A Of Solomon.—Substance acquired with injustice becomes less. To a wise son, actions will be prosperous. Envy and contrition befall the wicked. Of the Theologian.—Water is the best drink; it tempers the mind; But drunkenness, invading, defiles the mind. Sleep is wont to bring about forgetfulness above all else. Of Diadochus.—Nothing is more humble than obedience; for it is born from a contrite heart. Of Democritus.— The lowlier part of a house are the vessels and food; of the mind, however, it is vainglory and pleasure. Of Isocrates.—One should not stir up murky water or an untaught mind. Of Galen.—He by whom the mind is possessed, that is a disgraceful thing. Sleep of health is in a moderate intestine. ^B Of Democritus.—If you do not rise above the flesh, you bury your mind in the body; the more anyone busies himself about impious words, the more he abounds in them, and the more he is in need of those things that regard virtue. Friends love what is loved by friends themselves; But enemies vainly despise friends. It is customary that what is acquired by labor should endure longer; ... but fortune does not create wisdom. Of John.—A phantom, a bird, and smoke is the life of man. Of Plutarch.—It is better to die with thrift than to be in need while alive. Of Sextus.—Illegitimate generations of nature also have illegitimate customs. A man who is a lover of truth is of a straight heart; ^C But a perverted mind thinks of nothing. Of John Climacus.—It is difficult to lay aside a long-standing habit. It is necessary for one who wishes to obtain the glory above To spurn all the pleasant things of life, Riches, pleasure, fame, importunate words. Humor, bile, and phlegm together with blood Are fetters of the mind in an incredible way. One who is crossing the currents of life must Govern his mind, lest the depths take him down.

Joannis. ^A Since man is dust from dust, he returns again To dust, taking nothing with him from life. The command of a wise man bids the poor man rejoice; for his word is a perfect work. Rejoice over the good things that happen, and grieve temperately over the things that are evil. Pythagoras. — One ought to rejoice in those who rebuke us more than in those who flatter us; for the former stir us up by causing us annoyance, whereas the latter, by smoothing us over, dissolve and destroy us. Nahum. — The Lord is propitious to those who wait for Him in the day of tribulation. Chrysostomi. — With the increase of bile, fever is produced, and from superabundant phlegm, many diseases are born. ^B Basilii. — It is possible to strike fear into a multitude without demonstration, but to persuade them is never possible. It is difficult in adverse circumstances to keep a humble soul, and in prosperity not to be lifted up to insolence. Macedonis. — One should write enmity in water, so that it may quickly disappear; but friendship upon bronze, so that it may remain forever. Choricii. — Gold, prince of evils, bringing fear to him who has you, and grief to him who does not. Theologi. When gold speaks, every word becomes ineffectual. You who require a physician for your ailments, if you dissemble your evils, ^C You will never avoid a fatal corruption. The lips of wisdom distill most sweet words; But the throat belches forth bitter strife. Salomonis. — The lips of the just know sublime things; But the foolish die in want. The lips of a fool lead him into evils; and his bold mouth invokes death. Phocylidæ. Gold, prince of evils, ruin of life, disturbing all things, Would that you had not been a welcome destruction to mortals! For because of you there are battles, and devastations, and slaughters. Gold is ardently sought by men.

GNOMOLOGIUM.

Nilus. — Give thanks to God if you advance in virtue; for divine aid protected you unto it. ^A

A righteous man is merciful and lends; he will order his words in judgment, because he shall not be shaken forever.

Aristo... He who for the sake of the table is eager to have a friend, Earlier casts him off, when it is empty. It is not permitted for a man to rejoice at all; For sorrows and tempests suddenly fall upon him. Dust from dust are all things, and into dust again [they go.

But immisericordia (unmercifulness) is in the vitals of most men. Demoxenus. — Grace and benevolence are of those who persuade, not those who compel. ^B

Cyrillus. — It is a truly pernicious thing to be joined with the wicked; for it is certain what is written: He who touches pitch shall be defiled. Those who emulate the greater ought to receive the better; and it is good that those who stir all things should love to contend with those who shine therein. Without understanding, there is nothing good in the works of one who knows; for knowledge is the fruit of prudence, but imprudence is not good.

Sirach. — The lips of the multi-tongued shall not tell their own story. Hay and a rod and burdens are for an ass; but bread, and correction, and work are for a servant.

Joannes. — The humidity of winter, mixed with blood, weakens the body. ^C I have need of gentleness, by which the prince of this world, the devil, is destroyed.

The mind, once bound by the love of the Creator, and accustomed to shine with heavenly beauties, does not lose its joy and serenity through the various vicissitudes of carnal passions; but from those things that are burdensome to others, it makes an increase of joy.

Chrysostomus. — When cold abounds, languors, tremors, apoplexies, and six hundred other diseases are born. A mind prostrate is unfit to hear any exhortation.

Theologus. — To profane minds, nothing of good things is worthy of belief. ^D

Salomon. — Anima in saturitate favos respuit (The soul in satiety rejects honeycombs), but to a hungry soul even bitter things appear sweet.

The souls of the lawless perish untimely. A whisperer is worthy of being cursed, and a double-tongued man; for he has destroyed many who were at peace. ^A A tumultuous soul is the seat of the devil. A blessed soul is altogether simple; but an irascible man is not seemly. A meek soul is the seat of simplicity; but an irascible mind is the architect of malice. A meek soul will contain the words of wisdom; for the Lord will lead the meek in judgment, or rather in discernment. An upright soul is the companion of humility; but a perverse one is the daughter of pride. The souls of the meek shall be filled with knowledge, but an irascible mind is the associate of darkness and ignorance.

A soul united to God through purity will not stand in need of another reason to learn, having within itself its own reason for initiation and illumination. The perdition of a soul is this: for the work of a malevolent man is not right. The heart of a malevolent man is abusive; for it knows how to love nothing, unless it be to devise deceits. The words of a doctor are for a sick soul. You will feed and give drink to an ungrateful person, and furthermore you shall hear bitter things; for he will find double evil against you in return for the benefits he has received. John. — To vituperate anyone he meets is not according to reason; but to vituperate a just man is evidently to sin against God. You always see the wise man vituperated by the depraved; for the evil man knows not how to praise virtue. John the Monk. ^B If a hungry poor man receives crumbs from a giver, he renders praise to God for him. Sextus. — The mind is a treasury, good in the case of the good man, but evil in the case of the evil man. Every mind that cannot endure to be admonished cannot be healed. Reproof in the mouth of a depraved man is considered a benefit; but he always practices lies and calumny. Democritus. — The soul's fountain of riches is the abstinence of the body; but when the latter grows rich, the former becomes poor. ^{C D}

Sirach. — A warm soul, as a burning fire, ^A will not be extinguished until it is consumed; so also is the unchaste man in the body of his flesh.

Diadochus. — A soul that is not stripped of worldly cares will neither love God perfectly, nor will it abhor the devil as is fitting; for the solicitation of life is a grievous garment for it.

A woman is a thing to be detested; for she knows how to seduce those once caught in her nets, having pleasure as an accomplice which makes meditation seem of little value.

Those who are unfortunate are drawn toward those who harm them the most.

Solomon. — To blame the irreprehensible is to sin against God.

As you see leaves growing on a shady tree: some are cast down, others are born; so is the generation of flesh ^B and blood, the one dies, while the other is born; and every rotting work shall fail, and he who works it shall depart with it; for all men are truly earth and ashes.

As the sound of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of fools.

As silver and gold are tested in a furnace, so are chosen hearts tested by God.

As scarlet life are your lips.

As a worm in wood, so does an evil woman destroy a man.

As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the sons.

As a moment of the balance, the whole world is before Thee; and as a drop of dew in the morning falling upon ^C the earth, Thou hast mercy upon all, because Thou canst do all things, and Thou overlookest the sins of men for the sake of repentance.

As a city having its walls broken down, so is a man who does not act with counsel.

As a shadow to the body, so do sins cling to souls, clearly outlining their actions.

As water is inimical to fire, so does immoderate wine extinguish a wise mind.

As a good man knows not envy, so does envy accompany the wicked.

As rust [corrodes] iron, so does envy corrode the mind ^D which it possesses.

^A Just as mildew is the proper disease of grain, so is envy the weakness of friendship. Just as worms are generated in softer woods, so do sorrows creep into the softer dispositions of men. Just as it is spontaneous for fire to shine and for ointment to smell sweet, so does utility necessarily accompany good actions. Just as it is troublesome to be given to gluttony, so is it truly madness to dissolve the body through long-standing depravity. He to whom neither shame nor fear sits beside is without a bridle in his mouth, and a petulant tongue is let loose. Just as moderation is the cause of the most perfect goods, so is intemperance, which dissolves the most useful law of equality, the cause of the greatest evils. ^B Just as it is usual for the foolish to be puffed up by prosperity and for the effeminate to be cast down by adversity; for the change in both is swift. Depravity is not corrected outside of a soul thriving in youth. Just as for those who have finished a long journey, the road is easier and more relaxed for those still traveling; so those who have reached the heavenly inn are happier and more at rest than those who are still struggling through the rough and steep path of this life. Guard your ears, eyes, and tongue diligently; for sin strives to rush into all. The games of children are pleasing to old age. God rejoices in nothing as much as in the amendment and repentance of man. ^C Just as benevolent aromas fill the surrounding air with their sweet scent, so does a good man provide utility to him whom he strives to approach. Plato. — Just as in a prison, so are we in this life and are guarded. And as you do not see a madman doing useful things, so you will not see a wise man doing frivolous ones. Just as among all foods bread is most necessary, so among all exercises is the meditation on death.

^A Just as fire does not beget snow, so he who seeks earthly glory will never enjoy heavenly glory. All earthly nature is like the flower of the field. It becomes a man of good hope to cast aside what is base and to desire what is best. Since you take nothing of these with you when you depart from life, you ought to despise them as corruptible. A harsh and cruel man will not prosper on his way. He is deprived of benefit who does not approach good men. It is an ornament even only to keep the memory of a good man.

106 Those whose speech tends toward action, their lips distil grace; but those whose speeches do not look to action, their mind is empty. Beautiful is the beneficence that expiates sin. Like a dream and a game is present happiness when compared to the life above; for poor and rich are both dust in the grave. Like some vapor, or the appearance of a shadow. Glory, power, and wealth are of men; For what time has given, time takes away. As it is appointed for all men to die, So it is not permitted at all without tribulation To finish this variable life. As the bee's sting causes pain, So the wicked man, when he rushes upon someone. A precious good is humility; he who has obtained it has many friends, but he who is far from it does not want to have friends, for he is himself rather a friend to arrogance. As it is good to flee from the poison of a serpent, so [it is to flee] from the company of the wicked as from a plague. As it is proper not to flee from the encounters of friends, So it is proper to flee from madmen. Those whose life is common, let their fruits also be common. Despise those things of which, when freed from the body, you will have no need.

107 As one who is about to die, use your goods. But as one who is about to live, spare your possessions. Away with the self-love that hates everything! ^{B C D}