Then, he imitates the voice of every beast, and is shaped to each in form, character, and carriage. And to each dialect he weaves in its proper roar. But each of the Greek orators, having adapted himself to one form of speech—whether the high, the middle, or the subtle—is fashioned toward that one alone. Such was the oratory of Gregory; he emulates all orators: for those who have existed beyond them, if they came after them, they borrowed from them; if before them, they are more beautiful images than the originals.
B 3. But Great Basil, just as he disdains all things human, so too he appears to disdain the added ornaments of art, and he wishes his speech to be, as it were, a craft itself; yet his writings are not fashioned according to art. Having conversed with all orators, he drew therefrom the power of their writing style and in this respect surpassed them by far; but since he did not desire to do harm with his orations, he for the most part does not imitate their methodical skill. His speech does not smell of studied care, but it thunders as if from the clouds, and draws out every voice. The spirit of his oratory is Demosthenic, as far as one can conjecture (for he does not proceed out of emulation of him), yet it is incomparable if one should wish to compare orations with orations. C The form of his arguments, however, one might characterize as being from the orations of Aristides. But if one were to lend an ear to both, by that orator he would immediately be dulled and would turn to another voice; but he would be disposed more sweetly to the thunders of Basil’s orations and would leap to their sound.
D 4. Such also was his brother Gregory. For I have known no one among all orators more grandiloquent than these two men. But what Nyssen is to other orators, this Great Basil is to him. For while someone might compare Basil’s eloquence to a trumpet, he would liken the brother’s voice to a flute; but when compared to Demosthenes and Aristides, he would name this man a trumpet. Yet in panegyrics he is far inferior to Basil; but when he intends to reveal the divine oracles and whatever of the sacred writings is hidden, he stands near him undaunted, and if anyone wishes to compare both in this respect, he will not give all his votes to Basil.
5. But John, golden of tongue, even if he is divine in virtue and incomparable to all, did not—like the others—disdain words; but he is, in truth, an ornament of art. For he is composed of every form, and he is a fervent emulator of civil eloquence, and he treats each of the rhetorical genres with artifice.
And he knows indeed the opposing modes of expression, and he knows the beauty of the panegyric genre. A Yet regarding advisory speeches, he prepares himself not by following art as a rule, but by becoming himself a rule of this genre for others. He does not imitate the orator Lysias, yet his discourse brings to mind the elegance of Lysias’s orations, except that the latter is simpler, while this one is more abundant and more splendid. He elevates his discourse not by tropes, allegories, and periphrases, nor by lyrical and dithyrambic terms, but by harmonious composition and the dignity of his phrasing.
6. I, therefore, would wish and desire to celebrate as Gregory the Theologian, to speak brilliantly like the great Basil, to explain divine oracles like Gregory of Nyssa, and to approach the deliberative genre and sweeten the discourse with simple and indescribable graces, like the golden lyre of the Spirit, B Chrysostom.
VERSES OF JOHN PSELLOS ON THE THREE HOLY HIERARCHS
VERSES OF JOANNES PSELLUS ON THE THREE HOLY HIERARCHS
(Opp. Theodori Prodromi, 8°, Basileae 1536.)Be silent, spectator, and wait for a short time, Lest you disturb this lovely gathering, And deprive the world of divinely inspired words. For just now, from heaven, this third one, Paul the courser of the air, has arrived, And moves his hand to the ministry of Scripture, The wonder of the inhabited world, the golden mouth. Emulate the rest of what you see before the doors, And along with him, marvel and stand fast in spirit.
On Chrysostom
Painter, having found a tongue breathing fire, Did you leave it alone, fearing the flame? Or, daring all, do you record also what burns? And he speaks out, and utters encouragements, But he is thin-voiced from fasting; Might I not therefore have offered my own ear? D