A Yet he held so firmly to his happy beginning that nothing could pull him away from it.
About this same time, it seems Chrysostom issued that elegant little work which is entitled, *A Comparison of a King and a Monk* (T. I, c. 387). In this, he proves that he who devotes himself to philosophy—that is, to the monastic life—may truly be called a king; nay, even richer and more powerful than a king, stronger in war, more apt at obliging men and honoring them with benefits, and more blessed at his death.
*He remains shut up in a cave for two years.* — Our John spent four years living an ascetic life in the mountains and in the huts of the monks (Pallad., p. 41), spending the day and the greater part of the night in fasts, vigils, the singing of psalms, and other exercises of that sort, living on bread and water only, perhaps with the addition of herbs or legumes. Nor did he become less strict as a result of such severe discipline and way of life; rather, he emerged even more fervent, and after four years had passed, he shut himself up in a cave alone. B What he did there is not to be investigated, nor is it narrated by writers; however, it is certain he did nothing but tame the flesh and unite himself to God with a more fervent love. He remained shut up there for two years, and would no doubt have stayed much longer had he not been forced to return to the city from the cave and the mountains due to illness. This, it seems, happened entirely in the year 380, for the sequence of times established by us will be consistent: assuming he betook himself to the mountains and monasteries either at the turn of the year 374 or at the start of 375, and spent six years or thereabouts there, as Palladius reports.
*Annis 380, 381. On his return home, he writes to Stagirius (T. I, c. 423).* — Having returned home and suffering from bodily infirmity, he was forced to remain shut up, refreshing his spirit with the conversation of friends who came to visit him and soothing the discomforts of his illness. Shortly after his return, and indeed, if we are to trust Socrates, after he had been ordained a deacon by Meletius, he wrote books to Stagirius, who was vexed by a demon and had previously been a familiar friend to him, in the year 380 or at the beginning of 381. That this was done while he was at home, and detained by a headache and bodily weakness so that he could not go out, he himself declares at the beginning of the first book with these words: "It was necessary that we should be present with you now and share in your troubles, and in part alleviate your grief by exhorting you with words, by helping you with our deeds, and by offering all other services as far as our strength would allow; but since both the poor state of our body and the pain that has invaded our head have compelled us to remain at home, and have robbed us of the ministry of such a great service, we shall not neglect to offer you that which remains for your consolation and our own benefit, as far as our ability permits." C
We have cited these words at the beginning from John, so that we may answer Tillemont's objection, who says: "John says that he heard everything that was told about Stagirius; if he had been in Antioch, he would have seen it for himself, and not just learned it by hearsay from others." Whence he infers that John was then in the solitude or in the cave, not in Antioch. To this objection, John responds most aptly from the beginning as above: whence it is clear that he wrote these things while suffering from illness at home, and not while living in the cave.
Stagirius, therefore, born of a noble family and educated from his tender years in the Christian faith, was at first indeed addicted to earthly things, but soon after, having renounced his wealth and the vanities of the world, he embraced the monastic life, though his father was unwilling and reluctant. At first, however, he did not handle ascetic matters as diligently as he ought, but lazily and perfunctorily, relying on his family standing, and he would hardly admit those who offered counsel. But God, foreseeing this, lest Stagirius receive a lower reward after having made the sacrifice of such great wealth, allowed him to be seized and agitated by a demon, so that you might have seen his hands distorted, his eyes fierce, foam at his mouth, his voice horrific and incoherent, his body trembling, and a long-standing deprivation of his senses: and he was so frequently and repeatedly vexed that he sometimes came to desperate thoughts of killing himself. Hence arose immense sorrow and sadness. All ways of appeasing God were attempted, but none sufficed; the prayers of the saints were employed, nor was an end to the vexation obtained. Yet from so many trials, the result was that he who once acted so lazily now began to approach pious exercises more fervently. D
Now, by the account of Theophilus of Ephesus, who was a friend to both John and Stagirius, John was summoned to provide comfort during such a great calamity: as a friend, he wrote these three books, which were suitable for soothing the pain; in them, he proves by the example of the saints of both Testaments that God inflicts even heavier evils upon those most dear to Himself so that He might bestow upon them greater rewards and more splendid crowns. He says that the soul, when afflicted by calamities, clings more fervently to God and divine things: that all stains and vices are more quickly wiped away by this method: just as could be proved by the example of Stagirius himself, who, having eliminated his laziness, lethargy, and pride, now held the first rank among the more fervent athletes of Christ. And he brings forward the example of a certain Demophilus, a man very dear to him, and of Aristoxenus and others living in the xenodochium, who were suffering under dire pains with great patience. These things he pursues at length and pathetically according to his custom, and offers a remedy for soothing any sorrow to whoever reads them.
John, however, who could not visit Stagirius when he first began to write the book to him, did visit him before he finished these books, as he himself more than once hints, having been relieved by the illness. He was detained at home by sickness when he learned of Stagirius's calamity from the accounts of many others, as he himself says; and it is likely that he fell into these illnesses, the bodily ailment and the headache, while he macerated his weak body in the cave, where he spent two years, and kept his mind constantly intent upon ascetic exercises. But after he was forced to return to the city and to his own home by the strength of the illness, having not yet recovered from the sickness, he heard of these things concerning Stagirius from many who told him.