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tongue, many of the external evils are deposited in it. But when it becomes uplifted, and transfers its attention to spiritual things, it has walled off the entrance to evil imaginings, not by blocking the senses, but by transferring their following to that height. For just as a mistress, both formidable and grave, making a varied, precious, and costly ointment, and needing for this many serving hands, having roused her maids and brought them to herself, commanded one to separate with a sieve the unprocessed spices, and another, taking scales and weights, to measure carefully, so that neither less nor more than what is needed should be added and spoil the symmetry of the whole preparation, and one to boil what needed it, another to grind whatever is not right, another to mix some ingredients and combine them with the others, another to stand holding an alabaster jar; and another, another vessel, and another to handle something else, and thus having fixed both their minds and their hands on that task, she does not allow anything to be ruined in the process, presiding over it all, and not permitting their gazes to wander outside and gape; so also the soul, preparing this costly ointment, I mean compunction, brings the senses to itself, cutting away their indolence. For example, if it should ever happen that, collecting itself, it reflects on something of what is needful and God-pleasing, it renders the senses devoid of their activities, so that, by introducing nothing superfluous at the wrong time, they do not disturb the inner tranquility that it has. For this reason, sounds may indeed fall upon the ears, and sights upon the eyes; but nothing is conveyed within, since the activity of each of these members has been turned toward the soul. And why do I speak of sounds and sights, when indeed many who have been in this state, failed to perceive not only those passing before their eyes, but even those pushing against them? For so great is the excellence of the soul, that it is easy for one who wishes to live on the earth, but as if sitting in heaven, to be aware of nothing that happens on the earth.

2. Such was the blessed Paul, who, while moving about in the midst of cities, was as far removed from all present things as we are from dead bodies. 47.413 For when he says, "The world has been crucified to me," he means this insensibility; or rather, not this alone, but another one like it, so that the aforementioned is twofold. For he did not merely say, "The world has been crucified to me," and fall silent, but by the addition he indicated another by saying, "and I to the world." It is great philosophy, then, to consider the world to be dead, but greater than this and much mightier is for oneself also to be disposed as dead toward it. What Paul revealed, therefore, is something like this: for he says that he is not so far removed from present things as the living are from the dead, but as the dead are from the dead. Because the living man, even if he does not desire the deceased, yet has some feeling, either still admiring the beauty of the one lying there, or pitying and weeping for him; but the dead has not even this relationship and disposition toward the one who has departed. Wishing to make this clear, then, after saying, "The world has been crucified to me," he added, "and I to the world." Do you see how far he stood from the inhabited world, how while walking on the earth he had leaped up to the very summit of heaven? For do not tell me of the peaks of mountains, nor glens and ravines and untrodden wilderness; for these things alone are not sufficient to remove the soul's turmoil; but there is need of that flame, which Christ indeed kindled in the soul of Paul, and which the

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γλῶττα πολλὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν εἰς αὐτὴν ἐναποτίθενται κακῶν. Ὅταν δὲ μετέωρος γένηται, καὶ πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τὴν ἑαυτῆς μεταγάγῃ σχολὴν, ἀπετείχισε ταῖς πονηραῖς φαντασίαις τὴν εἴσοδον, οὐκ ἐμφράξασα τὰς αἰσθήσεις, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀκολούθησιν αὐτῶν πρὸς ἐκεῖνο μεταγαγοῦσα τὸ ὕψος. Καθάπερ γὰρ δέσποινα φοβερά τε καὶ ἐμβριθὴς, μύρον ἐργαζομένη ποικίλον, βαρύτιμον καὶ πολυτελὲς, καὶ πολλῶν εἰς τοῦτο δεομένη τῶν διακονησομένων χειρῶν, τὰς θεραπαίνας αὐτῆς ἀναστήσασα, καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἀγαγοῦσα, τὴν μὲν κοσκίνῳ τὸ μηδέπω κατειργασμένον τῶν ἀρωμάτων ἀποκρίνειν ἐκέλευσε, τὴν δ' αὖ ζυγὰ καὶ σταθμὰ λαβοῦσαν σκοπεῖν ἀκριβῶς, ὅπως μήτε ἔλαττον, μῆτε πλέον τοῦ δέοντος ἐπεισελθὸν τῆς τοῦ παντὸς κατασκευῆς τὴν συμμετρίαν λυμήνηται, καὶ τὴν μὲν ἕψειν τὰ τούτου δεόμενα, τὴν δὲ τρίβειν ὅσα μὴ καλῶς ἔχει, τὴν δὲ ἕτερα φύρειν καὶ ἀναμιγνύναι τοῖς ἄλλοις, τὴν δὲ ἀλάβαστρον ἔχουσαν ἑστάναι· τὴν δὲ ἄγγος ἕτερον, καὶ ἄλλην ἄλλο τι μεταχειρίζειν, καὶ οὕτως αὐτῶν τήν τε διάνοιαν καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἐκείνῳ προσηλώσασα τῷ ἔργῳ, οὐκ ἐᾷ διαφθαρῆναί τι τῇ σπουδῇ, ἐφεστῶσα διόλου, καὶ μὴ συγχωροῦσα πλανᾶσθαι ἔξω καὶ κεχηνέναι τὰς ὄψεις· οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ τὸ πολυτελὲς τοῦτο μύρον κατασκευάζουσα, τὴν κατάνυξιν λέγω, τὰς αἰσθήσεις ἄγει πρὸς ἑαυτὴν, τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν αὐτῶν περικόπτουσα. Αὐτίκα γοῦν εἴ ποτε συμβαίη συστρέψασαν ἑαυτὴν λογίζεσθαί τι τῶν δεόντων καὶ θεοφιλῶν, ἐρήμους τῶν ἐνεργειῶν τὰς αἰσθήσεις καθίστησιν, ὥστε μηδὲν τῶν περιττῶν ἐπεισαγούσας ἀκαίρως διαταράξαι τὴν ἔνδον γινομένην ἡσυχίαν αὐτῇ. ∆ιὸ καὶ προσπίπτουσι μὲν φωναὶ ταῖς ἀκοαῖς, καὶ θεωρίαι ταῖς ὄψεσι· παραπέμπεται δὲ ἔνδον οὐδὲν, τῆς ἑκάστου τούτων ἐνεργείας τῶν μελῶν ἐστραμμένης πρὸς τὴν ψυχήν. Καὶ τί λέγω φωνὰς καὶ θεωρίας, ὅπου γε πολλοὶ τῶν ἐν ταύτῃ γενομένων τῇ καταστάσει, οὐ μόνον τοὺς παριόντας πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐνωθοῦντας αὐτοῖς ἀπῆλθον μὴ αἰσθόμενοι; Τοσαύτη γὰρ τῆς ψυχῆς ἡ ἀρετὴ, ὡς εἶναι ῥᾴδιον τῷ βουλομένῳ διατρίβειν μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὥσπερ δὲ ἐν οὐρανῷ καθημένῳ μηδενὸς ἐπαισθάνεσθαι τῶν γινομένων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.

βʹ. Τοιοῦτος ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἦν, ὃς τοσοῦτον ἀφειστήκει τῶν παρόντων ἁπάντων ἐν μέσαις στρεφόμενος πόλεσιν, ὅσον τῶν νεκρῶν ἀφεστήκαμεν σωμάτων ἡμεῖς. 47.413 Ὅταν γὰρ λέγῃ, Ἐμοὶ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται, ταύτην λέγει τὴν ἀναισθησίαν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ ταύτην μόνην, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέραν τοιαύτην, ὡς εἶναι τὴν προειρημένην διπλῆν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε μόνον, Ἐμοὶ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται, καὶ ἐσιώπησεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἐπαγωγῆς καὶ ἑτέραν ἐδήλωσεν εἰπὼν, ὅτι Κἀγὼ τῷ κόσμῳ. Μεγάλη μὲν οὖν φιλοσοφία καὶ τὸ νομίζειν νεκρὸν εἶναι τὸν κόσμον, πλείων δὲ ταύτης καὶ πολλῷ μείζων τὸ καὶ αὐτὸν ὡς τεθνηκότα διακεῖσθαι πρὸς ἐκεῖνον. Ὅπερ οὖν ὁ Παῦλος ἐνέφηνε, τοιοῦτον δή τί ἐστι· λέγει γὰρ οὐ τοσοῦτον ἀπέχειν τῶν παρόντων, ὅσον οἱ ζῶντες τῶν νεκρωθέντων, ἀλλ' ὅσον οἱ νεκροὶ τῶν νεκρῶν. ∆ιότι ὁ μὲν ζῶν, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐπιθυμεῖ τοῦ τετελευτηκότος, ἀλλ' ἑτέρως αἰσθάνεται, ἢ καὶ θαυμάζων ἔτι τὸ κάλλος τοῦ κειμένου, ἢ καὶ ἐλεῶν αὐτὸν καὶ δακρύων· ὁ δὲ νεκρὸς πρὸς τὸν ἀπελθόντα οὐδὲ ταύτην ἔχει τὴν σχέσιν καὶ τὴν διάθεσιν. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ἐμφῆναι βουλόμενος, εἰπὼν, Ἐμοὶ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται, ἐπήγαγε, κἀγὼ τῷ κόσμῳ. Ὁρᾷς πόσον ἀφειστήκει τῆς οἰκουμένης, πῶς ἐν τῇ γῇ βαδίζων πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀνεπεπηδήκει τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὴν κορυφήν; Μὴ γάρ μοι τὰς ἀκρωρείας εἴπῃς τῶν ὀρῶν, μηδὲ νάπας καὶ φάραγγας καὶ ἐρημίαν ἄβατον· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἱκανὰ ταῦτα μόνα ψυχῆς θόρυβον ἐξελεῖν· ἀλλὰ δεῖ τῆς φλογὸς ἐκείνης, ἣν ἀνῆψε μὲν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν τῇ τοῦ Παύλου ψυχῇ, ἔτρεφε δὲ ὁ