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they receive it when it has been agitated. But a good prayer is that which implants a clear concept of God in the soul. And this is the indwelling of God, to have God established in oneself through memory. Thus we become a temple of God, when the continuity of memory is not interrupted by earthly cares, when the mind is not disturbed by unexpected passions, but the lover of God, avoiding all things, withdraws to God, and driving out the things that provoke us to evil, he occupies himself in the practices that lead to virtue. And first of all, one must be diligent not to be unskilled in the use of speech, but to ask questions without contentiousness, and to answer without ambition, not interrupting the one speaking when he says something useful, nor desiring to insert one's own speech ostentatiously, setting limits to speech and hearing; to learn without shame and to teach without envy; and if one has been taught something by another, not to conceal it like base women who substitute illegitimate children, but to proclaim gratefully the father of the word. The middle tone of voice is to be preferred, so that it neither escapes the hearing by its smallness, nor is burdensome by the magnitude of its extension. And having first examined in oneself what is to be said, then to make the speech public. To be affable in encounters, pleasant in conversations, not seeking what is agreeable through jesting, but having what is gracious through kind exhortation. Everywhere rejecting what is harsh, even if it is necessary to rebuke. For having first humbled yourself through lowliness of mind, you will thus be readily accepted by the one in need of healing. And often the prophet's manner of rebuke is also useful to us, who, when David sinned, did not bring the sentence of condemnation from himself, but using the suggestion of a character, he made that very man the judge of his own sin; so that, having pronounced the judgment against himself, he might no longer blame the one who reproved him. A sad and downcast eye, a neglected appearance, unkempt hair, and soiled clothing follow a humble and dejected spirit. So that what those who mourn do by design, these things appear in us spontaneously. A tunic drawn close to the body with a belt; but the belt should be neither above the flanks, for that is effeminate; nor loose, so that the tunic flows, for that is sluggish; and one's gait should be neither sluggish, so as to betray a dissolution of the soul, nor again vehement and hurried, so as to indicate its frantic impulses. The one purpose of clothing is to be a sufficient covering for the flesh against winter and summer; let neither a bright color be pursued, nor what is fine and soft in its make; for to seek out fine colors in clothing is equivalent to the adornment of women, which they practice, dyeing their own cheeks and hair with a foreign bloom. Moreover, the tunic ought to be of such thickness as not to need a companion to warm the one wearing it. And footwear should be cheap in value, but fulfilling the need without deficiency. And in a word, just as in clothing it is proper to consider what is necessary, so also in food, bread will fulfill the need and water will cure the thirst of the healthy person, and whatever side-dishes from seeds are able to preserve strength in the body for its necessary needs. To eat not showing a ravenous gluttony, but everywhere preserving what is steady and calm and self-controlled concerning pleasures; nor at that time having the mind idle in the concept of God, but making the very nature of the foods and the constitution of the receiving body an occasion for doxology; how various kinds of foods, suiting the peculiarity of bodies, have been devised by the one who orders all things. Prayers before food to become worthy of the provisions of God, both what he now gives and what he has stored up for the future. Prayers after food having thanksgiving for what has been given and a request for what has been promised. One appointed hour for food. The same according to

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κεκινημένην παραλαμβάνουσιν. εὐχὴ δὲ καλή, ἡ ἐναργῆ ἐμποιοῦσα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔννοιαν τῇ ψυχῇ. καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐνοίκησις, τὸ διὰ τῆς μνήμης ἐνιδρυμένον ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Θεόν. οὕτω γινόμεθα ναὸς Θεοῦ, ὅταν μὴ φροντίσι γηίναις τὸ συνεχὲς τῆς μνήμης διακόπτηται, ὅταν μὴ τοῖς ἀπροσδοκήτοις πάθεσι ὁ νοῦς ἐκταράσ σηται, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἀποφυγὼν ὁ φιλόθεος ἐπὶ Θεὸν ἀναχωρῇ, καὶ ἐξελαύ νων τὰ προκαλούμενα ἡμᾶς εἰς κακίαν τοῖς πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἄγουσιν ἐπιτηδεύ μασιν ἐνδιατρίβῃ. Καὶ πρῶτόν γε πάντων σπουδάζειν προσήκει περὶ τὴν τοῦ λόγου χρῆσιν μὴ ἀμαθῶς ἔχειν, ἀλλ' ἐρωτᾷν μὲν ἀφιλονείκως, ἀποκρίνεσθαι δὲ ἀφιλοτίμως, μὴ διακόπτοντα τὸν προσδιαλεγόμενον, ὅταν τι χρήσιμον λέγῃ, μηδὲ ἐπιθυμοῦντα τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λόγον ἐπιδεικτικῶς παρεμβάλλειν, μέτρα ὁρίζοντα λόγῳ καὶ ἀκοῇ· μανθάνειν δὲ ἀνεπαισχύντως καὶ διδά σκειν ἀνεπιφθόνως· καὶ εἴ τι παρ' ἑτέρου δεδίδακται, μὴ ἐπικρύπτειν ὥσπερ αἱ φαῦλαι τῶν γυναικῶν, αἱ τὰ νόθα ὑποβαλλόμεναι, ἀλλὰ κηρύσ σειν εὐγνωμόνως τὸν πατέρα τοῦ λόγου. τόνος δὲ φωνῆς ὁ μέσος προτιμη τέος, ὡς μήτε διαφεύγειν τὴν ἀκοὴν ὑπὸ σμικρότητος, μήτε φορτικὸν εἶναι τῷ μεγέθει τῆς διατάσεως. προεξετάσαντα δὲ ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸ ῥηθησό μενον, οὕτω δημοσιεύειν τὸν λόγον. εὐπροσήγορον ἐν ταῖς ἐντεύξεσι, γλυκὺν ἐν ταῖς ὁμιλίαις, οὐ διὰ τῆς εὐτραπελίας τὸ ἡδὺ θηρώμενον, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς εὐμενοῦς παρακλήσεως τὸ προσηνὲς ἔχοντα. πανταχοῦ τὸ τραχύ, κἂν ἐπιτιμῆσαι δέῃ, ἀπωθούμενον. προκαταβαλὼν γὰρ σεαυτὸν διὰ ταπεινοφροσύνης, οὕτως εὐπαράδεκτος ἔσῃ τῷ δεομένῳ τῆς θεραπείας. πολλάκις δὲ χρήσιμος ἡμῖν καὶ ὁ τοῦ προφήτου τρόπος τῆς ἐπιπλήξεως, ὃς τῷ ∆αβὶδ ἁμαρτόντι οὐ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐπήγαγε τὸν ὅρον τῆς καταδίκης, ἀλλ' ὑποβολῇ προσώπου χρησάμενος, αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον ἐκάθισε τοῦ ἰδίου κριτὴν ἁμαρτήματος· ὥστε αὐτὸν καθ' ἑαυτοῦ προεξενεγκόντα τὴν κρίσιν μηδὲν ἔτι μέμφεσθαι τὸν ἐλέγξαντα. Ἕπεται δὲ τῷ ταπεινῷ καὶ καταβεβλημένῳ φρονήματι ὄμμα στυγνὸν καὶ εἰς γῆν νενευκός, σχῆμα ἠμελημένον, κόμη αὐχμηρά, ἐσθὴς ῥυπῶσα. ὥστε ἃ ποιοῦσιν οἱ πενθοῦντες κατ' ἐπιτήδευσιν, ταῦτα ἐκ τοῦ αὐτομάτου ἡμῖν ἐπιφαίνεσθαι. χιτὼν διὰ ζώνης προσεσταλμένος τῷ σώματι· τὸ μέντοι ζῶσμα μήτε ἄνω τῶν λαγόνων, γυναικῶδες γάρ· μήτε χαῦνον, ὥστε διαρρεῖν τὸν χιτῶνα, βλακικὸν γάρ· καὶ τὸ βάδισμα μήτε νωθρόν, ὡς ἔκλυσιν τῆς ψυχῆς κατηγορεῖν, μηδ' αὖ σφοδρὸν καὶ σεσοβημένον, ὡς ἐμπλήκτους αὐτῆς τὰς ὁρμὰς ὑποφαίνειν. σκοπὸς ἐσθῆτος εἷς, κάλυμμα εἶναι σαρκὸς πρὸς χειμῶνα καὶ θέρος αὔταρκες· μήτε δὲ ἐν χρώματι τὸ ἀνθηρὸν διωκέσθω, μήτε ἐν τῇ κατασκευῇ τὸ λεπτὸν καὶ μαλακόν· τὸ γὰρ τὰς ἐν ἐσθῆτι εὐχροίας περισκοπεῖν ἴσον ἐστὶ γυναικείῳ καλλωπισμῷ, ὃν ἐκεῖναι ἐπιτηδεύουσιν, ἀλλοτρίῳ ἄνθει παρειὰς καὶ τρίχας ἑαυτῶν καταβάπτουσαι. ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ παχύτητος οὕτως ἔχειν ὁ χιτὼν ὀφείλει, ὡς μὴ δεῖσθαι κοινωνοῦ πρὸς τὸ θάλπειν τὸν ἐνδυόμενον. ὑπόδημα δὲ τὸ εὐτελὲς μὲν κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν, ἀνενδεῶς δὲ τὴν χρείαν ἀποπληροῦν. Καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς, ὡς ἐν τῷ ἐνδύματι ἡγεῖσθαι προσήκει τὸ χρειῶδες, οὕτω καὶ ἐν τροφῇ ἄρτος ἐκπληρώσει τὴν χρείαν καὶ ὕδωρ θεραπεύσει τὴν δίψαν τῷ ὑγιαίνοντι καὶ ὅσα ἐκ σπερμάτων παροψήματα πρὸς τὰς ἀναγκαίας χρείας τὴν ἰσχὺν τῷ σώματι δύναται διασῶσαι. ἐσθίειν δὲ μὴ λυσσώδη γαστριμαργίαν ἐμφαίνοντα, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ τὸ εὐσταθὲς καὶ πρᾶον καὶ περὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς ἐγκρατὲς διασώζοντα· μηδὲ τότε τὸν νοῦν ἀργὸν ἐν τῇ περὶ Θεοῦ ἐννοίᾳ ἔχοντα, ἀλλ' αὐτὴν τῶν βρωμάτων τὴν φύσιν καὶ τὴν τοῦ ὑποδεχομένου σώματος κατασκευὴν ἀφορμὴν ποιεῖσθαι δοξολογίας· πῶς ποικίλα εἴδη τροφῶν τῇ ἰδιότητι τῶν σωμάτων ἁρμόζον τα παρὰ τοῦ πάντα οἰκονομοῦντος ἐπινενόηται. εὐχαὶ πρὸ τροφῆς ἀξίους γενέσθαι τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ παροχῶν, ὧν τε νῦν δίδωσι καὶ ὧν πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἐταμιεύσατο. εὐχαὶ μετὰ τροφὴν εὐχαριστίαν τῶν δεδομένων ἔχουσαι καὶ αἴτησιν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων. ὥρα μία τροφῆς ἀποτεταγμένη. ἡ αὐτὴ κατὰ