3

responsible; they will have their fill, he says, of their own desire.

CHAPTER 2.

Son, let not evil counsel overtake you. -And a divine covenant forgotten. [ξοδ. φ. 13. β.] By evil counsel he means the devil, which counsel, having overtaken Adam, abandoned him from the new and un-aging learning of God. And by a divine covenant forgotten he means that which to Adam and Noah, Abraham and Moses in the Gospels Christ promised to give to as many as conquer the devil, which also angels desire in the kingdom of heaven, when it comes.

CHAPTER 3.

Do not devise evils against your friend, who dwells beside you and trusts in you. [ξοδ. φ. 19. β.] Do not betray the one who has trusted in you, for this is beastly. Do not contend with a man for no reason. [ξοδ. φ. 20. α.] Do not become an enemy without cause; is there then a without cause? For there is for the sake of piety. Wherefore Paul also says: If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men?

CHAPTER 4.

Who taught me. [ξοδ. φ. 21. α.] Do you see how he did not disdain to hear from his mother what must be done? For it is not, it is not possible to hear anything wicked concerning what must be done from one's parents, unless some should be perverse. Let our word rest upon your heart. For the teacher is of no benefit, when the one being taught does not pay attention; and well did he say, Let it rest. Let it rest, he says, let it be bound, let it not depart, nor leap away; or let it be supported, make it a support for the soul. Love her. [ξοδ. φ. 21 α.] Since loves are also dissolved, immortally, he says, love her, that she may keep you unharmed; for it is not possible to accomplish anything noble without fervent desire. To speak my words. -That for you there might be many ways of life. [ξοδ. φ. 21 β.] For it is unprofitable to hear a word that is not accepted; and the virtues are many ways, which lead to the one way, to the one who said: I am the way; or as one might say, All things will be easy for you and manageable and 64.668 passable; so that from wherever you wish, you may travel, through wealth, through poverty, through glory and dishonor; for just as if someone, being undaunted, or had received wings from nature, will suspect no road, whether it is rough, or deserted, or if some robber or burglar lies in wait, so the one lightened by the wing of wisdom will be able to travel everywhere with ease. For if you walk, your steps will not be constrained. [ξοδ. φ. 22 α.] If you run, he says, having come into the possession of virtue, you will not endure constraint, you will have no hindrance, that is, an end of the action, which does not exist even in the case of wisdom, because it is ever new, and does not become sated with progress; for on the main roads it often happens, that after going a great distance, one encounters a ravine, cutting off our journey forward; or even to meet someone, and be taught that we are not traveling well, and then to turn back; but in virtue there is no hindrance; but how is it possible not to grow weary when running, being clothed in so toilsome a body? when indeed even a hurried pace alone becomes a cause of pain; therefore the one running the way of the virtues, does not become sated because of always to the

3

αἴτιοι· κόρον λήψονται, φησὶ, τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἐπιθυμίας.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Βʹ.

Υἱὲ, μή σε καταλάβῃ βουλὴ κακή. -Καὶ διαθήκην θείαν ἐπιλελησμένη. [ξοδ. φ. 13. β.] Βουλὴν κακὴν τὸν διάβολον λέγει, ἥτις βουλὴ, τὸν Ἀδὰμ καταλαβοῦσα, ἀπέλιπεν αὐτὸν τῆς νέας καὶ οὐ παλαιουμένης μαθήσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ. ∆ιαθήκην δὲ θείαν ἐπιλελησμένην λέγει ἣν Ἀδὰμ καὶ Νῶε, Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Μωϋσεῖ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις Χριστὸς ἐπηγγείλατο τοῖς ὅσοι νικῶσι τὸν διάβολον ἀποδώσειν, ἣν καὶ ἄγγελοι ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὅταν ἔλθῃ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Γʹ.

Μὴ τέκταινε ἐπὶ σὸν φίλον κακὰ, παροικοῦντα καὶ πεποιθότα ἐπὶ σοί. [ξοδ. φ. 19. β.] Τὸν θαῤῥήσαντα εἰς σὲ μὴ προδῷς τοῦτο γὰρ θηριωδίας. Μὴ φιλεχθρήσῃς πρὸς ἄνθρωπον μάτην. [ξοδ. φ. 20. α.] Μὴ γίνου ἐχθρὸς εἰκῆ· ἆρα ἔστιν εἰκῆ; ἔστι γὰρ δι' εὐσέβειαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλός φησιν· Εἰ δυνατὸν, τὸ ἐξ ὑμῶν, μετὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων εἰρηνεύοντες;

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ∆ʹ.

Οἳ ἐδίδασκόν με. [ξοδ. φ. 21. α.] Ὁρᾷς ὡς οὐκ ἀπηξίου παρὰ τῆς μητρὸς ἀκοῦσαι τὰ πρακτέα; οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν εἰς τὰ πρακτέα πονηρόν τι παρὰ τῶν γονέων ἀκοῦσαι, πλὴν εἰ μή τινες εἶεν διάστροφοι. Ἐρειδέτω ὁ ἡμέτερος λόγος εἰς σὴν καρδίαν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ὄφελος τοῦ διδασκάλου, ὅταν ὁ διδασκόμενος μὴ προσέχῃ· καὶ καλῶς εἶπεν Ἐρειδέτω. Ἀναπαυέσθω, φησὶ, δεθήτω, μὴ ἀποχωρείτω, μηδὲ ἀποπηδάτω· ἢ ἐρεισθήτω, ἔρεισμα αὐτὸν ἀπόδειξον τῆς ψυχῆς. Ἐράσθητι αὐτῆς. [ξοδ. φ. 21 α.] Ἐπειδὴ καὶ οἱ ἔρωτες λύονται, ἀθάνατα, φησὶν, αὐτῆς ἐράσθητι, ἵνα ἀπήμονά σε τηρῇ· οὐ γὰρ ἔστι χωρὶς ἐπιθυμίας θερμῆς γενναῖόν τι κατορθῶσαι. Λέξαι ἐμοὺς λόγους. -Ἵνα σοι γένωνται πολλαὶ ὁδοὶ βίου. [ξοδ. φ. 21 β.] Ἀνόνητον γὰρ τὸ ἀκούειν μὴ δεχθέντος λόγου· ὁδοὶ δὲ πολλαὶ αἱ ἀρεταὶ, αἳ εἰς μίαν ἄγουσιν ὁδὸν τὸν εἰπόντα· Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδός· ἢ ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, Πάντα σοι ῥᾴδια ἔσται καὶ εὐχερῆ καὶ 64.668 βατά· ἵνα ὅθεν ἂν θέλῃς, πορεύῃ, διὰ πλούτου, διὰ πενίας, διὰ δόξης καὶ ἀτιμίας· ὡς γὰρ εἴ τις ὢν ἀκατάπληκτος, ἢ πτερὰ λάβοι παρὰ τῆς φύσεως, οὐδεμίαν ὑποπτεύσει ὁδὸν, κἂν τραχεῖα, κἂν ἔρημος, κἂν ἐφεδρεύῃ τις λῃστὴς, ἢ τοιχωρύχος, οὕτως ὁ τῷ πτερῷ τῆς σοφίας κουφισθεὶς εὐμαρῶς δυνήσεται πανταχοῦ περιελθεῖν. Ἐὰν γὰρ πορεύῃ, οὐ συγκλεισθήσεται τὰ διαβήματά σου. [ξοδ. φ. 22 α.] Ἐὰν τρέχῃς, φησὶν, τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐν ἕξει γενόμενος, συγκλεισμὸν οὐχ ὑπομενεῖς, κώλυμα οὐδὲν ἕξεις, ἤτοι πέρας τῆς πράξεως, ὅπερ οὐδὲ ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ ἐστὶ, τῷ νεάζειν, καὶ κόρον μὴ λαμβάνειν τῆς προκοπῆς· ἐν μὲν γὰρ ταῖς λεωφόροις συμβαίνει πολλάκις, πολὺ μέρος ἀπελθόντας, ἀπαντῆσαι φάραγγα, τὴν εἰς τὸ πρόσω πορείαν ἡμῖν ἀποτέμνουσαν· ἢ καὶ συναντῆσαί τινι, καὶ ἀναδιδαχθῆναι ὡς οὐ καλῶς ὁδεύομεν, εἶτα ὑποστρέψαι· ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀρετῇ κώλυμα οὐδέν· πῶς δὲ ἔστι μὴ κοπιάσαι τρέχοντας, οὕτω καματηρὸν σῶμα περικειμένους; ὅπου γε καὶ τὸ τῆς βαδίσεως σύντονον μόνον ἠπειγμένον αἴτιον γίνεται πόνου· ὁ οὖν τρέχων τὴν τῶν ἀρετῶν ὁδὸν, κόρον οὐ λαμβάνει διὰ τὸ ἀεὶ τῷ