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to become evil, even if no one happens to lead us to it; but the acquisition of the good is rare and uphill, even if there were much to draw us on and summon us. And this is what it seems to me that the most blessed 35.421 Haggai also, having understood, came to that wonderful and most true image: Ask, O priests, the law, saying: If holy flesh in a garment, having touched any food, or drink, or vessel, will immediately sanctify that which it approached; and when they denied it; Ask again if any of these, having come into contact with uncleanness, did not immediately partake of the defilement? since they would indeed say that it partakes, and does not remain pure by the contact.

ΙΒʹ. What is this saying? The very thing my argument is about: that the good is hard to grasp for human nature, just as fire is for rather moist matter; but most people are ready and suited for partaking of evil, like some straw to a spark, I think, and a wind, easily ignited and consumed because of its dryness. For one would more quickly partake abundantly of a little evil than of profound virtue little by little. Since also a little wormwood most quickly imparts its bitterness to honey; but honey, not even twice the amount, its sweetness to wormwood. And a small pebble removed from below could draw a whole river down a slope; but to hold back or check it, even the strongest barrier could scarcely be able.

ΙΓʹ. First, then, this of the things we have said is worthy of caution, lest we appear bad painters of wonderful virtue, or rather, perhaps, of painters who are not bad, but for the many, a bad archetype; 35.424 or lest we run not far from the proverb, attempting to heal others while ourselves teeming with sores.

Ι∆ʹ. Secondly, even if someone should keep himself pure from all sin, or as much as possible, I do not know if even this is sufficient for one who is going to instruct others in virtue. For it is necessary for the one entrusted with this not only to be not evil—for this is most shameful for many even of those under his charge—but also to be excellent in the good, according to the commandment which commands, turn from evil, and do good; nor only to erase the base impressions from the soul, but also to inscribe the better ones, so as to excel more in virtue than he surpasses in rank; and to know no measure of the good and of the ascent, nor to consider what has been attained a gain so much as what escapes a loss; but always to make what is at one's feet a stepping-stone for what comes next; and not to think it a great thing if we surpass the many, but a loss if we fall short of our worth; and to measure what is achieved by the commandment, and not by our neighbors, whether they be evil, or have attained some measure of virtue; and not to weigh virtue with small weights, but with the greatest, and from Whom are all things, and to Whom all things are owed.

ΙΕʹ. Nor to think that the same things are suitable for all, just as not all have the same ages, nor features of faces, nor natures of living beings, nor qualities of land, nor the beauties and sizes of stars; but to consider that for a private person, wickedness is to do base things, and whatever is worthy of punishment, for which the law is also a harsh master; but for a ruler or one who presides, it is not to be as good as possible, and always advancing in what is good, if he is to draw the many to what is moderate by his abundance of virtue, and not to rule them by force, but to win them over by persuasion. For the involuntary, besides being tyrannical, is also not praiseworthy, nor lasting; for what is coerced is wont, like a plant forcibly 35.425 torn by violent hands, to spring back to its former state when released; but what comes from choice is at once most lawful and most secure, being preserved by the bond of goodwill. For which reason especially our law and lawgiver exhorts us to shepherd the flock willingly, and not by compulsion.

Ιςʹ. But let there be someone who is neither evil, and has reached the very summit of virtue; I do not see, having received what knowledge, or trusting in what power, he would be bold enough for this

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τὸ γενέσθαι κα κὸν, κἂν εἰ μὴ τύχοι πρὸς ταύτην ἡμᾶς ἄγων μηδείς· σπάνιον δὲ ἡ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ κτῆσις καὶ πρόσαντες, κἂν εἰ πολὺ τὸ μεθέλκον εἴη καὶ προκα λούμενον. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὅ μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ὁ μακα 35.421 ριώτατος Ἀγγαῖος κατανοήσας ἐπὶ τὴν θαυμασίαν ἑκείνην ἐλθεῖν καὶ ἀληθεστάτην εἰκόνα· Ἐρωτήσα τε, ἱερεῖς, νόμον, λέγων· Εἰ κρέας ἅγιον ἐν ἱματίῳ βρωτοῦ τινος, ἢ ποτοῦ, ἢ σκεύους ἀψάμε νον εὐθὺς ἁγιάσει τὸ πλησιάσαν· τῶν δὲ ἀποφη σάντων· Ἐρωτήσατε πάλιν εἰ καὶ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ τού των τι προσομιλῆσαν, μὴ παραχρῆμα μετέλαβε τοῦ μιάσματος; ὡς ἐρούντων γε μεταλαμβάνειν, καὶ μὴ καθαρὸν μένειν τῇ κοινωνίᾳ.

ΙΒʹ. Τί τοῦτο λέγων· ὅπερ ὁ ἐμὸς λόγος· ὅτι δύσληπτον μὲν τὸ ἀγαθὸν τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει, ὥσ περ καὶ πῦρ ὕλῃ τῇ ὑγροτέρᾳ· ἕτοιμοι δὲ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ κακοῦ μετουσίαν οἱ πλεῖστοι καὶ ἐπιτήδειοι, κα λάμη τις πρὸς σπινθῆρα, οἶμαι, καὶ ἄνεμον ῥᾳδίως ἐξαπτομένη καὶ δαπανωμένη διὰ ξηρότητα· θᾶττον γὰρ ἄν τις ὀλίγης κακίας μεταλάβοι πλου σίως ἢ ἀρετῆς βαθείας κατὰ μικρόν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ μέ λιτι μὲν μικρὸν ἀψίνθιον ὡς τάχιστα μεταδίδωσι τοῦ πικροῦ· μέλι δὲ οὐδὲ τὸ διπλάσιον ἀψινθίῳ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γλυκύτητος· καὶ μικρὰ μὲν ὑποσπασθεῖσα ψηφὶς ποταμὸν ὅλον ἑλκύσειεν ἂν ἐπὶ τὸ πρανές· ἐπισχεῖν δὲ ἢ ἀνακόψαι μόλις ἂν δυνηθείη καὶ τὸ καρτερώτατον ἔρυμα.

ΙΓʹ. Πρῶτον μὲν δὴ τοῦτο, ὧν εἴπομεν, εὐλαβεῖσθαι ἄξιον, μὴ φαινώμεθα τῆς θαυμασίας ἀρετῆς κακοὶ ζωγράφοι, μᾶλλον δὲ ζωγράφων οὐ φαύλων ἴσως, τῶν δὲ πολλῶν φαῦλον ἀρχέτυπον· 35.424 ἢ τῆς παροιμίας μὴ πόῤῥω θέωμεν, ἄλλους ἰατρεύ ειν ἐπιχειροῦντες αὐτοὶ βρύοντες ἕλκεσι.

Ι∆ʹ. ∆εύτερον δὲ, εἰ καί τις ἁγνὸν ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας τηρήσειεν, ἢ ὡς μάλιστα, οὐκ οἶδα μὲν, εἰ καὶ τοῦτο αὔταρκες τῷ μέλλοντι τοὺς ἄλλους παιδεύειν πρὸς ἀρετήν· οὐ γὰρ μὴ κα κὸν εἶναι δεῖ μόνον τὸν τοῦτο πεπιστευμένον, τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ χεῖρα τοῖς πολλοῖς αἴσχιστον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἀγαθῷ διαφέροντα, κατὰ τὴν, ἐκκλίνειν ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ ποιεῖν ἀγαθὸν, κελεύουσαν ἐντολήν· οὐδὲ τοὺς φαύλους ἐξαλεῖψαι τῆς ψυχῆς τύπους μό νον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἀμείνους ἐγγράψασθαι, ὡς πλέον κατ' ἀρετὴν προέχειν, ἢ ὁπόσον περίεστιν ἀξιώματι· καὶ μηδὲν μέτρον εἰδέναι τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀναβά σεως, μηδὲ κέρδος μᾶλλον τὸ κρατηθὲν ἢ ζημίαν τὸ διαφεῦγον· ἀλλ' ἐπίβασιν ἀεὶ ποιεῖσθαι τὸ ποσὶ τοῦ ἑξῆς· καὶ μὴ μέγα νομίζειν ἂν τῶν πολλῶν δια φέρωμεν, ἀλλὰ ζημίαν ἂν τῆς ἀξίας λειπώμεθα· καὶ τῇ ἐντολῇ παραμετρεῖν, ἀλλὰ μὴ τοῖς πέλας, τὸ κατορθούμενον, ἄν τε ὦσι κακοὶ, ἄν τε ἀρετῆς ἐπὶ ποσὸν ἥκοντες· καὶ μὴ μικροῖς σταθμοῖς ταλαν τεύειν τὴν ἀρετὴν, τῷ μεγίστῳ, καὶ παρ' οὗ τὰ πάντα, καὶ εἰς ὃν τὰ πάντα χρεωστουμένην.

ΙΕʹ. Μηδὲ τὰ αὐτὰ πᾶσιν ἁρμόζειν οἴεσθαι, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἡλικίαι πᾶσιν αἱ αὐταὶ, οὐδὲ προσώπων χα ρακτῆρες, οὐδὲ ζώων φύσεις, οὐδὲ γῆς ποιότη τες, οὐδὲ κάλλη τε καὶ μεγέθη λαμπτήρων· ἀλλ' ἡγεῖσθαι ἰδιώτου μὲν εἶναι κακίαν τὸ φαῦλα πράσ σειν, καὶ ὅσα κολάσεως ἄξια, ὧν καὶ ὁ νόμος βαρὺς δεσπότης· ἄρχοντος δὲ ἢ προεστῶτος τὸ μὴ ὡς ἄριστον εἶναι, καὶ ἀεὶ τῷ καλῷ προβαίνοντα, εἴπερ μέλλοι τῷ περιόντι τῆς ἀρετῆς ἕλξειν τοὺς πολλοὺς εἰς τὸ μέτριον, καὶ μὴ βίᾳ κατάρξειν, ἀλλὰ πειθοῖ προσάξεσθαι. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀκούσιον, πρὸς τὸ τυραννικὸν εἶναι, καὶ οὐκ ἐπαινετὸν, οὐδὲ μόνιμον· φιλεῖ γὰρ τὸ βιασθὲν, ὥσπερ φυτὸν βίᾳ 35.425 τὸν βίᾳ χερσὶ μετασπώμενον, εἰς ἑαυτὸ πάλιν ἀφε θὲν ἀνατρέχειν· τὸ δ' ἐκ προαιρέσεως ἐννομώτατόν τε ἅμα καὶ ἀσφαλέστατον, εὐνοίας δεσμῷ τηρούμενον. Ὅθεν δὴ καὶ μάλιστα ποιμαίνειν τὸ ποίμνιον ἑκου σίως, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἀναγκαστῶς, ὁ ἡμέτερος διακελεύε ται νόμος καὶ νομοθέτης.

Ιςʹ. Ἀλλ' ἔστω τις μήτε κακὸς, καὶ ἀρετῆς ἥκων εἰς τὸ ἀκρότατον· οὐχ ὁρῶ, τίνα λαβὼν ἐπιστήμην, ἢ ποίᾳ δυνάμει πιστεύσας, ταύτην ἂν θαῤῥοίη τὴν