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sensibilities, and I do not know how to lighten the pain, or with what words. For these reasons the old things are passed over in silence, and the new things are made a comedy of (for my tragedy is a comedy to my enemies); for this reason we have taken not a little from the Churches, and have added it to the stage; and this in such a city, which is zealous to make a game of divine things, as of anything else, and would sooner laugh at anything praiseworthy, than pass by anything laughable without a laugh. So that I would be surprised, if they do not also laugh at me today as I say these things, the foreign herald of piety, who teaches not to laugh at everything, but that there are some things to be taken seriously. And why do I say laugh? It would be a wonder if I were not even required to pay a penalty for wishing to do good. For such are our affairs, that as for me, they do not grieve me, neither Churches held captive, which perhaps someone of a petty mind might feel, nor gold flowing to others, nor 35.1141 evil tongues, doing their own work, speaking badly, since they have not learned to speak well.

9. For there is no fear that the Godhead might ever be circumscribed by place, or become something for sale, so that it may belong entirely to the wealthier. And those who praise me or slander me will not change me (like those who mix ointment with mud, or mud with ointment, and confuse the qualities by the mixture), so that I should be vexed at the slanders as though I were changed by them. Indeed, I would have paid much money to my praisers, if they made me better by their praises. But now this is not so; how could it be? but what I am, that I remain, both when slandered and when admired. But a mortal swims idly in words, says Job; and as much as foam flowing around a rock, or breezes around a pine, or any of the dense and high things; so much do their tongues flow around me, and at the same time I philosophize something like this to myself: that if the accuser is false, the statement does not concern me more than it touches him who says it, even if he slanders me by name; but if it is true, I will blame myself more than the speaker (for from me he has the material for speaking, not I from the speaker the cause of being such); and passing by their voices, as being nothing, I will become my own master, gaining this alone from their wickedness, to live more securely. And thirdly, a thing which has something very great and magnificent in it, this reviling, that we are blasphemed with God; for the same people who deny the Godhead also insult the theologian. Therefore, none of these things is terrible, even if the many think so; but that no one is any longer believed to be faithful, nor artless in virtue and free from the stage, not even if he is exceedingly strong in soul, and genuine in piety; but one is openly wicked, and another has moderation as a pretense and a color, that he may deceive by his appearance.

10. And some do not seem black because of certain such men; nor base-born, or ugly, or unmanly, or intemperate, since many are so; but each is judged by himself, and neither any of the things blamed, nor of the things praised, is made common. But the stain of wickedness is easily poured out upon all, and a common accusation of the whole, not only that of the many, but even that of a few, becomes. And the most terrible thing is, that it does not stop only with us, but passes over to our great and august mystery. For of those who judge our affairs, which happens to nearly all who are judges of others' affairs, some are reasonably gentle and humane, but others are also excessively bitter and senseless. For some 35.1144 reproach us ourselves for our wickedness, absolving our doctrine from blame; but others accuse the law itself as a teacher of wickedness, and especially whenever they encounter many wicked men among those deemed worthy of leadership.

11. What is this, O you men, and for how long? Will we not be sensible, at least late in the day? Will we not become sober? Will we not be ashamed? Will we not, if nothing else, guard against the tongues of our enemies, which readily bring false charges? Will we not cease from excessive contention? Will we not know which of the things we seek are attainable for us, and to what extent; and which are beyond our power? And which belong to the present time, and of the

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αἰσθητήρια, καὶ οὐκ ἔχω, πῶς κουφίσω τὸ ἀλγοῦν, καὶ τίσι τοῖς ῥήμασι. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα σιωπᾶται τὰ παλαιὰ, καὶ κωμῳδεῖται τὰ νέα (κωμῳδία γὰρ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἡ ἐμὴ τραγῳδία)· διὰ τοῦτο τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ὑφείλομεν οὐκ ὀλίγον, καὶ τῇ σκηνῇ προσεθήκαμεν· καὶ ταῦτα ἐν τοιαύτῃ πόλει, ἣ σπουδάζει τὸ τὰ θεῖα παίζειν, ὥσπερ τι ἕτερον, καὶ θᾶττον ἄν τι τῶν ἐπαινουμένων γελάσειεν, ἢ παρ ίδοι τι τῶν γελοίων ἀγέλαστον. Ὥστε θαυμάσαιμι ἂν, εἰ μὴ κἀμὲ γελάσαι σήμερον τὸν ταῦτα λέ γοντα, τὸν εὐσεβείας ἔπηλυν κήρυκα, καὶ μὴ πάντα γελᾷν, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἃ καὶ σπουδάζειν διδάσκοντα. Καὶ τί γελᾷν λέγω; Θαυμαστὸν, εἰ μὴ καὶ δίκας ἀπαιτηθείην, εὐεργετεῖν βουλόμενος. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τὰ ἡμέτερα, ὡς ἐμέ γε οὐ λυποῦσιν, οὔτ' Ἐκκλη σίαι κατεχόμεναι, ὃ τάχα ἄν τις πάθοι τῶν μικρο πρεπῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, οὔτε χρυσὸς ἄλλοις ῥέων, οὔτε 35.1141 γλῶσσαι πονηραὶ, τὸ ἑαυτῶν ποιοῦσαι, λέγουσαι κα κῶς, ἐπειδὴ καλῶς οὐκ ἔμαθον.

Θʹ. Οὐ γὰρ δέος, μήποτε τόπῳ περιγράφηται τὸ Θεῖον, ἢ ὤνιον γένηται, ἵν' ὅλον ᾖ τῶν εὐπορωτέρων. Ἐμέ τε οὐκ ἀμείψουσιν οἱ εὐφημοῦντες, ἢ δυσφη μοῦντες (ὥσπερ οἱ βορβόρῳ μύρον ἀναμιγνύντες, ἢ μύρῳ βόρβορον, καὶ τὰς ποιότητας τῇ ἐπιμιξίᾳ συγχέοντες), ἵνα δυσχεράνω τὰς βλασφημίας ὡς μεθ ιστάμενος. Ἦ πολλὰ ἂν κατέβαλον χρήματα τοῖς ἐπαινέταις, εἴ με βελτίω τοῖς ἐπαίνοις εἰργάζοντο. Νῦν δὲ οὐχ οὕτω τοῦτο ἔχει, πόθεν; ἀλλ' ὅπερ εἰμὶ, τοῦτο μένω, καὶ δυσφημούμενος, καὶ θαυμαζόμενος. Βροτὸς δ' ἄλλως νήχεται λόγοις, φησὶν Ἰώβ· καὶ ὅσα πέτραν περιῤῥέων ἀφρὸς, ἢ πίτυν αὖραι, ἤ τινα τῶν δασέων καὶ ὑψηλῶν· τοσαῦτα αἱ γλῶσσαί με περιῤῥέουσι, καὶ ἅμα φιλοσοφῶ τι τοιοῦτο πρὸς ἐμαυτόν· ὡς Εἰ μὲν ψευδὴς ὁ κατηγορῶν, οὐκ ἐμοῦ μᾶλλον ὁ λόγος, ἢ ἐκείνου τὸ λεγόμενον ἅπτεται, κἂν ἐμὲ ὀνόματι βλασφημῇ· εἰ δ' ἀληθὴς, ἐμαυ τὸν μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν λέγοντα αἰτιάσομαι (παρ' ἐμοῦ γὰρ ἐκείνῳ τὸ λέγειν, οὐκ ἐμοὶ τὸ εἶναι τοιούτῳ παρὰ τοῦ λέγοντος)· καὶ παραδραμὼν τὰς φωνὰς, ὡς οὐδὲν οὔσας, ἐμαυτοῦ γενήσομαι, τοῦτο μόνον αὐτῶν κερ δαίνων τῆς μοχθηρίας, τὸ βιοῦν ἀσφαλέστερον. Τρί τον δ', ὃ καὶ μέγιστον ἔχει τι καὶ μεγαλοπρεπὲς, ἡ λοιδορία, ὅτι μετὰ Θεοῦ βλασφημούμεθα· οἱ γὰρ αὐ τοὶ θεότητά τε ἀθετοῦσι, καὶ τὸν θεολόγον ὑβρίζουσιν. Οὐκοῦν τούτων οὐδὲν δεινὸν, κἂν οἱ πολλοὶ νομίζω σιν· ἀλλ' ὅτι μηδεὶς ἔτι πιστεύεται πιστὸς εἶναι, μηδὲ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἄτεχνος καὶ σκηνῆς ἐλεύθερος, μηδ' ἂν σφόδρα ᾖ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐῤῥωμένος, καὶ γνήσιος εἰς εὐσέβειαν· ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν καὶ φανερῶς κακὸς, ὁ δὲ πλάσμα καὶ χρῶμα ἔχει τὴν ἐπιείκειαν, ἵνα κλέπτῃ τῷ φαινομένῳ.

Ιʹ. Καὶ οἱ μὲν οὐ δοκοῦσι μέλανες διά τινας τοιού τους· οὐδὲ δυσγενεῖς, ἢ δυσειδεῖς, ἢ ἄνανδροι, ἢ ἀκόλαστοι, πλειόνων οὕτως ἐχόντων· ἀλλὰ καθ' ἑαυ τὸν ἕκαστος κρίνεται, καὶ οὐ κοινοῦται, οὔτε τῶν ψεγομένων οὐδὲν, οὔτε τῶν ἐπαινουμένων. Τὸ δὲ τῆς κακίας εἰς πάντας χεῖται ῥᾳδίως, καὶ κοινὴ κατ ηγορία τοῦ παντὸς, μὴ ὅτι τὸ τῶν πολλῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τινῶν γίνεται. Καὶ τὸ δεινότατον, ὅτι μὴ μέχρις ἡμῶν ἵσταται μόνον, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ μέγα καὶ σεμνὸν ἡμῶν διαβαίνει μυστήριον. Τῶν γὰρ τὰ ἡμέτερα κρι νόντων, ὃ πᾶσι μικροῦ συμβαίνει, τοῖς τῶν ἀλλοτρίων κριταῖς, οἱ μὲν ἐπιεικῶς εἰσιν ἥμεροι καὶ φιλάνθρω ποι, οἱ δὲ καὶ λίαν πικροὶ καὶ ἀγνώμονες. Οἱ μὲν 35.1144 γὰρ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς κακίζουσι τῆς μοχθηρίας, ἀφιέντες τὸ δόγμα τῆς μέμψεως· οἱ δὲ καταιτιῶνται τὸν νό μον αὐτὸν, ὡς κακίας διδάσκαλον, καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν πολλοῖς ἐντύχωσι πονηροῖς τῶν προστασίας ἠξιωμένων.

ΙΑʹ. Τί ταῦτα, ὦ οὗτοι, καὶ μέχρι τίνος; Οὐ σω φρονήσομεν ὀψὲ γοῦν; Οὐκ ἐκνήψομεν; Οὐκ αἰσχυνούμεθα; Οὐκ, εἰ μή τι ἄλλο, τὰς τῶν ἐχθρῶν φυλαξόμεθα γλώσσας, αἳ καὶ τὰ ψευδῆ ῥᾳδίως ἐπ ηρεάζουσιν; Οὐ παυσόμεθα τῆς ἄγαν φιλονεικίας; Οὐ γνωσόμεθα, τίνα μὲν ἡμῖν ἐφικτὰ τῶν ζητουμέ νων, καὶ μέχρι τίνος· τίνα δὲ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἡμετέραν δύ ναμιν; Καὶ τίνα μὲν τοῦ παρόντος καιροῦ, καὶ τῆς