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arts and enchantments, and cheap beauty, and the maker from below working against the Creator, and concealing God's creation with treacherous colors, and dishonoring it through its price, and setting forth the divine form as a whorish idol for licentious eyes, so that the counterfeit beauty might steal away the natural image reserved for God and for the future. But she knew many and various external adornments of women, but none more precious than her own character, and the splendor laid up within. One rouge was dear to her, that of modesty; one white cosmetic, that from self-control. But paintings and 35.801 under-paintings, and living pictures, and flowing beauty, she left to those on the stage and of the crossroads, and to all those for whom it is a shame and a reproach to be ashamed.

XI. Such, then, are these things; but of her prudence and piety there is no speech that could reach them, or many examples might be found, except for her parents both in the flesh and in the spirit, looking to them alone, and being in no way inferior to them in virtue, she was surpassed in this one thing only, and very willingly, that her goodness came from them, and she knew and confessed them to be the root of her own enlightenment. What was keener than that mind of hers, which not only those of her family, nor those of the same people and of the one fold, but also all those around knew as a common counselor, and made her counsels and exhortations an unbreakable law? What was more well-aimed than her words? What was more sensible than her silence? But since I have mentioned silence, I will add that which was most characteristic of her, and most becoming to women, and most useful for the present time. Who knew more about God, both from the divine oracles and from her own understanding? Who spoke less, remaining within the womanly bounds of piety? But as for that which was owed to her who knew how to be truly pious, and of which alone greed is good, who so adorned temples with offerings, both others and the one which I do not know if it will be adorned after her? Or rather, who so presented herself as a living temple to God? Who so glorified priests, both others and him who was her fellow-combatant and teacher in piety, whose are the goodly seeds and the consecrated union of her children to God?

XII. Who more than she set forth her house for those who live according to God, a good and enriching reception? And, what is greater than this, who so welcomed them with modesty and with steps according to God? And in addition to these things, who showed a mind more free from passion in the midst of passions? Who a more compassionate soul to those who were weary? Who a more generous hand to those in need? 35.804 So that I would even dare to adorn her with the words of Job: Her door was opened to every comer; the stranger did not lodge outside. She was an eye to the blind, a foot to the lame, a mother to orphans. And of her compassion for widows what greater thing need be said than that she bore the fruit of not being called a widow? Her hearth was a common refuge for the needy of her kindred; her possessions were common to all in need no less than their own things were to each of them. She scattered, she gave to the poor; and because of the unfailing and most true promise she stored up much in the wine-presses there, she welcomed Christ often and through many of those who were well treated; and, most beautiful of all, that with her appearance was not greater than the reality; but in secret she cultivated piety well for Him Who sees in secret. She snatched everything from the ruler of this world; she transferred everything to the safe storehouses. She left nothing to the earth except her body. She exchanged everything for the hopes of that other place; she left one treasure to her children, her example and the ambition to follow it.

XIII. And her magnanimity was not such and so incredible, while she gave her body over to luxury, and to the unrestrained pleasures of the stomach, to that raging dog and

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τέχναι καὶ γοητεύματα, καὶ τὸ εὔωνον κάλλος, καὶ ὁ κάτωθεν πλάστης ἀντι δημιουργῶν, καὶ κατακρύπτων τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πλάσμα ἐπιβούλοις χρώμασι, καὶ διὰ τῆς τιμῆς αἰσχύνων, καὶ προτιθεὶς τὴν θείαν μορφὴν εἴδωλον πορνικὸν λίχνοις ὄμμασιν, ἵνα κλέψῃ τὸ νόθον κάλλος τὴν φυ σικὴν εἰκόνα τηρουμένην Θεῷ καὶ τῷ μέλλοντι. Ἀλλὰ πολλοὺς μὲν ᾔδει καὶ παντοίους γυναικῶν κόσμους τοὺς ἔξωθεν, τιμιώτερον δὲ οὐδένα τοῦ ἑαυτῆς τρόπου, καὶ τῆς ἔνδον ἀποκειμένης λαμπρότητος. Ἓν μὲν ἔρευθος ἐκείνῃ φίλον, τὸ τῆς αἰδοῦς· μία δὲ λευκότης, ἡ παρὰ τῆς ἐγκρατείας. Τὰς δὲ γρα 35.801 φὰς καὶ ὑπογραφὰς, καὶ τοὺς ζῶντας πίνακας, καὶ τὴν ῥέουσαν εὐμορφίαν, ταῖς ἐπὶ θεάτρων παρῆκε καὶ τῶν τριόδων, καὶ ὅσαις αἰσχύνη καὶ ὄνειδος τὸ αἰσχύνεσθαι.

ΙΑʹ. Ταῦτα μὲν δὴ τοιαῦτα· τῆς δὲ φρονήσεως καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις ἂν ἐφίκοιτο λόγος, ἢ πολλὰ ἂν εὑρεθείη τὰ παραδείγματα, πλὴν τῶν ἐκεί νης καὶ κατὰ σάρκα καὶ κατὰ πνεῦμα πατέρων, πρὸς οὓς μόνους ὁρῶσα, καὶ ὧν οὐδὲν ἐλαττουμένη τὴν ἀρετὴν, ἑνὶ τούτῳ καὶ μόνον ἡττᾶτο καὶ πάνυ προθύμως, ὅτι παρ' ἐκείνων τὸ ἀγαθὸν, κἀκείνους ῥίζαν καὶ ᾔδει καὶ ὡμολόγει τῆς οἰκείας ἐλλάμψεως. Τί μὲν τῆς διανοίας ἐκείνης ὀξύτερον, ἥν γε καὶ κοι νὴν σύμβουλον οὐχ οἱ ἐκ γένους μόνον, οὐδ' οἱ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ τῆς μιᾶς μάνδρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ κύκλῳ δὲ πάντες ἐγίνωσκον, καὶ νόμον ἄλυτον τὰς ἐκείνης ἐποιοῦντο ὑποθήκας καὶ παραινέσεις; Τί δὲ τῶν λόγων ἐκείνων εὐστοχώτερον; τί δὲ τῆς σιωπῆς συνετώτερον; Ἀλλ' ἐπειδή γε σιω πῆς ἐμνήσθην, προσθήσω τὸ οἰκειότατον ἐκείνης, καὶ γυναιξὶ πρεπωδέστατον, καὶ τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ χρησιμώτατον. Τίς μὲν ἔγνω τὰ περὶ Θεοῦ μᾶλλον ἔκ τε τῶν θείων λογίων καὶ τῆς οἰκείας συνέσεως; Τίς δὲ ἧττον ἐφθέγξατο ἐν τοῖς γυναικείοις ὅροις τῆς εὐσεβείας μείνασα; Ὃ δ' οὖν ὠφείλετο τῇ γε ἀληθῶς εὐσεβεῖν ἐγνωκυίᾳ, καὶ οὗ καλὴ μόνον ἡ ἀπληστία, τίς μὲν ἀναθήμασιν οὕτω ναοὺς κατεκόσμησεν, ἄλλους τε καὶ τὸν οὐκ οἶδ' εἰ μετ' ἐκείνην κοσμηθησόμενον; Μᾶλλον δὲ, τίς οὕτω ναὸν ἑαυτὸν τῷ Θεῷ ζῶντα παρέστησεν; Τίς δὲ το σοῦτον ἐδόξασεν ἱερέας, ἄλλους τε καὶ τὸν ἐκεί νῃ τῆς εὐσεβείας συναγωνιστὴν καὶ διδάσκαλον, οὗ τὰ καλὰ σπέρματα καὶ ἡ καθιερωμένη τῶν τέκνων τῷ Θεῷ συζυγία;

ΙΒʹ. Τίς δὲ τὸν οἶκον ἑαυτῆς μᾶλλον προὔθηκε τοῖς ζῶσι κατὰ Θεὸν, τὴν καλὴν δεξίωσιν καὶ πλουτί ζουσαν; Καὶ ὃ τούτου μεῖζόν ἐστι, τίς οὕτως ἐδεξιοῦτο τῇ αἰδοῖ καὶ τοῖς κατὰ Θεὸν διαβήμασιν; Καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις, τίς μὲν νοῦν ἔδειξεν ἀπαθέστε ρον ἐν τοῖς πάθεσι; τίς δὲ συμπαθεστέραν ψυχὴν τοῖς κάμνουσι; τίς χεῖρα δαψιλεστέραν τοῖς δεομέ 35.804 νοις; Ὡς ἔγωγε καὶ τὰ τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἂν ἐπ' αὐτὴν θαῤῥήσας καλλωπισαίμην· Θύρα δὲ αὐτῆς παντὶ ἐλθόντι ἠνέῳκτο· ἔξω δὲ οὐκ ηὐλίζετο ξένος. Ὀφθαλμὸς ἦν τυφλῶν, ποῦς δὲ χωλῶν, μήτηρ δὲ ὀρφανῶν. Τῆς δὲ εἰς χήρας εὐσπλαγχνίας τί χρὴ μεῖζον εἰπεῖν, ἢ ὅτι τὸ μὴ χήρα κληθῆναι καρπὸν ἠνέγκατο; Κοινὸν μὲν ἦν ἡ ἐκείνης ἑστία τοῖς πενο μένοις ἀφ' αἵματος καταγώγιον· κοινὰ δὲ τὰ ὄντα πᾶσι τοῖς δεομένοις οὐχ ἧττον ἢ ἑκάστοις τὰ ἑαυτῶν. Ἐσκόρπισεν, ἔδωκε τοῖς πένησι· καὶ διὰ τὸ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἄπτωτον καὶ ἀψευδέστατον πολλὰ ταῖς ἐκεῖθεν ληνοῖς ἐναπέθετο, πολλὰ Χριστὸν καὶ διὰ πολλῶν τῶν εὖ παθόντων ἐδεξιώσατο· καὶ τὸ κάλλι στον, ὅτι μὴ τὸ δοκεῖν παρ' αὐτῇ πλεῖον τῆς ἀλη θείας· ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ καλῶς ἐγεώργει τῷ βλέποντι τὰ κρυπτὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Πάντα τοῦ κοσμο κράτορος ἥρπασεν· πάντα μετήνεγκεν εἰς τὰς ἀσφα λεῖς ἀποθήκας. Οὐδὲν ἀφῆκε τῇ γῇ πλὴν τοῦ σώμα τος. Πάντων ἠλλάξατο τὰς ἐκεῖθεν ἐλπίδας· ἕνα τοῖς παισὶ πλοῦτον ἀφῆκε, τὴν μίμησιν καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τού τοις φιλοτιμίαν.

ΙΓʹ. Καὶ οὐ τὰ μὲν τῆς μεγαλοψυχίας τοιαῦτα καὶ οὕτως ἄπιστα, τὸ δὲ σῶμα παρέδωκε τῇ τρυφῇ, καὶ ταῖς ἀκαθέκτοις τῆς γαστρὸς ἡδοναῖς, τῷ λυσσῶντι κυνὶ καὶ