III.

Now on his son's birth-day feast there came unto the king some five and fifty chosen men, schooled in the star-lore of the Chaldaeans. These the king called into his presence, and asked them, severally, to tell him the future of the new-born babe. After long counsel held, they said that he should be mighty in riches and power, and should surpass all that had reigned before him. But one of the astrologers, the most learned of all his fellows, spoke thus: "From that which I learn from the courses of the stars, O king, the advancement of the child, now born unto you, will not be in your kingdom, but in another, a better and a greater one beyond compare. I also think that he will embrace the Christian religion, which you persecutest, and I trow that he will not be disappointed of his aim and hope." Thus spoke the astrologer, like Balaam of old, not that his star-lore told him true, but because God signifies the truth by the mouth of his enemies, that all excuse may be taken from the ungodly.

But when the king heard thereof, he received the tidings with a heavy heart, and sorrow cut short his joy. Howsoever he built, in a city set apart, an exceeding beautiful palace, with cunningly devised gorgeous chambers, and there set his son to dwell, after he had ended his first infancy; and he forbade any to approach him, appointing, for instructors and servants, youths right seemly to behold. These he charged to reveal to him none of the annoys of life, neither death, nor old age, nor disease, nor poverty, nor anything else grievous that might break his happiness: but to place before him everything pleasant and enjoyable, that his heart, revelling in these delights, might not gain strength to consider the future, nor ever hear the bare mention of the tale of Christ and his doctrines. For he was heedful of the astrologer's warning, and it was this most that he was minded to conceal from his son. And if any of the attendants chanced to fall sick, he commanded to have him speedily removed, and put another plump and well-favoured servant in his place, that the boy's eyes might never once behold anything to disquiet them. Such then was the intent and doing of the king, for, 'seeing, he did not see, and hearing, he did not understand.'

But, learning that some monks still remained, of whom he fondly imagined that not a trace was left, he became angry above measure, and his fury was hotly kindled against them. And he commanded heralds to scour all the city and all the country, proclaiming that after three days no monk whatsoever should be found therein. But and if any were discovered after the set time, they should be delivered to destruction by fire and sword. "For," said he, "these be they that persuade the people to worship the Crucified as God." Meanwhile a thing befell, that made the king still more angry and bitter against the monks.

III

Ἐν αὐτῇ δὲ τῇ τῶν γενεθλίων τοῦ παιδὸς ἑορτῇ συνῆλθον πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἐξ ἐπιλογῆς ἄνδρες ὡσεὶ πεντηκονταπέντε, περὶ τὴν ἀστροθεάμονα τῶν Χαλδαίων ἐσχολακότες σοφίαν. καὶ τούτους ἐγγυτάτω παραστησάμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνηρώτα ἐξειπεῖν ἕκαστον τί μέλλει ἔσεσθαι τὸ γεννηθὲν αὐτῷ παιδίον. οἱ δέ, πολλὰ διασκεψάμενοι, ἔλεγον μέγαν αὐτὸν ἔσεσθαι ἔν τε πλούτῳ καὶ δυναστείᾳ, καὶ ὑπερβάλλειν πάντας τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ βεβασιλευκότας. εἷς δὲ τῶν ἀστρολόγων, ὁ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ πάντων διαφορώτατος, εἶπεν ὡς, Ἐξ ὧν με διδάσκουσιν ὁ τῶν ἀστέρων δρόμοι, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἡ προκοπὴ τοῦ νυνὶ γεννηθέντος σοι παιδὸς οὐκ ἐν τῇ σῇ ἔσται βασιλείᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐν ἑτέρᾳ κρείττονι καὶ ἀσυγκρίτως ὑπερβαλλούσῃ. δοκῶ δὲ καὶ τῆς παρὰ σοῦ διωκομένης αὐτὸν ἐπιλαβέσθαι τῶν Χριστιανῶν θρησκείας, καὶ οὐκ ἔγωγε οἶμαι τοῦ σκοποῦ ἐκεῖνον καὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος ψευσθήσεσθαι. ταῦτα μὲν εἶπεν ὁ ἀστρολόγος, ὥσπερ ὁ πάλαι Βαλαάμ, οὐ τῆς ἀστρολογίας ἀληθευούσης, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας παραδεικνύντος, ὥστε πᾶσαν τοῖς ἀσεβέσι πρόφασιν περιαιρεθῆναι.

Ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, ὡς ἤκουσε ταῦτα, βαρέως τὴν ἀγγελίαν ἐδέξατο, λύπη δὲ τὴν εὐφροσύνην αὐτῷ διέκοπτεν. ἐν πόλει δὲ ὅμως ἰδιαζούσῃ παλάτιον δειμάμενος περικαλλὲς καὶ λαμπρὰς οἰκίας φιλοτεχνήσας, ἐκεῖ τὸν παῖδα ἔθετο κατοικεῖν, μετὰ τὴν συμπλήρωσιν τῆς πρώτης αὐτῷ ἡλικίας, ἀπρόϊτόν τε εἶναι παρεκελεύσατο, παιδαγωγοὺς αὐτῷ καὶ ὑπηρέτας καταστήσας, νέους τῇ ἡλικίᾳ καὶ τῇ ὁράσει ὡραιοτάτους, ἐπισκήψας αὐτοῖς μηδὲν τῶν τοῦ βίου ἀνιαρῶν κατάδηλον αὐτῷ ποιήσασθαι, μὴ θάνατον, μὴ γῆρας, μὴ νόσον, μὴ πενίαν, μὴ ἄλλο τι λυπηρὸν καὶ δυνάμενον τὴν εὐφροσύνην αὐτῷ διακόπτειν, ἀλλὰ πάντα τὰ τερπνὰ καὶ ἀπολαυστικὰ προτιθέναι, ἵνα τούτοις ὁ νοῦς αὐτοῦ τερπόμενος καὶ ἐντρυφῶν μηδὲν ὅλως περὶ τῶν μελλόντων διαλογίζεσθαι ἰσχύσειε, μήτε μέχρι ψιλοῦ ῥήματος τὰ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ δογμάτων ἀκούσειεν. τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα πάντων ἀποκρύψαι αὐτῷ διενοεῖτο, τὴν τοῦ ἀστρολόγου προαγόρευσιν ὑφορώμενος. εἴ τινα δὲ τῶν ὑπηρετούντων αὐτῷ νοσῆσαι συνέβη, τοῦτον μὲν θᾶττον ἐκβαλεῖν ἐκεῖθεν παρεκελεύετο, ἕτερον δὲ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ σφριγῶντα καὶ εὐεκτοῦντα ἐδίδου, ἵνα μηδὲν ὅλως ἀνώμαλον οἱ τοῦ παιδὸς ὀφθαλμοὶ θεάσαιντο. ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς οὕτω ταῦτα διενοεῖτό τε καὶ ἐποίει: βλέπων γὰρ οὐχ ἑώρα, καὶ ἀκούων οὐ συνίει.

Μαθὼν δέ τινας τῶν μοναζόντων ἔτι περισώζεσθαι, ὧν μηδὲ ἴχνος ὑπολελεῖφθαι ἐδόκει, θυμοῦ ὑπερεπίμπλατο καὶ ὀξύτατα κατ' αὐτῶν ἐκινεῖτο, κήρυκάς τε ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὴν χώραν ἐκέλευε διαθέειν, ἐκβοῶντας μηδαμοῦ τινὰ τὸ παράπαν μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας τοῦ τῶν μοναζόντων τάγματος εὑρεθῆναι. εἰ δέ τινες εὑρεθεῖεν μετὰ τὰς διωρισμένας ἡμέρας, τῷ διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ξίφους ὀλέθρῳ παραδοθήτωσαν: Οὗτοι γὰρ (φησίν) ἀναπείθουσι τὸν λαὸν ὡς Θεῷ προσέχειν τῷ ἐσταυρωμένῳ. ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταξὺ συνέβη καί τι τοιοῦτον, ἐφ' ᾧ ἐπὶ πλέον χαλεπαίνων ἦν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ κατὰ τῶν μοναζόντων ὀργιζόμενος.