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spurious. For there is a threefold kind of birth; one which has its beginning from above, by which we are all equally well-born, since we have come to be in the image of God; another which comes from the flesh, by which I know not if anyone is well-born, as it is constituted by corruption; and a third which is known by vice or virtue, of which we partake more or less, in proportion, I think, as we either preserve the image, or corrupt it. This is the nobility which he who is truly wise and a philosopher will love. For the fourth kind of birth, that which consists in letters and edicts, I will then deem worthy of mention, when I shall also approve of beauty that consists in colors, and feel reverence for an ape commanded to be a lion.

XI. Is he young? He will play the man against his passions, and this will be his enjoyment of youth, not to suffer the things of youth, but to show the wisdom of age in a vigorous body; and he will rejoice in the victory more than those who are crowned at Olympia; for he will conquer in the common theater of the world, and a victory not for sale. Is he declining towards old age? Yet his soul will not grow old; he will receive his dissolution, as a set time for necessary freedom; gladly will he pass on to the things that follow, where there is no untimely death, nor old man, but all are perfect in the spiritual age. Has he been allotted beauty? He will set off beauty with beauty, that of the soul against that of the body. Has his flower passed uninjured? He turns towards himself, and does not even know that he is seen. Is he ugly in appearance? But he is comely in what is hidden, like a most fragrant rose in a plain and scentless bud. Is he beautiful in form beyond the sons of men? He gives no opportunity for the outward to be looked upon, turning the spectator to the inner man. Is he in good health? He will use his health for the best purpose; he will admonish, he will strike, he will speak boldly in word, he will keep vigil, he will lie on the ground, he will fast, he will empty out matter, he will contemplate things earthly and things heavenly, with all earnestness he will meditate on death. Will he fall sick? He will fight; and if he is defeated, he will conquer by receiving the ability to fight no more. Is he rich? He will philosophize on becoming poor, he will share what he has with the needy, as a steward of what belongs to others; so that the one may benefit by receiving, and he himself may be gathered to God, having nothing but the cross and the body. Is he poor? He will be rich in God, and in scorning those who have possessions, as always acquiring, but always being poor, by needing more, and drinking that they may thirst the more.

XII. Is he hungry? He will be fed with the birds, whose life is without sowing and without plowing; with Elijah he will live at Zarephath; The jar of oil will not fail, and the pitcher of meal will not be diminished; the one will always spring forth, the other will yield richly, that a hospitable widow may be honored, and may feed him who feeds her. Will he thirst? Fountains and rivers are his drink, a drink not intoxicating, nor measured out; if all should fail through drought, perhaps he will be given water from a torrent. Will he shiver with cold? So did Paul, but for how long? There is also a garment of rock; let Job persuade you, saying: Because they had no shelter, they embraced a rock. Consider also for me the more perfect things. Will he be reviled? He will conquer by not reviling in return. Will he be persecuted? He will endure. Will he be blasphemed? He will entreat. Will he be slandered? He will pray. Will he be struck on the right cheek? He will offer the other also; if he had a third, he would have offered this also, so that he might better teach the one striking him to be long-suffering, teaching by deed what he was not able to by word. Will he be reproached? So was Christ; he will be honored by the fellowship of the suffering. And if he hears himself called a Samaritan, and if he is accused of having a demon, with God he will receive all things. Much will still be lacking, even if he suffers much, vinegar, gall, a crown of thorns, a reed scepter, a scarlet robe, a cross, nails, robbers crucified with him, those passing by insulting him. For God must have more, in bearing more while being dishonored.

XIII. Nothing is more unconquerable than philosophy, nothing more unassailable. All things will give way sooner than a philosopher. He is a wild ass in the wilderness, says Job, set free and

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κίβδηλον. Ἔστι γάρ τι γένος τρισσόν· τὸ μὲν ἄνωθεν ἠργμένον, ὃ πάντες ἐσμὲν εὐγενεῖς ἐπ' ἴσης, ἐπεὶ κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ γεγόναμεν· τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ σαρκὸς ἐρχόμενον, οὐκ οἶδ' εἴ τις εὐγενὴς, τοῦτο φθορᾷ συνιστάμενον· τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ κακίας ἢ ἀρε τῆς γνωριζόμενον, οὗ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον μεταλαμβά νομεν, ὅσον ἂν, οἶμαι, ἢ τηρήσωμεν τὴν εἰκόνα, ἢ διαφθείρωμεν. Ταύτην ἀγαπήσει τὴν εὐγένειαν ὅγε ἀληθῶς σοφὸς καὶ φιλόσοφος. Τὸ γὰρ τέταρτον γένος, τότε ἀξιώσω λόγου, τὸ ἐν γράμμασι καὶ προσ τάγμασιν, ὅταν καὶ κάλλος ἀποδέξωμαι τὸ ἐν χρώμασι, καὶ πίθηκον αἰδεσθῶ λέοντα εἶναι κεκελευ σμένον.

ΙΑʹ. Νέος ἐστί; Κατὰ τῶν παθῶν ἀνδρισθήσεται, καὶ τοῦτο ἀπολαύσει τῆς νεότητος, τὸ μὴ τὰ νέων παθεῖν, ἀλλὰ δεῖξαι πρεσβυτικὴν φρόνησιν ἐν ἀκμαίῳ τῷ σώματι· καὶ χαιρήσει τῇ νίκῃ πλέον ἢ οἱ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ στεφανούμενοι· νικήσει γὰρ ἐν κοινῷ θεάτρῳ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ, καὶ νίκην ἄπρατον. Νεύει πρὸς γῆρας; Ἀλλ' οὐχὶ γηράσει καὶ τὴν ψυχήν· δέ ξεται τὴν διάλυσιν, ὡς προθεσμίαν ἀναγκαίας ἐλευθε ρίας· ἡδέως πρὸς τὰ ἑξῆς μεταβήσεται, ἔνθα οὐκ ἔστιν ἄωρος, οὐδὲ πρεσβύτης, ἀλλὰ πάντες τὴν πνευματικὴν ἡλικίαν τέλειοι. Ὥρας ἔλαχεν; Ἀντιστίλψει τὸ κάλλος τῷ κάλλει, τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς τῷ τοῦ σώματος. Παρῆλθε τὸ ἄνθος ἀνεπηρέαστον; νεύει πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, οὐδὲ οἶδεν ὁρώμενος. Αἰσχρὸς τὸ φαινό 35.1244 μενον; ἀλλ' εὐφυὴς τὸ κρυπτόμενον, ὥσπερ ἐν κά λυκι ῥόδον ἀνθηρὸν οὐκ ἀνθηρᾷ καὶ ἀνόδμῳ τὸ εὐωδέστατον. Ὡραῖος κάλλει παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων; οὐδὲ καιρὸν δίδωσι τὸ ἐκτὸς καθορᾶσθαι, μεταστρέφων τὸν θεατὴν πρὸς τὸν ἐντὸς ἄνθρω πον. Εὐεκτεῖ; Χρήσεται τῇ ὑγιείᾳ πρὸς τὸ βέλτιστον· νουθετήσει, πλήξει, λόγῳ παῤῥησιάσεται, ἀγρυπνή σει, χαμευνήσει, νηστεύσει, κενώσει τὴν ὕλην, θεωρήσει τὰ ἐπίγεια καὶ τὰ οὐράνια, κατὰ πᾶσαν σπουδὴν μελετήσει τὸν θάνατον. Ἀῤῥωστήσει; Μαχήσεται· ἂν δὲ ἡττηθῇ, νικήσει λαβὼν τὸ μηκέτι μάχεσθαι. Πλούσιός ἐστι; Φιλοσοφήσει τὸ ἀποπλου τεῖν, μεταδώσει τῷ δεομένῳ τῶν ὄντων, ὡς οἰκονό μος τῶν ἀλλοτρίων· ἵν' ἐκεῖνός τε εὖ πάθῃ τῇ μετα λήψει, καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς Θεὸν συναχθῇ, μηδὲν ἔχων πλὴν τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ τοῦ σώματος. Πένεται; Πλουτήσει Θεὸν, καὶ τὸ καταγελᾷν τῶν ἐχόντων, ὡς ἀεὶ μὲν κτωμένων, ἀεὶ δὲ πενομένων, τῷ δεῖσθαι τοῦ πλείονος, καὶ πινόντων ἵνα πλέον διψήσωσιν.

ΙΒʹ. Πεινᾷ; Μετὰ τῶν ὀρνέων τραφήσεται, οἷς ὁ βίος ἄσπορος καὶ ἀνήροτος· μετὰ Ἡλίου ζήσε ται παρὰ τῇ Σαραφθίᾳ· Ὁ καμψάκης τοῦ ἐλαίου οὐκ ἐκλείψει, καὶ ἡ ὑδρία τοῦ ἀλεύρου οὐκ ἐλαττονήσει· ὁ μὲν ἀεὶ πηγάσει, ἡ δὲ γεωργήσει πλουσίως, ἵνα τιμηθῇ χήρα φιλόξενος, καὶ τρέφῃ τὸν τρέφοντα. ∆ιψήσει; Κρῆναι τούτῳ καὶ ποταμοὶ τὸ ποτὸν, ποτὸν οὐ μεθύσκον, οὐδὲ μετρούμενον· ἂν πάντα ἐπιλίπῃ δι' ἀνομβρίαν, χειμάῤῥῳ τυχὸν ποτισθήσεται. Ῥιγώσει; Τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ πόσον; Ἔστι τι καὶ πέτρας ἔνδυμα· πειθέτω σε ὁ Ἰὼβ λέγων· Παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς σκέ πην, πέτραν περιεβάλοντο. Σκόπει μοι καὶ τὰ τε λεώτερα. Λοιδορηθήσεται; νικήσει τῷ μὴ ἀντιλοι δορεῖσθαι. ∆ιωχθήσεται; ἀνέξεται. Βλασφημηθήσε ται; παρακαλέσει. ∆ιαβληθήσεται; προσεύξεται. Τὴν δεξιὰν ῥαπισθήσεται σιαγόνα; παρέξει καὶ τὴν ἑτέραν· εἰ τρίτην εἶχε, καὶ ταύτην ἂν προεβάλετο, ἵνα μᾶλλον διδάξῃ μακροθυμεῖν τὸν παίοντα, ἔργῳ παιδεύων, ἃ μὴ λόγῳ δυνατὸς ἦν. Ὀνειδισθή σεται; τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστός· τιμηθήσεται τῇ κοινω νίᾳ τοῦ πάθους. Κἂν Σαμαρείτης ἀκούσῃ, κἂν δαιμονᾷν ἐγκληθῇ, μετὰ Θεοῦ πάντα δέξεται. Πολλὰ ἔτι λείψει, κἂν πολλὰ πάθῃ, ὄξος, χολὴ, στέφανος ἀκάνθινος, σκῆπτρον καλάμινον, χλαμὺς κοκκίνη, σταυρὸς, ἧλοι, λῃσταὶ συσταυρούμενοι, παριόντες ὑβρί 35.1245 ζοντες. ∆εῖ γὰρ πλέον ἔχειν Θεὸν, ἐν τῷ πλεῖον φέρειν ἀτιμαζόμενον.

ΙΓʹ. Οὐδὲν ἀναλωτότερον φιλοσοφίας, οὐδὲν ἀληπτό τερον. Πάντα ἐνδώσει πρότερον, ἢ φιλόσοφος. Ὄνος ἐστὶν ἄγριος ἐν ἐρήμῳ, φησὶν ὁ Ἰὼβ, ἄνετος καὶ