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nor again, in the opposite direction, to slacken the tension immoderately through pleasure; for the soul, being made slack by such passions, becomes deaf and mute; and in the same way to tighten and loosen the tension of all other things at the right time; looking to this end, so that the way of life in our character might always remain both melodious and rhythmical for us, neither being immoderately relaxed nor being overstrained beyond measure. Whence also history bears witness for David to the achievements of this divine music; that when he once found Saul frenzied and out of his mind, he so healed him by charming his passion, that his mind returned to its natural state. It is clear then from these things what the enigma of the melody looks to, that it advises the suppression of the passions 5.34 which arise in us in different ways from the circumstances of life. But it is also fitting not to pass this by unobserved, that these melodies have not been composed according to the melodists outside our wisdom; for the melody does not lie in the accent of the words, as can be seen in those others, among whom the rhythm is produced in a certain arrangement of the accents, with the tone in the sounds being both grave and acute, and both short and prolonged, but having woven an unadorned and artless melody into the divine words, he wishes to interpret by the melody the meaning of what is said, revealing as much as possible, by a certain disposition of the tone in the voice, the sense lying in the words. Such then is the relish of the food, by which the nourishment of the teachings is sweetened, as if by some seasonings.

CHAPTER 4

And it might be time now to contemplate in our discourse the full banquet of the virtues themselves, according to the technical theory previously set forth by us. For first, it is possible to find virtue distinguished from vice by clear signs, so that the difference of each of these from its opposite is unconfused. For from the gladness arising in us from them the excellent quality of these practices is shown, with vice gladdening the senses of the body, but virtue, the soul; so that the nature of the subject matter, found from these signs, is both unerring and indubitable. And this it is possible to find 5.35 in many parts of the psalmody from certain other passages, both in what is at hand and according to the contemplation of the thoughts lying in the depth, and especially in the fourth psalm, in which he says that those are dull of heart who do not distinguish the false and the vain from the truth, but love what is unreal, while disregarding what is lasting and worthy of being loved. For he said that holiness alone is truly wonderful, and that all other things that are pursued by men instead of good things lie in opinion, not existing in themselves, but seeming to have being in the vain conceit of men. And that he might reveal the teaching about these things more clearly, proceeding, he says, that the many define the good in things that appear, saying that that alone is good, which one might show to the sense. For many, he says, say 'Who will show us good things?' But he who looks to virtue disregards this servile judgment of the good. and in the light he sees the good. and thus he marks the godlike and lofty gladness; and he calls that light which shines forth from the divine countenance, which the sense has not the nature to reach. 'For there has been sealed upon us,' he says, 'the light of your countenance, O Lord.' For it does not seem to me that the prophet understands the countenance of God, being contemplated in certain characters, as anything other than the virtues; for by these the divine form is characterized. And having said this he states the perfect mark of virtue; 'You have put gladness into my heart,' saying heart instead of soul and mind. for it is not for those from

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μήτ' αὖ πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον ἐν ἀμετρίᾳ δι' ἡδονῆς ὑποχαλᾶν τὸν τόνον· κωφὴ γὰρ καὶ ἄναυδος γίνεται ἡ ψυχὴ τοῖς τοιούτοις πάθεσιν ἐγχαυνωθεῖσα· καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ὡσαύτως ἐπιτείνειν τε κατὰ καιρὸν καὶ ὑφιέναι τοῦ τόνου· πρὸς τοῦτο βλέποντας, ὅπως ἂν ἡμῖν διὰ παντὸς εὐμελής τε καὶ εὔρυθμος ὁ ἐν τοῖς ἤθεσι διαμένοι τρόπος μήτε ἀμέτρως λυόμενος μήτε πέρα τοῦ μέτρου ὑπερτεινόμενος. ὅθεν καὶ τὰ κατορθώματα τῆς θείας ταύτης μουσικῆς προσμαρτυρεῖ τῷ ∆αβὶδ ἡ ἱστορία· ὅτι παράφορόν ποτε καταλαβὼν τὸν Σαοὺλ καὶ ἐξεστηκότα τῆς διανοίας οὕτως ἐξιάσατο κατεπᾴδων τοῦ πάθους, ὥστε αὐτῷ πάλιν πρὸς τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ἐπανελθεῖν τὴν διάνοιαν. δῆλον οὖν ἐκ τούτων ἐστὶ πρὸς ὅ τι βλέπει τῆς μελῳδίας τὸ αἴνιγμα, ὅτι τὴν τῶν παθημάτων καταστολὴν συμβουλεύει 5.34 ποιεῖσθαι τῶν διαφόρως ἡμῖν ἐγγινομένων ἐκ τῶν βιωτικῶν περιστάσεων. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο προσήκει μὴ παραδραμεῖν ἀθεώρητον, ὅτι οὐ κατὰ τοὺς ἔξω τῆς ἡμετέρας σοφίας μελοποιοὺς καὶ ταῦτα τὰ μέλη πεποίηται· οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῷ τῶν λέξεων τόνῳ κεῖται τὸ μέλος, ὥσπερ ἐν ἐκείνοις ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, παρ' οἷς ἐν τῇ ποιᾷ τῶν προσῳδιῶν συνθήκῃ, τοῦ ἐν τοῖς φθόγγοις τόνου βαρυνομένου τε καὶ ὀξυτονοῦντος καὶ βραχυνομένου τε καὶ παρατείνοντος, ὁ ῥυθμὸς ἀποτίκτε, ἀλλὰ ἀκατάσκευόν τε καὶ ἀνεπιτήδευτον τοῖς θείοις λόγοις ἐνείρας τὸ μέλος, ἑρμηνεύειν τῇ μελῳδίᾳ τὴν τῶν λεγομένων διάνοιαν βούλεται, τῇ ποιᾷ συνδιαθέσει τοῦ κατὰ τὴν φωνὴν τόνου τὸν ἐγκείμενον τοῖς ῥήμασι νοῦν ὡς δυνατὸν ἐκκαλύπτων. τὸ μὲν οὖν προσόψημα τῆς ἐδωδῆς τοιοῦτον, ᾧ καταγλυκαίνεται καθάπερ τισὶν ἡδύσμασιν ἡ τῶν διδαγ μάτων τροφή.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ∆ʹ

Καιρὸς δ' ἂν εἴη καὶ αὐτὴν ἤδη τὴν τῶν ἀρετῶν πανδαισίαν κατανοῆσαι τῷ

λόγῳ κατὰ τὴν προεκτεθεῖσαν ἡμῖν τεχνικὴν θεωρίαν. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ φανεροῖς σημείοις διακεκριμένην ἔστιν εὑρεῖν τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐκ τῆς κακίας, ὡς ἀσύγχυτον εἶναι τὴν ἑκατέρου τούτων πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον διαφοράν. ἐκ γὰρ τῆς ἐγγινομένης ἡμῖν ἀπ' αὐτῶν εὐφροσύνης τὸ ἐξαίρετον τῆς τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων ἰδιότητος δείκνυται, τῆς μὲν κακίας τὰς περὶ τὸ σῶμα αἰσθήσεις, τῆς δὲ ἀρετῆς τὴν ψυχὴν εὐφραινούσης· ὡς ἀπλανῆ τε καὶ ἀναμφίβολον εἶναι τὴν ἐκ τῶν σημείων τούτων εὑρισκομένην τοῦ ὑποκειμένου φύσιν. καὶ τοῦτο ἐξ ἄλλων τέ τινων κατά τε τὸ πρόχειρον καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἐν τῷ βάθει κειμένην θεωρίαν τῶν νοημάτων 5.35 ἐν πολλοῖς τῆς ψαλμῳδίας ἔστιν εὑρεῖν, καὶ μάλιστά γε κατὰ τὸν τέταρτον ψαλμόν, ἐν ᾧ φησι βαρυκαρδίους εἶναι τοὺς τὸ ψεῦδος καὶ τὸ μάταιον τῆς ἀληθείας μὴ διακρίνοντας, ἀλλ' ἀγαπῶντας μὲν τὸ ἀνύπαρκτον, περιορῶντας δὲ τὸ μένον καὶ τοῦ ἀγαπᾶσθαι ἄξιον. μόνην γὰρ εἶπε θαυμαστὴν ἀληθῶς εἶναι τὴν ὁσιότητα, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα πάντα τὰ ἀντὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν σπουδαζόμενα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐν ὑπολήψει κεῖσθαι, ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν οὐκ ὄντα, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ ματαίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώ πων οἰήσει τὸ εἶναι ἔχειν δοκοῦντα. καὶ ὡς ἂν φανερώτερον ἐκκαλύψειε τὸ περὶ τούτων δόγμα, προϊών φησιν, ὅτι οἱ πολλοὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν τοῖς φαινομένοις ὁρίζονται, λέγοντες ἐκεῖνο μόνον εἶναι ἀγαθόν, ὅπερ ἄν τις τῇ αἰσθήσει προδείξῃ. Πολλοὶ γάρ, φησί, λέγουσι Τίς δείξει ἡμῖν τὰ ἀγαθά; ὁ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἀρετὴν βλέπων τὴν μὲν ἀνδραποδώδη ταύτην τοῦ καλοῦ κρίσιν περιορᾷ. ἐν δὲ τῷ φωτὶ τὸ καλὸν βλέπει. καὶ οὕτως ἐπισημειοῦται τὴν θεοειδῆ τε καὶ ὑψηλὴν εὐφροσύνην· φῶς δὲ ἐκεῖνο λέγει τὸ ἐκ τοῦ θείου προσώπου ἀπαυγαζό μενον, οὗ καθικέσθαι ἡ αἴσθησις φύσιν οὐκ ἔχει. Ἐσημειώθη γάρ, φησίν, ἐφ' ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου σου, κύριε. θεοῦ γὰρ πρόσωπον ἐν χαρακτῆρσί τισι θεωρούμενον οὔ μοι δοκεῖ ἕτερον παρὰ τὰς ἀρετὰς νοεῖν ὁ προφήτης· ταύταις γὰρ τὸ θεῖον εἶδος χαρακτηρίζεται. καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν τὸ τέλειον γνώρισμα λέγει τῆς ἀρετῆς· Ἔδωκας εὐφροσύνην εἰς τὴν καρδίαν μου, ἀντὶ τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ νοῦ τὴν καρδίαν λέγων. οὐ γὰρ ἔστι τοῖς ἐκ