a man is not able to set himself against him. But foolish talk circulates among men, increasing the folly of those who use it.

CHAPTER 7. 1 For there being no more benefit for the one who knows the things for him

that will happen throughout his life that are pleasing to his heart; for let us grant this; nevertheless it is also contrived by the meddlesomeness of men, to be busy and to seem to know even the things that will be for each person after death. But a good name is more pleasant to the soul, than oil to the body; and the end of a life, better than its beginning; and it is more desirable to mourn than to revel, and to be present with those who are grieving than with those who are drunk. For so it is, that one who has reached the end of life is not anxious about the things concerning him. But a sensible spirit is more precious than laughter; for by a stern disposition of the face, the soul is set aright. Therefore, the souls of the wise are somber and composed, while those of the foolish, being lifted up, are dissipated. And it is much more to be wished to receive the rebuke of one wise man, than to become the hearer of a whole 1005 chorus of base and wretched men singing. For the laughter of foolish men is like the sound of many thorns burning with a fierce fire. And this too is wretched, but indeed the greatest evil is slander; for this plots against the souls of the wise, and attempts to corrupt the noble endurance of the good. And it is fitting to praise not the beginning of words, but the ending, and to approve a moderate character, and not one that is arrogant and puffed up. And one must greatly spare one's anger, and not be readily brought down into wrath, to which fools are enslaved. But they sin who say that a better life was given to those of former times, and do not understand that wisdom differs very much from an abundance of wealth; and it is as much more manifest, as silver appears brighter than its own shadow. For a man's life is preserved not by the possession of perishable wealth, but by wisdom. And who will be able, tell me, to declare the so great and so good providence of God? or who can rightly rectify the things that seem to have been neglected by God? But formerly, not acting rightly, I myself observed all things: both a righteous man abiding in his righteousness and not departing from it until death, but even being plotted against for its sake, and an impious man dying together with his own evil. But one who is righteous must not seem to be entirely so, nor be excessively and immoderately wise; lest, having stumbled in some way, you should sin many times more. And do not be bold and rash, lest an untimely death snatch you away. But it is the greatest good to lay hold of God, and being in this state to sin in nothing. For to touch undefiled things with an impure hand is abominable. But he who submits with the fear of God escapes all contrary things. And the help of wisdom is more powerful than a troop of the mightiest men in a city, or even rightly forgives those who often fail in their duties. For not even one is without stumbling. But one must not in any way whatsoever draw near to the words of the impious, lest you become a firsthand hearer of words spoken against you, like the foolish talk of a wicked slave; and then, being stung in the heart, you too may later be turned aside in many deeds to curse in return. And I knew all these things, having received wisdom from God, which having later cast away, I was no longer able to be the same. For wisdom fled from me to an infinite length, and to an immeasurable depth, so that it was no longer possible to grasp it. So that later I completely refrained even from seeking it; and I no longer gave thought to understanding the follies of the impious and their vain counsels, and their restless life. And being so disposed, I was carried away into these very things, and being seized by a death-bearing desire, I knew the woman, who was a kind of earth, or whatever other such thing she is. 1008 For her heart ensnares those who pass by, and with her hand only joining a hand, she holds fast, or as if throwing bonds about, she would drag. But you alone could be rescued from her,

ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπος ἀντι τάσσεσθαι οὐχ οἷός τε. Φλυαρίαι γε μὴν κατὰ ἀνθρώ πους στρέφονται, τὴν τῶν χρωμένων ἄνοιαν ἐπαυξά νουσαι.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ζʹ. 1 Μηδαμῶς γὰρ πλέοντι ὠφελουμένου τοῦ γινώσκον τος τὰ αὐτῷ

συμβησόμενα παρὰ τὸν βίον καταθύμια· θῶμεν γὰρ τοῦτο· ὅμως δὲ καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων περιεργίᾳ ἐπιτεχνᾶται, ὡς καὶ τὰ μετὰ θάνατόν τινος ἑκάστου ἐσόμενα, πολυπραγμονεῖν τε καὶ δοκεῖν εἰδέναι. Μνήμη δὲ ἀγαθὴ ψυχῇ προσηνεστέρα, ἤπερ σώματι ἔλαιον· καὶ βίου ἔξοδος, ἀμείνων γενέσεως· καὶ αἱρετώτερον πενθεῖν, ἢ κωμάζειν, καὶ τὸ παρ εῖναι τοῖς λυπουμένοις, ἢ τοῖς μεθυσκομένοις. Ἔστι γὰρ οὕτω, λαβόντα τινὰ τοῦ βίου τέλος μὴ εὐλαβη θῆναι περὶ τῶν ἀμφ' αὐτόν. Γέλωτος δὲ θυμὸς ἔμ φρων προτιμότερος· αὐστηρᾷ γὰρ διαθέσει προσώ που, κατορθοῦται ψυχή. Αἱ μὲν τοίνυν τῶν σοφῶν ψυχαὶ, σκυθρωπάζουσι καὶ συστέλλονται, αἱ δὲ τῶν ἀφρόνων ἐπαιρόμεναι διαχέονται. Πολὺ δέ ἐστιν εὐκταιότερον ἐπίπληξιν σοφοῦ ἑνὸς δέξασθαι, ἢ ὅλου 1005 χοροῦ ἀνθρώπων φαύλων καὶ δυστήνων ᾀδόντων γε νέσθαι ἀκροατήν. Τῶν γὰρ ἀφρόνων ἀνθρώπων ὁ γέλως, ἀκανθῶν πολλῶν λάβρῳ πυρὶ καιομένων ἤχῳ προσέοικεν. Ἄθλιον δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, κακόν γε μὴν μέ γιστον ἡ συκοφαντία· αὕτη γὰρ σοφῶν ἐπιβουλεύει ψυχαῖς, καὶ ἐπιχειρεῖ διαφθείρειν τὴν γενναίαν ἔν στασιν τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Λόγων δὲ οὐκ ἀρχόμενον, ἀλλὰ παυόμενον ἐπαινεῖν προσήκει, καὶ τὸ μέτριον ἦθος ἀποδέχεσθαι, καὶ μὴ τὸ μετεωριζόμενον καὶ τετυφωμένον. Πάνυ δὲ χρὴ θυμοῦ φείδεσθαι, καὶ μὴ εἰς ὀργὴν προχείρως καταφέρεσθαι, ᾗτινι ἄφρονες δουλεύουσιν. Ἁμαρτάνουσι δὲ οἱ λέγοντες τοῖς προ τέροις ἀμείνονα δεδόσθαι βίον, καὶ οὐ συνιᾶσιν, ὅτι πάμπολυ διαφέρει σοφία τῆς τῶν χρημάτων περιου σίας· καὶ τοσοῦτόν ἐστι φανερωτέρα, ὅσον ἄρ γυρος λαμπρότερος φαίνεται τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σκιᾶς. Ζωὴ γὰρ ἀνθρώπου, οὐκ ἐξ ἐπικήρου πλούτου κτήσεως, ἀλλ' ἐκ σοφίας περιγίνεται. Τίς δὲ καὶ δυνήσεται, εἰπέ μοι, τὴν τοσαύτην καὶ οὕτω χρηστὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόνοιαν ἐξειπεῖν; ἢ τίς ἀνακαλέσασθαι τὰ δο κοῦντα παρημελῆσθαι ὑπὸ Θεοῦ δικαίως; Πράττων δὲ οὐκ ὀρθῶς πρότερον ἔγωγε κατενόησα τὰ σύμπαν τα, καὶ δίκαιον ἐμμένοντα τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ μέχρι θανάτου μὴ ἐξιστάμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' αὐτὴν ἐπιβου λευόμενον, καὶ ἀσεβῆ συναποθνήσκοντα τῇ ἑαυτοῦ κακία. Χρὴ δὲ δίκαιον ὄντα μὴ πάνυ τοιοῦτον εἶναι δοκεῖν, μηδὲ ἄγαν σοφὸν καὶ ὑπερμέτρως· ὅπως μή τι πταίσας, πολλαπλασίονα ἁμαρτήσῃ. Καὶ μὴ ἔσο τολμηρὸς καὶ προπετὴς, μή σε θάνατος ἁρπάσῃ ἄκαιρος. Μέγιστον δὲ ἀγαθὸν ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ὄντα μηδὲν ἁμαρτάνειν. Τῶν γὰρ ἀμιάντων χειρὶ ἀνάγνῳ ψαύειν, μυσαρόν. Ὁ δὲ μετὰ φόβου Θεοῦ ὑπείκων ἅπαντα διαφεύγει τἀναντία. Σοφία δὲ βοηθείας, στίφους ἀνδρῶν τῶν δυνατωτά των ἐν πόλει μείζονα δύναται, ἢ καὶ συγγινώσκει δικαίως πολλάκις τῶν δεόντων ἀποτυγχάνουσιν. Ἄπταιστος γάρ ἐστιν οὐδὲ εἷς. Ἀσεβῶν δὲ λόγοις, οὐδ' ὁπωσοῦν τι χρὴ προσιέναι, ὅπως μὴ τῶν κατὰ σοῦ λόγων αὐτήκοος γενόμενος, ὥσπερ δούλου πονη ροῦ φλυαρίας· ἔπειτα δηχθεὶς τὴν καρδίαν, ὕστερον ἐν πολλαῖς πράξεσιν εἰς τὸ ἀντικαταράσασθαι καὶ σὺ ἐκτραπῇς. Ἔγνων δὲ ταῦτα ἐγὼ ἅπαντα, σοφίαν ἐκ Θεοῦ λαβὼν, ἣν ὕστερον ἀποβαλὼν, οὐκέτι οἷός τε ἤμην ὅμοιος εἶναι. Ἔφυγε γὰρ ἀπ' ἐμοῦ σοφία εἰς μῆκος ἄπειρον, καὶ εἰς βάθος ἀμέτρητον, ὡς μὴ εἶναι αὐτῆς λαβέσθαι μηκέτι. Ὥστε ὕστερον καὶ τοῦ ἐπιζητεῖν αὐτὴν, τέλειον ἀπεσχόμην· καὶ οὔτε ἐνεθυμούμην ἔτι τοῦ κατανοεῖν τὰς τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἀφροσύνας καὶ βουλὰς ματαίας, καὶ ἀλύοντα βίον. Οὕτω δὲ διακείμενος, εἰς αὐτὰ διηνέχθην, καὶ ἐπιθυμίᾳ συσχεθεὶς θανατηφόρῳ, ἔγνων τὴν γυναῖκα, γῆν τινα, ἢ εἴ τι ἕτερον τοιοῦτον ὑπάρχουσαν. 1008 Καρδία μὲν γὰρ αὐτῆς σαγηνεύει τοὺς παριόντας, χειρὶ δὲ χεῖρα συνάψασα μόνον, κατέχει ἢ εἰ δεσμοῖς περιβάλλουσα εἷλκε. Μόνος δ' ἂν ἀπ' αὐτῆς ῥυσθείης,