of eyebrows or a clap of hands being used for slander; for it is impossible for someone not to become his own accuser. And every faithful person, whenever he thinks he is being mocked by someone, according to the understanding of the one so disposed toward him, outwits that person's wickedness by knowing the disposition of his lack of judgment. But to speak concisely, everyone who judges himself will be outside every fault; but of those who cry out, no one is sober-minded. And he who is now pale, then red, and varied in the constitution of his body, this one wanders about like chameleons in the heat and in the desert. And one must also consider the dispositions of some in the practice of readings; for at the same time as someone reads, the manner of his thought becomes clear to sound critics. And the qualities of souls are also shown from life; for through the practice concerning conduct the substances even of things not appearing are known. And one must also avoid the contentious man who artfully presents himself to be conquered, by not contending in return; for whom it is better, striving to conquer so as not to be in danger, not to practice according to right reason. And one must hold conversations that are of a good conscience. And let walks be for the sake of the body, not for some business, stitching together violent transactions against a neighbor. And it is not out of place for us, being witty, to wipe away the peevishness of the overly wise. For because of natural necessity, for the sake of relieving oneself, it is the custom for some in certain designated places to withdraw feignedly and to compose the conclusion of their reflection against some people in the latrines. And just as the comic father says he endures his profligate son, and if he should smell the perfume, says he does not smell it, trying to describe his sin with a foul smell, so I also advise the overly austere to show the more prudent that they neither understand what they do nor know what they say. But he who thinks himself wise resists admonitions and thinks contrarily and becomes an adversary of his adviser and practices by himself what is human and untrustworthy. Therefore let us offer ourselves irreproachable, not doing only what seems good to ourselves but also what seems good to the many, so that they may be saved. But one must be angry—it is good, indeed, if never; for such a kind is of madness; but if ever it is also urgent, one must use anger for the healing of a neighbor. For he who employs it contrary to reason hates first himself, and then also his neighbor, disturbing himself and grieving that one. For it is written, that Everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be liable to the judgment. And a person is able to understand the nature of the emotion by being by himself. And we already know some who, through admonition of their neighbors, condemn themselves; for what someone teaches another, let him do this himself first, lest he unconsciously pass the sentence against himself through his neighbor.

ὀφρύων ἢ χειρῶν πατάγου διαβαλλομένων· ἀδύνατον γὰρ μὴ ἑαυτοῦ κατήγορόν τινα γενέσθαι. Πᾶς δὲ πιστός, ἐπειδὰν διαπαίζεσθαι νομίζηται ὑπό τινος, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ οὕτω πρὸς αὑτὸν διακειμένου σύνεσιν ἀντιβουκολεῖ τὴν ἐκείνου κα κίαν ἐν τῷ γινώσκειν αὐτοῦ τῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης τὴν διάθεσιν. Συνελόντι δ' εἰπεῖν, πᾶς ὁ κρίνων ἑαυτὸν ἔξω παντὸς ἔσται πλημμελήματος· τῶν δὲ κεκραγότων οὐδεὶς σώφρων ἐστίν. Ὁ δὲ νῦν μὲν ὠχρός, εἶτα ἐρυθρός, τῷ δὲ συγκρίματι τοῦ σώ ματος ποικιλλόμενος, οὗτος ὥσπερ χαμαιλέοντες ἐν τῷ καύ σωνι καὶ τῇ ἐρημίᾳ περινοστεῖ. Κατανοητέον δὲ ἔτι καὶ τὰς ἐνίων διαθέσεις ἐπὶ τῆς τῶν ἀναγνωσμάτων ἐπιτηδεύσεως· ἅμα γάρ τις ἀναγινώσκει καὶ ὁ τρόπος αὐτοῦ τῆς φρονήσεως δῆλος γίνεται παρὰ τοῖς ἐῤῥωμένοις κριτικοῖς. Ποιότητες δὲ ψυχῶν καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ βίου δείκνυνται· διὰ γὰρ τοῦ περὶ τὴν ἀναστροφὴν ἐπιτηδεύματος γινώσκονται καὶ τῶν μὴ φαινομέ νων αἱ ὑποστάσεις. Παραιτητέον δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐριστικὸν διὰ τέχνης αὑτὸν ὑποτιθέμενον, ἐν τῷ μὴ ἀντιφιλονεικεῖν, νικᾶ σθαι· ᾧ ἄμεινον, ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ κινδυνεύειν νικᾶν σπουδάζοντα, τὸ μὴ κατὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον ἐπιτηδεύειν. Ὁμιλίας δὲ ποιεῖσθαι χρὴ τὰς εὐσυνειδήτους. Καὶ οἱ περίπατοι διὰ τὸ σωμάτιον γινέσθωσαν, μὴ διά τινα πραγματείαν, συναλλάγματα βίαια κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον συγ καττύοντας. Oὐκ ἄτοπον δὲ χαριεντιζομένους ἡμᾶς τὸ δύστρο πον ἀπαλεῖψαι τῶν ὑπὲρ λίαν συνετῶν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ἀναγκαῖον, χάριν τοῦ ἀποτρίψασθαι, ἐπὶ τόπων τινῶν ἀφωρισμένων ἔθος ἐστὶν ἐνίοις προσποιητῶς ὑποχωρεῖν καὶ τὸ τέλος τῆς κατά τινων σκέψεως ἐν τοῖς ἀφεδρῶσι συντάτ τειν. Ὥσπερ δὲ ὁ κωμικὸς πατὴρ ἀσωτευόμενον τὸν υἱὸν βαστάζειν φησίν, κἂν ὀσφρανθῇ τοῦ μύρου, μὴ ὀσφραίνεσθαι λέγει, δυσωδίᾳ περιγράφειν αὐτοῦ τὸ ἁμάρτημα πειρώμενος, οὕτως κἀγὼ συμβουλεύω τοῖς ἄγαν ἐσκληραγωγημένοις τοὺς φρονιμωτέρους ἐμφαίνειν, ὅτι μήτε ἃ πράττουσιν ἐπίστανται μήτε ἃ λέγουσι γινώσκουσιν. Ὁ δὲ παρ' ἑαυτῷ φρόνιμος εἶναι νομίζων ἀντικρούει πρὸς τὰς νουθεσίας καὶ ἀντιδοξεῖ καὶ τοῦ συμβουλεύοντος ἀντίδικος γίνεται καὶ μελετᾷ καθ' ἑαυτὸν τὸ ἀνθρώπινον καὶ ἄπιστον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρέχωμεν ἑαυ τοὺς ἀλήπτους, μὴ τὸ δοκοῦν ἑαυτοῖς μόνον πράττοντες ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῶν πολλῶν, ἵνα σωθῶσιν. Ὀργιστέον δέ, καλὸν μέν, εἰ μηδέποτε· μανίας γάρ ἐστι τὸ τοιοῦτον εἶδος· εἰ δέ ποτε καὶ κατεπείγει, συγχρηστέον τῇ ὀργῇ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ πλησίον θεραπείαν. Ὁ γὰρ παρὰ λόγον αὐτὸν πραγματευόμενος μισεῖ πρῶτον μὲν ἑαυτόν, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τὸν πλησίον, ἑαυτὸν μὲν ταράττων, ἐκεῖνον δὲ ὀδυνῶν. Γέγραπται γάρ, ὅτι Πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος εἰκῆ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὑτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει. Τὸ δὲ τοῦ κινήματος αὐτός τις καθ' ἑαυτὸν γινόμενος κατα μαθεῖν δυνατός. Ἤδη δέ τινας ἴσμεν διὰ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς πλησίον νουθεσίας ἑαυτοὺς κατακρίνοντας· ὃ γάρ τις παι δεύει τὸν ἕτερον, τοῦτ' αὐτὸς ποιείτω πρότερον, μήπως λάθῃ διὰ τοῦ πλησίον καθ' ἑαυτοῦ ποιούμενος τὴν ἀπόφασιν.