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to plant? A man has painted an image from an image, in no way inferior, And a sculptor has fashioned figures resembling forms, And skill has hammered out gold with hands, as mind directs, And a farmer has reaped a good ear of corn from good seed, nor did desire fail of the end, such as he hoped for. But a mortal does not clearly know the nature of his offspring, to what end it will come, neither bad, nor indeed good; but he prays that a good man may be better. 559 If a certain Paul should beget a Christ-killing son, an Annas or a wicked Caiaphas, or some Judas; Nor if one naturally wicked like Judas, will be called [a son] of holy Paul, or of Peter, of the unbreakable Rock, the father who received the key. For not even if he begets a beloved son or daughter, does the father know. But the bed has only quenched the insolence of the dust. From one first father arose Cain and Abel, the jealous one, and the good suppliant of a God-pleasing sacrifice. And the sons of Isaac were Esau the evil, and Jacob the best; And more so, for from one came twin offspring, in no way alike. And Solomon was wise at first, afterwards most wicked, when he consorted with sinful women. On the other hand, the great strength of Paul was on both sides, 560 who at first dishonored Christ, and then revealed Him to all, turning his fiery impulse to a good zeal. To the marriage of these what shall we grant? Nothing, I say. For a pleasing image does not follow those who are yoked together. But as one amusing his mind with rolling dice, throws forth the dice, but whether it is even or odd the hands did not bring, but the random whirlings of the stones; Thus indeed marriage, the ploughing for children, both wise and evil did not beget, but the nature of mortals or their learning taught them. But if you truly desire to know the reason, the best, by the shaping of the Spirit and the Word, are best. For a spark of piety is hidden in men, as the force of fire in some stones. And as iron from the blows of flints sends forth a flash, so from mortals 561 reason brings forth piety lying in ambush. But the worst, more so by marriage. for it begets more here, And a nail, fellow traveler of the flowing world, to the ground binds the flesh, and the soul is a lead-weight weighing it down, And a lot like their parents remains here. But still let us spare the parents, that you may not speak of the good, and I may cast away the reckless. For the rest, by how much a chaste life is better, you may know the love of God, and of the gross flesh, by considering the nature of the world and its two ends. For if you would scatter even a little from your sight either the defiling film, or you, the mist from the light, And would open your eye-ball to the rays of the sun 562 of our Sun, and with a pure mind would behold all things, you will find virginity as a whole an offering to God, brighter than gold and electrum and ivory, far-seeing, serene, well-winged, high-headed, light, all-shining, above the earth, not fixed in the hollows of the earth, but in the broad-founded city of heaven, and dwelling far from the flesh, with both her hands, in one holding ageless life, and in the other unending wealth and glory; not as a house-carrier under a shell-like burden dragging laboriously its moist body with sluggish steps, not divided between Christ the king and the flesh, nor, as is the custom for amphibious creatures, having both the land 563 and dwelling in the soft waters by night and day, but sending her whole mind to God, and from God flourishing with offspring better even than children, with hope, and with pure thoughts from a pure [mind]. But marriage, on the other hand, running entirely away from Christ with the passions of the destructive dust, and with the cares of the world of every kind, or touching God but little. For as one looking at two heads at once, or faces, or even letters written on two pages, has not grasped the whole form accurately, though desiring to, but has caught the one, while the other escaped the weak sight being scattered, as desire is feeble for both, for the world and for Christ; but he is steadfast who strains toward one. For either one having the whole of Christ has neglected his wife, or honoring the love of the dust, has forgotten Christ. 564 I have already seen some stonecutter, or some one skilled in wooden works, wise and prudent men; when they mark out a straight line with their rules, how they have bound one of their eyes under their eyelids, and sending the whole light with the other, are gathered to one point, of accuracy.

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φυτεῦσαι; Εἰκόνα μὲν γράψεν τις ἀπ' εἰκόνος οὔτι χερείω, Καὶ πλάστης ἐτύπωσεν ἐοικότα πλάσματα μορφαῖς, Καὶ χρυσὸν παλάμῃσιν, ὅπη νόος, ἤλασε τέχνη, Καὶ στάχυν ἐξ ἀγαθοῖο γεωμόρος ἐσθλὸν ἄμησε Σπέρματος, οὐδ' ἀτύχησε τέλους πόθος, οἷον ἐώλπει Θνητὸς δ' οὐ σάφα οἶδε γόνου φύσιν, εἰς ὅ τι λήξει, Οὐ κακὸς, οὐδὲ μὲν ἐσθλός· ὁ δ' εὔχεται ἐσθλὸς ἀρείω· 559 Εἰ Παῦλός τις ἐὼν χριστοκτόνον υἷα φυτεύσει, Ἄνναν ἢ Καϊάφαν ἀτάσθαλον, ἤ τιν' Ἰούδαν· Οὐδ' εἴ τις κακίαν πεφυκὼς οἷός περ Ἰούδας, Ἢ Παύλου ζαθέου κεκλήσεται, ἢ ὅγε Πέτρου, Πέτρης ἀῤῥαγέος, γενέτης κληῖδα λαχόντος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰ φίλον υἷα φιτύσσεται ἠὲ θύγατρα, Οἶδε πατήρ. Ὕβριν δὲ χοὸς μόνον ἔσβεσεν εὐνῇ. Ἐκ δ' ἑνὸς ἀρχεγόνοιο Κάϊν καὶ Ἄβελ ὑπέσταν, Ζηλήμων, θυσίης τε θεουδέος ἐσθλὸς ἀρητήρ. Ἰσακίδαι δ' Ἡσαῦ τε κακὸς, Ἰακώβ τε φέριστος· Καὶ πλέον, ἐκ γὰρ ἑνὸς δίδυμος γόνος οὐδὲν ὁμοῖος. Καὶ Σολομὼν τὰ πρῶτα σοφὸς, μετέπειτα κάκιστος, Ἡνίκα θηλυτέρῃσιν ἐφωμάρτησεν ἀλιτραῖς. Ἔμπαλιν αὖ Παύλοιο μέγα σθένος ἀμφοτέρωθεν, 560 Ὃς Χριστὸν μὲν ἄτιζεν, ἔπειτα δὲ πᾶσιν ἔφηνε, Τρέψας εἰς ἀγαθὸν ζῆλον πυρόεσσαν ἐρωήν. Τούτων συζυγίῃ δὲ τί δώσομεν; οὐδὲν ἔγωγε. Οὐ γὰρ ζευγνυμένοις καταθύμιος ἕσπεται εἰκών. Ἀλλ' ὥς τις στρεπτοῖσιν ἰαινόμενος φρένα πεσσοῖς, Πεσσοὺς μὲν προέηκε, τὸ δ' ἄρτιον ἠὲ περισσὸν Οὐ χέρες, αὐτόμαται δὲ λίθων στροφάλιγγες ἔνεικαν· Ὥς ῥα γάμος, τεκέων ἀρότης, πινυτούς τε κακούς τε Οὐ τέκεν, ἀλλ' ἐδίδαξε βροτῶν φύσις ἠὲ μάθησις. Εἰ δ' ἐτεὸν ποθέεις γνῶναι λόγον, οἱ μὲν ἄριστοι, Πνεύματος ἠδὲ λόγοιο διαπλάσσοντος, ἄριστοι. Σπινθὴρ εὐσεβίης γὰρ ἐν ἀνθρώποισι κέκρυπται, Ὥς τισιν ἐν λάεσσι πυρὸς μένος. Ὡς δὲ σίδηρος Κρούμασιν ἐκ λιθάκων ἧκε σέλας, ὡς ἀπὸ θνητῶν 561 Εὐσεβίην λοχόωσαν ἄγει λόγος. Οἱ δὲ κάκιστοι, Μᾶλλον συζυγίῃς. ἢ γὰρ πλέον ἐνθάδε τίκτει, Καὶ κόσμοιο ῥέοντος ὁμόστολος ἧλος ἔραζε Σάρκα δέων, ψυχήν τε κάτω βρίθουσα μολυβδὶς, Καὶ κλῆρος τοκέεσσιν ὁμοίϊος ἐνθάδε μίμνων. Ἀλλ' ἔμπης τοκέων περιδώμεθα, μή τε σὺ βάζειν Τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς, ῥίψω τε ἀτασθαλέοντας ἔγωγε. Τοῖς δ' ἄλλοις, ὁππόσσον ἁγνὸς βίος ἐστὶν ἀρείων, Γνοίης κεν φιλότητα Θεοῦ, σαρκός τε παχείης, Σκεψαμένη, κόσμου τε φύσιν καὶ τέρματα δισσά. Εἰ γάρ τοι καὶ μικρὸν ἀποσκεδάσειας ὀπωπῆς Ἢ λήμην ῥυπόωσαν, ἀπ' αὔγεος ἢ σύ γ' ὁμίχλην, Καὶ γλήνην πετάσειας ἐς αὐγὰς ἠελίοιο 562 Ἡμετέρου, καθαρῷ δὲ νόῳ λεύσειας ἄπαντα, ∆ήεις παρθενίην μὲν ὅλην ἀνάθημα Θεοῖο, Χρυσοῦ τ' ἠλέκτρου τε φαάντερον, ἠδ' ἐλέφαντος, Εὔσκοπον, εὐδιόωσαν, ἐΰπτερον, ὑψικάρηνον, Κούφην, παμφανόωσαν, ἄνω χθονὸς, ἀστήρικτον Γαίης ἐν γυάλοισιν, ἐν ἄστεϊ δ' εὐρυθεμέθλῳ Οὐρανίῳ, καὶ σαρκὸς ἀπόπροθι ναιετάουσαν, Χειρῶν ἀμφοτέρων τῇ μὲν κατέχουσαν ἀγήρω Ζωὴν, τῇ δ' ἑτέρῃ πλοῦτον καὶ κῦδος ἄπαυστον· Οὐχ ὡς δὴ φερέοικον ὑπ' ἄχθεϊ ὀστρακόεντι Ἕλκουσαν μογερῶς ὑγρὸν δέμας ἴχνεσι νωθροῖς, Οὐ Χριστῷ καὶ σαρκὶ μεριζομένην βασιλῆϊ, Οὐδὲ, ὡς ἀμφιβίοισι νόμος, καὶ χέρσον ἔχουσαν 563 Καὶ μαλακοῖς ναίουσαν ἐν ὕδασι νυκτὶ καὶ ἠοῖ, Ἀλλὰ Θεοῦ πέμπουσαν ὅλον νόον, ἐκ δὲ Θεοῖο Κρείσσοσι καὶ τεκέων γεννήμασιν εὐθαλέουσαν, Ἐλπωρῇ, καθαροῖς τε νοήμασιν ἐκ καθαροῖο. Συζυγίην δ' αὖ πάμπαν ἀπὸ Χριστοῖο θέουσαν Βράσμασιν οὐλομένοιο χοὸς, κόσμου τε μερίμναις Παντοίαις, ἢ βαιὸν ἐφαπτομένην γε Θεοῖο. Ὡς γὰρ ὁμοῦ λεύσσουσα κάρη δύο, ἠὲ πρόσωπα, Ἠὲ καὶ ἐν σελίδεσσι γεγραμμένα γράμματα δισσαῖς, Οὐχ ὅλον ἀτρεκέως τύπον ἥρπασεν, ἱεμένη περ, Ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν κατέμαρψε, τὸ δ' ἔκφυγεν ὄψιν ἀραιὴν Σκιδναμένην, ὡς οἶστρος ἐπ' ἀμφοτέροισιν ἀφαυρὸς, Κόσμῳ τε, Χριστῷ τε, ὁ δ' ἔμπεδος εἰς ἕνα τείνων. Ἢ γὰρ Χριστὸν ἔχων τις ὅλον, ἀλόγησε δάμαρτος, Ἢ τίων φιλότητα χοὸς, Χριστοῖο λέλασται. 564 Ἤδη καί τιν' ὄπωπα λιθοξόον, ἠέ τιν' ἔργων Ἴδριν δουρατέων, πινυτοὺς καὶ φράδμονας ἄνδρας· Ἰθείην στάθμῃσιν ἐπὴν διατεκμήρωνται, Ὡς φαέων ἕτερον μὲν ὑπὸ βλεφάροισιν ἔδησαν, Τῷ δ' ἑτέρῳ πέμψαντες ὅλον φάος εἰς ἓν ἄγερθεν, Ἀτρεκίης