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but has in the world. But our present pleasures are short-lived, and there they cause nothing at all but only chastisement and punishment for ages that is not loosed; for the pleasure of these things is temporary, but the pain is perpetual; but of the Christians, the toil is temporary, but the pleasure and benefit are immortal. May the good counsel of the king therefore be directed aright; for it is good, exceedingly good, to exchange perishable things for eternal ones. The king heard these things and was very displeased, but nevertheless he restrained his anger, and for the time being said nothing to the man. But he, being prudent and shrewd, perceived that the king had received his words badly and that he was testing him with deceit. And having returned home, he was vexed and distressed, being at a loss as to how he might appease the king and escape the danger that hung over him. But as he spent the whole night sleepless, the man with the crushed foot came to his mind, and, bringing him to himself, he said: I remember you saying that you are a healer of ill-spoken words. And he said, Yes; and, if you need, I will demonstrate the things of my knowledge. And the senator, taking him up, related to him his goodwill towards the king from the beginning, and the freedom of speech which he possessed, and the deceitful conversation recently propo 44 sed to him, and how he himself had answered good things, but the other, receiving his word with displeasure, by the change in his face showed the anger concealed within him. And that poor and weak man, after considering, said: Let it be known to you, most glorious one, that the king holds an evil suspicion against you, that you seek to seize his kingdom, and testing you he said what he said. Rise up, therefore, and cut your hair, and cast off these splendid garments, and putting on haircloth, go to the king early in the morning. And when he asks, 'What does this appearance of yours mean?' answer: Concerning what you spoke to me yesterday, O king, behold, I am here in readiness to follow you on the road you were eager to travel; for though luxury is desirable and most pleasant, may it not be for me to undertake it after you; but the way of virtue, which you are about to walk, though it is difficult and rough, yet being with you, it is easy for me and effortless and desirable; for as you had me as a partner in the good things here, so also you will have me in the painful ones, so that I may also share with you in the things to come. And that illustrious man, accepting the words of the weak one, did just as he had spoken to him; whom the king, seeing and hearing, was pleased at this, greatly admiring his goodwill towards him, and knowing that the things spoken against him were false, he caused him to enjoy greater honor and freedom of speech toward him; but against the monks he was again filled with anger, saying that these were their teachings, for men 46 to abstain from the pleasures of life and to be deluded by uncertain hopes. And going out again to hunt, he sees two monks passing through the desert, whom he commanded to be seized and brought to his chariot, and looking at them angrily, and breathing fire, so to speak, he said: Have you not heard, O vagabonds and deceivers, the heralds clearly proclaiming that no one of your wretched company is to be found after three days in a city or country of my dominion, or he shall certainly be burned with fire? And the monks: Behold (they say) just as you commanded, we are departing from your cities and countries; but since a long journey lies before us to go to our brethren, being in need of food, we were procuring it, so as to have provisions and not become a victim of famine. And the king said: He who fears the threat of death is not occupied with procuring food. The monks say: You have spoken well, O king; those who fear death are concerned with how to escape it. And who are these, but those who are attached to transient things and terrified by them, who, having no good

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δὲ ἔχει ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἡμέτερα νῦν ἡδέα ὀλιγοχρόνια, ἐκεῖ δὲ ὅλως οὐδὲν ἢ κόλασιν μόνον προξενοῦντα καὶ τιμωρίαν εἰς αἰῶνας μὴ λυομένην· τὸ γὰρ ἡδὺ τούτων πρόσκαιρον, τὸ δὲ ὀδυνηρὸν διηνεκές· τῶν δὲ Χριστιανῶν τὸ μὲν ἐπίπονον πρόσκαιρον, τὸ δὲ ἡδὺ καὶ χρήσιμον ἀθάνατον. κατευθυνθείη οὖν ἡ ἀγαθὴ τοῦ βασιλέως βουλή· καλὸν γάρ, σφόδρα καλὸν τῶν φθαρτῶν τὰ αἰώνια ἀνταλλάξασθαι. Ἤκουσε ταῦτα ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ λίαν ἐδυσχέραινε, κατέσχε δὲ ὅμως τὴν ὀργήν, καὶ οὐδὲν τέως τῷ ἀνδρὶ λελάληκεν. ὁ δέ, συνετὸς ὢν καὶ ἀγχίνους, ἐπέγνω βαρέως δέξασθαι τὸν βασιλέα τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ καὶ ὅτι δόλῳ ἦν αὐτὸν ἐκπειράζων. ὑποστρέψας δὲ οἴκαδε ἠνιᾶτο καὶ ἐδυσφόρει, ἀπορῶν τίνι τρόπῳ θεραπεύσει τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἐκφύγῃ τὸν ἐπηρτημένον αὐτῷ κίνδυνον. ἀΰπνῳ δὲ ὅλην τὴν νύκτα διατελοῦντι ἐπὶ μνήμης ἦλθεν αὐτῷ ὁ τὸν πόδα συντετριμμένος, καί, τοῦτον πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἀγαγών, ἔφη· Μέμνημαί σου εἰρηκότος θεραπευτὴν ῥημάτων κεκακωμένων ὑπάρχειν σε. ὁ δέ, Ναί, φησί· καί, εἰ χρῄζεις, ἐπιδείξομαι τὰ τῆς ἐπιστήμης. ὑπολαβὼν δὲ ὁ συγκλητικὸς ἀφηγήσατο αὐτῷ τήν τε ἐξ ἀρχῆς πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εὔνοιαν αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἣν ἐκέκτητο παρρησίαν, καὶ τὴν ἔναγχος προτε 44 θεῖσαν αὐτῷ δολερὰν ὁμιλίαν, καὶ ὅπως αὐτὸς μὲν ἀγαθὰ ἀπεκρίνατο, ἐκεῖνος δὲ δυσχερῶς δεξάμενος τὸν λόγον, τῇ τοῦ προσώπου ἀλλοιώσει τὴν ἐνδομυχοῦσαν αὐτῷ ὀργὴν ἐνεδείξατο. Ὁ δὲ πένης ἐκεῖνος καὶ ἀσθενὴς διασκεψάμενος ἔφη· Γνωστὸν ἔστω σοι, ἐνδοξότατε, πονηρὰν ἔχειν πρὸς σὲ ὑπόληψιν τὸν βασιλέα, ὡς ὅτι κατασχεῖν αὐτοῦ τὴν βασιλείαν ζητεῖς, καὶ πειράζων σε εἶπεν ἅπερ εἶπεν. ἀναστὰς οὖν, καὶ κείρας σου τὴν κόμην, καὶ ἐκβαλὼν τὰ λαμπρὰ ἱμάτια ταῦτα, τρίχινα δὲ ἀμφιεσάμενος, ἅμα πρωὶ πρόσελθε τῷ βασιλεῖ. τοῦ δὲ πυνθανομένου, Τί σοι τὸ σχῆμα τοῦτο βούλεται; ἀποκρίθητι· Περὶ ὧν μοι χθὲς ὡμίλησας, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἰδοὺ πάρειμι ἐν ἑτοίμῳ τοῦ ἀκολουθῆσαί σοι τὴν ὁδὸν ἣν προεθυμήθης ὁδεῦσαι· εἰ γὰρ καὶ ποθεινή ἐστιν ἡ τρυφὴ καὶ ἡδίστη, ἀλλὰ μή μοι γένοιτο μετὰ σὲ ταύτην ἀναδέξασθαι· ἡ δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς ὁδός, ἣν μέλλεις βαδίζειν, κἂν δύσκολός ἐστι καὶ τραχεῖα, ἀλλὰ μετὰ σοῦ ὄντι ῥᾳδία μοι αὕτη καὶ εὔκολος καὶ ποθεινή· ὡς γὰρ κοινωνόν με ἔσχες τῶν ἐνταῦθα καλῶν, οὕτω καὶ τῶν λυπηρῶν ἕξεις, ἵνα καὶ τῶν μελλόντων συγκοινωνήσω σοι. ὁ δὲ λαμπρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἀνήρ, ἀποδεξάμενος τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ ἀσθενοῦς, ἐποίησε καθὰ δὴ καὶ αὐτῷ λελάληκεν· ὃν ἰδὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἀκούσας, ἥσθη μὲν ἐπὶ τούτῳ, ἀγάμενος λίαν τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν εὔνοιαν, ψευδῆ δὲ τὰ κατ' αὐτοῦ λαληθέντα γνούς, πλείονος αὐτὸν τιμῆς καὶ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν παρρησίας ἀπολαύειν πεποίηκεν· κατὰ δὲ τῶν μοναζόντων ὀργῆς αὖθις ὑπερεπίμπλατο, ἐκείνων εἶναι ταῦτα λέγων τὰ διδάγματα, τὸ ἀπέχεσθαι τοὺς ἀνθρώ 46 πους τῶν τοῦ βίου ἡδέων καὶ ἀδήλοις ὀνειροπολεῖσθαι ἐλπίσιν. Ἐξερχόμενος δὲ αὖθις εἰς θήραν, ὁρᾷ δύο μοναχοὺς κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον διερχομένους, οὓς κρατηθῆναι καὶ τῷ αὐτοῦ προσαχθῆναι ὀχήματι κελεύσας, ὀργίλως τε αὐτοῖς ἐνιδών, καὶ πῦρ, τὸ τοῦ λόγου, πνεύσας, ἔφη· Οὐκ ἠκούσατε, ὦ πλάνοι καὶ ἀπατεῶνες, τῶν κηρύκων διαρρήδην βοώντων μή τινα τῆς ὑμῶν κακοδαιμονίας μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἐν πόλει ἢ χώρᾳ τῆς ἐμῆς εὑρεθῆναι ἐξουσίας, ἢ πάντως πυρίκαυστος ἔσται; οἱ δὲ μοναχοί· Ἰδοὺ (φασὶ) καθὰ δὴ καὶ προσέταξας, ἐξερχομεθά σου τῶν πόλεων καὶ τῶν χωρῶν· μακρᾶς δὲ ἡμῖν τῆς ὁδοῦ προκειμένης τοῦ ἀπελθεῖν πρὸς τοὺς ἡμετέρους ἀδελφούς, ἐνδεῶς ἔχοντες τροφῆς, ταύτην ἐποριζόμεθα, τοῦ ἔχειν τὰ ἐφόδια καὶ μὴ λιμοῦ παρανάλωμα γενέσθαι. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἔφη· Ὁ θανάτου δεδοικὼς ἀπειλὴν οὐκ ἀσχολεῖται εἰς πορισμὸν βρωμάτων. λέγουσιν οἱ μονασταί· Καλῶς εἶπας, ὦ βασιλεῦ· οἱ θάνατον δεδοικότες διὰ φροντίδος ἔχουσι πῶς αὐτὸν ἐκφύγωσι. τίνες δέ εἰσιν οὗτοι, ἀλλ' ἢ οἱ τοῖς ῥευστοῖς προστετηκότες καὶ τούτοις ἐπτοημένοι, οἵτινες, μηδὲν ἀγαθὸν