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and from these, houses and walls and cities were established. But you, show me, what profit could come from these pearls, or rather what harm would not come? For so that you may wear one little stone, countless poor are choked by famine; what defense, then, will you obtain? what pardon? Do you wish to adorn your face? Not with pearls, but with self-control and modesty; thus your husband will see your countenance as more graceful. 49.238 For that adornment is accustomed to cast one into suspicion of jealousy and into enmities and contentions and battles; for nothing is more unpleasant than a countenance that is suspected; but the adornment of mercy and self-control casts out all evil suspicion, and will draw your husband more powerfully than any bond. For the nature of beauty does not so make the countenance comely, as does the disposition of the one who beholds it; and nothing is so accustomed to create disposition, as self-control and modesty. So that even if one is comely, but her husband is ill-disposed toward her, she will appear to him more shameful than all; and if one happens not to be fair, but her husband is well-disposed toward her, she will appear to him more comely than all; for the votes are cast not on the nature of what is seen, but on the disposition of those who see. Adorn your countenance, therefore, with self-control, modesty, mercy, kindness, love, with friendliness toward your husband, with reasonableness, gentleness, forbearance; these are the colors of virtue; through these you will attract angels, not men, as lovers, through these you have God himself as your admirer; and when God approves, he will certainly subject your husband to you. For if the wisdom of a man illuminates his face, much more does the virtue of a woman illuminate her countenance. But if you think this adornment is great, tell me, what benefit will you have from these pearls on that day? And why must I speak of that day, when it is possible to demonstrate all these things even from the present? When, at any rate, those thought to have insulted the emperor were dragged to the court and were in danger of the ultimate penalties, then their mothers and their wives, having put away their necklaces and their gold and their pearls and all their finery and their golden garments, taking up simple and plain clothing, and having sprinkled themselves with ash, and rolling before the doors of the court, thus they bent the will of the judges. If then in the courts here gold and pearls and varied apparel would be a plot and a betrayal, while reasonableness and gentleness and ash and tears and plain garments rather draw the judge, much more would this be so at that incorruptible and fearful judgment. For what account will you have, tell me, to give, what defense, when the Master accuses you concerning these pearls, and brings into the midst the poor who were destroyed by famine? Because of this Paul said: Not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly attire. For from this, a plot might arise; but even if we should enjoy them continuously, yet in death we will certainly be separated from them. But from virtue comes all security, and no change or reversal, but it both makes us more secure here, and transfers with us there. Do you wish to acquire pearls, and never to put away this wealth? having taken off all adornment, place it in the hands of Christ through the poor; He will keep all your wealth for you, when He raises up your body with great splendor; then He will put on you better wealth and a greater adornment, as indeed this present one is worthless and ridiculous. Consider then whom you wish to please, and for whose sake you put on this adornment, so that the rope-maker, and the bronze-worker, and the man of the marketplace, seeing you, might marvel; then are you not ashamed and do not 49.239 blush, showing off for them, and for the sake of those whom you do not even consider worthy of your address, doing all these things, How then will you laugh at this vanity? If you remember that voice which you uttered when being initiated; I renounce you, Satan, and your pomp and your service; for the thing concerning the

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ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων οἰκίαι τε καὶ τείχη καὶ πόλεις ἔστησαν. Σὺ δέ μοι δεῖξον, τί τὸ κέρδος ἀπὸ τῶν μαργαριτῶν γένοιτ' ἂν τούτων, μᾶλλον δὲ ποῖον οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο βλάβος; Καὶ γὰρ ἵνα σὺ κόκκον ἕνα φορέσῃς, μυρίοι τῷ λιμῷ πένητες ἄγχονται· ποίας οὖν ἀπολογίας τεύξῃ; τίνος συγγνώμης; Βούλει κοσμῆσαι τὸ πρόσωπον; μὴ μαργαρίταις, ἀλλὰ σωφροσύνῃ καὶ σεμνότητι· οὕτω χαριεστέραν ὄψεται 49.238 τὴν ὄψιν ὁ ἀνήρ. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ ὁ κόσμος καὶ εἰς ζηλοτυπίας ὑποψίαν ἐμβάλλειν εἴωθεν καὶ εἰς ἔχθρας καὶ φιλονεικίας καὶ μάχας· οὐδὲν γὰρ ὄψεως, ὑποπτευομένης ἀηδέστερον· ὁ δὲ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης καὶ σωφροσύνης κόσμος πᾶσαν μὲν ἐκβάλλει πονηρὰν ὑπόνοιαν, παντὸς δὲ δεσμοῦ σφοδρότερον ἐπισπάσεται τὸν σύνοικον. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω κάλλους φύσις εὔμορφον ποιεῖ γίνεσθαι τὴν ὄψιν, ὡς ἡ τοῦ θεωροῦντος αὐτὴν διάθεσις· διάθεσιν δὲ οὐδὲν οὕτως, ὡς σωφροσύνη καὶ σεμνότης ποιεῖν εἴωθεν. Ὥστε κἂν εὔμορφος ᾖ τις, ἀπεχθῶς δὲ πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ ἀνὴρ ἔχῃ, πάντων αἰσχροτέρα αὐτῷ φανεῖται· κἂν μὴ τύχῃ τις εὐπρεπὴς οὖσα, ἡδέως δὲ πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ ἀνὴρ ἔχῃ, πάντων εὐμορφοτέρα αὐτῷ φανεῖται· οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῇ φύσει τῶν ὁρωμένων, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ διαθέσει τῶν ὁρώντων αἱ ψῆφοι γίνονται. Καλλώπισον τοίνυν τὴν ὄψιν σωφροσύνῃ, σεμνότητι, ἐλεημοσύνῃ, φιλανθρωπίᾳ, ἀγάπῃ, τῇ περὶ τὸν ἄνδρα φιλοφροσύνῃ, ἐπιεικείᾳ, πραότητι, ἀνεξικακίᾳ· ταῦτα τῆς ἀρετῆς τὰ χρώματα· διὰ τούτων ἀγγέλους, οὐκ ἀνθρώπους ἐραστὰς ἐπισπάσῃ, διὰ τούτων αὐτὸν ἔχεις τὸν Θεὸν ἐπαινέτην· ὅταν δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἀποδέξηται, καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα σοι ὑποτάξει πάντως. Εἰ γὰρ σοφία ἀνθρώπου φωτίζει τὸ πρόσωπον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἀρετὴ γυναικὸς φωτίζει τὴν ὄψιν. Εἰ δὲ μέγαν νομίζεις εἶναι τοῦτον τὸν κόσμον, εἰπέ μοι, τί σοι τὸ ὄφελος ἀπὸ τῶν μαργαριτῶν τούτων ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ γενήσεται; Καὶ τί χρὴ λέγειν τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην, ἐξὸν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων ταῦτα ἀποδεῖξαι πάντα; Ὅτε γοῦν οἱ δόξαντες εἰς τὸν βασιλέα ὑβρικέναι, εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον εἵλκοντο καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἐκινδύνευον, τότε αἱ μητέρες καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες τὰ περιδέῤῥαια καὶ τὰ χρυσία καὶ τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἀποθέμεναι καὶ τὸν κόσμον ἅπαντα καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια τὰ χρυσᾶ, λιτὴν καὶ εὐτελῆ λαβοῦσαι ἐσθῆτα, καὶ σποδὸν καταπασάμεναι, καὶ πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν τοῦ δικαστηρίου κυλινδούμεναι, οὕτω τοὺς δικάζοντας ἐπέκαμπτον. Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα δικαστηρίων τὰ μὲν χρυσία καὶ οἱ μαργαρῖται καὶ ἡ ποικίλη ἐσθὴς ἐπιβουλὴ καὶ προδοσία γένοιτ' ἂν, ἡ δὲ ἐπιείκεια καὶ ἡ πραότης καὶ ἡ τέφρα καὶ τὰ δάκρυα καὶ τὰ εὐτελῆ ἱμάτια μᾶλλον ἐπισπᾶται τὸν δικαστὴν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῆς ἀδεκάστου ψήφου καὶ φοβερᾶς ἐκείνης γένοιτ' ἂν τοῦτο. Τίνα γὰρ ἕξεις, εἰπέ μοι, λόγον εἰπεῖν, ποίαν ἀπολογίαν, ὅταν ὁ ∆εσπότης ἐγκαλῇ σοι περὶ τῶν μαργαριτῶν τούτων, καὶ τοὺς πένητας εἰς μέσον ἀγάγῃ τῷ λιμῷ διαφθαρέντας; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Μὴ ἐν πλέγμασιν, ἢ χρυσίῳ, ἢ μαργαρίταις, ἢ ἱματισμῷ πολυτελεῖ. Ἐντεῦθεν μὲν γὰρ ἡ ἐπιβουλὴ γένοιτ' ἄν· εἰ δὲ καὶ διηνεκῶς αὐτῶν ἀπολαύσαιμεν, ἀλλὰ τῷ θανάτῳ πάντως ἀποστησόμεθα. Ἀπὸ δὲ ἀρετῆς ἀσφάλεια πᾶσα, καὶ μεταβολὴ καὶ μετάπτωσις οὐδεμία, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἡμᾶς ἀσφαλεστέρους ποιεῖ, καὶ ἐκεῖ συμμεθίσταται. Βούλει κτήσασθαι μαργαρίτας, καὶ τὸν πλοῦτον τοῦτον μηδέποτε ἀποθέσθαι; περιελομένη τὸν κόσμον ἅπαντα εἰς τὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ χεῖρας ἀπόθου διὰ τῶν πενήτων· ἐκεῖνός σοι φυλάξει τὸν πλοῦτον ἅπαντα, ἐπειδὰν ἀναστήσῃ σου τὸ σῶμα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς λαμπρότητος· τότε σοι βελτίονα περιθήσει πλοῦτον καὶ κόσμον μείζονα, ὡς ὅ γε παρὼν οὗτος εὐτελὴς καὶ καταγέλαστος. Ἐννόησον οὖν τίσιν ἀρέσκειν βούλει, καὶ διὰ τίνας περίκεισαι τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον, ἵνα ὁ σχοινοστρόφος, καὶ ὁ χαλκοτύπος. καὶ ὁ ἀγοραῖος ἰδόντες θαυμάσωσιν· εἶτα οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ οὐδὲ 49.239 ἐρυθριᾷς ἐκείνοις ἐπιδεικνυμένη, καὶ οὓς οὐδὲ ἀξίους εἶναι νομίζεις τῆς σῆς προσρήσεως, διὰ τούτους ἅπαντα ποιοῦσα, Πῶς οὖν καταγελάσεις τῆς φαντασίας ταύτης; Ἂν ἀναμνησθῇς τῆς φωνῆς ἐκείνης, ἣν ἀφῆκας μυσταγωγουμένη· Ἀποτάσσομαί σοι, Σατανᾶ, καὶ τῇ πομπῇ σου καὶ τῇ λατρείᾳ σου· ἡ γὰρ περὶ τὸν