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they were more longed-for by men, and more lovely; for indeed they made not only their body, but also their soul better and more modest by these things. Sitting, therefore, upon the camel and having reached the land, before she came near, looking up she saw Isaac with her eyes, and she leaped down from the camel. Did you see strength? did you see good health? She leaped down from the camel. Thus they had much strength with modesty. And she said to the servant: Who is that man walking in the field? And the servant said: My master. Then taking her veil, she covered herself. See everywhere her modesty being testified, how bashful she was, how modest she was. And Isaac took her, and she became his wife and he loved her, and he was comforted concerning Sarah his mother. But these things were not said simply, that he loved her, and was comforted concerning Sarah his mother, but that you may learn the grounds of the affection and the love, which the woman brought with her from home. For who would not have loved such a woman, so modest, so orderly, so hospitable and philanthropic and gentle, courageous in soul, and robust in body? I have said these things, not that you may hear, nor that having heard you may only praise, but that you may also emulate. And fathers, imitate the forethought of the patriarch, which he exercised in taking a wife of unaffected character, not seeking money, nor splendor of family, nor beauty of body, nor anything else, but only nobility of soul; and mothers, thus bring up your own daughters. And you bridegrooms who are about to marry them, lead them with such great propriety, banishing dances and laughter and shameful words, and pipes and flutes, and the diabolical display, and all other such things, but always entreating God to be the mediator of all that is done. For if we so manage our own affairs, there will never be a bill of divorce, nor a suspicion of adultery, nor a pretext for jealousy, nor fighting and strife, but we will enjoy much peace, and much concord; and this being present, all other virtues will surely follow. For just as, when a wife is at variance with her husband, nothing in the household will be sound, even if all other matters go smoothly; so when she is of one mind and at peace, nothing will be unpleasant, even if ten thousand storms are born each day. If marriages take place in this way, we shall be able to lead the children to virtue with much ease. For when the mother is thus orderly, and modest, and possessed of every virtue, she will surely be able to captivate her husband and subdue him with longing for her; and having captivated him, she will have him assisting with great eagerness in the care of the children, and she will thus draw God to this same providence; and when He assists in this good management, and trains the souls of the children, nothing unpleasant will remain, but the affairs of the household will also be well-ordered, when the rulers are so disposed; and thus with his household, I mean his own wife, and children and servants, each one will be able to complete 51.241 this life with all freedom from fear, and to enter into the kingdom of heaven; of which may it be granted to us all to attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with 51.242 whom be glory to the Father, and power, with the holy and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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ποθεινότεραι τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἦσαν, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐπέραστοι· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὸ σῶμα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τούτοις βελτίω καὶ σωφρονεστέραν κατειργάσαντο. Καθημένη τοίνυν ἐπὶ τῆς καμήλου καὶ φθάσασα εἰς τὴν χώραν, πρὶν αὐτὴν ἐλθεῖν ἐγγὺς, ἀναβλέψασα εἶδε τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ κατεπήδησεν ἀπὸ τῆς καμήλου. Εἶδες ἰσχύν; εἶδες εὐεξίαν; Κατεπήδησεν ἀπὸ τῆς καμήλου. Οὕτως αὐταῖς ῥώμη πολλὴ μετὰ σωφροσύνης ἦν. Καὶ εἶπε τῷ παιδί· Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ὁ πορευόμενος ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ; Εἶπε δὲ ὁ παῖς· Ὁ κύριός μου. Εἶτα λαβοῦσα τὸ θέριστρον περιεβάλετο. Ὅρα πανταχοῦ τὴν σωφροσύνην αὐτῆς μαρτυρουμένην, πῶς ἦν αἰσχυντηρὰ, πῶς ἦν αἰδέσιμος. Καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτὴν ὁ Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα καὶ ἠγάπησεν αὐτὴν, καὶ παρεκλήθη περὶ Σάῤῥας τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ ταῦτα εἴρηται, ὅτι ἠγάπησεν αὐτὴν, καὶ παρεκλήθη περὶ τῆς Σάῤῥας τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἵνα μάθῃς τοῦ φίλτρου καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης τὰς ὑποθέσεις, ἃς οἴκοθεν ἔχουσα ἦλθεν ἡ γυνή. Τίς γὰρ τὴν τοιαύτην οὐκ ἂν ἠγάπησε, τὴν οὕτω σώφρονα, τὴν οὕτω κοσμίαν, τὴν οὕτω φιλόξενον καὶ φιλάνθρωπον καὶ ἥμερον, τὴν ἀνδρείαν μὲν κατὰ τὴν ψυχὴν, ῥωμαλέαν δὲ κατὰ τὸ σῶμα; Ταῦτα εἶπον, οὐχ ἵνα ἀκούσητε, οὐδ' ἵνα ἀκούσαντες ἐπαινέσητε μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ ζηλώσητε. Καὶ πατέρες μὲν, τὴν πρόνοιαν τοῦ πατριάρχου μιμεῖσθε, ἣν ἐποιεῖτο περὶ τοῦ λαβεῖν γυναῖκα ἄπλαστον, οὐ χρήματα ἐπιζητήσας, οὐ γένους λαμπρότητα, οὐ σώματος κάλλος, οὐκ ἄλλο οὐδὲν, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς εὐγένειαν μόνον· μητέρες δὲ, οὕτω τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἀνατρέφετε θυγατέρας. Οἱ δὲ ἄγεσθαι αὐτὰς μέλλοντες νυμφίοι, μετὰ τοσαύτης αὐτὰς ἄγετε κοσμιότητος, χορείας μὲν καὶ γέλωτας καὶ ῥήματα αἰσχρὰ, καὶ σύριγγας καὶ αὐλοὺς, καὶ τὴν διαβολικὴν φαντασίαν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐξορίζοντες, τὸν Θεὸν δὲ ἀεὶ παρακαλοῦντες μεσίτην γενέσθαι τῶν πραττομένων ἁπάντων. Ἂν γὰρ οὕτω τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς οἰκονομήσωμεν, οὐκ ἀποστάσιον ἔσται ποτὲ, οὐ μοιχείας ὑποψία, οὐ ζηλοτυπίας πρόφασις, οὐ μάχη καὶ ἔρις, ἀλλὰ πολλῆς μὲν ἀπολαυσόμεθα τῆς εἰρήνης, πολλῆς δὲ τῆς ὁμονοίας· ταύτης δὲ οὔσης, καὶ αἱ ἄλλαι πάντως ἕψονται ἀρεταί. Ὥσπερ γὰρ, γυναικὸς πρὸς ἄνδρα στασιαζούσης, οὐδὲν ὑγιὲς ἔσται ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας, κἂν ἅπαντα τὰ ἄλλα κατὰ ῥοῦν φέρηται πράγματα· οὕτως ὁμονοούσης καὶ εἰρηνευούσης, οὐδὲν ἔσται ἀηδὲς, κἂν μυρίοι χειμῶνες καθ' ἑκάστην τίκτωνται τὴν ἡμέραν. Ἂν οὕτως οἱ γάμοι γένωνται, καὶ τὰ παιδία μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐκολίας εἰς ἀρετὴν ἀγαγεῖν δυνησόμεθα. Ὅταν γὰρ ἡ μήτηρ οὕτως ᾖ κοσμία, καὶ σώφρων, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν κεκτημένη, πάντως καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα ἑλεῖν δυνήσεται καὶ χειρώσασθαι τῷ περὶ αὐτὴν πόθῳ· ἑλοῦσα δὲ αὐτὸν, μετὰ πολλῆς ἕξει τῆς προθυμίας βοηθοῦντα πρὸς τὴν τῶν παίδων ἐπιμέλειαν, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν οὕτως ἐπισπάσεται πρὸς τὴν αὐτὴν ταύτην πρόνοιαν· ἐκείνου δὲ συνεφαπτομένου τῆς καλῆς ταύτης οἰκονομίας, καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν παίδων ἀσκοῦντος, οὐδὲν ἀηδὲς ἔσται λοιπὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῆς οἰκίας εὖ διακείσεται, τῶν ἀρχόντων οὕτω διακειμένων· καὶ μετὰ τῆς οἰκίας οὕτως ἕκαστος δυνήσεται, τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γυναικὸς λέγω, καὶ παίδων καὶ οἰκετῶν, καὶ τὸν ἐνταῦθα μετὰ ἀδείας ἁπάσης διανύ 51.241 σαι βίον, καὶ εἰς τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν εἰσελθεῖν· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' 51.242 οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα, καὶ κράτος, σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.