XIII.

Ioasaph received this parable with great joy and said, "How true this story is, and most apt! Grudge not, then, to shew me other such like figures, that I may know for certain what the manner of our life is, and what it has in store for its friends."

The elder answered, "Again, those who are enamoured of the pleasures of life, and glamoured by the sweetness thereof, who prefer fleeting and paltry objects to those which are future and stable, are like a certain man who had three friends. On the first two of these he was extravagantly lavish of his honours, and clave passionately to their love, fighting to the death and deliberately hazarding his life for their sakes. But to the third he bore himself right arrogantly, never once granting him the honour nor the love that was his due, but only making show of some slight and inconsiderable regard for him. Now one day he was apprehended by certain dread and strange soldiers, that made speed to hale him to the king, there to render account for a debt of ten thousand talents. Being in a great strait, this debtor sought for a helper, able to take his part in this terrible reckoning with the king. So he ran to his first and truest friend of all, and said, 'Thou wottest, friend, that I ever jeopardied my life for your sake. Now to-day I require help in a necessity that presseth me sore. In how many talents wilt you undertake to assist me now? What is the hope that I may count upon at your hands, O my dearest friend?' The other answered and said unto him, 'Man, I am not your friend: I know not who you art. Other friends I have, with whom I must needs make merry to-day, and so win their friendship for the time to come. But, see, I present you with two ragged garments, that you mayest have them on the way whereon you goest, though they will do you no manner of good. Further help from me you mayest expect none.' The other, hearing this, despaired of the succour whereon he had reckoned, and went to his second friend, saying, 'Friend, you rememberest how much honour and kindness you hast enjoyed at my hands. To-day I have fallen into tribulation and sorrow, and need a helping hand. To what extent then canst you share my labour? Tell me at once.' Said he, 'I have on leisure today to share your troubles. I too have fallen among cares and perils, and am myself in tribulation. Howbeit, I will go a little way with you, even if I shall fail to be of service to you. Then will I turn quickly homeward, and busy myself with mine own anxieties.' So the man returned from him too empty-handed and baulked at every turn; and he cried misery on himself for his vain hope in those ungrateful friends, and the unavailing hardships that he had endured through love of them. At the last he went away to the third friend, whom he had never courted, nor invited to share his happiness. With countenance ashamed and downcast, he said unto him, 'I can scarce open my lips to speak with you, knowing full well that I have never done you service, or shown you any kindness that you might now remember. But seeing that a heavy misfortune has overtaken me, and that I have found nowhere among my friends any hope of deliverance, I address myself to you, praying you, if it lie in your power, to afford me some little aid. Bear no grudge for my past unkindness, and refuse me not.' The other with a smiling and gracious countenance answered, 'Assuredly I own you my very true friend. I have not forgotten those slight services of your: and I will repay them to-day with interest. Fear not therefore, neither be afraid. I will go before you and entreat the king for you, and will by no means deliver you into the hands of your enemies. Wherefore be of good courage, dear friend, and fret not thyself.' Then, pricked at heart, the other said with tears, 'Wo is me! Which shall I first lament, or which first deplore? Condemn my vain preference for my forgetful, thankless and false friends, or blame the mad ingratitude that I have shown to you, the sincere and true?'"

Ioasaph heard this tale also with amazement and asked the interpretation thereof. Then said Barlaam, "The first friend is the abundance of riches, and love of money, by reason of which a man falleth into the midst of ten thousand perils, and endureth many miseries: but when at last the appointed day of death is come, of all these things he carrieth away nothing but the useless burial cloths. By the second friend is signified our wife and children and the remnant of kinsfolk and acquaintance, to whom we are passionately attached, and from whom with difficulty we tear ourselves away, neglecting our very soul and body for the love of them. But no help did man ever derive from these in the hour of death, save only that they will accompany and follow him to the sepulchre, and then straightway turning them homeward again they are occupied with their own cares and matters, and bury his memory in oblivion as they have buried his body in the grave. But the third friend, that was altogether neglected and held cheap, whom the man never approached, but rather shunned and fled in horror, is the company of good deeds,--faith, hope, charity, alms, kindliness, and the whole band of virtues, that can go before us, when we quit the body, and may plead with the Lord on our behalf, and deliver us from our enemies and dread creditors, who urge that strict rendering of account in the air, and try bitterly to get the mastery of us. This is the grateful and true friend, who beareth in mind those small kindnesses that we have shown him and repays the whole with interest."

XIII

Ταύτην ὁ Ἰωάσαφ λίαν ἀποδεξάμενος τὴν παραβολήν, ἔφη: Ὡς ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος οὗτος καὶ πάνυ ἁρμοδιώτατος. μὴ οὖν ὀκνήσῃς τοιούτους ἀεί μοι τύπους ὑποδεικνύειν, ἵνα γνῶ ἀκριβῶς ὁποῖος ὑπάρχει ὁ καθ' ἡμᾶς βίος, καὶ τίνων τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ φίλοις πρόξενος γίνεται.

Ὁ δὲ γέρων εἶπεν: Ὅμοιοι αὖθίς εἰσιν οἱ ἐρασθέντες τῶν τοῦ βίου τερπνῶν καὶ τῇ τούτου γλυκανθέντες ἡδύτητι, τῶν μελλόντων τε καὶ μὴ σαλευομένων τὰ ῥευστὰ καὶ ἀσθενῆ προτιμήσαντες, ἀνθρώπῳ τινὶ τρεῖς ἐσχηκότι φίλους, ὧν τοὺς μὲν δύο περιπαθῶς ἐτίμα, καὶ σφοδρῶς τῆς αὐτῶν ἀγάπης ἀντείχετο, μέχρι θανάτου ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀγωνιζόμενος καὶ προκινδυνεύειν αἱρούμενος: πρὸς δὲ τὸν τρίτον πολλῇ ἐφέρετο καταφρονήσει, μήτε τιμῆς, μήτε τῆς προσηκούσης αὐτὸν πώποτε ἀξιώσας ἀγάπης, ἀλλ' ἢ μικράν τινα καὶ οὐδαμινὴν εἰς αὐτὸν προσποιούμενος φιλίαν. καταλαμβάνουσιν οὖν ἐν μιᾷ φοβεροί τινες καὶ ἐξαίσιοι στρατιῶται, σπεύδοντες ταχύτητι πολλῇ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τοῦτον ἀγαγεῖν, λόγον ἀποδώσοντα ὑπὲρ ὀφειλῆς μυρίων ταλάντων. στενοχωρούμενος δὲ ἐκεῖνος ἐζήτει βοηθόν, τὸν συναντιλαβέσθαι αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ φρικτῷ τοῦ βασιλέως λογοθεσίῳ δυνάμενον. δραμὼν οὖν πρὸς τὸν πρῶτον αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντων γνησιώτατον φίλον, λέγει. Οἶδας, ὦ φίλε, ὡς ἀεὶ ἐθέμην τὴν ψυχήν μου ὑπὲρ σοῦ: νυνὶ δὲ χρῄζω βοηθείας ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ τῆς κατεχούσης με ἀνάγκης. πόσων οὖν ἐπαγγέλλῃ συναντιλαβέσθαι μοι νῦν; καὶ τίς ἡ παρὰ σοῦ προσγινομένη μοι ἐλπίς, προσφιλέστατε; ἀποκριθεὶς οὖν ἐκεῖνος ἔφη: Οὐκ εἰμί σου φίλος, ἄνθρωπε: οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι τίς εἶ. ἄλλους γὰρ ἔχω προσφιλεῖς, μεθ' ὧν δεῖ με σήμερον εὐφραίνεσθαι, καὶ φίλους αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ἑξῆς κτήσασθαι. παρέχω δέ σοι ἰδοὺ ῥάκια δύο, τοῦ ἔχειν σε ταῦτα ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ᾗ πορεύῃ, ἅτινα οὐδέν σε τὸ παράπαν ὠφελήσουσι. καὶ μηδεμίαν ἄλλην παρ' ἐμοῦ προσδοκήσῃς ἐλπίδα. τούτων ἀκούσας ἐκεῖνος καὶ ἀπογνοὺς ἣν ἐξ αὐτοῦ βοήθειαν ἤλπιζε, πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον πορεύεται φίλον, καί φησι: Μέμνησαι, ὦ ἑταῖρε, ὅσης ἀπήλαυσας παρ' ἐμοῦ τιμῆς καὶ εὐγνωμοσύνης: σήμερον δέ, θλίψει περιπεσὼν καὶ συμφορᾷ μεγίστῃ, χρῄζω συνεργοῦ. πόσον οὖν ἰσχύεις μοι συγκοπιάσαι; ἐξ αὐτῆς γνώρισόν μοι. ὁ δέ φησιν: Οὐ σχολάζω σήμερον συναγωνίσασθαί σοι: μερίμναις γὰρ κἀγὼ καὶ περιστάσεσι περιπεσὼν ἐν θλίψει εἰμί. μικρὸν δ' ὅμως συνοδεύσω σοι, κἂν μηδὲν ὠφελήσω σε: καί, θᾶττον ὑποστρέψας οἴκαδε, ταῖς ἰδίαις ἔσομαι ἀσχολούμενος μερίμναις. κεναῖς οὖν κἀκεῖθεν ὑποστρέψας χερσὶν ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ πάντοθεν ἀπορούμενος, ἐταλάνιζεν ἑαυτὸν τῆς ματαίας ἐλπίδος τῶν ἀγνωμόνων αὐτοῦ φίλων, καὶ τῶν ἀνονήτων ταλαιπωριῶν ὧν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀγάπης ὑπέστη. ἀπέρχεται λοιπὸν πρὸς τὸν τρίτον φίλον αὐτοῦ, ὃν οὐδέποτε ἐθεράπευσεν, οὐδὲ κοινωνὸν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ εὐφροσύνης προσεκαλέσατο: καί φησι πρὸς αὐτὸν κατῃσχυμμένῳ τε καὶ κατηφιῶντι τῷ προσώπῳ: Οὐκ ἔχω στόμα διᾶραι πρὸς σέ, γινώσκων ἀκριβῶς ὅτι οὐ μέμνησαί μου πώποτε εὐεργετήσαντός σε, ἢ προσφιλῶς διατεθέντος σοι. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ συμφορά με κατέλαβε χαλεπωτάτη, οὐδαμόθεν δὲ τῶν λοιπῶν μου φίλων εὗρον σωτηρίας ἐλπίδα, παρεγενόμην πρὸς σέ, δυσωπῶν, εἰ ἔστι σοι ἰσχύς, μικράν τινα βοήθειαν παρασχεῖν μοι. μὴ οὖν ἀπαγορεύσῃς, μηνίσας μου τῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης. ὁ δέ φησιν ἱλαρῷ καὶ χαρίεντι προσώπῳ: Ναὶ δὴ φίλον ἐμὸν γνησιώτατον ὁμολογῶ σε ὑπάρχειν: καί, τῆς μικρᾶς ἐκείνης μεμνημένος σου εὐποιίας, σὺν τόκῳ σήμερον ἀποδώσω σοι. μὴ φοβοῦ τοίνυν, μηδὲ δέδιθι: ἐγώ σου γὰρ προπορεύσομαι, ἐγὼ δυσωπήσω ὑπὲρ σοῦ τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ οὐ μὴ παραδῶ σε εἰς χεῖρας ἐχθρῶν σου. θάρσει οὖν, προσφιλέστατε, καὶ μὴ λυποῦ. τότε κατανυγεὶς ἐκεῖνος ἔλεγε μετὰ δακρύων: Οἴμοι τί πρῶτον θρηνήσω, καὶ τί κλαύσομαι πρῶτον; τῆς ματαίας μου καταγνώσομαι προσπαθείας εἰς τοὺς ἀμνήμονας καὶ ἀχαρίστους καὶ ψευδεῖς φίλους ἐκείνους; ἢ τὴν φρενοβλαβῆ ταλανίσω ἀγνωμοσύνην, ἥνπερ τῷ ἀληθεῖ τούτῳ καὶ γνησίῳ ἐνεδειξάμην φίλῳ;

Ὁ δὲ Ἰωάσαφ, καὶ τοῦτον μετὰ θαύματος δεξάμενος τὸν λόγον, τὴν σαφήνειαν ἐζήτει. καί φησιν ὁ Βαρλαάμ: Ὁ πρῶτος φίλος ἂν εἴη ἡ τοῦ πλούτου περιουσία καὶ ὁ τῆς φιλοχρηματίας ἔρως, ἐφ' ᾧ μυρίοις ὁ ἄνθρωπος περιπίπτει κινδύνοις, καὶ πολλὰς ὑπομένει ταλαιπωρίας: ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς τελευταίας τοῦ θανάτου προθεσμίας οὐδὲν ἐκ πάντων ἐκείνων, εἰ μὴ τὰ πρὸς κηδείαν ἀνόνητα ῥάκια, λαμβάνει. δεύτερος δὲ φίλος κέκληται γυνή τε καὶ τέκνα καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ συγγενεῖς τε καὶ οἰκεῖοι, ὧν τῇ προσπαθείᾳ κεκολλημένοι δυσαποσπάστως ἔχομεν, αὐτῆς τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος ἕνεκεν τῆς αὐτῶν ὑπερορῶντες ἀγάπης: οὐδεμιᾶς δέ τις ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπώνατο ὠφελείας τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ θανάτου: ἀλλ' ἢ μόνον μέχρι τοῦ μνήματος συνοδεύουσιν αὐτῷ παρεπόμενοι, εἶτ', εὐθὺς ἐπαναστραφέντες, τῶν ἰδίων ἔχονται μεριμνῶν καὶ περιστάσεων, οὐκ ἔλαττον λήθῃ τὴν μνήμην, ἢ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ποτε προσφιλοῦς καλύψαντες τάφῳ. ὁ δ' αὖ τρίτος φίλος ὁ παρεωραμένος καὶ φορτικός, ὁ μὴ προσιτός, ἀλλὰ φευκτὸς καὶ οἷον ἀποτρόπαιος, ὁ τῶν ἀρίστων ἔργων χορὸς καθέστηκεν, οἷον πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη, ἐλεημοσύνη, φιλανθρωπία, καὶ ὁ λοιπὸς τῶν ἀρετῶν ὅμιλος, ὁ δυνάμενος προπορεύεσθαι ἡμῶν ἐξερχομένων τοῦ σώματος, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τε δυσωπῆσαι τὸν Κύριον, καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμᾶς λυτρούμενος καὶ δεινῶν φορολόγων, τῶν λογοθέσιον ἡμῖν πικρὸν ἐν τῷ ἀέρι κινούντων, καὶ χειρώσασθαι πικρῶς ζητούντων. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ εὐγνώμων φίλος καὶ ἀγαθός, ὁ καὶ τὴν μικρὰν ἡμῶν εὐπραγίαν ἐπὶ μνήμης φέρων καὶ σὺν τόκῳ ἡμῖν πᾶσαν ἀποδιδούς.