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wickedness of purpose. These, holding out the appearance of a sheep as a bait for those who see, hide within the gluttonous and malicious and cunning fox, and are eager to turn many aside to the same wickedness; as many as lack the governance of reason, and are easily attached to one who leads them well or ill, considering that to be good which someone might suggest either rightly or plausibly. These, therefore, they are eager to drag down to their own pit, thinking their perversion to be their own apology, and the companionship in wickedness a lessening of their crimes. These, then, it is fitting to guard against in every way, so that they may not harm others in the transmission of the soul's plague, and that they themselves, being restrained from all sides, may at last turn to what is good, taking shame as their instructor, and the aversion of the virtuous as an admonition for deliverance from wickedness. For this Paul also taught, speaking of those who do no work but are busybodies; Take note of this man, he says, and do not associate with him, that he may be ashamed.

CHAPTER 9. That of a clerical position or leadership of brethren in no way to desire

is fitting for the ascetic. Indeed, for the ascetic to desire a clerical position, or the leadership of brethren, in no way

is fitting. For the disease is diabolical, and the crime is the love of rule; which is the mark of the supreme wickedness of the devil. For he too was brought down by this passion to the fall of 31.1372 pride; and he who is overcome by this passion suffers the same as he. Then also this passion makes those who have been captured by it envious, and contentious, and accusers, and shameless, and slanderers, and flatterers, and plotters, and improperly humble, and servile, and boastful, and full of countless disturbances. For such a man is envious of the worthy, and slanders them; and he will often pray even for their death, so that from a lack of men suitable for the task the votes might fall to him. And he will flatter those with the power to give the position, and for this reason he will be servile; but he acts insolently toward his inferiors, if they should oppose him. He will therefore contrive deceits; he will have countless disturbances and suspicions; and he will destroy the tranquility of his soul; and the God of peace will be driven away, having no place where He may rest. Knowing, therefore, the damage, let us flee the absurdity of this desire. But if God should somewhere choose someone for such things, the resourceful one knows how he will also provide the worthy man; while we are in no way conscious of having been eager for such a thing, or of harboring the desire for it at all in our soul. For this too is a most grievous disease of the soul, and a fall from good things.

CHAPTER 10 That one must not, with a view to vainglory, be zealous for good things.

It is fitting to flee vainglory as much as possible, which not before the labors of laboring

keeps one away (for the evil would have been less), but after the labors robs one of the crowns, the hard-to-capture plotter against our salvation, which establishes ambushes against us near the heavenly arches, and strives to cast down virtues that have grown up to the heavens. For whenever it sees the merchant of piety has filled the cargo-ship of his mind with all sorts of wares of virtues, then, stirring up its own tempest, it strives to overturn the vessel and sink it beneath the waves. For by persuading the mind of the sailor of the kingdom above to look to things below and to human glory, all the wealth of the

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προαιρέσεως μοχθηρίαν. Οὗτοι, τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ προ βάτου τῶν ὁρώντων δέλεαρ προβαλλόμενοι, ἔνδον τὴν λίχνον καὶ κακοήθη καὶ ὕπουλον ἀλώπεκα κρύ πτουσι, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ παρατρέπειν ἐπὶ τὴν ἴσην κακίαν σπουδάζουσιν· ὅσοι κυβερνήσεως λογισμοῦ ἀμοιροῦντες, καὶ τῷ καλῶς καὶ κακῶς ἄγοντι ῥᾳδίως προστίθενται, τοῦτο καλὸν νομίσαντες, ὅπερ ἄν τις ἢ ὀρθῶς, ἢ πιθανῶς ὑφηγήσεται. Καὶ τούτους τοίνυν πρὸς τὸ οἰκεῖον καθέλκειν σπουδάζουσι βάραθρον, τὴν διαστροφὴν αὐτῶν οἰκείαν ἀπολογίαν εἶναι νομί ζοντες, καὶ τὴν ἑταιρίαν τῆς πονηρίας τῶν ἐγκλη μάτων ἐλάττωσιν. Τούτους οὖν ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου προσήκει φυλάττεσθαι, ὡς ἂν μήτ' ἄλλους βλάψαι ἐν τῇ τοῦ ψυχικοῦ λοιμοῦ μεταδόσει, καὶ αὐτοὶ πάν τοθεν εἰργόμενοι, ὀψὲ γοῦν πρὸς τὸ καλὸν ἐπιστρέ ψωσι, παιδαγωγὸν τὴν αἰσχύνην λαμβάνοντες, καὶ τὴν τῶν σπουδαίων ἀποστροφὴν νουθεσίαν εἰς τὴν τῆς κακίας ἀπαλλαγήν. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐδίδαξε, λέγων περὶ τῶν μηδὲν ἐργαζομένων ἀλλὰ περιεργαζομένων· Τοῦτον, φησὶ, σημειοῦσθε, καὶ μὴ συναναμίγνυσθε αὐτῷ, ἵνα ἐντραπῇ.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Θʹ. Ὅτι κλήρου ἢ προστασίας ἀδελφῶν οὐδαμῶς ἐφίεσθαι

προσήκει τὸν ἀσκητήν. Κλήρου μέντοι, ἢ προστασίας ἀδελφῶν ἐφίεσθαι τὸν ἀσκητὴν οὐδαμῶς

προσήκει. ∆ιαβολικὸν γὰρ τὸ νόσημα, καὶ φιλαρχίας τὸ ἔγκλημα· ὅπερ τῆς ἀνω τάτω τοῦ διαβόλου πονηρίας τὸ γνώρισμα. Κἀκεῖ νος γὰρ ὑπὸ τούτου τοῦ πάθους εἰς τὸ τῆς ὑπερηφα 31.1372 νίας κατενήνεκται πτῶμα· καὶ ὁ τούτῳ τῷ πάθει κρατούμενος τὰ ἴσα ἐκείνῳ νοσεῖ. Ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ βασκάνους, καὶ φιλονείκους, καὶ κατηγόρους, καὶ ἀναισχύντους, καὶ διαβόλους, καὶ κόλακας, καὶ κατα σκευαστὰς, καὶ παρὰ τὸ προσῆκον ταπεινοὺς, καὶ δουλοπρεπεῖς, καὶ ἀλαζόνας, καὶ μυρίας ταραχῆς γέμοντας, τοῦτο τὸ πάθος τοὺς ἑαλωκότας ἐργά ζεται. Ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος βασκαίνει τοῖς ἀξίοις, καὶ διαβάλλει τούτους· εὔξεται δὲ πολλάκις αὐτῶν καὶ τὸν θάνατον, ὡς ἀπορίᾳ τῶν πρὸς τὸ ἔργον ἐπιτη δείων ἐπ' αὐτὸν τὰς ψήφους ἐλθεῖν. Κολακεύσει τε τοὺς δοῦναι κυρίους τὸν κλῆρον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δου λοπρεπὴς ἔσται· θρασύνεται δὲ κατὰ τῶν ἐλαττό νων, εἰ ἀντιπίπτοιεν. ∆όλους οὖν συῤῥάψει· ταραχὰς καὶ ὑπονοίας μυρίας ἕξει· καὶ τὴν γαλήνην τῆς ψυχῆς καταλύσει· καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης ἀπελα θήσεται, οὐκ ἔχων ὅπου προσαναπαύσεται. Γνόντες οὖν τὴν ζημίαν, φύγωμεν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τὸ ἄτοπον. Εἰ δέ που Θεός τινα πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα ψηφίσαιτο, οἶδεν ὁ εὐμήχανος ὅπως καὶ παρέξει τὸν ἄξιον· ἡμῶν μηδαμοῦ συνειδότων ἑαυτοῖς ἐσπουδακόσι περὶ τὸ τοιοῦτον, ἢ ὅλως τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ πε ριέχειν. Νόσημα γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ψυχῆς χαλεπώτατον, καὶ ἔκπτωσις τῶν καλῶν.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Ιʹ Ὅτι οὐ χρὴ πρὸς κενοδοξίαν βλέποντα ζηλοῦν τὰ καλά.

Κενοδοξίαν ὅτι μάλιστα φεύγειν προσήκει τὴν οὐ πρὸ τῶν πόνων τοῦ πονεῖν

ἀφιστῶσαν (ἦν γὰρ ἂν τὸ κακὸν ἔλαττον), ἀλλὰ μετὰ τοὺς πόνους τῶν στε φάνων ἀποσυλῶσαν, τὴν δυσάλωτον τῆς ἡμετέρας σωτηρίας ἐπίβουλον, τὴν πρὸς ταῖς οὐρανίαις ἁψῖσι τοὺς καθ' ἡμῶν λόχους ἱδρύουσαν, καὶ τὰς μέ χρις οὐρανῶν στελεχωθείσας ἀρετὰς καταβα λεῖν φιλονεικοῦσαν. Ἐπειδὰν γὰρ ἴδῃ τὸν τῆς εὐσε βείας ἔμπορον παντοδαποῖς ἀγωγίμοις ἀρετῶν τὴν φορτίδα τῆς διανοίας πληρώσαντα, τότε, τὴν ἑαυτῆς καταιγίδα κινήσασα, περιτρέπειν καὶ ὑποβρύχιον ἄγειν τὸ σκάφος διαγωνίζεται. Τὴν γὰρ διάνοιαν τοῦ τῆς ἄνω βασιλείας πλωτῆρος πρὸς τὰ κάτω καὶ τὰς ἀνθρωπίνας δόξας ὁρᾷν ἀναπείσασα, ἅπαντα τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς