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war, and ten thousand bows and arrows, or rather praying for ten thousand deaths, than to see one of his own kind prospering and enjoying well-being? Again, another possessed by the desire for money, gathers ten thousand wars and battles and seditions into his own soul, and being in tumult and confusion, is not able to take even a small breath. But the one who is freed from these passions is not so disposed, but sits in a calm harbor, delighting in philosophy, and 55.59 enduring no such unpleasantness. Therefore, indeed, enjoying this providence, the Prophet said: In peace I will lay me down and sleep; showing that for the one not having this peace, not even the common harbor is entirely open, but even this is silted up, that of sleep and of night. For these passions corrupt even the security given by nature, completely thrusting aside the tyranny of sleep with another, more grievous tyranny. For the envious, and the malicious, and the covetous, and the rapacious, carrying this war everywhere, and having the enemies sitting within, wherever they may go, they cannot flee the battle; but even if they remain at home, even if they lie upon a couch, they endure clouds of arrows, and noises more violent than waves, and slaughters, and cries, and wailings, and other things much more grievous than those which happen among enemies. But not so the just man; but both while awake he delights, and in the time of night with much pleasure he receives sleep. And what is, 'at once'? Gathered to myself, he says, collected, not being split into ten thousand cares, nor worrying about the affairs of this one and that one, nor being cut up throughout the world by cares; but considering my own affairs, and the things that concern me, and what is most fitting for a man. For you, Lord, alone have made me dwell in hope. What he says is something like this: By the hope of future things and by the expectation of you, I have stilled all my passions. Just as Paul also says: For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For there is no burdensome thing, which does not become easy by the hope of pleasing God. For this reason he says: 'You have made me dwell in hope.' And the 'alone' is no small virtue of teaching. 13. And what is, 'alone'? Apart from the wicked. For I have achieved this peace, he says, toward you, and I dwell alone, fleeing the corrupt. And very reasonably so. For just as bodies are often destroyed by the contamination of corrupted air; so too a soul has often received harm from the company of the wicked; and just as a healthy eye, when it sees a diseased one, is afflicted, and one full of the itch, transmits it also to the healthy; so indeed it often happens also with the company of wicked men. For this reason Christ also advised not only to flee such people, but also to cut them out, saying thus: And if your right eye offends you, pluck it out, and cast it from you; not indeed speaking about an eye; for what wrong could an eye do, if the mind is sound? but concerning necessary friends who are to us in the rank of these members, and who harm us, he legislated these things, commanding also to dishonor the friendship of such people, so as to make one's own salvation more secure. Wherefore he himself again, going on, says: I have not sat with the council of vanity, and with transgressors I will not enter. And Jeremiah also blesses the one who sits alone, and bears the yoke from his youth. And the Proverbs make a long discourse about 55.60 this, advising all and saying not only

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πόλεμον, καὶ μυρία τόξα καὶ βέλη, μᾶλλον δὲ μυρίους θανάτους εὐχόμενος, ἢ ἰδεῖν τινα τῶν ὁμογενῶν εὐδοκιμοῦντα καὶ εὐημερίας ἀπολαύοντα; Πάλιν ἕτερος ὑπὸ χρημάτων ἐπιθυμίας κατεχόμενος, μυρίους πολέμους καὶ μάχας καὶ στάσεις εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ συνάγει ψυχὴν, καὶ ἐν θορύβῳ καὶ ταραχῇ ὢν, οὐδὲ μικρὸν ἀναπνεῦσαι δύναται. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ τούτων ἀπηλλαγμένος τῶν παθῶν οὕτω διάκειται, ἀλλ' ἐν γαληνῷ κάθηται λιμένι, ἐντρυφῶν τῇ φιλοσοφίᾳ, καὶ 55.59 οὐδεμίαν ὑπομένων ἀηδίαν τοιαύτην. ∆ιὸ δὴ καὶ ταύτης ἀπολαύων τῆς προνοίας ὁ Προφήτης ἔλεγεν· Ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κοιμηθήσομαι, καὶ ὑπνώσω· δηλῶν, ὅτι τῷ μὴ ταύτην ἔχοντι τὴν εἰρήνην οὐδὲ ὁ κοινὸς λιμὴν ἅπας ἀνέῳκται, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὗτος προσκέχωσται, ὁ τοῦ ὕπνου καὶ τῆς νυκτός. Τὰ γὰρ πάθη ταῦτα καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως ἄδειαν διδομένην διαφθείρει, ἑτέρᾳ τυραννίδι χαλεπωτέρᾳ τοῦ ὕπνου τὴν τυραννίδα παντελῶς παρωθούμενα. Οἱ γὰρ φθονεροὶ, καὶ βάσκανοι, καὶ πλεονέκται, καὶ ἅρπαγες τοῦτον τὸν πόλεμον πανταχοῦ περιφέροντες, καὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἔνδον ἔχοντες ἐγκαθημένους, ὅπουπερ ἂν ἀπέλθωσι, φυγεῖν οὐ δύνανται τὴν μάχην· ἀλλὰ κἂν οἴκοι μένωσι, κἂν ἐπὶ κλίνης κέωνται, νέφη βελῶν, καὶ θορύβους κυμάτων βιαιοτέρους, καὶ σφαγὰς, καὶ κραυγὰς, καὶ οἰμωγὰς, καὶ ἕτερα πολλῷ τῶν ἐν τοῖς πολεμίοις συμβαινόντων χαλεπώτερα ὑπομένουσιν. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ δίκαιος οὕτως· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐγρηγορὼς τρυφᾷ, καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τῆς νυκτὸς μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἡδονῆς τὸν ὕπνον δέχεται. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό; Συνηγμένος πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν, φησὶ, συνεστραμμένος, οὐ σχιζόμενος εἰς μυρίας φροντίδας, οὐδὲ τὰ τοῦ δεῖνος καὶ τοῦ δεῖνος μεριμνῶν, οὐδὲ εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην διατεμνόμενος ταῖς φροντίσιν· ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ λογιζόμενος, καὶ τὰ ἐμοὶ διαφέροντα, καὶ ἃ μάλιστά ἐστιν ἀνθρώπῳ προσήκοντα. Ὅτι σὺ, Κύριε, κατὰ μόνας ἐπ' ἐλπίδι κατῴκισάς με. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Τῇ τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίδι καὶ τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τῇ εἰς σὲ πάντα μου τὰ πάθη κατέστειλα. Καθάπερ καὶ Παῦλός φησι· Τὸ γὰρ παραυτίκα ἐλαφρὸν τῆς θλίψεως, καθ' ὑπερβολὴν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης κατεργάζεται ἡμῖν, μὴ σκοπούντων ἡμῶν τὰ βλεπόμενα, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν οὐδὲν φορτικὸν πρᾶγμα, ὃ μὴ γίνεται ῥᾷστον τῇ ἐλπίδι τῆς εὐδοκιμήσεως τῆς κατὰ Θεόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν· Ἐπ' ἐλπίδι κατῴκισάς με. Καὶ τὸ Κατὰ μόνας δὲ οὐ μικρὰ διδασκαλίας ἀρετή. ιγʹ. Τί δέ ἐστι, Κατὰ μόνας; Τῶν πονηρῶν χωρίς. Τὴν γὰρ εἰρήνην ταύτην κατώρθωσα, φησὶ, πρὸς σὲ, καὶ κατὰ μόνας οἰκῶ φεύγων τοὺς διεφθαρμένους. Καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Καθάπερ γὰρ σώματα πολλάκις ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ἀέρων τῶν διεφθαρμένων λύμης ἀπόλλυνται· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ψυχὴ πολλάκις ἐδέξατο βλάβην ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν πονηρῶν συνουσίας· καὶ καθάπερ ὀφθαλμὸς ὑγιαίνων, ὅταν νοσοῦντα ἴδῃ, πλήττεται, καὶ ὁ ψώρας ἐμπεπλησμένος, μεταδίδωσι καὶ τοῖς ὑγιαίνουσιν· οὕτω δὴ συμβαίνει πολλάκις καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς συνουσίας τῶν πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς παρῄνει οὐ μόνον φεύγειν τοὺς τοιούτους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκτέμνειν, οὕτω λέγων· Εἰ δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ὁ δεξιὸς σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔξελε αὐτὸν, καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· οὐ δὴ περὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ λέγων· τί γὰρ ἂν ἀδικήσειεν ὀφθαλμὸς, διανοίας ὑγιαινούσης; ἀλλὰ περὶ φίλων ἀναγκαίων καὶ ἐν τάξει τῶν μελῶν τούτων ἡμῖν ὄντων, καὶ βλαπτόντων ἡμᾶς, ταῦτα ἐνομοθέτησε, κελεύων καὶ τὴν φιλίαν τῶν τοιούτων ἀτιμάζειν, ὥστε τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀσφαλεστέραν ποιεῖν. ∆ιὸ καὶ αὐτὸς πάλιν προϊὼν λέγει· Οὐκ ἐκάθισα μετὰ συνεδρίου ματαιότητος, καὶ μετὰ παρανομούντων οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθω. Καὶ ὁ Ἱερεμίας δὲ μακαρίζει τὸν κατὰ μόνας καθεζόμενον, καὶ αἴροντα τὸν ζυγὸν ἐκ νεότητος. Καὶ αἱ Παροιμίαι πολὺν ὑπὲρ 55.60 τούτου ποιοῦνται λόγον, πᾶσι παραινοῦσαι καὶ λέγουσαι μὴ μόνον