XV.

Said Ioasaph unto the elder, "How then shall I be able to send before me thither treasures of money and riches, that, when I depart hence, I may find these unharmed and unwasted for my enjoyment? How must I show my hatred for things present and lay hold on things eternal? This make you right plain unto me." Quoth Barlaam, "The sending before you of money to that eternal home is wrought by the hands of the poor. For thus says one of the prophets, Daniel the wise, unto the king of Babylon, 'Wherefore, O Prince, let my counsel be acceptable unto you, and redeem your sins by almsgiving, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor.' The Saviour also says, 'Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.' And, in divers places, the Master makes much mention of almsgiving and liberality to the poor, as we learn in the Gospel. Thus shalt you most surely send all your treasure before you by the hands of the needy, for whatsoever you shalt do unto these the Master counteth done unto himself, and will reward you manifold; for, in the recompense of benefits, he ever surpasseth them that love him. So in this manner by seizing for awhile the treasures of the darkness of this world, in whose slavery for a long time past you hast been miserable, you shalt by these means make good provision for your journey, and by plundering another's goods you shalt store all up for thyself, with things fleeting and transient purchasing for thyself things that are stable and enduring. Afterwards, God working with you, you shalt perceive the uncertainty and inconstancy of the world, and saying farewell to all, shalt remove your barque to anchor in the future, and, passing by the things that pass away, you shalt hold to the things that we look for, the things that abide. Thou shalt depart from darkness and the shadow of death, and hate the world and the ruler of the world; and, counting your perishable flesh your enemy, you shalt run toward the light that is unapproachable, and taking the Cross on your shoulders, shalt follow Christ without looking back, that you mayest also be glorified with him, and be made inheritor of the life that never changeth nor deceiveth."

Ioasaph said, "When you spakest a minute past of despising all things, and taking up such a life of toil, was that an old tradition handed down from the teaching of the Apostles, or is this a late invention of your wits, which ye have chosen for yourselves as a more excellent way?"

The elder answered and said, "I teach you no law introduced but yesterday, God forbid! but one given unto us of old. For when a certain rich young man asked the Lord, 'What shall I do to inherit eternal life?' and boasted that he had observed all that was written in the Law, Jesus said unto him, 'One thing you lackest yet. Go sell all that you hast and distribute unto the poor, and you shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, take up your cross and follow me. But when the young man heard this he was very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, 'How hardly shall they which have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God!' So, when all the Saints heard this command, they thought fit by all means to withdraw from this hardness of riches. They parted with all their goods, and by this distribution of their riches to the poor laid up for themselves eternal riches; and they took up their Cross and followed Christ, some being made perfect by martyrdom, even as I have already told you; and some by the practice of self-denial falling not a whit short of those others in the life of the true philosophy. Know you, then, that this is a command of Christ our King and God, which leadeth us from things corruptible and makes us partakers of things everlasting."

Said Ioasaph, "If, then, this kind of philosophy be so ancient and so salutary, how comes it that so few folk now-a-days follow it?"

The elder answered, "Many have followed, and do follow it; but the greatest part hesitate and draw back. For few, says the Lord, are the travellers along the strait and narrow way, but along the wide and broad way many. For they that have once been taken prisoners by the love of money, and the evils that come from the love of pleasure, and are given up to idle and vain glory, are hardly to be torn therefrom, seeing that they have of their own free will sold themselves as slaves to a strange master, and setting themselves on the opposite side to God, who gave these commands, are held in bondage to that other. For the soul that has once rejected her own salvation, and given the reins to unreasonable lusts, is carried about hither and thither. Therefore says the prophet, mourning the folly that encompasseth such souls, and lamenting the thick darkness that lies on them, 'O ye sons of men, how long will ye be of heavy heart? Why love ye vanity, and seek after leasing?' And in the same tone as he, but adding thereto some thing of his own, one of our wise teachers, a most excellent divine, cries aloud to all, as from some exceeding high place of vantage, 'O ye sons of men, how long will ye be of heavy heart? Why love ye vanity and seek after leasing? Trow ye that this present life, and luxury, and these shreds of glory, and petty lordship and false prosperity are any great thing?'--things which no more belong to those that possess them than to them that hope for them, nor to these latter any more than to those who never thought of them: things like the dust carried and whirled about to and fro by the tempest, or vanishing as the smoke, or delusive as a dream, or intangible as a shadow; which, when absent, need not be despaired of by them that have them not, and, when present, cannot be trusted by their owners.

"This then was the commandment of the Saviour; this the preaching of the Prophets and Apostles; in such wise do all the Saints, by word and deed, constrain us to enter the unerring road of virtue. And though few walk therein and more choose the broad way that leadeth to destruction, yet not for this shall the life of this divine philosophy be minished in fame. But as the sun, rising to shine on all, doth bounteously send forth his beams, inviting all to enjoy his light, even so doth our true philosophy, like the sun, lead with her light those that are her lovers, and warmeth and brighteneth them. But if any shut their eyes, and will not behold the light thereof, not for that must the sun be blamed, or scorned by others: still less shall the glory of his brightness be dishonoured through their silliness. But while they, self-deprived of light, grope like blind men along a wall, and fall into many a ditch, and scratch out their eyes on many a bramble bush, the sun, firmly established on his own glory, shall illuminate them that gaze upon his beams with unveiled face. Even so shineth the light of Christ on all men abundantly, imparting to us of his lustre. But every man shareth thereof in proportion to his desire and zeal. For the Sun of righteousness disappointeth none of them that would fix their gaze on him, yet doth he not compel those who willingly choose darkness; but every man, so long as he is in this present life, is committed to his own free will and choice."

Ioasaph asked, "What is free will and what is choice?" The elder answered, "Free will is the willing of a reasonable soul, moving without hindrance toward whatever it wisheth, whether to virtue or to vice, the soul being thus constituted by the Creator. Free will again is the sovran motion of an intelligent soul. Choice is desire accompanied by deliberation, or deliberation accompanied by desire for things that lie in our power; for in choosing we desire that which we have deliberately preferred. Deliberation is a motion towards enquiry about actions possible to us; a man deliberateth whether he ought to pursue an object or no. Then he judgeth which is the better, and so ariseth judgement. Then he is inclined towards it, and loveth that which was so judged by the deliberative faculty, and this is called resolve; for, if he judge a thing, and yet be not inclined toward the thing that he has judged, and love it not, it is not called resolve. Then, after inclination toward it, there ariseth choice or rather selection. For choice is to choose one or other of two things in view, and to select this rather than that. And it is manifest that choice is deliberation plus discrimination, and this from the very etymology. For that which is the 'object of choice' is the thing chosen before the other thing. And no man preferreth a thing without deliberation, nor makeeth a choice without having conceived a preference. For, since we are not zealous to carry into action all that seemeth good to us, choice only ariseth and the deliberately preferred only becomes the chosen, when desire is added thereto. Thus we conclude that choice is desire accompanied by deliberation for things that lie in our power; in choosing we desire that which we have deliberately preferred. All deliberation aimeth at action and dependeth on action; and thus deliberation goeth before all choice, and choice before all action. For this reason not only our actions, but also our thoughts, inasmuch as they give occasion for choice, bring in their train crowns or punishments. For the beginning of sin and righteous dealing is choice, exercised in action possible to us. Where the power of activity is ours, there too are the actions that follow that activity in our power. Virtuous activities are in our power, therefore in our power are virtues also; for we are absolute masters over all our souls' affairs and all our deliberations. Since then it is of free will that men deliberate, and of free will that men choose, a man partaketh of the light divine, and advanceth in the practice of this philosophy in exact measure of his choice, for there are differences of choice. And even as water-springs, issuing from the hollows of the earth, sometimes gush forth from the surface soil, and sometimes from a lower source, and at other times from a great depth, and even as some of these waters bubble forth continuously, and their taste is sweet, while others that come from deep wells are brackish or sulphurous, even as some pour forth in abundance while others flow drop by drop, thus, understand you, is it also with our choices. Some choices are swift and exceeding fervent, others languid and cold: some have a bias entirely toward virtue, while others incline with all their force to its opposite. And like in nature to these choices are the ensuing impulses to action."

XV

Λέγει δὲ ὁ Ἰωάσαφ τῷ γέροντι: Πῶς οὖν δυνήσομαι θησαυροὺς χρημάτων καὶ πλούτου ἐκεῖσε προπέμπειν, ὡς ἂν ἄσυλον αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνώλεθρον τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν ἀπελθὼν εὕρω; πῶς δὲ δείξω τὸ πρὸς τὰ παρόντα μου μῖσος, καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀνθέξομαι; μάλα σαφήνισόν μοι. καί φησιν ὁ Βαρλαάμ: Ἡ μὲν τοῦ πλούτου τούτου πρὸς τὸν αἰώνιον τόπον προπομπὴ ταῖς χερσὶ γίνεται τῶν πενήτων. φησὶ γάρ τις τῶν προφητῶν, Δανιὴλ ὁ σοφώτατος, τῷ βασιλεῖ Βαβυλῶνος: Διὰ τοῦτο, βασιλεῦ, ἡ βουλή μου ἀρεσάτω σοι: καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου ἐν ἐλεημοσύναις λύτρωσαι καὶ τὰς ἀδικίας σου ἐν οἰκτιρμοῖς πενήτων. λέγει δὲ καὶ ὁ Σωτήρ: Ποιήσατε ἑαυτοῖς φίλους ἐκ τοῦ μαμωνᾶ τῆς ἀδικίας, ἵν', ὅταν ἐκλίπητε, δέξωνται ὑμᾶς εἰς τὰς αἰωνίους σκηνάς. καὶ πολὺν ἄνω τε καὶ κάτω λόγον ὁ Δεσπότης τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης καὶ μεταδόσεως τῶν πενήτων ποιεῖται, καθὼς ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ μανθάνομεν. οὕτως μὲν οὖν ἀσφαλέστατα λίαν ἐκεῖσε προπέμψεις πάντα ταῖς τῶν δεομένων χερσίν: ὅσα γὰρ εἰς τούτους ποιήσεις, ἑαυτῷ ὁ Δεσπότης οἰκειούμενος πολυπλασίως σε ἀνταμείψεται: νικᾷ γὰρ ἀεὶ ταῖς τῶν δωρεῶν ἀντιδόσεσι τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτόν. τούτῳ μὲν οὖν τῷ τρόπῳ τέως τοὺς θησαυροὺς τοῦ σκότους τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου συλήσας, ᾧ τεταλαιπώρηκας πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον ἐκδουλεύων, καλῶς ἐκ τούτων πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἐφοδιασθήσῃ, καὶ τοῦ ἀλλοτρίου ἀφελόμενος σεαυτῷ πάντα προαποθήσῃ, διὰ τῶν ῥευστῶν τούτων καὶ προσκαίρων τὰ ἑστῶτα καὶ μένοντα ἐξωνησάμενος: ἔπειτα, τοῦ Θεοῦ συνεργοῦντός σοι, κατανοήσεις τὸ ἄστατον τοῦ κόσμου καὶ ἀνώμαλον, καί, χαίρειν πᾶσιν εἰπών, πρὸς τὸ μέλλον μεθορμισθήσῃ, παραδραμὼν μὲν τὰ παρατρέχοντα, τοῖς ἐλπιζομένοις δὲ καὶ ἱσταμένοις προστεθήσῃ, καὶ τὸ σκότος μὲν ἀπολιπὼν σὺν τῇ σκιᾷ τοῦ θανάτου, μισήσας δὲ τὸν κόσμον καὶ κοσμοκράτορα, καὶ τὴν φθειρομένην σάρκα ἐχθρὰν ἑαυτῷ λογισάμενος, τῷ φωτὶ προσδράμῃς τῷ ἀπροσίτῳ, καί, τὸν σταυρὸν ἐπ' ὤμων ἄρας, ἀκολουθήσεις αὐτῷ ἀμεταστρεπτί, ἵνα καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ δοξασθῇς καὶ τῆς οὐκ ἔτι μεταπιπτούσης ζωῆς οὐδὲ ἀπατηλῆς ἀναδειχθῇς κληρονόμος.

Ὁ δὲ Ἰωάσαφ: Τὸ πάντων οὖν, φησίν, ὑπεριδεῖν καὶ ἐπίπονον οὕτως ἀναλαβέσθαι βίον, καθάπερ εἴρηκας ἀνωτέρω, παράδοσίς ἐστιν ἀρχαία ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἀποστόλων κατιοῦσα διδαχῆς; ἢ ἔναγχος ὑμῖν ἐπινενόηται τῇ τοῦ νοὸς ὑμῶν ἐπιστήμῃ, ὡς κρεῖττον ἐκλεξαμένοις τοῦτο;

Πρὸς ὃν ὁ γέρων ἔφη: Οὐ νόμον προσφάτως εἰσενεχθέντα διδάσκω σε (μὴ γένοιτο), ἀλλ' ἔκπαλαι δοθέντα ἡμῖν. εἶπεν γὰρ ὁ Κύριος πλουσίῳ τινὶ ἐπερωτήσαντι αὐτόν, Τί ποιήσας ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω; καὶ καυχωμένῳ πάντα φυλάξαι τὰ γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ νόμῳ, Ἕν σοι, φησίν, ὑστερεῖ: ὕπαγε, ὅσα ἔχεις πώλησον καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς: καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι, ἄρας τὸν σταυρόν. ὁ δὲ ταῦτα ἀκούσας περίλυπος ἐγένετο: ἦν γὰρ πλούσιος σφόδρα. ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς περίλυπον γενόμενον, εἶπε: Πῶς δυσκόλως οἱ τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντες εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. εὐκοπώτερον γάρ ἐστι κάμηλον διὰ τρυμαλιᾶς ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν, ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν. ταύτης οὖν τῆς ἐντολῆς πάντες ἀκούσαντες οἱ ἅγιοι ἀποχωρισθῆναι πάντη τῆς τοιαύτης τοῦ πλούτου δυσκολίας ἐφρόντισαν: καὶ πάντα σκορπίσαντες, καὶ διὰ τῆς τῶν πενήτων διαδόσεως πλοῦτον ἑαυτοῖς αἰώνιον προαποθέμενοι, ἦραν τὸν σταυρὸν καὶ τῷ Χριστῷ ἠκολούθησαν, οἱ μὲν μαρτυρικῶς, καθὰ δὴ καὶ εἶπόν σοι, τελειωθέντες, οἱ δὲ ἀσκητικῶς ἀγωνισάμενοι, καὶ μηδὲν ἐκείνων ἀπολιπόντες τῇ ἀγωγῇ τῆς ἀληθινῆς ταύτης φιλοσοφίας. ἐντολὴν οὖν ταύτην εἶναι γίνωσκε Χριστοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως ἡμῶν καὶ Θεοῦ, ἀπάγουσαν ἡμᾶς τῶν φθαρτῶν, καὶ τῶν ἀϊδίων μετόχους ἐργαζομένην.

Παλαιᾶς οὖν, φησὶν ὁ Ἰωάσαφ, καὶ οὕτως ἀναγκαίας οὔσης τῆς τοιαύτης φιλοσοφίας, πῶς οὐ πολλοὶ ζηλοῦσι σήμερον τουτονὶ τὸν βίον;

Ὁ δὲ γέρων ἔφη: Πολλοὶ μὲν ἐζήλωσαν καὶ ζηλοῦσιν, οἱ πλεῖστοι δὲ ὀκνοῦσι καὶ ἀναδύονται: Ὀλίγοι γάρ, καθά φησιν ὁ Κύριος, οἱ τῆς στενῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ τεθλιμμένης ὁδοιπόροι, τῆς ἀνειμένης δὲ καὶ πλατείας οἱ πλείους. οἱ γὰρ καθάπαξ ὑπὸ φιλοχρηματίας καὶ τῶν τῆς φιληδονίας κακῶν ἁλόντες, τῇ κενῇ δὲ καὶ ματαίᾳ προστετηκότες δόξῃ, δυσαποσπάστως αὐτῶν ἔχουσιν, ὡς ἅτε δούλους ἑαυτοὺς ἑκουσίως ἀπεμπολήσαντες ἀλλοτρίῳ δεσπότῃ, καὶ ἀπ' ἐναντίας ἱστάμενοι τῷ ταῦτα ἐπιτάττοντι Θεῷ, καὶ δέσμιοι αὐτῷ κατεχόμενοι. ψυχὴ γὰρ καθάπαξ ἀπογνοῦσα τῆς οἰκείας σωτηρίας, τὰς ἡνίας αὑτῆς ἐνδοῦσα ταῖς ἀλόγοις ἐπιθυμίαις, πανταχοῦ περιφέρεται. διὰ τοῦτο ὀλοφυρόμενος ὁ Προφήτης τὴν περικεχυμένην ἄνοιαν ταῖς τοιαύταις ψυχαῖς, καὶ τῆς ἐπικειμένης αὐταῖς ἀχλύος τὴν παχύτητα θρηνῶν, ἔλεγεν Υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι; ἱνατί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος; ὅτῳ τις καὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων σοφῶν διδασκάλων, θεολογικώτατος ἀνήρ, συνᾴδων, καί τινα παρ' ἑαυτοῦ προστιθείς, ἐκβοᾷ πᾶσιν ὡς ἐξ ἀπόπτου τινὸς καὶ ὑψηλοτάτης περιωπῆς: Υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι; ἱνατί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος; μέγα τι τὸν ἐνταῦθα βίον καὶ τὴν τρυφὴν καὶ τὸ μικρὸν δοξάριον καὶ τὴν ταπεινὴν δυναστείαν καὶ τὴν ψευδομένην εὐημερίαν ὑπολαμβάνοντες, ἃ μὴ τῶν ἐχόντων μᾶλλον ἐστὶν ἢ τῶν ἐλπισάντων, οὐδὲ τούτων μᾶλλον ἢ τῶν οὐδὲ προσδοκησάντων, ὥσπερ χοῦς ὑπὸ λαίλαπος ἄλλοτε εἰς ἄλλους ῥιπιζόμενα καὶ μεταρριπτούμενα, ἢ ὥσπερ καπνὸς διαρρέοντα, καὶ ὡς ὄναρ παίζοντα, καὶ ὡς σκιὰ μὴ κρατούμενα, οὔτε ἀπόντα δυσέλπιστα τοῖς οὐ κεκτημένοις, οὔτε παρόντα πιστὰ τοῖς ἔχουσιν.

Οὕτως οὖν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐντελλομένου, τῶν Προφητῶν τε καὶ Ἀποστόλων κηρυττόντων, καὶ τῶν ἁγίων πάντων ἔργῳ τε καὶ λόγῳ εἰς τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς συνωθούντων ἡμᾶς ἀπλανεστάτην ὁδόν, κἂν ὀλίγοι οἱ ταύτην ὁδεύοντες, πλείους δὲ οἱ τὴν εὐρύχωρον καὶ πρὸς ἀπώλειαν ἄγουσαν προκρίνοντες, οὐκ ἐκ τούτου ἡ πολιτεία τῆς ἐνθέου ταύτης κατασμικρυνθήσεται φιλοσοφίας, ἀλλά, καθάπερ ὁ ἥλιος, εἰς φαῦσιν πᾶσιν ἀνατέλλων, ἀφθόνως αὑτοῦ τὰς ἀκτῖνας προπέμπει πάντας φωτίζεσθαι προτρεπόμενος, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἀληθὴς φιλοσοφία τοὺς αὐτῆς ἐραστὰς ἡλίου δίκην φωταγωγεῖ καὶ περιθάλπει καὶ λαμπροὺς ἀποδείκνυσιν. εἰ δέ τινες, μύσαντες τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, κατιδεῖν αὐτοῦ τὸ φέγγος οὐ θελήσουσιν, οὔτε μεμπτέος παρὰ τοῦτο ὁ ἥλιος οὔτε τοῖς λοιποῖς παροπτέος, οὔτε μὴν ἡ δόξα τῆς αὐτοῦ λαμπρότητος διὰ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀτιμασθήσεται ἀβελτηρίας: ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι μὲν τοῦ φωτὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστερήσαντες ὡς τυφλοὶ ψηλαφήσουσι τοῖχον, πολλοῖς δὲ ἐμπεσοῦνται βόθροις, καὶ πολλαῖς ἐκκεντηθήσονται τὰς ὄψεις ἀκάνθαις, ὁ δὲ ἥλιος ἐπὶ τῆς ἰδίας ἱστάμενος λαμπρότητος φωτιεῖ τοὺς ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὸ φέγγος αὐτοῦ κατοπτριζομένους. τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ φῶς φαίνει μὲν πᾶσι πλουσίως, μεταδιδὸν ἡμῖν τῆς αὐτοῦ λαμπηδόνος: μετέχει δὲ ἕκαστος καθ' ὅσον ἐφέσεως ἔχει καὶ προθυμίας: οὔτε γὰρ ἀποστερεῖ τινα τῶν βουλομένων αὐτῷ ἐνατενίζειν ὁ ἥλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης, οὔτε μὴν βιάζεται τοὺς ἑκουσίως τὸ σκότος ἐκλεγομένους: ἀλλὰ τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἕκαστος ἐφεῖται αὐτεξουσίῳ προαιρέσει, ἕως ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ ἐστί.

Τοῦ δὲ Ἰωάσαφ πυθομένου Τί τὸ αὐτεξούσιον καὶ τί προαίρεσις, φησὶν ὁ γέρων: Αὐτεξουσιότης μέν ἐστι ψυχῆς λογικῆς θέλησις, ἀκωλύτως κινουμένη πρὸς ὅπερ ἂν βούλοιτο, εἴτε ἀρετὴν εἴτε κακίαν, οὕτως ὑπὸ τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ γενομένης. αὐτεξουσιότης αὖθίς ἐστι νοερᾶς ψυχῆς κίνησις αὐτοκρατής. προαίρεσις δέ ἐστιν ὄρεξις βουλευτικὴ τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν, ἢ βούλευσις ὀρεκτικὴ τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν: τοῦ γὰρ προκριθέντος ἐκ τῆς βουλῆς ἐφιέμεθα προαιρούμενοι. βουλὴ δέ ἐστιν ὄρεξις ζητητικὴ περὶ τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν πρακτικῶν γινομένη: βουλεύεται γάρ τις, εἰ ὤφειλε μετελθεῖν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἢ οὔ. εἶτα κρίνει τὸ κρεῖττον, καὶ γίνεται κρίσις. εἶτα διατίθεται καὶ ἀγαπᾷ τὸ ἐκ τῆς βουλῆς κριθέν, καὶ λέγεται γνώμη: ἐὰν γὰρ κρίνῃ, καὶ μὴ διατεθῇ πρὸς τὸ κριθέν, ἤγουν ἀγαπήσῃ αὐτό, οὐ λέγεται γνώμη. εἶτα μετὰ τὴν διάθεσιν γίνεται προαίρεσις, ἤγουν ἐπιλογή: προαίρεσις γάρ ἐστι δύο προκειμένων τὸ ἓν αἱρεῖσθαι καὶ ἐκλέγεσθαι τοῦτο πρὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου. καὶ τοῦτο φανερόν, ὅτι βουλή ἐστι μετ' ἐπικρίσεως ἡ προαίρεσις, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς ἐτυμολογίας: προαιρετὸν γάρ ἐστι τὸ ἕτερον πρὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου αἱρετόν: οὐδεὶς δὲ προκρίνει τι μὴ βουλευσάμενος, οὐδὲ προαιρεῖται μὴ προκρίνας. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐ πάντα τὰ δόξαντα ἡμῖν εὖ ἔχειν εἰς ἔργον ἀγαγεῖν προθυμούμεθα, τότε προαίρεσις καὶ προαιρετὸν γίνεται τὸ προκριθὲν ἐκ τῆς βουλῆς, ὅταν προσλάβῃ τὴν ὄρεξιν. καὶ οὕτω συνάγεται προαίρεσιν εἶναι ὄρεξιν βουλευτικὴν τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν: τοῦ γὰρ προκριθέντος ἐκ τῆς βουλῆς ἐφιέμεθα προαιρούμενοι. πᾶσα γὰρ βουλὴ πράξεως ἕνεκα καὶ διὰ πρᾶξιν: καὶ οὕτω πάσης μὲν προαιρέσεως βουλὴ ἡγεῖται, πάσης δὲ πράξεως προαίρεσις. διὰ τοῦτο οὐ μόνον αἱ πράξεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ κατὰ διάνοιαν, ἅτινα τὰς προαιρέσεις παριστῶσι, καὶ στεφάνους καὶ κολάσεις προξενοῦσιν. ἀρχὴ γὰρ ἁμαρτίας καὶ δικαιοπραγίας προαίρεσίς ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς ἐφ' ἡμῖν καταγομένη: ὧν γὰρ αἱ ἐνέργειαι ἐφ' ἡμῖν, τούτων καὶ αἱ πράξεις αἱ κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν ἐφ' ἡμῖν: ἐφ' ἡμῖν δὲ αἱ κατὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐνέργειαι, ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἄρα καὶ αἱ ἀρεταί: κυρίως γὰρ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐστι τὰ ψυχικὰ πάντα καὶ περὶ ὧν βουλευόμεθα. οὕτως αὐτεξουσίως βουλευομένων τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ αὐτεξουσίως προαιρουμένων, καθ' ὅσον ἄν τις προαιρῆται, κατὰ τοσοῦτον καὶ μετέχει τοῦ θείου φωτὸς καὶ προκόπτει ἐν τοῖς τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἐπιτηδεύμασι: διαφοραὶ γὰρ προαιρέσεως εἰσί. καὶ καθάπερ τινὲς πηγαὶ ὑδάτων ἐκ τῶν τῆς γῆς λαγόνων ἀναπεμπόμεναι, αἱ μὲν ἐπιπολαίως τῆς γῆς ἐκβλύζουσιν, αἱ δὲ μικρόν τι βαθύτερον, αἱ δὲ λίαν βαθέως, τούτων δὲ τῶν ὑδάτων τὰ μὲν προσεχῶς ἐκβλύζοντα καὶ τῇ γεύσει γλυκέα, τὰ δὲ βαθέως ἐξερχόμενα καὶ ἁλμυρίζοντα ἢ θεαφίζοντα, καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀφθόνως ἐκδιδόμενα, τὰ δὲ κατὰ μικρὸν στάζοντα: οὕτως καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν προαιρέσεων νόει, τὰς μὲν ταχείας εἶναι καὶ λίαν θερμοτάτας, τὰς δὲ νωθρὰς καὶ ψυχράς, καὶ τὰς μὲν ὅλως ἐπὶ τὰ καλὰ τὴν ῥοπὴν κεκτημένας, τὰς δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον πάσῃ δυνάμει ἀποκλινούσας. κατὰ γοῦν τὰς αὐτῶν διαθέσεις καὶ αἱ πρὸς τὰς πράξεις ἀκολουθοῦσιν ὁρμαί.