XVI.

Ioasaph said unto the elder, "Are there now others, too, who preach the same doctrines as you? Or art you to-day the only one that teacheth this hatred of the present world?"

The other answered and said, "In this your most unhappy country I know of none: the tyranny of your father has netted all such in a thousand forms of death; and he has made it his aim that the preaching of the knowledge of God be not once heard in your midst. But in all other tongues these doctrines are sung and glorified, by some in perfect truth, but by others perversely; for the enemy of our souls has made them decline from the straight road, and divided them by strange teachings, and taught them to interpret certain sayings of the Scriptures falsely, and not after the sense contained therein. But the truth is one, even that which was preached by the glorious Apostles and inspired Fathers, and shineth in the Catholick Church above the brightness of the sun from the one end of the world unto the other; and as an herald and teacher of that truth have I been sent to you."

Ioasaph said unto him, "Hath my father then, learned naught of these things?"

The elder answered, "Clearly and duly he has learned naught; for he stoppeth up his senses, and will not admit that which is good, being of his own free choice inclined to evil."

"Would God," said Ioasaph, "that he too were instructed in these mysteries?" The elder answered, "The things that are impossible with men are possible with God. For how knowest you whether you shalt save your sire, and in wondrous fashion be styled the spiritual father of your father?

"I have heard that, once upon a time, there was a king who governed his kingdom right well, and dealt kindly and gently with his subjects, only failing in this point, that he was not rich in the light of the knowledge of God, but held fast to the errors of idolatry. Now he had a counsellor, which was a good man and endued with righteousness toward God and with all other virtuous wisdom. Grieved and vexed though he was at the error of the king, and willing to convince him thereof, he nevertheless drew back from the attempt, for fear that he might earn trouble for himself and his friends, and cut short those services which he rendered to others. Yet sought he a convenient season to draw his sovereign toward that which was good. One night the king said unto him, "Come now, let us go forth and walk about the city, if haply we may see something to edify us." Now while they were walking about the city, they saw a ray of light shining through an aperture. Fixing their eyes thereon, they descried an underground cavernous chamber, in the forefront of which there sat a man, plunged in poverty, and clad in rags and tatters. Beside him stood his wife, mixing wine. When the man took the cup in his hands, she sung a clear sweet melody, and delighted him by dancing and cozening him with flatteries. The king's companions observed this for a time, and marvelled that people, pinched by such poverty as not to afford house and raiment, yet passed their lives in such good cheer. The king said to his chief counsellor, 'Friend, how marvellous a thing it is, that our life, though bright with such honour and luxury, has never pleased us so well as this poor and miserable life doth delight and rejoice these fools: and that this life, which appeareth to us so cruel and abominable, is to them sweet and alluring!' The chief counsellor seized the happy moment and said, 'But to you, O king, how seemeth their life?' 'Of all that I have ever seen,' quoth the king, 'the most hateful and wretched, the most loathsome and abhorrent.' Then spoke the chief counsellor unto him, "Such, know you well, O king, and even more unendurable is our life reckoned by those who are initiated into the sight of the mysteries of yonder everlasting glory, and the blessings that pass all understanding. Your palaces glittering with gold, and these splendid garments, and all the delights of this life are more loathsome than dung and filth in the eyes of those that know the unspeakable beauties of the tabernacles in heaven made without hands, and the apparel woven by God, and the incorruptible diadems which God, the Creator and Lord of all, has prepared for them that love him. For like as this couple were accounted fools by us, so much the more are we, who go astray in this world and please ourselves in this false glory and senseless pleasure, worthy of lamentation and tears in the eyes of those who have tasted of the sweets of the bliss beyond.'

"When the king heard this, he became as one dumb. He said, 'Who then are these men that live a life better than ours?' 'All,' said the chief-counsellor 'who prefer the eternal to the temporal.' Again, when the king desired to know what the eternal might be the other replied, 'A kingdom that knoweth no succession, a life that is not subject unto death, riches that dread no poverty: joy and gladness that have no share of grief and vexation; perpetual peace free from all hatred and love of strife. Blessed, thrice blessed are they that are found worthy of these enjoyments! Free from pain and free from toil is the life that they shall live for ever, enjoying without labour all the sweets and pleasure of the kingdom of God, and reigning with Christ world without end.'

"'And who is worthy to obtain this?' asked the king. The other answered, 'All they that hold on the road that leadeth thither; for none forbiddeth entrance, if a man but will.'

"Said the king, 'And what is the way that beareth thither?' That bright spirit answered, 'To know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son, and the Holy and quickening Spirit.'

"The king, endowed with understanding worthy of the purple, said unto him, 'What has hindered you until now from doing me to wit of these things? For they appear to me too good to be put off or passed over, if they indeed be true; and, if they be doubtful, I must search diligently, until I find the truth without shadow of doubt.'

"The chief counsellor said, 'It was not from negligence or indifference that I delayed to make this known unto you, for it is true and beyond question, but 'twas because I reverenced the excellency of your majesty, lest you might think me a meddler. If therefore you bid your servant put you in mind of these things for the future, I shall obey your behest.' 'Yea,' said the king, 'not every day only, but every hour, renew in me the remembrance thereof: for it behoveth us not to turn our mind inattentively to these things, but with very fervent zeal.'

"We have heard," said Barlaam, "that this king lived, for the time to come, a godly life, and, having brought his days without tempest to an end, failed not to gain the felicity of the world to come. If then at a convenient season one shall call these things to your father's mind also, peradventure he shall understand and know the dire evil in which he is held, and turn therefrom and choose the good; since, for the present at least, 'he is blind and cannot see afar off,' having deprived himself of the true light and being a deserter of his own accord to the darkness of ungodliness."

Ioasaph said unto him, "The Lord undertake my father's matters, as he ordereth! For, even as you sayest, the things that are impossible with men, are possible with him. But for myself, thanks to your unsurpassable speech, I renounce the vanity of things present, and am resolved to withdraw from them altogether, and to spend the rest of my life with you, lest, by means of these transitory and fleeting things, I lose the enjoyment of the eternal and incorruptible."

The elder answered him, "This do, and you shalt be like unto a youth of great understanding of whom I have heard tell, that was born of rich and distinguished parents. For him his father sought in marriage the exceeding fair young daughter of a man of high rank and wealth. But when he communed with his son concerning the espousals, and informed him of his plans, the son thought it strange and ill-sounding, and cast it off, and left his father and went into exile. On his journey he found entertainment in the house of a poor old man, where he rested awhile during the heat of the day.

"Now this poor man's daughter, his only child, a virgin, was sitting before the door, and, while she wrought with her hands, with her lips she loudly sang the praises of God with thanksgiving from the ground of her heart. The young man heard her hymn of praise and said, 'Damsel, what is your employment? and wherefore, poor and needy as you art, givest you thanks as though for great blessings, singing praise to the Giver?' She answered, 'Knowest you not that, as a little medicine often times delivereth a man from great ailments, even so the giving of thanks to God for small mercies winneth great ones? Therefore I, the daughter of a poor old man, thank and bless God for these small mercies, knowing that the Giver thereof is able to give even greater gifts. And this applieth but to those external things that are not our own from whence there accrueth no gain to those who possess much (not to mention the loss that often ariseth), nor comes there harm to those who have less; for both sorts journey along the same road, and hasten to the same end. But, in things most necessary and vital, many and great the blessings I have enjoyed of my Lord, though indeed they are without number and beyond compare. I have been made in the image of God, and have gained the knowledge of him, and have been endowed with reason beyond all the beasts, and have been called again from death unto life, through the tender mercy of our God, and have received power to share in his mysteries; and the gate of Paradise has been opened to me, allowing me to enter without hindrance, if I will. Wherefore for gifts so many and so fine, shared alike by rich and poor, I can indeed in no wise praise him as I ought, yet if I fail to render to the Giver this little hymn of praise, what excuse shall I have?'

"The youth, astonished at her wit, called to her father, and said unto him, 'Give me your daughter: for I love her wisdom and piety.' But the elder said, 'It is not possible for you, the son of wealthy parents, to take this a beggar's daughter.' Again the young man said, 'Yea, but I will take her, unless you forbid: for a daughter of noble and wealthy family has been betrothed unto me in marriage, and her I have cast off and taken to flight. But I have fallen in love with your daughter because of her righteousness to God-ward, and her discreet wisdom, and I heartily desire to wed-her.' But the old man said unto him, 'I cannot give her unto you, to carry away to your father's house, and depart her from mine arms, for she is mine only child.' 'But,' said the youth, 'I will abide here with your folk and adopt your manner of life.' Thereupon he stripped him of his own goodly raiment, and asked for the old man's clothes and put them on. When the father had much tried his purpose, and proved him in manifold ways, and knew that his intent was fixed, and that it was no light passion that led him to ask for his daughter, but love of godliness that constrained him to embrace a life of poverty, preferring it to his own glory and noble birth, he took him by the hand, and brought him into his treasure-house, where he showed him much riches laid up, and a vast heap of money, such as the young man had never beheld. And he said unto him, 'Son, all these things give I unto you, forasmuch as you hast chosen to become the husband to my daughter, and also thereby the heir of all my substance.' So the young man acquired the inheritance, and surpassed all the famous and wealthy men of the land."

XVI

Λέγει δὲ ὁ Ἰωάσαφ πρὸς τὸν γέροντα: Εἰσὶν οὖν καὶ ἕτεροί τινες νῦν οἱ κατὰ ταῦτα κηρύττοντες ὥσπερ σύ; ἢ μόνος εἶ σήμερον ὁ ταῦτα διδάσκων καὶ οὕτως μισητὸν τὸν παρόντα βίον διηγούμενος;

Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν: Ἐν τῇ καθ' ὑμᾶς δυστυχεστάτῃ χώρᾳ ταύτῃ οὐδένα γινώσκω. ἡ γὰρ τοῦ σοῦ πατρὸς τυραννὶς μυρίοις τούτους θανάτοις περιέβαλε, καὶ ἔργον ἔθετο μὴ τὸ σύνολον ἀκούεσθαι ἐν ὑμῖν τὸ τῆς θεογνωσίας κήρυγμα. ἐν πάσαις δὲ ταῖς λοιπαῖς γλώσσαις ᾄδεται ταῦτα καὶ δοξάζεται, οἷς μὲν ὀρθοτάτῳ λόγῳ, ἄλλοις δὲ διεστραμμένως, τοῦ πολεμίου τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν ἐκκλίνειν αὐτοὺς τῆς εὐθείας ποιησαμένου καὶ ἀλλοτρίαις καταμερισαμένου δόξαις, καὶ ῥήσεις τινὰς τῶν Γραφῶν ἄλλως καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὸν ἐγκείμενον νοῦν μεθερμηνεύειν διδάξαντος. μία δέ ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια, ἡ κηρυχθεῖσα διὰ τῶν ἐνδόξων ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν θεοφόρων πατέρων, καὶ ἐν τῇ καθολικῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ ἀπὸ περάτων ἕως περάτων τῆς οἰκουμένης ἡλίου φαιδρότερον διαλάμπουσα, ἧσπερ ἐγὼ κήρυξ καὶ διδάσκαλος ἀπεστάλην σοι.

Εἶπε δὲ ὁ Ἰωάσαφ πρὸς αὐτόν: Οὐδὲν οὖν τούτων ὁ ἐμὸς μεμάθηκε πατήρ;

Καί φησιν ὁ γέρων: Τρανῶς μὲν καὶ προσηκόντως οὐδὲν μεμάθηκε: βύων γὰρ τὰς αἰσθήσεις, τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἑκὼν οὐ προσδέχεται, πρὸς τὸ κακὸν αὐτοπροαιρέτως τὴν ῥοπὴν κεκτημένος.

Ἀλλ' ἤθελον, φησὶν ὁ Ἰωάσαφ, κἀκεῖνον ταῦτα μυηθῆναι. Ὁ δὲ γέρων: Τὰ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις, εἶπεν, ἀδύνατα, παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ πάντα δυνατά ἐστι. τί γὰρ οἶδας εἰ σὺ σώσεις τὸν πατέρα σου, καὶ τρόπῳ θαυμασίῳ γεννήτωρ τοῦ σοῦ χρηματίσεις γεννήτορος; Ἀκήκοα γὰρ βασιλέα τινὰ γεγονέναι πάνυ καλῶς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ οἰκονομοῦντα βασιλείαν. πράως τε καὶ ἠπίως τῷ ὑπ' αὐτὸν κεχρημένον λαῷ, ἐν τούτῳ δὲ μόνῳ σφαλλόμενον, τῷ μὴ πλουτεῖν τὸν τῆς θεογνωσίας φωτισμόν, ἀλλὰ τῇ πλάνῃ τῶν εἰδώλων κατέχεσθαι. εἶχε δέ τινα σύμβουλον ἀγαθὸν καὶ παντοίως κεκοσμημένον τῇ τε πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ τῇ λοιπῇ πάσῃ ἐναρέτῳ σοφίᾳ: ὅς, ἀχθόμενος καὶ δυσχεραίνων ἐπὶ τῇ πλάνῃ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ βουλόμενος αὐτὸν περὶ τούτου ἐλέγξαι, ἀνεχαιτίζετο τῆς ὁρμῆς, δεδοικὼς μὴ κακῶν πρόξενος ἑαυτῷ τε καὶ τοῖς αὑτοῦ ἑταίροις γένοιτο καὶ τὴν γινομένην δι' αὐτοῦ πολλῶν ὠφέλειαν περικόψειεν. ἐζήτει δὲ ὅμως καιρὸν εὔθετον τοῦ ἑλκύσαι αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθόν. φησὶν οὖν ἐν μιᾷ νυκτὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ βασιλεύς: Δεῦρο δή, ἐξέλθωμεν καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσωμεν τὴν πόλιν, εἴ πού τι τῶν ὠφελούντων ὀψόμεθα. ἐμπεριπατούντων δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν πόλιν, εἶδον φωτὸς αὐγὴν ἀπό τινος τρυμαλιᾶς λάμπουσαν: καί. ταύτῃ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπιβαλόντες, βλέπουσιν ὑπόγειόν τι ἀντρῶδες οἴκημα, ἐν ᾧ προὐκαθέζετο ἀνὴρ ἐσχάτῃ συζῶν πενίᾳ καὶ εὐτελῆ τινα περικείμενος ῥάκια. παρίστατο δὲ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ οἶνον κιρνῶσα. τοῦ δὲ ἀνδρὸς τὴν κύλικα ἐπὶ χεῖρας λαβόντος, λιγυρὸν ᾄδουσα μέλος ἐκείνη τέρψιν αὐτῷ ἐνεποίει ὀρχουμένη καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα ἐγκωμίοις καταθέλγουσα. οἱ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα τοίνυν, ἐπὶ ὥραν ἱκανὴν ταῦτα κατανοοῦντες, ἐθαύμαζον ὅτι, τοιαύτῃ πιεζόμενοι πενίᾳ ὡς μήτε οἴκου εὐπορεῖν μήτ' ἐσθῆτος, οὕτως εὐθύμως τὸν βίον διῆγον: καί φησιν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ πρωτοσυμβούλῳ αὐτοῦ: Ὦ τοῦ θαύματος, φίλε, ὅτι ἐμοί τε καὶ σοὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ὁ καθ' ἡμᾶς ποτε ἤρεσε βίος, τοσαύτῃ δόξῃ καὶ τρυφῇ περ διαλάμπων, ὡς ἡ εὐτελῆς αὕτη καὶ ταλαίπωρος ζωὴ τούτους δὴ τοὺς ἀνοήτους τέρπει, καὶ ἡδύνει λεῖος αὐτοῖς καὶ προσηνὴς ὁ τραχὺς οὗτος καὶ ἀπευκταῖος βίος καταφαινόμενος. εὐκαίρου δὲ δραξάμενος ὁ πρωτοσύμβουλος ὥρας, ἔφη: Ἀλλὰ σοί γε, βασιλεῦ, πῶς ἡ τούτων φαίνεται βιοτή; Πάντων, φησὶν ὁ βασιλεύς, ὧν πώποτε ἑώρακα ἀηδεστάτη καὶ δυστυχεστάτη, βδελυκτή τε καὶ ἀποτρόπαιος. τότε λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ πρωτοσύμβουλος, Οὕτω, οὖν, εὖ ἴσθι, βασιλεῦ, καὶ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερος ὁ καθ' ἡμᾶς λελόγισται βίος τοῖς ἐπόπταις καὶ μύσταις τῆς ἀϊδίου δόξης ἐκείνης καὶ τῶν πάντα νοῦν ὑπερβαινόντων ἀγαθῶν: αἵ τε χρυσῷ καταστίλβουσαι οἰκίαι καὶ τὰ λαμπρὰ ταῦτα ἐνδύματα, καὶ ἡ λοιπὴ τοῦ βίου τούτου τρυφή, σκυβάλων τε καὶ ἀμαυρῶν εἰσιν ἀηδέστερα τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τῶν εἰδότων τὰ ἀνεκδιήγητα κάλλη τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀχειροτεύκτων σκηνωματῶν, τῆς θεοϋφάντου τε στολῆς καὶ τῶν ἀφθάρτων διαδημάτων, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν, ὁ πάντων Δημιουργὸς καὶ Κύριος. ὃν τρόπον γὰρ ἀνοηταίνειν ἡμῖν οὗτοι ἐλογίσθησαν, πολλῷ πλέον ἡμεῖς, οἱ τῷ κόσμῳ περιπλανώμενοι καὶ αὐταρεσκοῦντες ἐν τῇ ψευδομένῃ ταύτῃ δόξῃ καὶ ἀνοήτῳ τρυφῇ, θρήνων ἐσμὲν ἄξιοι καὶ δακρύων ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς τῶν γευσαμένων τῆς γλυκύτητος τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων.

Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τούτων ἀκούσας, καὶ ἐννεὸς ὥσπερ γενόμενος, ἔφη: Τίνες οὖν ἐκεῖνοί εἰσιν οἱ κρείττονα τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς κεκτημένοι ζωήν; Πάντες, φησὶν ὁ πρωτοσύμβουλος, οἱ τὰ αἰώνια προτιμήσαντες τῶν προσκαίρων. αὖθις οὖν τοῦ βασιλέως μαθεῖν ζητοῦντος τίνα τὰ αἰώνια, φησὶν ὁ ἀνήρ: Βασιλεία ἀδιάδοχος, καὶ ζωὴ μὴ ὑποκειμένη θανάτῳ, καὶ πλοῦτος μηδέποτε ὑφορώμενος πενίαν, χαρά τε καὶ εὐφροσύνη πάσης ἀμέτοχος λύπης καὶ ἀχθηδόνος, καὶ εἰρήνη διηνεκὴς ἐλευθέρα πάσης ἔχθρας καὶ φιλονεικίας. τούτων οἱ καταξιωθέντες ἀπολαύειν μακάριοι, καὶ τοῦτο πολλάκις: ἄλυπον γὰρ καὶ ἄμοχθον ζήσουσιν εἰς αἰῶνας ζωήν, πάντων τῶν ἡδέων καὶ τερπνῶν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείας ἀμογητὶ ἀπολαύοντες, καὶ τῷ Χριστῷ ἀτελεύτητα συμβασιλεύοντες. καί, Τίς ἄξιος τούτων ἐπιτυχεῖν; εἰπόντος τοῦ βασιλέως, ἐκεῖνος ἀπεκρίνατο: Πάντες οἱ τῆς ἐκεῖσε ἀπαγούσης ὁδοῦ δραξάμενοι: ἀκώλυτος γὰρ ἡ εἴσοδος τοῖς θελήσασι μόνον. ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς: Καὶ τίς, φησίν, ἡ ἐκεῖσε φέρουσα τρίβος; πρὸς ὃν ἔφη ὁ λαμπρὸς τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκεῖνος: Τὸ γινώσκειν τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν Θεόν, καὶ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν μονογενῆ αὐτοῦ Υἱὸν καὶ τὸ Ἅγιον καὶ ζωοποιὸν Πνεῦμα.

Ὁ τοίνυν βασιλεύς, τῆς ἁλουργίδος σύνεσιν ἔχων ἀξίαν, ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν: Καὶ τί τὸ κωλῦσάν σε μέχρι τοῦ νῦν μὴ γνωρίσαι μοι περὶ τούτων; οὐκ ἀναβολῆς γὰρ καὶ ὑπερθέσεως ἄξιά μοι δοκεῖ ὑπάρχειν ταῦτα, εἴ γε ἀληθῆ τυγχάνει: εἰ δὲ ἀμφίβολά ἐστιν, ἐμπόνως δεῖ ζητῆσαι μέχρις ὅτου τὸ ἀναμφίλεκτον εὕροιμι. Οὐκ ἀμελείᾳ, φησὶν ὁ ἀνήρ, ἢ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ συνεχόμενος, περὶ τούτων ὤκνησά σοι γνωρίσαι, ἀληθῆ περ ὄντα καὶ πάντη ἀναμφίλεκτα, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον αἰδούμενος τῆς σῆς δόξης, μή ποτε ὀχληρότερός σοι φανείην: εἰ οὖν προστάσσεις τῷ σῷ οἰκέτῃ ὑπομιμνήσκειν σοι εἰς τὸ ἑξῆς περὶ τούτων τῷ σῷ ἔσομαι καθυπηρετῶν προστάγματι. Ναί, φησὶν ὁ βασιλεύς, μὴ καθ' ἡμέραν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐφ' ἑκάστης ὥρας τὴν τούτων μνήμην διηνεκῶς ἀνακαίνιζε: οὐκ ἀμελῶς γὰρ χρὴ τούτοις προσέχειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν θερμῶς καὶ σπουδαίως.

Ἀκηκόαμεν οὖν, φησὶν ὁ Βαρλαάμ, εὐσεβῶς τὸν βασιλέα τοῦτον ζῆσαι τὸ ἑξῆς, καὶ ἀκυμάντως τὸν παρόντα διανύσαντα βίον, τῆς μελλούσης μὴ ἀποτυχεῖν μακαριότητος. εἰ τοίνυν καὶ τῷ σῷ πατρὶ τοιαῦτά τις ἐν ἐπιτηδείῳ προσυπομνήσει καιρῷ, τάχα συνήσει καὶ γνώσεται ὅσοις συνεσχέθη κακοῖς, καὶ τούτων ἐκκλίνας ἐκλέξεται τὸ ἀγαθόν: ἐπεὶ τό γε νῦν ἔχον τυφλός ἐστι, μυωπάζων, τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ φωτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἀποστερήσας, αὐτομολῶν δὲ πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἀσεβείας σκότος.

Εἶπε δὲ ὁ Ἰωάσαφ πρὸς αὐτόν: Τὰ μὲν τοῦ ἐμοῦ πατρὸς ἄγοιτο Κύριος καθὼς κελεύει: αὐτῷ γάρ, καθὰ δὴ καὶ εἶπας, πάντα δυνατὰ καθέστηκε τὰ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ἀδύνατα: ἐγὼ δέ, διὰ τῶν σῶν ἀνυπερβλήτων ῥημάτων, τῆς τῶν παρόντων καταγνοὺς ματαιότητος, ἀποστῆναι μὲν τούτων πάντη διανενόημαι, καὶ μετὰ σοῦ τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς ζωῆς μου διανύσαι, ἵνα μὴ διὰ τῶν προσκαίρων τούτων καὶ ῥευστῶν τῆς τῶν αἰωνίων καὶ ἀφθάρτων ἐκπέσω ἀπολαύσεως.

Πρὸς ὃν ὁ γέρων ἀπεκρίνατο: Εἰ τοῦτο ποιήσεις, ὅμοιος ἔσῃ νεανίσκῳ τινὶ φρονιμωτάτῳ, περὶ οὗ ἀκήκοα πλουσίων γεγονέναι καὶ ἐνδόξων γονέων: ᾧτινι ὁ πατὴρ μνηστευσάμενος τὴν θυγατέρα τινὸς τῶν εὐγενείᾳ καὶ πλούτῳ διαφερόντων λίαν ὡραιοτάτην, κοινολογησάμενος δὲ πρὸς τὸν παῖδα περὶ τοῦ γάμου, καὶ ὅπως ἦν αὐτῷ μελετώμενα ἀπαγγείλας, ἀκούσας ἐκεῖνος, καὶ ὡς ἀπηχές τι καὶ ἄτοπον ἀποσεισάμενος τὸ πρᾶγμα, φυγὰς ᾤχετο καταλιπὼν τὸν πατέρα. πορευόμενος δὲ ξενίζεται ἐν οἰκίᾳ γηραιοῦ τινος πένητος, τοῦ καύσωνος τῆς ἡμέρας ἑαυτὸν διαναπαύων.

Ἡ δὲ θυγάτηρ τοῦ πένητος, μονογενὴς οὖσα καὶ παρθένος, καθεζομένη πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν, εἰργάζετο μὲν ταῖς χερσί, τῷ δὲ στόματι ἀσιγήτως τὸν Θεὸν εὐλόγει εὐχαριστοῦσα αὐτῷ ἐκ βαθέων ψυχῆς: τῶν ταύτης δὲ ὕμνων ἀκούσας ὁ νέος ἔφη: Τί σου, γύναι, τὸ ἐπιτήδευμα; χάριν δὲ τίνος, οὕτω περ οὖσα εὐτελὴς καὶ πτωχή, ὡς ἐπί τισι μεγάλοις δωρήμασιν εὐχαριστεῖς, τὸν δοτῆρα ὑμνοῦσα; Ἡ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπεκρίνατο: Οὐκ οἶσθα ὅτι, καθάπερ φάρμακον μικρὸν ἐκ μεγάλων νοσημάτων πολλάκις ῥύεται τὸν ἄνθρωπον, οὕτω δὴ καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς μικροῖς εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ μεγάλων πρόξενον γίνεται; ἐγὼ τοίνυν, θυγάτηρ οὖσα γέροντος πτωχοῦ, εὐχαριστῶ ἐπὶ τοῖς μικροῖς τούτοις καὶ εὐλογῶ τὸν Θεόν, εἰδυῖα ὡς ὁ ταῦτα δοὺς καὶ μείζονα δύναται δοῦναι. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν καὶ οὐχ ἡμετέρων, ἐξ ὧν οὔτε τοῖς πολλὰ κεκτημένοις τι προσγίνεται κέρδος (ἵνα μὴ εἴπω ὅτι καὶ ζημία πολλάκις), οὔτε τοῖς ἐλάττονα λαβοῦσιν ἐπέρχεται βλάβη, τὴν αὐτὴν ἀμφοτέρων ὁδευόντων ὁδὸν καὶ πρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ ἐπειγομένων τέλος: ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτάτοις καὶ καιριωτάτοις πολλῶν ἀπήλαυσα καὶ μεγίστων τοῦ Δεσπότου μου δωρημάτων, οὐμενοῦν ἐχόντων ἀριθμὸν ἢ εἰκασμῷ ὑποπιπτόντων. κατ' εἰκόνα γὰρ Θεοῦ γεγένημαι καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ γνώσεως ἠξίωμαι, καὶ λόγῳ παρὰ πάντα τὰ ζῷα κεκόσμημαι, καὶ ἐκ θανάτου πρὸς τὴν ζωὴν ἀνακέκλημαι διὰ σπλάγχνα ἐλέους Θεοῦ ἡμῶν, καὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ μετέχειν μυστηρίων ἐξουσίαν ἔλαβον, καὶ ἡ τοῦ παραδείσου θύρα ἀνέῳκται, ἀκώλυτον, εἴπερ θελήσω, παρέχουσά μοι τὴν εἴσοδον. τῶν τοσούτων οὖν καὶ τοιούτων δωρημάτων, ὧν ἐπίσης μετέχουσι πλούσιοί τε καὶ πένητες, ἀξίως εὐχαριστῆσαι πάντη μοι ἀδύνατον, εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν μικρὰν ταύτην ὑμνολογίαν οὐ προσάξω τῷ δωρησαμένῳ, ποίαν ἕξω ἀπολογίαν;

Ὁ δὲ νεώτερος τὴν πολλὴν αὐτῆς ὑπερθαυμάσας σύνεσιν, τὸν αὐτῆς προσκαλεσάμενος πατέρα. Δός μοι, φησί, τὴν θυγατέρα σου: ἠγάπησα γὰρ τὴν σύνεσιν αὐτῆς καὶ εὐσέβειαν. ὁ δὲ γέρων ἔφη: Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι ταύτην λαβεῖν τὴν πένητος θυγατέρα, πλουσίων ὄντι γονέων. αὖθις δὲ ὁ νέος, Ναί, φησί, ταύτην λήψομαι, εἴπερ οὐκ ἀπαγορεύεις: θυγάτηρ γάρ μοι μεμνήστευται εὐγενῶν καὶ πλουσίων, καὶ ταύτην ἀποσεισάμενος φυγῇ ἐχρησάμην: τῆς δὲ σῆς θυγατρὸς διὰ τὴν εἰς Θεὸν εὐσέβειαν καὶ τὴν νουνεχῆ σύνεσιν ἐρασθείς, συναφθῆναι αὐτῇ προτεθύμημαι. ὁ δὲ γέρων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔφησεν: Οὐ δύναμαί σοι ταύτην δοῦναι τοῦ ἀπαγαγεῖν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός σου καὶ τῶν ἐμῶν χωρίσαι ἀγκαλῶν: μονογενὴς γάρ μοί ἐστιν. Ἀλλ' ἐγώ, φησὶν ὁ νεανίσκος, παρ' ὑμῖν μενῶ, καὶ τὴν ὑμῶν ἀναδέξομαι πολιτείαν. εἶτα καὶ τὴν λαμπρὰν ἀποθέμενος ἐσθῆτα, τὰ τοῦ γέροντος αἰτησάμενος περιεβάλλετο. πολλὰ δὲ ἐκεῖνος ἐκπειράσας αὐτὸν καὶ ποικίλως τὸν αὐτοῦ δοκιμάσας λογισμόν, ὡς ἔγνω σταθερᾶς ὑπάρχειν αὐτὸν διανοίας καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἔρωτι ἀφροσύνης κατεχόμενος αἰτεῖται τὴν αὐτοῦ θυγατέρα, ἀλλ' ἔρωτι εὐσεβείας εἵλετο πενιχρῶς ζῆν, ταύτην προκρίνας τῆς αὐτοῦ δόξης καὶ εὐγενείας, κρατήσας αὐτὸν τῆς χειρός, εἰσήγαγεν εἰς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ταμιεῖον, καὶ ὑπέδειξε πλοῦτον πολὺν ἀποκείμενον αὐτῷ καὶ χρημάτων ἀναρίθμητον ὄγκον, ὅσον οὐ τεθέατο πώποτε ὁ νεανίσκος. καί φησι πρὸς αὐτόν: Τέκνον, ταῦτα πάντα σοι δίδωμι, ἀνθ' ὧν ᾑρετίσω τῆς ἐμῆς θυγατρὸς ἀνὴρ γενέσθαι, γενέσθαι δὲ καὶ κληρονόμος τῆς ἐμῆς οὐσίας. ἥνπερ κληρονομίαν κατασχὼν ἐκεῖνος πάντας ὑπερῆρε τοὺς ἐνδόξους τῆς γῆς καὶ πλουσίους.