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seasoned with evangelical salt, so that it may bear the fragrance of the wise economy within, and may doubly delight the listener, both by its relaxation and by the grace of its intelligence.

CHAPTER 13. Concerning meekness, and in what way love is constituted.

The ascetic must be as full of meekness as possible; since he has either partaken, or desires to partake, of the spirit of meekness. And it is fitting for the host of this to resemble his guest. But if there should be any need for indignation against one who is negligent, that is, one set under us, let the indignation be tempered with reason. For indeed both murderers use swords, and the sons of physicians use them. But the former, since they handle the sword with anger and cruelty, do the most terrible of things, destroying their kinsmen; but the latter, since they approach the operation by sword with reason, confer the greatest benefits from it; for they save those who are in danger. So also the one who has known how to be indignant with reason has greatly benefited the one against whom he directed his indignation, correcting his negligence or wickedness; but he who is overcome by the passion of anger accomplishes nothing sound. That timely indignation is also fitting for those who cultivate meekness is clear from this. For Moses, too, who was testified to be the meekest of all men, when the time called for it, became indignant, and proceeded to such a degree of motion as to mark his indignation with the slaughter of his kinsmen; this, on the one hand, when they fashioned the calf, and this, on the other, when they were defiled by Baal-peor. So that 31.1377 it is possible, even while being meek, to be inflamed with reason, and not to corrupt the good of meekness. But to remain unmoved, or not to be indignant when necessary, would be a sign of a sluggish nature, not of meekness. And it is the nature of meekness somehow to be attended by patience. For meekness is the mother of patience. No less, for those who are truly meek, but whose character is not afflicted by severity, kindness is also mixed in. For kindness is the material of meekness. And these things, being mixed and compounded with each other, produce that most excellent of virtues, love.

CHAPTER 14. Concerning prudence.

However, it is fitting for prudence to lead all that is done. For without prudence, everything, even if it seems to be good, changes into evil through untimeliness and lack of measure. And when reason and prudence define the time and measure for good things, some wonderful profit from their use comes both to those who give and to those who receive.

CHAPTER 15. Concerning faith and hope.

However, let faith in God lead all undertakings, and let hopefulness follow, so that by faith we may support the power of the soul, and by hopefulness we may be zealous for good things. For neither will the human endeavor for good things be perfected without help from above; nor would grace from above come upon one who is not zealous; but it is fitting for both to be mixed together, both human zeal and the alliance coming down from above through faith for the perfection of virtue.

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εὐαγγε λικῷ ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος, ἵνα τῆς ἔνδοθεν σοφῆς οἰκονομίας τὴν εὐωδίαν ἐπιφέρηται, καὶ διπλῶς εὐ φραίνῃ τὸν ἀκροατὴν, τῇ τε ἀνέσει τῇ τε τῆς συν έσεως χάριτι.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΙΓʹ. Περὶ πραότητος, καὶ τίνα τρόπον ἀγάπη συνίσταται.

Πραότητος δεῖ ὅτι μάλιστα ἔμπλεον εἶναι τὸν ἀσκητήν· ἐπειδὴ τοῦ πνεύματος

τῆς πραότητος ἢ μετέσχηκεν, ἢ μετασχεῖν ἐφίεται. Καὶ προσήκει τὸν τούτου ξενιστὴν τῷ ξενιζομένῳ προσεοικέναι. Εἰ δέ που καὶ ἀγανακτήσεως δέοι κατὰ τοῦ ῥᾳθυμοῦντος ὑφ' ἡμῖν δηλαδὴ τεταγμένου, ἔστω λογισμῷ κεκρα μένη ἡ ἀγανάκτησις. Καὶ γὰρ ξίφεσι κέχρηνται μὲν καὶ ἀνδροφόνοι, κέχρηνται δὲ καὶ ἰατρῶν παῖδες. Ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν, ἐπειδὴ ὀργῇ καὶ ὠμότητι τὸ ξίφος δια χειρίζονται, τὰ πάντων ἀτοπώτατα δρῶσι, τοὺς ὁμογενεῖς διαχρώμενοι· οἱ δὲ, ἐπειδὴ λογισμῷ πρὸς τὴν διὰ ξίφους ἐνέργειαν ἀφικνοῦνται, τὰ μέγι στα ἐντεῦθεν ὠφελοῦσι· τοὺς γὰρ κινδυνεύοντας περισώζουσιν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ σὺν λόγῳ διαγανακτεῖν ἐγνωκὼς ὤνησε τὰ μεγάλα τοῦτον, καθ' οὗ ἐποιήσατο τὴν ἀγανάκτησιν, ῥᾳθυμίαν ἢ πονηρίαν ἐπανορθούμενος· ὁ δὲ ὀργῆς πάθει κεκρατημένος οὐδὲν ὑγιὲς ἀπεργάζεται. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ τοῖς πραότη τος ἐπιμελουμένοις πρέπει ἡ εὔκαιρος ἀγανά κτησις, δῆλον ἐντεῦθεν. Καὶ γὰρ Μωϋσῆς, πραότατος πάντων ἀνθρώπων μαρτυρηθεὶς, τοῦ καιροῦ καλοῦν τος, διηγανάκτησε, καὶ εἰς τοσοῦτον προὔβη κι νήσεως, ὥστε φόνῳ τῶν ὁμοφύλων ὁρίσαι τὴν ἀγα νάκτησιν· τοῦτο μὲν, ἡνίκα τὸν μόσχον ἐτέκταινον, τοῦτο δὲ, ὁπότε τῷ Βεελφεγὼρ ἐμιάνθησαν. Ὥστε 31.1377 ἔνι, καὶ πρᾶον ὄντα, σὺν λόγῳ διαθερμαίνεσθαι, καὶ τὸ τῆς πραότητος μὴ διαφθείρειν καλόν. Τὸ δὲ ἀκί νητον μένειν, ἢ δεόντως μὴ ἀγανακτεῖν, ἀργίας τῆς φύσεως, οὐ πραότητος ἂν εἴη. Τῇ δὲ πραότητι πέφυκέ πως καὶ τὸ ἀνεξίκακον ἕπεσθαι. Πραότης γὰρ ἀνεξικακίας μήτηρ. Οὐδὲν δὲ ἧττον τοῖς κατὰ ἀλήθειαν πραέσιν, ἀλλὰ μὴ βαρύτητι πεπληγμέ νοις τὸ ἦθος, καὶ τὸ χρηστὸν συγκέκραται. Χρη στότης γὰρ ὕλη πραότητος. Ταῦτα δὲ, συγκιρνώ μενα ἀλλήλοις καὶ συντιθέμενα, τὸ κράτιστον τῶν ἀρετῶν τὴν ἀγάπην ἀποτελεῖ.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Ι∆ʹ. Περὶ φρονήσεως.

Πάντων μέντοι τῶν πραττομένων φρόνησιν ἡγεῖ σθαι προσήκει. Φρονήσεως

γὰρ δίχα πᾶν ὅτι, κἂν καλὸν εἶναι δοκῇ, εἰς κακίαν διὰ τῆς ἀκαιρίας καὶ τῆς ἀμετρίας μετέπεσε. Λόγου δὲ καὶ φρονήσεως τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς τὸν καιρὸν καὶ τὸ μέτρον ὁρίζοντος, θαυμαστόν τι τὸ τῆς χρήσεως αὐτῶν κέρδος τοῖς τε διδοῦσι καὶ τοῖς λαμβάνουσι γίνεται.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΙΕʹ. Περὶ πίστεως καὶ ἐλπίδος.

Πάντων μέντοι τῶν ἐγχειρημάτων ἡγείσθω πί στις ἡ εἰς Θεὸν, καὶ συνεπέσθω

τὸ εὔελπι, ἵνα τῇ μὲν πίστει δύναμιν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐρειδώμεθα, τῇ δὲ εὐελπιστίᾳ πρὸς τὰ καλὰ προθυμώμεθα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ περὶ τὰ καλὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐγχείρησις δίχα τῆς ἄνωθεν βοηθείας τελειωθήσεται· οὐδὲ ἡ ἄνωθεν χά ρις ἐπὶ τὸν μὴ σπουδάζοντα παραγένοιτ' ἄν· ἀλλ' ἑκάτερα συγκεκρᾶσθαι προσήκει, σπουδήν τε ἀνθρω πίνην καὶ τὴν διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἄνωθεν καθήκουσαν συμμαχίαν εἰς τελείωσιν ἀρετῆς.