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you are insolent, you surround her with countless reproaches, having nothing at all to accuse her of, but being ashamed to speak of your passion, and to show the wound which you received from there and came back with, you weave other pretexts, seeking irrational grounds for hatred, and looking down on all things at home, but gaping towards that foul and unclean desire, from which you received the wound; and having the echo of her voice fixed and resounding in your soul, and her form and her glance and her movements, and all the images of fornication, you see nothing with pleasure of the things in your house. And why do I say your wife and your house? For you will see the church itself with more displeasure, and you will listen with hostility to the words concerning self-control, concerning decency. For what is said will no longer be teaching for you, but an accusation, and being gradually dragged into despair, you will completely tear yourself away from this teaching which is for the common good. For this reason I beseech all of you, both to flee yourselves the wicked pastimes in the theaters, and to drag away from there those who have devoted themselves to these things. For it is not recreation, but destruction, and retribution, and punishment, all the things that happen there. For what is the benefit of this temporary pleasure, when perpetual pain is born from it, and being pricked day and night by desire, you are difficult and displeasing to all? Examine yourself, then, what sort of person you become when departing from church, and what sort from the theaters, and compare the days of each, and you will have no need of our words. For the comparison of each day will suffice to show the magnitude both of the benefit from here, and of the harm from there. These things I have already said to your love, and I will never cease saying them. For we shall comfort those who are sick with such diseases, and we shall make those who are healthy more secure; for the discourse about these things is useful to both; to the one, that they may depart, to the other, that they may not fall into them. But since it is necessary for those who rebuke to do this with moderation, having stopped this exhortation at this point, we will give back to you the things left over from the previous subject, returning again to David. For it is also the custom of painters, whenever they are about to produce a lifelike image, to have those who are about to be painted sit beside them for one, two, and three days, so that by the continuity of observation they may preserve the unfailing 54.698 accuracy of the form. Since, therefore, it is now our task to paint, not a type of bodily form, but the beauty of a soul and an intelligible comeliness, we also wish David to sit beside you today, so that all of you, looking to him, might each impress upon your own souls the comeliness of the just man, and his meekness and gentleness, and his magnanimity, and all his other virtue. For if images of the body bring some comfort to those who see them, much more do the images of the soul. And it is not possible to see those everywhere, but they must be continually fixed in one place; but this one you may carry about wherever you wish, with nothing to prevent you. For having stored it in the treasuries of your mind, wherever you may be, you will be able to look at it continually, and to reap much benefit from it. And just as those who suffer with their eyes, holding sponges and rags of dark blue garments, and continually looking at them, reap some comfort for their ailment from that color; so also you, if you have the image of David before your eyes, and continually gaze at it, even if anger should disturb and confuse the eye of your mind ten thousand times, looking at that character of virtue, you will receive complete health, and pure philosophy. γʹ. For let no one say to me, that I have a foul enemy, a wicked one, a corrupt one,

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ὑβρίζεις, μυρίοις περιβάλλεις ὀνείδεσιν, οὐδὲν ἔχων ὅλως ἐγκαλέσαι, ἀλλ' αἰσχυνόμενος τὸ πάθος εἰπεῖν, καὶ τὸ τραῦμα δεῖξαι, ὅπερ ἐκεῖθεν λαβὼν ἐπανῆλθες, ἑτέρας πλέκεις προφάσεις, ἀφορμὰς ζητῶν ἀπεχθείας ἀλόγους, καὶ τῶν μὲν οἴκοι πάντων ὑπερορῶν, πρὸς δὲ τὴν μιαρὰν καὶ ἀκάθαρτον κεχηνὼς ἐκείνην ἐπιθυμίαν, παρ' ἧς τὸ τραῦμα ἐδέξω· καὶ τὴν ἠχὴν τῆς φωνῆς ἔχων ἐγκαθημένην τῇ ψυχῇ ἔναυλον, καὶ τὸ σχῆμα καὶ τὸ βλέμμα καὶ τὰ κινήματα, καὶ πάντα τῆς πορνείας τὰ εἴδωλα, οὐδὲν μεθ' ἡδονῆς ὁρᾷς τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας. Καὶ τί λέγω τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν; Καὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν γὰρ αὐτὴν ἀηδέστερον ὄψει, καὶ ῥημάτων ἀπεχθῶς ἀκούσῃ τῶν περὶ σωφροσύνης, τῶν περὶ σεμνότητος. Οὐκέτι γὰρ ἔσται σοι διδασκαλία, ἀλλὰ κατηγορία τὰ λεγόμενα, καὶ εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν κατὰ μικρὸν ὑποσυρεὶς, τέλεον ἑαυτὸν ἀποῤῥήξεις τῆς κοινωφελοῦς ταύτης διδασκαλίας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρακαλῶ πάντας ὑμᾶς, αὐτούς τε φεύγειν τὰς πονηρὰς ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις διατριβὰς, καὶ τοὺς ἐσχολακότας τούτοις ἐκεῖθεν ἀφέλκειν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι ψυχαγωγία, ἀλλ' ὄλεθρος, καὶ τιμωρία, καὶ κόλασις τὰ ἐκεῖ γινόμενα ἅπαντα. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος τῆς προσκαίρου ταύτης ἡδονῆς, ὅταν διηνεκὴς ἐντεῦθεν ἡ ὀδύνη τίκτηται, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ κεντούμενος ὑπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, πᾶσιν ᾖς δυσχερὴς καὶ δυσάρεστος; Ἐξέτασον γοῦν σαυτὸν, τίς μὲν γίνῃ ἀπὸ ἐκκλησίας ἀναχωρῶν, τίς δὲ ἀπὸ θεάτρων, καὶ ἑκατέρας παράβαλε τὰς ἡμέρας, καὶ οὐδὲν δεήσῃ τῶν ἡμετέρων λόγων. Ἀρκέσει γὰρ ἑκατέρας ἡ σύγκρισις τῆς ἡμέρας δεῖξαι τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τῆς ἐντεῦθεν ὠφελείας, καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν βλάβης. Ταῦτα καὶ ἤδη πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην εἶπον, καὶ οὐδέποτε παύσομαι λέγων. Τούς τε γὰρ νοσοῦντας τὰ τοιαῦτα νοσήματα παραμυθησόμεθα, τούς τε ὑγιαίνοντας ἀσφαλεστέρους ποιήσομεν· ἑκατέροις γὰρ ὁ περὶ τούτων χρήσιμος λόγος· τοῖς μὲν, ἵνα ἀποστῶσι, τοῖς δὲ, ἵνα μὴ ἐμπέσωσιν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ χρὴ καὶ τοὺς ἐπιτιμῶντας τοῦτο συμμέτρως ποιεῖν, μέχρι τούτου ταύτην στήσαντες τὴν παραίνεσιν, τὰ ὑπολειφθέντα ἐκ τῆς προτέρας ὑποθέσεως ὑμῖν ἀποδώσομεν, ἐπὶ τὸν ∆αυῒδ ἐπανελθόντες πάλιν. Καὶ γὰρ τοῖς ζωγράφοις ἔθος, ἐπειδὰν μέλλωσιν ἐμφερῆ τινα ἐργάζεσθαι εἰκόνα, καὶ μίαν καὶ δύο καὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας τοὺς γράφεσθαι μέλλοντας παρακαθίζουσιν αὑτοῖς, ἵνα τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῆς θεωρίας ἀδιάπτωτον τῆς μορφῆς 54.698 διασώσωσι τὴν ἀκρίβειαν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ ἡμῖν ζωγραφῆσαι πρόκειται νῦν, οὐχὶ τύπον μορφῆς σωματικῆς, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς κάλλος καὶ νοητὴν εὐμορφίαν, καὶ σήμερον ὑμῖν παρακαθῆσθαι βουλόμεθα τὸν ∆αυΐδ, ἵνα πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες ὁρῶντες, εἰς τὰς οἰκείας ἕκαστος ψυχὰς ἀπομάξησθε τὴν εὐμορφίαν τοῦ δικαίου, καὶ τὸ πρᾶον καὶ ἥμερον, καὶ τὸ μεγαλόψυχον, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν αὐτοῦ ἀρετήν. Εἰ γὰρ σώματος εἰκόνες φέρουσί τινα παραμυθίαν τοῖς ὁρῶσι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον αἱ τῆς ψυχῆς εἰκόνες. Κἀκείνας μὲν οὐ δυνατὸν πανταχοῦ ὁρᾷν, ἀλλ' ἀνάγκη διηνεκῶς ἐφ' ἑνὸς ἵδρυσθαι τόπου· ταύτην δὲ ὅπουπερ ἂν θέλῃς περιαγαγεῖν, οὐδὲν τὸ κωλύον. Ἐναποθέμενος γὰρ αὐτὴν τοῖς τῆς διανοίας ταμιείοις, ὅπουπερ ἂν ᾖς, συνεχῶς εἰς αὐτὴν ὁρᾷν δυνήσῃ, καὶ πολλὴν παρ' αὐτῆς καρποῦσθαι τὴν ὠφέλειαν. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς νοσοῦντες, σπογγιὰς καὶ ἱματίων ῥάκη κυανιζόντων κατέχοντες, καὶ συνεχῶς εἰς αὐτὰ βλέποντες, καρποῦνταί τινα τοῦ νοσήματος παραμυθίαν ἀπὸ τοῦ χρώματος ἐκείνου· οὕτω καὶ σὺ, ἂν τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ∆αυῒδ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔχῃς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ συνεχῶς εἰς αὐτὴν ἀτενίζῃς, κἂν μυριάκις θυμὸς ἐνοχλῇ καὶ συγχέῃ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν τῆς διανοίας, ὁρῶν εἰς ἐκεῖνον τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῆς ἀρετῆς, ὁλόκληρον δέξῃ τὴν ὑγίειαν, καὶ καθαρὰν τὴν φιλοσοφίαν. γʹ. Μὴ γάρ μοι λεγέτω τις, ὅτι Μιαρὸν ἐχθρὸν ἔχω, πονηρὸν, διεφθαρμένον,