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CHAPTER 16. Concerning humility. Therefore, in all things accomplished by us, let the soul refer the causes of the accomplishment to the Lord, considering that it accomplishes nothing at all by its own power. For such a disposition is designed to produce humility in us. And humility is the storehouse of virtues. These are from us to you, as one might say, the seeds of the discourses concerning virtue; but you, taking them from here, work out for us the abundant fruit, and fulfill the word of Wisdom, which commands to give occasions to the wise, that they may become wiser.

CHAPTER 17. In how many ways evil thoughts in the soul

are formed. And since we have already arrived at and examined the matters concerning 31.1380 thoughts, not

but we have distinguished in how many ways evil notions attach themselves to right thoughts, we have now deemed it right to add this also, so that the examination of this part may be most complete. There are, then, two ways in which unseemly notions disturb right thoughts: either by the soul wandering through its own negligence concerning things that are not fitting, and encountering irrational fantasies from fantasies, or by the plotting of the devil, who attempts to suggest absurdities of things to the mind, and to lead it away from the contemplation and consideration of praiseworthy things. Therefore, when the soul, having relaxed the density and intensity of the mind, brings up chance memories and of chance things, then the thought, being carried undisciplined and unscientifically towards the remembered things, and being occupied with these for a longer time, passes from long wanderings to other wanderings, and often ends at last in shameful and absurd notions. But such negligence and diffusion of the soul must be corrected and brought back by a more concentrated and attentive supervision of the mind, and be occupied with the present and constant consideration of good things. But when the devil attempts to plot, and with much vehemence forces, as it were, certain fiery darts, his thoughts, into the quiet and still soul, and suddenly sets it on fire, and makes the memories of what was once injected long-lasting and hard to dispel; then by more intense watchfulness and attention one must escape such plots, just as some athlete with most precise guarding and speed of body evades the grips of his opponents; and to give the whole matter of subduing the war and turning away the missiles to prayer and the invocation of help from above. For Paul taught us this, saying: In all things taking up the shield of faith, in which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. Therefore, even if he suggests evil fantasies during the prayers themselves, let the soul not cease from praying, nor think that the evil sowings of the enemy and the fantasies of the manifold wonder-worker are its own fruits; but considering that the fantasy of absurd notions comes about by the shamelessness of the inventor of wickedness, let it rather intensify its prostration, and 31.1381 supplicate God that the evil partition of the memory of absurd thoughts be scattered for it; so as to pass to God unimpeded by the impulse of the mind, without delay and swiftly, nowhere being interrupted by the assaults of evil thoughts. But if also such of the were intensified

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ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Ιςʹ. Περὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης. Ἐπὶ πᾶσι μέντοι τοῖς παρ' ἡμῶν κατορθουμένοις ἡ ψυχὴ τῆς κατορθώσεως

τὰς αἰτίας ἐπὶ τὸν ∆εσπό την ἀναφερέτω, μηδὲν ὅλως κατορθοῦν ἐξ οἰκείας λογιζομένη δυνάμεως. Ἡ γὰρ τοιαύτη διάθεσις τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην ἡμῖν ἐμποιεῖν πέφυκε. Ταπει νοφροσύνη δὲ θησαυροφυλάκιον ἀρετῶν. Ταῦτά σοι παρ' ἡμῶν, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι, σπέρματα τῶν περὶ ἀρετῆς λόγων· σὺ δὲ, λαβὼν ἐντεῦθεν, πολύχουν ἡμῖν ἔργασαι τὸν καρπὸν, καὶ πλήρου τὸν τῆς Σοφίας λόγον, τὸν διδόναι κελεύοντα τοῖς σοφοῖς ἀφορμὰς, ἵνα σοφώτεροι γένωνται.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΙΖʹ. Κατὰ πόσους τρόπους οἱ πονηροὶ λογισμοὶ ἐν ψυχῇ

συνίστανται. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ φθάσαντες μὲν ἤδη τὰ περὶ τῶν 31.1380 λογισμῶν ἐξητάσαμεν, οὐ

διειλόμεθα δὲ κατὰ πόσους τρόπους αἱ πονηραὶ ἔννοιαι τοῖς ὀρθοῖς λογισμοῖς ἐπιφύονται, νῦν καὶ τοῦτο προσθεῖναι ἐδικαιώσαμεν, ὥστε εἶναι τελειοτάτην τὴν τοῦ μέρους ἐξέτασιν. ∆ύο τοίνυν τρόποι, καθ' οὓς αἱ ἀπρεπεῖς ἔννοιαι παρενοχλοῦσι τοῖς ὀρθοῖς λογισμοῖς· ἢ τῆς ψυχῆς κατ' οἰκείαν ὀλιγωρίαν περὶ τὰ μὴ προσήκοντα πλανωμένης, καὶ φαντασίαις ἐκ φαντασιῶν ἀλογί στοις ἐντυγχανούσης, ἢ κατ' ἐπιβουλὴν τοῦ διαβόλου πειρωμένου πραγμάτων ἀτοπίας ὑποφαίνειν τῇ δια νοίᾳ, καὶ ταύτην ἀπάγειν τῆς τῶν ἐπαινετῶν θεω ρίας καὶ διασκέψεως. Ὅταν μὲν οὖν ἡ ψυχὴ, τὸ πυκνὸν καὶ σύντονον τῆς διανοίας ὑποχαλάσασα, μνήμας τὰς προστυχούσας καὶ τῶν τυχόντων ἀναφέ ρῃ πραγμάτων, τηνικαῦτα ὁ λογισμὸς, ἀπαιδεύ τως καὶ ἀνεπιστημόνως πρὸς τὰ μνημονευθέντα τῶν πραγμάτων φερόμενος, τούτοις τε ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἐνασχολούμενος, πλάνους ἐκ πλάνων μεταβαίνει μακροὺς, καὶ εἰς αἰσχρότητας πολλάκις καὶ ἀτοπίας ἐννοιῶν καταστρέφει τὸ τελευταῖον. Ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν τοιαύτην ὀλιγωρίαν τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ διάχυσιν πυκνο τέρᾳ καὶ ἐπιστρεφεστέρᾳ τῇ τῆς διανοίας ἐπιστάσει διορθοῦσθαι καὶ ἐπανάγειν δεῖ, καὶ τῇ πρὸς τὸ παρ ὸν ἀεὶ περὶ τὰ καλὰ διασκέψει προσασχολεῖν. Ὅταν δὲ ὁ διάβολος ἐπιβουλεύειν ἐπιχειρῇ, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σφοδρότητος ὥσπερ τινὰ βέλη πεπυρωμένα τοὺς παρ' αὐτοῦ λογισμοὺς ἐνιέναι ἡσυχαζούσῃ καὶ ἠρεμούσῃ βιάζηται τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ ταύτην αἰφνίδιον ἐμπιπρᾷν, καὶ χρονίας καὶ δυσεκ λύτους τὰς μνήμας τῶν ἅπαξ ἐμβληθέντων ἐργάζε σθαι· τηνικαῦτα νήψει καὶ προσεχείᾳ συντονωτέ ρᾳ τὰς τοιαύτας ἐπιβουλὰς ὑπεξίστασθαι δεῖ, καθά περ ἀθλητοῦ τινος ἀκριβεστάτῃ φυλακῇ καὶ τάχει σώματος τὰς λαβὰς τῶν ἀντιπάλων ἐκτρεπομένου· καὶ τὸ πᾶν τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ ἐπικλήσει τῆς ἄνω θεν συμμαχίας διδόναι τὴν τοῦ πολέμου καθαί ρεσιν καὶ τὴν τῶν τοξευμάτων ἀποτροπήν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμᾶς ὁ Παῦλος ἐδίδαξε λέγων· Ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ἀνα λαβόντες τὸν θυρεὸν τῆς πίστεως, ἐν ᾧ δυ νήσεσθε πάντα τὰ βέλη τοῦ πονηροῦ τὰ πεπυ ρωμένα σβέσαι. Κἂν τοίνυν ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς προσευ χαῖς ὑποβάλλῃ τὰς πονηρὰς φαντασίας, μὴ ἀφιστάσθω ἡ ψυχὴ τοῦ προσεύχεσθαι, μηδὲ οἰέσθω οἰκεῖα εἶναι γεώργια τὰς πονηρὰς τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ἐπι σπορὰς, καὶ τὰς τοῦ ποικίλου θαυματοποιοῦ φαντα σίας· ἀλλὰ λογισαμένη τῇ ἀναιδείᾳ τοῦ τῆς πονηρίας εὑρετοῦ τὴν τῶν ἀτόπων ἐννοιῶν φαντασίαν γί νεσθαι, μᾶλλον ἐπιτεινέτω τὴν πρόσπτωσιν, καὶ 31.1381 ἱκετευέτω τὸν Θεὸν ἀποσκεδασθῆναι αὐτῷ τὸ πονηρὸν διατείχισμα τῆς τῶν ἀτόπων λογισμῶν μνήμης· ὥστε ἀπαρεμποδίστως τῇ τῆς διανοίας ὁρμῇ, ἀχρόνως, καὶ ὀξυῤῥεπῶς, πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν διαβαίνειν, μηδαμοῦ ταῖς τῶν πονηρῶν ἐνθυμημάτων ἐφόδοις διακοπτόμενον. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιτείνοιτο ἡ τοιαύτη τῶν