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they are things to be shunned and forbidden. Since: of a wise man who rebukes or who is rebuked? Of the rebuke of a wise man, not that which he himself endures, but that which he himself directs to others. But if you also wish to take it this way, that "rebuke of a wise man" is what he himself endures, what is said is forced, yet it says this: the wise man, having received a rebuke, corrects himself, he casts away those things for which the rebuke came to him. And this is a good thing for him. But it does not mean this, but that which he himself brings upon those worthy of rebuke, so that what is said may be similar to this: "he who brings forth wisdom from his lips, strikes a heartless man with a rod".

203 Because as the sound of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. And this indeed is vanity. And the thorns, when they are burned under a pot, produce a resounding of a great noise. And the laughter of fools, therefore, is such, to the point of producing echoes and noises, not for the sake of cheering the soul. But if the soul does not laugh, it did not reach as far as to rebuke. And in many places in the scriptures the pot signifies punishment. "For from the face of the north it will be kindled against the inhabitants of the earth." When the people saw the prophet, they laughed. The foolish do not laugh to the point of refreshing the soul, but of making echoes and noises; they are rather buffoons. And just as the thorns themselves, the scorched plants being under the pot, send forth a noise, so their laughter is brought forth from their fiery, evil soul. Since: the allegorical interpretation: "It is good to hear the rebuke of a wise man." The divine word of the scriptures is wise and each one of those who keep it is wise according to God, is divinely wise. Therefore, when such a one rebukes, is the effort good or not? And he rebukes well. But many rebuke also for some not being buffoons, for not dancing and doing such things. But the wise man brings forth a reproof that prevents sin. And such a rebuke of a wise man, being corrective, even if the one being corrected is not corrected, is better than the song of fools, the flattering word that does not rebuke. And even if a man is harmed by the song of fools, not only would a woman or a child be. Therefore, thorns are the cares of life, shameful desires, dissolute pleasures. And it says this, that such things, which they are thought to do with pleasure while being buffoons, are thorns, leading and coming under punishment. And this itself is vanity. For they will gain nothing from the laughter; as if you should also say to the one living badly that: it is in vain for you. Because slander distracts a wise man and destroys the vigor of his heart. 204 The "distracts" thus: often someone speaks ill of the wise man and finds many followers. And if he were not very vigorous and perfect, sometimes he is even shaken. While her wise soul was not turned aside, Susanna was slandered for adultery. And the slander was not spoken by one or two false accusers; the rulers of the people and judges of such charges were the ones accusing. All the people paid attention to them as judges and governors of the people. And there was almost no one to expose the lie of the slander. When, therefore, being divinely wise she considered that her defense would be in vain—for she would not find anyone to listen—, she took refuge in God and was quiet in her spoken word, but in her mind she cried out: "O eternal God, knower of secrets, who knows all things before their creation, you know that they bear false witness against me." The slander did not turn her aside nor did it bring her to misery, but it confirmed her in her chastity. And Joseph likewise. And especially in the time of the persecutions many were slandered and were not turned aside. Therefore, here it does not mean the perfect wise man, but the one who has a beginning, the newly established. And so we have also understood the "reprove a wise man, and he will love you." The perfect wise man is not subject to any reproofs. For when it says: "the wise do not turn away from the mouth of the most high," it means the perfect ones here. At any rate, many sacrificed without even the intention, "the vigor of their heart having been destroyed." For the toil is sufficient

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παραιτητέα εἰσὶν καὶ ἀπαγο ρε̣υ̣όμενα. ἐπερ· σοφοῦ τοῦ ἐπιτιμ̣οῦντος ἢ τοῦ ἐπιτιμουμένου; τῆς ἐπιτιμήσεως τοῦ σοφοῦ, οὐχ ἣν αὐτὸς ὑφίσταται, ἀλλ' ἣν αὐτὸς προςτάττε̣ι ἀ´̣λλοι̣ς. ε̣ι᾿̣ δ̣ὲ καὶ οὕτω θέλεις λαβεῖν, ὅτ̣ι̣ "ἐπιτίμησις σοφοῦ", ἣν αὐτὸς ὑπο μένει, βίαιον μὲν τὸ λεγόμενον, ὅμως δὲ τοῦτο λέγει· ὁ σοφὸς δεξάμενος ἐπιτίμησιν διορθοῦται ἑαυτόν, ἀποβάλλει ἐκεῖνα, δι' ἃ ἡ ἐπιτίμησις αὐ τῷ γέγονεν. καὶ ἀγαθὸν αὐτῷ ἐστιν τοῦτο. οὐ τοῦτο δὲ βούλεται, ἀλλ' ἣν αὐτὸς ἐπιφ̣έρει τοῖς ἀξίοις ἐπιτιμίας, ἵνα ᾖν τούτῳ ὁμοῖον τὸ λεγόμενον· "ὃς προφέρει ἐκ χ̣ειλέων σοφίαν, ῥάβδῳ τύπτει ἄνδρα ἀκάρδιον".

203 ὅτι ὡς φωνὴ τῶν ἀκαν̣θῶν ὑπὸ τὸν λέβητα, οὕτως γέλως τῶν ἀφρόνων. καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης. αἱ δὲ ἀ´̣κανθαι, ὅταν καίωνται ὑπ̣ὸ λέβητα, ἐξήχησιν ψόφου μεγάλ̣ο̣υ ἀποτελοῦσιν. καὶ ὁ τῶν ἀφρόνων οὖν γέλως τοιοῦτός ἐστιν μέχρι τοῦ ἐξη χήσεις καὶ ψ̣όφους ἀπεργάσασθαι, οὐχ ἕνεκα τοῦ δι̣αχεῖν τὴν ψυχήν. εἰ δὲ μ̣ὴ γελ̣ᾷ ἡ ψυ̣χή, οὐ μέχρι τοῦ ἐπιτιμῆσαι ἔφθανεν. πολλα̣χοῦ δὲ τῶν γρ̣αφω῀̣ν̣ ὁ λέβης τὴν κόλασιν σημαίνει. "ἀπὸ προσ̣ ώπο̣υ γὰρ βορρᾶ ἐκκαυθήσετ̣αι ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν". ὅτε ἐθε άσατ̣ο τὸν προφήτην ὁ λαὸς ἐγέλα. οἱ ἄφρονες οὐ μέχρι τοῦ διαναπαῦσαι τὴν ψυχὴν γελῶσιν και`̣, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ε᾿̣cηχῆσαι καὶ ψόφους· γελωτοποιοὶ δὲ μᾶλλόν εἰσιν. καὶ ὥσπερ αἱ ἄκαν̣θαι αὐταὶ τὰ φυτὰ κατάκαυστα ὑπὸ τὸν λέ βητα ὄντα ψόφον ἐξίησιν, οὕτως ὁ γέλως αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἀπὸ πεπυρασ̣μένης κακῆς ψυχῆς ἐκείνων προφερόμενος. ἐπερ· ἡ ἀναγωγή· "ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀκοῦσαι ἐπιτίμη̣σιν σοφοῦ". ὁ θε̣ι῀̣ος τῶν γραφῶν λόγος σοφός ἐστιν καὶ ἕκαστος τῶν φυλ̣αττόντω̣ν αὐτὸν σοφὸς κατὰ θεόν ἐστιν, θεόσοφός ἐστιν. ὅτε οὖν τοιοῦτ̣ος ἐπιτιμᾷ, ἀγαθή ἐστιν ἡ σπουδὴ ἢ ο̣ὐ´̣κ; ἐπιτιμᾷ δὲ καλῶς. πολλοὶ δὲ ἐπιτιμῶσιν καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ γελωτοποιεῖν τινας, ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ὀρχεῖσθαι καὶ τοιαῦτα ποιεῖν. ὁ σοφὸς δὲ κωλυτικὸν ἁμαρτίας ἔλεγχον προφέρει. καὶ ἡ ἐπιτίμησις ἡ τοιαύτη τοῦ σοφοῦ βελ̣τιωτικὴ οὖσα, κἂν μὴ βελτιωθῇ ὁ βελτιούμενος, ἀγαθόν ἐστιν ὑπὲρ τὸ ᾆσμα τῶν ἀφρόνων, τὸν κόλακα λόγον καὶ μὴ ἐπιτι μῶντα. καὶ κἂν ἀνὴρ διὰ ᾆσμα ἀφρόνων βλάπτηται, οὐ μόνο̣ν ἂν̣ γυνὴ ἢ παιδίον. ἄκανθαι οὖν εἰσιν αἱ βιωτικαὶ μέριμναι, αἱ αἰσχραὶ ἐπιθυμί αι, αἱ ἀκόλαστοι ἡδοναί. το̣ῦτο δὲ λέγει ὅτι τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἃ νομίζον ται γελωτοποιοῦντες ἡδέως ποιε̣ῖν, ἄκανθαί εἰσιν, ὑπὸ κόλασιν φέρουσαι καὶ ἐρχόμεναι. καὶ αὐτὸ δ' ἐστὶν̣ ματαιότης. οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐκ τ̣οῦ γέλωτος κερδήσουσιν· ὡσεὶ καὶ λέγοις τῷ κακῶς ζῶντι ὅτι· ματαίῳ σοι. ὅτι ἡ συκοφαντία περιφέρει σοφὸν καὶ ἀπόλλυσιν τὴν εὐ τονίαν τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ. 204 τὸ "περιφέρει" οὕτως· πολλάκις τις κακηγορεῖ τὸν σοφὸν καὶ εὑρίσκει πολλ̣οὺς ἑπομένους. καὶ εἰ μὴ πάνυ εὔτονος ἦν καὶ τέλειος, ἐνίοτε καὶ κλονε̣ῖται. τὴν μὲν σοφὴν ψυχὴν μὴ π̣εριενεχθεῖσα ἡ Σωσάννα ἐσυκοφαν τήθη ἐπὶ μοιχείᾳ. ἡ συκοφαντία δὲ οὐ π̣ρὸς ἑνὸς ἢ δευτέρου ψευδοκατηγό ρων ε᾿̣λέγε̣το· οἱ ἀ´̣ρ̣χοντες τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ κριταὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἐνκλημάτων ἦσαν οἱ κα̣τηγ̣ορ̣οῦντ̣ες. ὁ λαὸς πᾶς π̣ροσεῖχεν αὐτοῖς ὡς κριταῖς καὶ κυβερνῶσιν τὸν̣ λαόν. καὶ σχεδὸν οὐδὲ εἷς ἐνῆν ψευδοποιῶν τὴν διαβο λήν. ὁ´̣τε οὖν θεόσοφος οὖσα ἐσκόπησεν ὅτι ματαίως αὐτῇ τὰ τῆς ἀπολο γι´̣ας ἔστ̣αι-οὐχ εὑρήσει γὰρ τὸν ἀκούοντα-, κατέφυγεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ τῷ μὲν προφορικῷ λόγῳ ἡσύχαζεν, τῇ δὲ διανοίᾳ ἐβόα· "ὁ θεὸς ὁ αἰ ώνιος ὁ τῶν κ̣ρυπτῶν γνώστης, ὁ εἰδὼς τὰ πάντα πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν, σὺ ἐπίστασαι ὅτ̣ι ψευδῆ μου καταμαρτυροῦσιν". οὐ περιήνεγκεν αὐτὴν ἡ συ κοφαντία οὐδ' εἰς ταλαιπ̣ωρίαν αὐτὴν κατέστησεν, ἀλλ' ἐβεβαίωσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ σωφρ̣οσύνῃ. κ̣α̣ι`̣ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ ὁμοίως. καὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ μάλιστα τῶν διωγμῶν πολλοὶ ἐσυκ̣οφαντήθησαν καὶ οὐ περιηνέχθησαν. σοφὸν οὖν ὧδε οὐ τὸν τέλειον λέγει, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀρχὴν ἔχοντα, τὸν νεο παγῆ. οὕτω δὲ ἐξειλήφαμεν καὶ τὸ "ἔλεγχε σοφόν, καὶ ἀγαπήσει σέ". ὁ τέλειος σοφὸς οὐχ ὑπόκειταί τισιν ἐλέγχοις. ὅταν γὰρ λέγῃ· "σοφοὶ οὐκ ἐκκλίνουσιν ἐκ στόματος ὑψίστου", τοὺς τελείους ὧδε λέγει. πολλοὶ γοῦν ἔθυσαν μηδὲ προαίρεσιν ἔχοντες "ἀπολομέν̣η̣ς τῆς εὐτονίας τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν". ἱκανὸς γὰρ ἔστιν πόνος