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But I greatly fear envy, lest, having stung you with slander, It destroy the pure zeal for the life you love. May every man who, while revering chastity, The companion of the bodiless angels, Takes a virgin to live with him, perish for me. What need is there of fire? Are you stronger than fire? How could you escape the smoke, Blackening yourself with empty gossip? From here you were lifted up, virgin, and you live above. Is a meagre loaf your lot, and your covering a burden? For the sake of which may you never suffer anything shameful. Nor instead of your protector receive someone 642 A partner in shame, and in life, even if he be pure, Lest Christ cast you out as a double-dealer.

V. To the monks in a common life. If indeed for many a common life

men and women were to praise, under the bonds of unanimity, around their gracious king who presides over the choir, having a boast that is united, like-minded, under one roof, it would be better. For not every good thing wishes to be seen alone. Nor is that best which has not surpassed what is good. And friendship is narrow, grace is small, like a much-mixed mire. But I command that even here a very great chasm 643 be placed, so that they may worship apart, men and women, and have a common glory alone. For envy is not only for those who live alone, but even more for the many, and greater is the toil of evil. But if you should also wish to dwell alone, united with Christ alone, this too is dear; but for all there is nevertheless a fear, just as for me, of the enemy's wrestling and of a ruinous fall.

VI. On chastity. It is good to be bound in marriage, but only chastely, assigning more

to God than to the fellowship of the flesh. It is better to be free from bonds, assigning all to God and to those above. 644 God is unwedded, and the angels are without flesh; but matter is yoked and full of corruption. Marriage is the care for a spouse and loved ones; for virginity, Christ. If a wife brings something equal to God, then marriage is equal to a dissoluble life; but if nothing is equal, neither are the lives equal. Therefore, O parents, do not insult me, leaping for joy at a marriage, but not at purity. I give to marriage, I take purity. But there are those who have fallen; but may you perish for me, for not choosing the best, but the weak. For the one are a shame to themselves, the others a glory to us. Is the earth not to be plowed because of the hail, 645 nor is a vineyard to be planted? and does the sea give to the harbors all whom it takes? Why tell me of things far off? When Lucifer fell, were not choirs of angels dragged down with him? What then, was not Judas the murderer of the Lord, but the disciples a glory? But do you not consider this: the terrible things of your marriage, and the thefts of adulterers, from which love and lineage are corrupted. Walk on high, but leave envy below. Be pure to all, O virgin. As a bride for Christ alone, keep your beauty sealed. He is kind, but also full of zeal. He brings forth nothing ugly nor unadorned. In the adornment of clothing, unadornment is the ornament, but flee from luxury, and subdue its displays. 646 Do not hunt for me the being seen with the seeing. Walk chastely, even if you are moving about alone; let a key be placed on your ears, and let not laughter be licentious; most of all the cheeks, and the appearance of laughter. Anger, drunkenness, and a demon are the same for virgins; but worst of all is gluttony for the sake of the belly. Let beauty yield to prayers and vigils. Do not easily take a housemate, not even a brother. Why must one look at the inflammation (sic) of the disease? This is nothing shameful, except only the memory of dust. Your only Father, and a faithful God, O young woman; let others flee, as beasts once fled Sinai, when the law was being inscribed on tablets. Let the offering and the virgin be untouched, the one by the profane, the other by the gazes of all. 647 Let need of the flesh not enslave you at all. If you need anything, a wallet will gush forth for you, a water jar will give the produce of its bottom. Ten thousand people are fed with five loaves; how much more you, the handmaiden of God? Therefore, having this pure bridegroom of bodiless beauty, do not be yoked to a second one. For this one is established as an adulterer, not a husband, enjoying the love of a living husband. Will you, who have even offered a basket to God, take it away? and having fled the fire of Sodom,

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φθόνον δ' ἐγὼ λίαν ∆έδοικα, μή σε κεντρίσας δυσφημίᾳ, Λύσῃ τὸν ἁγνὸν ζῆλον οὗ στέργεις βίου. Ὄλοιό μοι πᾶς ὅστις ἁγνείαν σέβων, Τὴν τῶν ἀσάρκων ἀγγέλων παραστάτιν Σύνοικον αἱρῇ παρθένον. Τί δεῖ πυρός; Κρείσσων πυρὸς σύ; πῶς δὲ τὸν καπνὸν φύγοις, Σαυτὸν μελαίνων τῇ κενῇ γλωσσαλγίᾳ; Ἐντεῦθεν ἤρθης, παρθένε, καὶ ζῇς ἄνω. Μάζα στενή σοι, καὶ σκέπη τὸ φορτίον; Ὧν μή ποτ' αἰσχρὸν εἵνεκεν μηδὲν πάθῃς. Μηδ' ἀντὶ τοῦ σοῦ προστάτου δέξῃ τινὰ 642 Κοινωνὸν αἴσχους, καὶ βίου, κἂν ἁγνὸς ἦ, Μή πού σε Χριστὸς ὡς διπλῆν ἔξω βάλῃ.

Εʹ. Πρὸς τοὺς ἐν κοινοβίῳ μοναχούς. Εἰ μὲν δὴ πλεόνεσσιν ὁμὸν βίον

αἰνήσαιεν Ἀνέρες ἠδὲ γυναῖκες, ὁμοφροσύνης ὑπὸ δεσμοῖς, Ἵλαον ἀμφὶ ἄνακτα χοροστασίης μεδέοντα, Σύμπνοον, ἰσοκέλευθον, ὁμώροφον εὖχος ἔχουσαι, Λώϊον. Οὐκ ἐθέλει γὰρ ἅπαν καλὸν οἶον ὁρᾶσθαι. Οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστιν ἄριστον, ὃ μὴ καλοῖο προέσχε. Καὶ στεινὴ φιλίη, βαιὴ χάρις, ὡς πολύμικτος Βορβορέη. Κέλομαι δὲ καὶ ἐνθάδε χάσμα μέγιστον 643 Ἐστάμεν, ὥς κεν ἔωσι διασταδὸν εὐσεβέοντες, Ἀνέρες ἠδὲ γυναῖκες, ὁμὸν κλέος οἶον ἔχοιεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οἰοβίοισι μόνον φθόνος, ἀλλ' ἔτι μᾶλλον Πλειοτέροις, πλείων τε κακοῦ μόθος. Εἰ δὲ καὶ οἶος Ναιετάειν ἐθέλοις Χριστῷ ξυνούμενος οἴῳ Καὶ τὸ φίλον· πάντεσσι δ' ὅμως δέος, ὥσπερ ἔμοι γε, ∆υσμενέος τε πάλης, καὶ πτώματος οὐλομένοιο.

ʹ. Εἰς σωφροσύνην. Καλὸν γάμῳ δεδέσθαι, σωφρόνως μόνον, Πλεῖον

νέμοντα τῷ Θεῷ συσσαρκίας. Κρεῖσσον τὸ δεσμῶν τυγχάνειν ἐλεύθερον, Τὸ πᾶν νέμοντα τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τοῖς ἄνω. 644 Θεὸς μὲν ἄζυξ, ἀγγέλων τ' ἀσαρκία· Ὕλη δὲ συζυγής τε καὶ πλήρης φθορᾶς. Γάμος μέριμνα συζύγου καὶ φιλτάτων· Τῇ παρθενίᾳ Χριστός. Εἰ γυνὴ Θεῷ Ἴσον φέρει τι, καὶ γάμος λυτῷ βίῳ· Εἰ δ' οὐδὲν ἴσον, οὐδὲ τοῖς βίοις ἴσον. Μὴ τοίνυν, ὦ τεκόντες, ὑβρίζοιτέ με, Γάμῳ περισκιρτῶντες, ἁγνείᾳ δὲ μή. Γάμῳ δίδωμι, τὴν ἁγνείαν λαμβάνω. Ἀλλ' εἰσὶν οἳ πεπτώκασ'· ἀλλ' ὄλοιό μοι, Μὴ τοὺς ἀρίστους ἐκλέγων. τοὺς δ' ἀσθενεῖς. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῖς αἶσχος, οἱ δ' ἡμῖν κλέος. Γῆ δ' οὐκ ἀροῦται τῆς χαλάζης εἵνεκα, 645 Οὐ δ' ἀμπελὼν φυτεύεθ'; ἡ θάλασσα δὲ Ὅρμοις δίδωσι πάντας οὕσπερ λαμβάνει; Τί μοι τὰ πόῤῥω; κειμένῳ δ' Ἑωσφόρῳ Μὴ συγκατενέχθησαν ἀγγέλων χοροί; Τί δ', οὐκ Ἰούδας ἦν φονεὺς τοῦ ∆εσπότου, Ἀλλ' οἱ μαθηταὶ δόξα; Τοῦτο δ' οὐ σκοπεῖς, Τοῦ σοῦ γάμου τὰ δεινὰ, καὶ μοιχῶν κλοπὰς, Ἐξ ὧν τὸ φίλτρον, καὶ γένος νοθεύεται. Ὑψοῦ βάδιζε, τὸν φθόνον δ' ἔα κάτω. Ἅγνευε πᾶσι, παρθένε. Χριστῷ μόνῳ Νύμφη, κράτει τὸ κάλλος ἐσφραγισμένον. Χρηστὸς μέν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ζήλου πλέως. Οὐδὲν δυσειδὲς, οὐδ' ἄκοσμον ἐκφέρει. Ἐσθῆτι κόσμου κόσμος ἡ ἀκοσμία, Θρύψιν δὲ φεῦγε, καὶ ταπείνου τὰς κλάσεις. 646 Μὴ τὸ βλέπεσθαι τῷ βλέπειν θήρευέ μοι. Σώφρων βάδιζε, κἂν ἀναστρέφῃ μόνη· Κλεὶς ὠσὶ κείσθω, μηδὲ πορνεύοι γέλως· Πλεῖστον παρειαὶ, καὶ γέλωτος ἔμφασις. Θυμὸς, μέθη, δαίμων τε παρθένοις ἴσον· Πάντων δὲ χεῖρον πλησμονὴ γαστρὸς χάριν. Εὐχαῖς τὸ κάλλος εἰκέτω κἀγρυπνίαις. Σύνοικον αἱροῦ μηδ' ἀδελφὸν ῥᾳδίως. Ἐμπεπύρευμα (sic) τῆς νόσου τί δεῖ βλέπειν Οὐδὲν τόδ' αἰσχρὸν, πλὴν μόνη μνήμη χοός. Πατὴρ μόνος σοι, καὶ Θεὸς πιστὸς, νέα· Ἄλλοι δὲ φευγέτωσαν, ὡς θῆρές ποτε Τὸ Σινὰ, πλαξὶν ἐντυπουμένου νόμου. Ἄψαυστος ἔστω προσφορὰ καὶ παρθένος, Ἡ μὲν βεβήλοις, ἡ δ' ἁπάντων ὄψεσιν. 647 Ἡ χρεία δουλούτω σε σαρκὸς μηδ' ὅλως. Ἂν προσδέῃ του, καψάκης σοι πηγάσει, Ὑδρεία δώσει πυθμένος γεωργίαν. Ἄρτοις τρέφονται πέντε μύριος λεώς· Πόσον σὺ μᾶλλον, ἡ Θεοῦ παραστάτις; Μὴ τοίνυν ἁγνὸν τόνδ' ἔχουσα νυμφίον Κάλλους ἀσάρκου, συζυγῇς τῷ δευτέρῳ. Μοιχὸς γὰρ οὗτος, οὐκ ἀνὴρ καθίσταται, Ζῶντος τὸ φίλτρον ἀνδρὸς ἐγκαρπούμενος. Ἡ καὶ κανοῦν προσθεῖσα τῷ Θεῷ σύ γε Ἀποστερήσεις; καὶ Σοδόμων φυγοῦσα πῦρ,