Ep. XLVIII.  To Basil.

Do leave off speaking of me as an ill-educated and uncouth and unfriendly man, not even worthy to live, because I have ventured to be conscious of the way in which I have been treated.  You yourself would admit that I have not done wrong in any other respect, and my own conscience does not reproach me with having been unkind to you in either great or small matters; and I hope it never may.  I only know that I saw that I had been deceived—too late indeed, but I saw it—and I throw the blame on your throne, as having on a sudden lifted you above yourself; and I am weary of being blamed for faults of yours, and of having to make excuses for them to people who know both our former and our present relations.  For of all that I have to endure this is the most ridiculous or most pitiable thing, that the same person should have both to suffer the wrong and to bear the blame, and this is my present case.  Different people blame me for different things according to the tastes of each, or each man’s disposition, or the measure of their ill feeling on my account; but the kindest reproach me with contempt and disdain, and they throw me on one side after making use of me, like the most valueless vessels, or those frames upon which arches are built, which after the building is complete are taken down and cast aside.  We will let them be and say what they please; no one shall curb their freedom of speech.  And do you, as my reward, pay off those blessed and empty hopes, which you devised against the evil speakers, who accused you of insulting me on pretence of honouring me, as though I were lightminded and easily taken in by such treatment.  Now I will plainly speak out the state of my mind, and you must not be angry with me.  For I will tell you just what I said at the moment of the suffering, not in a fit of anger or so much in the sense of astonishment at what had happened as to lose my reason or not to know what I said.  I will not take up arms, nor will I learn tactics which I did not learn in former times, when the occasion seemed more suitable, as every one was arming and in frenzy (you know the illness of the weak), nor will I face the martial Anthimus, though he be an untimely warrior, being myself unarmed and unwarlike, and thus the more exposed to wounds.  Fight with him yourself if you wish (for necessity often makes warriors even of the weak), or look out for some one to fight when he seizes your mules, keeping guard over a defile, and like Amalek of old, barring the way against Israel.  Give me before all things quiet.  Why should I fight for sucking pigs and fowls, and those not my own, as though for souls and canons?  Why should I deprive the Metropolis of the celebrated Sasima, or lay bare and unveil the secret of your mind, when I ought to join in concealing it?  Do you then play the man and be strong and draw all parties to your own conclusion, as the rivers do the winter torrents, without regard for friendship or intimacy in good, or for the reputation which such a course will bring you.  Give yourself up to the Spirit alone.  I shall gain this only from your friendship, that I shall learn not to trust in friends, or to esteem anything more valuable than God.

[48] ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ

Οὐ παύσῃ βλασφημῶν ἡμᾶς ὡς ἀπαιδεύτους καὶ σκαιοὺς καὶ ἀφίλους καὶ οὐδὲ ζῆν ἀξίους, ὅτι συνιέναι τετολμήκαμεν ἃ πεπόνθαμεν; Οὐ γὰρ ἄλλο γε οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦμεν, αὐτὸς ἂν εἴποις, οὐδέ τι σύνισμεν ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ἢ μικρὸν ἢ μεῖζον περὶ σὲ κακοῖς γεγονόσι, μηδὲ συγγνοίημεν: πλὴν τοῦτο μόνον ἔγνωμεν ἠπατημένοι, ὀψὲ μὲν ἄγαν, ἔγνωμεν δέ. Καὶ τὸν θρόνον αἰτιώμεθα, ὡς ὑψηλότερόν σε ἡμῶν ἀθρόως ποιήσαντα. Καὶ κάμνομεν τὰ σὰ ἐγκαλούμενοι καὶ ἀπολογούμενοι πρὸς τοὺς σαφῶς εἰδότας καὶ τὰ πρῶτα ἡμῶν καὶ τὰ νῦν: τοῦτο γὰρ ὧν πάσχομεν τὸ γελοιότατον ἢ ἐλεεινότατον, τοὺς αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀδικεῖσθαι καὶ ἐγκαλεῖσθαι, ὅπερ νῦν ἡμῖν συμβέβηκεν. Ἐγκαλοῦσι δ' ἄλλοι μὲν ἄλλο τι καὶ ὅ τι ἂν ἕκαστος βούληται, κατὰ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ τρόπον ἢ τὸ μέτρον τῆς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὀργῆς: οἱ φιλανθρωπότατοι δέ, ὑπεροψίαν καὶ περιφρόνησιν καὶ τὸ παρερρίφθαι ἡμᾶς μετὰ τὴν χρείαν, ὥσπερ τῶν σκευῶν τὰ ἀτιμότατα καὶ τοῦ μηδενὸς ἄξια ἢ τῶν ἐρεισμάτων ταῦτα ὑπὲρ ὧν αἱ ἀψῖδες, ἃ μετὰ τὴν πῆξιν ὑφαιρεῖται καὶ διαπτύεται. Τούτους μὲν οὖν χαίρειν ἐάσωμεν καὶ λέγειν ὅ τι ἂν λέγωσιν: οὐδεὶς ἐφέξει γλώσσης αὐτονομίαν. Καὶ σύ μοι τὸν μισθὸν κατάβαλε τὰς μακαρίας καὶ κενὰς ἐλπίδας, ἃς κατὰ τῶν βλασφημούντων ἐξεῦρες, ὡς διὰ τιμὴν ὑβρίζων τοὺς κούφους ἡμᾶς καὶ προχείρους πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα. Ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ ἐμὸν ὡς ἔχει δηλώσω, καί μοι μηδὲν ὀργισθῇς. Ἐρῶ γὰρ ἃ καὶ παρ' αὐτὰ τοῦ πάθους ἀπεφθεγξάμην, οὐ τοσοῦτον ἢ τῷ θυμῷ ζέσας ἢ τῷ γεγονότι καταπλαγείς, ὥστε κλαπῆναι τοὺς λογισμοὺς καὶ ἀγνοεῖν ἅπερ ἔλεγον. «Οὔτε ὅπλα κτήσομαι, οὔτε τὰ τακτικὰ μαθήσομαι, ἃ μὴ πρότερον ἔμαθον, ἡνίκα καιρὸς εἶναι μᾶλλον ἐδόκει, πάντων ὁπλιζομένων καὶ μαινομένων (οἶσθα τὰ τῶν ἀσθενῶν ἀρρωστήματα), οὔτε τὸν ἀρήιον Ἄνθιμον ὑποστήσομαι, καίπερ ἄωρον ὄντα πολεμιστήν, ψιλός τ' ὢν καὶ ἀπόλεμος καὶ πρὸς τὰ τραύματα ἐπιτηδειότερος. Ἀλλ' ἐκείνῳ μὲν αὐτὸς πολέμει, εἰ τοῦτό σοι φίλον (καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς πολλάκις αἱ χρεῖαι ποιοῦσι πολεμιστάς), ἢ ζήτει τοὺς πολεμήσοντας, ὅταν σου τῶν ἡμιόνων λαμβάνηται, τὰ στενὰ τηρῶν καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ Ἀμαλὴκ ἐκεῖνος εἵργων τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Ἡμῖν δ' ἀντὶ πάντων δοῦναι τὴν ἡσυχίαν. Τί γὰρ δεῖ μάχεσθαι περὶ γαλαθηνῶν καὶ ὀρνίθων, καὶ τοῦτο ἀλλοτρίων, ὡς δὴ περὶ ψυχῶν καὶ κανόνων; Τί δὲ τῶν λαμπρῶν Σασίμων ἀποστερεῖν τὴν μητρόπολιν, ἢ γυμνοῦν καὶ ἀνακαλύπτειν τὸ τῆς γνώμης ἀπόρρητον, συγκρύπτειν δέον;» Ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν ἀνδρίζου καὶ κραταιοῦ καὶ πάντα ἕλκε πρὸς τὴν σεαυτοῦ δόξαν, ὥσπερ οἱ ποταμοὶ τοὺς χειμάρρους, μήτε φιλίαν μήτε συνήθειαν τοῦ καλοῦ προτιμῶν καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας μήτε τοῦ ποῖός τις εἶναι δόξεις ἐκ τοῦ ταῦτα ποιεῖν φροντίζων, ἀλλ' ἑνὸς ὢν τοῦ πνεύματος. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τοῦτο μόνον κερδανοῦμεν τῆς σῆς φιλίας, τὸ μὴ πιστεύειν φίλοις μήτε τοῦ Θεοῦ ποιεῖσθαί τι προτιμότερον.