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having overcome by wisdom, and the swimming and underwater nature forced to yield to your devices, and the races of land animals obeying your laws. Do not be distressed, therefore, as one deprived of wings; for you have received wisdom that makes the winged nature subject to you. And you have a mind, swifter than all birds, or rather, even than the winds themselves; for wherever it inclines, there it is at once; and though confined in the body, and bound to the earth, it both travels about heaven, and the beauties in heaven, and it goes beyond heaven, and imagines the things beyond it, and it travels around the inhabited world, and associates with countless nations, and converses with friends who are far away. Why then does the loss of visible wings grieve and trouble you, when you possess such intelligible wings, 83.633 which so easily overcome the winged creatures? You do not have a winged body, but you hunt the birds that travel the air with wisdom; using this as your helper, you bring a bull, armed with strength and horns, under the yoke, and you compel it to serve, and you subject it to continuous labors, to cut the furrow, to draw the wagon, to move things impossible for beasts of burden, to transport materials for builders. And you command, and it comes under the yoke, and it endures the harness, and it forgets the use of its horns, and it fears your voice, and does not understand the difference in strength, but endures to serve a much weaker animal. So much is reason better than the strength of bodies. This also commands the donkey and the mule and the camel to carry burdens, and each of the aforementioned lies down when permitted, and rises up when commanded, though weighed down with its load; and worn out by long journeys, it endures hardships, and obeys those who weigh it down, and it accepts the fodder offered to it, but when pressed by hunger, it does not cry out against its owners. For it has learned the limit of its servitude from nature. For this reason, the mere voice of their keepers frightens even the very strong animals. But you despise the Master of all creation, and though you receive from the example of the irrational animals an opportunity for benefit, you are not even willing to be subject to the Lord, and to beseech him, nor do you bear in an orderly manner the burdens of virtue (for these the Master has placed upon you); but you leap about, and act tyrannically, and flee the yoke like an unyoked calf, and you do not endure the bridle, but breaking it, you run away and are carried down cliffs, and you drag down your innate charioteer. But as many as have loved this good servitude, and have been ardently and nobly wounded with love for the Master, have drawn much benefit even from the irrational animals. Wherefore also in the Psalms they all cry out with one voice: “I have become like a beast before you, and I am always with you.” For I follow you, he says, as a beast follows its leader, not meddling as to what road you lead, nor being inquisitive about its shortness and length and difficulty, nor do I complain of its narrowness and steepness and precipitousness. For I have persuaded myself that, since you are good, you will guide well. For this reason, in all other things I am an examiner and rational, and I know how to judge what is fitting, and I know clearly how to flee what is painful; but when you lead, having bid farewell to that reason, I imitate the obedience of the beast, and being rational in other matters, I become like a beast before you. For this reason I am not separated from your company, but I am always with you; since I follow in your footsteps, and I obey the bridle, and I am led as you would lead, 83.636 whether you guide me through a smooth path, or a rough one, or a narrow one, or a wide one. For I trust in your wisdom, I believe in your goodness. For I know that this is truly good and excellent, whatever you yourself may wish. Those who know how to profit have so much benefit even from the irrational nature. Seeing therefore the races of the irrational animals obeying you, you too obey the

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σοφίᾳ πε ριγενόμενον, καὶ τὴν νηκτὴν καὶ ὑποβρύχιον φύσιν τοῖς σοῖς μηχανήμασιν εἴκειν ἠναγκασμένην, καὶ τῶν πεζῶν τὰ γένη τοῖς σοῖς νόμοις πειθόμενα. Μὴ τοίνυν δυσχεραίνῃς, ὡς πτερῶν ἐστερημένος· εἴληχας γὰρ σοφίαν ὑποχείριόν σοι τὴν ὑπόπτερον φύσιν ἐργα ζομένην. Ἔχεις δὲ καὶ νοῦν, πτηνῶν ἁπάντων, μᾶλ λον δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀνέμων ὀξύτερον· ἔνθα γὰρ ἂν νεύσῃ, ἐκεῖσε παραχρῆμα γίνεται· καὶ ἐν τῷ σώ ματι καθειργμένος, καὶ τῇ γῇ προσδεδεμένος, οὐρανόν τε περιπολεῖ, καὶ τὰ ἐν οὐρανῷ κάλλη, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν ὑπερβαίνει, καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ ἐκεῖνον φαντάζεται, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην περινοστεῖ, καὶ ἔθνεσι μυρίοις συγγίνε ται, καὶ τοῖς πόῤῥωθεν οὖσι τῶν φίλων προσδιαλέ γεται. Τί τοίνυν ἀλγύνει σε καὶ ἀνιᾷ τῶν ὁρωμένων πτερῶν ἡ στέρησις, τοιαῦτα πτερὰ νοητὰ κεκτημένον 83.633 οὕτω ῥᾳδίως τῶν ὑποπτέρων περιγινόμενα; Οὐ πτερωτὸν ἔχεις τὸ σῶμα, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἀεροπόρους ὄρνιθας τῇ σοφίᾳ θηρεύεις· ταύτῃ συνεργῷ κεχρη μένος, ταῦρον ἰσχύϊ καὶ κέρασιν ὡπλισμένον ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἄγεις, καὶ δουλεύειν ἀναγκάζεις, καὶ πόνοις διηνεκέσιν ὑποβάλλεις, ἄρουραν τέμνειν, ἅμαξαν σύρειν, τὰ τοῖς ἀχθοφοροῦσι τῶν κτηνῶν ἀδύνατα μεταφέρειν, οἰκοδόμοις μετακομίζειν τὰς ὕλας. Καὶ σὺ μὲν κελεύεις, ὁ δὲ τὸν ζυγὸν ὑπέρχεται, καὶ τῆς ζεύγλης ἀνέχεται, καὶ τῆς τῶν κεράτων ἐπιλανθάνε ται χρείας, καὶ τὴν σὴν δειμαίνει φωνὴν, καὶ τῆς ἰσχύος τὸ διάφορον οὐκ ἐπίσταται, ἀλλὰ τῷ λίαν ἀσθενεστέρῳ ζώῳ δουλεύειν ἀνέχεται. Τοσοῦτον ῥώμης σωμάτων ἀμείνων ὁ λόγος. Οὗτος καὶ ὄνον καὶ ἡμίονον καὶ κάμηλον ἀχθοφορεῖν κελεύει, καὶ κάθηται μὲν ἐπιτρεπόμενον τῶν εἰρημένων ἕκα στον, ἀνίσταται δὲ κελευόμενον καὶ τοῖς φορτίοις βαρυνόμενον· καὶ ταῖς μακραῖς ὁδοιπορίαις τρυχό μενον, ἀνέχεται τῶν ἀλγυνόντων, καὶ τοῖς βαρύνουσι πείθεται, καὶ προσφερόμενον μὲν δέχεται τὸν χιλὸν, λιμῷ δὲ πιεζόμενον, οὐ καταβοᾷ τῶν κεκτημένων. Τίς γὰρ ὁ τῆς δουλείας ὅρος, παρὰ τῆς φύσεως ἔμαθε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ μόνη τῶν κηδεμόνων ἡ φωνὴ καὶ τὰ λίαν ἰσχυρὰ τῶν ζώων δεδίττεται. Σὺ δὲ τοῦ τῆς κτίσεως ἁπάσης ∆εσπότου καταφρονεῖς, καὶ λαμβάνων ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἀλόγων εἰκόνος ἀφορμὴν ὠφε λείας, οὐδὲ θέλεις ὑποτάττεσθαι τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἱκε τεύειν αὐτὸν, οὐδὲ φέρεις εὐτάκτως τῆς ἀρετῆς τὰ φορτία (ταῦτα γάρ σοι ὁ ∆εσπότης ἐπέθηκεν)· ἀλλὰ σκιρτᾷς, καὶ τυραννεῖς, καὶ φεύγεις τὸν ζυγὸν ὡς ἀπειρόζυγος μόσχος, καὶ οὐκ ἀνέχῃ τῶν χαλινῶν, ἀλλὰ τούτους ἀποῤῥηγνὺς, δραπετεύεις καὶ φέρῃ κατὰ κρημνῶν, καὶ τὸν ἔμφυτον ἡνίοχον κατασύρεις. Ὅσοι δὲ τὴν καλὴν ταύτην δουλείαν ἠγάπησαν, καὶ τῷ δεσποτικῷ θερμῶς καὶ γενναίως ἐτρώθησαν ἔρωτι, πολλὴν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλόγων εἵλκυσαν τὴν ὠφέλειαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς δι' ἑνὸς βοῶσιν ἅπαν τες· «Κτηνώδης ἐγενόμην παρὰ σοὶ, κἀγὼ διὰ παντὸς μετὰ σοῦ.» Τῷ γὰρ κτήνει παραπλησίως ἡγουμένῳ σοι, φησὶν, ἕπομαι, οὐ πολυπραγμονῶν εἰς ποίαν ἄγεις ὁδὸν, οὐδὲ περιεργαζόμενος ταύτης τὸ βραχὺ καὶ μακρὸν καὶ ἐπίπονον, οὐδὲ δυ σχεραίνω ταύτης τὸ στενὸν καὶ πρόσαντες καὶ ἀμ φίκρημνον. Πέπεικα γὰρ ἐμαυτὸν, ὡς ἀγαθὸς ὢν, ἀγαθῶς ὁδηγήσεις. Τούτου χάριν ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπα σιν ἐξεταστικός τίς εἰμι καὶ λογικὸς, καὶ κρίνειν τὸ δέον ἐπίσταμαι, καὶ φεύγειν τὸ λυποῦν οἶδα σα φῶς· σοῦ δὲ ἄγοντος, ἐῤῥῶσθαι φράσας ἐκείνῳ τῷ λογικῷ, τοῦ κτήνους μιμοῦμαι τὸ εὐπειθὲς, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὢν λογικὸς, κτηνώδης γίνομαι παρὰ σοί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τῆς σῆς οὐ χωρίζομαι συνουσίας, ἀλλὰ δια παντός εἰμι μετὰ σοῦ· ἐπειδὴ τοῖς σοῖς ἴχνεσιν ἕπο μαι, καὶ τῷ χαλινῷ πείθομαι, καὶ ὡς ἂν ἄγῃς ἄγο 83.636 μαι, ἢν διὰ λείας, ἢν διὰ τραχείας, ἢν διὰ στενῆς, ἢν διὰ πλατείας με ξεναγῇς. Θαῤῥῶ γάρ σου τῇ σο φίᾳ, πιστεύω τῇ ἀγαθότητι. Οἶδα γὰρ τῷ ὄντι τοῦτο καλόν τε καὶ ἀγαθὸν, ὅπερ ἂν αὐτὸς ἐθελήσῃς. Το σαύτην οἱ κερδαίνειν εἰδότες καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἀλόγου φύ σεως ἔχουσιν ὠφέλειαν. Ὁρῶν καὶ σὺ τοιγαροῦν πειθόμενά σοι τῶν ἀλόγων τὰ γένη, πείθου τῷ