27.  Not so our great and illustrious Basil.  In this grace, as in all others, he was a public example.  For he first read to the people the sacred books, while already able to expound them, nor did he deem himself worthy of this rank44    This rank, i.e., the office of Lector, or Reader. in the sanctuary, and thus proceeded to praise the Lord in the seat of the Presbyters,45    Ps. cvii. 32. and next in that of the Bishops, attaining the office neither by stealth nor by violence, instead of seeking for the honour, being sought for by it, and receiving it not as a human favour, but as from God and divine.  The account of his bishopric must be deferred:  over his subordinate ministry let us linger a while, for indeed it had almost escaped me, in the midst of my discourse.

Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ πολὺς οὕτω καὶ μέγας Βασίλειος: ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων, οὕτω καὶ τοῦ περὶ ταῦτα κόσμου τοῖς πολλοῖς τύπος καθίσταται. Τὰς γὰρ ἱερὰς πρότερον ὑπαναγινώσκων τῷ λαῷ βίβλους, ὁ τούτων ἐξηγητής, καὶ ταύτην οὐκ ἀπαξιώσας τὴν τάξιν τοῦ βήματος, οὕτως ἐν καθέδρᾳ πρεσβυτέρων, οὕτως ἐν ἐπισκόπων αἰνεῖ τὸν Κύριον, οὐ κλέψας τὴν ἐξουσίαν οὐδ' ἁρπάσας, οὐδὲ διώξας τὴν τιμήν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς τιμῆς διωχθείς, οὐδ' ἀνθρωπίνην χάριν, ἀλλ' ἐκ Θεοῦ καὶ θείαν δεξάμενος. Ὁ μὲν οὖν τῆς προεδρίας λόγος ἀναμεινάτω: τῷ δὲ τῆς ὑφεδρίας μικρόν τι προσδιατρίψωμεν. Οἷον γάρ με καὶ τοῦτο μικροῦ παρέδραμεν, ἐν μέσῳ τῶν εἰρημένων κείμενον!