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placed; but if a long time passed, and it became well-rooted, I was very confident that nothing whatsoever that might happen would be able to harm that son; which indeed happened, and I was not mistaken in my hope. For when his father attacked him after much time had passed, and assailed him with violent force, not only did he not bend any part of the structure, but even made it stronger; and many of those who associated with him derived so much benefit from his conversation, as to attain the same zeal as he. For having at home always one to discipline him, just as a statue continually enjoys the artist's hand, so each day he received an addition to his soul's beauty. And the wonderful thing was that, appearing in public, he seemed to differ in nothing from the multitude; for he had neither a savage and hardened manner, nor peculiar attire, but was ordinary in his appearance, his gaze, his voice, and in all other respects. For this reason he was able to catch many of those who conversed with him inside his nets, having much philosophy hidden within. But at home, if anyone saw him, he would have thought him to be one of those who dwell in the mountains; for his house was arranged with the precision of any monastery, having nothing more than what was necessary. And all his time was spent in the reading of the holy books; for being quick to grasp subjects of study, he assigned a small part of the day to secular education, but all the rest was devoted to constant prayers and the divine books, and he would remain without food for the entire day, or rather, not for just one, nor for two only, but even for more. And the nights were witnesses for him of these things: tears, and prayers, and such reading. All of which the tutor reported to us secretly; for the boy was unbearable, if he ever perceived any of these things being revealed. So he said that a garment of hair had also been made for him, and in this he would sleep at night, having found this to be a clever device for rising quickly. And his other practices were perfected to the precision of the monks, and he continually glorified God, who had given him such light wings of this philosophy. So that if someone even now were to show me such a soul, and provide such a tutor, and promise to [take care of] all other things in the same way, I would have prayed ten thousand times for this to happen rather than for their own parents. For our catch would have been greater, both on account of his life, and his age, and his constant association, as such people are able to catch those of the same age. But there is no one who will undertake these things, nor do them; and since there is not, it would be of immense 47.371 cruelty to allow one who cannot even defend himself, but is lying down, and receiving countless wounds, and making the others weaker, to be cut down in the midst, when it is necessary to drag him from the battle. For one might likewise punish a general who leads away from the battle line those who are able to fight, and commands those who are wounded and lying down, and who are confusing the others, to remain continually in the midst. 13. Since many of the fathers, each one being eager, desiring to see his son living in letters, as if knowing precisely that he will in every way reach the goal of letters, let us not be contentious about this, nor say that he will fail, but let us grant for the sake of argument that he will in every way succeed in his endeavor, and reach the summit. Let a twofold choice be set before us, and attending schools, let him have the contest for the sake of learning, but in the deserts for the sake of the soul; where is it better, tell me, to prevail? For if it happens on both sides, I too wish it; but if one is lacking, it is better to choose the greater. Yes, he says, but from where will this very thing be clear to us, that he will stand firm and remain, and not change? For many are those who have fallen. From where is it clear that he will not stand firm, nor remain? For many are those who have stood firm, and more than those who have fallen; so that on account of these one should rather be confident, than be afraid on account of those. But for what reason do you not fear this very thing also in the case of letters, where especially

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τεθέντα· εἰ δὲ χρόνος ἐγγένηται πολὺς, καὶ ῥιζωθείη καλῶς, σφόδρα ἐθάῤῥουν ὅτι οὐκ ἂν οὐδ' ὁτιοῦν γένηται δυνήσεται παραβλάψαι τὸν υἱὸν ἐκεῖνος· ὃ δὴ καὶ γέγονε, καὶ οὐ διήμαρτον τῆς ἐλπίδος. Ὅτε γὰρ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ προσβαλὼν ὕστερον χρόνου παρελθόντος πολλοῦ, καὶ μετὰ σφοδρᾶς ἐνσείσας τῆς ῥύμης, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἔκλινέ τι τῆς οἰκοδομῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἰσχυροτέραν ἀπέφηνε· τῶν τε συμφοιτώντων αὐτῷ πολλοὶ τοσαῦτα τῆς ὁμιλίας ἀπώναντο τῆς ἐκείνου, ὡς πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν αὐτῷ ζῆλον ἐλθεῖν. Ἔχων γὰρ οἴκοι διαπαντὸς τὸν ῥυθμίζοντα, καθάπερ ἄγαλμα συνεχῶς ἀπολαῦον τῆς τοῦ τεχνίτου χειρὸς, οὕτω προσθήκην καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐλάμβανε τοῦ κατὰ ψυχὴν κάλλους. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν, ἔξω μὲν φαινόμενος, οὐδὲν διαφέρειν ἐδόκει τῶν πολλῶν· οὔτε γὰρ ἦθος εἶχεν ἠγριωμένον καὶ κατεσκληκὸς, οὔτε ἐξηλλαγμένην στολὴν, ἀλλ' ἦν κοινὸς καὶ τῷ σχήματι καὶ τῷ βλέμματι καὶ τῇ φωνῇ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν. Ὅθεν καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν ὁμιλούντων αὐτῷ εἴσω τῶν αὐτοῦ δικτύων ἠδυνήθη λαβεῖν, πολλὴν ἔνδον ἔχων ἐγκεκρυμμένην τὴν φιλοσοφίαν. Οἴκοι δὲ εἴ τις αὐτὸν εἶδεν, ἐνόμισεν ἄν τινα εἶναι τῶν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι καθημένων· καὶ γὰρ ἡ οἰκία αὐτῷ πρὸς ἀκρίβειαν μοναστηρίου παντὸς διέκειτο, οὐδὲν ἔχουσα τῶν ἀναγκαίων πλέον. Καὶ ὁ καιρὸς δὲ αὐτῷ ἅπας εἰς τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν τῶν ἁγίων ἀνηλίσκετο βιβλίων· καὶ γὰρ ὢν ὀξὺς μαθήματα προσλαβεῖν, τῇ μὲν ἔξωθεν παιδεύσει βραχὺ τῆς ἡμέρας ἀπένειμε μέρος, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν ἅπαν εὐχαῖς συνεχέσι καὶ βιβλίοις ἀνέκειτο θείοις, καὶ ἄσιτος ἅπασαν διετέλει τὴν ἡμέραν, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ μίαν, οὐδὲ δύο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείους. Καὶ νύκτες δὲ αὐτῷ ταῦτα συνῄδεσαν, δάκρυα, καὶ εὐχὰς, καὶ τὴν τοιαύτην ἀνάγνωσιν. Ἅπερ ἡμῖν ἅπαντα ὁ παιδαγωγὸς λάθρα ἀπήγγειλε· καὶ γὰρ ἦν ἀφόρητος ὁ παῖς, εἴ τι τούτων ᾔσθετό ποτε ἐξενεχθέν. Ἔλεγε τοίνυν οὗτος, ὅτι καὶ ἱμάτιον αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τριχῶν κατεσκεύαστο, καὶ τούτῳ τὰς νύκτας ἐγκαθεύδοι, σοφήν τινα μηχανὴν τοῦ ταχέως ἐξανίστασθαι ταύτην εὑρών. Καὶ τὰ ἄλλα δὲ αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τῶν μοναχῶν ἀπήρτιστο, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐδόξαζε συνεχῶς ἐκεῖνος, τὸν οὕτω κοῦφα τῆς φιλοσοφίας ταύτης ἐνθέντα αὐτῷ τὰ πτερά. Ὥστε εἴ τίς μοι ψυχὴν καὶ νῦν ἐδείκνυ τοιαύτην, καὶ παιδαγωγὸν παρεῖχε τοιοῦτον, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ὁμοίως [ἐπιμελεῖσθαι] ἐπηγγείλατο, μυριάκις ἂν ηὐξάμην τοῦτο γενέσθαι μᾶλλον τῶν γεννησαμένων αὐτῶν. Ἦ γὰρ ἂν ἡμῖν ἡ θήρα πλείων ἐγένετο, καὶ διὰ τὸν βίον, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν, καὶ διὰ τὴν συνεχῆ διατριβὴν, τῶν τοιούτων δυναμένων τοὺς ἡλικιώτας θηρᾷν. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐδείς ἐστιν ὁ ταῦτα ὑποστησόμενος, οὐδὲ ποιήσων· οὐκ ὄντος δὲ, μυρίας 47.371 ὠμότητος ἂν εἴη τὸν οὐδὲ ἑαυτῷ δυνάμενον ἀμῦναι, ἀλλὰ κείμενον, καὶ μυρία δεχόμενον τραύματα, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀσθενεστέρους ποιοῦντα, τοῦτον ἐν τῷ μέσῳ κατακόπτεσθαι ἐᾷν, δέον ἐξέλκειν ἀπὸ τῆς μάχης. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ στρατηγὸν ὁμοίως ἄν τις κολάσειε, τὸν τούς τε δυναμένους πολεμεῖν ἀπάγοντα τῆς παρατάξεως, τούς τε τρωθέντας καὶ κειμένους, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους συνταράσσοντας κελεύοντα κεῖσθαι διαπαντὸς ἐν τῷ μέσῳ. ιγʹ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ πολλοὶ τῶν πατέρων, ἕκαστος ἔγκειται τὸν υἱὸν ἐπιθυμῶν ἐν λόγοις ζῶντα ὁρᾷν, ὡς ἀκριβῶς εἰδὼς ὅτι πρὸς τὸ τέλος πάντως ἥξει τῶν λόγων, ὑπὲρ τούτου μὲν μὴ φιλονεικῶμεν, μηδὲ ὅτι διαμαρτήσεται λέγωμεν, ἀλλὰ δῶμεν τῷ λόγῳ καὶ περιέσεσθαι πάντως αὐτὸν τῆς σπουδῆς, καὶ πρὸς ἄκρον ἀφίξεσθαι. Ἔστω δὲ αἵρεσις ἡμῖν προκειμένη διπλῆ, καὶ εἰς διδασκαλεῖα μὲν φοιτῶν, ὑπὲρ τῆς μαθήσεως ἐχέτω τὸν ἀγῶνα, εἰς δὲ ἐρημίας ὑπὲρ τῆς ψυχῆς· ποῦ βέλτιον, εἰπέ μοι, κρατεῖν; Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἑκατέρωθεν συμβαίνῃ, κἀγὼ βούλομαι· ἂν δὲ θάτερον λείπηται, βέλτιον ἑλέσθαι τὸ κρεῖττον. Ναὶ, φησὶν, αὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο πόθεν ἡμῖν ἔσται δῆλον, ὅτι στήσεται καὶ μενεῖ, καὶ οὐ μεταπεσεῖται; πολλοὶ γὰρ οἱ πεσόντες. Πόθεν δῆλον ὅτι οὐ στήσεται, οὐδὲ μενεῖ; πολλοὶ γὰρ οἱ στάντες, καὶ τῶν πεπτωκότων πλείους· ὥστε διὰ τούτους μᾶλλον θαῤῥεῖν χρὴ, ἢ δι' ἐκείνους φοβεῖσθαι. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λόγων αὐτὸ τοῦτο οὐ δέδοικας, ἔνθα μάλιστα