Lausiac History (recension G)

 having written down the lives of the fathers, Abraham and those who followed, Moses and Elijah and John, they did not relate them in order to glorify

 goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control, is acknowledged. Pref.14 For Paul himself said: For the fruit of the spirit is such and such things.

 being virgins but he entrusted them to Christ, saying: He who created you will provide for your life, as also for me. And there was with his sister

 a judge who orders one to be submitted to debauchery. 3.4 So that one, having gone mad, orders her, having been stripped, to be thrown into the cauld

 but haughty in disposition, exceedingly rich in money, giving † not † to a stranger, not to a virgin, not to the church, not an obol to a poor person.

 So having met and spent three years with the monasteries around Alexandria, with about two thousand most excellent and very zealous men, departing fro

 Lord and what do you command now? I command, he said, that each of us from now on remain by himself. But she did not agree, saying Let us rema

 without a fever, not having been sick, but sewing up the basket, being seventy years old who, having sent for me, and while the last stitch was on it

 at the martyrium called Roufinianais. Whose tomb is said to heal all who suffer from fever.] 12 .tConcerning Benjamin 12.1 In this mountain of Nitria

 were perfected. And some were pleased by this one, others by that one. When a dispute therefore arose among the brotherhood over the praises, they go

 therefore also to banish you from this. 16.3 Therefore, knowing that he had been mocked, he returned again to his first cell. And having completed th

 the tax-collectors are upon you, whose disease you also suffer. And it happened that he disobeyed after the death of Macarius, after another fifteen

 the saint, taking him, prayed over him, beseeching God. And after one or two days, when the affliction subsided, the holy Macarius says to her: 17.13

 ravens before my sight, and saying: What do you want, Macarius? What do you want, monk? Why have you come to our place? You cannot remain here. So I

 he did nothing with his hands. Therefore, when all the ascetics saw this, they rose up against the abbot, saying: From where have you brought us this

 you shall be shaken, I shall not hear you. 18.24 So after falling for a long time, he rose. And when night came, they attacked him again and filling

 fifty miles he went away to where he had his company. This so great man, at long last being pricked with compunction by some circumstance, gave himsel

 so that we should fear these flies more than he feared the demons. This was the way of life of Moses the Ethiopian, who was himself also numbered amon

 of Eulogius and worthily nourished by the disease. But after fifteen years a demon dwelt in him and he rebelled against Eulogius and he began to assa

 Do not turn aside anywhere, depart do not be separated from one another, but go to your cell where you have spent your time. For God is already sendi

 to them a way of life such as never in youth. 22.5 And having moistened palm leaves he says to him: “Take these, weave a rope as I do.” The old man we

 And standing by the rocks on the mountain he prays and says thus: You see, Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, that I will not come

 wisdom no longer approached me. 24 .tConcerning Stephen the Libyan 24.1 A certain Stephen, a Libyan by race, from the region of Marmarica and Mareoti

 to place in the little book for the security of the readers, just as among the holy plants of paradise was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

 he fell into a fall of pride. And opening the window, she received the one serving her and was mixed with him, because she had not maintained her asce

 saying to her, We do not dare to meet them for we know their drunkenness and their recklessness. 31.3 But if you will have mercy both on the whole v

 to the angel that the prayers are few, the angel says to him: I have prescribed these things so that even the lesser ones may be able to complete the

 matter. So when the elder came, the other sisters reported the matter and he ordered that not a single one of their offerings be accepted and as for

 having been enclosed for years and receiving his needs through a window from the one who served him, he was deemed worthy of the gift of prophecy. Amo

 sufficiently, I thanked God when I learned that the pretexts driving me had been accomplished. 35.10 Then again he says to me, joking: Do you want to

 about to give birth, she was having a difficult labor, the spirit crushing her. So while the woman was demon-possessed, her husband came and begged th

 All ran up to him, both those wearing the tribon and those wearing the birrus, saying to him: What is the matter with you? And where are you from? An

 and why should I go out? He says to her: If you have died to the world and the world to you, it is the same to you to go out and not to go out ther

 suggests. 38.6 He says to him: If you listen to your friend, it is not expedient for you to live in this city. Evagrius says to him: If God delive

 he died among them, having partaken of communion on Epiphany in the church. He told us then about death that, It is the third year I have not been tr

 I appoint myself as a host for you. And taking money and partitioning the porticoes and setting up about three hundred beds, he nursed the starving,

 the hill of the ascension from where Jesus was taken up, he continued standing and singing psalms and praying and whether it snowed or it rained or i

 of those boiled by fire. Having persevered in these for eighteen years, he sang the hymn of victory to Christ. This man, having been warred against in

 in Jerusalem for the sake of a vow, bishops and monks and virgins, at their own expense they edified all whom they met, and they healed the schism of

 to many souls, in some there is an excellence of intellect, in others a fitness for discipline. But when neither the action nor the excellence is for

 There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure 47.16 lest ever with the won

 having drawn [their swords], they attacked. And such a thing happened: when he raised the sword and was about to draw it against Gaddana, the hand of

 she led to the solitary life. And having catechized her younger son Publicola, she led him to Sicily and having sold all her remaining property and r

 to her own daughter. 57.2 I knew this woman, who labored through every night, grinding with her hands for the subduing of the body, explaining that,

 of this one, named Taor, who, having been thirty years in the monastery, never wished to receive a new garment or veil or sandal, saying, I have no n

 of her own. And she freed the eight thousand slaves who wished it, for the rest did not wish it but chose to serve her brother to whom she conceded t

 was said to be most learned and most faithful who received Origen the writer, as he was fleeing the insurrection of the Greeks, for two years at her

 they may stir up some of the civil disturbances, falling away from their purpose. 67 .tConcerning Magna 67.1 In this city of Ancyra many other virgins

 to slander a certain lector of the city. And when she was already pregnant, being questioned by her father, she accused the lector. But the presbyter,

 warm loaves in his sheepskin at another time again wine and loaves. At another time again, when he was speaking, I knew that You are in need go the

to many souls, in some there is an excellence of intellect, in others a fitness for discipline. But when neither the action nor the excellence is for the sake of the good itself, nor do those who possess these advantages ascribe them to God, the giver of good things, but to their own choice and excellence and ability, such men, being abandoned, or being taken into base deeds or base passions and shame, through the resulting humiliation and shame, somehow gently rub off the pride based on their supposed virtue. 47.9 For since he who is puffed up by the excellence of his words, being exalted, does not ascribe his excellence or the supply of knowledge to God, but to his own discipline or nature, God withdraws the angel of providence from him; and when he has turned away, the one who was exalted for his excellence, being overcome by the adversary, falls into licentiousness through pride, so that, when the witness of his moderation has been taken away, the things said by him become unworthy of belief, as the pious flee the teaching from such a mouth just as from a spring that has leeches; so that what is written is fulfilled: "But to the sinner God said: Why do you declare my statutes, and take up my covenant in your mouth?" 47.10 For in truth the souls of the passionate are like various springs: the gluttonous and wine-lovers are like muddy springs; the avaricious and covetous are like springs having frogs; but the envious and proud, who have a fitness for knowledge, are like springs that nourish serpents, in which speech always stagnates, but no one gladly draws from them because of the bitterness of their character. Wherefore David prayed, asking for three things, "goodness and discipline and knowledge." For without goodness, knowledge is useless. 47.11 And if such a one corrects himself, putting away the cause of his abandonment, that is, his pride, and takes up humility and recognizes his own measure, being exalted against no one, and giving thanks to God, witnessed knowledge returns to him again. For spiritual words that do not have a venerable and sober life riding along with them are like wind-blighted ears of corn, having the form, but with the nourishment stolen away. 47.12 Every fall, therefore, whether through the tongue or through sense or through action, or through the whole body, happens through abandonment in proportion to pride, God sparing those who are abandoned. For if, along with their licentiousness, the Lord should also bear witness to their excellence by the supply of words, pride would make them demons, being exalted along with their impurity." 47.13 And those men also said these things to us: "When you see, he says, someone difficult in life but persuasive in speech, remember the demon from the holy scripture who conversed with Christ, and the testimony that says: "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals on the earth"; for whom craftiness has become rather a harm, since no other virtue accompanied it for him. For the faithful and good man must think what God gives, speak what he thinks, and do what he speaks. 47.14 For if the kinship of one's life does not run together with the truth of one's words, it is bread without salt according to Job, which will not be eaten at all, or if eaten, will lead to a bad state for those who eat it; "For can bread be eaten, he says, without salt? And is there taste in empty words" not filled with the testimony of works? Of abandonments, then, one cause is for the sake of a hidden virtue, that it may be revealed, as in the case of Job, when God declared to him and said: "Do not reject my judgment, nor think that I have dealt with you otherwise, but that you might be shown to be righteous." 47.15 For you were known to me who sees hidden things, but since you were unknown to men, who suspected you of serving me on account of your wealth, I brought on the tribulation, I reaped away the wealth, that I might show them your grateful philosophy; and another is for the turning away of pride, as in the case of Paul; for Paul was abandoned, being assailed by tribulations and buffetings and various afflictions, and he said:

πολλαῖς ψυχαῖς, ἐν ταῖς μὲν εὐφυία διανοίας, ἐν ταῖς δὲ ἐπιτηδειότης ἀσκήσεως. Ἀλλ' ὅταν μὴ γένηται δι' αὐτὸ τὸ καλὸν μήτε ἡ πρᾶξις μήτε ἡ εὐφυία, μήτε οἱ τὰ προτερήματα κεκτημένοι οὐ τῷ δοτῆρι τῶν ἀγαθῶν θεῷ ἐπιγράφουσιν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἰδίᾳ προαιρέσει καὶ εὐφυίᾳ καὶ ἱκανότητι, οἱ τοιοῦτοι ἐγκαταλειφθέντες, ἢ εἰς αἰσχρουργίαν ἢ εἰς αἰσχροπάθειαν καὶ αἰσχύνην ληφθέν τες, διὰ τῆς ἐπιγινομένης ταπεινώσεως καὶ αἰσχύνης ἠρέμα πως τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ νομιζομένῃ ἀρετῇ ἀποτρίβονται τῦφον. 47.9 Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ πεφυσιωμένος ἐπὶ εὐφυίᾳ λόγων ἐπαιρό μενος οὐκ ἐπιγράφει θεῷ τὴν εὐφυίαν οὐδὲ τὴν χορηγίαν τῆς γνώσεως, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἀσκήσει ἢ φύσει, ἀφιστᾷ ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄγγελον τῆς προνοίας ἀπ' αὐτοῦ· οὗ ἀποστρα φέντος καταδυναστευθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀντικειμένου ὁ ἐπαι ρόμενος ἐπὶ τῇ εὐφυίᾳ περιπίπτει τῇ ἀκολασίᾳ διὰ ὑπε ρηφανίας, ἵνα τοῦ μάρτυρος τῆς σωφροσύνης ἀφαιρεθέντος ἀναξιόπιστα γένηται τὰ λεγόμενα παρ' αὐτῶν, φευγόντων τῶν εὐλαβῶν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ τοιούτου στόματος διδασκαλίαν καθάπερ πηγὴν βδέλλας ἔχουσαν· ὡς πληροῦσθαι τὸ γε γραμμένον· "Τῷ δὲ ἁμαρτωλῷ εἶπεν ὁ θεός· Ἵνα τί σὺ ἐκδιηγῇ τὰ δικαιώματά μου καὶ ἀναλαμβάνεις τὴν δια θήκην μου διὰ στόματός σου;" 47.10 Ἐοίκασι γὰρ ἀληθῶς αἱ τῶν ἐμπαθῶν ψυχαὶ διαφόροις πηγαῖς· οἱ μὲν γαστρίμαρ γοι καὶ οἰνόφιλοι πηγαῖς βορβορώδεσιν· οἱ δὲ φιλάργυροι καὶ πλεονεκταὶ πηγαῖς βατράχους ἐχούσαις· οἱ δὲ βάσκα νοι καὶ ὑπερήφανοι ἐπιτηδειότητα δὲ γνώσεως ἔχοντες, πηγαῖς ὄφεις τρεφούσαις, αἷς ἀεὶ μὲν ἐνλιμνάζει ὁ λόγος, μηδένα δὲ ἡδέως ἀρύεσθαι τούτων διὰ τὴν πικρίαν τοῦ ἤθους. Ὅθεν ὁ ∆αβὶδ παρεκάλει τρία αἰτῶν, "χρηστότητα καὶ παιδείαν καὶ γνῶσιν". Ἄνευ γὰρ χρηστότητος γνῶσις ἄχρηστος· 47.11 καὶ ἐὰν μὲν διορθώσηται ὁ τοιοῦτος, τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ἐγκαταλείψεως ἀποθέμενος, τουτέστι τὸν τῦφον, καὶ ἀναλάβῃ ταπεινοφροσύνην καὶ ἐπιγνῷ ἑαυτοῦ τὰ μέτρα, μήτε κατά τινος ἐπαιρόμενος, καὶ τῷ θεῷ εὐχαριστῶν, ἐπανέρχεται πάλιν εἰς αὐτὸν ἡ ἐμμάρτυρος γνῶσις. Λόγοι γὰρ πνευματικοὶ βίον σεμνὸν καὶ σώφρονα μὴ ἔχοντες συνιππάζοντα στάχυές εἰσιν ἀνεμόφθοροι, τὸ μὲν σχῆμα ἔχοντες, τὸ δὲ τρόφιμον ὑποκλαπέντες. 47.12 Πᾶσα οὖν πτῶ σις, εἴτε διὰ γλώσσης εἴτε δι' αἰσθήσεως εἴτε ἡ διὰ πρά ξεως, εἴτε ἡ δι' ὅλου τοῦ σώματος, πρὸς τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς ὑπερηφανίας κατ' ἐγκατάλειψιν γίνεται, θεοῦ φειδο μένου τῶν ἐγκαταλιμπανομένων. Εἰ γὰρ μετὰ τῆς ἀκο λασίας καὶ τῇ εὐφυίᾳ αὐτῶν μαρτυρήσει τῇ χορηγίᾳ τῶν λόγων ὁ κύριος, δαίμονας αὐτοὺς ἀπεργάζεται ἡ ὑπερη φανία ἐπαιρομένους μετὰ ἀκαθαρσίας". 47.13 Καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ἡμῖν ἔλεγον οἱ ἐκεῖνοι ἄνδρες· "Ὅταν ἴδῃς, φησί, τινὰ βίῳ μὲν χαλεπὸν λόγῳ δὲ πιθανόν, μνημό νευσον τοῦ δαίμονος τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁγίας γραφῆς Χριστῷ ὁμιλοῦντος, καὶ τῆς λεγούσης μαρτυρίας· "Ὁ δὲ ὄφις ἦν φρονιμώτατος πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς"· ᾧ ἡ φρόνησις μᾶλλον· εἰς βλάβην γεγένηται ἄλλης ἀρετῆς αὐτῷ μὴ συνδραμούσης. ∆εῖ γὰρ τὸν πιστὸν καὶ ἀγαθὸν φρονεῖν μὲν ἃ δίδωσιν ὁ θεός, λαλεῖν δὲ ἃ φρονεῖ, ποιεῖν δὲ ἃ λαλεῖ. 47.14 Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τῶν λόγων ἡ τοῦ βίου συντρέχῃ συγγένεια, ἄρτος ἐστὶν ἄνευ ἁλὸς κατὰ τὸν Ἰώβ, ὃς οὐ βρωθήσεται οὐδαμῶς, ἢ βρωθεὶς ἄξει εἰς καχεξίαν τοὺς ἐσθίοντας αὐτόν· "Εἰ βρωθήσεται γάρ, φησίν, ἄρτος ἄνευ ἁλός; Καὶ εἰ ἔστι γεῦμα ἐν ῥήμασι κενοῖς" μὴ πεπληρωμένοις τῇ μαρτυρίᾳ τῶν ἔργων; Τῶν οὖν ἐγκα ταλείψεων αἱ αἰτίαι ἡ μέν ἐστι διὰ κεκρυμμένην ἀρετήν, ἵνα φανερωθῇ, ὡς ἡ τοῦ Ἰώβ, τοῦ θεοῦ χρηματίζοντος αὐτῷ καὶ λέγοντος· "Μὴ ἀποποιοῦ μου τὸ κρῖμα, μη δὲ οἴου με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος". 47.15 Ἐμοὶ γὰρ ἦς γνωστὸς τῷ ὁρῶντι τὰ κρυπ τά, ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἠγνόου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ὑπονοούντων σε διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον θεραπεύειν με, ἐπήγαγον τὴν περίστασιν, ἀπεθέρισα τὸν πλοῦτον, ἵνα δείξω αὐτοῖς τὴν εὐχάριστόν σου φιλοσοφίαν· ἡ δὲ δι' ἀποτροπὴν ὑπερηφανίας, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Παύλου· ἐγκατελείφθη γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος περιστάσεσι καὶ κολαφισμοῖς καὶ διαφόροις θλίψεσι βαλλόμενος, καὶ ἔλε γεν·