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ears, hands we have devised, Which we ourselves use, having given them to God, Whenever He works any of these things, as it seems. Then you hear that the evil, not the good, Suffer something by God's wrath and by the laws of justice; But your anger is not defined by measures. It makes all equal. Therefore do not say That your passion is from God, and of God. Or do you indeed think that you are imitating God? Be zealous, but give the disease to the breezes. If you have ever read of the angers of pious men, 841 you found all of them just. But I think they were not angers, but just blows stirred up against the wicked. For the blow was not yet an evil for them; but blows were most advantageous for them, needing much purification of life, with Rhamnus calling forth sharp iron, both before the Law, and before the Law had strength, not yet perfectly rooted in those of that time. Thus, then, you will quench the disease, by softening yourself with these words, like those who charm the race of asps. But how will you bear it? For this is the second thing for you. Lest perhaps fire be kindled from fire, anger from anger; for it is the same thing to begin an evil oneself, 842 and to sympathize wrongly with another who is moved to evil. First, immediately taking refuge in God, and asking Him to crush the evil hail, and to spare us who have done no wrong; and immediately making the sign of the cross, which all things shudder at and tremble, which I have always known to use as a protector against all things; Then, preparing yourself for the struggle against him who stirs up anger, not being angry, so that you may conquer the passion, being armed. For that which is not ready does not even resist; but that which is prepared, this also has strength to conquer. And what is it to conquer? To bear what is conquered. Third, not deeming yourself worthy of the greatest things, 843 knowing whence you came, or where you end; so that breathing beyond your worth may not disturb you. For the humble also bears being conquered. But that which is greatly swollen is not bent. But ashes, and earth, and shadow, I know the friends of God call themselves, so that they might contract some of their pride. But you, as if you were the best, scorn insults? May you not even pay the penalty for your arrogance. How then could you bear in deed any unpleasant things, you who do not easily bear even words? Fourth, knowing that life is nothing, and that not all are unerring judges of affairs, of things honorable or not honorable; but whirling and wandering about, 844 is the greater part of us, O good sir, among the many. For what is shameful to us is not also to the Word; and what is not to me, these things perhaps are to the Word. One thing is altogether shameful, wickedness, but this little glory, and wealth, and noble birth, are the playthings of children. So that in what grieves me, I ought perhaps to delight; and in what I am proud of, to be more humbled, than I am now lifted up, being improperly puffed up. Fifth, let us use a greater reasoning. That if nothing is true of what he says, he who is boiling with and blinded by anger, it is nothing to us; but if he speaks the truth, I have wronged myself, and why shall I blame him who has spoken out what was previously hidden? 845 Anger does not know how to keep a secret. For one who often establishes what is not even true, how could anger keep a mystery for me? Then you will be wise, considering this, that if this boiling is no evil, it is not just to accuse; but if it is an evil, as it is, and appears to you, may it not be shameful to suffer the things of which you are the accuser of the one suffering, and not to take your enemy as an adviser? Then if he was previously not praised, this one, who is now boiling and breathing boldness, he will now clearly be blamed instead of you. But if someone praises him, you will not seem to be wise. For the inclination of the many is toward the stronger. But has he been well treated? He will be accused more. 846 But has he wronged you? You will not do him harm. But will he be restrained? What if he rages more? But he began it? But let it be quickly broken, turned around by your word and manner, like some wave quickly dissolved on the shore, or some squall that has no resistance. Is this insolence? It is insolence, if you fall away with it. Or shall we revile the sick in return? Do you not bear the attack of the possessed? I speak of those who bark violently. And the insane and terribly mad? If indeed you are in your right mind; and furthermore the drunkards, whose sense drunkenness has overwhelmed. What if a dog should run at you

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ὦτα, χεῖρας ἐξευρήκαμεν, Οἷς χρώμεθ' αὐτοὶ, τῷ Θεῷ δεδωκότες, Ἐπάν τι τούτων, ὡς δοκεῖ, ἐργάζεται. Ἔπειτ' ἀκούεις τοὺς κακοὺς, οὐ τοὺς καλοὺς, Ὀργῇ Θεοῦ πάσχειν τι καὶ δίκης νόμοις· Ὁ σὸς δὲ θυμὸς οὐ μέτροις ὁρίζεται. Πάντας δ' ἴσους τίθησι. Μὴ τοίνυν λέγε Ὡς ἐκ Θεοῦ σοι, καὶ Θεοῦ τὸ σὸν πάθος. Ἢ καὶ φρονεῖς σύ γ' ὡς Θεὸν μιμούμενος; Ζήλωσον, ἀλλὰ τὴν νόσον γ' αὔραις δίδου. Εἴ που δ' ἀνέγνως εὐσεβῶν ἀνδρῶν χόλους, 841 Πάντας δικαίους εὗρες. Οἶμαι δ' οὐ χόλους, Κακοῖς δὲ πληγὰς ἐνδίκως κινουμένας. Οὔπω γὰρ ἦν ἐκείνοις ἡ πληγὴ κακόν· Πληγαὶ δ' ἐκείνοις σφόδρα συμφορώτατον, Χρῄζουσι πολλῆς τοῦ βίου καθάρσεως, Ῥάμνου σίδηρον ὀξὺν ἐκκαλουμένης, Νόμου τε πρόσθεν, καὶ πρὶν ἰσχύσαι νόμον Οὔπω τελείως τοῖς τότ' ἐῤῥιζωμένον. Οὕτω μὲν οὖν σὺ τὴν νόσον κατασβέσεις, Τούτοις τε σαυτὸν ἐκμαλάσσων τοῖς λόγοις, Ὡς οἱ κατεπᾴδοντες ἀσπίδων γένους Οἴσεις δὲ δὴ πῶς; τοῦτο γάρ σοι δεύτερον. Μή που, πυρὸς πῦρ ἐκκαῇ χόλου χόλος· Ἴσον γάρ ἐστιν αὐτὸν ἄρξασθαι κακοῦ, 842 Ἄλλῳ τε κινηθέντι συμπαθεῖν κακῶς. Πρῶτον μὲν εὐθὺς πρὸς Θεὸν κατατρέχων, Αἰτῶν τε τὴν χάλαζαν ἐκτρίψαι κακῶς, Ἡμῶν δὲ φείδεσθ' οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότων· Σταυρῷ τε σημειούμενος παραυτίκα, Ὃν πάντα φρίσσει καὶ τρέμει, ᾧ πάντοτε Πρὸς πάντας οἶδα προστάτῃ κεχρημένος· Ἔπειτα σαυτὸν εὐτρεπίζων πρὸς πάλην Τοῦ τὸν χόλον κινοῦντος οὐ χολουμένου, Ὡς ἂν κρατήσῃς τοῦ πάθους ὡπλισμένος. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ἕτοιμον οὐδ' ἀνθίσταται· Ὃ δ' ηὐτρέπισται, τοῦτο καὶ νικᾷν σθένει. Τὸ δὲ κρατεῖν τί; τὸ κρατούμενον φέρειν Τρίτον σεαυτὸν μὴ μεγίστων ἀξιῶν, 843 Εἰδὼς ὅπως προῆλθες, ἢ καταστρέφεις· Ὡς μὴ ταράσσῃ τὸ παρ' ἀξίαν πνέειν. Τὸ γὰρ ταπεινὸν καὶ φέρει νικώμενον. Οὐ κάμπτεται δὲ τὸ σφόδρ' ἐξωγκωμένον. Σποδὸν δὲ, καὶ γῆν, καὶ σκιὰν καλουμένους Αὐτοὺς ὑφ' αὑτῶν οἶδα τοὺς Θεῷ φίλους, Ὡς ἄν τι συστέλλωσι τῆς ἐπάρσεως. Σὺ δ', ὡς ἄριστος, τὰς ὕβρεις ἀπαξιοῖς; Μὴ καὶ δίκας ὄφλῃς γε τοῦ φρονήματος. Πῶς δ' ἂν παθῶν ἔργῳ τι τῶν οὐχ ἡδέων Στέρξαις, ὃς οὐδὲ ῥήματ' εὐπετῶς φέρεις; Τέταρτον, εἰδὼς οὐδὲν ὄντα τὸν βίον, Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ κριτὰς ἀπλανεῖς τῶν πραγμάτων Ἅπαντας ὄντας τῶν καλῶν ἢ μὴ καλῶν· Στροβούμενον δὲ καὶ περιπλανώμενον 844 Τὸ πλεῖον ἡμῶν, ὦ 'γάθ', ἐν τοῖς πλείοσι. Ἃ μὲν γὰρ ἡμῖν αἰσχρὰ οὐχὶ καὶ Λόγῳ· Ἃ δ' οὐκ ἔμοιγε, ταῦτα τῷ Λόγῳ τυχόν. Ἕν ἐστι πάντως αἰσχρὸν, ἡ μοχθηρία, Τὸ δοξάριον δὲ τοῦτο, καὶ τὸ εὔπορον, Ἥ τ' εὐγένεια, παιδίων ἀθύρματα. Ὥσθ' οἷς μὲν ἄχθομ', ἐντρυφᾷν ἐχρῆν ἴσως· Οἷς δ' ὀφρυοῦμαι, καὶ ταπεινοῦσθαι πλέον, Ἢ νῦν ἐπαίρομ' οὐ καλῶς φυσώμενος. Πέμπτον, λογισμῷ μείζονι χρησώμεθα. Ὡς εἰ μὲν οὐκ ἀληθὲς οὐδὲν, ὧν λέγει, Ὁ τῷ χόλῳ ζέων τε καὶ τυφλούμενος, Οὐδὲν πρὸς ἡμᾶς· εἰ δ' ἀληθεύει λέγων, Ἐμαυτὸν ἠδίκηκα, καὶ τί μέμψομαι Τὸν ἐκλαλήσανθ' ἃ πρὶν ἦν κεκρυμμένα; 845 Χόλος φυλάσσειν πίστιν οὐκ ἐπίσταται Ὃς γὰρ καθίστατ' οὐδ' ἀληθὲς πολλάκις, Πῶς ἂν κατάσχοι μοι χόλος μυστήριον; Ἔπειτ' ἐκεῖνο σωφρονήσεις ἐννοῶν, Ὡς εἰ μὲν οὐδέν ἐστιν ἡ ζέσις κακὸν, Οὐδ' ἐγκαλεῖν δίκαιον· εἰ δ' ἔστι κακὸν, Ὡς ἔστι, καί σοι φαίνεται, μὴ αἰσχρὸν ᾖ Πάσχειν, ἃ τοῦ πάσχοντος εἶ κατήγορος, Καὶ μὴ τὸν ἐχθρὸν λαμβάνειν παραινέτην; Εἶτ' εἰ μὲν ἔστι πρόσθεν οὐκ αἰνούμενος Οὗτος, ὁ νῦν ζέων τε καὶ πνέων θράσος, Καὶ νῦν προδήλως ἀντὶ σοῦ μεμφθήσεται. Εἰ δ' ἂν καλῶν τις, οὐ σὺ δόξεις σωφρονεῖν. Πρὸς γὰρ τὸ κρεῖσσον ἡ ῥοπὴ τῶν πλειόνων. Ἀλλ' εὖ πέπονθε; πλεῖον ἐγκληθήσεται. 846 Ἀλλ' ἠδίκησέ σ'; αὐτὸν οὐ δράσεις κακῶς. Ἀλλὰ σχεθήσετ'; ἂν δὲ πλεῖον ἐκμανῇ. Ἀλλὰ προήρξατ'; ἀλλὰ κλασθήτω τάχος Τῷ σῷ λόγῳ τε καὶ τρόπῳ περιτραπεὶς, Ὥσπερ τι κῦμα λυθὲν ἐν χέρσῳ τάχος, Ἢ καὶ ζάλη τις οὐκ ἔχουσ' ἀντίστασιν. Ὕβρις τάδ' ἐστίν; ὕβρις, ἢν συνεκπέσῃς. Ἢ καὶ νοσοῦσιν ἀντιλοιδορήσομεν; Τῶν δαιμονώντων οὐ φέρεις τὴν ἔνστασιν; Τούτων λέγω δὴ τῶν ὑλακτούντων βίᾳ. Τοὺς ἔκφρονας δὲ καὶ δεινῶς μεμηνότας; Ἂν εὖ φρονῇς γε· τοὺς μεθυπλῆγας δ' ἔτι, Ὧν τὴν φρόνησιν ἡ μέθη κατέκλυσε. Τί δ' εἰ κύων σοι προσδράμοι