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We watch for one another's sins, not so that we may lament, but so that we may reproach; nor so that we may heal, 852 but so that we may strike, and have as an excuse for our own evils the wounds of our neighbors.

Undisturbed quiet is more honorable than prominence in affairs. Chrysost. For a morsel of bread with salt in quiet and freedom from care is better than

a serving of costly dishes amid distractions and cares. For it is not possible for a person who is meddlesome in the lives of others,

ever to take care of his own life. For since all his energy is spent on meddling in the affairs of others, it is necessary that his own affairs lie simply and neglected.

Of Philo. The wise man pursues tranquility and freedom from business, so that in quiet he may attain to divine contemplations.

A wise man is a sojourner and an emigrant from the confused life, toward the blessed life which is fitting for the peaceful.

(15Ε_208> Of Evagrius. It is better to live lying on a pallet and be of good courage, than to be troubled having a golden couch.

Through four things the soul becomes desolate, not being quiet, and through loving distraction, and desiring material things, and being parsimonious.

Of Nilus. A quiet life is more illustrious than much wealth. Quiet is toilsome for those newly renouncing the world. For then, having found the opportunity,

memory stirs up all the indwelling impurity, not having had the leisure to do this before because of the multitude of distracting affairs.

Of Cyril. In a disturbed and anxious mind, neither any thought of good things, nor the grace of God arises.

Athanas. It is better for those in doubt to be silent and believe, than to disbelieve because of doubt.

Socrates. When asked, "Who live untroubled?" he said, "Those who are conscious of no wrong in themselves."

Of Moschion. To be rid of a nuisance, a man considers the loss a gain.

Aristipp. When someone said to him, "Because of you the field is lost," "Therefore," he said, "it is better for the field to be lost because of me, than for me to be lost because of the field."

Demosth. When someone said to him that "You neglect the field, but have leisure for yourself," "For," he said, "I take care of that for which I also acquired the field."

853 Of Serinus. A maidservant, seeing Thales looking up at the sky and falling into a pit, said that he suffered justly, "For while ignorant of the things at his feet, he was observing the things in heaven."

Aristot. Aristotle said that those who try to demonstrate clear facts, do the same as those who ambitiously try to show the sun with a lamp.

(15Ε_210> Euclides. Euclides the philosopher, when asked by someone, "What sort are the gods, and in what do they rejoice?" said, "About other things I do not know; however, that they hate meddlesome people, I know for certain."

Demonact. Though healthy, every busybody is sick, who meddles in the affairs of others. While others were investigating whether the world is animate, and again whether it is spherical, "You,"

he said, "are busy about the world; but you do not care about your own disorder."

DISCOURSE 22. On Avarice.

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Τηροῦμεν τάς ἀλλήλων ἁμαρτίας, οὐχ ἵνα θρηνήσωμεν, ἀλλ᾿ ἵν᾿ ὀνειδίσωμεν· οὐδέ ἵνα θεραπεύσωμεν, 852 ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα προσπλήξωμεν, καί ἀπολογίαν ἔχωμεν τῶν ἡμετέρων κακῶν τά τῶν πλησίον τραύματα.

Ἡ ἀπράγμων ἡσυχία, τῆς ἐν πράγμασι περιφανείας τιμιωτέρα. Χρυσοστ. Κρεῖσσον γάρ ψωμός ἐν ἅλατι μεθ᾿ ἡσυχίας καί ἀμεριμνίας, ἤ

παράθεσις ἐδεσμάτων πολυτελῶν ἐν περισπασμοῖς καί μερίμναις. Οὐ γάρ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπον τούς ἀλλοτρίους πολυπραγμονοῦντα βίους, τῆς

οἰκείας ἐπιμεληθῆναί ποτε ζωῆς. Τῆς γάρ σπουδῆς αὐτῷ πάσης εἰς τήν τῶν ἑτέρων πολυπραγμοσύνην ἀναλισκομένης, ἀνάγκη τά αὐτοῦ ἁπλῶς κεῖσθαι καί ἠμελημένως.

Φίλωνος. Ὁ σοφός ἠρεμίαν καί ἀπραγμοσύνην διώκει, ἵνα τοῖς θείοις θεωρήμασιν ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ ἐπιτύχῃ.

Σοφός μέτοικος καί μετανάστης ἐστίν ἐκ τοῦ πεφυρμένου βίου, πρός τήν εἰρηναίοις πρέπουσαν καί μακαρίαν ζωήν.

(15Ε_208> Εὐαγρίου. Ζᾷν ἄμεινον ἐπί στιβάδος κατακείμενον καί θαῤῥεῖν, ἤ ταράσσεσθαι χρυσῆν ἔχοντα κλίνην.

∆ιά τεσσάρων πραγμάτων ἡ ψυχή ἔρημος γίνεται, τοῦ μή ἡσυχάσαι, καί διά τοῦ ἀγαπᾷν τόν περισπασμόν, καί τοῦ ἐπιποθεῖν τήν ὕλην, καί τοῦ κνιπεύσθαι.

Νείλου. Βίος ἡσύχιος, χρημάτων πολλῶν περιφανέστερος. Ἐπίπονος τοῖς νεωστί ἀποτασσομένοις ἡ ἡσυχία. Τότε γάρ καιρόν λαβοῦσα ἡ

μνήμη, πᾶσαν ἀνακινεῖ τήν ἐγκειμένην ἀκαθαρσίαν, οὐ σχολάζουσα πρότερον τοῦτο ποιεῖν διά τό πλῆθος τῶν περισπώντων πραγμάτων.

Κυρίλλου. Ἐν θορυβουμένῳ καί ἀγωνίαν ἔχοντι νῷ, οὔτε ἔννοιά τις τῶν καλῶν, οὔτε Θεοῦ χάρις ἐγγίνεται.

Ἀθανασ. Βέλτιον ἀποροῦντας σιωπᾷν καί πιστεύειν, ἤ ἀπιστεῖν διά τό ἀπορεῖν.

Σωκράτης. Ἐρωτηθείς, Τίνες ἀταράχως ζῶσιν; Οἱ μηδέν ἑαυτοῖς, εἶπεν, ἄτοπον συνειδότες.

Μοσχίωνος. Ἀπαλλαγείς ἕνεκα ὀχλήσεως, κέρδος ἡγεῖται ὁ ἄνθρωπος τήν ζημίαν.

Ἀριστίππ. Λέγοντος αὐτῷ τινος, ∆ιά σέ ἀπόλωλεν ὁ ἀγρός· Οὐκοῦν, ἔφη, κάλλιον δι᾿ ἐμέ τόν ἀγρόν, ἤ διά τόν ἀγρόν ἐμέ.

∆ημοσθ. Λέγοντος αὐτῷ τινος, ὅτι Τοῦ ἀγροῦ ἀμελεῖς, ἑαυτῷ δέ σχολάζεις· Τούτου γάρ, ἔφη, ἐπιμελοῦμαι, δι᾿ ὅν καί τόν ἀγρόν ἐκτησάμην.

853 Σερίνου. Θαλῆν εἰς τόν οὐρανόν ὁρῶντα, καί ἐμπεσόντα εἰς βάραθρον ἡ θεράπαινα θεωροῦσα, δικαίως παθεῖν ἔφη, Ὡς γάρ τά παρά ποσίν ἀγνοῶν, τά ἐν οὐρανῷ ἐσκόπει.

Ἀριστοτ.Ἀριστοτέλης τούς τά ἐναργῆ πράγματα πειρωμένους δεικνύναι, ὅμοιον ἔφη ποιεῖν τοῖς λύχνῳ τόν ἥλιον φιλοτιμουμένοις δεικνύναι.

(15Ε_210> Εὐκλείδης. Εὐκλείδης ὁ φιλόσοφος, ἐρωτηθείς ὑπό τινος, Ὁποῖοί τινές εἰσιν οἱ Θεοί, καί τίνι χαίρουσι; Τά μέν ἄλλα οὐκ οἶδα, εἶπεν· τούς μέντοι φιλοπράγμονας ὅτι μισοῦσιν, ἀσφαλῶς οἶδα.

∆ημόνακτ. Ὑγιαίνων νοσεῖ πᾶς περίεργος, ὁ τά ἀλλότρια πολυπραγμονῶν. Ἄλλων ἐξεταζόντων εἰ ὁ κόσμος ἔμψυχος, καί αὖθις εἰ σφραιροειδής, Ὑμεῖς,

εἶπεν, περί μέν τοῦ κόσμου πολυπραγμονεῖτε· περί δέ τῆς αὐτῶν ἀκοσμίας οὐ φροντίζετε.

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΒ´. Περί πλεονεξίας.