52

which it is by no means lawful to take off, from the time we put it on, until, having grown old, it is completely worn out. For thus, being afflicted by the necessities of cold and scorching heat, we provide for ourselves the garment of the future vestments of incorruption. And when Joasaph said: Whence is this garment of yours which you are wearing? the old man said: I have received this on loan from one of the faithful brethren, intending to make the journey to you; for it was not proper for me to come in my usual garment. Just as someone having a most beloved kinsman taken captive to a foreign nation, and wishing to lead him out from there, laying aside his own attire and putting on the mask of his adversaries, might reach their country, and in many ways free his own from bitter tyranny; in the same way I too, having been initiated into the things concerning you, putting on this 262 habit, came to cast the seed of the divine preaching into your heart, and to redeem you from the slavery of the terrible ruler of this world. And now, behold, by the power of God, as far as it was in my power, I have performed my ministry, having declared to you the knowledge of Him and having made known the preaching of the prophets and apostles, and having taught without error and with love of truth the vanity of present things and with what evils the world is full, grievously deceiving those who obey it and ensnaring them in many ways. It remains for me to go from where I came. And then, having put off the foreign habit, I shall be clothed in my own. Joasaph therefore beseeches the old man to be seen by him in his usual garment. Then Barlaam, having taken off the garment which he was wearing, appeared a terrible sight to Joasaph. For the whole quality of his flesh was wasted away, and his skin was blackened from the scorching of the sun and stretched over his bones, as if one were to stretch a hide over thin reeds; and a certain wrinkled and very rough hair-cloth was girt around him from his loins to his knees; and a similar cloak was thrown over his shoulders. And Joasaph, greatly marvelling at the toil of this harsh way of life, and being astounded at his exceeding endurance, wept violently, and says to the old man: Since you have come 264 to free me from the bitter slavery of the devil, put a completion to your good deed: Bring my soul out of prison, and, taking me with you, let us go from here, so that, being completely redeemed from the deceit of the world, I may then receive the seal of saving baptism, and become a partaker with you of this wondrous philosophy and supernatural asceticism. And Barlaam said to him: A certain rich man was raising the fawn of a gazelle. And when it grew up, it longed for the wilderness, being drawn by its natural disposition. So going out one day, it finds a herd of gazelles grazing and keeping with them, it wandered in the plains of the forest, returning indeed towards evening, but at dawn, through the neglect of the servants, going out and herding with the wild ones. And when they moved farther away to graze, it followed along with them. But the rich man's servants, perceiving this, mounting their horses, pursued after them, and capturing their own gazelle alive, and returning home, they kept it from going out thereafter; and of the rest of the herd, some they killed, and others they treated badly. In the very same way I fear it may happen to us as well, if you follow me; lest I be deprived of your companionship, and become the cause of many evils for my companions and of eternal judgment for your father. But the Lord wills this for you, for now to be marked with the seal of divine baptism, and to remain in your place, holding fast to all piety and the keeping of the commandments 266 of Christ. But when the giver of all good things gives the opportunity, then you shall also come to us, and the rest

52

ὅπερ οὐδόλως, ἐξ ὅτου ἐνδυσόμεθα, ἐκδύσασθαι θέμις, μέχρις ἂν παλαιωθὲν τέλεον διαφθαρῇ. οὕτω γὰρ ταῖς τοῦ κρύους καὶ φλογώσεως ἀνάγκαις ταλαιπωρούμενοι τὴν τῶν μελλόντων τῆς ἀφθαρσίας ἐνδυμάτων ποριζόμεθα ἑαυτοῖς ἀμφίασιν. Τοῦ δὲ Ἰωάσαφ εἰπόντος· Πόθεν δέ σου τοῦτο τὸ ἱμάτιον ὃ περιβέβλησαι; ὁ γέρων ἔφη· Ἐν χρήσει τοῦτο παρά τινος τῶν πιστῶν ἀδελφῶν εἴληφα, τὴν πρός σε μέλλων πορείαν ποιήσασθαι· οὐ γὰρ ἔδει με τῷ συνήθει ἐνδύματι παραγενέσθαι. καθάπερ τις ἔχων προσφιλέστατον συγγενῆ αἰχμάλωτον ἐν ἀλλοδαπεῖ ἀπαχθέντα ἔθνει, καὶ τοῦτον βουλόμενος ἐκεῖθεν ἐξαγαγεῖν, ἀποθέμενος αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐσθῆτα καὶ τὸ τῶν ὑπεναντίων ὑποδὺς προσωπεῖον τὴν ἐκείνων καταλάβοι χώραν, καὶ πολυτρόπως τὸν οἰκεῖον τῆς πικρᾶς ἐλευθερώσειε τυραννίδος· τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον κἀγὼ τὰ κατά σε μυηθείς, τοῦτο περιθέμενος 262 τὸ σχῆμα, ἦλθον τὸν σπόρον τοῦ θείου κηρύγματος τῇ σῇ καταβαλεῖν καρδίᾳ, καὶ τῆς δουλείας λυτρώσασθαι τοῦ δεινοῦ κοσμοκράτορος. καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμει, ὅσον τὸ ἐπ' ἐμοί, τὴν διακονίαν μου πεποίηκα, τὴν αὐτοῦ καταγγείλας σοι γνῶσιν καὶ τὸ τῶν προφητῶν καὶ ἀποστόλων γνωρίσας κήρυγμα, διδάξας τε ἀπλανῶς καὶ φιλαλήθως τὴν τῶν παρόντων ματαιότητα καὶ οἵων κακῶν ὁ κόσμος γέμει, χαλεπῶς ἀπατῶν τοὺς αὐτῷ πειθομένους καὶ πολυτρόπως αὐτοὺς παγιδεύων. λοιπὸν πορευθῆναί με δεῖ ὅθεν ἐλήλυθα. καὶ τηνικαῦτα, τὸ ἀλλότριον ἀποθέμενος σχῆμα, τὸ ἴδιον ἔσομαι ἐνδεδυμένος. ∆υσωπεῖ τοίνυν τὸν γέροντα ὁ Ἰωάσαφ ὀφθῆναι αὐτῷ τῷ συνήθει αὐτοῦ ἐνδύματι. τότε ὁ Βαρλαὰμ ἀπεκδυσάμενος ὃ ἦν περιβεβλημένος ἱμάτιον, θέαμα ὤφθη φοβερὸν τῷ Ἰωάσαφ. ἦν γὰρ ἡ πᾶσα μὲν τῆς σαρκὸς ποιότης δεδαπανημένη, μεμελανωμένον δὲ τὸ δέρμα ἐκ τῆς ἡλιακῆς φλογώσεως καὶ περιτεταμένον τοῖς ὀστέοις, ὡς εἴ τις δοράν τινα περιτείνει ἐν λεπτοῖς καλάμοις· τρίχινον δέ τι ῥάκος ἐρρικνωμένον καὶ λίαν τραχὺ περιεζώννυτο ἐξ ὀσφύος μέχρι γονάτων· ὅμοιον δὲ τούτου παλλίον περιεβέβλητο κατὰ τῶν ὤμων. Ὑπερθαυμάσας δὲ ὁ Ἰωάσαφ τῆς σκληρᾶς ταύτης διαγωγῆς τὸ ἐπίπονον, καὶ τὸ τῆς καρτερίας ὑπερβάλλον ἐκπλαγείς, σφοδρῶς ἐδάκρυε, καί φησι πρὸς τὸν γέροντα· Ἐπεί με 264 τῆς πικρᾶς τοῦ διαβόλου δουλείας ἐλευθερῶσαι ἥκεις, τέλος σου τῇ εὐεργεσίᾳ ἐπιθεὶς Ἐξάγαγε ἐκ φυλακῆς τὴν ψυχήν μου, καί, παραλαβών με μετὰ σοῦ, ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν, ἵνα τέλεον λελυτρωμένος τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ἀπάτης τὴν σφραγῖδα τηνικαῦτα δέξωμαι τοῦ σωτηρίου βαπτίσματος, καὶ κοινωνός σοι τῆς θαυμαστῆς ταύτης φιλοσοφίας καὶ ὑπερφυοῦς ἀσκήσεως γένωμαι. Εἶπε δὲ Βαρλαὰμ πρὸς αὐτόν· Νεβρὸν δορκάδος ἔτρεφέ τις τῶν πλουσίων. αὐξηθεῖσα δὲ αὕτη τὰς ἐρήμους ἐπόθει, τῇ φυσικῇ ἑλκομένη ἕξει. ἐξελθοῦσα τοίνυν ἐν μιᾷ, εὑρίσκει ἀγέλην δορκάδων βοσκομένων καὶ ἐχομένη τούτων περιῆγεν ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις τοῦ δρυμοῦ, ὑποστρέφουσα μὲν τὸ πρὸς ἑσπέραν, ἅμα δὲ πρωΐ, τῇ τῶν ὑπουργούντων ἀμελείᾳ, ἐξερχομένη καὶ τοῖς ἀγρίοις συναγελάζουσα. ἐκείνων δὲ πορρωτέρω μεταθεμένων νέμεσθαι, συνηκολούθησε καὶ αὐτή. οἱ δὲ τοῦ πλουσίου ὑπηρέται, τοῦτο αἰσθόμενοι, ἐφ' ἵππων ἀναβάντες, κατεδίωξαν ὀπίσω αὐτῶν, καὶ τὴν μὲν ἰδίαν δορκάδα ζωγρήσαντες, καὶ ἐπαναστρέψαντες οἴκαδε, ἀπρόϊτον τοῦ λοιποῦ ἔθεντο· τῆς δὲ λοιπῆς ἀγέλης τὰς μὲν ἀπέκτειναν, τὰς δὲ κακῶς διέθεντο. τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον δέδοικα γενέσθαι καὶ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, εἰ συνακολουθήσεις μοι· μήποτε καὶ τῆς σῆς ἀποστερηθῶ συνοικήσεως, καὶ κακῶν πολλῶν τοῖς ἑταίροις μου γένωμαι πρόξενος κρίματός τε αἰωνίου τῷ σῷ γεννήτορι. ἀλλὰ τοῦτό σε βούλεται ὁ Κύριος, νῦν μὲν σημειωθῆναι τῇ σφραγῖδι τοῦ θείου βαπτίσματος, καὶ μένειν ἐπὶ χώρας, πάσης ἀντεχόμενον εὐσεβείας καὶ τῆς τῶν ἐντολῶν 266 τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐργασίας. ἐπὰν δὲ δῴη καιρὸν ὁ πάντων δοτὴρ τῶν καλῶν, τηνικαῦτα καὶ ἐλεύσῃ πρὸς ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὸ ὑπόλοιπον