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easy. Simplicity is precious before God. For shrewdness, even if acceptable in endeavors for God, would never be reckoned as the fragrance of virtue.

TITLE 26. -Concerning poverty, and self-sufficiency, and wanting little. A little with the righteous is better, than much riches of the wicked. Better

hospitality with vegetables toward friendship and grace, than a course of troubles with enmity. Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues with injustice. Better is a morsel with pleasure in peace, than a house 95.1221 of many goods, and unjust riches with strife. Give me neither poverty nor riches, Lord, but appoint for me what is needful, and self-sufficient, lest I be full, and become a liar, and say, 'Who sees me?' or being poor, I steal, and swear by the name of God. Having found honey, eat what is sufficient, lest you be full and vomit it. To eat much honey is not good. Better is a handful with rest, than two handfuls in toil. The life of a self-sufficient laborer will be sweet. The sleep of health is on a moderate stomach. Do not acquire gold, nor silver, nor copper for your belts, nor a bag for the journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs. For the laborer is worthy of his food. And the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but they had all things in common. I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands have ministered to my needs, and to those who were with me. For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. I know both how to be humbled, and I know how to abound in everything, and in all things; I have learned the secret of both being full, and being hungry, both to abound, and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Be content with what you have; for He himself has said, 'I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you.' No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake, and your frequent ailments. Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, it is clear that we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. I do not pray to be rich, nor do I desire it, but may I have a life from a few things, having no evil. Have a great soul; for small and larger walls provide the same need. The power that governs the living creature easily produced self-sufficiency and frugality, and made it suitable for the one being nourished; but having received luxury and variety of foods, and then not being strong enough to hold out to the end, it produced the various kinds of diseases. 95.1224 Expenditure beyond what is needed is misuse. The purpose of clothing is to be a sufficient covering of the flesh for winter and summer. The Lord said that poverty was the measure, so that each one's possession was confined to his last tunic. We do not praise any of the things of equal value—or rather, without value, and likewise to be cast away—that are beyond the throat; but we live so simply and plainly, differing little from the beasts, for whom life is unadorned and artless. Praiseworthy poverty is better than the basest wealth. It is terrible to be hungry, but worse to be wealthy in an evil way. Let want be your relish, and not adding satiety to satiety, nor dulling your appetite with drunkenness. He who gives the day will also give you the things for the day. To have a few things well is much more honorable than to have many things badly. A simple diet, when practiced and advanced in, greatly destroys the lessons of fornication. Use foods, not that are pleasant, but that are beneficial. The virtuous man wants little, a borderland between immortal and mortal nature; having need, because of a mortal body, but not wanting much, because of a soul aspiring to immortality.

TITLE 27. -Concerning deceit that occurs by economy and that deceit void of

guile, brings praise to the one who has done it.

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εὐχερές. Ἡ ἁπλότης τιμία παρὰ Θεῷ. Τὸ γὰρ πανουργὸν, εἰ καὶ δεκτὸν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ Θεὸν σπουδάσμασιν, ἀλλ' οὐδαμῶς εἰς ἀρετῆς εὐωδίαν καταλογισθείη ποτέ.

ΤΙΤΛ. Κϛʹ. -Περὶ ἀκτημοσύνης, καὶ αὐταρκείας, καὶ ὀλιγοδείας. Κρεῖσσον ὀλίγον τῷ δικαίῳ, ὑπὲρ πλοῦτον τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν πολύν. Κρείσσων

ξενισμὸς μετὰ λαχάνων πρὸς φιλίαν καὶ χάριν, ἢ παράθεσις μόχθων μετὰ ἔχθρας. Κρείσσων ὀλίγων λῆψις μετὰ δικαιοσύνης, ἢ πολλὰ γεννήματα μετὰ ἀδικίας. Κρείσσων ψωμὸς μεθ' ἡδονῆς ἐν εἰρήνῃ, ἢ οἶκος 95.1221 πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν, καὶ ἀδίκων χρημάτων μετὰ μάχης. Πλοῦτον καὶ πενίαν μή μοι δῷς, Κύριε, σύνταξον δέ μοι τὰ δέοντα, καὶ τὰ αὐτάρκη, ἵνα μὴ πλησθεὶς, ψευδὴς γένωμαι, καὶ εἴπω· Τίς με ὁρᾷ; ἢ πενηθεὶς, κλέψω, καὶ ὀμόσω τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Μέλι εὑρὼν, φάγε τὸ ἱκανὸν, μήποτε πλησθεὶς ἐξεμέσῃς. Ἐσθίειν μέλι πολὺ οὐ καλόν. Κρεῖσσον πλήρωμα δρακὸς μετὰ ἀναπαύσεως, ὑπὲρ πλήρωμα δύο δρακῶν ἐν μόχθῳ. Ζωὴ αὐταρκείας ἐργάτου γλυκανθήσεται. Ὕπνος ὑγείας ἐπὶ ἐντέρῳ μετρίῳ. Μὴ κτήσησθε χρυσὸν, μηδὲ ἄργυρον, μηδὲ χαλκὸν εἰς τὰς ζώνας ὑμῶν, μὴ πήραν εἰς ὁδὸν, μηδὲ δύο χιτῶνας, μηδὲ ὑποδήματα, μηδὲ ῥάβδους. Ἄξιος γὰρ ὁ ἐργάτης τῆς τροφῆς αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. Τοῦ δὲ πλήθους τῶν πιστευσάντων ἦν ἡ καρδία καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ μία· καὶ οὐδείς τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ἔλεγεν ἴδιον εἶναι, ἀλλ' ἦν αὐτοῖς πάντα κοινά. Ἀργυρίου ἢ χρυσίου ἢ ἱματισμοῦ οὐδενὸς ἐπεθύμησα. Αὐτοὶ γινώσκετε, ὅτι ταῖς χρείαις μου, καὶ τοῖς οὖσι μετ' ἐμοῦ ὑπηρέτησαν αἱ χεῖρες αὗται. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔμαθον ἐν οἷς εἰμὶ, αὐτάρκης εἶναι. Οἶδα ἐγὼ καὶ ταπεινοῦσθαι, οἶδα καὶ περισσεύειν ἐν παντὶ, καὶ ἐν πᾶσι· μεμύημαι καὶ χορτάζεσθαι, καὶ πεινᾷν, καὶ περισσεύειν, καὶ ὑστερεῖσθαι. Πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με Χριστῷ. Ἀρκούμενοι τοῖς παροῦσιν· αὐτὸς γὰρ εἶπεν· Οὐ μή σε ἀνῶ, οὐδ' οὐ μή σε ἐγκαταλίπω. Μηκέτι ὑδροπότει, ἀλλ' οἴνῳ ὀλίγῳ χρῶ διὰ τὸν στομαχόν σου, καὶ τὰς πυκνάς σου ἀσθενείας. Ἔστι πορισμὸς μέγας ἡ εὐσέβεια μετὰ αὐταρκείας. Οὐδὲν γὰρ εἰσηνέγκαμεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, δῆλον ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐξενεγκεῖν τι δυνάμεθα. Ἔχοντες δὲ διατροφὰς καὶ σκεπάσματα, τούτοις ἀρκεσθησώμεθα. Οὐκ εὔχομαι πλουτεῖν, οὔτε ἔραμαι, ἀλλά μοι εἴη ζωὴ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀλίγων μηδὲν ἔχοντι κακόν. Μεγάλην ἔχε τὴν ψυχήν· τοῖχοι δὲ μικροὶ καὶ μείζους τὴν αὐτὴν χρείαν παρέχονται. Ἡ οἰκονομοῦσα τὸ ζῶον δύναμις, αὐτάρκειαν μὲν καὶ λιτότητα ῥᾳδίως κατειργάσατο, καὶ ᾠκείωσε τῷ τρεφομένῳ· πολυτέλειαν δὲ καὶ ποικιλίαν βρωμάτων παραλαβοῦσα, εἶτα ἀντισχεῖν πρὸς τὸ πέρας οὐκ ἐξαρκέσασα, τὰ ποικίλα· γένη τῶν νοσημάτων ἐποίησεν. 95.1224 Παράχρησίς ἐστιν ἡ ὑπὲρ τὴν χρείαν δαπάνη. Σκοπὸς ἐσθῆτος εἰς κάλυμμα εἶναι σαρκὸς πρὸς χειμῶνα καὶ θέρος αὔταρκες. Ἀκτημοσύνην ἐκείνην ἔφη ὁ Κύριος τὸ μέτρον εἶναι, ὥστε εἰς τὸν ἔσχατον χιτῶνα αὐτοῦ ἕκαστον περιεστάναι τὴν κτῆσιν. Οὐκ ἐπαινοῦμέν τι τῶν μετὰ τὸν λαιμὸν ὁμοτίμων, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀτίμων, ὁμοίως καὶ ἀποβλήτων· ἀλλὰ ζῶμεν οὕτως ἁπλῶς καὶ σχεδίως, καὶ μικρόν τι τῶν θηρίων, οἷς ὁ βίος ἄσκευος καὶ ἀνεπιτήδευτος, διαφέροντες. Κρείσσων πενίη ἐπαινετὴ πλούτοιο κακίστου. ∆εινὸν πείνεσθαι, χεῖρον δ' εὐπορεῖν κακῶς. Ὄψον σοι γενέσθω ἡ ἔνδεια, καὶ τὸ μὴ ἐπιβαλεῖν κόρον τῷ κόρῳ, μηδὲ ἀμβλύνειν τῇ κραιπάλῃ τὴν ὄρεξιν. Ὁ τὴν ἡμέραν διδοὺς, καὶ τὰ εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν σοι δώσει. Τὸ καλῶς ἔχειν ὀλίγα, πολὺ τιμιώτερον τοῦ κακῶς ἔχειν πολλά. Ἡ εὐτελὴς δίαιτα κυλιομένη, καὶ προκόπτουσα, ἐπὶ πολὺ καταλύει τὰ τῆς πορνείας μαθήματα. Σιτίοις χρῶ, μὴ τοῖς ἡδέσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ὠφελίμοις. Ὁ σπουδαῖος ὀλιγοδεὴς, ἀθανάτου καὶ θνητῆς φύσεως μεθόριος· τὸ μὲν ἐπιδεὲς ἔχων, διὰ σῶμα θνητὸν, τὸ δὲ μὴ πολυδεὲς, διὰ ψυχὴν ἐφιεμένην ἀθανασίας.

ΤΙΤΛ. ΚΖʹ. -Περὶ ἀπάτης κατ' οἰκονομίαν γινομένης καὶ ὅτι ἀπάτη δόλου

ἀμοιροῦσα, ἔπαινον προξενεῖ τῷ δεδρακότι.