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to inflict loss on the principal. Eli was a priest, and he rebuked his impious sons, 20The report is not good20, saying, 20O my children, that I hear about you20; but because he did not rebuke them severely, he was severely accused and, though a pious father, paid the penalty for the lawlessness of his sons. 206.3 Fearing this example myself, I have come to this exhortation. What it is you have suffered, I do not know. 206.4 What is this great darkness about you? How you disgrace your family, and disgrace our gray hairs and the hopes we had for you, when we stood by the Nauili, both speaking and persuading every good thing, as we thought? 206.5 How is it you do not hear the Scripture saying: 20Give not your wealth to women20 and your possessions 20to afterthought20? 206.6 For know well, you will repent of these things a little later, when 20the flesh of your body is worn away20, according to what is written, and your mind is able, having passed through as if out of a cloud, to look to God and to consider clearly what is profitable. 206.7 Beware of the snare, do not be caught by your eyes, and, if you have been caught, become sober. Do not confirm the common rumor, that your mind was stolen by potions, since licentiousness is terrible for devising evils. 206.8 For it is grievous to thus scatter and destroy in a short time so great a house, collected with so many labors, and especially at the beginning of life, when each person lays for himself the foundation of either a good or a bad reputation. 206.9 But it is far more terrible to commit sacrilege and to seize these women who are virgins, whom both your parents and you yourself, as you persuaded us, consecrated to God; and to already have some of them, and to terrify others that they will suffer the same things. 206.10 Therefore, fearing God, whom you serve, and respecting us, restrain yourself for the future from every evil intention. For if it were possible for you to look aside and recognize the dishonor you have poured on us all, perhaps you would not need any other exhortation, but would make the shame itself your counselor in what must be done by you. 206.11 I could have written things more pleasant than these, but by no means more profitable. And I will omit writing more, knowing this, that if the fear of God does not discipline you, words will be able to do little or nothing; since wax is easily engraved with iron, but iron with more labor, while adamant cannot be engraved even by the strongest tool because of the hardness of its nature. 207.T TO JACOBUS 207.1 If my body were in such a state as to be sufficient for the labors, I would have come to you myself and fulfilled my desire for a meeting and discussed the matters I wished; for our discussion is not about small things. 207.2 But since I am held by illness, I have necessarily resorted to writing. I introduce to your nobility our most honorable daughter Simplicia, once the wife of the noble and good Alypius, the ornament of our whole country, along with the pitiful titles of widowhood and orphanhood, to obtain from you what is just concerning the things she will ask of you. 207.3 And consider the magnitude of her misfortune: her lamentations have not yet ceased, and she is in anguish for her orphans and travels long journeys with a body so weak and with inexperience in affairs, she who was not even accustomed to look out of her house. 207.4 What is more pitiable than this? That there is not even room for lamentations and that the modesty of her noble birth has been undone by her suffering. Therefore, considering all these things and showing respect for our exhortation, do not wait for another to become your judge, O great and good Jacobus; 207.5 nor put her under the necessity of a longer journey, as she is very confident in her own just claims, as she convinces many, including us; but, having received these letters and having examined the just claims with all correctness, send her back to us in better spirits, considering before all else that you have from God much power, wealth, glory, a path to greater success. Preserve these things for yourself through this present act of kindness, and as a father of children, having been delivered from some dangers, and having entered into others, think in this way and make for yourself, from the present case, favorable hopes in God. 208.T TO THE SAME 208.1

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ζημιῶσαι τῷ κεφαλαίῳ. Ἱερεὺς ἦν ὁ Ἡλί, καὶ τοῖς παισὶν ἀσεβοῦσιν ἐπέπληττε μέν, 20Οὐκ ἀγαθὴ ἡ ἀκοή20, λέγων, 20ὦ τέκνα, ἣν ἐγὼ ἀκούω περὶ ὑμῶν20· ὅτι δὲ μὴ σφοδρῶς ἐπέπληττε, σφοδρῶς ἐνεκλήθη καὶ δίκην ὑπέσχε πατὴρ εὐσεβὴς παίδων παρανομίας. 206.3 Τοῦτο φοβούμενος τὸ ὑπόδειγμα καὶ αὐτός, ἐπὶ ταύτην ἦλθον τὴν παραίνεσιν. Τί ἐστιν ὃ πέπονθας, ἀγνοῶ. 206.4 Τίς ἡ τοσαύτη περὶ σὲ σκοτομήνη; Πῶς αἰσχύνεις μὲν σεαυτοῦ τὸ γένος; αἰσχύνεις δὲ τὴν ἡμετέραν πολιὰν καὶ τὰς ἐλπίδας ἃς εἴχομεν ἐπὶ σοί, ἡνίκα ἐπέστημεν Ναυΐλοις, πᾶν ἀγαθὸν καὶ διαλεχθέντες καὶ πείσαντες, ὡς ᾠόμεθα; 206.5 Πῶς οὐκ ἀκούεις λεγούσης τῆς Γραφῆς· 20Μὴ δῷς γυναιξὶ τὸν σὸν πλοῦτον20 καὶ τὰ σὰ χρήματα 20εἰς ὑστερο βουλίαν20; 206.6 Εὖ γὰρ ἴσθι, μεταμελήσει σοι τούτων μικρὸν ὕστερον, ἡνίκα ἂν 20κατατριβῶσι σάρκες σώμα τός σου20, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, καὶ δυνηθῇ διασχὼν ὥσπερ ἐκ νέφους ὁ νοῦς πρὸς Θεὸν ἰδεῖν καὶ λογίσασθαι καθαρῶς τὰ συμφέροντα. 206.7 Φύλαξαι τὴν παγίδα, μὴ ἀγρευθῇς σοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, καί, εἰ ἠγρεύθης, ἔκνηψον. Μὴ καὶ τὸ θρυλλούμενον βεβαιώσῃς, ὅτι φαρμάκοις τὸν νοῦν ἐκλάπης, ἐπειδὴ δεινὸν εἰς κακῶν ἐπίνοιαν ἡ ἀσέλγεια. 206.8 Ἀλγεινὸν μὲν γὰρ τὸ καὶ οἶκον τοσοῦτον καὶ τοσούτοις πόνοις συνειλεγμένον οὕτως ἐν βραχεῖ διασπεῖραι καὶ καταλῦσαι, καὶ μάλιστα ἐν ἀρχαῖς βίου, ἡνίκα ἢ τὴν καλὴν ἢ τὴν πονηρὰν δόξαν ἕκαστος ἑαυτῷ καταβάλλεται. 206.9 Πολλῷ δὲ δεινότερον τὸ καὶ γυναῖκας παρθένους οὔσας, ἃς καὶ οἱ σοὶ γονεῖς καὶ αὐτός, ὡς ἡμᾶς ἔπειθες, καθιέρωσας τῷ Θεῷ, ταύτας ἱεροσυλεῖν καὶ ἁρπάζειν· καὶ τὰς μὲν ἔχειν ἤδη, τὰς δὲ πτοεῖν ὡς τὰ αὐτὰ πεισο μένας. 206.10 Τὸν οὖν Θεὸν φοβηθείς, ᾧ λατρεύεις, καὶ ἡμᾶς αἰδεσθείς, ἐπίσχες σεαυτὸν τοῦ λοιποῦ πάσης πονηρᾶς προαιρέσεως. Εἰ γὰρ οἷόν τε παρακύψαντά σε γνῶναι τὴν ἀδοξίαν ἣν πάντων ἡμῶν κατέχεας, τάχα ἂν οὐκ ἐδεήθης ἄλλης παραινέσεως, ἀλλ' αὐτὴν τὴν αἰσχύνην σύμβουλον ἐποιήσω τῶν σοὶ πρακτέων. 206.11 Τούτων ἡδίω μὲν εἶχον γράφειν, λυσιτελέστερα δὲ οὐδαμῶς. Καὶ τὰ πλείω παρήσω γράφειν, ἐκεῖνο εἰδὼς ὡς εἰ μή σε ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβος παιδαγωγήσειε, μικρὸν ἢ οὐδὲν οἱ λόγοι δυνήσονται· ἐπεὶ καὶ σιδήρῳ κηρὸς μὲν εὐκόλως χαράσ σεται, σίδηρος δὲ ἐργωδέστερον, ἀδάμας δὲ οὐδὲ τῷ στερροτάτῳ διὰ σκληρότητα φύσεως. 207.Τ ΙΑΚΩΒΩΙ 207.1 Εἰ μὲν οὕτως εἶχον τοῦ σώματος ὡς ἐξαρκεῖν πρὸς τοὺς πόνους, αὐτὸς ἂν ἀφικόμενος πρὸς ὑμᾶς τόν τε τῆς συντυχίας πόθον ἐπλήρωσα καὶ διελέχθην περὶ ὧν ἐβου λόμην· οὐ γὰρ περὶ μικρῶν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος. 207.2 Ἐπεὶ δὲ τῇ ἀρρωστίᾳ κατέχομαι, ἀναγκαίως ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὰ γράμματα. Τὴν κοσμιωτάτην θυγατέρα ἡμῶν Σιμπλικίαν, τὴν τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ ἀγαθοῦ Ἀλυπίου ποτὲ γυναῖκα, τοῦ κόσμου πάσης ἡμῶν τῆς πατρίδος, προσάγω τῇ σῇ εὐγενείᾳ, μετὰ τῶν οἰκτρῶν ὀνομάτων χηρείας καὶ ὀρφανίας, τῶν δικαίων παρὰ σοῦ τευξομένην περὶ ὧν σοῦ δεήσεται. 207.3 Καὶ σκόπει τῆς συμφορᾶς τὸ μέγεθος· οὔπω τῶν θρήνων πέπαυται, καὶ ἀγωνιᾷ περὶ τῶν ὀρφανῶν καὶ ὁδοὺς ἐκδημεῖ μακρὰς ἐν οὕτω ἀσθενεῖ τῷ σώματι καὶ ἀπειρίᾳ πραγμάτων, ἡ μηδὲ προκύπτειν τῆς οἰκίας εἰθισμένη. 207.4 Τούτου τί ἐλεεινότερον; μηδὲ θρήνοις γενέσθαι χώραν καὶ τὴν τῆς εὐγενείας αἰδῶ λυθῆναι τῷ πάθει. Ταῦτα οὖν πάντα ἐνθυμηθεὶς καὶ πρός γε τὴν ἡμετέραν παράκλησιν αἰδεσθείς, μὴ ἀναμείνῃς ἄλλον γενέσθαι σοι δικαστὴν τῷ μεγάλῳ καὶ χρηστῷ Ἰακώβῳ· 207.5 μηδὲ εἰς ἀνάγκην αὐτὴν καταστῆσαι μακροτέρας ἀποδημίας σφόδρα θαρροῦσαν τοῖς ἑαυτῆς δικαίοις, ὡς πείθει πολλοὺς καὶ ἡμᾶς· ἀλλὰ ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς ἐντυχὼν καὶ μετὰ πάσης ὀρθότητος τὰ δίκαια βασανίσας, εὐθυμο τέραν ἡμῖν ἀπόπεμψον, ἐκεῖνο πρὸ πάντων ἐνθυμηθεὶς ὡς ἔστι πολλή σοι παρὰ Θεοῦ δυναστεία, χρήματα, δόξα, μείζονος εὐπραξίας ὁδός. Ταῦτα φύλαξον σεαυτῷ διὰ τῆς παρούσης φιλανθρωπίας, καὶ ὡς τέκνων πατήρ, καὶ τῶν μὲν ἐξαιρεθεὶς κινδύνων, τοῖς δὲ ἐμβεβηκώς, οὕτω διανοή θητι καὶ δεξιὰς σεαυτῷ ποίησον ἐκ τῆς παρούσης ὑποθέ σεως τὰς κατὰ Θεὸν ἐλπίδας. 208.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 208.1