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Christ again in the glory of the Father, In as much as a body appeared to the deicides. After which is the resurrection, the binding of the composite; After which is the conclusion, the dissolution of beings; And there is indeed a certain change for the better; 964 After which is judgment and fear. And what is the judgment? An inner weight of conscience, Or lightness, and a standard of law against life. But to me, blessedness is the good life. And what is the kingdom? The vision of God. With angels, both glory and hymnody. But darkness for the wicked is to fall from God; And the worm, and fire, the wasting away of material passion. If anything else is better than this, it is not outside of God. And fortune, and providence, and fate; The one, what happens automatically, without reason; The other, the helm by which God directs the universe; The other, the chain, I think, of things fashioned by God. These are for us definitions in outline. 965

35. On Philosophical Poverty You rejoice, living luxuriously in your sickness, and then are you wealthy? You have an evil, but also a remedy for the sickness. Another is poor, but self-controlled; thrice-blessed Who has neither the dread thing, nor its remedy. The rich man, who is a slave to his passions, I prefer then to the poor and wise man, When I prefer the one strong in madness To the one not sick, but who is weaker.

36. On the Same. Let someone be grievously sick, and procuring many medicines

for his ailments; another most healthy, having no medicine; which of these do you call blessed? 966 The one in good health (for I know that everyone would). So too the one who needs little, even if he is very poor, compared to the one who is rich in possessions and in passions.

37. On Patience. Whenever you find one of the wicked prospering, know

that this one is being kept for the end. When you find a good man in misfortunes, know that the affliction is a purification; for it is necessary, if even a little filth clings to him, that this be washed away by toils, so that nothing may come to the fire of the wicked; or it is a trial and a struggle with the enemy, which God grants, so that you may be proclaimed great. And let Job, the victorious, persuade you of these things. 967

38. On the Same. If, being a hateful child of wickedness, you have prospered here, with the

final torments know that you are being kept. If, being most excellent, you have met with a harsh life, know that you are being purified like gold in the furnace; Or if your body is weary from wrestling with the envious one, another Job, it is so that after the contest you might wear the crown of victory. Therefore, neither delight your mind with prosperity, nor be bent by hardships, bearing all things with a Christ-bearing heart.

39. On Fortune and Prudence. One of the lovers of gold once said these things: 968

"I want a drop of fortune, rather than a cask of wisdom." To whom one of the lovers of wisdom replied: "A sprinkle of wisdom for me rather, than an ocean of fortune."

40. On the Vanity of Human Affairs. Those who imitate the threads of spiders,

And take delight in the feeble things of life, Let them know that they are easily caught, and become prey to breezes, All the pleasures of this spider-web life. You who have embellished thrones, And are puffed up by fleeting distinctions, Consider the inescapable final justice, How nothing whatsoever can outrun it.

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Χριστὸς αὖθις ἐν δόξῃ Πατρὸς, Ὅσον φανῆναι σῶμα τοῖς θεοκτόνοις. Μεθ' ἣν ἀνάστασις, ἡ δέσις τοῦ συνθέτου· Μεθ' ἣν τὸ συμπέρασμα, τῶν ὄντων λύσις· Ἔστι δὲ δή τις πρὸς τὸ κρεῖσσον ἀλλαγή· 964 Μεθ' ἣν κρίσις τε καὶ φόβος. Τίς δ' ἡ κρίσις; Οἰκεῖον ἔνδον τοῦ συνειδότος βάρος, Ἢ κουφότης, νόμου τε πρὸς βίον σταθμή. Μακαριότης δ' ἔμοιγε ἡ εὐζωΐα. Τίς δ' ἡ βασιλεία; τοῦ Θεοῦ θεωρία. Σὺν ἀγγέλοις τε δόξα καὶ ὑμνῳδία. Σκότος δὲ τοῖς κακίστοις, ἐκ Θεοῦ πεσεῖν· Σκώληξ δὲ, πῦρ τε, τῆξις ὑλικοῦ πάθους. Εἰ δ' ἄλλο τοῦδε κρεῖσσον, οὐκ ἔξω Θεοῦ. Τύχη δὲ, καὶ πρόνοια, καὶ εἱμαρμένη· Ἡ μὲν, τὸ συμβὰν αὐτομάτως, λόγου δίχα Ἡ δ', οἰακισμὸς, ᾧ φέρει τὸ πᾶν Θεός· Ἡ δ', εἱρμὸς, οἶμαι, τῶν Θεῷ τυπουμένων. Ταῦτ' ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἐκτύπως ὁρίσματα. 965

ΛΕʹ. Εἰς πενίαν φιλόσοφον Χαίρεις, τρυφῶν, σὺ τῇ νόσῳ, εἶτ' εὐπορεῖς; Ἔχεις κακὸν μὲν, φάρμακον δὲ τῆς νόσου. Ἄλλος πένης μὲν, ἐγκρατὴς δέ· τρισμάκαρ Ὃς οὔτε δεινὸν, οὔτε φάρμακον ἔχει. Τὸν πλούσιον μὲν, τῶν παθῶν δὲ ἥσσονα, Τότε προτιμῶ τοῦ πένητος καὶ σοφοῦ, Ὅταν τὸν ἰσχύοντα παραπληξίᾳ Τοῦ μὴ νοσοῦντος, ἀσθενεστέρου δέ γε.

Λς Περὶ τῆς αὐτῆς. Ἔστω τις νοσερὸς χαλεπῶς, καὶ πολλὰ πορίζων Φάρμακα

τοῖς πάθεσιν· ἄλλος ὑγεινότατος, Φάρμακον οὐδὲν ἔχων· πότερον τούτων μακαρίζεις; 966 Τόν ῥ' εὐεκτοῦντα (οἶδ' ὅτι καὶ γὰρ ἅπας). Οὕτω τὸν χρῄζοντ' ὀλίγων, κἂν σφόδρα πένηται, Πρὸς τοῦ πλουτοῦντος χρήμασι καὶ πάθεσι.

ΛΖʹ. Εἰς τὴν ὑπομονήν. Ὅταν τιν' εὕρῃς εὐπαθοῦντα τῶν κακῶν, Γίνωσκε

τοῦτον τῷ τέλει τηρούμενον. Ὅταν καλόν τιν' ἐν κακοῖς, καθάρσιον Τὴν θλίψιν ἴσθι· δεῖ γὰρ, εἴ τι καὶ μικρὸν Ἰλύος ἐφέλκει, τοῦτο ῥυφθῆναι πόνοις, Ὡς μηδὲν εἰς πύρωσιν ἔλθῃ τῶν κακῶν· Ἢ πεῖραν εἶναι καὶ πάλην τοῦ δυσμενοῦς, Θεοῦ διδόντος, ὡς ἀναῤῥηθῇς μέγας. Ἰώβ τε ταῦτα πειθέτω νικηφόρος. 967

ΛΗʹ. Εἰς τὴν αὐτήν. Εἴ τις ἐὼν κακίης στυγερὸν τέκος ἔνθα τέθηλας, Ταῖς

πυμάταις βασάνοις ἴσθι φυλασσόμενος. Εἴ τις ἄριστος ἐὼν κύρσας τραχέος βιότοιο, Ὡς χρυσὸς χοάνοις ἴσθι καθαιρόμενος· Ἢ φθονεροῖο πάλῃ κάμνων δέμας, ἄλλος Ἰώβ τις, Ὥς κεν ἀεθλήσας στέμμα νίκης φορέοις. Τῷ μήτ' εὐθαλέων τέρπου φρένα, μήτε μόγοισι Κάμπτεο χριστοφόρῳ πάντα φέρων κραδίῃ.

ΛΘʹ. Εἰς τύχην καὶ φρόνησιν. Ἔφησέ τίς που τῶν φιλοχρύσων τάδε· 968

«Θέλω τύχης σταλαγμὸν, ἢ φρενῶν πίθον.» Πρὸς ὅν τις ἀντέφησε τῶν φιλοφρόνων· «Ῥανὶς φρενῶν μοι μᾶλλον, ἢ βυθὸς τύχης.»

Μʹ. Εἰς τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ματαιότητα. Οἱ τοὺς ἀραχνῶν ἐκμιμούμενοι μίτους,

Καὶ τοῖς ἀφαυροῖς ἐντρυφῶντες τοῦ βίου, Ἴστωσαν ὡς εὔληπτα καὶ αὔραις πέλει Τὰ τερπνὰ πάντα τοῦ ἀραχνώδους βίου. Οἱ τοὺς θρόνους ἔχοντες ὡραϊσμένους, Καὶ ταῖς ῥεούσαις ἐξοχαῖς ἐπηρμένοι, Σκοπεῖτε τὴν ἄφευκτον ἐσχάτως δίκην, Ὡς οὐδὲν αὐτὴν οὐδαμῶς παραδράμοι.