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it extends everywhere, bringing down from on high. The desert has another use as well. For it is also more suitable for the health of the body, providing cleaner air to breathe, and to look over the whole inhabited world from on high, and to philosophize in the solitude, and to take a little breath from the cares of life. What might one say of the songbirds, of the way of life of the animals that can be caught? The desert serves another purpose. For it has often become a wall for countries, having mountains stretched up to a height, and ravines, and cliffs. What might one say of the herbs that grow in them, providing a great service to weary bodies? If the use of deserts and mountains is so great, and the supply of good things so great; if you should come to the arable land, and the flat plains, consider how many sources of narrations you will see. For just as in our body some parts are 55.124 bones, others sinews, others flesh; so too in the earth, some parts are mountains, others ravines, others fertile regions; and all these are useful. Why do I speak of the earth, so great an element? If you should wish to speak of just one tree, its form, its use, its fruit, its leaves, its season, all the other things, you will see a long narrative; if of the position of the mountains, if of all other things, if you should approach in your discourse man himself, and the structure of his body, you would find here again countless seas of narrations. Let us then occupy ourselves with these things, from them will be our greatest pleasure, from them profit, from them ineffable philosophy. Wherefore, indicating this also, he added: I will be glad and rejoice in thee. Another, And I will exult. I will sing praise to thy name, O most High. Another, I will sing thy name. This is no small form of philosophy, to rejoice in God. For he who rejoices in God, as is right, casts out all worldly pleasure. But what is, I will be glad in thee? Having such a Master, he says, this is my pleasure, this is my rejoicing. If one knows this pleasure as one ought to know it, one does not feel any other pleasure. For this is truly pleasure; whereas all other things are only names of pleasure, devoid of the reality. This makes a man uplifted; this separates the soul from the body; this gives wings to heaven; this makes one higher than worldly things; this delivers from evil; and very rightly so. For if those who love beautiful bodies are not aware of anything in life, but are of one thing only, the sight of the beloved; what will he who loves God, as one ought to love, perceive henceforth of the good things in this life, or of the painful? Nothing; but he will be superior to all things, delighting in immortal things, since He who is loved is also such. For those who love other things quickly and unwillingly are changed to forgetfulness, as the things loved perish and fade away; but this love is infinite, unending, having greater pleasure and more profit; and by this again it entertains the lover, by never being dissolved. I will sing praise to thy name, O most High. This is especially the custom of one who loves. For lovers too sing songs to their beloved; and even if they do not see them, they console themselves through song. So indeed the Prophet also does; since it is not possible to see God, he makes songs to him, through the songs communing with him, and kindling his longing, and seeming to see him; or rather, through singing and hymning he kindles many to longing. For just as lovers speak praises of those they love, and carry about their names; so indeed also this man, I will sing praise to thy name, O most High. 3. See how he has detached himself from the earth, and suspended his whole being towards that, having dedicated himself to God. For this reason he continually turns his name over; for this too is the custom of one who loves. In the turning back of the enemy

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ἐκτείνει πανταχοῦ ἀπὸ ὑψηλοῦ καταφέρουσα. Ἔχει καὶ ἑτέραν χρῆσιν ἡ ἔρημος. Καὶ γὰρ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ σώματος ὑγίειαν ἐπιτηδειοτέρα, καθαρώτερον παρέχουσα ἀναπνεῖν τὸν ἀέρα, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀφ' ὑψηλοῦ πᾶσαν περισκοπεῖν, καὶ τῇ ἐρημίᾳ ἐμφιλοσοφεῖν, καὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ φροντίδων ὀλίγον ἀναπνεῖν. Τί ἄν τις εἴποι τοὺς ὄρνιθας τοὺς ᾠδικοὺς, τῶν ἁλωσίμων ζώων τὴν διαγωγήν; Ἔχει καὶ ἑτέραν χρείαν ἡ ἔρημος. Πολλάκις γὰρ ἀντὶ τειχῶν ταῖς χώραις γέγονε, πρὸς ὕψος ἔχουσα ἀνατεταμένα ὄρη, καὶ φάραγγας, καὶ κρημνούς. Τί ἄν τις εἴποι τὰς βοτάνας τὰς ἐν αὐταῖς τικτομένας, σώμασι κάμνουσι πολλὴν εἰσφερούσας τὴν λειτουργίαν; Εἰ δὲ ἐρήμων καὶ ὀρῶν τοσαύτη ἡ χρεία, τοσαύτη τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡ χορηγία· εἰ πρὸς τὴν ἀρόσιμον ἔλθοις, καὶ τὰ ὕπτια πεδία, ἐννόησον πόσας ὄψει τὰς πηγὰς τῶν διηγημάτων. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν τῷ σώματι τῷ ἡμετέρῳ τὰ μέν 55.124 ἐστιν ὀστᾶ, τὰ δὲ νεῦρα, τὰ δὲ σάρκες· οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῇ γῇ, τὰ μὲν ὄρη, τὰ δὲ φάραγγες, τὰ δὲ λιπαρὰ χωρία· πάντα δὲ ταῦτα χρήσιμα. Τί λέγω τὴν γῆν, τοσοῦτον στοιχεῖον; Ἑνὸς δένδρου μόνου εἰ βουληθείης εἰπεῖν τὸ σχῆμα, τὴν χρείαν, τὸν καρπὸν, τὰ φύλλα, τὸν καιρὸν, τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, πολὺ ὄψει τὸ διήγημα· εἰ τῶν ὀρῶν τὴν θέσιν, εἰ τὰ ἄλλα ἅπαντα, εἰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον αὐτὸν ἐπέλθοις τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ τὴν διάπλασιν αὐτοῦ τοῦ σώματος, μυρία πάλιν κἀνταῦθα πελάγη εὕροις διηγημάτων. Τούτοις τοίνυν ἐνδιατρίβωμεν, ἐντεῦθεν ἡμῖν ἔσται ἡδονὴ μεγίστη, ἐντεῦθεν κέρδος, ἐντεῦθεν φιλοσοφία ἄφατος. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ἐπήγαγεν· Εὐφρανθήσομαι καὶ ἀγαλλιάσομαι ἐν σοί. Ἄλλος, Καὶ γαυριάσω. Ψαλῶ τῷ ὀνόματί σου, Ὕψιστε. Ἄλλος, Ἄσω τὸ ὄνομά σου. Οὐ μικρὸν τοῦτο φιλοσοφίας εἶδος, τὸ εὐφραίνεσθαι ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ. Ὁ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ εὐφραινόμενος, ὡς χρὴ, πᾶσαν ἐκβάλλει βιωτικὴν ἡδονήν. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Εὐφρανθήσομαι ἐν σοί; Τοιοῦτον, φησὶν, ἔχων ∆εσπότην, τοῦτό μοι ἡδονὴ, τοῦτό μοι ἀγαλλίασις. Εἴ τις οἶδε ταύτην τὴν ἡδονὴν ὡς εἰδέναι χρὴ, ἑτέρας ἡδονῆς οὐκ αἰσθάνεται. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἡδονὴ κυρίως· ὡς τάγε ἄλλα πάντα, ὀνόματα μόνον ἐστὶν ἡδονῆς, πράγματος ἔρημα. Αὕτη τὸν ἄνθρωπον μετάρσιον ἐργάζεται· αὕτη τοῦ σώματος ἀπαλλάττει τὴν ψυχήν· αὕτη πρὸς οὐρανὸν πτεροῖ· αὕτη τῶν βιωτικῶν ὑψηλότερον ποιεῖ· αὕτη κακίας ἀπαλλάττει· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ σώματα λαμπρὰ φιλοῦντες, οὐδὲν ἐπαισθάνονται τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ, ἀλλ' ἑνὸς μόνου εἰσὶ, τῆς ἐρωμένης ὄψεως· ὁ Θεὸν φιλῶν, καθὼς φιλεῖν δεῖ, τίνος αἰσθήσεται λοιπὸν ἢ χρηστοῦ τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ, ἢ λυπηροῦ; Οὐδενός· ἀλλ' ἔσται πάντων ἀνώτερος, ἀθάνατα τρυφῶν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ φιλούμενος τοιοῦτος. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὰ ἄλλα φιλοῦντες, ταχέως καὶ ἄκοντες εἰς λήθην μεταβάλλονται, ἀπολλυμένων τῶν φιλουμένων καὶ μαραινομένων· οὗτος δὲ ὁ ἔρως ἄπειρος, ἀτελεύτητος, καὶ τὴν ἡδονὴν μείζονα ἔχων, καὶ τὸ κέρδος πλέον· καὶ τούτῳ πάλιν ψυχαγωγῶν τὸν φιλοῦντα, τῷ μηδέποτε καταλύεσθαι. Ψαλῶ τῷ ὀνόματί σου, Ὕψιστε. Τοῦτο μάλιστα φιλοῦντος ἔθος. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ ἐρῶντες εἰς τοὺς φιλουμένους ᾄσματα ᾄδουσι· κἂν μὴ ὁρῶσιν ἐκείνους, διὰ τῆς ᾠδῆς ἑαυτοὺς παραμυθοῦνται. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Προφήτης ποιεῖ· ἐπεὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἰδεῖν οὐ δυνατὸν, ᾄσματα ποιεῖ εἰς αὐτὸν, διὰ τῶν ᾠδῶν αὐτῷ συγγινόμενος, καὶ τὸν πόθον ἀνάπτων, καὶ αὐτὸν δοκῶν ὁρᾷν· μᾶλλον δὲ διὰ τοῦ ᾄδειν καὶ ὑμνεῖν εἰς πόθον ἀνάπτει πολλούς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ φιλοῦντες ἐγκώμια τῶν φιλουμένων λέγουσι, καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν περιφέρουσιν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ οὗτος, Ψαλῶ τῷ ὀνόματί σου, Ὕψιστε. γʹ. Ὅρα πῶς ἑαυτὸν τῆς γῆς διήρτησε, καὶ πρὸς ἐκείνην ἀνεκρέμασεν ὅλην ἑαυτοῦ τὴν οὐσίαν, ἀναθεὶς ἑαυτὸν τῷ Θεῷ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο συνεχῶς αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομα περιστρέφει· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο τοῦ φιλοῦντος ἔθος. Ἐν τῷ ἀποστραφῆναι τὸν ἐχθρόν