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by their intercessions the devil's audacity was quenched."3." Having narrated these things to me, he instructed me alone to know them and not to take others as witnesses. But I, for the sake of edification, not only brought the story to many, but also committed it to writing. 21.22 And he said that he had also seen the patriarch Joseph, his head and beard gray, and in old age his beauty radiating its splendor, and in the height of virtue calling himself the last of the saints. "For when I," he said, "called him first of those sharing his reliquary, he called himself last." 21.23 And he also related to me the manifold assaults made on him by the evil demons. "For as soon as I began this way of life," he said, "a certain naked man was seen, having the appearance of an Ethiopian, shooting fire from his eyes. And seeing him, I was filled with fear and turned to prayer and could not bear to partake of food; for he would appear at that time. But when seven and eight and ten days had passed and I continued without food, at last, scorning the evil assault, I sat down and partook of food. But he, not bearing this magnanimity of mine, threatened to strike me with a rod. But I," he said, "said: "3If you have been permitted by the Lord of all, strike, and I will receive the blow with pleasure as being struck by him. But if you have not been permitted, you will not strike, even if you rage ten thousand times."3. Having heard this, he then fled. 21.24 "But again he continued to rage in secret. For meeting the one who was bringing water to me twice a week from below, and mimicking my appearance, he would take it, and telling him to go away, he would pour out the stream. And having done this not only twice, but also three times, he waged the affliction of thirst against me. Being greatly distressed, I asked the one who was accustomed to bring it: "3Why is it that after fifteen days have passed you have not brought water?"3. But he said that he had already brought it three and four times and that I had received it. "3And where," I said, "did I receive this from you as you brought it?"3 And when he pointed out the place, "3Even if you see me arriving there ten thousand times," I said, "do not give the vessel, until you arrive at this place."3. 21.25 "Thus having undone this plot of his, I again experienced another. For at night he used a loud voice and said: "3I will fill you with such a foul odor and scatter such ill repute that no man from anywhere will look at you."3. But I," he said, "answered to this that "3I will acknowledge my thanks to you; for you will unwillingly benefit your enemy, preparing me to delight more in the memory of God. For enjoying more leisure, I shall have as my constant work the vision of the divine beauty."3. So after a few days had passed, in the middle of the day while performing the customary service, I see," he said, "two women coming down from the mountain. But I, being annoyed at the unusual sight and attempting to throw stones, remembered the threat of the avenger and supposed this to be the ill repute. I therefore shouted out first that, even if they should sit on my shoulders, I will not throw stones, nor will I drive them away, but I will use only prayer. So I said these things, and they vanished, and with the word the vision of the sight was fulfilled. 21.26 "After this again, at night, I," he said, "was praying, and the sound of a chariot was borne along and the shout of a charioteer and of neighing horses; and the strangeness of the matter disturbed me; for I considered that neither was a magistrate visiting the city then, nor was the road for chariots, nor was the time suitable for chariots. And as I was considering these things, a certain noise of an approaching crowd was heard, and some leading rod-bearers were shouting, whistling and driving the multitude from the middle and making ready

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πρεσβείαις ἐσβέσθη τοῦ διαβόλου τὸ θράσος"3." Ταῦτά μοι διηγησάμενος, παρηγγύησε μόνον εἰδέναι καὶ μὴ λαβεῖν ἄλλους συνίστορας. Ἐγὼ δέ γε ὠφελείας ἕνεκεν οὐ μόνον πολλοῖς προσήνεγκα τὸ διήγημα, ἀλλὰ καὶ συγγραφῇ παραδίδωμι. 21.22 Καὶ Ἰωσὴφ δὲ τὸν πατριάρχην τεθεᾶσθαι ἔφη καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν πολιὸν καὶ τὸ γένειον καὶ ἐν γήρᾳ τῆς ὥρας ἀφιέντα τὴν αἴγλην καὶ ἐν ἀρετῆς ἀκρότητι ἔσχατον ἑαυτὸν τῶν ἁγίων ὀνομάζοντα. "Ἐμοῦ γάρ, φησι, πρῶτον αὐτὸν λέγοντος τῶν τῆς θήκης αὐτῷ κοινωνούντων, αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἔσχατον ὠνόμαζεν." 21.23 ∆ιηγήσατο δέ μοι καὶ τὰς γεγενημένας αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τῶν πονηρῶν δαιμόνων παντοδαπὰς προσβολάς. "Εὐθὺς μὲν γάρ, ἔλεγε, ταύτης μοι τῆς πολιτείας ἀρξαμένῳ γυμνὸς ἑωρᾶτό τις, Αἰθίοπος ἔχων τὸ εἶδος, πῦρ ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἀφιείς. Ἐγὼ δὲ ὁρῶν δέους τε ἐνεπιμπλάμην καὶ εἰς εὐχὴν ἐτρεπόμην καὶ μεταλαβεῖν οὐκ ἠνειχόμην τροφῆς· κατ' ἐκεῖνον γὰρ ἐπεφαίνετο τὸν καιρόν. Ὡς δὲ ἑπτὰ καὶ ὀκτὼ καὶ δέκα διῆλθον ἡμέραι καὶ ἄσιτος διετέλουν, τέλος τῆς πονηρᾶς ἐφόδου καταφρονήσας, καθήμενος τῆς τροφῆς μετελάμβανον. Ὁ δὲ ταύτην μου τὴν μεγαλοφροσύνην οὐκ ἐνεγκὼν ῥάβδῳ παίειν ἠπείλει. Ἐγὼ δέ, ἔφη, ἔλεγον· "3Εἰ μὲν ἐπιτέτραψαι παρὰ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων δεσπότου, παῖε καὶ δέξομαι μεθ' ἡδονῆς τὴν πληγὴν ὡς ὑπ' ἐκείνου παιόμενος. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἐπετράπης, οὐ παίσεις, κἂν μυριάκις λυττήσῃς"3. Τούτων ἀκούσας ἐδραπέτευσε τότε. 21.24 "Ἀλλὰ πάλιν κρύβδην διετέλει λυττῶν. Τὸ γὰρ δίς μοι τῆς ἑβδομάδος κάτωθεν κομιζόμενον ὕδωρ ὑπαπαντῶν τῷ κομίζοντι καὶ τὸ ἐμὸν εἶδος μιμούμενος ἐλάμβανε καὶ ἀπιέναι κελεύων ἐκεῖνον ἐξέχει τὸ νᾶμα. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐ δὶς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τρὶς ποιήσας τὸ τοῦ δίψους μοι ἐπεστρά τευσε πάθος. Σφόδρα δὲ ἀνιαθεὶς ἠρόμην τὸν εἰωθότα κομίζειν· "3Τί δήποτε πέντε καὶ δέκα διελθουσῶν ἡμερῶν οὐκ ἐκόμισας ὕδωρ;"3. Ὁ δὲ τρὶς ἔλεγεν ἤδη καὶ τετράκις κεκομικέναι καί με τοῦτο δεδέχθαι. "3Καὶ ποῦ, ἔφην ἐγώ, τοῦτο παρὰ σοῦ φέροντος ἐδεξάμην;"3 Ὡς δὲ τὸν τόπον ὑπέδειξε, "3Κἂν μυριάκις, ἔφην, ἐκεῖ με θεάσῃ παραγινόμενον, μὴ δῷς τὸ ἀγγεῖον, ἕως εἰς τοῦτον ἀφίκῃ τὸν τόπον"3. 21.25 "Οὕτω καὶ ταύτην αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν διαλύσας, αὖθις ἑτέρας ἐπειράθην. Βοῇ γὰρ νύκτωρ χρησάμενος ἔφη ὅτι "3σε τοσαύτης δυσωδίας ἐμπλήσω καὶ τοσαύτην δύσκλειαν κατασκεδάσω ὡς μηδένα σε μηδαμόθεν θεάσασθαι ἄνθρω πον"3. Ἐγὼ δέ, ἔφη, πρὸς ταῦτα ἀπεκρινάμην ὅτι "3σοι χάριν ὁμολογήσω· ἄκων γὰρ εὐεργετήσεις τὸν δυσμενῆ, πλέον ἐντρυφᾶν τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ μνήμῃ παρασκευάζων. Σχολῆς γὰρ πλείονος ἀπολαύων ἔργον σχήσω διηνεκὲς τοῦ θείου κάλλους τὴν φαντασίαν"3. Ὀλίγων τοίνυν διελθουσῶν ἡμερῶν, μεσούσης ἡμέρας τὴν εἰωθυῖαν λειτουργίαν ἐπιτελῶν, ὁρῶ, ἔφη, δύο κατιούσας ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους γυναῖκας. Ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ ἄηθες δυσχεράνας καὶ λίθοις βαλεῖν ἐπιχειρήσας, τῆς τοῦ ἀλάστορος ἀπειλῆς ἐμνήσθην καὶ ταύτην ὑπέλαβον εἶναι τὴν δύσκλειαν. Ἔφθην τοίνυν βοήσας ὡς, εἰ καὶ τοῖς ὤμοις ἐπικαθίσαιεν, οὐ βαλῶ τοῖς λίθοις, οὐδὲ διώξω, μόνῃ δὲ χρήσομαι τῇ προσευχῇ. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα ἔφην, αἱ δὲ φροῦδοι ἐγίγνοντο καὶ τῷ λόγῳ συνεπληροῦτο τῆς θέας ἡ φαντασία. 21.26 "Μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν, νύκτωρ ἐγὼ μέν, ἔφη, προσ ηυχόμην, ὀχήματος δὲ κτύπος ἐφέρετο καὶ ἡνιόχου βοὴ καὶ ἵππων χρεμετιζόντων· ἐμὲ δὲ τοῦ πράγματος τὸ καινὸν ἐθορύβησεν· ἐνενόουν γὰρ ὡς οὔτε ἄρχων ἐπεδήμει τότε τῇ πόλει οὔτε ὀχημάτων ἡ ὁδὸς ἦν οὔτε ὁ καιρὸς τοῖς ὀχήμασιν ἐπιτήδειος. Ἐμοῦ δὲ ταῦτα λογιζομένου, θόρυβός τις πλήθους ἠκούετο προσπελάζοντος καί τινες ἐβόων ἡγούμενοι ῥαβδοφόροι, συρίττοντες καὶ ἀπελαύνοντες ἐκ τοῦ μέσου τοὺς πλείους καὶ εὐτρεπῆ