69

mourn, exchange tears for tears. He was not mourning for the dead, but for those who were perishing while still living. Shall I speak of other tears? Timothy also wept; for he was his disciple; which is why he wrote to him, saying: Remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy. Many even lament from pleasure. Thus the matter is also one of pleasure, and of a pleasure especially intense; thus the tears from such a sorrow are not burdensome, but are even much better than those for worldly pleasure. Hear the Prophet saying: The Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. For where is a tear not useful? In prayers, in exhortations? But we slander them, not using them for what they have been given. When we entreat a sinning brother, we must weep, beating our breasts and groaning; when we exhort someone, but he does not pay attention, but is being destroyed, we must weep. These are the tears of philosophy. But when someone becomes poor, when he is in bodily sickness, when he dies, no longer; for these things are not worthy of tears. Therefore, just as we slander laughter, using it at the wrong time, so too tears, employing them at the wrong time. For the 62.386 virtue of each thing then appears, when it is directed to its proper work; but when to a foreign one, no longer. For example, wine is given for gladness, but not for drunkenness; bread for nourishment, intercourse for procreation. Therefore, just as these things are slandered when misused, so also are tears. Let a law be laid down, to use them only in prayers and exhortations; and see how desirable the thing will be. Nothing so wipes away sins as tears. And tears show this bodily countenance to be beautiful; for it draws the one who sees to pity, it makes it venerable to us. Nothing is sweeter than eyes that have wept. For this is the noblest and most beautiful member in us, and of the soul. Therefore, as if seeing the soul itself lamenting, thus we are moved. These things have not been said to you simply, but so that you do not attend weddings, or dances, or satanic choirs. For see what the devil has found: since nature itself led women away from the stage and its indecencies, he has introduced the things of the theater into the women's quarters, I mean effeminate men and prostitutes. The custom of weddings has introduced this outrage; or rather, not that of the wedding, God forbid, but of our stupidity. What are you doing, man? You do not know what you are doing. You take a wife for temperance and procreation; what then do the prostitutes want? 'So that the gladness,' he says, 'may become greater.' And yet are not these things of folly? You insult the bride, you insult the women who have been invited. For if they are pleased by such things, the matter is an insult. If seeing prostitutes acting indecently brings some honor, why do you not also drag out the bride, so that she too may watch? It is altogether indecent and shameful to bring effeminate and dancing men and the whole satanic procession into the house. 'Remember my bonds,' he says. Marriage is a bond, a bond ordained by God; the prostitute is a loosening and a dissolution. It is possible to brighten the wedding with other things, such as with abundant tables, and with garments; I do not cut these things short, lest I seem to be exceedingly harsh; and yet for Rebecca a veil alone sufficed; but I do not cut these short. It is possible to be brightened with garments, it is possible with the presence of respectable men, of respectable women. Why do you bring in those delights of malice, those monsters? Say what you hear from them. But do you blush to say it? You blush, and yet you compel them to do it? If it is good, why do you not do it yourself? But if it is shameful, why do you compel another? All things must be filled with temperance, all with reverence, all with decency; but now I see the opposite, people leaping like camels, like mules. For the virgin, the bridal chamber alone is fitting. 'But she is poor,' he says. Since she is poor, she ought also to be well-behaved; let her have her character instead of wealth. Does she not have a dowry to give?

69

πένθει, ἀλλάττεσθε δάκρυα δακρύων. Οὐ τοὺς τεθνεῶτας ἐκεῖνος ἐπένθει, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἀπολλυμένους καὶ ζῶντας. Εἴπω καὶ ἕτερα δάκρυα; Καὶ Τιμόθεος ἔκλαιε· μαθητὴς γὰρ ἦν τούτου· διὸ καὶ γράφων αὐτῷ ἔλεγε· Μεμνημένος σου τῶν δακρύων, ἵνα χαρᾶς πληρωθῶ. Πολλοὶ καὶ ἐξ ἡδονῆς ὀδύρονται. Οὕτω καὶ ἡδονῆς ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ ἡδονῆς μάλιστα ἐπιτεταμένης· οὕτως οὐ φορτικὰ τὰ δάκρυα τὰ ἐξ ὀδύνης τοιαύτης, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκείνων πολλῷ βελτίονα τῶν δι' ἡδονὴν κοσμικήν. Ἄκουε τοῦ Προφήτου λέγοντος· Ἤκουσε Κύριος τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ κλαυθμοῦ μου. Ποῦ γὰρ οὐ χρήσιμον τὸ δάκρυον; ἐν εὐχαῖς, ἐν παραινέσεσιν; Ἡμεῖς δὲ αὐτὰ διαβάλλομεν, οὐκ εἰς ἃ δέδοται κεχρημένοι. Ὅταν ἀδελφὸν παρακαλῶμεν ἁμαρτάνοντα, κλαίειν δεῖ κοπτόμενον καὶ στενάζοντα· ὅταν παραινῶμέν τινι, ὁ δὲ μὴ προσέχῃ, ἀλλ' ἀπολλύηται, κλαίειν δεῖ. Ταῦτα φιλοσοφίας τὰ δάκρυα· ὅταν μέντοι πένης τις γένηται, ὅταν ἐν νόσῳ ᾖ σωματικῇ, ὅταν ἀποθάνῃ, οὐκέτι· ταῦτα γὰρ οὐ δακρύων ἄξια. Ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ τὸν γέλωτα διαβάλλομεν, ἀκαίρως αὐτῷ κεχρημένοι· οὕτω καὶ τὰ δάκρυα, ἀκαίρως αὐτὰ μεταχειρίζοντες. Ἡ γὰρ 62.386 ἑκάστου ἀρετὴ τότε φαίνεται, ὅταν πρὸς τὸ ἐπιτήδειον ἔργον ἄγηται· ὅταν δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἀλλότριον, οὐκέτι. Οἷον, ὁ οἶνος πρὸς εὐφροσύνην δέδοται, ἀλλ' οὐ πρὸς μέθην· ὁ ἄρτος πρὸς τροφὴν, ἡ μίξις πρὸς παιδοποιίαν. Ὥσπερ οὖν ταῦτα διαβέβληται παραχρώμενα, οὕτω καὶ τὰ δάκρυα. Ἐπικείσθω νόμος, ἐν εὐχαῖς μόναις καὶ παραινέσεσι κεχρῆσθαι τούτοις· καὶ ὅρα πῶς καὶ ποθεινὸν ἔσται τὸ πρᾶγμα. Οὐδὲν οὕτως ἀποσμήχει τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ὡς δάκρυα. Καὶ ταύτην τὴν σωματικὴν ὄψιν ὡραίαν δείκνυσι τὰ δάκρυα· πρὸς ἔλεον γὰρ ἐπισπᾶται τὸν ὁρῶντα, σεμνὴν ποιεῖ ἡμῖν αὐτήν. Οὐδὲν ἥδιον ὀφθαλμῶν δεδακρυμένων. Τὸ γὰρ εὐγενέστερον ἐν ἡμῖν μέλος καὶ ὡραιότερον καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦτό ἐστιν. Ἅτε οὖν ὡς αὐτὴν τὴν ψυχὴν ὁρῶντες ἀποδυρομένην, οὕτω καμπτόμεθα. Ταῦτα ὑμῖν οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἴρηται, ἀλλ' ὥστε ὑμᾶς μὴ γάμοις, μὴ ὀρχήμασι, μὴ χοροῖς παραγίνεσθαι σατανικοῖς. Ὅρα γὰρ τί εὗρεν ὁ διάβολος· Ἐπειδὴ τῆς σκηνῆς καὶ τῶν ἀσέμνων τῶν ἐκεῖ ἡ φύσις αὐτὴ τὰς γυναῖκας ἀπήγαγεν, εἰς τὴν γυναικωνῖτιν εἰσήγαγε τὰ τοῦ θεάτρου, μαλακοὺς λέγω καὶ πόρνας. Ταύτην τὴν λύμην ὁ τῶν γάμων ἐπεισήγαγε νόμος· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχ ὁ τοῦ γάμου, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας βλακείας. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; οὐκ οἶδας τί πράττεις. Γυναῖκα ἄγῃ ἐπὶ σωφροσύνῃ καὶ παιδοποιίᾳ· τί οὖν αἱ πόρναι βούλονται; Ἵνα ἡ εὐφροσύνη, φησὶ, γένηται μείζων. Καὶ μὴν ταῦτα οὐκ ἀφροσύνης; ὑβρίζεις τὴν νύμφην, ὑβρίζεις τὰς κεκλημένας. Εἰ γὰρ τοιούτοις τέρπονται, ὕβρις τὸ πρᾶγμα. Εἰ τὸ γυναῖκας πόρνας ὁρᾷν ἀσχημονούσας φέρει τινὰ φιλοτιμίαν, διὰ τί μὴ καὶ τὴν νύμφην ἕλκεις, ἵνα κἀκείνη θεωρῇ; Πάντως ἄσχημον καὶ αἰσχρὸν, μαλακοὺς ἄνδρας καὶ ὀρχουμένους, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν πομπὴν τὴν σατανικὴν ἐπεισάγειν τῇ οἰκίᾳ. Μνημονεύετέ μου, φησὶ, τῶν δεσμῶν. ∆εσμός ἐστιν ὁ γάμος, δεσμὸς ὡρισμένος παρὰ Θεοῦ· λύσις ἡ πόρνη καὶ διάλυσις. Ἔξεστιν ἑτέροις φαιδρύνειν τὸν γάμον, οἷον τραπέζαις πληθούσαις, καὶ ἱματίοις· οὐ περικόπτω ταῦτα, ἵνα μὴ δόξω σφόδρα εἶναι ἄγριος· καίτοι ἤρκεσε τῇ Ῥεβέκκᾳ θέριστρον μόνον· ἀλλ' οὐ περικόπτω. Ἔξεστιν ἱματίοις φαιδρύνεσθαι, ἔξεστι παρουσίαις αἰδεσίμων ἀνδρῶν, αἰδεσίμων γυναικῶν. Τί τὰ ἐπιχάρματα ἐκεῖνα, τί τὰ τέρατα ἐπεισάγεις; Εἰπὲ ἃ ἀκούεις παρ' αὐτῶν. Ἀλλ' ἐρυθριᾷς εἰπεῖν; Σὺ ἐρυθριᾷς, κἀκείνους ἀναγκάζεις ποιεῖν; Εἰ καλὸν, διὰ τί μὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ποιεῖς; εἰ δὲ αἰσχρὸν, διὰ τί ἕτερον ἀναγκάζεις; Πάντα σωφροσύνης ἐμπεπλῆσθαι δεῖ, πάντα σεμνότητος, πάντα κοσμιότητος· νῦν δὲ τοὐναντίον ὁρῶ, σκιρτῶντας ὡς αἱ κάμηλοι, ὡς αἱ ἡμίονοι. Τῇ παρθένῳ θάλαμος ἐπιτήδειον μόνον. Ἀλλὰ πενιχρά ἐστι, φησίν. Ἐπειδὴ πενιχρά ἐστι, καὶ κόσμιος ὀφείλει εἶναι· ἐχέτω τὸν τρόπον ἀντὶ πλούτου. Οὐκ ἔχει προῖκα ἐπιδοῦναι;