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and to take pride in it, and to be emulated by others. So-and-so, he says, is a bitter man, he is a scorpion, he is a serpent, a viper; they consider him fearsome. Why do you fear the bitter man, O man? Lest he harm me, he says, lest he injure me; I am inexperienced in his malice; I fear lest he take me, a simple man, and one who foresees none of his ways, and cast me into his snares, and entangle us in the nets he has prepared for our deception. I laugh now. Why so? Because these are the words of children, fearing things that are not fearful. For there is nothing one should so despise, nothing one should so laugh at, as a bitter and wicked man. For nothing is so weak as bitterness; it makes men foolish and senseless. 2. Or do you not see that malice is blind? or have you not heard that he who digs a pit for his neighbor, digs it for himself? How then is it not right to fear a soul filled with turmoil? If, then, one should fear the bitter as one fears demons and madmen, and as one fears fools (for they too do everything without thought), I agree; but if as men who are clever in managing affairs, I no longer agree. For nothing is so suited for the management of affairs as understanding; and nothing is so great a hindrance to understanding as wickedness and malice and treachery. Do you not see choleric bodies, how unsightly they are, with all the bloom withered in them? how they are weak and thin, and unfit for anything? Such also are such souls. For the jaundice of the soul is nothing other than wickedness. Wickedness is not strong, therefore, it is not. Do you wish that I should again make what I say clear by an example, bringing before you images of a malicious and a sincere man? Absalom was malicious, and he made everyone his own; see then how great his malice was. Going about, it says, he would say, Is there no judgment for you? wishing to win each man over. But 62.108 David was sincere. What then? See the end of them both, see how full of folly that one was. For since he looked only to the harm of his father, in all other things he was completely blinded. But not David. For he who walks in simplicity, walks confidently. That is, he who is not meddlesome, who devises no evil. Let us therefore obey the blessed Paul, and let us pity and weep for the bitter, and let us do and perform all things, so as to drain the wickedness from their soul. For how is it not absurd, when we have bile in us (and yet this element is useful; for it is not possible for a man to exist without bile, I mean this elemental bile); how is it not absurd to purge this as much as possible, although we are greatly benefited by it; but to do nothing and make no effort to purge that which is in the soul, which is useful in no way, but rather does the greatest harm? He that wishes, it says, to be wise among you, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. Hear again also what Luke says: They took their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. Or do we not see even now the simple and sincere enjoying common honor from all? No one envies such a one when he prospers, no one tramples on him when he is in adversity; but all both rejoice with him when he does well, and grieve with him when he stumbles. But if a bitter man should ever prosper, all groan, as if some evil had happened; and if he should again be in adversity, all rejoice. Let us pity them therefore; for they have common enemies going about everywhere. Jacob was sincere, but he overcame the malicious Esau; For into a malicious soul wisdom will not enter. Let all bitterness be put away from you; let not even a remnant remain. For this, when stirred, knows how to create a whole pyre within, as from some spark. Let us then understand accurately what bitterness is; for instance, the treacherous man, the deceitful, the one prepared to do evil, the suspicious; from this, indeed, anger and wrath are always born. For it is not possible for such a soul to be in tranquility; for bitterness is the root of anger and wrath. Such a one is also sullen, and never relaxes his soul, being always deep in thought, always gloomy. For as I said, they are the first to reap the fruits of their own

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καὶ ἐγκαλλωπίζεσθαι, καὶ παρ' ἑτέρων ζηλοῦσθαι. Πικρὸς, φησὶν, ἄνθρωπος ὁ δεῖνα, σκορπίος ἐστὶν, ὄφις ἐστὶν, ἔχις· φοβερὸν νομίζουσιν αὐτόν. Τί δέδοικας τὸν πικρὸν, ἄνθρωπε; Μὴ βλάψῃ, φησὶ, μὴ λυμήνηται· ἄπειρος ἐγὼ τῆς ἐκείνου κακίας εἰμί· δέδοικα μή με λαβὼν ἁπλοῦν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν αὐτοῦ προορώμενον, εἰς τὰς πάγας ἐμβάλῃ τὰς αὑτοῦ, καὶ τοῖς δικτύοις ἡμᾶς συμποδίσῃ τοῖς ἡτοιμασμένοις αὐτῷ πρὸς ἡμετέραν ἀπάτην. Γελῶ νῦν. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι παίδων ἐστὶ ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα, τὰ μὴ φοβερὰ φοβουμένων. Οὐδενὸς μὲν οὖν οὕτω δεῖ καταφρονεῖν, οὐδενὸς οὕτω καταγελᾷν, ὡς ἀνθρώπου πικροῦ καὶ πονηροῦ. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἀσθενὲς, ὡς πικρία· μωροὺς ποιεῖ καὶ ἀνοήτους. βʹ. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾶτε ὅτι τυφλὸν ἡ κακία; ἢ οὐκ ἠκούσατε, ὅτι ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον τῷ πλησίον, ἑαυτῷ ὀρύσσει; πῶς οὖν οὐ χρὴ φοβεῖσθαι ψυχὴν ταραχῆς ἐμπεπλησμένην; Εἰ μὲν οὖν, ὡς δαίμονας καὶ μαινομένους, χρὴ καὶ τοὺς πικροὺς φοβεῖσθαι, καὶ ὡς τοὺς μωροὺς (καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι ἁπλῶς ἅπαντα ποιοῦσι), φημὶ κἀγώ· εἰ δὲ ὡς δεινοὺς πράγμασι χρῆσθαι, τοῦτο οὐκέτι. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω πρὸς πραγμάτων οἰκονομίαν ἐπιτήδειον, ὡς σύνεσις· οὐδὲν οὕτω συνέσεως ἐμπόδιον, ὡς πονηρία καὶ κακία, καὶ τὸ ὕπουλον. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε τὰ σώματα τὰ χολερικὰ, πῶς ἐστιν ἀειδῆ, παντὸς ἄνθους μαρανθέντος ἐν αὐτοῖς; πῶς ἐστιν ἀσθενῆ καὶ λεπτὰ, καὶ πρὸς πάντα ἀνεπιτήδεια; Τοιαῦταί εἰσι καὶ αἱ ψυχαὶ αἱ τοιαῦται. Ἴκτερος γὰρ ψυχῆς οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἢ πονηρία. Οὐκ ἔστιν οὖν ἰσχυρὸν ἡ πονηρία, οὐκ ἔστι. Βούλεσθε πάλιν καὶ ἐπὶ ὑποδείγματος, ὃ λέγω, ποιήσω φανερὸν, κακούργου καὶ ἀπλάστου παραγαγὼν ὑμῖν εἰκόνας; Κακοῦργος ἦν ὁ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, καὶ πάντας ἰδιοποιεῖτο· ὅρα οὖν ὅση ἦν ἡ κακουργία. Περιιὼν, φησὶν, ἔλεγε, Μὴ ἔστι σοι κρίσις; οἰκειώσασθαι ἕκαστον βουλόμενος. Ὁ δὲ 62.108 ∆αυῒδ ἄπλαστος. Τί οὖν; Ὅρα ἀμφοτέρων τὸ τέλος, ὅρα πόσης ἔγεμεν ἐκεῖνος ἀνοίας. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πρὸς τὴν βλάβην ἑώρα μόνην τοῦ πατρὸς, ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις τετύφλωτο πᾶσιν. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ ∆αυΐδ. Ὁ πορευόμενος γὰρ ἁπλῶς, πορεύεται πεποιθώς. Τουτέστιν, ὁ μηδὲν περιεργαζόμενος, ὁ μηδὲν κατασκευάζων κακόν. Πειθώμεθα τοίνυν τῷ μακαρίῳ Παύλῳ, καὶ ἐλεῶμεν καὶ δακρύωμεν τοὺς πικροὺς, καὶ πάντα πράττωμεν καὶ ποιῶμεν, ὥστε αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐξαντλῆσαι τὴν πονηρίαν. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, χολῆς μὲν ἡμῖν ἐνούσης (καίτοι γε χρήσιμον τοῦτο τὸ στοιχεῖον· χωρὶς γὰρ χολῆς ἄνθρωπον εἶναι οὐ δυνατὸν, ταύτης δὴ λέγω τῆς στοιχειώδους)· πῶς οὐκ ἄτοπον ταύτην μὲν κενοῦν κατὰ δύναμιν, καίτοι μεγάλα παρ' αὐτῆς ὠφελουμένους· τὴν δὲ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ μηδὲν ποιεῖν μηδὲ σπουδάζειν ὥστε κενοῦν, οὐδαμοῦ χρήσιμον οὖσαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μέγιστα ἀδικοῦσαν; Ὁ βουλόμενος, φησὶν, εἶναι σοφὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, γενέσθω μωρὸς, ἵνα γένηται σοφός. Ἄκουε πάλιν καὶ τοῦ Λουκᾶ λέγοντος· Μετελάμβανον τροφῆς ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει καὶ ἀφελότητι καρδίας, αἰνοῦντες τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ εἶχον χάριν πρὸς ὅλον τὸν λαόν. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρῶμεν καὶ νῦν τοὺς ἀφελεῖς καὶ ἀπλάστους κοινῆς τιμῆς παρὰ πάντων ἀπολαύοντας; Οὐδεὶς τῷ τοιούτῳ φθονεῖ εὐπραγοῦντι, οὐδεὶς ἐπεμβαίνει δυσπραγοῦντι· ἀλλὰ πάντες καὶ καλῶς πράττοντι συγχαίρουσι, καὶ πταίσαντι συναλγοῦσιν. Ἂν δὲ πικρὸς ἅνθρωπος εὐημερήσῃ ποτὲ, ὡς κακοῦ τινος συμβάντος, ἅπαντες στένουσι· κἂν δυσπραγήσῃ πάλιν, ἅπαντες χαίρουσιν. Ἐλεῶμεν οὖν αὐτούς· ἔχουσι γὰρ κοινοὺς ἐχθροὺς πανταχοῦ περιιόντας. Ὁ Ἰακὼβ ἄπλαστος ἦν, ἀλλὰ τὸν κακοῦργον Ἡσαῦ ἐνίκησεν· Εἰς κακότεχνον γὰρ ψυχὴν οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται σοφία. Πᾶσα πικρία ἀρθήτω ἀφ' ὑμῶν· μηδὲ λείψανον μενέτω. Οἶδε γὰρ τοῦτο κινηθὲν, καθάπερ ἀπὸ σπινθῆρός τινος, ὁλόκληρον ἔνδον ποιῆσαι πυράν. Τί τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἡ πικρία κατανοήσωμεν ἀκριβῶς· οἷον ὁ ὕπουλος ἀνὴρ, ὁ δολερὸς, ὁ πρὸς τὸ κακοποιεῖν παρεσκευασμένος, ὁ καχύποπτος· ἀπὸ δὴ τούτου ἀεὶ θυμὸς καὶ ὀργὴ τίκτεται. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐν γαλήνῃ τὴν τοιαύτην εἶναι ψυχήν· ῥίζα γὰρ θυμοῦ καὶ ὀργῆς πικρία. Ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ βαρύθυμός ἐστιν, καὶ οὐδέποτε ἀνίησι τὴν ψυχὴν, ἀεὶ σύννους ὢν, ἀεὶ σκυθρωπός. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἔφην, αὐτοὶ πρῶτοι καρποῦνται τὰ ἑαυτῶν