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76

being found cast out of the synagogue; and he adds a reward for himself, the one who casts the fault upon himself in everything.

1.36 (36) Neither does the high-minded man recognize what his own faults are, nor the humble-minded man his own good things. For a worthless ignorance covers the one; but a God-pleasing one, the other.

1.37 (37) The arrogant man does not want to be compared in good things with his equals; but in the opposite things, with those who are superior, he considers his own fault, when compared, to be tolerable.

1.38 (38) Reproach makes the soul firm; but praise makes it lax and more sluggish towards good things.

1.39 (39) The substance of wealth is gold; but of virtue, humility. As therefore one who lacks gold is poor, even if he does not seem so to outsiders; so without humility, the one who struggles will not be virtuous.

1.40 (40) Without gold, just as a merchant is not naturally a merchant, even if he is very suitable for commerce; so also without humility, will the one who practices asceticism be found in possession of the pleasures of virtue, even if he trusts entirely in his own sagacity.

1.41 (41) The one who ascends by humility becomes lower than his own mindset; but higher is the one without it, who does not willingly endure being compared even with the least; and for this reason he shows his distress at the first seats.

(15∆_334> 1.42 (42) It is good for the struggler to think less of his own work, and to act better than his cowardice. For so he is both venerable to men, and found to be a workman for God who is not ashamed.

1.43 (43) The one who fears lest he be seen as a stranger to those who recline in the bridal chamber must either be set right in respect to all the commandments of God, 1412 or lay claim to the one of humility.

1.44 (44) Mix self-control with simplicity; and join truth to humility, and be a table-companion to righteousness when it appears; to which, as to a table, every other virtue loves to be gathered together.

1.45 (45) Truth without humility is blind. For this reason it also uses contradiction as a tutor, struggling to base itself on something, but finding nothing, except the fortress of remembrance of wrongs.

1.46 (46) A good character testifies to the beauty of virtue; and the composure of the limbs, to a peaceful soul.

1.47 (47) First, it is good to stumble in no part. Second, not to cover up one's fault with shame; nor indeed, to be shameless in it, but rather to be humbled, and when accused, to join in accusing oneself, and to accept the penance gladly. But if this is not done, everything offered to God is powerless.

1.48 (48) In addition to voluntary hardship, one must also accept the involuntary; I mean that from slanders, losses and weaknesses. For one who does not accept these things, but is vexed, is like one who wishes to eat his (15∆_336> bread not with salt, but with honey alone; who does not always have pleasure as a companion, but always possesses satiety as a neighbor.

1.49 (49) Though being a master, he appears clothed in the form of a servant, the one who washes the torn garment of his neighbor with inspired words, or mends it with his gifts. But let the one who does this take care, lest ever, because he accomplishes this as a servant, he should lose, along with the reward, also the dignity of authority that belongs to him, through vainglory.

76

ἀποσυνάγωγος εὑρισκόμενος· προστίθησι δέ καί μισθόν ἑαυτῶ, ὁ τό σφάλμα βάλλων ἐπάνω ἑαυτοῦ ἐν παντί.

1.36 (λστ΄) Οὔτε ὁ ὑψηλόφρων ἐπιγινώσκει οἷα τά ἑαυτοῦ ἐλαττώματα, οὔτε ὁ ταπεινόφρων τά οἰκεῖα καλά. Καλύπτει γάρ, τόν μέν, ἄγνοια φαύλη· τόν δέ, θεάρεστος.

1.37 (λζ΄) Τοῖς ἰσοτίμοις ὁ ὑπερήφανος ἐν καλοῖς παραμετρεῖσθαι οὐ βούλεται· ἐν δέ τοῖς ἐναντίοις, πρός τούς ὑπερέχοντας, φορητόν τό ἑαυτοῦ παραβαλλόμενον ἡγεῖται ἐλάττωμα.

1.38 (λη΄) Ὁ μέν ψόγος στεῤῥάν· ὁ δέ ἔπαινος, ἔκλυτον τήν ψυχήν ἀπεργάζεται καί νωθροτέραν πρός τά καλά.

1.39 (λθ΄) Ὑπόστασις μέν πλούτου, χρυσός· ἀρετῆς δέ, ταπείνωσις. Ὡς οὖν ὁ χρυσοῦ ἀπορῶν πένης ἐστί, κἄν μή τοῖς ἔξωθεν φαίνηται· οὕτω ταπεινώσεως ἄνευ, ἐνάρετος οὐκ ἔσται ὁ ἀγωνιζόμενος.

1.40 (μ΄) Χρυσοῦ δίχα, ὥσπερ ἔμπορος οὐ πέφυκεν ἔμπορος, κἄν λίαν πρός ἐμπορίαν ἐστίν ἐπιτήδειος· οὕτως οὐδέ ταπεινοφροσύνης χωρίς, ἐν κατασχέσει τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἡδέων εὑρεθήσεται ὁ ἀσκούμενος, κἄν πάντη τῇ ἑαυτοῦ νουνεχείᾳ θαῤῥῇ.

1.41 (μα΄) Τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ ὁ ἀνιών, κατώτερος τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ φρονήματος γίνεται· ἀνώτερος δέ, ὁ ἐκείνης χωρίς, ὅς οὐδέ παραμετρεῖσθαι τοῖς ἐλαχίστοις ἑκουσίως ἀνέχεται· καί διά τοῦτο ἐν ταῖς πρωτοκλισίαις τό λυπηρόν ἐπιδείκνυται.

(15∆_334> 1.42 (μβ΄) Καλόν τῷ ἀγωνιστῇ φρονεῖν μέν ἥττονα τῆς ἐργασίας αὐτοῦ, πράττειν δέ κρείττονα τῆς δειλίας αὐτοῦ. Οὕτω γάρ ἄν καί ἀνθρώποις αἰδέσιμος, καί Θεῷ ἐργάτης εὑρίσκεται ἀνεπαίσχυντος.

1.43 (μγ΄) Ἤ κατορθοῦσθαι δεῖ πρός πάσας τάς ἐντολάς τοῦ Θεοῦ, 1412 ἤ μιᾶς ἀντιποιεῖσθαι τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης, τόν δεδοιότα μή ξενόν τῶν τῷ νυμφῶνι ἀνακειμένων ὀφθῆναι.

1.44 (μδ΄) Μίξον τῇ ἁπλότητι τήν ἐγκράτειαν· καί σύζευξον τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ ἀλήθειαν, καί ὀφθείσῃ δικαιοσύνῃ συνέστιος· ᾗ ὡς ἐπί τραπέζης, ἄλλη πᾶσα φιλεῖ ἐπισυνάγεσθαι ἀρετή.

1.45 (με΄) Τυφλή τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης χωρίς ἡ ἀλήθεια. ∆ιά τοῦτο καί τῇ ἀντιλογίᾳ χρῆται παιδαγωγῷ, ἐρεῖσαι μέν αὐτῇ ἐπί τι μοχθούσῃ, μή εὑρισκούσῃ δέ, εἰ μή τό τῆς μνησικακίας ὀχύρωμα.

1.46 (μστ΄) Ἥθος χρηστόν, ὡραιότητα μαρτυρεῖ ἀρετῆς· μελῶν δέ εὐστάθεια, εἰρηναίαν ψυχήν.

1.47 (μζ΄) Πρῶτον μέν καλόν, τό ἐν μηδενί μέρει πταίειν. ∆εύτερον δέ, τό μή αἰδοῖ κατακαλύπτειν τό σφάλμα αὐτοῦ· μή τε μήν, ἀναιδεύεσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ, μᾶλλον δέ ταπεινοῦσθαι, καί κατηγορούμενον ἑαυτοῦ συγκατηγορεῖν, καί δέχεσθαι ἀσμένως τό ἐπιτίμιον. Τούτου δέ μή γινομένου, ἀνίσχυρον ἅπαν τό τῷ Θεῷ προφερόμενον.

1.48 (μη΄) Πρός τῇ ἑκουσίῳ κακοπαθείᾳ, χρή καί τήν ἀκούσιον καταδέχεσθαι· τήν ἐκ διαβολῶν λέγω, ζημιῶν τε καί ἀσθενειῶν. Ταῦτα γάρ ὁ μή καταδεχόμενος, ἀλλά δυσπετῶν, ὅμοιός ἐστι τῷ μή μετά ἁλός, μετά δέ μέλιτος μόνου βουλομένου ἐσθίειν τόν (15∆_336> ἄρτον αὐτοῦ· ὅς οὐ πάντοτε μέν τήν ἡδονήν ἔχει σύντροφον, τόν δέ κόρον ἀεί γείτονα κέκτηται.

1.49 (μθ΄) ∆εσπότης ὤν, δούλου σχῆμα περιβαλλόμενος φαίνεται, ὁ τό διεῤῥωγός πλύνων τοῦ πλησίον λόγοις ἐνθέοις ἱμάτιον, ἤ καταῤῥάπτων ταῖς μεταδόσεσι. Σκοπείτω δέ ὁ τοῦτο ποιῶν, μή ποτε διά τό ὡς δοῦλος τοῦτο τελεῖν, προσαπολέσῃ σύν τῷ μισθῷ, καί τό προσόν αὐτῷ τῆς ἐξουσίας διά κενοδοξίας ἀξίωμα.