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valleys, and cliffs. What could one say of the herbs born in them, which offer great service to weary bodies? If such is the usefulness of deserts and mountains, so great is the provision of good things; if you should come to the arable land, and the level plains, consider how many sources of narrative you will see. For just as in our body some parts are 55.124 bones, others sinews, others flesh; so also in the earth, some parts are mountains, others valleys, others fertile places; and all these are useful. Why do I speak of the earth, so great an element? If you wished to speak of the form of a single tree, its use, its fruit, its leaves, its season, and all other things, you will see a long narrative; if of the position of the mountains, if of all other things, if you were to treat of man himself in your discourse, and the formation of his body, here again you would find myriad seas of narratives. Let us, then, occupy ourselves with these things; from them will come to us the greatest pleasure, from them profit, from them unspeakable philosophy. Therefore, making this clear, he added: I will be glad and rejoice in you. Another, And I will glory. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Another, I will sing your 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 you? Having such a Master, he says, this is my pleasure, this is my joy. If anyone knows this pleasure as one ought to know it, he is not sensible of any other pleasure. For this is properly pleasure; whereas all other things are only names of pleasure, devoid of the reality. This makes a man exalted; this releases the soul from the body; this gives it wings to heaven; this makes it higher than worldly things; this delivers it from evil; and very reasonably so. For if those who love beautiful bodies are sensible of nothing else in life, but are of one thing only, the sight of the beloved; he who loves God, as one ought to love, of what will he then be sensible, either of the good things in this life, or of the painful? Of nothing; but he will be superior to all, delighting in immortal things, since He who is loved is also such. For those who love other things quickly and unwillingly turn to forgetfulness, as the things they love perish and fade; but this love is infinite, unending, and has the greater pleasure and the greater gain; and in this it again delights the lover, by never being dissolved. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. This is especially the custom of one who loves. For lovers sing songs to their beloved; and even if they do not see them, they console themselves through song. So also the Prophet does; since it is not possible to see God, he composes songs to him, through his odes communing with him, and kindling his longing, and seeming to see him; or rather, through singing and hymning he kindles longing in many. For just as lovers speak praises of their beloved, and carry their names about; so also this one, I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. 3. See how he detached himself from the earth, and suspended his whole being towards that one, having dedicated himself to God. For this reason he continually revolves his name; for this too is the custom of one who loves. When my enemy is turned back, 55.125 they shall be weakened and perish from your presence. Another, When my enemies were turned back, they stumbled and perished from your presence. And this is especially characteristic of one who loves, to speak always of benefits, and to glory in them; for this comes from affection, and it in turn kindles affection. And one would not be wrong to say that he is also speaking here of spiritual enemies. For these too are turned back when they find a noble soul. For just as against a shield

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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 μου εἰς τὰ 55.125 ὀπίσω, ἀσθενήσουσι, καὶ ἀπολοῦνται ἀπὸ προσώπου σου. Ἄλλος, Ἀνατραπέντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου ὀπίσω, προσκοψάντων καὶ ἀπολομένων ἐκ προσώπου σου. Καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα φιλοῦντός ἐστι, τὸ τὰς εὐεργεσίας λέγειν διὰ παντὸς, καὶ ἐγκαλλωπίζεσθαι ταύταις· ἀπό τε γὰρ φίλτρου τοῦτο γίνεται, καὶ αὐτὸ πάλιν ἀνάπτει τὸ φίλτρον. Οὐκ ἂν δέ τις ἁμάρτοι εἰπὼν καὶ νοητοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἐνταῦθα αὐτὸν λέγειν. Ἀποστρέφονται γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι, ὅταν ψυχὴν γενναίαν εὕρωσι. Καθάπερ γὰρ εἰς ἀσπίδα