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hated by God and altogether detested by God, and alien to all happiness. What could be worse than slander? For it charms the ears, and startles the mind of the hearers, and makes them savage like some wild beast always lying in wait for evils. But those who are well ballasted and restrained by sober reasoning, detest the slanderer most of all, rather than the one slandered, having rebuked and silenced the impulses toward blame, until the proof becomes clear by testimony.

TITLE XIII. —Concerning narration made by prudent men; and that we ought to be

diligent in such hearings, but to flee from foolish men.

Transgressors told me idle tales, but not as thy law, O Lord. Apply your mind to the words of the wise. -Speak, ye men, to the righteous; Do not miss the discourse of the aged; for they also learned from their fathers. The discourse of a fool is an annoyance. Do not overlook the discourse of the wise, and be conversant in their proverbs. The discourse of a fool is like a burden on a journey; but on the lips of the prudent grace will be found. Stop up your ears with wax against evil words, And the jarring twists of delightful songs. But to the noble and good, always give. To speak, to hear, and to do, a small space between.

TITLE XIV. —Concerning justice and virtue.

Righteousness delivers from death. In the ways of righteousness is life. Righteousness exalts a nation. 95.1380 He that sows righteousness will receive a sure reward. Righteousness guards the simple. God loves those who pursue righteousness. In abundant righteousness is much strength. The way of righteousness and mercy will find life and glory. From the fruit of righteousness grows a tree of life. The beginning of righteousness gives authority to words. Righteousness directs the ways of the blameless. The beginning of a good way is to do just things. The way of righteousness is length of life. To do what is just, and to speak truth, is more pleasing to God than the blood of sacrifices. The works of righteousness shall be peace, and righteousness shall hold fast rest. Learn righteousness, you who dwell upon the earth, for the ungodly has ceased. Open the gates, let a people enter that keeps righteousness and truth. Thus says the Lord: Keep judgment, do divine righteousness. Blessed is he who does these things and holds fast to them. Righteousness is immortal. If a man loves righteousness, her labors are virtues. If you pursue what is just, you will obtain it, and you will put it on as a robe of glory. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Everyone who does righteousness is of God. Righteousness is a state of character that assigns to each his due But this is hard to attain, for some, because of a lack of prudence, do not find how to distribute to each what is equal, while others, because they are preoccupied by human passions, obscure what is just. -Virtue holds the place of health. -Virtue is more honorable than wealth. - The practice of virtue is a precious possession to the one who has it, and a most pleasant sight to those who encounter it. The good is hard for human nature to grasp, just as fire is for rather moist matter. It is fitting for virtue to be free from all fear and without a master. Virtue is without a master, and voluntary, and free from all necessity. Such is the distribution of virtue, that it is both divided among all who lay claim to it, and 95.1381 is wholly present to each, not being diminished by those who partake in it. Virtue ought not to be lame in one respect, but to be upright and perfect in both deed and word. Human nature is not able to behold purely what is just in the soul, being dull in most of its reasonings. The place does not dignify virtue, but virtue is wont to dignify the place. -Just as with the lyre it is not enough for the melody to be only from one string

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θεοστυγεῖς τε καὶ θεομισεῖς πάντη, καὶ πάσης εὐδαιμονίας ἀλλότριοι. Τί ἂν γένοιτο διαβολῆς χεῖρον; κηλεῖ γὰρ τὰ ὦτα, καὶ ἐκπλήττει τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν ἀκροατῶν, ἐκθηριοῖ δὲ αὐτοὺς οἷόν τι θήραμα τοῖς κακοῖς ἀεὶ ἐφεδρεύοντας. Οἱ δὲ τῷ σώφρονι λογισμῷ μάλα ἑρματισμένοι καὶ ἀναχαιτιζόμενοι, τῷ διαβάλλοντι ἀπεχθαίνουσι μάλιστα, ἢ τῷ διαβεβλημένῳ, ἐπιτιμήσαντες καὶ ἐπιστομίσαντες ταῖς πρὸς μέμψιν ὁρμαῖς, ἄχρις ἂν ἐναργὴς μαρτυρίῳ ἡ ἀπόδειξις γένηται.

ΤΙΤΛ. ΙΓʹ. -Περὶ διηγήσεως ὑπὸ συνετῶν ἀνθρώπων γινομένης· καὶ ὅτι χρὴ

σπουδαίους εἶναι ἡμᾶς περὶ τὰς τοιαύτας ἀκροάσεις, ἀποδιδράσκειν δὲ ἀνοήτων ἀνδρῶν.

∆ιηγήσαντό μοι παράνομοι ἀδολεσχίας, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς ὁ νόμος σου, Κύριε. Λόγοις σοφῶν παράβαλέ σου τὸν νοῦν. -Λαλεῖτε, ἄνθρωποι, δικαίοις· Μὴ ἀστόχει διηγήματος γερόντων· καὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ ἔμαθον παρὰ τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν. ∆ιήγησις μωροῦ προσόχθισμα. Μὴ παρίδῃς διήγημα σοφῶν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς παροιμίαις αὐτῶν ἀναστρέφου. ∆ιήγησις μώρου, ὡς ἐν ὁδῷ φορτίον· ἐπὶ δὲ χείλεσι συνετοῦ εὑρεθήσεται χάρις. Κήρῳ τὰ ὦτα φράσσε πρὸς φαύλους λόγους, Ὠδῶν τε τερπνῶν ἐκμελῆ λυγίσματα. Τοῖς δ' αὖ καλοῖς τε κἀγαθοῖς καὶ ἀεὶ δίδου. Εἰπεῖν, ἀκοῦσαι, καὶ δράσαι, μικρὸν μέσον.

ΤΙΤΛ. Ι∆ʹ. -Περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἀρετῆς.

∆ικαιοσύνη ῥύεται ἐκ θανάτου. Ἐν ὁδοῖς δικαιοσύνης ζωή. ∆ικαιοσύνη ὑψοῖ ἔθνος. 95.1380 Ὁ σπείρων δικαιοσύνην λήψεται μισθὸν πιστόν. ∆ικαιοσύνη φυλάττει ἀκάκους. ∆ιώκοντας δικαιοσύνην ἀγαπᾷ ὁ Θεός. Ἐν πλεοναζούσῃ δικαιοσύνῃ ἰσχὺς πολλή. Ὁδὸς δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης εὑρήσει ζωὴν καὶ δόξαν. Ἐκ καρποῦ δικαιοσύνης φύεται δένδρον ζωῆς. Ἐξουσίαν δίδωσι λόγοις ἀρχὴ δικαιοσύνης. ∆ικαιοσύνη ἀμώμους ὀρθοτομεῖ ὁδούς. Ἀρχὴ ὁδοῦ ἀγαθῆς, ποιεῖν δίκαια. Μῆκος βίου ὁδὸς δικαιοσύνης. Ποιεῖν δίκαια, καὶ ἀληθεύειν, ἀρεστὰ παρὰ Θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ θυσιῶν αἷμα. Ἔσται τὰ ἔργα δικαιοσύνης εἰρήνη, καὶ κρατήσει ἡ δικαιοσύνη ἀνάπαυσιν. ∆ικαιοσύνην μάθετε, οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς πέπαυται γὰρ ὁ ἀσεβής. Ἀνοίξατε πύλας, εἰσελθέτω λαὸς φυλάττων δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀλήθειαν. Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Φυλάσσεσθε κρίσιν, ποιεῖτε δικαιοσύνην θείαν. Μακάριος ὁ ποιῶν ταῦτα καὶ ἀντεχόμενος αὐτῶν. ∆ικαιοσύνη ἀθάνατός ἐστιν. Ἐὰν δικαιοσύνην ἀγαπᾷ τις, οἱ πόνοι αὐτοῦ εἰσιν ἀρεταί. Ἐὰν διώκῃς τὸ δίκαιον, καταλήψει, καὶ ἐνδύσῃ αὐτὸ ὡς ποδήρη δόξης. Μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες δικαιοσύνην, ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται. Πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι. ∆ικαιοσύνη ἐστὶν ἕξις ἀπονεμητικὴ τοῦ κατ' ἀξίαν ∆υσθήρατον δὲ τοῦτο, τῶν μὲν διὰ τὸ περὶ τὴν φρόνησιν ἐλλειπὲς οὐχ εὑρισκόντων ἑκάστῳ διανεῖμαι τὸ ἶσον, τῶν δὲ διὰ τὸ προκατέχεσθαι ὑπὸ παθῶν ἀνθρωπίνων, ἀφανιζόντων τὸ δίκαιον. -Ἡ ἀρετὴ λόγον ὑγείας ἐπέχει. -Τιμιώτερον ἀρετὴ ἢ πλοῦτος. - Ἀρετῆς ἄσκησις, τίμιον μὲν κτῆμα τῷ ἔχοντι, ἥδιστον δὲ θέαμα τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν. ∆ύσληπτον τὸ ἀγαθὸν τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει, ὥσπερ καὶ πῦρ ὕλῃ τῇ ὑγροτέρᾳ. Ἐλευθέραν εἶναι προσήκει παντὸς φόβου τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ ἀδέσποτον. Ἀδέσποτον ἡ ἀρετὴ, καὶ ἑκούσιον, καὶ ἀνάγκης πάσης ἐλεύθερον. Τοιαύτη τῆς ἀρετῆς ἡ διαίρεσις, ὥστε καὶ εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἀντιποιουμένους αὐτῆς διαμερίζεσθαι, καὶ 95.1381 πᾶσαν ἑκάστῳ παρεῖναι μὴ ἐλαττουμένην ἐπὶ τοῖς συμμετέχουσιν. Χρὴ τὴν ἀρετὴν μὴ χωλὴν εἶναι καθ' ἑτέρων, ἀλλ' ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ ὀρθὴν καὶ ἀπηρισμένην κατ' ἀμφότερα εἶναι. Οὐ δύναται ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις αὐτὸ καθαρῶς τὸ δίκαιον ἐν ψυχῇ θεάσασθαι, τὰ πολλὰ τῶν λογισμῶν ἀμβλυώττουσα. Οὐχ ὁ τόπος τὴν ἀρετὴν, ἀλλ' ἡ ἀρετὴ πέφυκε τὸν τόπον σεμνύνειν. -Ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῆς κιθάρας οὐκ ἀρκεῖ μόνον ἀπὸ μιᾶς νευρᾶς τὴν μελῳδίαν