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he ordered him to go outside Didymoteichos and stay in the suburbs until he himself granted him entrance, but not to enter before, not even if all men were to permit it; and having taken another in his place, he brought him in to the emperor. And he was saying that the one you were accustomed to was away from the city, adding oaths that he was telling the truth, and that he had brought this man who was by no means familiar to you, and very unwillingly because he was being compelled by you. And the emperor, addressing him, said, "It is time for you, father, to use your spiritual medicines and to display the most humane of all sciences, and to recall a soul in pain and suffering badly from many wounds and failings and to guide it to the paths of salvation, and with the garments and deeds of repentance to prepare the judge to be merciful to it." And he himself greeted the emperor in return, but said that it was not permitted for him, while the father was still alive, to whom you had subjected yourself 1.403 spiritually, to choose another, and this especially in such times, when you wish to change your life and be transferred to the angelic state, since it is right to use this one as a teacher throughout your whole life and to pay attention to him as to one of the better men, and not to be initiated into such matters simply and thoughtlessly by any chance person. For he had been taught to say such things. And the emperor was not a little displeased at these words and held the Grand Domestic responsible, saying that he was being prevented by him from obtaining salvation. But when he supported what had been said by the spiritual father and affirmed that the one was not present to whom it was right to entrust such matters, and furthermore promised that, if ever he should return, he would be present without any delay, the emperor, persuaded, became quiet. But Barys, the most experienced of the physicians, was indignant and seemed unwilling to tolerate it, if the emperor should be deprived of salvation while standing on the razor's edge of danger, having been misled by the Grand Domestic, and he was eager to make clear to the emperor all that had been conspired concerning the spiritual father and how there would be no obstacle, if that spiritual father were not present, for another to do the same things, since the same authority has been granted equally by the all-creating Spirit to all spiritual fathers. And the Grand Domestic, perceiving what Barys wanted, took him into the outer room and said, "I suspect you want to incite the emperor to don the monastic 1.404 habit from whatever spiritual father he might chance upon. You yourself also urged the emperor to this in the beginning. At that time, then, your inexperience and ignorance excused you from suffering harm; but if you attempt the same or even worse things again, know that you will not get away without punishment. For first, it is not possible to buy an emperor from the market, if we should be deprived of the present one, and second, even if this were possible, we would not have found such a one who is best in all things. For God, who foresees all things, creates those who are to be entrusted with such great leadership of affairs in proportion to the greatness of the office. Besides, how many who were wrestling with terrible diseases have happened to be given up by their physicians and seemed to have reached the very end of life, but by the one who orders and refashions all things as he wills, they have revived again and, recovering, have lived no fewer years than before? What wonder is it, then, if God is willing, that very similar things will also happen in the case of our emperor? For this reason I tell you, be quiet and do not bother the emperor, but leave him as he is in his habit. And if God, looking graciously upon the Romans, grants us our emperor, we will both give him possible thanks and we will count the emperor's health as the greatest good fortune for ourselves; but if, which may it not be, by judgments which he himself knows, he should establish him from the temporary and 1.405 earthly to the better and more permanent kingdoms, being a just judge and examiner of hearts and thoughts, he will judge his intention and deem him worthy of the same rewards as the monks, because not by his own intention, but being deceived, was he deprived of such a good thing." Such things

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ἐκέλευεν ἔξω ∆ιδυμοτείχου χωρεῖν καὶ διατρίβειν ἐν προαστείοις ἄχρις ἂν αὐτὸς τὴν εἴσοδον ἐνδῷ, πρότερον δὲ μὴ εἰσιέναι, μήδ' εἰ πάντες ἄνθρωποι ἐπιτρέποιεν· ἕτερον δὲ ἀντ' ἐκείνου παραλαβὼν, εἰσήγαγεν ὡς βασιλέα. ἔφασκέ τε τὸν μὲν εἰωθότα τῆς πόλεως ἀποδημεῖν, καὶ ὅρκους προστιθεὶς ὡς ἀληθεύοι, τουτονὶ δὲ εἰσαγαγεῖν οὐδαμῶς ὄντα σοι ἐν συνηθείᾳ, καὶ πάνυ ἄκοντα διὰ τὸ βιάζεσθαι ὑπὸ σοῦ. Βασιλεὺς δὲ αὐτὸν προσαγορεύσας «ὥρα σοι, πάτερ,» ἔλεγε «τοῖς πνευματικοῖς χρῆσθαι φαρμάκοις καὶ τὴν ἐπιστήμην ἐπιδείκνυσθαι τὴν πασῶν φιλανθρωποτάτην, καὶ ψυχὴν ὀδυνωμένην καὶ κακῶς πάσχουσαν ὑπὸ πολλῶν τραυμάτων καὶ πταισμάτων ἀνακαλεῖσθαι καὶ πρὸς σωτηρίους τρίβους καθοδηγεῖν, καὶ μετανοίας ἐνδύμασι καὶ πράγμασι τὸν κριτὴν ἵλεων αὐτῇ προκατασκευάζειν.» ὁ δ' ἀντησπάζετο μὲν βασιλέα καὶ αὐτὸς, μὴ ἐξεῖναι δὲ αὐτῷ ἔλεγεν, ἔτι ζῶντος τοῦ πατρὸς, ᾧ φέρων ἑαυτὸν ὑπέταξας 1.403 πνευματικῶς, ἕτερον ἀνθαιρεῖσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν καιροῖς μάλιστα τοιούτοις, ὅτε βούλει μεταλλάξασθαι τὸν βίον καὶ πρὸς ἀγγελικὴν μετατάξασθαι πολιτείαν, ἐπεὶ καὶ διὰ βίου παντὸς τούτῳ χρῆσθαι δίκαιον διδασκάλῳ καὶ ὡς τῶν κρειττόνων τινὶ προσέχειν, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἁπλῶς οὕτω καὶ ἀπερισκέπτως ὑπὸ τοῦ τυχόντος τὰ τοιαῦτα μυσταγωγεῖσθαι. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ ἦν δεδιδαγμένος λέγειν. βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐδυσχέραινε μὲν οὐ μετρίως πρὸς τοὺς λόγους καὶ τὸν μέγαν δομέστικον ἐν αἰτίαις ἐποιεῖτο, ὑπ' αὐτοῦ φάσκων κωλύεσθαι σωτηρίας τυχεῖν. συνηγοροῦντος δὲ αὐτοῦ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ καὶ διαβεβαιουμένου μὴ παρεῖναι ἐκεῖνον, ᾧ δίκαιον τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπιτρέπειν, ἔτι τε ἐπαγγελλομένου ὡς, εἴ ποτε ἐπανήξει, μηδὲν ἀναβαλλόμενος παρέσται, ἡσύχασε πεισθεὶς ὁ βασιλεύς. Βαρὺς δὲ, τῶν ἰατρῶν ὁ μάλιστα ἐμπειρότατος, δεινὰ ἐποιεῖτο καὶ οὐδὲ ἀνέξεσθαι ἐδόκει, εἰ βασιλεὺς ἀποστερήσοιτο τῆς σωτηρίας ἐν χρῷ κινδύνου καθεστὼς, ὑπὸ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου παραχθεὶς, ὥρμητό τε δῆλα βασιλεῖ ποιεῖν ὅσα τε περὶ τὸν πνευματικὸν πατέρα συσκευασθείη καὶ ὡς οὐδὲν ἂν εἴη κώλυμα, εἰ μὴ παρείη ὁ πνευματικὸς ἐκεῖνος, ἕτερον τὰ ὅμοια ποιεῖν, τῆς αὐτῆς ἐξουσίας ὑπὸ τοῦ παντουργοῦ πνεύματος πᾶσι πνευματικοῖς πατράσιν ἐξίσης κεχορηγημένης. συνιδὼν δὲ ὁ μέγας δομέστικος ὅ, τι βούλεται ὁ Βαρὺς, εἰς τὸ ἐξώτερον οἴκημα παραλαβὼν, «στοχάζομαί σε» εἶπε «βούλεσθαι βασιλέα παρακινεῖν τὸ μο 1.404 ναχῶν ἐνδῦναι σχῆμα ὑφ' ὅτου ἂν τύχοι πατρὸς πνευματικοῦ. σὺ δ' αὐτὸς καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰς τοῦτο παρώρμησας βασιλέα. τότε μὲν οὖν ἡ ἀπειρία καὶ ἡ ἄγνοια παρῃτήσατό σε μὴ κακῶς παθεῖν· ἂν δ' αὖθις τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἢ καὶ χείροσιν ἐπιχειρῇς, ἴσθι μὴ ἄνευ τιμωρίας ἀπαλλάξων. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἐξ ἀγορᾶς ἐστιν ὠνήσασθαι βασιλέα, ἂν τοῦ ὄντος ἀποστερηθῶμεν, ἔπειτα εἰ καὶ τοῦτ' ἐξῆν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν τοιούτῳ γε ἐνετύχομεν τὰ πάντα βελτίστῳ. τοὺς γὰρ μέλλοντας τοσαύτην προστασίαν ἐγχειρισθήσεσθαι πραγμάτων ὁ τὰ πάντα προορώμενος θεὸς ἀναλόγους πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς μέγεθος δημιουργεῖ. ἄλλως τε, πόσοις τῶν νοσήμασι δεινοῖς παλαιόντων, ὑπὸ μὲν τῶν ἰατρῶν συμβέβηκεν ἀπαγορευθῆναι καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ ἔσχατον δοκοῦν κατηντηκέναι τῆς ζωῆς, ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ τὰ πάντα οἰκονομοῦντος καὶ μετασκευάζοντος ᾗ βούλεται, ἀνεβίωσάν τε αὖθις καὶ ῥαΐσαντες οὐκ ἐλάσσω τῶν προτέρων ἔτη ἐπεβίωσαν; τί οὖν θαυμαστὸν, εἰ θεοῦ βουλομένου, τοιαῦτα παραπλήσια καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἡμετέρου συμβήσεται βασιλέως; οὗ δὴ ἕνεκα σοὶ λέγω, ἠρεμεῖν καὶ μὴ βασιλέα παρενοχλεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐᾷν οὕτως ὅπως ἔχει σχήματος. κἂν μὲν θεὸς Ῥωμαίοις ἵλεων ἐπιβλέψας, τὸν σφέτερον χαρίσηται βασιλέα, αὐτῷ τε τὰς δυνατὰς ἀποδώσομεν εὐχαριστίας καὶ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ μεγίστης εὐτυχίας τὴν ὑγείαν λογιούμεθα βασιλέως· ἂν δ', ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, κρίμασιν οἷς οἶδεν αὐτὸς, ἐκ τῶν προσκαίρων καὶ ἐπι 1.405 γείων πρὸς τὰ βελτίω καὶ μονιμώτερα βασίλεια καταστήσῃ, δίκαιος ὢν κριτὴς καὶ καρδιῶν καὶ λογισμῶν ἐταστὴς, τήν τε πρόθεσιν κρινεῖ καὶ τῶν ἴσων ἀξιώσει γερῶν τοῖς μοναχοῖς, ὅτι μὴ προθέσει τῇ σφετέρᾳ, ἀλλ' ἀπατηθεὶς ἀπεστέρηται τοῦ τοιούτου καλοῦ.» Τοιαῦτα