148

and worked evil. Yet he called me, I know, and I obeyed at once. But where did you suppose I meant he called me? Not to the glory of the world or to luxuries or comforts, nor to wealth at all or the friendship of rulers or to any other of the things seen here in this life? Away with the blasphemy! But I said that he called me rather to repentance, and at once I followed the Master who was calling me. (227) So when he ran, I ran after him, when he fled, I pursued him as a dog the hare. But when the Savior was far from me and hidden, I did not despair, nor did I turn back as if having lost him, but sitting down in the place where I was, I mourned, wept, and called back to the Master who was hidden from me. Thus then, as I was rolling about and crying out, he was seen by me, drawing very near to me. Seeing him, I leaped up, I rushed to seize him, but he fled quickly, I ran vigorously, so I often caught hold of the hem of his garment, he would stand for a little while, I rejoiced greatly, and he would fly away, and again I would pursue, and so as he was going away, coming,

148

καί κακίας εἰργασάμην. Πλήν ἐκάλεσέ με, οἶδα, καί ὑπήκουσα εὐθέως. Ποῦ δέ κεκληκέναι τοῦτον ὑπενόησας εἰπεῖν με; Μή πρός δόξαν τήν τοῦ κόσμου ἤ τρυφάς με ἤ ἀνέσεις, ἀλλά μή πρός πλοῦτον ὅλως ἤ φιλίαν με ἀρχόντων ἤ πρός ἄλλο τι τῶν ὧδε ἐν τῷ βίῳ ὁρωμένων; Ἄπαγε τῆς βλασφημίας! Πρός μετάνοιαν δέ εἶπον, ὅτι κέκληκέ με μᾶλλον, καί εὐθέως τῷ καλοῦντι ἠκολούθησα ∆εσπότῃ˙ (227) τρέχοντι οὖν κατέτρεχον, φεύγοντι οὖν ἐδίωκον ὡς τόν λαγωόν ὁ κύων. Μακρυθέντος ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ δέ καί κρυβέντος τοῦ Σωτῆρος οὐκ ἀπήλπιζον ἔγωγε, οὐδ᾿ ὡς ἀπολέσας τοῦτον ἐστρεφόμην εἰς τοὐπίσω, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν ᾧ εὑρέθην τόπῳ καθεζόμενος ἐθρήνουν, ἔκλαιον καί ἀντεκάλουν τόν κρυβέντα μοι ∆εσπότην. Οὕτως οὖν κυλινδομένῳ καί βοῶντί μοι ὡρᾶτο, ἔγγιστά μου πλησιάσας. Τοῦτον βλέπων ἀνεπήδων, ὥρμων δράξασθαι αὐτοῦ δέ, ἔφευγεν ἐκεῖνος τάχος, ἔτρεχον ἐγώ εὐτόνως, ἐδρασσόμην οὖν πολλάκις τοῦ κρασπέδου τούτου φθάνων, ἵστατο μικρόν ἐκεῖνος, ἔχαιρον ἐγώ μεγάλως, καί ἀφίπτατο, καί πάλιν κατεδίωκον καί οὕτως ἀπιόντος, ἐρχομένου,