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the spear, and said: I will smite David. And David turned away from his presence, and he smote the spear into the wall. Who, even of those who know how to be exceedingly philosophical, would not these things have driven to anger? But this man chose rather to flee, and to be cast out from his father's house, and to be a wanderer and a fugitive, and in hardship to provide for his necessary food, than to become the cause of the king's slaughter. For he considered not how he might avenge himself, but how he might deliver that man from his passion. For this reason he withdrew himself from the eyes of the enemy, so as to draw off the swelling, and to quell the inflammation, and to soothe the envy. For it is better for me, he says, to suffer hardship and to undergo countless terrible things, than for this man to be judged by God for an unjust slaughter. What then could be equal to that noble and adamantine soul, that chose poverty instead of wealth, and wilderness instead of a homeland, and toils and dangers instead of 63.779 luxury and security, in order that he might deliver his enemy from his hatred toward him? Whom would these things not persuade, however beastly and savage, to lay aside his enmity and be freed from his envy? But none of these things persuaded that cruel and inhuman man to be bent toward humanity, but he pursued, and went about everywhere seeking the one who had wronged him in nothing, but had been wronged in the extreme, and who had done him countless good things in return for these. And not knowing it, he then falls into the very nets of David. For there was a cave there, it says, and Saul went in to relieve himself; but David and his men were sitting in the inner part of the cave. And David's men said to him: Behold the day of which the Lord said, I give your enemy into your hands, and you shall do to him what is pleasing in your eyes. And David arose, and secretly cut off the corner of Saul's robe. And after these things David's heart smote him, because he had cut off the corner of the robe; and he said to his men: Far be it from me by the Lord to do this thing to my lord, to lift my hand against him, because he is the Lord's anointed; as if he were saying, The Lord be merciful to me; for even if I myself should wish it, may he never allow me to do this thing, nor permit me to come into this sin. What could be gentler than this soul? Shall we call this man a human, who in human nature displayed an angelic way of life? But the divine laws would not endure it. For who, tell me, would quickly choose to pray such a prayer to God; and what am I saying, to pray? Not to curse the one who has grieved him, who would easily endure that? Did you see David's nets stretched out, and the prey entrapped, and the hunter standing by, and everyone urging him to plunge the sword into the enemy's breast? Behold for me then also the philosophy, behold for me the struggle, the victory, the crown. For that cave was a stadium, and a certain wonderful and paradoxical struggle took place. For David was wrestling, but anger was boxing, and Saul lay as the prize, and God was the judge of the contest. For the war was not for him against himself alone and his own desire, but also against the soldiers present. For even if he wished to be philosophical, and to spare the one who had grieved him, it was likely that he also feared them, lest they might even cut him to pieces in the cave, as being a pest and a betrayer of their safety, and for saving their common enemy. For it was likely that they, being displeased, would say these things: We have become wanderers and fugitives, and have been cast out from our homes and homeland and all other things, and have shared in all your hardships; and you, having taken into your hands the cause of these evils, intend to let him go, so that we may never get a breath of relief from these evils? and being eager to save the enemy, you betray your friends? and where is the justice in this? For if you despise your own safety, at least spare our lives. Do the things that have passed not grieve you, nor do you remember the evils you have suffered from him? at least for the sake of the things to come, destroy him, so that greater and more grievous things

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τὸ δόρυ, καὶ εἶπεν· Εἰ πατάξω ἐν ∆αυΐδ. Καὶ ἐξέκλινε ∆αυῒδ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπάταξε τὸ δόρυ ἐν τῷ τοίχῳ. Τίνα οὐκ ἂν καὶ τῶν σφόδρα φιλοσοφεῖν ἐπισταμένων εἰς θυμὸν ταῦτα ἐξήνεγκεν; Ἀλλ' οὗτος ᾑρεῖτο φυγεῖν μᾶλλον, καὶ τῆς πατρῴας οἰκίας ἐκπεσεῖν, καὶ πλανήτης εἶναι καὶ δραπετεύειν, καὶ ταλαιπωρούμενος τὴν ἀναγκαίαν πορίζειν τροφὴν, ἢ τῷ βασιλεῖ γενέσθαι σφαγῆς αἴτιος. Οὐ γὰρ ὅπως ἑαυτὸν ἐκδικήσειεν, ἀλλ' ὅπως ἐκεῖνον ἀπαλλάξῃ τοῦ πάθους ἐσκόπει. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑπεξήγαγε τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, ὥστε ὑποσῦραι τὸν ὄγκον, καὶ καταστεῖλαι τὴν φλεγμονὴν, καὶ παραμυθήσασθαι τὴν βασκανίαν. Βέλτιον γάρ με, φησὶ, ταλαιπωρεῖσθαι καὶ μυρία πάσχειν δεινὰ, ἢ τοῦτον ἀδίκου σφαγῆς παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ κρίνεσθαι. Τί τοίνυν γένοιτ' ἂν ἴσον τῆς γενναίας ἐκείνης καὶ ἀδαμαντίνης ψυχῆς, ὅτι πενίαν ἀντὶ πλούτου, καὶ ἐρημίαν ἀντὶ πατρίδος, καὶ πόνους καὶ κινδύνους ἀντὶ 63.779 τρυφῆς καὶ ἀδείας εἵλετο, ἵνα τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἀπαλλάξῃ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπεχθείας; Τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἔπεισε ταῦτα ἐκτεθηριωμένον καὶ ἄγριον καταθέσθαι τὴν ἔχθραν καὶ ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς βασκανίας; Ἀλλὰ τὸν ὠμὸν ἐκεῖνον καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον οὐδὲν τούτων ἔπεισε πρὸς φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπικαμφθῆναι, ἀλλ' ἐδίωκε, καὶ πανταχοῦ περιῄει ζητῶν τὸν ἠδικηκότα μὲν οὐδὲν, ἀδικηθέντα δὲ τὰ ἔσχατα, καὶ μυρία αὐτὸν ἀντὶ τούτων ποιήσαντα ἀγαθά. Καὶ οὐκ εἰδὼς εἰς αὐτὰ λοιπὸν τοῦ ∆αυῒδ ἐμπίπτει τὰ δίκτυα· Ἦν γὰρ ἐκεῖ σπήλαιον, φησὶ, καὶ εἰσῆλθε Σαοὺλ παρασκευάσασθαι· ∆αυῒδ δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐνδοτέρῳ σπηλαίῳ ἐκάθηντο. Καὶ εἶπον οἱ ἄνδρες ∆αυῒδ πρὸς αὐτόν· Ἰδοὺ ἡ ἡμέρα καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος, ∆ίδωμι τὸν ἐχθρόν σου εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου, καὶ ποιήσεις αὐτῷ τὸ ἀρεστὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου. Καὶ ἀνέστη ∆αυῒδ, καὶ ἀφείλετο τὸ πτερύγιον τῆς διπλοΐδος Σαοὺλ λαθραίως. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπάταξε τὸν ∆αυῒδ ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἀφείλετο τὸ πτερύγιον τῆς διπλοΐδος· καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τοὺς ἄνδρας αὐτοῦ· Μηδαμῶς μοι παρὰ Κυρίου ποιῆσαι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο τῷ κυρίῳ μου, τοῦ ἐπενεγκεῖν τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπ' αὐτὸν, ὅτι χριστὸς Κυρίου ἐστίν· ὡς ἂν εἰ ἔλεγεν, Ἵλεώς μοι Κύριος· εἰ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς βουληθείην, μὴ συγχωρήσαι μοι τοῦτό ποτε ἐργάσασθαι, μηδὲ ἐπιτρέψειεν εἰς ταύτην ἐλθεῖν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Τί ταύτης γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμερώτερον; ἆρα ἄνθρωπον τοῦτον ἐροῦμεν τὸν ἐν ἀνθρωπείᾳ φύσει ἀγγελικὴν πολιτείαν ἐπιδειξάμενον; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιντο οἱ θεῖοι νόμοι. Τίς γὰρ ἂν, εἰπέ μοι, ταχέως ἕλοιτο τοιαύτην εὐχὴν εὔξασθαι τῷ Θεῷ· καὶ τί λέγω, εὔξασθαι; μὴ κατεύξασθαι μὲν οὖν τοῦ λελυπηκότος, τίς ἂν ῥᾳδίως ὑπέμεινεν; Εἶδες τοῦ ∆αυῒδ τὰ δίκτυα τεταμένα, καὶ τὸ θήραμα ἐναπειλημμένον, καὶ τὸν κυνηγέτην ἑστῶτα, καὶ πάντας ἐγκελευομένους βαπτίσαι τὸ ξίφος εἰς τὸ τοῦ πολεμίου στῆθος; Θέα μοι λοιπὸν καὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν, θέα μοι τὴν πάλην, τὴν νίκην, τὸν στέφανον. Καὶ γὰρ στάδιον ἦν τὸ σπήλαιον ἐκεῖνο, καὶ πάλη θαυμαστή τις ἐγένετο καὶ παράδοξος. Ἐπάλαιε μὲν γὰρ ὁ ∆αυῒδ, ἐπύκτευε δὲ ὁ θυμὸς, καὶ ἔπαθλον ὁ Σαοὺλ ἔκειτο, καὶ ἀγωνοθέτης ἦν ὁ Θεός. Οὐ γὰρ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν μόνον καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἦν αὐτῷ ὁ πόλεμος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς παρόντας στρατιώτας. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ φιλοσοφεῖν ἤθελε, καὶ φείδεσθαι τοῦ λελυπηκότος, εἰκὸς ἦν καὶ δεδοικέναι αὐτὸν ἐκείνους, μήποτε καὶ συγκόψωσιν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ, ἅτε λυμεῶνα καὶ προδότην αὐτὸν ὄντα τῆς αὐτῶν σωτηρίας, καὶ τὸν κοινὸν ἐχθρὸν αὐτῶν διασώζοντα. Καὶ γὰρ εἰκὸς ἦν ταῦτα αὐτοὺς δυσχεραίνοντας λέγειν· Πλανῆται καὶ φυγάδες ἐγενόμεθα ἡμεῖς, καὶ οἰκίας καὶ πατρίδος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ἐξεπέσομεν, καὶ τῶν δυσχερῶν σοι πάντων ἐκοινωνήσαμεν· καὶ σὺ τῶν κακῶν τούτων τὸν αἴτιον εἰς χεῖρας λαβὼν ἀφεῖναι διανοῇ, ἵνα μηδέποτε τῶν κακῶν τούτων ἡμεῖς ἀναπνεύσωμεν; καὶ σπουδάζων τὸν ἐχθρὸν διασῶσαι, προδίδως τοὺς φίλους; καὶ ποῦ ταῦτα δίκαια; Εἰ γὰρ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ καταφρονεῖς σωτηρίας, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας φεῖσαι ψυχῆς. Οὐ λυπεῖ σε τὰ παρελθόντα, οὐδὲ μέμνησαι τῶν κακῶν ὧν ἔπαθες παρ' αὐτοῦ; κἂν διὰ τὰ μέλλοντα ἄνελε, ἵνα μὴ μείζονα καὶ χαλεπώτερα