240

of righteousness, and after God, a genuine protector of my sojourn; and a ready comforter of many, frequent, and grievous illnesses; and simply, according to the power he had, he was sufficient for me and for many others. May the Lord grant him to find mercy from Him on that day, because he has become a rest and consolation for many. Therefore, if I have found grace in the eyes of my blessed master, and he holds me in agreement with those beloved by him according to God, may he by all means take his part with all zeal, not allowing anything unjust, as far as was in his power, to be done to him. For the law of love dictates this, and the mystery of the most divine sojourn of God in the flesh among men wills it; so that he may return with God, recounting the benefactions of my blessed master and the unadulterated zeal of his support for him; and I shall receive an addition to my boasting, having been allotted by God to have such a master on earth, zealous for every good work, and a ready and most sincere protector of all who are in need.

May God, who alone is good and loving towards mankind; who for the sake of our salvation manages all things for all men in a saving way, may He hold your right hand, my master, and guide you into the way of His righteousness, and deem you worthy of the heavenly kingdom, having partaken well here of the divine gifts. May the God of all and our Lord Jesus Christ preserve our most pious and all-gracious emperors, and may He strengthen the power of their pious kingdom, and may He speak good and peaceful things concerning us their humble servants into their hearts. And that I may say something with boldness—for pain makes me bold—yet may He grant this very thing as a prayer pleasing to God for them, that they condescended even for a moment to transfer the all-praised prefect of this land, who appears as a lamp in a dark place, and who in a certain way frees all from the pain of not seeing; a man who is a lover of God, faithful, pious, good, devout, temperate, continent, patient, gentle, sympathetic, merciful, a nourisher of the poor, a carer for the aged, a protector of widows, a guardian of monks, possessionless [harmless], a lover of the church; and to speak concisely, a friend of all, both living and dead; caring for the living in all sorts of ways of affection; and honoring the dead with the beauty of buildings for burial, like Joseph of Arimathea did for the Lord who condescended to be put to death in the flesh for us; and in addition to these things, a most zealous advocate of the true doctrine according to the apostolic faith, a preacher of a life of righteousness. (648) And to speak briefly, while others have been zealous for other things on earth according to each one's desire; for George, it was the hospitals, and the homes for the aged and hostels and poorhouses, and the monasteries and guest-cemeteries, and as many multitudes of poor and needy of every kind were scattered in herds throughout the cities, to clothe and to nourish them; and to cross the borders of east and west, of northern and southern climes with the rays of philanthropy, is his work and his zeal.

These things being so, who of those in any way laying claim to piety is ignorant of how much goodwill from God towards the universe the pleasingness of such works called forth, flourishing always with his innate zeal? The opposite, which happens through the idleness of these things, I will pass over in silence on account of its ill-omened nature. And who will be able to measure the tears shed in streams from every eye by those who inhabit this land at his departure, with all clinging to him and holding him back to them by force, and in a way not allowing him to board the ship; and lamenting with wails, as if seeking according to kind and age: some, for their poverty the

240

δικαιοσύνης νέ ο, καί τῆς ἐμῆς παροικίας προστάτης μετά Θεόν γνήσιος· καί τῶν πολλῶν καί συχνῶν καί χαλεπῶν ἀσθενειῶν παρήγορος πρόθυμος· καί ἁπλῶς, κατά τήν ὑποῦσαν αὐτῶ δύναμιν, κἀμοί καί πολλοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπήρκεσεν. ∆ῴη αὐτῷ Κύριος εὑρεῖν ἔλεος παρ᾿ αὐτῷ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, διότι πολλῶν γέγονεν ἀνάπαυσις καί παρηγορία. Ὅθεν εἴπερ ηὗρον χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς τοῦ εὐλογημένου μου δεσπότου, καί τοῖς ἠγαπημένοις αὐτῷ κατά Θεόν ἔχει με σύμψηφον, πάντως αὐτοῦ διά πάσης σπουδῆς ἀντιλάβηται, μηδέν ἄδικον, ὡς ἦκεν εἰς τήν αὐτοῦ δύναμιν, εἰς αὐτόν γενέσθαι συγχωρῶν. Τοῦτο γάρ τῆς ἀγάπης ὁ νόμος ὑπαγορεύει, καί τό μυστήριον τῆς πρός ἀνθρώπους τοῦ Θεοῦ διά σαρκός βούλεται θειοτάτης ἐπιδημίας· ἵνα τάς εὐεργεσίας τοῦ εὐλογημένου μου δεσπότου καί τήν ἀνόθευτον σπουδήν τῆς εἰς αὐτόν ἀντιλήψεως ἐπανέλθοι σύν Θεῷ διηγούμενος· κἀγώ προσθήκην δέξομαι καυχήματος, τοιοῦτον ἔχειν παρά Θεοῦ λαχών ἐπί γῆς δεσπότην πρόθυμον εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθόν, καί πάντων τῶν δεομένων προστάτην ἕτοιμόν τε καί εἰλικρινέστατον.

Ὁ Θεός ὁ μόνος ἀγαθός καί φιλάνθρωπος· ὁ τῆς ἡμῶν ἕνεκεν σωτηρίας πάντα πᾶσι σωτηρίως οἰκονομῶν, αὐτός κρατήσαι τῆς χειρός σου τῆς δεξιᾶς, δέσποτά μου, καί ὁδηγήσαι δε εἰς τήν ὁδόν τῆς αὐτοῦ δικαιοσύνης, καί ἀξιώσαι τῆς ἐπουρανίου βασιλείας καλῶς ἐνταῦθα τῶν θείων μεταποιηθέντα χαρισμάτων. Ὁ Θεός τῶν ὅλων καί Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός διατηρήσοι τούς εὐσεβεστάτους καί πανημέρους ἡμῶν βασιλέας, καί δυναμώσοι τό κράτος τῆς εὐσεβοῦς αὐτῶν βασιλείας, καί λαλήσοι περί ἡμῶν τῶν ταπεινῶν δούλων αὐτῶν εἰς τάς καρδίας αὐτῶν ἀγαθά τε καί εἰρηνικά. Καί ἵν᾿ εἴπω τι τολμήσας· ποιεῖ γάρ με τολμηρόν τό ἀλγεῖν· πλήν καί αὐτό εὐχήν τῷ Θεῷ προσφιλῆ συγχωρήσοι αὐτοῖς, ὅτι τόν τῆς χώρας ταύτης πανεύφημον ὕπαρχον ὡς λύχνον ἐν αὐχμηρῷ τόπῳ φαίνομτα, καί πάντας τρόπον τινά τῆς τοῦ μή βλέπειν ὀδύνης ἐλευθεροῦντα, κατεδέξαντο κἄν πρός ῥοπήν μεταστείλασθαι· ἄνθρωπον φιλόθεον, πιστόν, εὐσεβῆ, ἀγαθόν, εὐλαβῆ, σώφρονα, ἐγκρατῆ, ἀνεκτικόν, πρᾶον, συμπαθῆ, ἐλεήμονα, πτωχοτρόφον, γηρωκόμον, προστάτην χηρῶν, μοναχῶν κηδεμόνα, ἀκτήμονα [ἀπήμονα], φιλεκκλήσιον· καί ἵνα συνελών εἴπω, πάντων καί ζώντων καί νεκρῶν φίλον· τούς μέν ζῶντας παντοίοις τρόποις φιλοστοργίας περιποιούμενον· τούς δέ νεκρούς, οἰκοδομημάτων κάλλεσι τιμῶν τά πρός ταφήν, ὡς Ἰωσήφ ὁ ἀπό Ἀριμαθίας τόν ὑπέρ ἡμῶν σαρκί νεκρωθῆναι καταδεξάμενον Κύριον· καί ἔτι πρός τούτοις, τοῦ κατά τήν ἀποστολικήν πίστιν ὀρθοῦ λόγου ζηλωτήν ἐκθυμώτατον, κήρυκα βίου δικαιοσύνης. (648) Καί συντόμως εἰπεῖν, ἄλλοις μέν ἄλλα κατά τήν ἑκάστου ἔφεσιν ἐπί γῆς διεσπούδασται· Γεωργίου δέ, τά νοσοκομεῖα, καί τά γηρωκομεῖα καί ξενοκομεῖα κάι πτωχοτροφεῖα, καί τά μοναστήρια καί τά ξενοτάφια, καί ὅσα πλήθη φτωχῶν τε καί πενήτων κατά γένος ἀγεληδόν κατά τάς πόλεις διέῤῥιπται, περιστεῖλαί τε καί διαθρέψαι· καί ἑῴας τε καί δύσεως, βορείου τε καί νοτίου λήξεως τούς ὅρους ὑπερβῆναι ταῖς ἀκτῖσι τῆς φιλανθρωπίας, ἔργον ὑπάρχει καί σπούδασμα.

Τούτων οὕτως ἐχόντων, τίς ἀγνοεῖ τῶν ὁπωσοῦν εὐσεβείας μεταποιουμένων, πόσην εὐμένειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ περί τό πᾶν ἡ τῶν τοιούτων ἔργων εὐαρέστησις προσεκαλεῖτο, διά παντός ταῖς αὐτοῦ προσόν προθυμίαις ἀκμάζουσα; Τό καί ἐναντίον, τῇ τούτων ἀργίᾳ συμβαῖνον διά τό δύσφημον σιωπήσομαι. Τίς δέ μετρῆσαι δυνήσεται τά κρουνηδόν παρά παντός ὀφθαλμοῦ χεθέντα δάκρυα παρά τῶν ταύτην οἰκούντων τήν γῆς ἐπί τῇ ἐξόδῳ αὐτοῦ, πάντων περιεχομένων αὐτοῦ καί ἀνθελκόντων βίᾳ πρός αὐτούς, καί τῷ πλοίῳ τρόπον τινά προσβῆναι μή συγχωρούντων· καί ταῖς οἰμωγαῖς ποτνιωμένων, οἱονεί ζητούντων κατά γένος καί ἡλικίαν· οἱ μέν, τῆς πενίας τόν