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the gift to become a slave, but the king to be brought to a state of necessity; His wisdom had to be made manifest. For this reason the eunuch forgets, so that Egypt might not be unaware, so that the king might not be ignorant of him. If it had been brought out then, perhaps he would have desired to depart to his own land; for this reason he is held by countless necessities, first by slavery, second by the prison, third in the kingdom, so that these things might be arranged. Therefore, just as a noble colt wanting to leap away to its own, God held him there for glorious reasons. For that he desired to see his father and to deliver him from his pain is clear from his summoning him there. d. Do you wish that we see other plots, that they happen for our sake, 60.343 not only in having a reward, but also in doing things for our benefit at that very moment? His uncle plotted against his father, and drove him from his homeland; what then? He also placed him far from danger; for he himself was also in safety; it made him wiser, it made him see the dream. But did he serve in a foreign land? But having gone to his own people, he takes a bride, and appears worthy to his father-in-law. But did that man also deceive him? But this also turned out for good, so that he might become the father of many children. But did he wish to plot against him? But this also turned out for good, so that he might finally return to his own land; for if he had been in prosperity, he would not have so desired his own. But did he take away his wages? But they became more. Thus everywhere, the more they were plotted against, the more their affairs flourished. If he had not taken the elder, he would not have quickly become the father of so many children, but would have spent a long time in childlessness, and would have mourned just as his wife did. For she mourned with reason, since she had not become a mother; but he has a consolation; whence he also puts her off. Again, if he had not deprived him of his wages, he would not have desired to see his own land, the man’s wisdom would not have appeared, they would not have become more attached to him. For see what they say: He has completely devoured us and our money. So this became the cause of their affection. Henceforth he had handmaids instead of wives, and was loved by them, than which no possession could be equal; for nothing, nothing is more precious than to be so loved by a wife and to love. And a wife, he says, who is in harmony with her husband. The wise man sets this down as one of the things to be deemed happy; for when this exists, all wealth, all prosperity abounds; just as, therefore, when it does not exist, there is no benefit from other things, but all is overturned, and is full of unpleasantness and confusion. Therefore let us also seek this before all things. He who seeks money does not seek this. Let us seek these things, which can be steadfast. 60.344 Let us not seek marriage from the wealthy, so that the immoderation of her property may not give birth to pride in the wife, so that pride may not be a cause of ruin. Do you not see what God did? How He subjected her? Why are you ungrateful? Why are you insensible? That which He graciously gave you by nature, do not you corrupt this help. So one must not seek a wealthy wife, but one that we may take as a partner in life for the establishment of childbearing. Not so that a wife might bring in money did God give her, but so that she might be a helper. But the one who brings money is also treacherous [and becomes a mistress instead of a wife; or perhaps a beast instead of a wife], thinking herself entitled to be proud on account of her wealth. Nothing is more shameful than a man planning to get rich in this way. For if being rich is itself full of temptations, where shall we place getting rich this way? For do not look at it, if someone rarely and contrary to what happens and contrary to reason has succeeded; for neither in other matters which some enjoy, and in which they succeed unexpectedly, must one pay attention; but let us look at the thing itself according to reason, if the matter is not full of countless unpleasantnesses. Not only do you yourself fall into disgrace, but you also shame your children, leaving them poor, if it should happen that you die first, and you give her many opportunities to consort again with a second bridegroom. Or do you not see, that for many this has become the pretext for a second marriage, not being looked down upon, seeking those who will oversee her property? Let us not indeed work so many evils for the sake of money; but let us leave all things, and seek a soul

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δοῦλον γενέσθαι τὸ δῶρον, ἀλλ' εἰς ἀνάγκην καταστῆναι τὸν βασιλέα· ἔδει φανερὰν αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι τὴν σοφίαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο λανθάνει ὁ εὐνοῦχος, ἵνα μὴ λάθῃ Αἴγυπτος, ἵνα μὴ ἀγνοήσῃ αὐτὸν ὁ βασιλεύς. Εἰ τότε ἐξηνέχθη, ἴσως ἂν καὶ ἐπεθύμησεν ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὴν αὐτοῦ· διὰ τοῦτο μυρίαις ἀνάγκαις κατέχεται, πρῶτον τῇ δεσποτείᾳ, δεύτερον τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ, τρίτον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ, ἵνα ταῦτα οἰκονομηθῇ. Καθάπερ οὖν τινα γενναῖον πῶλον ἐκπηδῆσαι βουλόμενον πρὸς τοὺς αὐτοῦ, κατεῖχεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐκεῖ δι' αἰτιῶν ἐνδόξων. Ὅτι γὰρ ἐπεθύμει τὸν πατέρα ἰδεῖν καὶ ἀπαλλάξαι τῆς ὀδύνης, δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ καλέσαι αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ. δʹ. Βούλεσθε καὶ ἑτέρας ἴδωμεν ἐπιβουλὰς, ὅτι ὑπὲρ 60.343 ἡμῶν γίνονται, οὐ μόνον τῷ μισθὸν ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ καιρῷ τὰ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ποιεῖν; Ἐπεβούλευσε τῷ τούτου πατρὶ ὁ θεῖος ὁ τούτου, καὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἐξήλασε· τί οὖν; Καὶ αὐτὸς μακρὰν τοῦ κινδύνου αὐτὸν κατέστησεν· ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς γέγονεν· ἐποίησε φιλοσοφώτερον, ἐποίησεν ἰδεῖν τὸ ὄναρ. Ἀλλ' ἐδούλευσεν ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ; Ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῖς αὐτοῦ ἀπελθὼν λαμβάνει νύμφην, καὶ ἄξιος φαίνεται τῷ κηδεστῇ. Ἀλλ' ἠπάτησε κἀκεῖνος; Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο εἰς ἀγαθὸν γέγονεν, ἵνα πολλῶν παίδων γένηται πατήρ. Ἀλλ' ἐβουλήθη ἐπιβουλεῦσαι; Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο εἰς ἀγαθὸν, ἵνα εἰς τὴν αὐτοῦ λοιπὸν ἐπανέλθῃ· εἰ γὰρ ἦν ἐν εὐπραγίᾳ, οὐκ ἂν οὕτως ἐπεθύμει τῆς ἑαυτοῦ. Ἀλλ' ἀφεῖλε τὸν μισθόν; Ἀλλὰ πλεῖον γέγονεν. Οὕτω πανταχοῦ ὅσῳ ἐπεβουλεύοντο, τοσούτῳ τὰ τούτων ἤνθει. Εἰ μὴ τὴν πρεσβυτέραν ἔλαβεν, οὐκ ἂν ταχέως ἐγένετο τοσούτων παίδων πατὴρ, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀπαιδίᾳ πολὺν ἂν εἵλκυσε χρόνον, καὶ ἐπένθησεν ἂν καθάπερ καὶ ἡ γυνή. Ἐκείνη μὲν γὰρ εἰκότως ἐπένθει, ἅτε μὴ γενομένη μήτηρ· οὗτος δὲ ἔχει παραμυθίαν· ὅθεν αὐτὴν καὶ διακρούεται. Πάλιν εἰ μὴ αὐτὸν ἀπεστέρησε τῶν μισθῶν, οὐκ ἂν ἐπεθύμησεν ἰδεῖν τὴν αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἂν ἐφάνη ἡ φιλοσοφία τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, οὐκ ἂν μᾶλλον ᾠκειώθησαν αὐτῷ. Ὅρα γὰρ τί φασι· Καταβρώσει κατέφαγεν ἡμᾶς καὶ τὸ ἀργύριον ἡμῶν. Ὥστε τοῦ φίλτρου τοῦτο γέγονεν αἴτιον. ∆ούλας εἶχε λοιπὸν ἀντὶ γυναικῶν, καὶ ἐφιλεῖτο παρ' αὐτῶν, οὗ οὐδὲν ἴσον κτῆμα γένοιτο ἄν· οὐδὲν γὰρ, οὐδὲν τοῦ οὕτω φιλεῖσθαι παρὰ γυναικὸς καὶ φιλεῖν τιμιώτερον. Καὶ γυνὴ, φησὶν, ἀνδρὶ συμπεριφερομένη. Ἓν τοῦτο τῶν μακαριστῶν τίθησιν ὁ σοφός· τούτου γὰρ ὄντος πᾶς πλοῦτος, πᾶσα εὐπραγία περίεστιν· ὥσπερ οὖν μὴ ὄντος, τῶν ἄλλων οὐδὲν ὄφελος, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἀνατέτραπται, καὶ ἀηδίας ἐστὶ μεστὰ καὶ συγχύσεως. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῦτο πρὸ πάντων ζητῶμεν. Ὁ χρήματα ζητῶν, οὐ ζητεῖ τοῦτο. Ταῦτα ζητῶμεν, ἃ δύναται πάγια εἶναι. 60.344 Μὴ γάμον ζητῶμεν ἀπὸ εὐπόρων, ἵνα μὴ τῆς οὐσίας ἡ ἀμετρία φρόνημα τέκῃ τῇ γυναικὶ, ἵνα μὴ τὸ φρόνημα διαφθορᾶς αἴτιον ᾖ. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τί ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεός; πῶς αὐτὴν ὑπέταξε; ∆ιὰ τί ἀγνώμων εἶ; διὰ τί ἀναίσθητος; Ὅπερ ἐχαρίσατό σοι ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως, τούτου σὺ μὴ διαφθείρῃς τὴν βοήθειαν. Ὥστε οὐκ εὔπορον δεῖ ζητεῖν, ἀλλ' ὥστε κοινωνὸν βίου λάβωμεν εἰς κατάστασιν παιδοποιίας. Οὐχ ἵνα χρήματα εἰσφέρῃ γυνὴ, διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὴν ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἵνα ᾖ βοηθός. Ἡ δὲ χρήματα εἰσφέρουσα, καὶ ἐπίβουλος [καὶ δέσποινα ἀντὶ γυναικὸς γίνεται· ἢ τάχα θηρίον ἀντὶ γυναικὸς], ἀξιοῦσα μεγάλα διὰ τὸν πλοῦτον φρονεῖν. Οὐδὲν αἰσχρότερον ἀνδρὸς οὕτω βουλευομένου πλουτεῖν. Εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸ τὸ πλουτεῖν πειρασμῶν γέμει, τὸ οὕτω πλουτεῖν ποῦ θήσομεν; Μὴ γὰρ, εἴ τις σπανιάκις καὶ παρὰ τὸ συμβαῖνον καὶ παρὰ λόγον ἐπέτυχε, τοῦτο ἴδῃς· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις πράγμασιν οἷς ἀπολαύουσί τινες, καὶ ἐκ παραδόξου ἐπιτυγχάνουσι, προσέχειν δεῖ· ἀλλ' αὐτὸ τὸ κατὰ λόγον ἴδωμεν, εἰ μὴ μυρίας ἀηδίας γέμει τὸ πρᾶγμα. Οὐκ αὐτὸς μόνος ἐν ἀδοξίᾳ γίνῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ παῖδας καταισχύνεις, πένητας ἀφεὶς, εἰ συμβαίη προαπελθεῖν, καὶ αὐτῇ πολλὰς δίδως ἀφορμὰς τοῦ δευτέρῳ πάλιν προσομιλῆσαι νυμφίῳ. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς, ὅτι πολλαῖς αὕτη γέγονεν ἡ πρόφασις δευτέρου γάμου, τὸ μὴ καταφρονεῖσθαι, τὸ ζητεῖν τοὺς ἐφισταμένους τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι; Μὴ δὴ τοσαῦτα ἐργαζώμεθα κακὰ διὰ χρήματα· ἀλλὰ πάντα ἀφῶμεν, καὶ ψυχὴν ζητῶμεν