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all other things in life; but for those who have acquired glory through virtue, their deeds are remembered for all time, proclaimed by the most divine mouth of history.

Of Hyperides. The good man must show, in his words, what he thinks; and in his deeds, what he does.

Of Pittacus the philosopher. That the good among men have some part of God.

Of Aristotle. It is for God to do what He wills; but for man, to be zealous for what is right.

Of Antiphanes. When someone who is prosperous does shameful things, what do you expect him to do when he is in want?

DISCOURSE 2. (732)

Concerning prudence and counsel. Sirach 40. Gold and silver will make the feet stand sure, and above both, counsel

will find favor. Sirach 22. A wooden beam bound into a building will not be loosened by an earthquake;

so a heart established on the thoughts of counsel will not be afraid in time of trouble. Of Basil. The name of prudence is twofold. For one kind is protective

of one’s own advantage, such as that of the serpent preserving its own head; and another kind seems to be a mischievousness of character, keenly discovering its own advantage and seizing the more simple-minded; such as was that of the unjust steward. But true prudence is the discernment of what must be done and what must not be done; and he who follows it will never be ensnared by the ruin of wickedness. He, therefore, who understands the words of prudence, knows which are sophistical, and which are to be practiced in life and suggest to us what is best; and like an approved money-changer, he will hold fast to what is good, and will abstain from every form of evil.

For he who mixes the prudence of the serpent concerning evil, with the harmlessness of the dove concerning good, will neither allow prudence to become malicious, nor simplicity to become foolish.

Of Chrysostom. The source and mother and root of prudence is virtue; just as all wickedness has its beginning from folly, just as indeed the Prophet says: There is no healing in my flesh, because of my foolishness. But the one who is virtuous and has the fear of God, is more understanding than all. Wherefore one also says: The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

Of Ignatius. Being perfect, think perfect things. For to you who are willing to do well, God is ready to provide.

Of Plutarch. Prudence is the sight not of bodies, but of affairs, before a man is in the midst of them; so that he may make the best use of what he meets and encounters, providing that he may discern the future. The body, then, is furnished with eyes only in front; (733) but to what is behind, it is blind. But the mind, by memory, is constituted to see even things that have passed away.

A foolish man proclaims his anger on the same day. Every foolish man is rash and small-souled; for he is not steadfast. If he ever saw someone sinning, he would say: Lest I too should fall into such a thing. Of Menander. All things become slaves to prudence.

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ἄλλα πάντα κατά τόν βίον· τοῖς δέ δι᾿ ἀρετήν περιποιησαμένοις δόξαν, αἱ πράξεις ἅπαντα τόν αἰῶνα μνημονεύονται, διαβοώμεναι τῷ θειοτάτῳ τῆς ἱστορίας στόματι.

Ὑπερίδου. ∆εῖ τόν ἀγαθόν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, ἐν μέν τοῖς λόγοις, ἅ φρονεῖ· ἐν δέ τοῖς ἔργοις, ἅ ποιεῖ.

Ἱττάχου φιλοσόφ. Τούς ἀγαθούς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, Θεοῦ τι μέρος ἔχειν.

Ἀριστοτέλ. Θεοῦ μέν ἐστι πράττειν ἅ βούλεται· ἀνθρώπου δέ, τά δέοντα προθυμεῖσθαι.

Ἀντιφάνους. Ὅταν εὐπορῶν τις αἰσχρά πράττῃ πράγματα, τί τούτων ἀπορήσαντα πράξειν προσδοκᾷς.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Β´. (732)

Περί φρονήσεως καί βουλῆς. Σιράχ μ´. Χρυσίον καί ἀργύριον ἐπιστήσουσι πόδας, καί ὑπέρ ἀμφότερα βουλή

εὐδοκιμήσει. Σιράχ κβ´. Ἱμάντωσις ξυλίνη ἐνδεδεμένη εἰς οἰκοδομήν, ἐν σεισμῷ οὐ διαλυθήσεται·

οὕτω καρδία ἐστηριγμένη ἐπί διανοήμασι βουλῆς, ἐν καιρῷ οὐ δειλιάσει. Βασιλείου. ∆ιπλοῦν ἐστι τό τῆς φρονήσεως ὄνομα. Ἡ μέν γάρ τίς ἐστι φυλακτική

τοῦ οἰκείου συμφέροντος, οἵα ἡ τοῦ ὄφεως τήν κεφαλήν ἑαυτοῦ συντηροῦντος· ἡ δέ τις ἔοικεν εἶναι κακεντρέχεια τρόπων, ὀξέως τό ἴδιον λυσιτελές ἐξευρίσκουσα καί συναρπάζουσα τούς ἀκεραιοτέρους· ὁποία ἦν ἡ τοῦ οἰκονόμου τῆς ἀδικίας. Ἡ δέ ἀληθής φρόνησις, διάγνωσίς ἐστι τῶν τε ποιητέων καί οὐ ποιητέων· ᾗ ὁ ἐπακολουθῶν, οὐδέποτε τῷ ὀλέθρῳ τῆς κακίας περιπαρήσεται. Ὁ τοίνυν νοῶν λόγους φρονήσεως, οἶδεν τίνες μέν σοφισματώδεις, τίνες δέ οἱ κατά βίον πρακτέοι καί τά βέλτιστα ἡμῖν ὑποτιθέμενοι· καί ὡς δόκιμος τραπεζίτης, τό μέν καλόν καθέξει, ἀπό δέ παντός εἴδους πονηροῦ ἀφέξεται.

Ὁ γάρ τό τοῦ ὄφεως φρόνιμον περί τό κακόν, τό τε τῆς περιστερᾶς ἀκέραιον περί τό καλόν ἀναμίξας, οὔτε τό φρόνιμον ἐάσει κακουργόν γενέσθαι, οὔτε τό ἁπλοῦν ἀνόητον.

Χρυσοστ. Πηγή καί μήτηρ καί ῥίζα φρονήσεως, ἡ ἀρετή· ὥσπερ καί πᾶσα πονηρία ἐξ ἀνοίας ἔχει τήν ἀρχήν, ὥσπερ δή καί ὁ Προφήτης φησίν· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἴασις ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου, ἀπό προσώπου τῆς ἀφροσύνης μου. Ὁ δέ ἐνάρετος καί φόβον Θεοῦ ἔχων, πάντων ἐστί συνετώτερος. ∆ιό καί τίς φησιν· Ἀρχή σοφίας φόβος Κυρίου.

Ἰγνατίου. Τέλειοι ὄντες, τέλεια φρονεῖτε. Θέλουσι γάρ ὑμῖν εὖ πράττειν, Θεός ἕτοιμος εἰς τό παρέχειν.

Πλουτάρχ. Ἡ φρόνησις, οὐ σωμάτων, ἀλλά πραγμάτων ὄψις ἐστί, πρίν ἐν αὐτοῖς γενέσθαι τόν ἄνθρωπον· ὅπως ἄριστα χρήσεται τοῖς ἀπαντῶσι καί προστυγχάνουσι, παρέχουσα διασκοπεῖν τό μέλλον. Τό μέν οὖν σῶμα, πρόσω που μόνον ὠμμάτωται· (733) τοῖς δέ ὄπισθεν, τυφλόν ἐστιν. Ἡ δέ διάνοια, καί τά παρῳχημένα βλέπειν τῇ μνήμῃ πέφυκεν.

Ἄφρων αὐθημερόν ἐξαγγέλλει ὄργήν αὐτοῦ. Πᾶς ἄφρων, εὐθύς καί μικρόψυχος· οὐ γάρ ἐστι πάγιος. Εἰ ποτέ τινα ἑώρακεν ἁμαρτάνοντα, ἔλεγε· Μήποτε καί ἐγώ τοιούτῳ περιπέσω. Μενάνδρου. Ἅπαντα δοῦλα τοῦ φρονεῖν καθίσταται.