Letter CCLXXVII.1497    Placed at the end of Basil’s life.

To the learned Maximus.

The excellent Theotecnus has given mean account of your highness, whereby he has inspired me with a longing for your acquaintance, so clearly do his words delineate the character of your mind.  He has enkindled in me so ardent an affection for you, that were it not that I am weighed down with age, that I am the victim of a congenital ailment, that I am bound hand and foot by the numberless cares of the Church, nothing would have hindered my coming to you.  For indeed it is no small gain that a member of a great house, a man of illustrious lineage, in adopting the life of the gospel, should bridle the propensities of youth by reflection, and subject to reason the affections of the flesh; should display a humility consistent with his Christian profession, bethinking himself, as is his duty, whence he is come and whither he is going.  For it is this consideration of our nature that reduces the swelling of the mind, and banishes all boastfulness and arrogance.  In a word it renders one a disciple of our Lord, Who said, “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.”1498    Matt. xi. 29.  And in truth, very dear son, the only thing that deserves our exertions and praises is our everlasting welfare; and this is the honour that comes from God.

Human affairs are fainter than a shadow; more deceitful than a dream.  Youth fades more quickly than the flowers of spring; our beauty wastes with age or sickness.  Riches are uncertain; glory is fickle.  The pursuit of arts and sciences is bounded by the present life; the charm of eloquence, which all covet, reaches but the ear:  whereas the practice of virtue is a precious possession for its owner, a delightful spectacle for all who witness it.  Make this your study; so will you be worthy of the good things promised by the Lord.

But a recital of the means whereby to make the acquisition, and secure the enjoyment of these blessings, lies beyond the intention of this present letter.  Thus much however, after what I heard from my brother Theotecnus, it occurred to me to write to you.  I pray that he may always speak the truth, especially in his accounts of you; that the Lord may be the more glorified in you, abounding as you do in the most precious fruits of piety, although derived from a foreign root.

ΜΑΞΙΜῼ ΣΧΟΛΑΣΤΙΚῼ

[1] Ἀπήγγειλέ μοι ὁ καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθὸς Θεότεκνος τὰ περὶ τῆς σεμνότητός σου καὶ ἐνεποίησέ μοι πόθον τῆς συντυχίας ἐναργῶς ὑπογράφων τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ψυχῆς σου τὸν χαρακτῆρα, καὶ τοσοῦτον ἐξέκαυσέ μου τὸ περὶ σὲ φίλτρον ὡς, εἰ μὴ καὶ τῷ γήρᾳ ἐβαρυνόμην καὶ τῇ συντρόφῳ κατειχόμην ἀσθενείᾳ καὶ μυρίαις ταῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν φροντίσιν ἤμην πεπεδημένος, οὐδὲν ἄν με κατέσχεν αὐτὸν γενέσθαι παρὰ σέ. Καὶ γὰρ οὐ μικρὸν τῷ ὄντι κέρδος ἐξ οἰκίας μεγάλης καὶ γένους περιφανοῦς πρὸς τὸν εὐαγγελικὸν μεταστάντα βίον χαλινῶσαι μὲν λογισμῷ τὴν νεότητα, τὰ δὲ τῆς σαρκὸς πάθη δοῦλα τῷ λογισμῷ ποιῆσαι, ταπεινοφροσύνῃ χρήσασθαι τῇ ὀφειλομένῃ χριστιανῷ φρονοῦντι περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, οἷα εἰκός, ὅθεν ἔφυ καὶ οἷ πορεύσεται. Ἡ γὰρ τῆς φύσεως ἔννοια καταστέλλει μὲν τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ φλεγμαῖνον, ἀλαζονείαν δὲ πᾶσαν καὶ αὐθάδειαν ὑπερορίζει καί, τὸ ὅλον, μαθητὴν τοῦ Κυρίου καθίστησι τοῦ εἰπόντος: »Μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ«. Τῷ γὰρ ὄντι, φίλτατε παίδων, μόνον περισπούδαστον καὶ ἐπαινετὸν τὸ διαρκὲς ἀγαθόν. Τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν ἡ παρὰ Θεοῦ τιμή. Τὰ δὲ ἀνθρώπινα ταῦτα σκιᾶς ἐστιν ἀμυδρότερα καὶ ὀνείρων ἀπατηλότερα. Ἥ τε γὰρ νεότης τῶν ἠρινῶν ἀνθῶν ὀξύτερον καταρρεῖ καὶ ὥρα σώματος ἢ νόσῳ ἢ χρόνῳ μαραίνεται. Καὶ πλοῦτος μὲν ἄπιστος, δόξα δὲ εὐπερίτρεπτος. Αἵ τε περὶ τὰς τέχνας διαπονήσεις τῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ συναπαρτίζονται. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ περισπούδαστον ἅπασιν οἱ λόγοι ἄχρι τῆς ἀκοῆς τὴν χάριν ἔχουσιν. Ἀρετῆς δὲ ἄσκησις τίμιον μὲν κτῆμα τῷ ἔχοντι, ἥδιστον δὲ θεαμάτων τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν. Ὧν ἐπιμελόμενος ἄξιον σεαυτὸν καταστήσεις τῶν ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις ἀποκειμένων παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἀγαθῶν. Τίνι δ' ἂν τρόπῳ ἔλθοις πρὸς τὴν τῶν καλῶν ἀνάληψιν καὶ ὅπως ἂν τὰ κτηθέντα διασώσοιο μακρότερον εἰπεῖν ἢ κατὰ τὴν παροῦσαν ὁρμὴν τοῦ λόγου. Ἐπῆλθε δ' οὖν μοι καὶ αὐτὰ ταῦτα προσφθέγξασθαι ἐξ ὧν ἤκουσα παρὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Θεοτέκνου: ὃν πάντοτε μὲν εὔχομαι ἀληθεύειν, μάλιστα δὲ ἐν τοῖς περὶ σοῦ λόγοις, ἵνα πλέον δοξάζηται ἐπὶ σοὶ ὁ Κύριος ἀπὸ ῥίζης ἀλλοτρίας τοῖς πολυτιμήτοις καρποῖς τῆς εὐσεβείας βρύοντι.