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Alexander. Alexander, seeing one of the old men dyeing his hair, said. Do not dye your hair, but your knees.

Gorgias being asked, by what regimen using, did you come to a long old age? Nothing ever, he said, for pleasure either eating or doing.

Procopius. The length of life, when anticipated, is long; but when it has passed, it is naturally dimmer than a dream and a shadow.

Philemon. Syra, Syra, what is it? how are you? Never ask this when you see an old man, Or some old woman; but know immediately that he is doing poorly. Herodas. When you have turned the sixtieth sun, O Gryllus, Gryllus, die, become ash. As blind is the turning point of life beyond that. Philemon. There is somewhere the intelligence of the young, and the senselessness of the old; for time does not teach

wisdom, but a right nature and regimen.

Democritus. Old age and poverty, two wounds hard to heal. An old saying, deeds belong to the younger, But counsels of the older have power. The old age of lions is better than the prime of fawns. Strength and beauty, the good of youth; but old age, the flower of prudence.

DISCOURSE 42.

Concerning endurance and long-suffering. Luke 21. In your endurance you will gain your souls.

James 5. Brothers, take as an example of suffering and long-suffering the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we bless those who endure. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the end of the Lord.

Proverbs 15. A long-suffering man will quench judgments; but the impious man stirs them up more.

Sirach 2. Whatever is brought upon you, accept, and in changes of your humiliation, be long-suffering, because gold is tested in fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.

Sirach 22. Endure in time of affliction, and abide with your neighbor, that in his inheritance you may inherit with him.

Of Basil. Let the commandment of God be a housemate to you (921) like some light and clarity for the discernment of matters, unceasingly providing; which from afar having preoccupied the attention of your soul, and preparing beforehand the true opinions about each thing, will not allow you to be altered by any of the things that befall you; but

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Ἀλεξάνδρ. Ἀλέξανδρος ἰδών τινα τῶν γερόντων βαπτόμενον τάς τρίχας, εἶπε. Μή τάς τρίχας βάπτου, ἀλλά τά γόνατα.

Ὀργίας ἐρωτηθείς, ποίᾳ διαίτῃ χρώμενος, εἰς μακρόν γῆρας ἦλθες; Οὐδέν οὐδέποτε, ἔφη, πρός ἡδονήν οὔτε φαγών οὔτε δράσας.

Προκόπιος. Βίου μῆκος, προσδοκηθέν μέν, πολύ· παραδραμόν δέ, πέφυκεν ὀνείρου καί σκιᾶς ἀμυδρότερον εἶναι.

Φιλήμον. Σύρα, Σύρα, τί ἐστι; πῶς ἡμῖν ἔχεις; Μηδέποτ᾿ ἐρώτα τοῦτ᾿ ἐπάν γέροντ᾿ ἴδῃς, Ἤ γραῦν τινα· ἴσθι δ᾿ εὐθύς ὅτι κακῶς ἔχει. Ἡρώδου. Ἐπήν τόν ἑξηκοστόν ἥλιον κάμψῃς, Ὦ Γρύλλε, Γρύλλε, θνῆσκε, τέφρα γίνου. Ὡς τυφλός ὁ ὑπέρ κεῖνο τοῦ βίου καμπτήρ. Φιλήμον. Ἔστι που σύνεσις νέων, καί γερόντων ἀσυνεσία· χρόνος γάρ οὐ διδάσκει

φρόνησιν, ἀλλά φύσις ὀρθή καί δίαιτα.

∆ημοκρίτ. Γῆρας καί πενία, δύο τραύματα δυσθεράπευτα. Παλαιός αἶνος, ἔργα μέν νεωτέρων, Βουλαί δ' ἔχουσιν τῶν γεραιτέρων κράτος. Γῆρας λεόντων κρεῖσσον ἀκμάτων νεβρῶν. Ἰσχύς καί εὐμορφίη, νεότητος ἀγαθόν· γῆρας δέ, σωφροσύνης ἄνθος.

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΜΒ´.

Περί ὑπομονῆς καί μακροθυμίας. Λουκ. κα´. Ἐν δέ τῇ ὑπομονῇ κτήσασθε τάς ψυχάς ὑμῶν.

Ἰακ. ε´. Ἀδελφοί, ὑπόδειγμα λάβετε τῆς κακοπαθείας καί τῆς μακροθυμίας τούς προφήτας, οἵ ἐλάλησαν τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου. Ἰδού μακαρίζομεν τούς ὑπομένοντας. Τήν ὑπομονήν Ἰώβ ἠκούσατε, καί τό τέλος Κυρίου ἴδετε.

Παροιμ. ιε΄ . Μακρόθυμος ἀνήρ, κατασβέσει κρίσεις· ὁ δέ ἀσεβής, ἐγείρει μᾶλλον.

Σιραχ β´. Πᾶν ὅ ἐάν ἐπαχθῇ σοι, δέξαι, καί ἐν ἀλλάγματι ταπεινώσεώς σου, μακροθύμησον, ὅτι ἐν πυρί δοκιμάζεται χρυσός, καί ἄνθρωποι δεκτοί ἐν καμίνῳ ταπεινώσεως.

Σιράχ κβ´. Ὑπόμεινον ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως, καί διάμενε ἐπί τόν πλησίον, ἵνα ἐν τῇ κληρονομίᾳ αὐτοῦ συγκληρονομήσῃς.

Βασιλείου. Ἔστω σοι ἡ ἐντολή τοῦ Θεοῦ σύνοικος (921) οἷόν τι φῶς καί διαύγεια πρός τήν τῶν πραγμάτων διάκρισιν ἀδιαλείπτως παρεχομένη· ἥτις πόῤῥωθεν τήν τῆς ψυχῆς σου ἐπιστασίαν προκατασχοῦσα, καί τάς ἀληθεῖς περί ἑκάστου δόξας προευτρεπίζουσα, ὑπ᾿ οὐδενός ἐάσει σε τῶν προσπιπτόντων ἀλλοιωθῆναι· ἀλλά