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of some other terrible one ruling alongside, and from hearing alone, causing both thieves and passers-by to shudder at the attempt.

234. Many indeed ascend the cross of suffering; but few accept its nails. Many are slaves of voluntary obedience; but of involuntary shame, only those who have destroyed ambition.

235. Many have put off all the coats of skins; but as for the last one, that of vainglory, only those who have abhorred its mother, self-satisfaction.

236. (1460) He who receives the praise of men and the relaxation of the body, but does not accept it, this one, having become naked of the last tunic of vainglory, has been deemed worthy from here on to put on the brightness of the dwelling from heaven which is sought with many groanings.

237. An operation is one thing, and a product of operation another. And the one is indicative of a perfected sin; while the other, of pleasure alone which has been effected within, but is outside. Like those who are not moved from their own land, but nevertheless pay tribute to their oppressors for things according to their own desire.

238. When taste prevails in pleasures, it is impossible for all the senses not to follow, even if the lower parts seem to be at peace for those who are colder, as of the aged who have [not] received fire from fire. But the barren woman who commits adultery will not be judged chaste with respect to giving birth. And I would say that everyone who does not fornicate is chaste, who is not even bewitched by sight.

239. In foods and forms and sounds, the desiring part of the soul is tested, what it is like with its voluntary and other [impulses] in taste, and sight, and hearing, whether using them, or misusing them, or being found in the middle of both.

240. In those in whom fear does not go before, the thoughts will be found in confusion, like sheep without a shepherd; but in good order, and inside the fold according to the good law, when it follows or goes before.

241. Fear is the son of faith; and it is the shepherd of the commandments; and he who has not acquired its mother will not be deemed worthy to be seen as a sheep of the Lord’s pasture.

242. Some have only the beginnings of good things; others, also their middle stages; and others, also their ends; without which, each will be found like a light-armed soldier or an officer, outside of the rations. And for this reason, one preserves his own house only and with difficulty from those who try to harm it; and another is not found in the appropriate honor, in whatever he partakes.

243. Those who exhort mature men to engage with the pleasures of the throat do something similar to those commanded to reopen wounds that have already healed; or to scratch scabs for pleasure; or to eat things that ignite a fever; or (1461) to take down the fence of one's vineyard and allow the mind of the flesh, like a wild boar, to enter along with good thoughts to devour the grapes. One must not obey these, nor be bent by the untimely flatteries of men and of passions; but one must fortify the fence through self-control, until the beasts, the carnal passions, cease to roar, and the vain thoughts, like birds, do not come down to destroy the soul that, like a vineyard, is flourishing with contemplations in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

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τινος ἄλλου παραδυναστεύοντος φοβεροῦ, καί μόνης ἐξ ἀκοῆς, τούς τε κλέπτας καί παροδίτας παρασκευάζοντος φρίττειν τήν ἐπιχείρησιν.

σλδ΄. Πολλοί μέν εἰς τόν τῆς κακοπαθείας σταυρόν ἀνέρχονται· ὀλίγοι δέ τούς ἥλους αὐτοῦ καταδέχονται· προαιρετικῆς μέν εὐπειθείας δοῦλοι πολλοί· ἀπροαιρέτου δέ αἰσχύνης, μόνοι οἱ τό φιλότιμον καταλύσαντες.

σλε΄. Πάντας μέν τούς δερματίνους χιτῶνας πολλοί ἐξεδύσαντο· ὡς ἔσχατον δέ τόν τῆς κενοδοξίας, μόνον οἱ μητέρα αὐτῆς τήν αὐταρέσκειαν βδελυξάμενοι.

σλστ΄. (1460) Ἔπαινον ἀνθρώπων καί ἄνεσιν σώματος, ὁ ἀποδεχόμενος μέν, οὐ καταδεχόμενος δέ, οὗτος τοῦ ἐσχάτου τῆς κενοδοξίας χιτῶνος γυμνός γεγονώς, τοῦ ἐν πολλοῖς στεναγμοῖς ἐπιζητουμένου οἰκητηρίου τοῦ ἐκ οὐρανοῦ τήν φαιδρότητα ἀπ᾿ ἐντεῦθεν ἠξιώθη ἐνδύσασθαι.

σλζ΄. Ἄλλο ἐνέργεια, καί ἄλλο ἐνέργημα. Καί τό μέν, ἁμαρτίας ἀπηρτισμένης ἐστί δεικτικόν· τό δέ, ἡδυπαθείας μόνης τῆς ἔνδοθεν ἐνηργημένης, ἀλλ᾿ ἐκτός. Ὡς οἱ τῆς ἰδίας μέν μή κατακινούμενοι γῆς, δασμοφοροῦντες δέ ὅμως τοῖς καταδυναστεύουσι τά αὐτοῖς καταθύμια.

σλη΄. Τῆς γεύσεως κρατούσης ἐν ἡδοναῖς, ἀδύνατον μή καί πάσας τάς αἰσθήσεις συνέπεσθαι, κἄν τῶν ψυχροτέρων εἰρηνεύειν δοκῶσι τά ὑπογάστρια, ὡς τῶν γεγηρακότων πύρωσιν ἐκ πυρός [μή] δεξαμένων. Ἀλλ᾿ οὐ περί τό γεννᾷν σώφρων ἡ στεῖρα μοιχευομένη κριθήσεται. Σωφρονεῖν δέ πάντα τόν μή πορνεύοντα εἴποιμι ἄν, μηδέ ὁράσει κατακηλούμενον.

σλθ΄. Ἐν τροφαῖς καί μορφαῖς καί φωναῖς, τό ἐπιθυμητικόν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐλέγχεται, οἷόν ἐστιν ταῖς θελητικαῖς τε καί ἄλλως ἐχούσαις [ὁρμαῖς] ἐν γεύσει, καί ὄψει, καί ἀκοῇ, εἴτε ὡς χρώμενον αὐταῖς, εἴτε ὡς παραχρώμενον, εἴτε μέσον πρός ἀμφότερα εὑρισκόμενον.

σμ΄. Ἐν οἷς ὁ φόβος οὐ προηγεῖται, ὡς πρόβατα μή ἔχοντα ποιμένα ἐν συγχύσει, οἱ λογισμοί εὑρεθήσονται· ἐν εὐταξίᾳ δέ, καί μάνδρας εἴσω κατά τήν εὐνομίαν ἐφεπομένου, ἤ προηγουμένου αὐτοῦ.

σμα΄. Τῆς πίστεως, ὁ φόβος υἱός· τῶν ἐντολῶν δέ οὗτος νομεύς· καί ὁ μή τήν μητέρα τούτου κτησάμενος, πρόβατον ὀφθῆναι τῆς κατά Κύριον νομῆς οὐκ ἀξιωθήσεται.

σμβ΄. Οἱ μέν τάς ἀρχάς μόνας ἔχουσι τῶν καλῶν· οἱ δέ, καί τάς τούτων μεσότητας· οἱ δέ, καί τά τέλη αὐτῶν· ὧν ἄνευ, ὡς στρατιώτης ψιλός ἕκαστος εὑρεθήσεται ἤ ἀξιωματικός, τῶν σιτηρεσίων ἐκτός. Καί διά τοῦτο, ὁ μέν τήν ἑαυτοῦ μόνον καί μόλις οἰκίαν ἀπό τῶν ἐπιχειρούντων αὐτήν ἐπηρεάζειν συντηρῶν· ὁ δέ οὐκ ἐν τιμῇ τῇ προσηκούσῃ εὑρισκόμενος, ἐν οἷς ἄν συνέρχηται.

σμγ΄. Οἱ ταῖς ἡδοναῖς συνέρχεσθαι παρακαλοῦντες τοῦ φάρυγγος ἐντελεῖς ὄντας, ὅμοιόν τι ποιοῦσι τοῖς ἀναθερίζειν κελευομένοις τά εἰς ὑγείαν πληγάς ἤδη ἐλθούσας· ἤ τάς ψώρας διά τήν ἡδύτητα κνήθειν· ἤ τά τόν πυρετόν ἀνάπτοντα ἐσθίειν, ἤ (1461) ἀποφράττειν τόν ἀμπελῶνα αὐτοῦ, καί συγχωρεῖν εἰσέρχεσθαι σύν ταῖς ἐννοίαις ταῖς ἀγαθαῖς, ὡς μονιόν ἄγριον τό φρόνημα τῆς σαρκός, ὡς σταφυλάς διαβόσκεσθαι. Οἷς οὐ πείθεσθαι χρή, οὐδέ ταῖς ἀκαίροις κάμπτεσθαι κολακείαις ἀνθρώπων τε καί παθῶν· κατοχυροῦν δέ τόν φραγμόν δι᾿ ἐγκρατείας, ἕως παύσωνται οἵ τε θῆρες, τά σαρκικά πάθη, ὠρύεσθαι, καί ὡς πετεινά οἱ μάταιοι λογισμοί, μή καταβαίνειν λυμαίνεσθαι, τήν ὡς ἄμπελον εὐθηνουμένην ψυχήν θεωρίαις ταῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν. Ἀμήν.