28.  One of the wonders which concern him was that he suffered from sickness and bodily pain.  But what wonder is it for even holy men to be distressed, either for the cleansing of their clay, slight though it may be, or a touchstone of virtue and test of philosophy, or for the education of the weaker, who learn from their example to be patient instead of giving way under their misfortunes?  Well, he was sick, the time was the holy and illustrious Easter, the queen of days, the brilliant night which dissipates the darkness of sin, upon which with abundant light we keep the feast of our salvation, putting ourselves to death along with the Light once put to death for us, and rising again with Him who rose.  This was the time of his sufferings.  Of what kind they were, I will briefly explain.  His whole frame was on fire with an excessive, burning fever, his strength had failed, he was unable to take food, his sleep had departed from him, he was in the greatest distress, and agitated by palpitations.  Within his mouth, the palate and the whole of the upper surface was so completely and painfully ulcerated, that it was difficult and dangerous to swallow even water.  The skill of physicians, the prayers, most earnest though they were, of his friends, and every possible attention were alike of no avail.  He himself in this desperate condition, while his breath came short and fast, had no perception of present things, but was entirely absent, immersed in the objects he had long desired, now made ready for him.  We were in the temple, mingling supplications with the sacred rites, for, in despair of all others, we had betaken ourselves to the Great Physician, to the power of that night, and to the last succour, with the intention, shall I say, of keeping a feast, or of mourning; of holding festival, or paying funeral honours to one no longer here?  O those tears! which were shed at that time by all the people.  O voices, and cries, and hymns blended with the psalmody!  From the temple they sought the priest, from the sacred rite the celebrant, from God their worthy ruler, with my Miriam64    My Miriam.  S. Nonna. to lead them and strike the timbrel65    Exod. xv. 20. not of triumph, but of supplication; learning then for the first time to be put to shame by misfortune, and calling at once upon the people and upon God; upon the former to sympathize with her distress, and to be lavish of their tears, upon the latter, to listen to her petitions, as, with the inventive genius of suffering, she rehearsed before Him all His wonders of old time.

ΚΗʹ. Ἓν δὲ τῶν περὶ ἐκεῖνον θαυμάτων: Ἔκαμνεν ἀῤῥωστίᾳ, καὶ πονηρῶς εἶχε τοῦ σώματος. Καὶ τί θαυμαστὸν, εἰ κακοπαθοῦσι καὶ ἅγιοι, εἴτε εἰς κάθαρσιν καὶ τῆς μικρᾶς ἰλύος, εἴτε εἰς βάσανον ἀρετῆς καὶ πεῖραν φιλοσοφίας, εἴτε εἰς παίδευσιν τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων ἐν ἐκείνοις μανθανόντων τὸ καρτερεῖν, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐκκακεῖν τοῖς πάθεσιν; Ἔκαμνεν οὖν, καὶ ὁ καιρὸς ἦν τὸ ἅγιον Πάσχα καὶ περιβόητον, ἡ βασίλισσα τῶν ἡμερῶν ἡμέρα, καὶ ἡ λαμπρὰ νὺξ λύουσα τὸ σκότος τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καθ' ἣν ἡμεῖς ὑπὸ πλουσίῳ φωτὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἑορτάζομεν, καὶ τῷ φωτὶ δι' ἡμᾶς νεκρωθέντι συννεκρωθέντες, καὶ ἀνισταμένῳ συνανιστάμεθα. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν δὴ τοῦ καιροῦ τὸ πάθος: τὸ δὲ ἦν, ὡς ἐν βραχεῖ διηγήσασθαι: Πυρετὸς μὲν σφοδρὸς καὶ διακαὴς πᾶν τὸ βάθος συνέφλεγεν, ἡ δὲ δύναμις ἐπελελοίπει, τῶν σιτίων δὲ ἀποκέκλειστο, ὕπνος δὲ ἀπελήλατο, ἀπορίᾳ δὲ εἴχετο, καὶ παλμοῖς συνεκόπτετο. Τὰ δὲ εἴσω τοῦ στόματος ἅπαντα, ἥ τε ὑπερῴα, καὶ ὅσον ὑπεραιώρηται, τοσούτοις ἕλκεσιν ἐξηνθήκει, καὶ οὕτω πικροῖς τε καὶ συνεχέσιν, ὥστε μηδὲ ὕδατι ῥᾴδιον εἶναι τὸν πόρον, μηδὲ ἀκίνδυνον. Ἤρκουν δὲ οὔτε ἰατρῶν τέχναι, οὔτε οἰκείων εὐχαὶ καὶ λίαν προσλιπαρούντων, οὔτε θεραπεία πᾶσα προσαγομένη. Ὁ μὲν οὖν ἐν τούτοις ἦν, πνέων μικρὰ καὶ ἀπεγνωσμένα, καὶ μηδὲ τῶν παρόντων ἐπαισθανόμενος, ἀλλ' ὅλος τῆς ἐκδημίας ὢν, καὶ τῶν πάλαι ποθουμένων αὐτῷ καὶ ηὐτρεπισμένων. Ἡμᾶς δὲ εἶχε τὸ ἱερὸν, μύστας ὁμοῦ καὶ ἱκέτας (ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἄλλων ἀπεγνώκειμεν ἁπάντων), πρὸς τὸν μέγαν ἰατρὸν καὶ τὴν τῆς νυκτὸς ἐκείνης δύναμιν καταφεύγοντας, καὶ τὴν τελευταίαν ἐπικουρίαν: τί καὶ φῶ; ἑορτάσοντας, ἣ θρηνήσοντας; πανηγυρίσοντας, ἢ τιμήσοντας τὸν οὐκέτι ἐνταῦθα τὰ ἐπιτάφια; Ὢ τῶν δακρύων ἐκείνων, ἃ παρὰ παντὸς ἐχέθη τοῦ λαοῦ τηνικαῦτα! ὢ φωνῶν, καὶ βοῶν, καὶ ὕμνων ταῖς ψαλμῳδίαις συγκιρναμένων! Ἐζήτουν παρὰ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τὸν ἱερέα, παρὰ τοῦ μυστηρίου τὸν μυσταγωγὸν, παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν ἄξιον παραστάτην: καὶ ταῦτα ἦν, ἐξαρχούσης τῆς ἐμῆς Μαρίας, καὶ ἀνακρουομένης τὸ τύμπανον, οὐ τὸ ἐπινίκιον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἱκέσιον, καὶ τότε πρῶτον ἀναισχυντεῖν μαθούσης ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους, καὶ καταβοώσης τοῦ λαοῦ τε ὁμοίως καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ: τοῦ μὲν, συναλγεῖν πασχούσῃ, καὶ προσφιλοτιμεῖσθαι τοῖς δάκρυσι: τοῦ δὲ, εἰσακούειν τῶν δεομένων, πάντων αὐτὸν τῶν πρὸ τούτου θαυμάτων (καὶ γὰρ εὑρετικὸν τὸ πάσχειν) ὑπομιμνήσκουσα.