43.  Does the sense of separation cause you pain?  Let hope cheer you.  Is widowhood grievous to you?  Yet it is not so to him.  And what is the good of love, if it gives itself easy things, and assigns the more difficult to its neighbour?  And why should it be grievous at all, to one who is soon to pass away?  The appointed day is at hand, the pain will not last long.  Let us not, by ignoble reasonings, make a burden of things which are really light.  We have endured a great loss—because the privilege we enjoyed was great.  Loss is common to all, such a privilege to few.  Let us rise superior to the one thought by the consolation of the other.  For it is more reasonable, that that which is better should win the day.  You have borne, in a most brave, Christian spirit, the loss of children, who were still in their prime and qualified for life; bear also the laying aside of his aged body by one who was weary of life, although his vigor of mind preserved for him his senses unimpaired.  Do you want some one to care for you?  Where is your Isaac, whom he left behind for you, to take his place in all respects?  Ask of him small things, the support of his hand and service, and requite him with greater things, a mother’s blessing and prayers, and the consequent freedom.  Are you vexed at being admonished?  I praise you for it.  For you have admonished many whom your long life has brought under your notice.  What I have said can have no application to you, who are so truly wise; but let it be a general medicine of consolation for mourners, so that they may know that they are mortals following mortals to the grave.

ΜΓʹ. Ἀλλὰ λυπεῖ σε τὸ τῆς διαζεύξεως; ἀλλ' εὐφραινέτω τὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος. Ἀλλὰ δεινὸν ἡ χηρεία; ἐκείνῳ δὲ οὐ δεινόν. Καὶ ποῦ τὸ τῆς ἀγάπης ἀγαθὸν, ἑαυτῷ τὰ ῥᾴω διδόντα, τῷ πλησίον ἀπονέμειν τὰ προσαντέστερα; Τί δὲ καὶ δεινὸν ὅλως τῇ λυθησομένῃ μετὰ μικρόν; Ἐγγὺς ἡ προθεσμία, τὸ λυπηρὸν οὐκ ἐπίμονον. Μὴ φορτίζωμεν ἀγεννέσι λογισμοῖς τὰ κουφότατα. Μεγάλων ἐστερήμεθα καὶ γὰρ τετυχήκαμεν: τὸ μὲν στερεῖσθαι, πάντων, τὸ δὲ τυχεῖν, οὐ πολλῶν. Μὴ τοῦτο καμπτέτω, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο παραμυθείσθω. Τὸ γὰρ κρεῖττον, νικᾷν εὐλογώτερον. Ἤνεγκας παίδων ἀποβολὴν, τῶν ὡραίων ἔτι, καὶ τῷ ζῇν ἐπιτηδείων, ἀνδρικώτατα καὶ φιλοσοφώτατα: ἔνεγκε καὶ γηραιοῦ κατάθεσιν σώματος ἤδη τῷ βίῳ κάμνοντος, εἰ καὶ τὰς αἰσθήσεις ἀπαθεστάτας ὁ τῆς ψυχῆς τόνος αὐτῷ συνετήρησεν. Ἀλλὰ δέῃ τοῦ κηδεμόνος; ποῦ δὲ ὁ σὸς οὗτος Ἰσαὰκ, ὃν ἀντὶ πάντων σοι καταλέλοιπεν; Αἴτει παρ' αὐτοῦ τὰ μικρὰ, τὴν χειραγωγίαν, καὶ τὴν δουλείαν: ἀντιδίδου τὰ μείζονα, τὴν μητρικὴν εὐλογίαν, καὶ τὰς εὐχὰς, καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐλευθερίαν. Ἀγανακτεῖς νουθετουμένη; τοῦτο ἐπαινῶ: καὶ γὰρ πολλοὺς νενουθέτηκας, ὅσους ὁ πολὺς χρόνος ὑπὸ τὴν σὴν ἤγαγε σύνεσιν. Οὐδὲν ὁ λόγος πρὸς σὲ τὴν φιλοσοφωτάτην: ἔστω κοινὸν τοῖς πενθοῦσι παραμυθίας φάρμακον, ὡς ἂν εἰδεῖεν ἀνθρώπους ἄνθρωποι προπέμποντες.