SHE SENDS GREGORY AWAY TO REST HIMSELF

When our conversation was finished, she said----

"It is time, brother, for you to rest your body awhile, since it is wearied with the great toil of your journey."

And though I found it a great and genuine rest to see her and hear her noble words, yet since she wanted it so much, that I might in every particular seem to obey my mistress, I found a pretty arbour prepared for me in one of the neighbouring gardens, and rested under the shade of the trailing vines. But it was impossible to have any feelings of [980A] enjoyment when my soul within me was constrained by gloomy anticipations, for the secret of the vision of my dream seemed to be now revealed to me by what I had seen. For the image I had seen was indeed true---- the relics of a holy martyr which had been dead in sin, but now were resplendent with the indwelling power of the Spirit. I explained this to one of those who had heard me tell the dream before.

We were, as one might guess, in a dejected state, expecting sad tidings, when Macrina, somehow or other divining our condition of mind, sent to us a messenger with more cheerful news, and bade us be of good cheer and have better hope for her, for she was feeling a change for the better. Now this was not said to deceive, but the message was [980B] actually true, though we did not know it at the time. For in very truth, just as a runner who has passed his adversary and already drawn near to the end of the stadium, as he approaches the judge's seat and sees the crown of victory, rejoices inwardly as if he had already attained his object and announces his victory to his sympathisers among the spectators----in such a frame of mind did she, too, tell us to cherish better hopes for her, for she was already looking to the prize of her heavenly calling, and all but uttering the apostle's words: "Henceforward is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the righteous Judge shall give me," for "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith."

Accordingly, feeling happy at the good [980C] news, we began to enjoy the sights that lay before us. For they were very varied and the arrangements gave much pleasure, since the great lady was careful even of these trifles.

Ἐπεὶ δὲ συνεπεράνθη ὁ λόγος: «Ὥρα σοι, φησίν, ἀδελφέ, πολλῷ τῷ κόπῳ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας πεπονηκότι βραχύ τι διαναπαῦσαι τὸ σῶμα.» Κἀμοὶ μεγάλη μὲν καὶ ἀληθὴς ἄνεσις ἦν τὸ προσορᾶν τε αὐτὴν καὶ τῶν μεγάλων ἐπακροᾶσθαι λόγων: ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο κεχαρισμένον ἦν καὶ φίλον αὐτῇ, ὡς ἂν διὰ πάντων πείθεσθαι τῇ διδασκάλῳ δοκοίην,
ἔν τινι τῶν παρακειμένων κηπίων χαρίεσσάν τινα καταγωγὴν παρεσκευασμένην εὑρὼν ὑπὸ τὴν τῶν ἀναδενδράδων σκιὰν ἀνεπαυόμην. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν δυνατὸν τῶν εὐφραινόντων τὴν αἴσθησιν ἔχειν τῆς ψυχῆς ἔνδοθεν τῇ τῶν σκυθρωπῶν ἐλπίδι συγχεομένης: τοῦ γὰρ ἐνυπνίου ἡ ὄψις ἐκκαλύπτειν μοι διὰ τῶν φαινομένων ἐδόκει τὸ αἴνιγμα. Ἦν γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς τὸ προκείμενον θέαμα μάρτυρος ἁγίου λείψανον, ὃ τῇ μὲν ἁμαρτίᾳ νενέκρωτο, τῇ δὲ ἐνοικούσῃ τοῦ πνεύματος χάριτι κατελάμπετο. Καὶ ταῦτα πρός τινα διεξῄειν τῶν προακηκοότων μου τὸ ἐνύπνιον: κατηφέστερον δὲ κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τῶν λυπούντων διακειμένων οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως στοχασαμένη τῆς ἐν ἡμῖν διανοίας ἀγγελίαν τινὰ τῶν εὐθυμοτέρων πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαπεμψαμένη θαρρεῖν ἐνεκελεύετο καὶ τὰς ἀμείνους ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ἔχειν ἐλπίδας: ἐπῃσθῆσθαι γὰρ τῆς πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον ῥοπῆς. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐ πρὸς ἀπάτην ἐλέγετο, ἀλλ' ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας ὁ λόγος ἦν, κἂν ἡμεῖς πρὸς τὸ παρὸν ἠγνοήσαμεν. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ καθάπερ τις δρομεὺς παραδραμὼν τὸν ἀντίπαλον καὶ ἤδη πρὸς τὸ τέρματι τοῦ σταδίου γενόμενος, προσεγγίζων τε τῷ βραβείῳ καὶ τὸν ἐπινίκιον στέφανον βλέπων, ὡς ἤδη τετυχηκὼς τοῦ προκειμένου ἐπαγάλλεταί τε αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ καὶ τοῖς εὐνουστέροις τῶν θεατῶν τὴν νίκην εὐαγγελίζεται, ἀπὸ τοιαύτης ἡμῖν διαθέσεως κἀκείνη τὰ χρηστότερα περὶ ἑαυτῆς ἐλπίζειν ἐδίδου, ἤδη πρὸς «τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως» βλέπουσα καὶ μονονουχὶ τὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου καὶ ἐφ' ἑαυτῆς φθεγγομένη, ὅτι «Ἀποκειταί μοι λοιπὸν ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος, ὃν ἀποδώσει μοι ὁ δίκαιος κριτής», ἐπειδὴ «Τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγώνισμαι καὶ τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα καὶ τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα». Ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀγγελίαν εὔθυμοι καταστάντες τῆς τῶν προκειμένων ἀπολαύσεως ἦμεν: ποικίλα δὲ ἦν ταῦτα καὶ πάσης πεπλήρωτο θυμηδίας ἡ παρασκευὴ οὕτω τῆς μεγάλης ἐκείνης καὶ μέχρι τούτων τῇ σπουδῇ κατιούσης.