"member of his household, that his friendship for thee “may increase.”

CLI. Another sage said, “Make not a friend of thy "house the man whose relatives make him a stranger "unto them, for they are better acquainted with him "than thou."

CLII. Another sage was asked, “What is the [greatest] “labour in the world?” And he replied, “That of the "feeble man who multiplieth hope."

CLIII. Another sage said, “Freedom of speech di"minisheth honour, and it is bare of real love."

CLIV. Another sage said, “By gratitude gifts are “made to abound, but by the cutting off of the same "they also are cut off.”

CLV. Another sage wrote to a certain man, saying, “I have sent such and such an one to thee in order “that thou mayest satisfy my wants through him, not "because I would not condescend to come in person, “but in order that he might help me to return thanks "unto thee, and be a witness of thy excellent behaviour “towards me.”

CLVI. Another sage said, “Despise not the mean "man who hath been useful to thee in becoming great."

CLVII. Another sage said, "Fools pay attention to "the errors and lapses of the children of men, but they "take no heed of their excellent qualities, even as flies "are persistent in setting upon the ulcerated members “of the body, but never upon the limbs which are “healthy."

CLVIII. Another sage said, “When thou askest for "a gift which is greater than thy position and it is not "granted unto thee, blame thyself because thou didst "not ask something proportionate to thy condition.”

CLIX. Another sage said, “Now, as concerning those "who argue madly with each other in the debate, if they "sought the truth they would never strive, because "truth is a thing by itself, and truth and striving do "not agree. But if they do not seek the truth but "victory, then the contest must increase between them, "for one of them cannot conquer unless the other be "overcome."

CLX. Another sage said, "It is right that the gover"nor of a nation should first of all order his own "goings and then those of his people, for unless he "doeth this it will happen to him as it would happen "to the man who should wish to set in order the "shadow of the thread before he had set in order the "substance to which the shadow belonged."

CLXI. Another sage said, "It is right that the man "who wisheth to do good things should thoroughly “examine himself, [that he may do] even as he would "that a man should do unto him. And he must be "like the man who wisheth to sow seed, to whom it "is therefore necessary to plough up thoroughly the "ground in which he would sow the seed, lest perad"venture it should be barren."

CLXII. Another sage said, "The king who is an op"pressor speedily destroyeth his kingdom, but the "righteous king prolongeth the life thereof; for the "oppressor is a waster and a destroyer, and the "righteous man is one who buildeth up. [With him] "that which hath been laid waste speedily cometh into "being [again], and in the process of time the edifice "appeareth."

CLXIII. Another sage was asked by the wise men, "Wherein lieth the difference between fear and

"affliction?" He replied, "Fear cometh into being be"fore tribulation cometh, but affliction after it."

CLXIV. The perfection of the rhetorical art is to be able to make truth wear the guise of falsehood, and that which is false the garb of truth; and to force men to the doing of that from which they would rather be excused, and to keep them back from the doing of that which they earnestly desire to do; and that not by force but by the ready will of those who hearken unto it."

CLXV. Another sage said, "Silence is the sleep of "the mind and speech is its waking state, and when "either sleep or waking is in moderation the mind is "praiseworthy; and whether it be asleep or awake it "is meet that it should be praised."

CLXVI. Another sage said, "I have often repented "that I have spoken, but very rarely that I have held "my peace."

CLXVII. Another sage said, "As long as a word "remaineth unspoken it is in the prison of him that "wished to speak, but when once it hath been spoken "the speaker thereof becometh its prisoner."

CLXVIII. Another sage said, "Beware of speaking "overmuch, for much speaking is a wide gulf wherein "stumbling-blocks are exceedingly many."

CLXIX. Another sage said, "If animals which are to "be eaten had been sent to the . . . . of death, even "like man, the flesh which is fat would never have "been eaten."

CLXX. Another sage said, "Blessed is he who is "occupied with his own defects, for he will not make "it a care unto him to pry into the weaknesses of his "companions."

CLXXI. To another sage it was said, “Who are “the blessed of the Lord? and who are accursed by “Him?" He replied, “The blessed of the Lord are the "children who are like unto old men, and the accursed "are the old men who are like unto children.”

CLXXII. Another sage said, “The places for prayer "which are in their own houses are better for women “than the public congregations.”

CLXXIII. Another sage said, “If only ye knew that "which I know your weeping would get the better of "your laughter."

The Fifth Chapter.

PROFITABLE SAYINGS OF THE CHRISTIAN RECLUSES.

CLXXIV. One of the Fathers said, “Young men in "the beginning of their career take unto themselves "labours for the sake of vain glory, but afterwards "Divine grace secretly whispereth to them and per"suadeth them to labour for Divine and not for human “glory.”

CLXXV. Another father said, “When God (Glory “be to His Grace!) saw that the Fathers were exalted "in their minds, He used to send them to men who "wrought righteousness, even though they toiled little “in the ascetic life, in order that they might be abased "somewhat. Thus He sent Antony to a tailor, and Ma“carius to two women, and Paphnutius to a thief and “a singer, and He sent two solitaries to a shepherd.”

CLXXVI. It was said by God unto a certain man who was righteous according to this world, “Flee from “men and thou shalt live,” God indicating to him that he should go into the desert. Then a second voice came to him, saying, “Flee, keep silence, and lead a “life of contemplation,” that is to say, “When thou hast "gone and hast become mighty in the deeds of the “ascetic life then thou shalt dwell alone with thy soul”.”