Sayings of Arsenius the Great

Sayings of Arsenius the Great

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6. Abb& Arsenius on one occasion went to the brethren in a certain place where there were some reeds growing, and the wind blew upon them, and they were shaken. And the old man said, "What is this rustling sound?" and they said unto him, " It is that caused by the reeds which are being " shaken by the wind." And he said unto them, " Verily I say " unto you, if the man who dwelleth in silence heareth but the " twittering of a sparrow, he shall not be able to acquire that " repose in his heart which he seeketh; how much less then " can ye do so with all this rustling of the reeds about you? "

7 # A certain brother came to Abba Arsenius, and said unto him, " My thoughts vex me, and say, 4 Thou canst not fast;

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" ' and thou art not able to labour, therefore visit the sick, "' which is a great commandment.'" Then Abb A Arsenius, after the manner of one who was well acquainted with the war of devils, said unto him, " Eat, drink, and sleep, and toil not, " but on no account go out of thy cell "; for the old man knew that dwelling constantly in the cell induceth all the habits of the solitary life. And when the brother had done these things for three days he became weary of idleness, and finding a few palm leaves on the ground, he took them and began to split them up, and on the following day he dipped them in water and began to work (i.e., to weave baskets) ; and when he felt hungry he said, " I will finish one more small piece of work, and then " I will eat." And when he was reading in the Book, he said, " I will sing a few Psalms and say a few prayers, and then I " shall eat without any compunction." Thus little by little, by the agency of God, he advanced in the ascetic life until he reached the first rank, and received the power to resist the thoughts and to vanquish them.

13. A certain father came to Abbd Arsenius, and he knocked at the door, and the old man opened unto him thinking that it was his servant [who had knocked]; and when he saw who it was, he cast himself upon his face, and the father entreated him, saying, "Stand up, O father, that I may give thee the "salutation of peace." But Arsenius disputed with him, saying, "I will not stand up until thou hast departed "; and though he entreated him to do so often he would not stand up, and the father left him and departed.

21. They tell the story of a certain brother who came to Scete to see Abb& Arsenius, and who went into the church and entreated the clergy to take him to see him; and the clergy said unto him, "Refresh thyself a little, and thou shalt see "him." And the brother said unto them, "I will eat nothing " before I meet him and see him"; and when the clergy heard this they sent a brother with him to shew him Abb£ Arsenius, because his cell was some distance away. And when they had arrived there, they knocked at the door and went inside, and having saluted him, and prayed, they sat down and held their peace ; and the brother who was from the church answered and said, " I will depart, pray ye for me." But when the other brother saw that he possessed not freedom of speech with the old man, he said unto the brother from the church, "I also " will go with thee," and they departed together.

Then he entreated him, saying, "Take me also to Abb£ " Moses who was a thief," and when they went to him, the old man received them with joy, and having refreshed them greatly he dismissed them in peace. And the brother who had

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brought the visitor to Abb& Moses said unto him, " Behold, " I brought thee to a man from a foreign land, and to an " Egyptian, which of the two pleaseth thee? " And he answered and said unto him, " The Egyptian who hath just received me, "and refreshed me." And when one of the old men heard what had happened, he prayed to God, and said, "O Lord, shew "me this matter; one fleeth from the world for Thy Name's "sake, and another receiveth and is gracious for Thy Name's "sake," And behold, suddenly there appeared unto him on the river two great boats, and lo, Abbd Arsenius and the Spirit of God were travelling in silence in the one, and Abbd Moses and the angels of God were in the other, and they were feeding the monk with honey from the comb.

29. The old men used to say about the blessed Abbd Arsenius, and Abbd Theodore of Parmfi, that they possessed in a far greater degree than many monks a hatred of the admiration of men; Abbd Arsenius was never pleased at meeting and conversing with a man, and AbbA Theodore, even though he was willing to meet a man, was as sharp as a sword in his conversation.

52. The blessed Theophilus, Archbishop of Alexandria, once went with a certain judge to Abbd Arsenius, and begged the old man to let him hear some saying from him; and the old man held his peace for a little, and then answered him, and said, " If I speak a word to you will ye observe it?" And they promised to keep it. The old man said unto them, "In whatsoever "place ye hear that Arsenius is, come not nigh thereunto."

53. Abb£ Macarius said unto Abbd Arsenius, " Why fleest " thou from us?" And the old man said unto him, "God know- " eth that I love you, but I cannot be both with God and with "men. The thousands and ten thousands of beings who are " above have only one will, but men have many wills: I can- "not, therefore, leave God and be with men." And the old man was always uttering these words, "Arsenius, for this "thou didst go forth." And he used to say thus: "I have " many times repented that I spoke, but that I held my peace "I have never repented."

104. They used to tell about a certain monk who, having gone forth from the world, and lived in the coenobium for a number of years, was gracious unto every man in his humility, and all the brethren marvelled at his abstinence from meats ; then he went to the barren desert, and lived there for many years, eating for food wild herbs. And afterwards he entreated God to inform him what reward He would give him, and it was said unto him by an angel, " Go forth from this desert and "get thee along the road, and behold a certain shepherd shall " meet thee, and according to [what he saith] so shalt thou " receive." Now when he had made ready to depart, the shepherd of whom he had been told by the angel met him, and saluted him, and having sat down to hold converse with each other, the monk saw in the shepherd's bag some green herbs, and he asked him, saying, " What is this? And the shepherd said unto him, " It is my food." And the monk said unto him, "How long hast thou been feeding thyself on these green "herbs?" And the shepherd said unto him, " Behold, for the " last thirty years, more or less, and I have never tasted any- " thing else except these herbs which I have eaten once a day, "and I drink as much water as my food requireth; and the

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" wages which are given to me by the owner of the sheep "I give unto the poor." Now when the monk heard these things he fell down at the feet of the shepherd, and said, " I "imagined that I had laid hold upon abstinence, but thou " through thy well-ordered life art worthy of a greater reward "than I, because I have eaten every kind of green thing im- " mediately it came in my way." Then the shepherd said unto him, "It is not right that rational men should make them- " selves like unto the beasts, but they should eat whatsoever is " prepared for them at the seasons which are duly ordered and "appointed forthem, and afterwards they should fast fromevery- " thing until an appointed time." And the monk profited by these words, and he added to his labour and became perfect, and he praised God, and marvelled how many were the saints in the world who were not known to the children of men.

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THEY used to say about Abbd Arsenius that no man was able to attain to the manner of life in his abode. And they also said about him that on the night of the Sabbath IOS# which would end in the dawn of Sunday, he would leave the sun behind him, and would stretch out his hands towards heaven, and would pray [in this position] until the sun rose in his face, when he would satisfy his eyes with a little slumber.

113. One day Abbk Arsenius called Abbi Alexander and

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Abba Z6J14, and said unto them, " Because the devils are "striving with me, and because I do not know but that they "may carry me off during [my] sleep, toil ye here with me " this night, and keep vigil, and watch me and see if I sleep " during [my] vigil." So they sat down, one on his right hand, and the other on his left, from the evening even until the morning. And they said, ' ' We slept and we woke up, and we " did not observe that he slept at all ; but when it began to be " light there came unto us three times the sound of breathing " in his nostrils, but whether he did this purposely so that we "might think he slept or whether slumber had really fallen " upon him we know not." And he stood up and said unto us, " i Have I been asleep? " And we answered and said unto him, " We do not know, O father, for we ourselves went to sleep."

125. Certain brethren entreated Abbd Epiphanius on one occasion, saying, "Father, speak unto us some word of life, " even though when thou speakest we may not grasp the seed " of thy word, because the soil is salt." Then the old man answered and said unto them, "Whosoever receiveth not all the "brethren, but maketh distinctions between them, cannot be- " come a perfect man. If a man revile thee, bless him, whether " it be good for both of you, or whether it be not; it will be he " who will receive a reward of blessing. This is the right way " for a monk to live, and in this way lived Abb& Arsenius, who "took care each day to stand up before God without sin, " and he drew nigh unto Him with tears like the sinful woman. " In this manner pray to the Lord God — as if He were standing "before thee, for He is nigh unto thee and He looketh upon "thee. It is right that the man who wisheth to dwell in the "desert should be [as] a teacher in his knowledge, and he must " not be in need of instruction lest he be swept away by the "devils; and he must look into his mind most minutely, " both in respedl of the things which are above, and those " which are below, lest he become a laughing-stock unto them

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" by some means or other. It is right that the manner of life "of the man who loveth God should be blameless."

133. And Abbd Daniel used to say concerning Abbd Arsenius that he would pass the whole night in vigil, and when, for the sake of nature, he wished for the approach of the morning so that he might have some relief, he would struggle against sleep, and say, 4 4 Get thee gone, O wicked handmaiden"; then he would snatch a very little slumber and stand up straightway.

134. Abb& Arsenius used to say, 4 4 One hour's sleep is suffi- 44 cient for a monk, provided that he be strenuous.

146. A blessed Archbishop, when he was about to depart from this world, said, "Blessed art thou, O Arsenius, because "thou hast remembered this hour."

151. When the blessed Arsenius was about to deliver up his spirit the brethren saw him weeping", and they said unto him, "Art thou also afraid, O father?" And he said unto them, " The dread of this hour hath been with me in very truth from "the time when I became a monk, and was afraid." And so he died.

152. And when Abbi Poemen heard that he was dead, that is to say, that Abbi Arsenius had gone to his rest, he said, "Blessed art thou, O Abbi Arsenius, for thou didst weep ' ' over thyself in this world. For he who weepeth not for him- " self in this world must weep for ever in the next. He may " weep here voluntarily, or there because of the punishments " [which he will receive], but it is impossible for a man to " escape weeping either here or there."

157. A brother asked an old man, and said unto him, "What " shall I do, father?" The old man said unto him, "It is right "that we should sigh and lament always." Now it happened that one of the old men fell asleep, and that after a long inter-

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val he came to himself again, and the brethren asked him, saying-, "What didst thou see there, O father?" and he said unto us with many tears, "I heard there the sound of the weeping "of many, who were crying out and wailing incessantly, and "saying, 'Woe is me! Woe is me!' And it is meet that we "should always be saying the same thing."

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ABBA ARSENIUS once fell sick at Scete, and he was in need of a bowl of pottage ; and since this was not to be found there, he took the remains of the Eucharist

165. They say concerning Abbd Arsenius that as, when he lived in the world, his apparel was finer than that of anyone else, so, when he lived in Scete, he wore raiment which was inferior to that of every one else. And when, at long intervals, he came to church, he used to sit behind a pillar so that no one might see his face, and he might not see the faces of others ; now his face was like that of an angel, and his hair was as white as snow, and as abundant as [that of] Jacob. His body was dry by reason of his labours, and his beard descended to his belly, but his eyelashes were destroyed by weeping; he was tall in stature, but somewhat bowed by old age and he ended his days when he was ninety-five years old. He lived n the world, in the palace, for forty years, in the days of

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Theodosius, the great king, who became the father of the Emperors Honorius and Arcadius, and he lived in Scete forty years, and he lived for ten years in the Troja of Babylon which is opposite the Memphis which is in Egypt, and he dwelt for three years in Canopus of Alexandria, and during the two remaining years he came to Troja again, where he died. And he finished his career in peace and in the fear of God.

207. They used to say that the cell of the blessed Arsenius also was two and thirty miles from the church, but he never went anywhere and others brought him whatsoever he required.

208. The blessed Arsenius never changed the water [wherein he soaked] the leaves which he twisted into ropes except once a year, but he used to add frequently to it, for he twisted palm leaves and sewed them together until the sixth hour [daily]. And the fathers entreated him, saying, i i Tell us why thou dost "not change the water of the leaves, for it is very foul"; then the old man answered, and said, " It is right that I should en- "dure this foul smell in return for the odours of the sweet "scents, and oils, and delightful odours, which I enjoyed when " I was in the world."

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209* It is related of a certain old man that if he heard a brother speak evilly to him he would labour very hard to make something which would please the brother who had spoken to him, and that if that brother did not live with him, the old man would send whatsoever he had made to the place where he was,

220. Abbd Arsenius used to say, "When an unbaked [or " moist] brick is laid in the foundations of a building" by the " river-side, it will not support it, but if it be burnt in the furnace it will support the building like a stone. And thus it is " with the man who possesseth a carnal mind, and who doth " not become hot and burn with heat, even as did Joseph with "the word of God, for when he cometh to have dominion " he will be found to be wanting. For very many of those " upon whom trials have come have straightway been swept " away and have fallen. It is therefore a good thing for a man " to know the gravity of dominion, and to be required to bear " trials, which are like the onset of many mighty waters, so " that he may remain firm and unmoved." And of this holy man Joseph — if aman wisheth to have the story told — Arsenius used to say that "He was not a being of earth at all — so much was " he tempted. And [consider] the country [of Egypt] wherein "formerly there was not even a trace of the fear of God! But "the God of his fathers was with him, and He delivered him " out of all his tribulations, and Joseph is now with his fathers "in the kingdom of heaven; and let us also make supplication " with all our might that we too may in the same manner be " able to flee from and escape from the righteous judgement of "God."

243. Abbd Daniel used to say, "On one occasion Abbd * * Arsenius called me and said unto me, * Make thy father to " 'be gratified, so that when he goeth to our Lord, he may " 'make entreaties to Him on behalf of thee, and good shall " 4 be unto thee.'"

253. Whilst Abb£ Arsenius was dwelling in Canopus of Alexandria a certain noble lady came to him; she was a virgin, and was exceedingly rich, and she feared the Lord, and she was from Rome and had come to see Abb& Arsenius. Now Theophilus, Archbishop of Alexandria, received her, and she begged him to entreat the old man to receive her. Then Theophilus went to Abb£ Arsenius and entreated him, saying, "Such and " such a noble lady hath come from Rome, and she wisheth to " see thee, and to be blessed by thee" ; but the old man refused to receive her. And when Theophilus informed her that the old man refused to receive her, she commanded them to make ready the beasts [for travelling], and she said, "By God, I " believe that I shall see him. I did not come to see men, for " there are men in my own city, but I came to see a prophet." And when she came outside the cell of the old man, he happened, through the working of God, to be there, and she saw him, and fell down at his feet ; then he lifted her up eagerly, and looking at her, said, "If thou wishest to look upon my "face, behold, look"; but she by reason of her bashfulness, was not able to look upon his face. Then the old man said unto ttbe Savings of tbe 1bot$ if atberd

her, "Hast thou not heard about my works, and that I am a " sinner? For it is these which it is necessary for thee to see. 44 How didst thou dare to travel hither by ship? Didst thou not " know that thou wast a woman, and that it was incumbent " upon thee not to go forth anywhere? Wouldst thou go back 44 to Rome and make a boast to the women [there] that thou " hast seen Arsenius, and dost thou wish to make the sea into " a road whereby women shall come unto me?" And the lady said unto him, "Please God I will not let any woman come " unto thee; but pray for me that God may have me in remem- " brance always." Then Abb& Arsenius said unto her, "I will 44 pray to God that He may blot out the memory of thee from my 4 4 heart and when she heard these words she went forth, being afraid. Now as soon as she had come to the city a fever began to come upon her because of her grief of mind, and the people told the Bishop, saying, "That noble lady is ill"; and he came to her, and entreated her that he might learn the cause of her sickness. Then she said unto him, "Would that Inever had journeyed " thither ! For I said unto the old man Arsenius, 4 Make mention 44 4 of me in prayer,' and he said unto me, 4 1 will pray unto God 4 4 4 that He may blot out the remembrance of thee from my heart,' 44 and behold I shall die of grief. " And the Archbishop said unto her, 4 4 Dost thou not know that thou art a woman, and that 44 the Enemy doeth battle with the holy men by means of wo- 44 men? It was for this reason that the old man spake as he 44 did; for thy soul, however, he will pray always. " And the noble lady remembered [these things] in her mind, and she rose up, and went to her country with gladness.

305. Abbd Arsenius said unto Abbi Alexander, 44 When thou 44 hast finished the work of thy hands, come to me and we will 44 eat; but if strangers come, eat with them, and do not come 44 to me." Now Alexander continued at his work late, and when the time for the meal had arrived, and palm leaves were still standing before him, although he was anxious to keep the word of the old man, he also wanted to finish up the leaves, and then to go to him. Now when the old man saw that Abb£ Alexander delayed [in coming] to eat, he thought that it was because strangers had come to him. And when Abbi Alexander had finished his work he went to the old man, who said unto him, 4 4 Did 44 strangers come to thee? " And Alexander said unto him, 44 No, 44 father." Then the old man said unto him, 44 Why hast thou 4 4 delayed [in coming]?" And Alexander answered and said unto him, 4 4 Because thou didst say unto me, 4 When thou hast 4 4 4 finished thy leaves come to me'; and paying heed to thy 44 word, and having finished [my work], behold, I have come."

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And the old man marvelled at this scrupulous obedience, and said unto him, "Make haste and perform thy service of praise "and prayer, and bring it to an end, and drink some water, " for if thou dost not do it quickly thy body will become sick. "

317. AbbA Daniel used to say that on one occasion certain fathers came from Alexandria to see Abbd Arsenius, and one of them was the brother of Timothy, Patriarch of Alexandria, and they were taking his nephew also. Now the old man was ill at that season, and he did not wish to spend much time with them, lest, peradventure, they should come to visit him another time and trouble him; and he was then living in PatdrA of Est6ris, and the fathers went back sorrowfully. And it happened on one occasion that the barbarians invaded the country, and then Abbd Arsenius came and dwelt in the lower countries; and when those same fathers heard [of his coming] they went to see him, and he received them with gladness. Then the brother who belonged to them said unto him, " Father, know- "est thou not that when [these fathers] came to thee on the " first occasion at Estoris thou didst not protract thy conversa- " tion with us?" The old man said unto him, 4< My son, ye ate " bread, and ye drank water, in very truth, but I refused to eat " bread and drink water, and I would not sit upon my legs " through torturing myself, until the time when I knew from ex- " perience that ye must have arrived at your homes, for I knew " that for my sake ye had given yourselves trouble. " Thus they were pleased and gratified in their minds and they departed rejoicing.

343. On one occasion when Abb& Arsenius was living in the lower lands, and was troubled, he determined to leave his cell

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without taking anything from it, and he departed to his disciples in the body, that is to say, to Alexander and Zoilus. Then he said to Alexander, "Arise, and go back to the place " where I was living "; and Alexander did so; and he said to Zoilus, " Arise; and come with me to the river, and seek out " for me a ship which is going to Alexandria, and then come " back, and go to thy brother." Now Zoilus marvelled at this speech, but he held his peace; and thus they parted from each other, and the old man Arsenius then went down to the country of Alexandria, where he fell ill of a serious sickness. And his disciples went back and came to the place where they had been formerly, and they said to each other, "Perhaps one of us " hath offended the old man, and it is for this reason that he "hath separated from us"; but they could not find in themselves anything with which they had ever offended him. Now the old man became well again, and he said, "I will arise and " go to the fathers," and he journeyed on and came to Pat£r& where his disciples were. Now when the old man was nigh unto the river-side a young Ethiopian woman saw him, and she came behind him, and drew near him, and plucked his raiment; and the old man rebuked her. Then the maiden said unto him, "If thou art a monk, depart to the mountain." Now the old man being somewhat sad at this remark, said within himself, "Arsenius, if thou art a monk, depart to the moun- " tain"; and afterwards his disciples Alexander and Zoilus met him, and they fell down at his feet, and the old man threw himself down [on the ground] also, and he wept himself, and his disciples wept before him. And the old man said unto them, " Did ye not hear that I have been sick?" And they said unto him, "Yes." And the old man said, "Why did ye not seek to "come and see me?" And Abb& Alexander said, "Because " the way in which thou didst leave us was not right, and be- " cause of it many were offended, and they said, 'If they had " 'not wearied (or pressed) the old man in someway he would " 'never have separated from them.'" The old man saith unto them, "I know that myself, but men will also say, 'The dove " 'could not find rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned " 'to Noah in the ark'"; thus the disciples were healed, and they took up their abode with him again.

344. Abb! Daniel used to tell concerning Arsenius that he never wished to speak about any investigation into the Scriptures, although he was well able to speak [on the subject] if he had been so disposed, but he could not write even a letter quickly.

450. They used to say that [on one occasion] when Abbd Arsenius the Great fell ill in Scete, a priest went and brought him to the church, and he spread a palm-leaf mat for him, and [placed] a small pillow under his head; and one of the old men came to visit him and saw that he was lying upon a mat and that he had a pillow under his head, and he was offended and said, 4 4 And this is Arsenius lying upon such things!" Then the priest took the old man aside privately, and said unto him, 44 What labour didst thou do in thy village?" and the old man said unto him, 44 1 was a shepherd." And the priest said unto

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him, " What manner of life didst thou lead in the world?" and he said unto him, "A life of toil, and sore want." And when the old man had described all the tribulation which he had endured in the world, the priest said unto him, 4 'And here what "manner of life dost thou lead?" And the old man said unto him, "In my cell I have everything comfortable, and I have "more than I want"; and the priest said unto him, "Consider "[the position of] Abb A Arsenius when he was in the world! " He was the father of kings, and a thousand slaves, girt "about with gold-embroidered vests, and with chains and or- " naments round their necks, and clothed in silk, stood before "him; and he had the most costly couches and cushions Jto " lie upon]. But thou wast a shepherd, and the comforts which "thou didst never enjoy in the world thou hast here; but this "man Arsenius hath not here the comforts which he enjoyed "in the world, and now thou art at thine ease whilst he is "troubled." Then the mind of the old man was opened, and he expressed contrition and said, "Father, forgive me; I have "sinned. Verily this is the way of truth. He hath come to a "state of humility, whilst I have attained to ease." And the old man having profited went his way.

463. They used to say that on one occasion a few early, white figs came to Scete, but because they were nothing [of importance] they did not send any to Abbd Arsenius, not wishing to insult him; and when the old man heard of this he did not come to the congregation, saying, "Ye separated me from the "blessed gift which God sent to the brethren because I was "unworthy to partake of it." And when the old man heard [this] they profited [greatly] by his humility, and the priest went and carried some of the figs to him, and brought him to the congregation with great joy.

502. The disciple of Abbd Arsenius used to say, "When "the old man was about to die, he commanded us, saying, ' ' ' Do not let it be a care unto you to make a commemoration " 4 for me, but offer up the Offering only; for, he used to say, " 'if during my life-time I have done any thing which is worthy "'of commemoration, I shall most certainly find [a memorial " 'of it]/"

547. On one occasion when Abbd Arsenius was in his cell the devils rose up against him and vexed him; and those who used to minister to him came to him, and as they stood outside his cell they heard him crying out to God, saying, "O " God, forsake me not. I have never done before Thee anything "which is good, but grant, O Lord, according to Thy grace, "that I may begin in the way."

549. And his word at all times was this, "Arsenius, because "thou didst go forth"; and he used to repeat this saying, " That I have spoken I have many times repented; that I held i 'my peace I have never repented."

625. On one occasion one of the brethren went to the cell of Abb£ Arsenius in Scete, and he looked through the window, and saw the old man standing up, and all his body was like fire; now that brother was worthy to see this sight. And having knocked at the door the old man came out to him ; and seeing that the brother was marvelling at the sight which he had seen, he said unto him, ' 'Hast thou been knocking a long " time? Perad venture thou hast seen something?" and he said unto him, "No; [I have not]." And Abb£ Arsenius spake with him and dismissed him.

18. Abba* Daniel used to say about Abba* Arsenius that immediately he heard that the fruits were [ripe] on the trees, he would tell them in his desire to bring him some, and that he used to eat once a year of every kind of fruit, so that he might give thanks to God.

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22. Abbd Daniel Parndyd, the disciple of Abb£ Arsenius, used to tell about a man of Scete, and say that he was a man of great labours but simple in the faith, and in his ignorance he considered and declared that the bread which we receive is not in very truth the Body of Christ, but a similitude of His Body. And two of the fathers heard this word which he spake, but because they knew of his sublime works and labours, they imagined that he had spoken it in his innocence and simplemindedness ; and they came to him and said unto him, 4 4 Father, 44 we have heard a thing from a man which we do not believe, 44 for he saith that this bread which we receive is not in very 44 truth the Body of Christ, but a mere similitude." And he said unto them, 4 4 It is I who have said this thing," and they entreated him, saying, 4 4 Thou must not say thus, father, but 44 according to what the Holy Catholic Church hath handed

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" down to us, even so do we believe, that is to say, this bread " is the Body of Christ in very truth, and is not a mere simili- " tude. As, in truth, God straightway took dust from the earth, " and fashioned man in His image, [and no man is able to say " that he is not the image of GodJ, so also was it the case of the " bread of which He said, 'This is My Body/ for it is not to be " regarded as a merely commemorative thing, and we believe " that it is indeed the Body of Christ." And the old man said, "Unless I be convinced by the thing itself I will not hearken " [to this]"; then the fathers said unto him, "Let us pray to " God for the whole week on this mystery, and we believe that " He will reveal [it] unto us," and the old man agreed to this with great joy, and each man went to his cell. Then the old man prayed unto God, saying, "O Lord, Thou knowest that it "is not from wickedness that I do not believe, but in order 4 4 that I may not go astray through ignorance, reveal Thou "therefore unto me, O Lord Jesus Christ, this mystery"; and the two other old men prayed unto God and said thus, " O Lord "Jesus Christ, make Thou this old man to have knowledge "concerning this mystery, and we believe that he will not " destroy his labours."

And God heard the entreaty of the two fathers, and when the week was ended they came to the church, and the three of them sat down by themselves on one seat, and the old man was between the other two ; and the eyes of their understandings were opened, and when the time of the Mysteries had arrived, and the bread was laid upon the holy table, there appeared to the three of them as it were a child on the table. And when the priest stretched out his hand to break the bread, behold the angel of the Lord came down from heaven with a knife in his hand, and he slew the child and pressed out his blood into the cup ; and when the priest broke off from the bread small members, the old man drew nigh that he might partake of the Holy Offering, and a piece of living flesh smeared and dripping with blood was given to him. Now when he saw [this] he was afraid, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "I believe, O Lord, " that the bread is Thy Body, and that the cup is Thy Blood"; and straightway the flesh which was in his hand became bread like unto that of the Mystery, and he took it and gave thanks unto God. And the old men said unto him, "God knoweth the "nature of men, and that it is unable to eat living flesh, and " for this reason He turneth His Body into bread, and His " Blood into wine, for those who receive Him in faith." Then they gave thanks unto God for that old man, and because he had not permitted Satan to destroy him from his labours, and the three of them went to their cells in gladness.

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23. Abbd Daniel used to say that Abbd Arsenius told him a story, as if he were speaking of some other man, saying: — Whilst a certain old man was sitting in his cell, there came unto him a voice which said, " Come hither, and I will shew "thee the works of the children of men"; and he rose up and went out. And the voice led him out and shewed him an Ethiopian cutting wood, and he made up a large bundle and wished to carry it away, but he was unable to do so. Then instead of making the bundle smaller, he went and cut down some more wood, and added thereto, and this he did many times. And when he had gone on a little further, the voice shewed him a man who was standing by a pit drawing up water, which he cast in a certain hollowed out place, and when he had thrown the water therein it ran down again into the pit.

And again the voice said unto him, "Come, and I will shew " thee other things." Then he looked, and, behold, there was a temple, and two men, who were riding horses, were carrying a piece of wood as wide as the temple was, and they wanted to go in through the door, but the width of the wood did not permit them to do so, for they would not humble themselves to go in, one after his companion, and to bring it in end-wise, and therefore they remained outside the door. Now these are the men who bear the yoke of righteousness with boasting, and they will not humble themselves to make themselves straight and go in the humble way of Christ, and therefore they remain outside the kingdom of God. And the man who was cutting wood is the man who laboureth in many sins, and who, instead ofrepenting and diminishing from his sins, addeth other wickednesses thereunto. Now he who was drawing water is the man who doeth good works, and who, because other things are mingled in his good works, destroyeth his works thereby. Now it is meet that a man should be watchful in his labour, lest he toil in vain.

47. Abbd Arsenius used to say, " The monk is a stranger in "a foreign land; let him not occupy himself with anything " [therein], and he will find rest."

202. Abbi Arsenius used to say, "Thou shalt not depart "from a place without great labour, and thou shalt do none " of the things which, evilly, thou desirest, and thou shalt do " nothing without the testimony of the Scriptures."

203. Abbd Arsenius used to say, "If we seek God He will "be revealed unto us, and if we lay hold upon Him, He will " remain with us."

An old man used to say, "If we seek God He will be re- " vealed unto us, and if we lay hold upon Him, He will re- " main with us."

233. On one occasion Abbd Evagrius said unto Abbk Arsenius, 4 4 Since we are without learning according to the 4 4 world, and we have no wisdom whatsoever, [how is it that] 44 these Egyptian villagers possess such spiritual excellences?" Abbi Arsenius (or Abbd Macarius) said unto him, 4 4 We pos- 4 4 sess nothing whatsoever of the learning of the world, but 44 these Egyptian villagers have acquired spiritual excellences 4 4 through their labours."

234. On one occasion Abb£ Arsenius asked an Egyptian old man about the thoughts, and afterwards another brother said

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unto Abb£ Arsenius, "How is it that whilst thou hast so 44 much learning, both Greek and Latin, thou askest questions 44 about the thoughts of this villager ?" Then Abb£ Arsenius said unto him, 4 'With Greek and Latin learning I am well 44 acquainted, but I have not yet learned the alphabet of this 4 4 villager. "

2$$. Now on one occasion when the Archbishop wished to go to visit him, he sent a message to this effedl to him, and the old man sent him [back] word, saying, 4 4 If thou comest 1 4 4 will open unto thee, and if I open unto thee I must open 44 unto every man, and if I open unto every man I cannot re- 4 4 main here." And when the Archbishop heard these things, he said, 44 If I would drive him away I must go to the old 44 man, therefore I will not go."

397. Abbd Macarius asked Abb£ Arsenius, saying, "Is it "good for a man not to have any pleasure at all in his cell? " I know a brother who used to have a few garden herbs in " his cell, and to prevent himself from having any gratification "therefrom, he pulled them up by the roots"; and Abb& Arsenius said unto him, "This is good, but every man [must " do] as he is able, and if he hath not strength to persist in " this perhaps he should plant others."

449. If a man revile thee, bless him, and if he accept the blessing it shall be good for both of you; and if he doth not, he shall receive the reward of his reviling, and thou of the blessing.

45<X It is right for a monk to live even as AbbA Arsenius lived. Take care each day to stand before God without sin, and draw nigh unto Him with tears as did the sinful woman; and pray thou unto the Lord God as if He were standing before thee, for He is near and looketh at thee carefully.

517. Abbd Daniel used to say that a man of business once came to Abbd Arsenius, and brought him a testament of a certain kinsman who had left him a very large inheritance, and having received the deed he wished to tear it to pieces. Then the man of business fell down at his feet, and said, "I beseech " thee, do not tear it up, for if thou dost I shall die." And Abb£ Arsenius said unto him, "I died before he did, though he hath "only now died, but shall I live?" And he sent the man of affairs away without having taken anything.

606. The brethren said: — Abbd Pambd said, "If there be " three monks in one place, and one of them live in silence [it "is] well, and if another be sick and he give thanks in his " weakness, and if another minister to men and relieve them, " all three of them are in the same service." Reveal to us now the mind of this holy man.

And Abbd Pambd said, " If a man dwell in silence for God's " sake, and not for the sake of vainglory, or any other human "thing; and if another, who is sick, give thanks to God for " his sickness, and he endure him that ministereth unto him "with longsufFering, he becometh like unto him that is in " silence; and if he who ministereth unto men doeth it not for " a reward of this world, but for God's sake, and if he con- " straineth himself in everything, and doeth the will of those " who are ministered unto by him in love and gladness, he " thus becometh like unto him who shutteth himself up in " silence, and like unto him that is sick, and in this way the " work of all three is of equal merit. For Abb& Joseph and *' Abbd Poemen divided the perfedl ascetic life into three "classes, and therefore Abb£ Nastir said to that brother, 'If " 'thou condudl thyself according to any one of the three thou " 'shalt be perfedi.' And this is well known from that which "AbbA Anthony said, 'Many have afflidted themselves with " 'labours and tribulations, and because they had not in them " 'the power of discernment, they did not know the way ot ' ' 'truth.' And again he said, ' One man might live in a cell " 'for a hundred years, and yet not know how to dwell therein " '[rightly] for one day, because he humbleth not himself, and " 'accounteth not himself a sinner, and a feeble man, and igno- " 'rant, but he justifieth himself, and blameth others; never- " 'theless it is right that we should know that, even though " 'some are sick, and others relieve the wants of men and " 'minister unto them with an upright aim, those who lead a " 'life of silence lead a superior life, and follow a line of con- " 'dudl which is more excellent than all the rules of life which " 'are followed among brethren. And this life is superior in " 'the same way that the Spirit of God is more exalted than " 'the holy angels, according to what we have learned from " 'the history of the holy men AbbA Arsenius and Abbd Moses " 'the Ethiopian. For when one of the brethren went to the " 'blessed Arsenius [to enquire of him] concerning the love of " 'a silent life of contemplation, he neither set a table for him

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" ' nor gave him refreshment; then he went to the blessed Abb& ' ' 'Moses and he both welcomed him and gave him refresh- " 'ment. And when one of the great fathers heard [this], he " 'entreated our Lord to reveal to him this matter, saying, " '"How is it that one fleeth for Thy Name's sake, and an- " '"other welcometh and giveth refreshment for Thy Name's " '"sake?" And there appeared unto him on the river two " 'ships, in one of which were Abb& Arsenius, and the Spirit " 'of God Who was travelling along in silence, and in the " ' other was Abbd Moses, who was travelling with holy angels " 'that were feeding him upon honey, with the comb thereof. " 'And by this the fathers understood that the life of silent " 'contemplation was as greatly exalted above alms and mini- " 'strations as was the conduct of Matthew the Evangelist " 'above that of Zacchaeus the tax-gatherer.'"

629. The brothers said, " Why was the blessed Martinydnd, " after all the great ascetic practices which he had acquired, " and the gifts of the spirit which he had received, and after "he had burned his fingers for the sake of the harlot, still " afraid of the war of fornication, and why, having gone and ' ' dwelt in the island in the sea for thirty years, did he not " stay [for] a season with that woman whom he had brought " up from the sea, but cast himself in the sea being afraid of ' ' the contest ? " The old man said, ' ' Because the whole strength " of the demon of fornication was discharged upon him, and " he was, therefore, properly afraid. For those who have not " with them this war in all its fierceness imagine that they "have overcome it, but let them not boast themselves, and " let them know the truth, that is to say, they have not van- " quished the demon of fornication, and it is only that he hath dfcuestf cms ant> Bnswers on tbe Bscettc IRuIe

44 not waged war against them with all his strength, because 44 he hath not been permitted so to do, and he hath not been "permitted to do so because of their feebleness and laxity. 44 For the war of fornication which cometh upon a man only "attacketh him in the degree which he is able to bear. For, 44 behold, the great and famous fathers who endured this war 4 4 in all its severity for a long time were always in a state of 44 fear and trepidation, as was also Abbd Arsenius, who was a 44 man eighty years old; and when the noble lady came to him 44 and said, * Remember me in thy prayers,' he did not hesitate 44 to say, 4 1 will pray to God that He may blot the remembrance 44 * of thee out of my heart.' And by means of this which he 44 spake, he put to shame the demon of fornication, and shewed 44 how great was the hatred for this unclean passion that war- 44 reth against the holy men which he possessed."

[The story of Martinydnd and the harlot is as follows: — There was a certain monk who dwelt in the desert, and whose name was Martinydni, and he laboured in great works, and God wrought by his hands many mighty deeds, and he was applauded by all men. Now when Satan, the Evil One, saw that he was greatly applauded he became bitterly angry, and he wished to distract and to withdraw him from his rule of life and ascetic labours. One day Satan saw that many folk were glorifying him, and he went and dwelt in a certain harlot, and he sent her to the blessed man in order to make him fall. So the harlot took her attire, and placed it in a bag, and went to the holy man, and when she arrived at his abode it was evening; and she knocked at the door and said, 44 O Saint Mar- 44 tmy&ni, open the door to me, so that the wild beasts may not eat me." Now the holy man thought that she was a phantom, and he rose up and prayed, and since meanwhile she ceased not to cry out, he rose up from his prayer, and opened the door to her, and said to her, 4 4 Whence comest thou to 44 me, O devil?" And she said, 44 [My] companions have for- 44 saken me on the road, and I wandered about in the desert, 4 4 and have arrived hither"; and he left her [there], and went into the inner cell, and shut the door thereof between himself and her. And after the old man had laid down to sleep the harlot arrayed herself in her attire, and put on her ornaments, and then sat down; and when the morning had come, the old man went forth from his cell, and seeing her dressed he said to her, 44 Whence art thou? What is thy business?" And she said, 44 1 am a daughter of people of high degree, and my parents 4 4 are dead, and they have left me great wealth. I heard that thou 44 wast a great man, and 1 have come to thee, and I beg thee 44 to come to my house and take me to wife, and we will live

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" on thy excellence." Then the old man said unto her, "How "can I forsake my labour and my rule of life, and take thee to " wife, and fall from my covenant?" And she said unto him, ' ' What sin is there in it ? Did not Adam and all the Fathers take " wives, and Noah, and Abraham, from whose seed Christ hath " risen?" Now by repeating these and suchlike things, she wellnigh succeeded in leading the holy man away captive, and he said unto her, "O woman, tarry a little so that I may see, lest " peradventure some one may come and see us." And having gone up to the roof to look, he woke up in his mind, and he made a flame of fire and stood up in it, and stayed in the fire until he burnt his toes; and when the harlot saw this, she fell down at his feet and wept, saying, " I have sinned against God " and thee,"and she revealed unto him the whole truth, [saying], "I repent." And the holy man sent her to a nunnery, and he remained in his cell until his feet were healed of the burning of the fire. And after he was healed of his sickness, he rose up and went and dwelt in an island in the sea, where there were neither women nor men.]

654. The brethren said, "Abb A Arsenius said unto one of " the brethren, ' Lead the ascetic life with all the strength that " ' thou hast, and the hidden labour which is within, and which " ' is performed for God's sake, shall vanquish thine external " ' passions'; to what doth he give the name of 'passions'?'

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The old man said, "In this case Arsenius calleth the labours "of the body 'passions.' For labours are also called by the ' name of 'passions,' because they constrain those who toil, 'and make them feel pain, even as Abbd Macarius said, ' ' ' Constrain thy soul with pains and labours of every kind in " ' ascetic excellence.' And this is what Abbd Arsenius said to "that brother, Labour with all thy might in the work of " righteousness, and toil with the labours of the mind more " than with all the various kinds of work of the body. For the ' ' labours of the body only incite and gratify the passions of "the body, but the labours of the mind, that is to say, the "thought which is in God, and prayer without ceasing, and " the suppression of the thought[s] with humility, liberate [a " man] from all the passions, and they vanquish devils, and "purify the heart, and make perfeft love, and make him " worthy of the revelations of the spirit."

657. The brethren said, " In how many ways doth Divine " Grace call the brethren unto the life of the solitary ascetic ?" The old man said, " In very many and different ways. Some- " times Divine Grace moveth a man suddenly, even as it moved " Abbd Moses, the Ethiopian, and sometimes by the hearing " of the Scriptures, as in the cases of the blessed M&r Anthony " and M&r Simon Stylites, and at others by the doctrine of the " word, as in the cases of Serapion, and Abbi Bessarion, and ' ' others who were like unto them. Concerning these three ways " whereby Divine Grace calleth to those who would repent, I "would say that Divine Grace moveth the conscience of a "monk in the manner which is pleasing to God, and that " through these even evil-doers have repented and pleased God. " And there is, moreover, the departure from this world by "the hands of angels, by terrors, and sicknesses, and afHic- " tions, even as that which took place in respect of the blessed " Evagrius; and sometimes God Himself calleth from heaven " and taketh a man out of the world, as in the cases of Paul, " and Abbd Arsenius."

658. The brethren said, "Wherefore is it that the beginning " of the doctrine of the old men is laid down in the books from " the choice (or election) of Abbd Arsenius, and on [his] com- " ing forth from the world into a monastery, and from a monas- " tery of the brethren into the seclusion which is in a cell?'

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The old man said, "Because he was called by God to the " monastery, and from the monastery to the cell, and because " it is certain that these two calls were according to the Will " of God, well was it that the beginning of the doctrine of the " old men [was derived] from the history of this holy man."

659. The brethren said, " Explain unto us these two calls of " Abbi Arsenius. What is the meaning of that which was said "in the first call, 'Flee from the children of men and thou " 'shalt live,' and what is the signification of that which was " said at the second call, 4 Flee, keep silence and live a life of " ' contemplation in silence, for these are the principal things " * which keep a man from sinning?' " The old man said, "The " meaning of 'Flee from the children of men, and thou shalt " 'live,' is this: — If thou wishest to be delivered from the " death which is in sin, and to live the perfecl; life which is in ' ' righteousness, leave thy possessions, and family, and country, "and depart into exile, that is, to the desert and mountains "to the holy men; and cultivate with them My command- " ments, and thou shalt live a life of grace. And the meaning "of 'Flee, keep silence, and live a life of contemplation in " 'silence* is this: — Since when thou wast in the world thou "wast drawn towards anxieties about the affairs thereof, I "have made thee to come out from the world, and I have " sent thee to the habitation of monks, so that after a short " time of dwellingin the coenobium thou mayest be drawn, first ' ' to the cultivation of My commandments openly, and secondly " to contemplation in silence. And now that thou art trained " in the former sufficiently, thou mayest flee, that is to say, ' ' get thee forth from the monastery of the brethren, and enter " into thy cell, just as thou didst go forth from the world, and " didst enter into the monastery. And the meaning of 'Keep " 'silence, and lead a life of contemplation in silence,' is:~ " Having entered into thy cell to contemplate in silence, thou ' ' shalt not give the multitude an opportunity of coming in to "thee, and talking to thee unnecessarily, except on matters " which relate to spiritual excellence; if thou dost not do this "thou wilt benefit by sitting in silent contemplation. For " through the sight, and the hearing, and the converse of the " multitude who shall come in to thee, the captivity of wander- " ing thoughts will carry thee off, and thy silence and thy con- "templation will be disturbed. But do not imagine that the " mere fact of having left the brethren in the monastery, or " not bringing other men into thy cell to be disturbed by them "will be sufficient to make thy mind to be composed, or to "enable thee to meditate upon God, and to correct thysetf, "unless thou dost take good heed not to occupy thy mind

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"with them in anyway whatsoever when they are remote "from thee. For until a man arriveth at a state of impassi- " bility, and overcometh by striving both the passions and the " devils, whensoever a monk remembereth any man in his cell, " he remembereth him in connexion with some passion, that " is to say, with desire (or lust), or with anger, or with vain- " glory. And if it should happen that the mind wandereth in " respe<St of ordinary things (or means), unless he cutteth them " off from him, his wandering inclineth through absolute neces- ' * sity towards a remembrance which is allied to some passion. " And it is also thus in the case of a neophyte, for whensoever "during his contemplation in silence he remembered women ''he falleth into the lust of fornication; and whensoever he "remembereth men, he is either wroth with them in his "thoughts, and he maketh accusations against them, and " blameth them, and condemneth them, or he demandeth from "them vainglory, and he inclineth to passibility. Therefore " when Abbd Macarius was asked, 'What is the right way for " 'a brother, who is a neophyte, to live in his cell?' he said, " 'Let no monk when he is in his cell have any remembrance " 'whatsoever of any man, for he cannot profit in any way in " 'restraining his feelings from the conversation of men, ex- " 'cept he take care to withhold his thoughts from secret in- "'tercourse with them.' This is the meaning of the words, " 'Flee, keep silence, and contemplate in silence.'"