barlaam and ioasaph-第19章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


s　me！　Which　shall　I　first　lament；　or　which　first　deplore？　　Condemn　my　vain　preference　for　my　forgetful；　thankless　and　false　friends；　or　blame　the　mad　ingratitude　that　I　have　shown　to　thee；　the　sincere　and　true？'〃

Ioasaph　heard　this　tale　also　with　amazement　and　asked　the　interpretation　thereof。　　Then　said　Barlaam；　〃The　first　friend　is　the　abundance　of　riches；　and　love　of　money；　by　reason　of　which　a　man　falleth　into　the　midst　of　ten　thousand　perils；　and　endureth　many　miseries：　but　when　at　last　the　appointed　day　of　death　is　come；　of　all　these　things　he　carrieth　away　nothing　but　the　useless　burial　cloths。　　By　the　second　friend　is　signified　our　wife　and　children　and　the　remnant　of　kinsfolk　and　acquaintance；　to　whom　we　are　passionately　attached；　and　from　whom　with　difficulty　we　tear　ourselves　away；　neglecting　our　very　soul　and　body　for　the　love　of　them。　　But　no　help　did　man　ever　derive　from　these　in　the　hour　of　death；　save　only　that　they　will　accompany　and　follow　him　to　the　sepulchre；　and　then　straightway　turning　them　homeward　again　they　are　occupied　with　their　own　cares　and　matters；　and　bury　his　memory　in　oblivion　as　they　have　buried　his　body　in　the　grave。　　But　the　third　friend；　that　was　altogether　neglected　and　held　cheap；　whom　the　man　never　approached；　but　rather　shunned　and　fled　in　horror；　is　the　company　of　good　deeds；　　faith；　hope；　charity；　alms；　kindliness；　and　the　whole　band　of　virtues；　that　can　go　before　us；　when　we　quit　the　body；　and　may　plead　with　the　Lord　on　our　behalf；　and　deliver　us　from　our　enemies　and　dread　creditors；　who　urge　that　strict　rendering　of　account　in　the　air；　and　try　bitterly　to　get　the　mastery　of　us。　This　is　the　grateful　and　true　friend；　who　beareth　in　mind　those　small　kindnesses　that　we　have　shown　him　and　repayeth　the　whole　with　interest。〃


XIV。

Again　said　Ioasaph；　〃The　Lord　God　prosper　thee；　O　thou　Wisest　of　men！　　For　thou　hast　gladdened　my　soul　with　thine　apt　and　excellent　sayings。　　Wherefore　sketch　me　yet　another　picture　of　the　vanity　of　the　world；　and　how　a　man　may　pass　through　it　in　peace　and　safety。〃

Barlaam　took　up　his　parable　and　said；　〃Hear　then　a　similitude　of　this　matter　too。　　I　once　heard　tell　of　a　great　city　whose　citizens　had；　from　old　time；　the　custom　of　taking　some　foreigner　and　stranger；　who　knew　nothing　of　their　laws　and　traditions；　and　of　making　him　their　king；　to　enjoy　absolute　power；　and　follow　his　own　will　and　pleasure　without　hindrance；　until　the　completion　of　a　year。　　Then　suddenly；　while　he　was　living　with　never　a　care　in　rioting　and　wantonness；　without　fear；　and　alway　supposing　that　his　reign　would　only　terminate　with　his　life；　they　would　rise　up　against　him；　strip　him　bare　of　his　royal　robes；　lead　him　in　triumph　up　and　down　the　city；　and　thence　dispatch　him　beyond　their　borders　into　a　distant　great　island；　there；　for　lack　of　food　and　raiment；　in　hunger　and　nakedness　he　would　waste　miserably　away；　the　luxury　and　pleasure　so　unexpectedly　showered　upon　him　changed　as　unexpectedly　into　woe。　　In　accordance　therefore　with　the　unbroken　custom　of　these　citizens；　a　certain　man　was　ordained　to　the　kingship。　　But　his　mind　was　fertile　of　understanding；　and　he　was　not　carried　away　by　this　sudden　access　of　prosperity；　nor　did　he　emulate　the　heedlessness　of　the　kings　that　had　gone　before　him；　and　had　been　miserably　expelled；　but　his　soul　was　plunged　in　care　and　trouble　how　he　might　order　his　affairs　well。　　After　long　and　careful　search；　he　learned　from　a　wise　counsellor　the　custom　of　the　citizens；　and　the　place　of　perpetual　banishment；　and　was　taught　of　him　without　guile　how　to　ensure　himself　against　this　fate。　　So　with　this　knowledge　that　within　a　very　little　while　he　must　reach　that　island　and　leave　to　strangers　this　chance　kingdom　among　strangers；　he　opened　the　treasures　whereof　he　had　awhile　absolute　and　unforbidden　use；　and　took　a　great　store　of　money　and　huge　masses　of　gold　and　silver　and　precious　stones　and　delivered　the　same　to　trusty　servants　and　sent　them　before　him　to　the　island　whither　he　was　bound。　　When　the　appointed　year　came　to　an　end；　the　citizens　rose　against　him；　and　sent　him　naked　into　banishment　like　those　that　went　before　him。　　But　while　the　rest　of　these　foolish　kings；　kings　only　for　a　season；　were　sore　anhungred；　he；　that　had　timely　deposited　his　wealth；　passed　his　time　in　continual　plenty　mid　dainties　free　of　expense；　and；　rid　of　all　fear　of　those　mutinous　and　evil　citizens；　could　count　himself　happy　on　his　wise　forethought。

〃Understand　thou；　therefore；　that　the　city　is　this　vain　and　deceitful　world；　that　the　citizens　are　the　principalities　and　powers　of　the　devils；　the　rulers　of　the　darkness　of　this　world；　who　entice　us　by　the　soft　bait　of　pleasure；　and　counsel　us　to　consider　corruptible　and　perishable　things　as　incorruptible；　as　though　the　enjoyment　that　cometh　from　them　were　co…existent　with　us；　and　immortal　as　we。　　Thus　then　are　we　deceived；　we　have　taken　no　thought　concerning　the　things　which　are　abiding　and　eternal；　and　have　laid　up　in　store　for　ourselves　no　treasure　for　that　life　beyond；　when　of　a　sudden　there　standeth　over　us　the　doom　of　death。　　Then；　then　at　last　do　those　evil　and　cruel　citizens　of　darkness；　that　received　us；　dispatch　us　stript　of　all　worldly　　goods；　　for　all　our　time　has　been　wasted　on　their　service　　and　carry　us　off　‘to　a　dark　land　and　a　gloomy；　to　a　land　of　eternal　darkness；　where　there　is　no　light；　nor　can　one　behold　the　life　of　men。'　　As　for　that　good　counsellor；　who　made　known　all　the　truth　and　taught　that　sagacious　and　wise　king　the　way　of　salvation；　understand　thou　that　I；　thy　poor　and　humble　servant；　am　he；　who　am　come　hither　for　to　shew　thee　the　good　and　infallible　way　to　lead　thee　to　things　eternal　and　unending；　and　to　counsel　thee　to　lay　up　all　thy　treasure　there；　and　I　am　come　to　lead　thee　away　from　the　error　of　this　world；　which；　to　my　woe；　I　also　loved；　and　clave　to　its　pleasures　and　delights。　　But；　when　I　perceived；　with　the　unerring　eyes　of　my　mind　how　all　human　life　is　wasted　in　these　things　that　come　and　go；　when　I　saw　that　no　man　hath　aught　that　is　stable　and　steadfast；　neither　the　rich　in　his　wealth；　nor　the　mighty　in　his　strength；　nor　the　wise　in　his　wisdom；　nor　the　prosperous　in　his　prosperity；　nor　the　luxurious　in　his　wantonness；　nor　he　that　dreameth　of　security　of　life　in　that　vain　and　feeble　security　of　his　dreams；　nor　any　man　in　any　of　those　things　that　men　on　earth　commend　（'tis　like　the　boundless　rush　of　torrents　that　discharge　themselves　into　the　deep　sea；　thus　fleeting　and　temporary　are　all　present　things）；　then；　I　say；　I　understood　that　all　such　things　are　vanity；　and　that　their　enjoyment　is　naught；　and；　that　even　as　the　past　is　all　buried　in　oblivion；　be　it　past　glory；　or　past　kingship；　or　the　splendour　of　rank；　or　amplitude　of　power；　or　arrogance　of　tyranny；　or　aught　else　like　them；　so　also　present　things　will　vanish　in　the　darkness　of　the　days　to　come。　　And；　as　I　am　myself　of　the　present；　I　also　shall　doubtless　be　subject　to　its　accustomed　change；　and；　even　as　my　fathers　before　me　were　not　allowed　to　take　delight　for　ever　in　the　present　world；　so　also　shall　it　be　with　me。　　For　I　have　observed　how　this　tyrannical　and　troublesome　world　treateth　mankind；　shifting　men　hither　and　thither；　from　wealth　to　poverty；　and　from　poverty　to　honour；　carrying　some　out　of　life　and　bringing　others　in；　rejecting　some　that　are　wise　and　understanding；　making　the　honourable　and　illustrious　dishonoured　and　despised；　but　seating　others　who　are　unwise　and　of　no　understanding　upon　a　throne　of　honour；　and　making　the　dishonoured　and　obscure　to　be　honoured　of　all。

〃One　may　see　how　the　race　of　mankind　may　never　abide　before　the　face　of　the　cruel　tyranny　of　the　world。　　But；　as　when　a　dove　fleeing　from　an　eagle　or　a　hawk　flitteth　from　place　to　place；　now　beating　against　this　tree；　now　against　that　bush；　and　then　anon　against　the　clefts　of　the　rocks　and　all　manner　of　bramble…thorns；　and；　nowhere　finding　any　safe　place　of　refuge；　is　wearied　with　continual　tossing　and　crossing　to　and　fro；　so　are　they　which　are　flustered　by　the　present　world。　　They　labour　painfully　under　unreasoning　impulse；　on　no　sure　or　firm　bases：　they　know　not　to　what　goal　they　are　driving；　nor　whither　this　vain　life　leadeth　them　this　vain　life；　whereto　they　hav