barlaam and ioasaph-第2章

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wful　massacres。　　But　chiefly　was　his　displeasure　turned　against　the　ranks　of　the　monastic　orders；　and　against　them　he　waged　a　truceless　and　unrelenting　warfare。　Hence；　of　a　truth；　many　of　the　Faithful　were　shaken　in　spirit；　and　others；　unable　to　endure　torture；　yielded　to　his　ungodly　decrees。　　But　of　the　chiefs　and　rulers　of　the　monastic　order　some　in　rebuking　his　wickedness　ended　their　lives　by　suffering　martyrdom；　and　thus　attained　to　everlasting　felicity；　while　others　hid　themselves　in　deserts　and　mountains；　not　from　dread　of　the　threatened　tortures；　but　by　a　more　divine　dispensation。


II。

Now　while　the　land　of　the　Indians　lay　under　the　shroud　of　this　moonless　night；　and　while　the　Faithful　were　harried　on　every　side；　and　the　champions　of　ungodliness　prospered；　the　very　air　reeking　with　the　smell　of　bloody　sacrifices；　a　certain　mall　of　the　royal　household；　chief　satrap　in　rank；　in　courage；　stature；　comeliness；　and　in　all　those　qualities　which　mark　beauty　of　body　and　nobility　of　soul；　far　above　all　his　Fellows；　hearing　of　this　iniquitous　decree；　bade　farewell　to　all　the　grovelling　pomps　and　vanities　of　the　world；　joined　the　ranks　of　the　monks；　and　retired　across　the　border　into　the　desert。　　There；　by　fastings　and　vigils；　and　by　diligent　study　of　the　divine　oracles；　he　throughly　purged　his　senses；　and　illumined　a　soul；　set　free　from　every　passion；　with　the　glorious　light　of　a　perfect　calm。

But　when　the　king；　who　loved　and　esteemed　him　highly；　heard　thereof；　he　was　grieved　in　spirit　at　the　loss　of　his　friend；　but　his　anger　was　the　more　hotly　kindled　against　the　monks。　　And　so　he　sent　everywhere　in　search　of　him；　leaving　〃no　stone　unturned；〃　as　the　saying　is；　to　find　him。　　After　a　long　while；　they　that　were　sent　in　quest　of　him；　having　learnt　that　he　abode　in　the　desert；　after　diligent　search；　apprehended　him　and　brought　him　before　the　king's　judgement　seat。　　When　the　king　saw　him　in　such　vile　and　coarse　raiment　who　before　had　been　clad　in　rich　apparel；　　saw　him；　who　had　lived　in　the　lap　of　luxury；　shrunken　and　wasted　by　the　severe　practice　of　discipline；　and　bearing　about　in　his　body　outward　and　visible　signs　of　his　hermit…life；　he　was　filled　with　mingled　grief　and　fury；　and；　in　speech　blended　of　these　two　passions；　he　spake　unto　him　thus：

〃O　thou　dullard　and　mad　man；　wherefore　hast　thou　exchanged　thine　honour　for　shame；　and　thy　glorious　estate　for　this　unseemly　show？　To　what　end　hath　the　president　of　my　kingdom；　and　chief　commander　of　my　realm　made　himself　the　laughingstock　of　boys；　and　not　only　forgotten　utterly　our　friendship　and　fellowship；　but　revolted　against　nature　herself；　and　had　no　pity　on　his　own　children；　and　cared　naught　for　riches　and　all　the　splendour　of　the　world；　and　chosen　ignominy　such　as　this　rather　than　the　glory　that　men　covet？　　And　what　shall　it　profit　thee　to　have　chosen　above　all　gods　and　men　him　whom　they　call　Jesus；　and　to　have　preferred　this　rough　life　of　sackcloth　to　the　pleasures　and　delights　of　a　life　of　bliss。〃

When　the　man　of　God　heard　these　words；　he　made　reply；　at　once　courteous　and　unruffled：　〃If　it　be　thy　pleasure；　O　king；　to　converse　with　me；　remove　thine　enemies　out　of　mid　court；　which　done；　I　will　answer　thee　concerning　whatsoever　thou　mayest　desire　to　learn；　for　while　these　are　here；　I　cannot　speak　with　thee。　But；　without　speech；　torment　me；　kill　me；　do　as　thou　wilt；　for　〃the　world　is　crucified　unto　me；　and　I　unto　the　world；'　as　saith　my　divine　teacher。〃　　The　king　said；　〃And　who　are　these　enemies　whom　thou　biddest　me　turn　out　of　court？〃　　The　saintly　man　answered　and　said；　〃Anger　and　Desire。　　For　at　the　beginning　these　twain　were　brought　into　being　by　the　Creator　to　be　fellow…workers　with　nature；　and　such　they　still　are　to　those　‘who　walk　not　after　the　flesh　but　after　the　Spirit。'　　But　in　you　who　are　altogether　carnal；　having　nothing　of　the　Spirit；　they　are　adversaries；　and　play　the　part　of　enemies　and　foemen。　　For　Desire；　working　in　you；　stirreth　up　pleasure；　but；　when　made　of　none　effect；　Anger。　To…　day　therefore　let　these　be　banished　from　thee；　and　let　Wisdom　and　Righteousness　sit　to　hear　and　judge　that　which　we　say。　　For　if　thou　put　Anger　and　Desire　out　of　court；　and　in　their　room　bring　in　Wisdom　and　Righteousness；　I　will　truthfully　tell　thee　all。〃　Then　spake　the　king；　〃Lo　I　yield　to　thy　request；　and　will　banish　out　of　the　assembly　both　Desire　and　Anger；　and　make　Wisdom　and　Righteousness　to　sit　between　us。　　So　now；　tell　me　without　fear；　how　wast　thou　so　greatly　taken　with　this　error；　to　prefer　the　bird　in　the　bush　to　the　bird　already　in　the　hand？〃

The　hermit　answered　and　said；　〃O　king；　if　thou　askest　the　cause　how　I　came　to　despise　things　temporal；　and　to　devote　my　whole　self　to　the　hope　of　things　eternal；　hearken　unto　me。　　In　former　days；　when　I　was　still　but　a　stripling；　I　heard　a　certain　good　and　wholesome　saying；　which；　by　its　three　took　my　soul　by　storm；　and　the　remembrance　of　it；　like　some　divine　seed；　being　planted　in　my　heart；　unmoved；　was　preserved　ever　until　it　took　root；　blossomed；　and　bare　that　fruit　which　thou　seest　in　me。　　Now　the　meaning　of　that　sentence　was　this：　‘It　seemed　good　to　the　foolish　to　despise　the　things　that　are；　as　though　they　were　not；　and　to　cleave　and　cling　to　the　things　that　are　not；　as　though　they　were。　So　he；　that　hath　never　tasted　the　sweetness　of　the　things　that　are；　will　not　be　able　to　understand　the　nature　of　the　things　that　are　not。　　And　never　having　understood　them；　how　shall　he　despise　them？'　　Now　that　saying　meant　by　‘things　that　are'　the　things　eternal　and　fixed；　but　by　‘things　that　are　not'　earthly　life；　luxury；　the　prosperity　that　deceives；　whereon；　O　king；　thine　heart　alas！　　is　fixed　amiss。　　Time　was　when　I　also　clung　thereto　myself。　　But　the　force　of　that　sentence　continually　goading　my　heart；　stirred　my　governing　power；　my　mind；　to　make　the　better　choice。　　But　‘the　law　of　sin；　warring　against　the　law　of　my　mind；'　and　binding　me；　as　with　iron　chains；　held　me　captive　to　the　love　of　things　present。

〃But　‘after　that　the　kindness　and　love　of　God　our　Saviour'　was　pleased　to　deliver　me　from　that　harsh　captivity；　he　enabled　my　mind　to　overcome　the　law　of　sin；　and　opened　mine　eyes　to　discern　good　from　evil。　　Thereupon　I　perceived　and　looked；　and　behold！　all　things　present　are　vanity　and　vexation　of　spirit；　as　somewhere　in　his　writings　saith　Solomon　the　wise。　　Then　was　the　veil　of　sin　lifted　from　mine　heart；　and　the　dullness；　proceeding　from　the　grossness　of　my　body；　which　pressed　upon　my　soul；　was　scattered；　and　I　perceived　the　end　for　which　I　was　created；　and　how　that　it　behoved　me　to　move　upward　to　my　Creator　by　the　keeping　of　his　Commandments。　　Wherefore　I　left　all　and　followed　him；　and　I　thank　God　through　Jesus　Christ　our　Lord　that　he　delivered　me　out　of　the　mire；　and　from　the　making　of　bricks；　and　from　the　harsh　and　deadly　ruler　of　the　darkness　of　this　world；　and　that　he　showed　me　the　short　and　easy　road　whereby　I　shall　be　able；　in　this　earthen　body；　eagerly　to　embrace　the　Angelic　life。　Seeking　to　attain　to　it　the　sooner；　I　chose　to　walk　the　strait　and　narrow　way；　renouncing　the　vanity　of　things　present　and　the　unstable　changes　and　chances　thereof；　and　refusing　to　call　anything　good　except　the　true　good；　from　which　thou；　O　king；　art　miserably　sundered　and　alienated。　　Wherefore　also　we　ourselves　were　alienated　and　separated　from　thee；　because　thou　wert　falling　into　plain　and　manifest　destruction；　and　wouldst　constrain　us　also　to　descend　into　like　peril。　　But　as　long　as　we　were　tried　in　the　warfare　of　this　world；　we　failed　in　no　point　of　duty。　　Thou　thyself　will　bear　me　witness　that　we　were　never　charged　with　sloth　or　heedlessness。

〃But　when　thou　hast　endeavoured　to　rob　us　of　the　chiefest　of　all　blessings；　our　religion；　and　to　deprive　us　of　God；　the　worst　of　deprivations；　and；　in　this　intent；　dost　remind　us　of　past　honours　and　preferments；　how　should　I　not　rightly　tax　thee　with　ignorance　of　good；　seeing　that　thou　dost　at　all　compare　these　two　things；　righteousness　toward　God；　and　human　friendship；　and　glory；　that　runneth　away　like　water？　　And　how；　in　such　ease；　may　we　have　fellowship　with　thee；　and　not　the　rather　deny　ourselves　friendship　and　honours　and　love　of　children；　and　if　there　be　any　other　tie　greater　than　these？　　Whe