barlaam and ioasaph-第2章

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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？　　When　we　see　thee；　O　king；　the　rather　forgetting　thy　reverence　toward　that　God；　who　giveth　thee　the　power　to　live　and　breathe；　Christ　Jesus；　the　Lord　of　all；　who；　being　alike　without　beginning；　and　coeternal　with　the　Father；　and　having　created　the　heavens　and　the　earth　by　his　word；　made　man　with　his　own　hands　and　endowed　him　with　immortality；　and　set　him　king　of　all　on　earth　and　assigned　him　Paradise；　the　fairest　place　of　all；　as　his　royal　dwelling。　　But　man；　beguiled　by　envy；　and　（wo　is　me！）　caught　by　the　bait　of　pleasure；　miserably　fell　from　all　these　blessings。　　So　he　that　once　was　enviable　became　a　piteous　spectacle；　and　by　his　misfortune　deserving　of　tears。　　Wherefore　he；　that　had　made　and　fashioned　us；　looked　again　with　eyes　of　compassion　upon　the　work　of　his　own　hands。　　He；　not　laying　aside　his　God…head；　which　he　had　from　the　beginning；　was　made　man　for　our　sakes；　like　ourselves；　but　without　sin；　and　was　content　to　suffer　death　upon　the　Cross。　　He　overthrew　the　foeman　that　from　the　beginning　had　looked　with　malice　on　our　race；　he　rescued　us　from　that　bitter　captivity；　he；　of　his　goodness；　restored　to　us　our　former　freedom；　and；　of　his　tender　love　towards　mankind；　raised　us　up　again　to　that　place　from　whence　by　our　disobedience　we　had　fallen；　granting　us　even　greater　honour　than　at　the　first。

〃Him　therefore；　who　endured　such　sufferings　for　our　sakes；　and　again　bestowed　such　blessings　upon　us；　him　dost　thou　reject　and　scoff　at　his　Cross？　　And；　thyself　wholly　riveted　to　carnal　delights　and　deadly　passions；　dost　thou　proclaim　the　idols　of　shame　and　dishonour　gods？　　Not　only　hast　thou　alienated　thyself　from　the　commonwealth　of　heavenly　felicity　but　thou　hast　also　severed　from　the　same　all　others　who　obey　thy　commands；　to　the　peril　of　their　souls。　　Know　therefore　that　I　will　not　obey　thee；　nor　join　thee　in　such　ingratitude　to　God…ward；　neither　will　I　deny　my　benefactor　and　Saviour；　though　thou　slay　me　by　wild　beasts；　or　give　me　to　the　fire　and　sword；　as　thou　hast　the　power。　For　I　neither　fear　death；　nor　desire　the　present　world；　having　passed　judgement　on　the　frailty　and　vanity　thereof。　　For　what　is　there　profitable；　abiding　or　stable　therein？　　Nay；　in　very　existence；　great　is　the　misery；　great　the　pain；　great　and　ceaseless　the　attendant　care。　　Of　its　gladness　and　enjoyment　the　yoke…fellows　are　dejection　and　pain。　　Its　riches　is　poverty；　its　loftiness　die　lowest　humiliation；　and　who　shall　tell　the　full　tale　of　its　miseries；　which　Saint　John　the　Divine　hath　shown　me　in　few　words？　　For　he　saith；　‘The　whole　world　lieth　in　wickedness'；　and；　‘Love　not　the　world；　neither　the　things　that　are　in　the　world。　　For　all　that　is　in　the　world　is　the　lust　of　the　flesh；　and　the　lust　of　the　eyes；　and　the　pride　of　life。　　And　the　world　passeth　away；　and　the　lust　thereof；　but　he　that　doeth　the　will　of　God　abideth　for　ever。'　　Seeking；　then；　this　good　will　of　God；　I　have　forsaken　everything；　and　joined　myself　to　those　who　possess　the　same　desire；　and　seek　after　the　same　God。　　Amongst　these　there　is　no　strife　or　envy；　sorrow　or　care；　but　all　run　the　like　race　that　they　may　obtain　those　everlasting　habitations　which　the　Father　of　lights　hath　prepared　for　them　that　love　him。　　Them　have　I　gained　for　my　fathers；　my　brothers；　my　friends　and　mine　acquaintances。　　But　from　my　former　friends　and　brethren　‘I　have　got　me　away　far　off；　and　lodged　in　the　wilderness'　waiting　for　the　God；　who　saveth　me　from　faintness　of　spirit；　and　from　the　stormy　tempest。〃

When　the　man　of　God　had　made　answer　thus　gently　and　in　good　reason；　the　king　was　stirred　by　anger；　and　was　minded　cruelly　to　torment　the　saint；　but　again　he　hesitated　and　delayed；　regarding　his　venerable　and　noble　mien。　　So　he　answered　and　said：

〃Unhappy　man；　that　hast　contrived　thine　own　utter　ruin；　driven　thereto；　I　ween；　by　fate；　surely　thou　hast　made　thy　tongue　as　sharp　as　thy　wits。　　Hence　thou　hast　uttered　these　vain　and　ambiguous　babblings。　　Had　I　not　promised；　at　the　beginning　of　our　converse；　to　banish　Anger　from　mid　court；　I　had　now　given　thy　body　to　be　burned。　　But　since　thou　hast　prevented　and　tied　me　down　fast　by　my　words；　I　bear　with　thine　effrontery；　by　reason　of　my　former　friendship　with　thee。　　Now；　arise；　and　flee　for　ever　from　my　sight；　lest　I　see　thee　again　and　miserably　destroy　thee。〃

So　the　man　of　God　went　out　and　withdrew　to　the　desert；　grieved　to　have　lost　the　crown　of　martyrdom；　but　daily　a　martyr　in　his　conscience；　and　‘wrestling　against　principalities　and　powers；　against　the　rulers　of　the　darkness　of　this　world；　against　spiritual　wickedness'；　as　saith　Blessed　Paul。　　But　after　his　departure；　the　king　waxed　yet　more　wroth；　and　devised　a　yet　fiercer　persecution　of　the　monastic　order；　while　treating　with　greater　honour　the　ministers　and　temple…keepers　of　his　idols。

While　the　king　was　under　this　terrible　delusion　and　error；　there　was　born　unto　him　a　son；　a　right　goodly　child；　whose　beauty　from　his　very　birth　was　prophetic　of　his　future　fortunes。　　Nowhere　in　that　land；　they　said；　had　there　ever　been　seen　so　charming　and　lovely　a　babe。　　Full　of　the　keenest　joy　at　the　birth　of　the　child；　the　king　called　him　Ioasaph；　and　in　his　folly　went　in　person　to　the　temples　of　his　idols；　for　to　do　sacrifice　and　offer　hymns　of　praise　to　his　still　more　foolish　gods；　unaware　of　the　real　giver　of　all　good　things；　to　whom　he　should　have　offered　the　spiritual　sacrifice。　　He　then；　ascribing　the　cause　Of　his　son's　birth　to　things　lifeless　and　dumb；　sent　out　into　all　quarters　to　gather　the　people　together　to　celebrate　his　son's　birth…day：　and　thou　mightest　have　seen　all　the　folk　running　together　for　fear　of　the　king；　and　bringing　their　offerings　ready　for　the　sacrifice；　according　to　the　store　at　each　man's　hand；　and　his　favour　toward　his　lord。　　But　chiefly　the　king　stirred　them　up　to　emulation。　　He　brought　full　many　oxen；　of　goodly　size；　for　sacrifice；　and　thus；　making　a　feast　for　all　his　people；　he　bestowed　largesses　on　all　his　counsellors　and　officers；　and　on　all　his　soldiers；　and　all　the　poor；　and　men　of　low　degree。


III。

Now　on　his　so