Chapter LXVStephen (continued) , Book X

He turned round and saw Stephen crucified with the Lord.
"See the glory your brother has been given," said the voice in the apparition. "Therefore glorify him who glorifies them who truly love him."

Chapter LXVI
The life of abba THEODOSIUS, solitary.

Abba Antonius, the superior of the monastery of the Aeliotes which he had built himself, told us that abba Theodosius had told him this story about himself -
Before I entered the solitary life I once fell into an ecstasy and saw a man whose brilliance outshone the brightness of the sun.
"Come," he said, taking my hand. "Your lot is to strive and fight."
And he led me into an infinitely large theatre which I saw was full of men in white robes on one side and in black on the other. He thrust me into the theatre, and I saw an enormous Ethiopian whose terrifying head reached up to the clouds.
"This is he whom you must fight with," said the man who had appeared to me.
Terrified by the appearance of this enormous person, I began to tremble with fear, and pleaded with the splendid youth who had brought me in.
"What mortal man in all his weakness would be able to strive with him?" I said. "The whole human race rolled into one would not be able to prevail against him!"
"Nevertheless you must fight against him," said the dazzling youth. "Go for him with all speed and confidence, and once you have started I shall be with you in support, and will give you the crown of  victory."
I began the contest, we fought together, and the dazzling judge gave me the crown. And the large, shadowy crowd of Ethiopians fled howling, while those clothed in white who remained gave praise to him who had been my helper and given me a famous  victory.

Chapter LXVII
The same

Abba Cyriacus, Theodosius' disciple, told us that this solitary had lived for thirty years in solitude, eating every two days, keeping perpetual silence, speaking to no one. He used signs rather than words if he needed to communicate. I witnessed this myself, for I stayed in the monastery of the Aeliotes for ten years.

Chapter LXVIII
The same

When Abramius, the superior of New St Mary heard that Theodosius had no cloak to wear in winter he bought one for him. While he was asleep, some time after receiving it (for the old man slept in his cell), some robbers came and pulled it off him and carried it away with them. But even after this deed he still said nothing.

Chapter LXIX
The life of abba PALLADIUS, and the old Thessalonican anchorite called DAVID.

Before Sophronius Sophista renounced the world, he and I once visited abba Palladius in Alexandria, a holy man and true servant of God whose monastery was in Thelazomenos. Both of us asked him to give us some teaching (verbum aedificationis), and he began immediately:
"My little children," he said, "the time is short, so let us strive for a little while and labour to enjoy the deathless benefits of eternity. Look to the martyrs, those heavenly fighters, and see how they overcame in all things with strength and bravery. It was a previous age which recognised them but they live forever in our memories, and we can hardly admire their endurance enough. Everyone who hears of them is astonished at how great was the patience of the blessed martyrs, more than human nature would have thought possible. Some of them had their eyes torn out, some their legs broken, some their hands cut off, others their feet. Some were suddenly thrown into the fire and suffered crucifying agony as they slowly burned. It is certain that the ocean depths were the resting place of some, the rivers others. Others were thrown alive into the teeth of wild beasts like malefactors and criminals, suffering various terrible agonies before death as they became the animals' food. There were many other kinds of torments, defying description, thought up for the warriors of God at the suggestion of the demon enemy of the human race, livid with spite towards those very martyrs. O how bravely they endured! How great the faith with which they fought, overcoming the weakness of the body by their spiritual strength! They counted their present labours as nothing compared to the more excellent and splendid rewards which were their hope. All these things truly showed how wonderfully firm their faith was, through and through. Labouring a little while here they now enjoy the greatest bliss in eternity. This indeed was why they bravely bore the horrible punishments inflicted on their bodies at the instigation of our enemy the devil.
"So then, if we endure tribulation, and overcome by the grace of God, we shall be found lovers of God. For God is with us, fighting and conquering in us, soothing our toil and sweat for the sake of his own honour. Therefore, my little children, knowing what works and expectations the times demand of us let us become worthy through quietness and silence. In this time granted to us we must make use of the eminently good work of penitence, that we may be found worthy of the temple of God, and we shall be rewarded with no mean or short-lived honour in the world to come."
He also said, "Let us always be mindful of him who had not where to lay his head." (Matthew 8.20). And again, "Since Paul the Apostle says tribulation brings forth patience (Romans 5.3), let us ensure that our minds are open to the kingdom of heaven." And again, "'Little children, love not the world nor the things that are in the world.'" (1 John.2.15)
And again, he said, "Let us keep watch over our thoughts, for that is the medicine of salvation."
We asked abba Palladius if he would increase our awareness by telling us in what sort of way would thoughts be expected to develop in the monastic state, and he told us about an old man from Thessalonica:
"In my home area there was an anchorite from Mesopotamia called David about three miles outside the city walls. He was a man adorned with many virtues, merciful and abstemious, and had been enclosed in his cell for eighty years. For fear of the barbarians there were soldiers keeping watch on the city walls every night, and those who were looking out in the direction of the anchorite's cell noticed one night that it seemed as if fire could be seen through the windows of his cell. The soldiers thought that barbarians must have set fire to the old man's cell, but in the morning the soldiers went down and were astonished to find the old man quite unharmed and no signs of fire in the cell. They were amazed to see the same appearance of fire on the night following, and not only the next night but frequently afterwards so that it became known to the whole city. Many people watched nightly on the city walls in the hope of seeing this fire, which continued right up to the day of the old man's death. Having seen this miracle myself not once, not twice, but many times, I said to myself, 'If God shows such glory to his servants in this life, how much more do you think he will show in the life to come, when "their faces shall shine forth as the sun"' (Matthew 14.43)? This was the spur which made me take the monastic habit, my little children, and choosing this way of life."

Chapter LXX
The life of the anchorite monk ADDAS of Mesopotamia.

The old man also told us that after this abba David, there was another monk called Addas, also a Mesopotamian, who built himself an anchorage in a great plane tree (seipsum inclusit in quadam magna platano) in another part of the region. He made a window in it through which he was able to talk to visitors. When the barbarians came and laid waste the whole province they happened to come by his place. As soon as one of them spied the old man he drew his sword in order to kill him, but having lifted up his hand to strike he was unable to bring it down, remaining motionless with his hand hanging in the air. When the other barbarians saw this they were amazed and begged the old man to cure their companion. The old man did pray, the man was released, and so he dismissed them in peace.

Chapter LXXI
The beautiful words of a MURDERER to a monk who was following him on the way to his execution.

This same abbot Palladius told us of someone arrested and found guilty of murder in Arsinoe, a city of the Thebaid. After being tortured for some time he was at last sentenced to be beheaded. He was taken out of the city for six miles to the place where he had committed the murder and a monk followed on behind him in order to witness the execution.
"Haven't you got a cell and manual work to attend to?" said the condemned man when he saw the monk.
"Forgive me, brother," said the monk, "but yes, I do have a cell and work to do."
"Well, why aren't you sitting in your cell and weeping for your own sins, then?"
"You are right, brother. I am very neglectful of my duties, and find myself unable to summon up any compunction in my heart. That is why I have come to watch you die, in the hope that thereby I might find compunction."
"Go with the Lord, brother", said the guilty man, "and sit in your cell and give thanks to our Saviour Jesus Christ. Since he was made human and died for us sinners, human beings no longer suffer eternal death."

Chapter LXXII
A story of abbot PALLADIUS about an elderly murderer who falsely accused a young man of the crime.

Abbot Palladius also told us this story about an elderly layman who had  committed murder and was held in custody by the magistrate in Alexandria. After being tortured he accused someone else of being his accomplice in the crime, a young man about twenty years old. They were both subjected to many tortures, the older man accusing the younger of being with him when the crime was done, and the younger denying it vigorously, swearing that his conscience was clear of the murder, and that he had not been with the older man at all. After the torture they were sentenced to be suspended [with hands outstretched] from a wooden yoke. They were taken five miles outside the city to the place where it was customary for those guilty of this kind of crime to be punished.
Now there was a ruined temple of Saturn about three hundred metres (uno stadio) from the place. When the soldiers and spectators arrived there they intended to string up the young man first, but he threw himself on the ground and pleaded with the soldiers:
"In the name of the Lord, please grant me the favour of being hung up facing the East, so that I may look towards Him when I am hanging there."
"What do you mean?" the soldiers asked?
"Truly, sirs," replied the young man, "miserable though I am, it is only seven months since I received holy Baptism and became a Christian."
Hearing this the soldiers were moved to tears for the young man. But the older man, snorting with rage, said to the soldiers:
"In the name of Serapis let me be able to turn my face towards Saturn." 
Hearing this blasphemy the soldiers left the young man and began to string up the old man first. When he had been well and truly suspended from the wooden yoke, behold, an Augustal official came rushing in.
"Don't kill the young man," he said to the soldiers. "Take him back [to the courtroom]."
The soldiers and everyone there were delighted. They took him back to the courtroom, where the Augustalis acquitted him. The young man contrary to all expectation was saved, and he went away and became a monk.
We have written this down not only for our own benefit but for the benefit of the readers, that we may be convinced that the Lord knows how to deliver the faithful in their tribulations.

Chapter LXXIII
The life of JOHN, an Alexandrian soldier
This same abbot Palladius also told us this story.  There was a soldier in Alexandria called John who followed this rule of life: He would stay in the monastery every day from the morning up till the ninth hour, sitting alone in front of St Peter's steps, wearing a tunic (cilicium), weaving baskets, totally silent, speaking to no one. He was praying as he sat and worked with his hands, but the only words which he softly sang were Save me, O Lord, I pray, from my secret sins. Let me not be confounded. Having spoken he was then silent for about an hour, when he repeated this same verse again, so that he repeated it seven times altogether during the day, and did not say anything else. At the ninth hour, he took off his tunic and put on his military uniform (militarem habitum) and his weapons (indumen-ta), and so hastened back to his own barracks (signa, lit. 'standards' carried at the head of the legion). I stayed there myself for eight years and was greatly edified by his silence and way of life.

Chapter LXXIV
A reliable statement from PALLADIUS, on the subject of heresy

The old man caught us one day and said to us: "Believe me, my little children, the only reason for schisms and heresies coming in to the Church is that we do not love God and each other with our whole heart."

Chapter LXXV
A miracle done by OUR LADY to the wife and daughter of a man of the faith who was accustomed to giving hospitality to monks.

When we visited Palladius on another day he told us the following story:
There was a man of the faith in Alexandria, very devout and generous, accustomed to giving monks hospitality. He had a wife, very humble, who fasted daily, and also a young daughter about six years old. He was a businessman, and one day he had to go on a journey to Constantinople, leaving his wife, daughter and one servant at home. As he was about to take ship his wife asked him who would be their protector in his absence.
"Our Lady the holy birthgiver of God," her husband replied.
One day when the wife was sitting working, her daughter being with her, the servant hatched a plot to kill both the lady and her daughter, seize whatever he could and flee. Taking a knife from the kitchen he went towards the triclinium where they both were. When he got to the door he was suddenly stricken with blindness, nor could he either go in to the triclinium or return to the kitchen. He stayed like that for about an hour, trying in vain to go in, and at last began to call out to the lady
"Please, can you come here!" he cried
"No, you come here, rather," she said, seeing him standing in the doorway shouting out rather than coming in, unaware that he was blind.
The servant again began to beg her to come to him, but she positively refused.
"Well, send your daughter to me, "he begged.
"Certainly not," she said. "If there is something you want, you come here."
The servant realised that there was nothing that could be done, turned the knife upon himself and fell to the floor. The lady screamed when she realised what he had done, and neighbours immediately rushed in. Some praetorian officials also arrived and finding the servant still alive, learned everything, and glorified the Lord who had saved both mother and daughter.


Chapter LXXVI
The drowning of MARY, a woman who was a sinner.

Palladius also told us this story:
A certain sea captain once told me about a voyage of his when he had several male and female passengers aboard. Out on the high seas other ships seemed to be sailing well under a favourable wind, some to Constantinople, some to Alexandria, some to other places, but he could make no progress at all.
"We stayed put for about fifteen days," he said, "unable to move from where we were. We became very depressed and desperate, not knowing whatever could be causing this. As captain responsible for the care of the ship and everyone in her I began to pray about it to God. And indeed on a certain day a voice came to me saying: 'Get rid of Mary and you will sail well.' 'What did that mean', I thought, 'and who is Mary?'  And as I turned this over in my mind the voice came again, saying: 'I tell you, get rid of Mary and you will be all right.'
"'O Mary!' I shouted over and over again, wondering what this was all about and not knowing who Mary was. But Mary herself heard me from where she was  sitting and said: 'Did you want me, sir?'
"'Could you come here, please,' I said. She got up to come straight away, and when she had got to me I took her aside.
"'Mary, my sister,' I said, 'Are you able to see if it is my sins which are responsible for the plight you are all in? '
"'In fact, Captain,' she said, with a deep groan, 'it is I who am the sinner.'
"'Why, what have you done, woman?' I asked.
"'Woe is me', she said. 'There is no sin in the book which I have not been guilty of. And it is because of my sins that you have all been brought into this present danger.'
"And then the woman told me all about herself.
"'I'm a miserable wretch, Captain,' she said. 'I had a husband with whom I had two sons, but when one of them was nine and the other five my husband died and I was a widow. But there was a soldier living near me whom I would have quite liked to have as a husband, and I gave him some signals to that effect (misique ad ipsum quosdam). But he wouldn't because he said he did not want a wife who had two children by another man. But I was carried away with desire for him, and seeing that he would not have me because of my children, I killed them both and then went to him and said "See now, I no longer have any children". When he learned what I had done with the children he said: "As the Lord lives in heaven, I certainly will not have you!" So I fled, in fear that he would tell and I should be executed.'
"Even though I had heard this out of her own mouth I was unwilling to throw her overboard, and tried to put off coming to a decision.
"'Look,' I said, 'I will go down into a lifeboat, and if the ship then begins to move we will know that it was my sins which were impeding her.' I called for the coxswain and said, 'Lower the boat'. But once I was in the boat, neither the ship nor the boat still made any movement. Coming back aboard again I said to the woman, 'Now you get down into the boat'. The moment she got into it the boat turned round five times and went straight to the bottom, carrying her with it. And after this the ship made such good progress that in three and a half days' sailing we made up for the fifteen days we had lost."

Chapter LXXVII
The story of three poor BLIND MEN, and how they came by their blindness.

My respected master Sophronius and I went once to the house of Stephanus the philosopher to benefit from his teaching. It was about the middle of the day and he lived near the church of the holy birthgiver of God known as the Dorothea, which our blessed father Eulogius had built near the great Tetrapylum [a portico of four columns standing in line]. When we knocked at the philosopher's door a maid opened up to us who said that he was asleep and we would have to wait a while.

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