Book X (continued)

Chapter LXXXVII
How the body of the anchorite JOHN, called the Humble, was found

We visited a certain village six miles from Rosus where two old men who were not monks (saeculares) gave us hospitality in a church which they had founded themselves. This village was at the foot of a mountain. In the church they showed us a marble monument which read: 'Christians, a great anchorite lies in this monument.'
"Do you know where he comes from?" we asked them.
"Seven years ago," they said, "all of us who live in this village noticed a light on the top of the mountain like a burning fire, and we wondered who could have lit it. After observing this for several days we went up there one day but could find no traces of any fire - no fire, and no sign of anything having been burnt. But the following night we saw the fire again. For three months we kept on seeing it. At last one night we took some of the villagers, armed in case of wild beasts, and went up the mountain to where the light appeared, and stayed near it until daylight. When morning had fully come we could see a small cave in the place where we had seen the light. We went in, and found an anchorite, dead. He was wearing cilicium and pallium (tunic and mantle) and held a silver cross in his hands. We also found a parchment with this written on it: I AM JOHN THE HUMBLE, DIED ON THE DAY OF THE FIFTEENTH INDICTION, by which we calculated that he had been dead for seven years, though his body was as whole as if he had just died that day. We brought him down to the church and buried him with honour.

Chapter LXXXVIII
The life of abba THOMAS apocrisarius of the coenobium of Apamia and the miracle of his dead body.

When we visited Theopolis one of the presbyters of that church told us about abba Thomas, who was the apocrisarius (business manager, bursar, cellarer) of the coenobium in Apamia. This old man came once on business to Theopolis, and after staying there for a while, he died in Daphne, in the church of St Euphemia. The clergy there buried him as a stranger in the strangers' burial ground, and the next day they buried a woman whom they put on top of him. This was about the second hour; but at the sixth hour the earth threw her up. The caretakers of the place were astonished when they saw what had happened, but towards evening reburied her in the same grave. Next day they found her on top of the grave, so they took the body and put in another tomb. A few days later they buried another woman on top of abba Thomas, the clerics of that place not being aware that Thomas would not allow anyone to be buried on top of him. And again, the earth threw her up. At last they realised that the old man would not allow a woman to be buried on top of him, and they went and reported this to the Lord patriarch. He arranged that the whole city should go to Daphne with candles, and carry the remains of the old man into the city while singing psalms. they put the body of this holy man in the cemetery where the bodies of many of the martyrs had been laid and built a small oratory over him.

Chapter LXXXIX
The body of a holy ANCHORITE found on Mount Amanus

While we were at Theopolis one of the fathers told us that one day he had had to go over Mt Amanus, where he came across a cave. He went in and found an anchorite on bended knees, with his hands stretched up in the air, and his hair reaching down to the floor. Thinking he was alive he prostrated himself in front of him.
"Pray for me, father," he said. Getting no reply he got up and went a bit closer, to greet him and embrace him, but as soon as he touched him he realised he was dead. He left him and went out, and had not gone very far before he saw another cave. He went in and found an old man there.
"Welcome, brother," said this old man. "Did you go into the other cave?"
"I did indeed," he replied.
"You didn't take anything away from there?"
"No".
"It is absolutely true, brother, that it is fifteen years since he died, and he looks as if he had been dead no longer than hour."
The old man made a prayer for him, and the visitor went on his way glorifying God.

Chapter XC
The death of two ANCHORITES on Mount Phterigius.

There were two anchorites on Mount Phterigius above Rosus near the river Piape, not far from the monastery of Theopolis in Scopulus. One of these was an old man, the other was a young man, the elder's disciple. The old man died and his disciple prayed and buried him on the mountain. After a few days the disciple went down the mountain to where there was some habitation and found a man working in a field.
"Do me a kindness, brother," said the disciple, "bring your spade and hoe and come with me."
The farm worker followed him immediately, and when they got up the mountain the disciple showed him the old man's grave.
"Dig here," he said.
When he had dug a grave the disciple stood in prayer and embraced the man
"Pray for me, brother," he said, and went down into the grave where he stretched himself out on the body of the old man and immediately gave up his spirit.
The man covered the grave over again giving thanks to God. He had gone down the mountain again for no more than a stone's throw when he said to himself, "Surely I ought to ask a blessing from these holy men," but when he turned back the grave was nowhere to be found.

Chapter XCI
The life of abba GREGORIUS the anchorite, and his disciple THALELAEUS

One of the fathers told us about abba Gregorius who went about naked in the desert for thirty-five years.
It was said about him that when he was in the mountains above the monastery of abba Theodosius in Scopulus he had a disciple who died. Not having any tools to dig the earth and bury his disciple, the old man went down the mountain to the sea, where he found a ship putting in to shore. He asked the captain and crew to go with him up the mountain to bury the brother. They willingly granted the old man's request, gathered up the necessary tools, went up the mountain and dug a grave to bury the brother in. One of the sailors called Thalelaeus was so overcome by compunction because of the old man's virtues that he begged to be allowed to stay with him.
"You would not be able to put up with the hard labour of penitence," the old man said.
"I'm quite sure I could" (ita sane tolerare possum), he replied.
So he stayed with the old man for a year, working very hard at the holy exercises. At the end of the year he prostrated himself before the old man.
"Pray for me, father," he said. "Through your prayers God has taken away from me all the difficulty. I no longer get tired, I am no longer bothered by inclement weather, neither summer heat nor winter cold, but remain absolutely peaceful."
The old man gave him his blessing, and after a further two years and a half, brother Thalelaeus, foreseeing his own death, made a request to the old man.
"I beg you, take me to Jerusalem so that I can adore the holy Cross and the holy resurrection of Christ my Lord and God, for the Lord is about to take me to himself at this time."
So the old man took him with him to the holy city. They worshipped at the venerable holy places and went down to bathe in the holy Jordan. Three days afterwards brother Thalelaeus slept in the Lord and the old man buried him in the monastery of Cupatha. Abba Gregorius the anchorite died a little while after, and the fathers of that monastery buried him in the church.

Chapter XCII
The life of brother GREGORIUS  of Cappadocia and how the body of PETER, a solitary of the holy Jordan, was found.

The following tale was told to us, that is to brother Sophronius Sophista and me, by our father abbot Gregorius, the archimandrite of the monastery of our holy father Theodosius, in the desert near the holy city of Christ our Lord.
I had a brother here called Gregory of Cappadocia, who worked however in Phaselus (a subsidiary cell of brothers?) Now one day when the brothers were making bread brother Gregorius lit the fire under the oven, but having lit it could not find anything to clean it with, for the brothers had hidden the cloth by way of teasing him. So he went into the oven and cleaned it out using his own clothing, and was not in the least bit harmed by the fire. But when I heard about it I rebuked the brothers for putting him to the test like that.
Our father abbot Gregorius also told us that once when brother Gregorius was feeding the pigs in Phaselus two lions came after the pigs, but he picked up a stick and drove them back to the holy Jordan.
The same father told us that when he was beginning to build the church of St Quiricus in Phaselus and digging out the foundations he had a dream about a monk of very ascetic appearance, carrying a palm, and with a meagre robe of woven rushes draped over his shoulders (gerens in humeris parvulum colobium de psiathio).
"Tell me, abba Gregorius," he said in a most gentle tone of voice, "is it right that after so many labours, so much abstinence, you have left me out of the church you are building?"
"Far be it from me to do so," he replied, in deference to the voice and appearance of the man.
"But that is exactly what you have done."
"Who then are you, sir?"
"I am Peter, a solitary of the holy Jordan."
Next morning abba Gregorius hastened to dig in various places around the church until he found a body lying there identical to what he had seen in his dream. When the church was built, he put a splendid tomb in the right hand side of the church and put the body in it.

Chapter XCIII
The life of abba SISINIUS who renounced his episcopate, and his disciple.

Our father Gregorius also told us the following:
"I went once to visit abba Sisinius. He it was who renounced his episcopate for the sake of Christ and went to live a solitary life near the fortress of Bethabara, about six miles from the holy Jordan. When I got there I knocked at the door, which after a very long time was answered by his disciple.
"'The fact is,' he said, 'that the old man is very ill, dying. But he has prayed God that he might not die until he heard that you had arrived in this district.'
"For I had been on my way to the most religious Emperor Tiberius in Constantinople, on business for the cenobium. The disciple went to tell the old man of my arrival, and returned after a long delay.
"'Go in, father,' he said.
"When we went in, however, we found that the old man had fallen asleep in peace. And I realised that as soon as he knew that it was I who had been knocking on the door he had passed over to the Lord. I embraced him, and this dead man said in a soft and gentle voice, 'Welcome, my abbot,' and again fell asleep. I made his death known locally so that they might come and bury him, and when they had come and were digging a grave the disciple said to them:
"'Do me a kindness, and make it a little wider, big enough for two.' And when the grave was dug, he lay down upon a rush mat and rested in peace. So we buried them both together, the old man and his disciple."

Chapter XCIV
The life of abba JULIANUS  bishop of Bostrensis

Our father archimandrite Gregorius also told us about abba Julianus the bishop of Bostrensis.
When he left the cenobium to be made bishop of Bostrensis some people in that city who hated the name of Christ decided to poison him. They bribed the servant who administered the wine, and gave him some poison to put in the cup when he brought it to the bishop. The servant did as he had been directed, and brought the poisoned chalice to the bishop. The holy man took it, but by divine providence realised there was treachery. He said nothing to the servant, but put the cup down in front of him and sent for all the city fathers, among whom were the ones who had instigated this treachery.
"If you thought to poison this humble Julianus," this blessed man said in a most gentle voice, not wishing to actually name those responsible, "look, I drink this poisoned cup in the presence of you all." He made the sign of the cross three times over the cup, saying "In nomine Patris et Filii, et Spiritus sancti I drink this cup." And he drank it all in the presence of them all, and was quite unharmed. When they saw this they prostrated themselves and sought pardon.

Chapter XCV
The life of PATRICIUS, an old man of the monastery of Scopulus

There was a very old man indeed in the coenobium of our holy father Theodosius, (he said he was a hundred and thirty). He came from Sebaste, his name was Patricius and he was of a very quiet and peaceful disposition. The fathers told us that he had come from the monastery of Abazanus where he had been prior, but had relinquished that position, fearing that he was in danger of Judgment, for he said that only great men ought to be shepherds of the sheep who had the gift of reason. He came here in order to live under obedience, judging that to be more favourable to [the salvation of] his soul.

Chapter XCV
More about the same, and also about JULIANUS, a blind Arab.

There was another old man, a blind Arab called Julianus, who at one time was scandalised by Macarius the archbishop of Jerusalem and refused to be in communion with him. Abba Julianus decided one day to send a message to abbot Simeon in the miraculous mountain (this mountain was about nine miles away from Theopolis).
"I am blind," he said, "and cannot see where I am going. I have no one to help me, but I can no longer remain in communion with Macarius. Tell me what I should do, father, about this brother who is a fornicator and that other person bound to him with an oath."
"Don't leave," abba Simeon replied to abba Julianus, "and don't separate yourself from holy Church. But take note of this, my brother, when anyone falls into heresy, there is a great old man in your coenobium called Patricius, who stays near the west wall of the church opposite the sanctuary, in last place behind everyone else, and he says that he makes a holy offering of prayer for everyone. And they do say that his prayer is very holy indeed."

Chapter XCVII
The life and death of two BROTHERS  who vowed never to be separated from each other

Abba John Rutilus the anchorite said that he had heard from abba Stephen the Moabite that there were two brothers in the coenobium of the holy abba Theodosius, that great leader of monks, who vowed to each other never in life or in death to be separated from each other. They were an example to everyone in the coenobium until one of them was overwhelmed by sexual temptation.
"Let me go away, brother," he said, "for I am obsessed with thoughts of sex and cannot get rid of them. I want to return to the world."
"No, don't, I beg you," said his brother, "don't throw away the fruits of all your labour."
"Either let me go, or else you come with me, for I must satisfy my desires."
But the brother did not want to part from him so went with him into the city. The first brother went for some entertainment with a prostitute, the other remained standing outside, pouring dust upon his head and beating his breast, until his brother had finished his evil deed and come back out of the brothel. 
"Just what have you gained from your sin, brother?" he asked. "What harm have you done to yourself? Let's go back to the coenobium."
"I can't go back to the desert. You go back. I must stay in the world."
He begged and begged with no success. His brother refused to go back with him to the desert, so they both stayed in the world together, doing manual labour for a living.
Now at this time Abba Abraham, who later became bishop of Ephesus, and who had recently built in Constantinople a monastery known as 'Abraham's', was building his own monastery, which became known as 'Byzantium'. These two runaway brothers were working on the site, labouring for the stonemasons. When they got their wages one brother went day by day into the city and spent his money in riotous living (luxuria), the other fasted and prayed and did his work quietly without talking to anyone. When the other workmen saw him neither eating or speaking, but always as if wrapped in thought, they told the holy abba Abraham about him and the way he was carrying on. That truly great Abraham called him to his cell.
"Where do you come from, brother," he asked, "and what exactly are you up to?"
The brother told him everything from beginning to end, and why he was putting up with all this for the sake of his brother.
"Perhaps God will accept my tribulations for the salvation of my brother," he said.
"God has given you your brother's soul," said Abraham as he let him go.
And as he left the cell, behold, his brother came rushing up to him.
"Brother, take me back to the desert so that I may save my soul," he said.
He immediately embraced him, and they went off to a cave near the holy Jordan, where they enclosed themselves. After a short time during which the brother who had been overcome by temptation made great strides in spirit towards God, he passed away to the Lord. The remaining brother stayed in that cave in fulfilment of his vow, until such time as he died himself.

Chapter XCVIII
More about the remaining brother.

After the death of his brother, an old man from the monastery of Calamon came to see him.
"Tell me, brother," he said, "In all the time of your solitary life and your spiritual exercises what did you get out of it?"
"Go away and come back in ten days, " he replied, "and I will tell you."
So the old man went away and came back in ten days only to find that the brother had passed to the Lord. But he also found a potsherd on which was scratched 'Forgive me, father, but when I was saying the opus dei and the prescribed psalms I never let my mind dwell on earthly things'.


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