1 Priest added: "Do you see this Abbot Arsenius? When he A. D. 395. "was in the world, he was the father of Emperors; he had a "thousand slaves clothed in silk, with bracelets and with [' μavidκια.] "girdles of gold; and he slept on the richest beds. You, "who were a shepherd, did not in the world find the ease "which you enjoy here; and he is deprived of the delights "which he had there: you are comforted, and he is afflicted." The old man moved by these words, bowed penitently2, and [ Baλe μετάνοιαν.] said, "Pardon me, my father, I have sinned; he is in the "true way of humiliation :" and went away edified. St. Arsenius was so poor, that wanting a shirt in his sickness, he § 20. accepted something given him in charity, to buy one, and said, "I thank thee, O LORD, that Thou hast thought me "worthy to receive alms' in Thy name." One of the Em- [ λaßeiv ἀγάπην.] peror's officers brought him the will of a senator, his relation, ayi[ μαγια who had left him a very large estate; he took the will, and Orpíavos.] would have torn it in pieces; but the officer threw himself at his feet, and begged him not to tear it, because it would cost him his life. St. Arsenius refused the legacy, with the words: "I died before him; he is but just dead." 3 6 The virtue which shone brightest in him, was the love of retirement. His cell was about two and thirty miles distant § 21. in solitude, nor did he ever willingly stir out of it, the other Monks doing for him what services he wanted. When he came to church, he seated himself behind a pillar, that none ' § 42. might see his face, nor he see any one. The Abbot Mark 88 § 13. asked him one day, "Why do you avoid us?" Arsenius re 7 9 plied, "GOD knows how well I love you; but I cannot be "with GOD and with men too. The thousands and tens of "thousands of the heavenly Host have but one will, but men "have many." A certain Father' knocking at his door, the ' § 37. aged saint opened it, thinking it was the person who attended him; but seeing a stranger, he fell on his face. The other said to him, "Rise, father, that I may embrace you." "I "will not rise," said he, "till you are departed;" nor could any entreaties prevail with him to get up. Theophilus, the Archbishop', came one day to visit him with a certain ma- 1 § 7. gistrate, and besought him to say something to them. Arsenius, after a short silence, answered: "And if I say any thing to you, will you heed it?" They assured him that they A. D. 395. would. 1 § 8. 3 6 § 44. § 42. cascos • § 42. 7 § 5. § 6. III. Cassian in "Then," said he, "never come near the place "where you know Arsenius to be." Another time', the Archbishop desiring to discourse with him, first sent to know if he would open his door. He answered: "If you will come, "I will open it to you; and if I open it to you, I will open "it to all the world; after which I will stay no longer here." The Archbishop replied: "I had rather not go, than drive "him away." Some of the more aged' having one day pressed him to speak, and tell him the reason of this close retirement; he answered: "When a maid is in her father's "house, many woo her; when she is married, they change "their tone, and make less account of her. So is it with spiritual things; being made common, they cease to be "useful to every body." St. Arsenius lived in this manner till ninety-five years old; for he was forty years old when he quitted the court; and he spent forty years in the desert of Scetis, which he left when it was ravaged by the barbarians', and he lived fifteen years afterwards. He was tall, but became bent in his old age, he had a graceful mien, his hair was quite white, and his beard reached down to his girdle; but the tears, which he shed continually, had worn away his eye-lashes. He never would discourse on any point of Scripture, though he was well able to do it, and never willingly wrote letters. He one day' said: "All "our worldly knowledge is of no use, and these Egyptian pea"sants have gained virtue by their laborious life." Having consulted an old Egyptian upon something which he had in his thoughts, another said to him: "Father Arsenius, why "do you, who are so well skilled in all the Greek and Roman sciences, ask the advice of this illiterate man?” “I am "acquainted," said he, "with the learning of the Greeks "and Romans; but I have not yet learned the alphabet of "this old man." The perfection of the Egyptian Monks is known by the Egypt. accounts of John Cassian, who visited them about this time. Cheeremon, He was a Scythian' by nation, born of rich and pious' and Joseph. parents, and was in his early years' instructed in religion, in [ap. a monastery of Palæstine, near Bethlehem, not the same Nesteros, 9 Gennad. ron. 1 Cassian. Collat. 24. c. 1. • Præf. ad Instit. [p. 2.] [ Instit. 3. c. 4. et 4. c. 31. . c. 1, 5. et 17. c. 5.] 3 2 4 Coll. 1. c. 1. Coll. 11. c. 1. with that of St. Jerome, but probably more ancient. Cassian A. D. 395. there led a monastic life, and contracted a particular friendship with a Monk named Germanus'. These two, at the same time, conceived a wish' to make a visit to the Egyptian solitaries, to learn the perfection of that state of life. The c.1.[p.300.] Abbot and Monks of the society consented, provided that [ Coll. 17. c. 5.] they would return to the monastery. They embarked, and arrived in Egypt, at a city called Thennesus', the territory of Coll. 11. which was a morass overflowed with salt water, so that the whole subsistence of the inhabitants depended upon traffic. Here they found Archebius3, Bishop of Panephysis, a neigh- Ibid. c. 2. bouring city, who received them with great charity. He had been drawn from a solitary life to the dignity of a Bishop; but [ raptus.] far from being exalted by it, he said that he had been compelled to quit the life of a Hermit, as unworthy of it; because, though he had spent thirty-seven years in it, he had never made adequate improvement. However, he continued, when a Bishop, to practise all the austerity of his former life. Being at Thennesus, on account of the election of a Bishop, and being informed of the motives that brought Cassian and Germanus into Egypt, he said to them: "Before you proceed "further, come and see certain old men near our monastery, "whose bodies are so bent with age, and whose looks beam "with such holiness, that the mere sight of them is an in"structive lesson, and you will learn from them what I grieve over as forgotten, and therefore am unable to tell "you." 7 melotes. 1. c. 8.] Archebius' having said this, took his staff and goat-skin", c. 3. [ pera, i. e. for thus the Monks of Egypt used to travel, and conducted pellis cathe guests to Panephysis. The country being flooded, there prina vel was no part dry, except some rising grounds which formed Vid. Instit. several islands, in which there lived three old Hermits, Chæremon, Nesteros, and Joseph. Archebius first carried c. 4. his guests to Chæremon, who was the nearest and oldest. He was above a hundred years old, and so bent with age, that he crawled upon his hands. Cassian and Germanus were surprised at his motion and appearance, and besought him to tell them something for their instruction, since that was the occasion of their journey. Chæremon replied with a deep sigh: "What instruction can I give you, since the A. D. 395. "weakness of my age hath forced me to abate so much of "my former austerity, that it hath not left me confidence to "speak? How can I teach others what I do not practise "myself? It is for this reason that I do not suffer any young man to live with me, least he should grow remiss by my example." However, he yielded to their entreaties, c. 6-13. and discoursed' first concerning Perfection, shewing that it [*1 Cor. 13. consisted in Charity". After their repast, he spoke of 13.] Coll. 12. Chastity'; and the next day, after morning prayers', he I conversed with them on the subject of the Protection of GOD', that is, of Graceb; without which, chastity cannot be preserved; nor any other virtue acquired. These two last discourses were in answer to the questions which they proposed to him. matutinam.] ♪ Coll. 13. 6 Coll. 14. [5. Libell. After this they went to see the Abbot Nesteros; the name of Abbot being given to all these holy old men, on account of their age and sanctity, though they were Anchorites and had no other Monks under their government. This Nesteros is supposed to be the same who is elsewhere spoken of as the Vit. Patr. friend' of St. Anthony. He discoursed to Cassian and Geri. $11.] manus on Spiritual Knowledge, and of the difference between Rosw.p.562. an active and contemplative life; where, by the way, he takes [428. b.] notice of the study of the poets, and other profane authors, Coll. 14. as a hindrance to religious perfection. After supper and [synaxim evening prayer, they sat down upon mats', according to custom, and Nesteros continuing the conversation, spoke1 ['psia- of the diversity of the Gifts of GOD, that is, of miracles, and thiis.] Coll. 15. the like graces, that they might set a higher value on the virtues. Their third visit was to the Abbot Joseph. He was Coll. 16. a native of Thmuïs, of a very noble family, and a chief man c. 12, 13. vesperti nam. c. 1. a Cassian does not use Synaxis in the sense of the "Sacrifice of the Mass," as Du Fresne explains it above, bk. 19. ch. 44. note f. b This Collation, the thirteenth, has brought on Cassian the charge of Pelagianism, and incurred the condemnation of Pope Gelasius, (A. D. 492). Prosper has written Contra Collatorem, and supposes that Cassian has ascribed unwarrantably his own opinions to Chæremon. "The Monks in Massilia "adopted a view of free grace between" the Catholic" and that of Pelagius, of the city. He had been educated with great care, so that A. D. 395. he spoke Greek perfectly well, and had no occasion for an interpreter as the others had, who understood no language but the Egyptian. He first asked Cassian and Germanus whether they were brothers; and on their replying that they were so only by spiritual brotherhood, he discoursed to them on Friendship, proving that true friendship is that which is founded in virtue. Afterwards he put them' into a cell by Coll. 17. themselves, to pass the night; but they were so affected by the zeal which his discourse had raised in their hearts, that they could not sleep. 1 c. 1. 2 " tudinem ingenitam 4 c. 3. They went, therefore, out of the cell, and sat down in a more retired place, about a hundred paces off. Then Germanus, with a deep sigh, said, "What shall we do? These c. 2. "holy men shew us by their examples the way of perfection, "and might be our guides therein, were it not for our pro"mise of returning to our monastery; and if we once return, 66 we shall never be permitted to come hither again." Thus they remained some time, distressing themselves with these thoughts, and reproaching themselves with their weakness, [" teneriwhich had induced them to make the promise, to obtain frontis et leave. At length' Cassian said: "Let us ask the advice of verecun"this old man, and receive what he says as a divine oracle." diam.] They waited till the time of Nocturns, which being ended, ["Nocturnæ synaxeos] they sat down, as usual, upon the mats, which had served for [legitimus their beds; and Joseph observing their sadness, asked the atque Psalreason'. Germanus told him, and Joseph said", "Are you you numerus] "persuaded that a greater progress in spiritual things is c. 4. likely to be conferred on you in this country?" "think," answered' Germanus, "that there is no comparison 1 c. 7. "to be made." Upon this Joseph discoursed to them upon c.8, 9, &c. the Obligation of Promises, shewing that it is sometimes [ De debetter not to perform them. He even allows of lying to do finiendo.] good', pretending to prove it by examples from Scripture, I mendaaccording to the error of some Orientals. The two friends' ciosum. being persuaded by Joseph's discourse, resolved to stay in Thom. e Nocturns, or the Night Service, took place in the very early morning, after sleep. Velut divino oraculo confirmati, by T orationum morum 8 c. 5. "We" c. 6. 9 1 2 cium offi Vid. S. |