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[11]
ἀπέστω οὖν ταῦτα σήμερον ἀπὸ σοῦ, προκαθεζέσθωσαν
δὲ εἰς ἀκρόασιν τῶν λεγομένων καὶ κρίσιν
ἡ φρόνησις καὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη. εἰ γὰρ τὸν θυμὸν
καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐκ μέσου ποιήσεις, ἀντεισάξεις
δὲ τὴν φρόνησιν καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην, φιλαλήθως
πάντα λέξω σοι. πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔφη:
Ἰδού, εἴξας σου τῇ ἀξιώσει, ἐκβαλῶ τοῦ συνεδρίου
τήν τε ἐπιθυμίαν καὶ τὸν θυμόν, μεσάζειν δὲ τὴν
φρόνησιν καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ποιήσω. λέγε μοι
λοιπὸν ἀδεῶς πόθεν σοι ἡ τοσαύτη ἐγένετο πλάνη,
καὶ τὸ προτιμᾶν τὰ ἐν κεναῖς ἐλπίσι τῶν ἐν χερσὶ βλεπομένων.
Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ἐρημίτης εἶπεν: Εἰ τὴν ἀρχὴν
ζητεῖς, ὦ βασιλεῦ, πόθεν μοι γέγονε τῶν
προσκαίρων μὲν ὑπεριδεῖν, ὅλον δὲ ἐμαυτὸν
ταῖς αἰωνίοις ἐπιδοῦναι ἐλπίσιν, ἄκουσον. ἐν
ἡμέραις ἀρχαίαις, ἔτι κομιδῇ νέος ὑπάρχων,
ἤκουσά τι ῥῆμα ἀγαθὸν καὶ σωτήριον, καί με
κατ̓ ἄκρας ἡ τούτου δύναμις εἷλε, καί, ὥσπερ
[p. 20]
τις θεῖος σπόρος, ἡ τούτου μνήμη, τῇ ἐμῇ φυτευθεῖσα
καρδίᾳ, ἀχώριστος εἰς ἀεὶ διετηρήθη ὡς
καὶ ῥιζωθῆναι, καὶ ἐκβλαστῆσαι, καὶ ὃν ὁρᾷς
καρπὸν ἐνεγκεῖν ἐν ἐμοί. ἡ δὲ τοῦ ῥήματος
1 δύναμις τοιαύτη τις ἦν: Ἔδοξε, φησί, τοῖς ἀνοήτοις
τῶν ὄντων μὲν καταφρονεῖν ὡς μὴ ὄντων,
τῶν μὴ ὄντων δὲ ὡς ὄντων ἀντέχεσθαί τε καὶ
περιέχεσθαι: ὁ μὴ γευσάμενος οὖν τῆς τῶν
ὄντων γλυκύτητος, οὐ δυνήσεται τῶν μὴ ὄντων
1 1 Cor. l. 28
John, of Damascus (attributed author). G.R. Woodward. H. Mattingly. St. John Damascene Barlaam and Joseph. William Heinemann Ltd; Harvard University Press. London; Cambridge, Mass. 1914. Keyboarding.
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