historia calamitatum-第10部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


mate　in　the　household　of　the　saintly　Paula；　the　whole　city　was　loud　in　my　praise；　and　nearly　every　one　deemed　me　deserving　of　the　highest　honours　of　priesthood。　But　I　know　that　my　way　to　the　kingdom　of　Heaven　lies　through　good　and　evil　report　alike。〃

When　I　pondered　over　the　injury　which　slander　had　done　to　so　great　a　man　as　this；　I　was　not　a　little　consoled　thereby。　If　my　rivals；　I　told　myself；　could　but　find　an　equal　cause　for　suspicion　against　me；　with　what　accusations　would　they　persecute　me！　But　how　is　it　possible　for　such　suspicion　to　continue　in　my　case；　seeing　that　divine　mercy　has　freed　me　therefrom　by　depriving　me　of　all　power　to　enact　such　baseness？　How　shameless　is　this　latest　accusation！　In　truth　that　which　had　happened　to　me　so　completely　removes　all　suspicion　of　this　iniquity　among　all　men　that　those　who　wish　to　have　their　women　kept　under　close　guard　employ　eunuchs　for　that　purpose；　even　as　sacred　history　tells　regarding　Esther　and　the　other　damsels　of　King　Ahasuerus　（Esther　ii。　5）。　We　read；　too；　of　that　eunuch　of　great　authority　under　Queen　Candace　who　had　charge　of　all　her　treasure；　him　to　whose　conversion　and　baptism　the　apostle　Philip　was　directed　by　an　angel　（Acts　viii。　27）。　Such　men；　in　truth；　are　enabled　to　have　far　more　importance　and　intimacy　among　modest　and　upright　women　by　the　fact　that　they　are　free　from　any　suspicion　of　lust。　The　sixth　book　of　the　Ecclesiastical　History　tells　us　that　the　greatest　of　all　Christian　philosophers；　Origen；　inflicted　a　like　injury　on　himself　with　his　own　hand；　in　order　that　all　suspicion　of　this　nature　might　be　completely　done　away　with　in　his　instruction　of　women　in　sacred　doctrine。　In　this　respect；　I　thought；　God's　mercy　had　been　kinder　to　me　than　to　him；　for　it　was　judged　that　he　had　acted　most　rashly　and　had　exposed　himself　to　no　slight　censure；　whereas　the　thing　had　been　done　to　me　through　the　crime　of　another；　thus　preparing　me　for　a　task　similar　to　his　own。　Moreover；　it　had　been　accomplished　with　much　less　pain；　being　so　quick　and　sudden；　for　I　was　heavy　with　sleep　when　they　laid　hands　on　me；　and　felt　scarcely　any　pain　at　all。

But　alas；　I　thought；　the　less　I　then　suffered　from　the　wound；　the　greater　is　my　punishment　now　through　slander；　and　I　am　tormented　far　more　by　the　loss　of　my　reputation　than　I　was　by　that　of　part　of　my　body。　For　thus　is　it　written：　〃A　good　name　is　rather　to　be　chosen　than　great　riches〃　（Prov。　xxii。　1）。　And　as　St。　Augustine　tells　us　in　a　sermon　of　his　on　the　life　and　conduct　of　the　clergy；　〃He　is　cruel　who；　trusting　in　his　conscience；　neglects　his　reputation。〃　Again　he　says：　〃Let　us　provide　those　things　that　are　good；　as　the　apostle　bids　us　（Rom。　xii。　17）；　not　alone　in　the　eyes　of　God；　but　likewise　in　the　eyes　of　men。　Within　himself　each　one's　conscience　suffices；　but　for　our　own　sakes　our　reputations　ought　not　to　be　tarnished；　but　to　flourish。　Conscience　and　reputation　are　different　matters：　conscience　is　for　yourself；　reputation　for　your　neighbour。〃　Methinks　the　spite　of　such　men　as　these　my　enemies　would　have　accused　the　very　Christ　Himself；　or　those　belonging　to　Him；　prophets　and　apostles；　or　the　other　holy　fathers；　if　such　spite　had　existed　in　their　time；　seeing　that　they　associated　in　such　familiar　intercourse　with　women；　and　this　though　they　were　whole　of　body。　On　this　point　St。　Augustine；　in　his　book　on　the　duty　of　monks；　proves　that　women　followed　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ　and　the　apostles　as　inseparable　companions；　even　accompanying　them　when　they　preached　（Chap。　4）。　〃Faithful　women；〃　he　says；　〃who　were　possessed　of　worldly　wealth　went　with　them；　and　ministered　to　them　out　of　their　wealth；　so　that　they　might　lack　none　of　those　things　which　belong　to　the　substance　of　life。〃　And　if　any　one　does　not　believe　that　the　apostles　thus　permitted　saintly　women　to　go　about　with　them　wheresoever　they　preached　the　Gospel；　let　him　listen　to　the　Gospel　itself；　and　learn　therefrom　that　in　so　doing　they　followed　the　example　of　the　Lord。　For　in　the　Gospel　it　is　written　thus：　〃And　it　came　to　pass　afterward；　that　He　went　throughout　every　city　and　village；　preaching　and　showing　the　glad　tidings　of　the　kingdom　of　God：　and　the　twelve　were　with　Him　and　certain　women　which　had　been　healed　of　evil　spirits　and　infirmities；　Mary　called　Magdalene；　and　Joanna　the　wife　of　Chuza；　Herod's　steward；　and　Susanna；　and　many　others；　which　ministered　unto　Him　of　their　substance〃　（Luke　viii。　1…3）

Leo　the　Ninth；　furthermore；　in　his　reply　to　the　letter　of　Parmenianus　concerning　monastic　zeal　says：　〃We　unequivocally　declare　that　it　is　not　permissible　for　a　bishop；　priest；　deacon　or　subdeacon　to　cast　off　all　responsibility　for　his　own　wife　on　the　grounds　of　religious　duty；　so　that　he　no　longer　provides　her　with　food　and　clothing；　albeit　he　may　not　have　carnal　intercourse　with　her。　We　read　that　thus　did　the　holy　apostles　act；　for　St。　Paul　says：　'Have　we　not　power　to　lead　about　a　sister；　a　wife；　as　well　as　other　apostles；　and　as　the　brethren　of　the　Lord；　and　Cephas？'　（I　Cor。　ix。　5）。　Observe；　foolish　man；　that　he　does　not　say：　'have　we　not　power　to　embrace　a　sister；　a　wife；'　but　he　says　'to　lead　about；'　meaning　thereby　that　such　women　may　lawfully　be　supported　by　them　out　of　the　wages　of　their　preaching；　but　that　there　must　be　no　carnal　bond　between　them。〃

Certainly　that　Pharisee　who　spoke　within　himself　of　the　Lord；　saying：　〃This　man；　if　He　were　a　prophet；　would　have　known　who　and　what　manner　of　woman　this　is　that　toucheth　Him：　for　she　is　a　sinner〃　（Luke　vii。　39）；　might　much　more　reasonably　have　suspected　baseness　of　the　Lord；　considering　the　matter　from　a　purely　human　standpoint；　than　my　enemies　could　suspect　it　of　me。　One　who　had　seen　the　mother　of　Our　Lord　entrusted　to　the　care　of　the　young　man　（John　xix。　27）；　or　who　had　beheld　the　prophets　dwelling　and　sojourning　with　widows　（I　Kings　xvii。　10）；　would　likewise　have　had　a　far　more　logical　ground　for　suspicion。　And　what　would　my　calumniators　have　said　if　they　had　but　seen　Malchus；　that　captive　monk　of　whom　St。　Jerome　writes；　living　in　the　same　hut　with　his　wife？　Doubtless　they　would　have　regarded　it　as　criminal　in　the　famous　scholar　to　have　highly　commended　what　he　thus　saw；　saying　thereof：　〃There　was　a　certain　old　man　named　Malchus；　a　native　of　this　region；　and　his　wife　with　him　in　his　hut。　Both　of　them　were　earnestly　religious；　and　they　so　often　passed　the　threshold　of　the　church　that　you　might　have　thought　them　the　Zacharias　and　Elisabeth　of　the　Gospel；　saving　only　that　John　was　not　with　them。〃

Why；　finally；　do　such　men　refrain　from　slandering　the　holy　fathers；　of　whom　we　frequently　read；　nay；　and　have　even　seen　with　our　own　eyes；　founding　convents　for　women　and　making　provision　for　their　maintenance；　thereby　following　the　example　of　the　seven　deacons　whom　the　apostles　sent　before　them　to　secure　food　and　take　care　of　the　women？　（Acts　vi。　5）。　For　the　weaker　sex　needs　the　help　of　the　stronger　one　to　such　an　extent　that　the　apostle　proclaimed　that　the　head　of　the　woman　is　ever　the　man　（I　Cor。　i。　3）；　and　in　sign　thereof　he　bade　her　ever　wear　her　head　covered　（ib。　5）。　For　this　reason　I　marvel　greatly　at　the　customs　which　have　crept　into　monasteries　whereby；　even　as　abbots　are　placed　in　charge　of　the　men；　abbesses　now　are　given　authority　over　the　women；　and　the　women　bind　themselves　in　their　vows　to　accept　the　same　rules　as　the　men。　Yet　in　these　rules　there　are　many　things　which　cannot　possibly　be　carried　out　by　women；　either　as　superiors　or　in　the　lower　orders。　In　many　places　we　may　even　behold　an　inversion　of　the　natural　order　of　things；　whereby　the　abbesses　and　nuns　have　authority　over　the　clergy　and　even　over　those　who　are　themselves　in　charge　of　the　people。　The　more　power　such　women　exercise　over　men；　the　more　easily　can　they　lead　them　into　iniquitous　desires；　and　in　this　way　can　lay　a　very　heavy　yoke　upon　their　shoulders。　It　was　with　such　things　in　mind　that　the　satirist　said：

〃There　is　nothing　more　intolerable　than　a　rich　woman。〃　
（Juvenal；　Sat。　VI；　v　459）
CHAPTER　XV
OF　THE　PERILS　OF　HIS　ABBEY　AND　OF　THE　REASONS　FOR　THE　WRITING　OF　THIS　HIS　LETTER
REFLECTING　often　upon　all　these　things；　I　determined　to　make　provision　for　those　sisters　and　to　undertake　their　care　in　every　way　I　could。　Furthermore；　in　order　that　they　might　have　the　greater　reverence　for　me；　I　arranged　to　watch　over　them　in　person。　And　since　now　the　persecution　carried　on　by　my　sons　was　greater　and　more　incessant　than　that　which　I　formerly　suffered　at　the　hands　of　my　brethren；　I　returned　frequently　to　the　nuns；　fleeing　the　rage　of　the　tempest　as　to　a　haven　of　peace。　There；　indeed；　could　I　draw　breath　for　a　little　in　quiet；　and　among　them　my　labours　were　fruitful；　as　they　never　were　among　the　monks。　All　this　was　of　the　utmost　benefit　to　me　in　body　and　soul；　and　it　was　equally　essential　for　them　by　reason　of　their　weakness。

But　now　has　Satan　beset　me　to　such　an　extent　that　I　no　longer　know　where　I　may　find　rest；　or　even　so　much　as　live。　I　am　driven　hither　and　yon；　a　fugitive　and　a　vagabond；　even　as　the　accursed　Cain　（Gen。　iv。　14）。　I　have　already　said　that　〃without　were　fightings；　within　were　fears〃　（II　Cor。　vii。　5）；　and　these　torture　me　ceaselessly；　the　fears　being　indeed　without　as　well　as　within；　and　the　fightings　wheresoever　there　are　fears。　Nay；　the　persecution　carried　on　by　my　sons　rages　against　me　more　perilously　and　continuously　than　that　of　my　open　enemies；　for　my　sons　I　have　always　with　me；　and　I　am　ever　exposed　to　their　treacheries。　The　violence　of　my　enemies　I　see　in　the　danger　to　my　body　if　I　leave　the　cloister；　but　within　it　I　am　compelled　incessantly　to　endure　the　crafty　machinations　as　well　as　the　open　violence　of　those　monks　who　are　called　my　sons；　and　who　are　entrusted　to　me　as　their　abbot；　which　is　to　say　their　father。

Oh。　how　often　have　they　tried　to　kill　me　with　poison；　even　as　the　monks　sought　to　slay　St。　Benedict！　Methinks　the　same　reason　which　led　the　saint　to　abandon　his　wicked　sons　might　encourage　me　to　follow　the　example　of　so　great　a　father；　lest；　in　thus　exposing　myself　to　certain　peril；　I　might　be　deemed　a　rash　tempter　of　God　rather　than　a　lover　of　Him；　nay；　lest　it　might　even　be　judged　that　I　had　thereby　taken　my　own　life。　When　I　had　safeguarded　myself　to　the　best　of　my　ability；　so　far　as　my　food　and　drink　were　concerned；　ag