The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

—
PROFITABLE SAYINGS OF THE CHRISTIAN RECLtSES. 39
CLXXVII. A certain brother said unto one of the
aged men, "My thoughts wage war against me and
"say unto me, Thou art not able to fast and to pray,
"therefore go out of thy cell, and depart and minister
"unto the sick and let thy righteousness be sufficient
"for thee." The aged man made answer to him, "Go,
"eat, drinki and labour not, only do not depart from
"thy cell," for he knew that persistent dwelling in the
"cell would cut off all [his] thoughts'.
"palace he prayed to God, saying, 'O Lord, direct me how to
"live.' And a voice came to him which said, 'Arsenius, flee from
"men and thou shalt live.'" And again, when he was living in
the monastery, he prayed to God the [same] words, and again he heard
a voice saying to him, "Arsenius, flee, keep silence, and lead a
"life of contemplation, for these are the roots which prevent a man
"from sinning."
.^ji^lso Ktooo ,coaAv.p^ T^ ooilfloir^ r .coaiviK' oep .1^ oo^ acaa : o
:
ii\it^
fjAcn )W " .j9odf\x.o .^oi^ .r^lfloip^ .cni TiarS' «k riln
vjor^ r^\-MJ p^s ^ca^ p^tq^ '**^ ,^_ajr^ (fol. 197^,
Nos. I & 2).
'
The text of the story in full runs:
a\o\ r^r^ .Tm p^q\«^
.^^•tajr^O .intuT. »2z.(Xu .oA •isori'a oouooir^ rdar!'
auLia>-ir^ pisf^ oA isspita .rclai rO.Tco^ cucna .*