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| He Leads to Reformation His Friend Alypius, Seized with Madness for the Circensian Games.
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Chapter VII.—He Leads to
Reformation His Friend Alypius, Seized with Madness for the
Circensian Games.
11. These things we, who lived like friends
together, jointly deplored, but chiefly and most familiarly did I
discuss them with Alypius and Nebridius, of whom Alypius was born
in the same town as myself, his parents being of the highest rank
there, but he being younger than I. For he had studied under me,
first, when I taught in our own town, and afterwards at Carthage,
and esteemed me highly, because I appeared to him good and learned;
and I esteemed him for his innate love of virtue, which, in one of
no great age, was sufficiently eminent. But the vortex of
Carthaginian customs (amongst whom these frivolous spectacles are
hotly followed) had inveigled him into the madness of the
Circensian games. But while he was miserably tossed about therein,
I was professing rhetoric there, and had a public school. As yet he
did not give ear to my teaching, on account of some ill-feeling
that had arisen between me and his father. I had then found how
fatally he doted upon the circus, and was deeply grieved that he
seemed likely—if, indeed, he had not already done so—to cast
away his so great promise. Yet had I no means of advising, or by a
sort of restraint reclaiming him, either by the kindness of a
friend or by the authority of a master. For I imagined that his
sentiments towards me were the same as his father’s; but he was
not such. Disregarding, therefore, his father’s will in that
matter, he commenced to salute me, and, coming into my
lecture-room, to listen for a little and depart.
12. But it slipped my memory to deal with him,
so that he should not, through a blind and headstrong desire of
empty pastimes, undo so great a wit. But Thou, O Lord, who
governest the helm of all Thou hast created, hadst not forgotten
him, who was one day to be amongst Thy sons, the President of Thy
sacrament;456
| 456 Compare v. sec. 17, note, above, and sec. 15, note,
below. | and that his amendment
might plainly be attributed to Thyself, Thou broughtest it about
through me, but I knowing nothing of it. For one day, when I was
sitting in my accustomed place, with my scholars before me, he came
in, saluted me, sat himself down, and fixed his attention on the
subject I was then handling. It so happened that I had a passage in
hand, which while I was explaining, a simile borrowed from the
Circensian games occurred to me, as likely to make what I wished to
convey pleasanter and plainer, imbued with a biting jibe at those
whom that madness had enthralled. Thou knowest, O our God, that I
had no thought at that time of curing Alypius of that plague. But
he took it to himself, and thought that I would not have said it
but for his sake. And what any other man would have made a ground
of offence against me, this worthy young man took as a reason for
being offended at himself, and for loving me more fervently. For
Thou hast said it long ago, and written in Thy book, “Rebuke a
wise man, and he will love thee.”457
But I had not rebuked him, but
Thou, who makest use of all consciously or unconsciously, in that
order which Thyself knowest (and that order is right), wroughtest
out of my heart and tongue burning coals, by which Thou mightest
set on fire and cure the hopeful mind thus languishing. Let him be
silent in Thy praises who meditates not on Thy mercies, which from
my inmost parts confess unto Thee. For he upon that speech rushed
out from that so deep pit, wherein he was wilfully plunged, and was
blinded by its miserable pastimes; and he roused his mind with a
resolute moderation; whereupon all the filth of the Circensian
pastimes458
| 458 The games in the Provinces of the empire were on
the same model as those held in the Circus Maximus at Rome, though
not so imposing. This circus was one of those vast works executed
by Tarquinius Priscus. Hardly a vestige of it at the present time
remains, though the Cloaca Maxima, another of his stupendous works,
has not, after more than 2500 years, a stone displaced, and still
performs its appointed service of draining the city of Rome into
the Tiber. In the circus were exhibited chariot and foot races,
fights on horseback, representations of battles (on which occasion
camps were pitched in the circus), and the Grecian athletic sports
introduced after the conquest of that country. See also sec. 13,
note, below. | flew off
from him, and he did not approach them further. Upon this, he
prevailed with his reluctant father to let him be my pupil. He gave
in and consented. And Alypius, beginning again to hear me, was
involved in the same superstition as I was, loving in the
Manichæans that ostentation of continency459
| 459 Augustin, in book v. sec. 9, above, refers to the
reputed sanctity of Manichæus, and it may well be questioned
whether the sect deserved that unmitigated reprobation he pours out
upon them in his De Moribus, and in parts of his controversy
with Faustus. Certain it is that Faustus laid claim, on behalf of
his sect, to a very different moral character to that Augustin
would impute to them. He says (Con. Faust. v. 1): “Do I
believe the gospel? You ask me if I believe it, though my obedience
to its commands shows that I do. I should rather ask you if you
believe it, since you give no proof of your belief. I have left my
father, mother, wife, and children, and all else that the Gospel
requires (Matt. xix. 29); and do you ask if I believe
the gospel? Perhaps you do not know what is called the gospel. The
gospel is nothing else than the preaching and the precept of
Christ. I have parted with all gold and silver, and have left off
carrying money in my purse; content with daily food; without
anxiety for to-morrow; and without solicitude about how I shall be
fed, or wherewithal I shall be clothed: and do you ask if I believe
the gospel? You see in me the blessings of the gospel (Matt. v.
3–11); and do you ask
if I believe the gospel? You see me poor, meek, a peacemaker, pure
in heart, mourning, hungering, thirsting, bearing persecutions and
enmity for righteousness’ sake; and do you doubt my belief in the
gospel?” It is difficult to understand that Manichæanism can
have spread as largely as it did at that time, if the asceticism of
many amongst them had not been real. It may be noted that in his
controversy with Fortunatus, Augustin strangely declines to discuss
the charges of immorality that had been brought against the
Manichæans; and in the last
Chapter of his De Moribus, it
appears to be indicated that one, if not more, of those whose evil
deeds are there spoken of had a desire to follow the rule of life
laid down by Manichæus. | which he believed to be true and
unfeigned. It was, however, a senseless and seducing continency,
ensnaring precious souls, not able as yet to reach the height of
virtue, and easily beguiled with the veneer of what was but a
shadowy and feigned virtue.
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