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| Chapter XV.
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Chapter XV.
“But lest this
should perchance seem incredible to any one, I shall mention still
greater things. I call Christ103
| 103 “Fides Christi
adest”: lit. “the faith of Christ is present.” | to witness that I
invent nothing, nor will I relate things published by uncertain
authors, but will set forth facts which have been vouched for to me by
trustworthy men.
“Numbers of those persons live in the desert
without any roofs over their heads, whom people call
anchorites.104
| 104 Also spelt
“anchoret”: it means “one who has retired from the
world” (ἀναχωρέω). | They subsist on the
roots of plants; they settle nowhere in any fixed place, lest they
should frequently have men visiting them; wherever night compels them
they choose their abode. Well, two monks from Nitria directed their
steps towards a certain man living in this style, and under these
conditions. They did so, although they were from a very different
quarter, because they had heard of his virtues, and because he had
formerly been their dear and intimate friend, while a member of the
same monastery. They sought after him long and much; and at length, in
the seventh month, they found him staying in that far-distant
wilderness which borders upon Memphis. He was said already to have
dwelt in these solitudes for twelve years; but although he shunned
intercourse with all men, yet he did not shrink from meeting these
friends; on the contrary, he yielded himself to their affection for a
period of three days. On the fourth day, when he had gone some distance
escorting them in their return journey, they beheld a lioness of
remarkable size coming towards them. The animal, although meeting with
three persons, showed no uncertainty as to the one she made for, but
threw herself down at the feet of the anchorite: and, lying there with
a kind of weeping and lamentation, she manifested mingled feelings of
sorrow and supplication. The sight affected all, and especially him who
perceived that he was sought for: he therefore sets out, and the others
follow him. For the beast stopping from time to time, and, from time to
time looking back, clearly wished it to be understood that the
anchorite should follow wherever she led. What need is there of many
words? We arrived at the den of the animal, where she, the unfortunate
mother, was nourishing five whelps already grown up, which, as they had
come forth with closed eyes from the womb of their dam, so they had
continued in persistent blindness. Bringing them out, one by one, from
the hollow of the rock, she laid them down at the feet of the
anchorite. Then at length the holy man perceived what the creature
desired; and having called upon the name of God, he touched with his
hand the closed eyes of the whelps; and immediately their blindness
ceased, while light, so long denied them, streamed upon the open eyes
of the animals. Thus, those brethren, having visited the anchorite whom
they were desirous of seeing, returned with a very precious reward for
their labor, inasmuch as, having been permitted to be eye-witnesses of
such power, they had beheld the faith of the saint, and the glory of
Christ, to which they will in future bear testimony. But I have still
more marvels to tell: the lioness, after five days, returned to the man
who had done her so great a kindness, and brought him, as a gift, the
skin of an uncommon
animal.
Frequently clad in this, as if it were a cloak, that holy man did not
disdain to receive that gift through the instrumentality of the best;
while, all the time, he rather regarded Another as being the
giver.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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