No More Learning

Mar Ukba was one of those chiefs of Israel, who, in addi tion to great learning and wisdom, was blest with great riches, of which no one knew how to make a better use than he. In dependent of his general charity, he made it a rule to give annually to a number of poor men a certain sum, sufficient to maintain them comfortably. Amongst these, there was one to whom he used to give four hundred crowns on the day preced ing the day of Atonement. It happened once that he sent this
328 STORIES AND OBSERVATIONS FROM THE TALMUD.
gift by his son, who, on his return, represented to his father that he was bestowing his charity on very unworthy objects. "Why, what is"the matter? " asked Mar Ukba. "I have," replied the son, seen that man, whom you think so poor, and
A Parable against Democracy.
As long, says Rabbi Joshua Ben Levi, as the lower ordera submit to the direction of the higher orders of society, every thing goes on well. The latter decree, and God confirms. The prosperity of the State is the result. But when the higher orders, either from corrupt motives or from want of firmness, submit to or are swayed by the opinions of the lower orders, they are sure to fall together ; and the destruction of the State will be inevitable. To illustrate this important truth, he related the following fable.
The Serpent's Tail and its Head.
who does not blush to live on charity ;
family indulge themselves in great luxuries, drinking the most costly wines. " " Hast thou ? " replied the benevolent chief. " Then I dare say the unfortunate man has seen better days. Accustomed to such good living, I wonder how he can come out with the small allowance we make him. Here, take this purse with money to him ; and, for the future, let his allowance be doubled. "
The serpent's tail had long followed the direction of the head, and all went on well. One day the tail began to be dissatisfied with this natural arrangement ; and thus addressed the head : —
" I have long, with great indignation, observed thy unjust proceedings. In all our journeys it is thou that takest the lead, whereas I, like a menial servant, am obliged to follow behind. Thou appearest everywhere foremost, but I, like a miserable slave, must remain in the background. Is this just? Is it fair? Am I not a member of the same body? Why should not I have its management as well as thou ? "
" Thou ! " exclaimed the head, " thou, silly tail, wilt manage the body ! Thou hast neither eyes to see danger, nor ears to be apprised of it, nor brains to prevent it. Perceivest thou not that it is even for thy advantage that I should direct and lead? " "
" For my advantage, indeed ! rejoined the tail. " This is the language of all and every usurper. They all pretend to
I have seen him and his
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rule for the benefit of their slaves ; but I will no longer submit to such a state of things. I insist upon and will take the lead
in my turn. " " " Well, well !
replied the head, "be it so. Lead on. " The tail, rejoiced, accordingly took the lead. Its first ex
ploit was to drag the body into a miry ditch. The situation was not very pleasant. The tail struggled hard, groped along, and by dint of great exertion got out again ; but the body was so thickly covered with dirt and filth, as hardly to be known to belong to the same creature. Its next exploit was to get entangled amongst briars and thorns. The pain was intense ; the whole body was agitated ; the more it struggled the deeper the wounds. Here it would have ended its miserable career, had not the head hastened to its assistance and relieved it from its perilous situation. Not contented, it still persisted in keep ing the lead. It marched on ; and as chance would have it, crept into a fiery furnace. It soon began to feel the dreadful effects of the destructive element. The whole body was convulsed ; all was terror, confusion, and dismay. The head again has tened to afford its friendly aid. Alas ! it was too late. The tail was already consumed. The fire soon reached the vital parts of the body — it was destroyed — and the head was in volved in the general ruin.
What caused the destruction of the head? Was it not because it suffered itself to be guided by the imbecile tail ? Such will, assuredly, be the fate of the higher orders, should they suffer themselves to be swayed by popular prejudices.
Do not Profit by Others' Ignorance. Rabbi Simon and the Jewels.
Rabbi Simon once bought a camel of an Ishmaelite ; his dis ciples took it home and on removing the saddle discovered a band of diamonds concealed under it. " Rabbi ! Rabbi ! " ex claimed they, "the blessing of God maketh rich," intimating that it was a godsend. " Take the diamonds back to the man of whom I purchased the animal," said the virtuous Rabbi; "he sold me a camel, not precious stones. " The diamonds were accordingly returned, to the no small surprise of the
proper owner; but the Rabbi preserved the much more valu able jewels — honesty and integrity.
330 STORIES AND OBSERVATIONS FROM THE TALMUD.
Rabbi Saphra and the Buyer.
Rabbi Saphra wished to dispose of one of his estates, for which he asked a certain price. An individual who had an in clination to purchase it, made him an offer, which, being much less than the real value of the estate, was refused. Some time after, the Rabbi, being in want of money, resolved in his mind to accept the sum offered. In the interim the individual who had made the offer, desirous of possessing the estate, and igno rant of the Rabbi's determination, came and proposed to give him the sum first demanded by Rabbi Saphra. But the good Saphra refused to take it. " I have," said he, " made up my mind, before thou earnest, to take the sum thou didst first offer ; give it me, and I shall be satisfied ; my conscience will not permit me to take advantage of thy ignorance. "
Folly of Idolatry.
Terah, the father of Abraham, says tradition, was not only an idolater, but a manufacturer of idols, which he used to ex pose for public sale. Being obliged one day to go out on par ticular business, he desired Abraham to superintend for him. Abraham obeyed reluctantly. " What is the price of that god ? " asked an old man who had just entered the place of sale, pointing to an idol to which he took a fancy. " Old man," said Abraham, " may I be permitted to ask thine age ? " " Three score years," replied the age-stricken idolater. " Three-score years! " exclaimed Abraham, "and thou wouldst worship a thing that has been fashioned by the hands of my father's slaves within the last four and twenty hours ? Strange ! that a man of sixty should be willing to bow down his gray head to a crea ture of a day ! " The man was overwhelmed with shame, and went away.
After this there came a sedate and grave matron, carrying in her hand a large dish with flour. " Here," said she, " have I brought an offering to the gods. Place it before them, Abra ham, and bid them be propitious to me. " "Place it before them thyself, foolish woman ! " said Abraham ; " thou wilt soon see how greedily they will devour it. " She did so. In the meantime Abraham took a hammer, broke the idols in pieces ; all excepting the largest, in whose hands he placed the instru ment of destruction.
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Terah returned, and with the utmost surprise and conster nation beheld the havoc amongst his favorite gods. " What is all this, Abraham! What profane wretch has dared to use our gods in this manner ? " exclaimed the infatuated and indignant Terah. " Why should I conceal anything from my father ? " replied the pious son. "During thine absence, there came a woman with yonder offering for the gods. She placed it before them. The younger gods, who, as may well be supposed, had not tasted food for a long time, greedily stretched forth their hands, and began to eat, before the old god had given them permission. Enraged at their boldness, he rose, took the ham mer, and punished them for their want of respect. " "
" Dost thou mock me ? Wilt thou deceive thy aged father ? exclaimed Terah, in a vehement rage. " Do I then not know that they can neither eat, nor stir, nor move ? " " And yet," rejoined Abraham, "thou payest them divine honors — ador- est them — and wouldest have me worship them ! "
It was in vain Abraham thus reasoned with his idolatrous parent. Superstition is ever both deaf and blind. His unnatu ral father delivered him over to the cruel tribunal of the equally idolatrous Nimrod. But a more merciful Father —the gra cious and blessed Father of us all — protected him against the threatened danger; and Abraham became the father of the faithful.
No Point of Prdde where Good can be Wrought.
Rabbi Meir was accustomed to preach publicly for the edi fication of the people on the eve of the Sabbath. Amongst his numerous audience there was a woman who was so delighted with his discourse that she remained until he had concluded. Instructed and pleased, she went towards home to enjoy the repast which was generally prepared for the honor of the day; but was greatly disappointed, on arriving near her house, to find the lights extinguished and her husband standing at the door in very ill humor. " Where hast thou been ? " exclaimed he in a tone that at once indicated that he was not much pleased with her absence. " I have been," replied the woman, mildly, " to hear our learned"Rabbi preach, and a delightful discourse it was. " " Was it ? rejoined the husband, who affected to be something of a wit. " Well then, since the Rabbi has pleased thee so much, I vow that thou shalt not enter this house until
332 STORIES AND OBSERVATIONS FROM THE TALMUD.
thou hast spit in his face as a reward for the entertainment he has afforded thee. "
The woman, astonished at so unreasonable a demand, thought at first her husband was joking, and began to congratulate her self on his returning good humor ; but she was soon convinced that it was no jest. The brute insisted on her spitting in the preacher's face, as the sole condition of being readmitted into the house ; and as she was too pious to offer such an indignity to any person, much less to so learned a man, she was con strained to remain in the street. A charitable neighbor offered her an asylum, which was gladly accepted. There she remained some time, endeavoring in vain to mollify her husband, who still persisted in his first demand.
The affair made some noise in the town, and a report of the transaction was communicated to Rabbi Meir, who immediately sent for the woman. She came : the good Rabbi desired her to be seated. Pretending to have pain in his eyes, he, without taking the least notice of what had transpired, asked her whether she knew any remedy for it? "Master," said the woman, "I am but a poor, ignorant creature, how should I know how to cure thine eyes ? " " Well, well," rejoined the Rabbi, " do as I bid thee — spit seven times in mine eyes — it may produce some good. " The woman, who believed there was some virtue in that operation, after some hesitation, complied. As soon as it was done, Meir thus addressed her : " Good woman, go home, and tell thy husband : ' It was thy desire that I should spit in the Rabbi's face once :
I have done so ; nay, I have done more, I have spit in it seven times : now let us be reconciled. '"
Meir's disciples, who had watched their master's conduct, ventured to expostulate with him on thus permitting a woman to offer him such an indignity, observing, that this was the"way to make the people despise the Law and "its professors. My children," said their pious instructor, think ye that your master ought to be more punctilious about his honor than his Creator? Even he, the Adorable, blessed be he, permitted his Holy Name to be obliterated, in order to promote peace between man and wife ; and shall I consider any thing as an indignity that can effect so desirable an object ? "
Learn, then, that no act is disgraceful that tends to promote happiness and peace of mankind. It is vice and wickedness only that can degrade us.
STORIES AND OBSERVATIONS FROM THE TALMUD. 333
The Lawful Hbie.
A rich Israelite, who dwelt at a considerable distance from Jerusalem, had an only son, whom he sent to the Holy City for education. During his absence, the father was suddenly taken ill. Seeing his end approaching, he made his will, by which he left all his property to a slave whom he named on condition that he should permit his son to select out of that property any single thing he might choose. No sooner was the master dead, than the slave, elated with the prospect of so much wealth, hastened to Jerusalem, informed the son of what had taken place, and showed him the will. The young Israelite was plunged into the deepest sorrow by this unexpected intelligence. He rent his clothes, strewed ashes on his head, and lamented the loss of a parent whom he tenderly loved, and whose memory he still revered. As soon as the first transports of grief were over, and the days allotted for mourning had passed, the young man began seriously to consider the situation in which he was left. Born in affluence, and grown up under the expectation of receiving, after his father's demise, those possessions to which he was so justly entitled, he saw, or imagined he saw, his ex pectations disappointed and his worldly prospects blighted. In this state of mind he went to his instructor, a man eminent for his piety and wisdom, acquainted him with the cause of his affliction, made him read the will ; and in the bitterness of distress, ventured to express his thoughts — that his father, by making such a strange disposition of his property, neither showed good sense nor affection for his only child. "
" Say nothing against thy father, young man ! spake the pious instructor : " thy father was both a wise man and an affectionate parent; the most convincing proof of which he gave by this very will. "
" By this will ! " exclaimed the young man, — " by this will ! Surely, my honored master, thou art not in earnest. I can see neither wisdom in bestowing his property on a slave, nor affection in depriving his only son of his legal rights. "
"Thy father has done neither," rejoined the learned in structor ; " but like a just, loving parent, has by this very will secured the property to thee, if thou hast sense enough to avail thyself of it. " "
" How ! how !
tonishment — " how is this ? Truly, I do not understand thee. "
exclaimed the young man in the utmost as
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" Listen, then," said the friendly instructor ; " listen, young man, and thou wilt have reason to admire thy father's prudence. When he saw his end approaching, and that he must go in the way in which all mortals must sooner or later go, he thought within himself, ' Behold, I must die ; my son is too far off to take immediate possession of my estate; my slaves will no sooner be certain of my death than they will plunder my prop erty, and to avoid detection will conceal my death from my beloved child, and thus deprive him even of the melancholy consolation of mourning for me. ' To prevent the first, he bequeathed his property to his slave, whose apparent interest it would be to take care of it. To insure the second, he made it a condition that thou shouldst be allowed to select something out of that property. The slave, thought he, in order to secure his apparent legal claim, would not fail to give thee speedy information, as indeed he has done. "
" "Well," exclaimed the young man, rather impatiently,
The young Israelite, admiring his father's wisdom, no less than his master's sagacity, took the hint ; chose the slave as his portion, and took possession of his father's estates. After which he gave the slave his freedom, together with a handsome present; convinced at the same time that wisdom resides with the aged, and understanding in length of days.
A Parable of Life.
The fox once came near a very fine garden, where he beheld lofty trees laden with fruit that charmed the eye. Such a beautiful sight, added to his natural greedinesss, excited in him the desire of possession. He fain would taste the forbidden fruit, but a high wall stood between him and the object of his wishes. He went about in search of an entrance, and at last
what benefit is all this to me ? will this restore to me the property of which I have so unjustly been deprived ? "
" Ah ! " replied the good man, " I see that wisdom resides only with the aged. Knowest thou not, that whatever a slave possesses belongs to his lawful master ? And has not thy father left thee the power of selecting out of his property any one thing thou mightest choose ? What hinders thee then from choosing that very slave as thy portion ? and by possessing him, thou wilt of course be entitled to the whole property. This, no doubt, was thy father's intention. "
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found an opening in the wall ; but it was too small for his big body. Unable to penetrate, he had recourse to his usual cun ning. He fasted three days, and became sufficiently reduced to crawl through the small aperture. Having effected an entrance, he carelessly roved about in this delightful region ; making free with its exquisite produce, and feasting on its most rare and delicious fruit. He stayed for some time and glutted his appetite ; when a thought struck him, that it was possible he might be observed, and in that case he should pay dearly for the enjoyed pleasure. He therefore retired to the place where he had entered, and attempted to get out ; but to his great consternation he found his endeavors vain, — he had by indulgence grown so fat and plump that the same place would no more admit him.
" I am in a fine predicament," said he to himself. " Sup pose the master of the garden were now to come and call me
to account, what would become of me !
of escape is to fast and half starve myself. " He did so with great reluctance ; and after suffering hunger for three days, he with difficulty made his escape. As soon as he was out of danger, he took a farewell view of the garden, the scene of his delight and trouble ; and thus addressed it : —
It is even so with man. Naked comes he into the world — naked must he go out of it ; and of all his toils and labor he can carry nothing with him, save the fruits of his righteous ness.
The Inhospitable Jester.
An inhabitant of Jerusalem coming to Athens on some particular business, entered the house of a merchant, with a view of procuring a lodging. The master of the house, being rather merry with wine, and wishing to have a little sport, told him, that by a recent law, they must not entertain a stranger, unless he first made three large strides towards the street. "How shall I know," rejoined the Hebrew, "what sort of stride is in fashion amongst you? Show me, and I shall know how to imitate you. " The Athenian made one long stride, which brought him to the middle of the shop —
" Garden ! garden ! thou art indeed charming and delight ful, thy fruits are delicious and exquisite ; but of what benefit art thou to me ? What have I now for all my labor and cun ning ? Am I not lean as I was before ! "
I see, my only chance
336 STORIES AND OBSERVATIONS FROM THE TALMUD.
and next brought him to its threshold — and the third carried him into the street. Our traveler no sooner perceived it than he shut the street door upon the Athenian. "What," cried the latter, " do you shut me out of my house? " " Thou hast
I only do that to thee which thou didst intend to do unto me. " Remember,
no reason to complain," replied the Hebrew ; "
that he who attempts to circumvent another, has no right to complain of being himself circumvented.
Once when Rabbi Ishmael paid a visit to Rabbi Shimon, he was offered a cup of wine, which he at once, without being asked twice, accepted, and drained at one draught. "Sir," said his host, " dost thou not know the proverb, that he who drinks " off a cup of wine at one draught is a greedy one ? " " Ah ! was the answer, " that fits not this case : for thy cup is small, thy wine is sweet, and my stomach is capacious. "
Miscellaneous Observations.
One pepper-corn to-day is better than a basketful of pump kins to-morrow.
Whosoever destroyeth one soul of Israel, Scripture counts it to him as though he had destroyed the whole world ; but whoso preserveth one soul of Israel, Scripture counts it as though he had preserved the whole world.
I would rather be called a fool all my days than sin one hour before God.
" The horse-leech has two daughters, crying, Give ! give ! " (Prov. xxx. 15). Mar Ukva says, "This has reference to the voice of two daughters crying out from torture in hell, because their voice is heard in this world crying, ' Give, give ! ' — namely — heresy and officialism. "1
Rabbi Akiva says, " For three things I admire the Medes : (1) When they carve meat, they do it on the table ; (2) When they kiss, they only do so on the hand ; (3) And when they consult, they do so only in the field. "
There are three whose life is no life : He who lives at another's table ; he whose wife domineers over him ; and he
1 Rashi says heresy here refers to the " heresy of James," or in other words, Christianity.
STORIES AND OBSERVATIONS FROM THE TALMUD. 337
who suffers bodily affliction. Some say also he who has only a single shirt in his wardrobe.
All who go down to hell shall come up again, except these three : He who commits adultery ; he who shames another in public ; and he who gives another a bad name.
A disciple of the wise who makes light of the washing of the hands is contemptible ; but more contemptible is he who begins to eat before his guest ; more contemptible is that guest who invites another guest ; and still more contemptible is he who begins to eat before a disciple of the wise ; but contemp tible before all these three put together is that guest which troubles another guest.
The Rabbis have taught, a man should not sell to his neigh bor shoes made from the hide of a beast that has died of disease, as if of a beast that had been slaughtered in the shambles, for two reasons : first, because he imposes upon him (for the skin of a beast that dies of itself is not so durable as the hide of a slaugh tered animal) ; second, because there is danger (for the beast that died of itself might have been stung by a serpent, and the poison remaining in the leather might prove fatal to the wearer of shoes made of that leather). A man should not send his neighbor a barrel of wine with oil floating upon its surface ; for it happened once that a man did so, and the recipient went and invited his friends to a feast, in the preparation of which oil was to form a chief ingredient ; but when the guests assembled, it was found out that the cask contained wine and not oil ; and because the host had nothing else in preparation for a worthy feast, he went and committed suicide. Neither should guests give anything from what is set before them to the son or daughter of their host, unless the host himself give them leave to do so ; for it once happened during a time of scarcity that a man invited three of his friends to dine, and he had nothing but three eggs to place before them. Meanwhile, as the guests were seated at the board, the son of the host came into the room, and first one of the guests gave him his share, and
then the other two followed his example. Shortly afterwards the host himself came in, and seeing the child with his mouth full and both hands, he knocked him down to the ground, so that he died on the instant. The mother, seeing this, went
vol. vii. — 22
838 STORIES AND OBSERVATIONS FROM THE TALMUD.
and threw herself headlong from the housetop, and the father followed her example. Thus Rabbi Eliezar ben Yacob said, "There perished in this affair three souls of Israel. "
There are four kinds of men, according to their degrees of passionateness : He who is easily provoked and as readily paci fied, and who loses more than he gains ; he whom it is difficult to rouse and as difficult to appease, and who gains more than he loses ; he who is not readily provoked, but easily pacified, who is a pious man ; he who is easily provoked and with diffi culty appeased, who is a wicked man.
These five should be killed even on the Sabbath : The fly of Egypt, the wasp of Nineveh, the scorpion of Hadabia, the serpent of the land of Israel, and the mad dog anywhere and everywhere.
Six things are a disgrace to the disciple of the wise : To walk abroad perfumed, to walk alone by night, to wear old clouted shoes, to talk with a woman in the street, to sit at table with illiterate men, and to be late at the synagogue. Some add to these walking with a proud step or a haughty gait.
Six things bear interest in this world and the capital re- maineth in the world to come : Hospitality to strangers, visit ing the sick, meditation in prayer, early attendance at the school of instruction, the training of sons to the study of the Law, and judging charitably of one's neighbors.
He who passes seven nights in succession without dreaming deserves to be called wicked.
A male hyena after seven years becomes a bat, this after seven years a vampire, this after other seven years a nettle, this after seven years more a thorn, and this again after seven years is turned into a demon. If a man does not devoutly bow during the repetition of the daily prayer which commences " We reverently acknowledge," his spine after seven years be comes a serpent.
It is related of Benjamin the righteous, who was keeper of the poorbox, that a woman came to him at a period of famine
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and solicited food. "By the worship of God," he replied, "there is nothing in the box. " She then exclaimed, "O Rabbi, if thou dost not feed me I and my seven children must needs starve. " Upon which he relieved her from his own pri vate purse. In course of time he fell ill and was nigh unto death. Then the ministering angels interceded with the Holy One — blessed be he ! — and said, "Lord of the Universe, thou hast said he that preserve th one single soul of Israel alive is as if he had preserved the life of the whole world ; and shall Benjamin the righteous, who preserved a poor woman and her seven children, die so prematurely ? " Instantly the death warrant which had gone forth was torn up, and twenty-two years were added to his life.
The first step in transgression is evil thought, the second scoffing, the third pride, the fourth outrage, the fifth idleness, the sixth hatred, and the seventh an evil eye.
Seven things distinguish an ill-bred man and seven a wise man : The wise man (1) does not talk before his superior in wisdom and years; (2) he does not interrupt another when speaking ; (3) he is not hasty to make reply ; (4) his ques tions are to the point, and his answers are according to the Halachah ; (5) his subjects of discourse are orderly arranged, the first subject first and the last last ; (6) if he has not heard of a thing, he says, I have not heard it ; and (7) he confesseth the truth. The characteristics of an ill-bred man are just the contrary of these.
A woman prefers one measure of frivolity to nine measures of Pharisaic sanctimoniousness.
What entitles a place to rank as a large town? When there are in it ten unemployed men. Should there be fewer than that number, it is to be looked upon as a village.
Ten things are detrimental to study : Going under the halter of a camel, and still more, passing under its body; walking between two camels or between two women ; to be one of two men that a woman passes between ; to go where the atmos phere is tainted by a corpse ; to pass under a bridge beneath which no water has flowed for forty days ; to eat with a ladle that has been used for culinary purposes ; to drink water that
340 STORIES AND OBSERVATIONS FROM THE TALMUD.
runs through a cemetery. It is also dangerous to look at the face of a corpse, and some say also to read inscriptions on tombstones.
A man once laid a wager with another that he would put Hillel out of temper. If he succeeded he was to receive, but if he failed he was to forfeit, four hundred zouzim. It was close upon Sabbath eve, and Hillel was washing himself, when the man passed by his door, shouting, " Where is Hillel ? where is Hillel ? " Hillel wrapped his mantle round him and sallied forth to see what the man wanted. " I want to ask thee a question," was the reply. " Ask on, my son," said Hillel. Whereupon the man said, "I want to know why the Baby lonians have such round heads. " " A very important ques tion, my son," said Hillel ; " the reason is because their mid- wives are not clever. " The man went away, but after an hour he returned, calling out as before, " Where is Hillel ? where is Hillel? " Hillel again threw on his mantle and went out,
"I want to know," said he, " why the people of Tadmor are weak-eyed ? " Hillel replied, " This is an important question, my son, and the reason is this, they live in a sandy country. " Away went the man,
meekly asking, " What now, my son ? "
but in another hour's time he returned as before, crying out, " Where is Hillel ? where is Hillel ? " Out came Hillel again, as gentle as ever, blandly requesting to know what more he wanted. " I have a question to ask," said the man. " Ask on, my son," said Hillel. " Well, why have the Africans such broad feet ? " said he. " Because they live in a marshy land," said Hillel. "I have many more questions to ask," said the man, " but I am afraid that I shall only try thy patience and make thee angry. " Hillel, drawing his mantle around him, sat down and bade the man ask all the questions he wished. "Art thou Hillel," said he, "whom they call a prince in Israel? " " Yes," was the reply. " Well," said the other, " I pray there may not be many more in Israel like thee. " "Why," said Hillel, "how is that? " "Because," said the man, "I have betted four hundred zouzim that I could put thee out of tem per, and I have lost them all through thee. " " Be warned for the future," said Hillel ; " better it is that thou shouldst lose four hundred zouzim, and four hundred more after them, than it should be said of Hillel he lost his temper. "
/
St. Augustine and his Mother.
From the painting by Ary Scheffer in the Louvre.
CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE. 341
CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE.
[St. Augustine, the greatest of the Latin Church fathers, was born in North Africa, a. d. 354. He was educated at Carthage, and became a noted lawyer and orator, a Manichaean in religion despite Christian teaching from his mother. He was converted to Christianity by St. Ambrose at Milan, when something over thirty. In 396 he became bishop of Hippo in Africa, continuing such till his death in 430. The form of Catholic doctrine as it stands is mainly due to him. His greatest work is the "City of God," but he is best known by his " Confessions. "]
An Account of His Youth.
I will now call to mind the uncleanness of my former life, and the carnal corruptions of my soul, not that I love them, but that I may love thee, my God. For the love of thy love I do this, reviewing my most wicked ways in the bitterness of my remembrance, that thou mayest become sweet to me, who art a sweetness without deceit, a sweetness happy and secure.
And what was it that delighted me but to love and to be loved? But in this love the true manner was not observed betwixt soul and soul, as far as the bounds of friendship go without fault, but black vapors were exhaled from the muddy concupiscence of the flesh, and the bubbling source of my luxu riant age, which so overclouded and darkened my heart, as not to discern the serenity of love from the obscurity of lust. Both boiled together within me, and hurried my unsettled age down the cliffs of unlawful desires, and plunged me into the gulf of criminal actions. . . .
Where was I, and at how great a distance was I banished from the delight of thy house in that sixteenth year of the age of my flesh ; when the fury of lust, licensed by the shameless practice of men, but ever prohibited by thy holy laws, had received the scepter in me, and I wholly yielded myself up to it? In the meantime my friends took no care to prevent my ruin by lawful marriage ; but were only careful that I should learn to make fine speeches, and become a great orator.
His Living Idle at Home contributed to his Sins, FROM WHICH HIS HOLY MOTHER ENDEAVORED TO DI VERT HIM.
Now for that year my studies were intermitted, I being called home from Madaura, in which neighboring city I had
342 CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE.
been for a while applied to learning and oratory, and the ex penses of my studying farther from home at Carthage, being in the mean time providing by the resolution of my father which went beyond his wealth, he being a citizen of Tayaste, of a very small estate. To whom am I relating these things ? Not to thee, O my God, but in thy presence, to my fellow-mortals, of the same human kind as I am, how small soever a part of them it may be which shall light upon these my writings : and to what end do I do this ? But that both I and they who read this may reflect from how profound a depth we must still be crying to thee. And what is nearer to thy ears than a confessing heart and a life of faith? For who did not then highly com mend my father, for laying out in behalf of his son, even beyond the strength of his estate, which was necessary for the carrying on his studies at that great distance from home ; whereas many citizens, far more wealthy than he, did no such thing for their children , whilst in the mean time this same father took no care of my growing up to thee, or of my being chaste, provided I was but eloquent [disertug] or rather [desertus] forsaken and uncultivated of thee, who art the one true and good Lord of thy field my heart.
But when in that sixteenth year of my age I began to live idly at home with my parents, whilst domestic necessities caused a vacation from school, the briers of lust grew over my head, and there was no hand to root them up. Nay, when that father of mine saw me in the Bagnio now growing towards man, and perceived in me the unquiet motions of youth, as if from hence he were big with hopes of grandchildren, he re lated it to my mother with joy ; intoxicated with the generality of the world, by the fumes of the invisible wine of their own perverse will, whilst forgetting thee their Creator, and loving thy creature instead of thee, they stoop down to rejoice in these lowest of things. But in my mother's breast thou hadst already begun thy temple, and the foundation of thy holy habi tation ; for my father was as yet only a Catechumen, and that but of late. She therefore upon hearing it, was seized with fear and trembling ; being concerned for me, though I was not baptized, lest I should stray into those crooked ways in which
worldlings walk, who turn not their face but their back upon thee.
Alas ! and dare I say that thou wert silent, O my God, when I was wandering still farther from thee ? And wast thou
CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE. 343
silent indeed ? And whose then but thine were those words, which, by my mother, thy faithful servant, thou didst sing in my ears, though no part of it descended into my heart to per form it? For she desired, and I remember how she secretly admonished me with great solicitude, to keep myself pure from women, and above all to take care of defiling any one's wife ; which seemed to me to be but the admonitions of a woman, which I should be ashamed to obey ; but they were thy admo nitions, and I knew it not ; and I supposed thee to be silent whilst she spoke, whereas by her thou didst speak to me and in her wast despised by me, by me her son, the son of thy hand maid thy servant, Psalm 115. But I knew it not, and rushed on headlong with so much blindness, that amongst my equals I was ashamed of being less filthy than others ; and when I heard them bragging of their flagitious actions, and boasting so much the more by how much the more beastly they were, I had a mind to do the like, not only for the pleasure of it, but that I might be praised for it.
Is there anything but vice that is worthy of reproach? Yet I became more vicious to avoid reproach ; and when nothing came in my way, by committing which I might equal the most wicked, I pretended to have done what I had not done, lest I should be esteemed more vile by how much I was more chaste. Behold with what companions I was walking in the streets of Babylon; and I wallowed in the mire thereof, as if it were spices and precious perfumes, and that in the very midst of it, the invisible enemy trod me down and seduced me, because I was willing to be seduced : neither did that mother of my flesh (who was escaped out of the midst of Babylon, but walked yet with a slow pace in the skirts thereof), as she ad monished me to be chaste, so take care to restrain that lust (which her husband had discovered to her in me, and which she knew to be so infectious for the present and dangerous for the future) within the bounds of conjugal affection, if it could not otherwise be cured : she did not care for this method, for fear my hope should be spoiled by the fetters of a wife ; not that hope of the world to come which my mother had in thee, but the hope of my proficiency in learning, upon which both my parents were too much intent : he because he scarce thought at all of thee ; and of me nothing but mere empty vanities ; and she, because she supposed that those usual stud ies of sciences would be no hindrance, but rather some help
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towards the coming to thee. For so I conjecture, recollecting as well as I can the manners of my parents. Then also were the reins let loose to spend my time in play, beyond what a due severity would allow, which gave occasion to my being more dissolute in various inclinations ; and in them all there was a mist intercepting, O my God, from me the serenity of thy truth, and my iniquities proceeded, as it were,from the fat, Psalm 72, v. 1.
He confesses a Theft of his Youth done out of Mere Wantonness.
Thy law, O Lord, punisheth theft, and a law written in the hearts of men, which even iniquity itself cannot blot out. For what thief is willing to have another steal from him? For even he that is rich will not endure another stealing for want. Yet I had a mind to commit theft, and I committed it, not for want or need, but loathing to be honest and longing to sin ; for I stole that of which I had plenty, and much better. Neither was I fond of enjoying the things that I stole, but only fond of the theft and the sin. There was a pear tree near our vineyard, loaded with fruit, which were neither tempting for their beauty nor their taste. To shake off and carry away the fruit of this tree, a company of wicked youths of us went late at night, having, according to a vicious custom, been playing till then in the yards ; and thence we carried great loads, not for our eating, but even to be cast to the hogs; and if we tasted any of them, the only pleasure therein was, because we were doing what we should not do.
Behold my heart, O my God, behold my heart, of which thou hast had pity when it was in the midst of the bottomless pit. Behold, let my heart now tell thee what it was it then sought. That I might even be wicked without cause, and have nothing to tempt me to evil, but the ugly evil itself. And this
I loved ;
in which I was faulty, but the very faultiness I loved. Oh ! filthy soul, and falling from thy firmament to its utter ruin ; affecting not something disgraceful, but disgrace itself.
I loved to perish, I loved to be faulty ; not the thing
N. B. — After his return home to Africa he made ample resti tution for those pears he had stolen.
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That Men sin not without Some Appearance or Pre tense of Good.
There is a tempting appearance in beautiful bodies, in gold, and silver, and the rest. And in the sense of the touch there is an agreeableness that is taking ; and in like manner the other senses find their pleasures in their respective objects. So temporal honor, and the power of commanding and excelling hath something in it that is attractive ; hence also arises the desire of revenge. And yet we must not, for the gaining of all or any of these things, depart from thee, O Lord, nor turn aside from thy law. The life also which we live here, bath its allure ment, by reason of a certain kind of beauty in it, and the pro portion which it hath to all the rest of these lower beauties. Likewise the friendship of men is dearly sweet by the union of many souls together.
Upon occasion of all these and the like things sin is com mitted, when by an immoderate inclination to them, which have but the lowest place amongst good things, men forsake the best and highest goods, viz. thee, O Lord our God, and thy truth, and thy law. For these lowest things have indeed their de lights, but not like my God who made all things ; because in him doth the just delight, and he is the joy of the upright of heart. Therefore when the question is for what cause any crime was done, it is not usually believed but where it appears that there might be some desire of acquiring some of these lowest of goods, or fear of losing them : for they are fair and beautiful ; though in comparison of those superior goods and beatific joys they are mean and contemptible.
A man hath murdered another. Why did he do it ? He was in love with his wife, or his estate ; or he did it that he might rob him to support his own life ; or he was afraid of suffering the like from him ; or he had been injured, and sought to be revenged. Would he commit a murder without a cause, merely for the sake of the murder ; who can imagine this ? For as for that furious and exceeding cruel man [Catiline'] of whom a certain author has written that he chose to be wicked and cruel gratis ; the cause is assigned in the same place, lest, says he, his hand or his mind should be weakened for want of exercise. And to what end did he refer this also ? That being thus exercised in wickedness, he might be enabled to surprise the city [Rome]
346 BLOSSOM-GATHERINGS FROM SAINT AUGUSTINE.
and obtain honors, power, riches, and be delivered from the fear of the laws, and the difficulties he labored under through want of an estate and a guilty conscience. Therefore even Catiline himself was not in love with his crimes, but with something else, for the sake of which he committed them.
BLOSSOM-GATHERINGS FROM SAINT AUGUSTINE.