summer had come, he said within himself, “To-day is not the right time for going,” and again he said to his mind, “As soon as thou hast cut off the end of the palm leaves it will be time for thee to go”; and he said to himself, “I will finish these leaves, and then I will go.” And once again his mind urged him and said, “The weather is beautiful to-day,” and he rose up straightway and left the palm leaves soaking in the water, and he picked up a cloak and ran off on his way. Now he had as a neighbour a certain old man who used to see visions, and as soon as this man saw the brother running, he cried out, and said unto him, “Prisoner, prisoner, come hither”; and when he had gone in the old man said unto him, “Go back to thy cell,” and the brother went back, and he related unto him the whole story of his war. And having entered his own cell, he offered up repentance unto God, and the devils cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Thou hast vanquished us, thou hast vanquished us, O monk.” Now he had a palm-leaf mat under him, and it was charred as if it had been burned in the fire, and the devils vanished like smoke; then straightway the brother perceived their wiles, and he gave thanks unto God.
26. Abbâ Poemen said: A certain brother asked Abbâ Sîmôn, and said, “If I go out from my cell, and I find a brother absorbed and immersed in matters unnecessary for salvation, shall I associate myself also with him? And supposing also that I should find him laughing, and that I also should laugh, when I have gone into my cell again shall I not be forgiven my relaxation?” And the old man said unto him, “What dost thou wish? Dost thou mean that having gone out of thy cell and having found a man who was laughing, and laughed with him, and having found a man who was talking, and talked with him, thou canst go back to thy cell and find thyself as thou wast before thou didst go out?” And the brother said unto him, “If not, how then?” Then the old man answered and said unto him, “It is right for thee to keep a careful watch both within and without.”
27. An old man said, “One man is thought to be silent, and yet his heart judgeth and condemneth others, and the man who acteth thus speaketh continually; another man speaketh from morning till evening, and yet keepeth silence, that is to say, he speaketh nothing which is not helpful.”
28. There were two excellent brethren in the Cells, and they were held to be worthy to see things of mystery, and each one of them saw the might which was sent down by God upon his brethren. Now it happened that one of them came on Friday to the coenobium, and as he was outside, he saw that some of the
