181. An old man used to say, “It is not right for a man to have any care whatsoever except the fear of God, for,” said he, “although I am forced to take care for the needs of the body, no thought whatsoever concerning anything riseth in my mind before the time when I shall require to make use of it.”
182. The same old man used to say, “When thou risest up, in the morning, say, ‘O body, work that thou mayest be fed; O soul, rouse up that thou mayest inherit life.’ ”
Chapter VI: Of Patient Endurance
183. ON one occasion certain brethren went to Abbâ Agathon, because they had heard that he took the greatest possible care that his mind should not be disturbed by anything, and they sought to try him, and to see if his mind would rise [to any matter]; and they said unto him, “Art thou indeed Agathon? We have heard that thou art a whoremonger and a boastful man.” And Agathon said unto them, “Yea, I am.” And again they said unto him, “Agathon, thou art a garrulous and talkative old man”; and he said unto them, “Indeed I am.” And again they said unto him, “Agathon, thou art a heretic”; and he said unto them, “I am not a heretic.” Then they said unto him, “Tell us now why in answer to all these things which we have said to thee thou hast replied, ‘Yea,’ and that thou hast endured them all with the exception of the accusation of being a heretic.” Abbâ Agathon said unto them, “The earlier things I accounted as profitable to my soul, but heresy meaneth separation from God, and I do not wish to be separated from God.” And when the brethren heard [these words] they marvelled at his solicitude, and went away rejoicing.
184. A certain father used to tell the story of a father who had a book wherein were the New Testament and the Old Testament, and the price thereof was more than eighteen darics, and he laid up the book in a hole in the wall; and there came a certain stranger and stayed there, and he coveted the book greatly, and stole it, and departed, but the old man did not go after him, although he knew that he had taken it. And the brother went to a neighbouring village and wished to sell the book, and he asked as its price sixteen darics, and the man who wanted to buy it said unto him, “Give it to me, that I may shew it [to a friend],” and he took it and carried it to the old man who had lost it. Then the old man said unto him, “How much doth he ask for it?” And when he heard how much he said to him, “It is well” (or “it is a good price”). Then the man went and said unto the brother who wished to sell the
