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 unto thy holiness that he might be assisted [by thee], and why dost thou not tell him to do something?” Then the old man said unto them, “Am I the head of a monastery that I should give him a command? I shall say unto him nothing except that [I] wish him to do that which he seeth me do.” And from that time I was always before him in doing that which the old man was going to do; now whatsoever he did, he did in silence, and in this manner he made me to know and taught me to work in silence also.

445. There was a certain Egyptian monk in Constantinople under the reign of Theodosius the Less, and he used to dwell in a little cell, and when the Emperor went forth [on one occasion] to take his pleasure, he came by himself to the monk; now the following of men who were with him waited for him at a distance. And the Emperor took off his crown from his head, and hid it, and he knocked at the door of the monk, and when he opened to him he knew that it was the Emperor, but he [feigned] forgetfulness and would not recognize him, and he welcomed him as one of his own rank in life, and he prayed and sat down. Then the Emperor began to question him, saying, “How are the fathers who are in Egypt?” And the monk said unto him, “They all pray for thy health.” And the Emperor examined his cell, and saw nothing there except a small basket wherein was bread, and the monk said to him, “Eat,” and he dipped the bread in water, and poured oil on it, and salt, and he gave it to the Emperor, who ate it; and he gave him some water, and he drank. Then the Emperor said unto him, “Knowest thou who I am?” And the monk said unto him, “God knoweth who thou art.” And the Emperor said unto him, “I am Theodosius, the Emperor,” and straightway the monk paid homage unto him. Then the Emperor said unto him, “Blessed art thou in that thou hast none of the cares of this world; verily I was born to kingship and before this day I have never been satisfied with bread and water, and they have pleased me greatly”; and the Emperor began to pay honour to him. And straightway that monk fled to Egypt with all the speed that was possible.

446. A certain brother came to Abbâ Macarius, the Egyptian, and said unto him, “Father, speak to me a word whereby I may live.” Abbâ Macarius saith unto him, “Get thee to the cemetery and revile the dead”; and he went and reviled them, and stoned them with stones, and he came and informed the old man [that he had done so]. And the old man said unto him, “Did they say nothing unto thee?” and the brother said unto him, “No.” And again the old man said unto him, “Go to-morrow and praise them, and call them, ‘Apostles,