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 war for many years he did not rebuke him. At length, however, he went to another old man, and told him about the brother, and the old man said unto him, “Complete thy love, and send him to me.” Now when the brother came to that old man, at the appointed time for the meal the old man rose up and made ready the table, and as soon as they had seated themselves the brother straightway put his two feet on the table; and the old man said unto him, “Father, it is not good for thee to set thy feet on the table”; and he said unto him, “Forgive me, O my son. Thou hast well said, for it is a sin.” And the brother returned to his master, and told him about [it], and when the old man had learned this he perceived that this matter had been corrected in his disciple. And from that time the brother did not put his feet on the table.

65. A brother asked Abbâ Muthues, saying, “Speak unto me a word whereby I may live.” He said unto him, “Go, entreat God to give thee mourning and meekness of heart, and consider at all times thy sins, and do not judge other people, and make thyself lower than every other man, and have no love for a boy, and no acquaintance with a woman, and no friendship with heretics, and put aside from thee all freedom of speech (or boldness), and restrain both thy tongue and thy belly, and guard thyself somewhat against wine, and if a man speak with thee concerning any matter whatsoever, do not quarrel with him, but if he saith that a thing is good, say ‘Yes,’ and if he say that it is bad, say, ‘Thou knowest.’ This is a meek spirit.”

66. A brother came unto Abbâ Poemen and said unto him, “I have very many thoughts, O father, whereby I am vexed”; and the old man took him out into the air, and said unto him, “Spread out thy skirt, and catch the winds,” and the brother said unto him, “I cannot do this.” The old man said unto him, “Thou canst not do this, neither canst thou prevent thy thoughts from coming, but it belongeth to thee to stand up against them.”

67. The brethren were on one occasion gathered together to Abbâ Joseph, and as they were sitting and asking him questions about their thoughts he said unto them, by way of [affording] them consolation, “This day am I a king, for I have controlled my passions.”

68. A brother asked Abbâ Ammon, saying, “Why is it that a man laboureth in prayer and maketh petitions, and that for which he asketh is not given to him?” The old man said unto him, “Hast thou never heard how Jacob wearied himself for her whom he took to wife, and that he did not obtain her whom he sought, but her whom he did not seek, and how