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295. Abbâ Chronius used to say, “The man who dwelleth with a youth will, unless he be mighty, go downwards, and if he be mighty, even though he doth not go downwards temporarily, yet he will never advance in spiritual excellence.”

296. Abbâ Anthony used to say, “There are some monks who vex their bodies with the labours of abstinence and self-denial, and who, because they have not found understanding, are remote from the path of God.”

297. Abbâ Poemen used to say, “Teach thy heart to keep that which thy tongue teacheth.”

298. Abbâ Poemen used to say, “One man is thought to be silent, yet his heart condemneth others, and he who is thus speaketh everything; and another speaketh from morn until evening, and yet keepeth silence, but such a man speaketh not without profit.”

299. I have heard that there were two old men who dwelt together for many years, and who never quarrelled, and that one said to the other, “Let us also pick a quarrel with each other, even as other men do.” Then his companion answered and said unto him, “I know not how a quarrel cometh,” and the other old man answered and said unto him, “Behold, I will set a brick in the midst, and will say, ‘This is mine,’ and do thou say, ‘It is not thine, but mine’; and from this quarrelling will ensue.” And they placed a brick in the midst, and one of them said, “This is mine,” and his companion answered and said after him, “This is not so, for it is mine”; and straightway the other replied and said unto him, “If it be so, and the brick be thine, take it and go.” Thus they were not able to make a quarrel.

300. There was a certain brother who lived a life of very strict seclusion, and the devils, wishing to lead him astray, [used to appear] to him, when he was sleeping at night, in the form of angels, and wake him up to sing the Psalms and pray, and they would shew him a light. And he went to an old man, and said unto him, “Father, the devils come to me with a light and wake me up to sing and pray”; and the old man said unto him, “Hearken not unto them, O my son, for they are devils, but, if they come to wake thee up, say unto them, ‘When I wish to rise up I will do so, but unto you I will not hearken.’ ” And when they came to wake him he said unto them what the old man had told him, and they said unto him forthwith, “That wicked old man is a liar, and he hath led thee astray. For a certain brother came to him and wished to borrow some oboli on a pledge, and although he had money to lend, he lied and said, ‘I have none,’ and he gave him none, and learn from this thing that he is a liar.” Then