Abbatia
Sancti Petri
de Curte

The Sayings of the Elders (Verba seniorum, Book VII)

On the desert, and why they fled into solitude

De eremo; et quare fugerunt in solitudinem.

1

Abbas Arsenius ab abbate Marco requisitus est aliquando cur fugeret homines. At ille respondit: Scit Deus quia diligo homines, sed cum Deo pariter et hominibus esse non possum. Supernæ enim multitudines ac virtutes unius sunt voluntatis: homines vero et multas habent voluntates, et varias; et ob hoc Deum relinquere, et cum hominibus esse non possum,

The abbot Arsenius was once asked by the abbot Mark why he fled from the society of men. He replied, “God knows it is not that I hate men. I love them well. But I cannot dwell both with God and with men. There are multitudes of heavenly beings and many virtues, but all their wills are one, and they come of one will. Among men it is otherwise. Their wills are many, and they pull us different ways. I am in this strait. I cannot leave God, for that is how I think of it, to dwell with men.”

2

Quidam fratres dum linum ex Thebaida pergerent comparare, dixerunt: Per occasionem beatum Arsenium videamus. Quod cum Daniel discipulus ejus ei nuntiasset, præcepit ut pro qua causa illic advenissent de Alexandria ab eis inquireret. Cum ergo nuntiasset quod propter linum pergerent comparandum, respondit Arsenius: Ergo faciem meam non videbunt, quia non propter me, sed propter suum opus advenerunt. Vade itaque, et susceptis eis fac obsequium, ac dimitte eos, dicens: Quia senex non potest vobis occurrere.

— omitted in this translation —

3

Abbas Besarion dum deambularet cum discipulo suo per eremum, venerunt ad quamdam speluncam. Et ingressi ibi, invenerunt fratrem sedentem, et funiculum operantem, qui neque respexit in eos, neque salutavit eos, neque aliud locutus est eis. Dixit ergo abbas Besarion ad discipulum suum: Eamus hinc, quia non vult hic senex loqui nobiscum. Et profecti sunt ad Joannem abbatem. Cum autem reverterentur, venerunt ad eamdem speluncam, et dixit abbas Besarion: Ingrediamur iterum ad hunc fratrem, si forte vel modo persuadeat illi Deus, ut loquatur nobiscum. Et cum ingressi fuissent, invenerunt eum mortuum. Et dixit discipulo suo: Veni, frater, componamus illum, quia propter eum Deus huc transmisit nos. Cum autem sepelirent eum, invenerunt quia mulier esset: et admirati sunt, et dixerunt: Quia magna misericordia Domini est, quia et mulieres colluctantur, et vincunt dæmonia. Et glorificantes Deum qui est protector omnium, ad propria redierunt, narrantes quæ viderant.

— omitted in this translation —

Latin text: Verba seniorum, Book VII of the Vitae Patrum, translated from the Greek by Paschasius of Dumium for Abbot Martin (Martin of Braga), in H. Rosweyde’s edition as reprinted in Migne’s Patrologia Latina, vol. 73 (1879 reprint), cols. 1025–1062, checked against the scans; without the editor’s notes and cross-references, and without the Greek text of chapter XLIV printed in the notes. · English translation by James O. Hannay († 1950), The Wisdom of the Desert, London, Methuen, 1904 — a selection: he translates fourteen sayings of this book; the others, the prologue and the chapter titles are given in Latin only. His captions are not reproduced. One sentence he added (VII.25.4) is not reproduced; his linking sentence in VII.42.4 is kept because the next sentence depends on it. Collated with the 1904 print. Public-domain text in France (art. L123-1 of the French Intellectual Property Code). Transcription and revision: Abbatia Sancti Petri de Curte. Report an error