r into the desert. There, by
fastings and vigils, and by diligent study of the divine oracles, he
throughly purged his senses, and illumined a soul, set free from every
passion, with the glorious light of a perfect calm.

But when the king, who loved and esteemed him highly, heard thereof, he
was grieved in spirit at the loss of his friend, but his anger was the
more hotly kindled against the monks. And so he sent everywhere in
search of him, leaving "no stone unturned," as the saying is, to find
him. After a long while, they that were sent in quest of him, having
learnt that he abode in the desert, after diligent search, apprehended
him and brought him before the king's judgement seat. When the king
saw him in such vile and coarse raiment who before had been clad in
rich apparel,--saw him, who had lived in the lap of luxury, shrunken
and wasted by the severe practice of discipline, and bearing about in
his body outward and visible signs of his hermit-life, he was filled
with mingled grief and fury, and, in speech blended of these two
passions, he spake unto him thus:

"O thou dullard and mad man, wherefore hast thou exchanged thine honour
for shame, and thy glorious estate for this unseemly show? To what end
hath the president of my kingdom, and chief commander of my realm made
himself the laughingstock of boys, and not only forgotten utterly our
friendship and fellowship, but revolted against nature herself, and had
no pity on his own children, and cared naught for riches and all the
splendour of the world, and chosen ignominy such as this rather than
the glory that men covet? And what shall it profit thee to have chosen
above all gods and men him whom they call Jesus, and to have preferred
this rough life of sackcloth to the pleasures and delights of a life of
bliss."

When the man of God heard these words, he made reply, at once courteous
and unruffled: "If it be thy pleasure, O king, to converse with me,
remove thine enemies out of mid court; which done, I will answer thee
concerning whatsoever thou mayest desire to learn; for while these are
here, I cannot speak with thee. But, without speech, torment me, kill
me, do as thou wilt, for "the world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world,' as saith my divine teacher." The king said, "And who are
these enemies whom thou biddest me turn out of court?" The saintly man
answered and said, "Anger and Desire. For at the beginning these twain
were brought into