serve false gods, to covet your neighbor's wife, and to raise your hands
to kill; keep yourself from them. And of all virtues two are the least
conspicuous, and at the same time the greatest: Truthfulness and
humility; practise these. Of all consolations these two are the best:
The consciousness of wishing the right however much we may err and
stumble through human weakness, and prayer."

Once more he embraced the departing youth, then he went across the sand
of the shore back to the mountain without looking round.

Hermas looked after him for a long time greatly distressed, for his
strong friend tottered like a drunken man, and often pressed his hand to
his head which was no doubt as burning as his lips.

The young warrior never again saw the Holy Mountain or Paulus, but after
he himself had won fame and distinction in the army he met again with
Petrus' son, Polykarp, whom the emperor had sent for to Byzantium with
great honor, and in whose house the Gaulish woman Sirona presided as a
true and loving wife and mother.

After his parting from Hermas, Paulus disappeared. The other anchorites
long sought him in vain, as well as bishop Agapitus, who had learned from
Petrus that the Alexandrian had been punished and expelled in innocence,
and who desired to offer him pardon and consolation in his own person.
At last, ten days after, Orion the Saite found him in a remote cave. The
angel of death had called him only a few hours before while in the act of
prayer, for he was scarcely cold. He was kneeling with his forehead
against the rocky wall and his emaciated hands were closely clasped over
Magdalena's ring. When his companions had laid him on his bier his
noble, gentle features wore a pure and transfiguring smile.