-- 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 being by the Creator to be fellow-workers