Letter 824: Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
᾿Αμείνων τοῦ αἰσχρῶς μὲν βεδιωχότος, λέγειν δὲ εἰς ὑπερδολὴν δυνατοῦ, ὁ λέγειν μὲν οὐχ εὐφνῆς, τὰ δὲ χατὰ τὸν βίον λαμπρὸς, καὶ πρὸς διχαιοσύνην χαὶ ἑγχράτειαν διαφέρων. Εἰ δέ τις [χαὶ λόγῳ] χαὶ βίῳ διαλάμποι, οὗτος ἀπαράδλητος τυγχάνει, διὰ πρα- γμάτων χρίσινεΐναι ὁμολογῶν, χαὶ τοὺς ἐχ τοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἐχπλήρωσιν ἐχλελῦσθαι τῶν ἐντολῶν τὰ πάν τως ἐχΟησό-μενα ὑπερδολιχῶς εἰρῆσθαι νομίζοντας, παραγραφόμενος. πϑηθδίδ ἱᾳυανὶ ας ᾿ἰαηψυϊΐ βυηῖ, , φυῶ οἰπηΐο Γύ[αιδ . ῬΚΔ'. --- ΠΑΥΛΩ. Εἰ μῆτε τοῖς αἰσχροῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασι, μὴτε τοῖς χρωμένοις αὐτοῖς χρῷο, λαμπράν σοι παρὰ πάντων εὐφημίαν θήσει. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ χρῆσθαι αὑτοῖς, ἀν- ελεύθερον' τὸ δὲ μὴ χρῆσθαι μὲν αὐτοῖς, τοῖς δὲ χρωμένοις χρῆσθαι, τὴν δόξαν λυμαίνεται. Χρὴ γὰρ μἦθ᾽ ὑπονοεῖσθαι ποιεῖν, ἃ ποιεῖν αἰσχρόν" μῆτε τοῖς διαπραττομένοις αὐτὰ ἐπιτηδείοις χρῆσθαι, Δεῖ γὰρ φοθεῖσθαι τὰς χαχηγορίας, χἂν μὴ ἀληθεῖς ὦσιν, Ο ἐπειδὴ πολλοὶ τὴν ἀχρίδειαν ἀγνοοῦντες, πρὸς τὴν δόξαν ἀποθλέπουσι " χαὶ τοιοῦτον ἔχαστον εἶναι χρί- νουσιν, οἵους ἂν τοὺς συνόντας θεάσωνται " οὐχ ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν συνδια- τριδόντων φέροντες τὴν ψῆφον. Εἰ γὰρ ἀρετὴν, φα- σὶν, ἀσχεῖς, τί σοι βούλεται ἡ μετὰ τῶν χαχίστων συνουσία; θη ἰιανθηὶ, οἁ]ου πὶ ογοη! . 6πὶπὶ Υἰ γί! 16Π .υυἱβδὶ νἷ5 Βοιι εἶ θυ5 νι δοοϊδιαίθιι ἰη ἢ ΡΚΕ’, --- ἸΣΙΔΩΡΩ ΔΙΆΚΟΝΩ. Εἰς τὸ γεγραμμένον" ε Οἱ κάπη.1ο] σου τὸν οἶνον σμίγουσιν [.- μίσγουσιν]) ὕδατι. » Πολλάχις ἐθαύμασα τῶν τὰς θείας παρερμηνευόν- αυοφυδπι Δ 5ι γα ρ0558 : ΡῸΓ γι! υΐσδιῃ οἱ ᾿π)- Ροϑίυγ8 ἰῃ ὀΡΓΓΟΓΘΠῚ οδὲὶ ρ0856. Οιοὰ ἰδθη ποη ἰηυ οἴδ5 Ὁ] ἀσχίαγα, ἰιοπιΐπιη, γι Ὁ - μαγίδια ρα) δυιι, ἰΔηχυοτὶ δι ἰμο γι 8ϑετ,- υεῃπάυπι . Νοῖι διΐπὶ οὐ ο᾽ι., ] οὐυβιοάΐί ἰ - ΕἸ ΠΠΠἰἀῖοπν, νογυπ ὁχ δοτθιν, ουδιοὐϊα!υν, - τίιδιο, Βυϊυκηνοάϊ οχἰ εἴτ ουημφὶϊ.
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