De vitiis quae opposita sunt virtutibus

Of the Same Author: A Discourse to the Same Person on the Vices Opposed to the Virtues. Chapter 1. I consider it necessary to subjoin for your diligence, in summary form, also the vices opposed to the virtues. For while we have been plowing the mind here, we have cast out the thorns of the thoughts from the arable land. But we have not arrived at this through our own works, but having as a pattern the sound discourses which we heard from the Fathers, and we have become witnesses of some of the deeds. The whole is from grace above, which also points out to sinners the plots of the deceivers, and which also secures them, saying: "For what have you that you did not receive?" so that through receiving we may thank the giver, and not attribute to ourselves any boast of glory, denying the gift. Therefore it says, "But even if you received, why do you boast as if you did not receive?" – "Already," it says, "you have become rich," those who are poor in works; already, those who have begun to be taught, you have been filled, whose error has just now passed over to me. Through this I have borrowed reckonings, concealing the poverty of works; through that opinion I have advised, reversing the discipleship of being taught. But nevertheless, if any pardon is held by you, grant this also to me, so that we may subjoin in summary form the vices opposed to the virtues, indicating: what gluttony is, against which stands temperance; what fornication is, and chastity; what avarice is, and poverty; grief, against which stands joy; what anger is, and patience; and acedia, and perseverance; what vainglory is, and freedom from vainglory; envy, and freedom from envy; pride, and humility.

these are yoked together, and opposed, and set against each other, we have subjoined them in summary form in this way. Chapter 2. Gluttony, then, is the mother of fornication, the nurse of thoughts, the weakness of fasting, the muzzle of asceticism, the terror of calculation, the depiction of foods, the painter of seasonings, an unbridled colt, an ungovernable madness, a vessel of disease, the envy of health, the barrier of the pipes, the groaning of the bowels, the limit of insults, the accomplice of fornication, the filth of the mind, the weakness of the body, oppressive sleep, a joyless death. Temperance is the bridle of the belly, the whip of insatiability, the balance of moderation, the muzzle of gluttony, the renunciation of rest, the prescription of austerity, the taming of thoughts, the eye of wakefulness, the outflow of inflammation, the pedagogue of the body, the tower of labors, and the wall of ways, the restraint of character, and the removal of passions, the mortification of the limbs, the revival of souls, the imitation of resurrection, the polity of sanctification. Fornication is the offspring of gluttony, the softener of the heart, the furnace of inflammation, the bridal escort of idols, an unnatural act, a shadowed form, a fantasized embrace, a bed of dreams, an insensible intercourse, the deceit of the eyes, the shamelessness of the gaze, the shame of prayer, the disgrace of the heart, the guide of ignorance. Chastity is the garment of truth, the axe of licentiousness, the charioteer of the eyes, the overseer of thoughts, the circumcision of intention, and the excision of incontinence, the counter-plant to nature, and the counter-position to inflammation, the worker of deeds, and the co-worker of temperance, the lamp of the heart, the indicator of prayer.

Chapter 3. Love of money is a shrine of idols, a prophecy of the people, a vote of the sphinx, a reckoning of deposits, wealth of captivity, a race of injustice, fatness of diseases, a seer of long life, a charmer of love of work, a counselor of sleeplessness, poverty of the belly, cheapness of foods, insatiable madness, a much-worrying evil. Poverty is the uprooting of love of money, but the rooting of freedom from love of money, fruit of love, and cross of life, a painless life, an unenvied treasure, a carefree heaven, an undistracted sun, immeasurable matter, incomprehensible wealth, a sickle of care, a practice of the Gospels, an unbroken world, a swift runner contestant. Grief is a dweller of loss, a companion of failure, a forerunner of sojourn abroad, a memory of kinship, an assessor of narrowness, a fellow traveler of acedia, an accusation of irritation, a reminder of insult, and a darkening of the soul, a dejection of character, a drunkenness of prudence, a soporific antidote, a cloud of form, a worm of the flesh, a grief of thoughts, a populace of captivity. Joy is the destruction of grief, and a thanksgiving for misfortunes, a vision of prayers, and a gladness of labors, a cheerfulness of beneficence, an implant of renunciation, a receptacle of hospitality, a refuge of hopes, a nourishment of ascetics, an exhortation of mourners, a consolation of tears, a support of affliction, a fellow voter of love, and a fellow voter of patience. Anger is a plunder of prudence, a demolition of composure, a confusion of nature, a wild form, a furnace of the heart, a belching flame, a law of wrath, a rage of insults, a mother of wild beasts, a silent battle, a stumbling block of prayer.

Long-suffering: weapon of prudence, court of the heart for anger, hospital, admonition of the bold, calm of the disturbed, harbor without storm, beneficence to those who cause grief, gentleness toward all, blesses when slandered, rejoices when insulted, consolation of the distressed, mirror of hopes, prize of the afflicted. Chapter 4. Acedia: love of the air, wanderer of steps, hatred of industry, enemy of stillness, storm of psalmody, sloth of prayer, slackening of asceticism, untimely drowsiness, revolving sleep, burden of madness, hatred of the cell, opponent of labors, rival of endurance, bit of study, ignorance of the Scriptures, partner of grief, clock of hunger. Endurance: interruption of acedia, cutting down of thoughts, care of death, meditation on the cross, nailed-down fear, beaten gold, lawbook of afflictions, book of thanksgiving, breastplate of stillness, weapon of labors, seething good-labor, outline of virtues. Vainglory: fantasy of encounter, affectation of industry, contrary to truth, leader of heresies, desire for precedence, last of appellations, slavery to praise, spirit of many shapes, beast of myriad teeth, vainglory is woven together in the middle with pride and envy, being in each other and warring through each other, the triple chain of evils, the threefold poisoned mixture of passions, the triple tongue of heretics. Freedom from vainglory: work of humility, departure from obsequiousness, blindness to praise, contemplation of knowledge, contrary to the world, sensitivity of soul, teaching of cheapness, hiding-place of labors, enemy of good repute, hidden treasure in a perishable body.

Envy: garment of pride, undressing of humility, root of slander, ophthalmia of cheerfulness, pretense of friendship, deceit of frankness, enmity of love, jealousy of the successful, disturbance of the stable, mockery of the praised, alteration of the eyes. Who is pure in heart, who does not catch himself in transgression of God's commandment, or in omission, or in negligence? Let Christ be for us in every work of his will a favorable path. Glory to him for the ages. Amen.