John Moschus, Pratum spirituale (Leimonarion)

This book is called the Spiritual Meadow, in which are written the deeds and ways of the holy fathers and the Christ-loving mothers, which proclaims for the benefit of all virtues for men and also concerning the evil-doers who did not fear God. It was written by Abba John, the teacher of Sophronius, the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Beloved, the vision of the meadow in the summer season is full of all delight and is indescribable by men, for the sight of its flowers of sweetness gladdens the eyes, and its vision and the variety of its flowers detain those who pass by, and its fragrance fills the nostrils with pleasure and delights the mind with its scent, and the taste of its fruits makes the mouth sweet and pleasant, and the refreshment of its provisions enlightens the mind.

Thus also the labors of the holy and spiritual fathers and the manifold virtues of the mothers are worthy of being recounted, my child Sophronius, for in them is found much benefit for the salvation of souls, which in our times are parched like a stream in a dry channel. For by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ they were adorned with every good work and faith, from which I wish to pluck that rose of the virtues of the lights and to weave for you a crown from those unfading flowers of the incorruptible paradise, so that with that crown I may adorn your head, my beloved child Sophronius, and through you the heads of all the faithful. For this reason I have called this a paradise, because of the joys that are found within it by those who seek them. And now let your divine love, my child, be truly assured, for I have gathered all these sayings in truth, in which there is no falsehood. Just as a bee gathers sweetness from many-colored flowers and forms it into a single honeycomb in the vessel, so I have gathered these manifold virtues of the holy fathers for the benefit of souls and have written them in this book.