hat
turn again unto him, and lovingly accepteth the penitent.

Now on the morrow when the king heard what had befallen Nachor, he
despaired of the hopes that he once had in him: and, seeing those wise
and foolish orators of his mightily discomfited, he was at his wits'
end. Them he visited with terrible outrage and dishonour, scourging
some severely with whips of oxhide, besmearing their eyes with soot,
and casting them away from his presence. He himself began to condemn
the impotence of the gods falsely so called, although as yet he refused
to look fully at the light of Christ, for the dense cloud of darkness,
that enveloped him, still bound the eyes of his heart. Howbeit he no
longer honoured his temple-keepers, nor would he keep feasts, nor make
drink offerings to his idols, but his mind was tossed between two
opinions. On the one hand, he poured scorn on the impotence of his
gods; on the other, he dreaded the strictness of the profession of the
Gospel, and was hardly to be torn from his evil ways, being completely
in slavery to the pleasures of the body, and like a captive drawn
towards sinful lusts, and being drunken, as saith Esay, but not with
wine, and led as it were with the bridle of evil habit.

While the king was thus wrestling with two opinions, his noble and
truly royal-hearted son dwelt at peace in his palace, proving to all
men by his deeds the nobility, order and steadfastness of his nature.
Theatres, horse-races, riding to hounds, and all the vain pleasures of
youth, the baits that take foolish souls, were reckoned by him as
nothing worth. But he hung wholly on the commands of Christ for whom
he yearned, his heart being wounded with love divine. For him he
longed, who alone is to be longed for, who is all sweetness and desire
and aspiration insatiable.

Now, when he came to think upon his teacher Barlaam, and as in a mirror
saw his life, his soul was enchanted with love, and he much occupied
himself a-thinking how he might see him; and ever carrying his sayings
in his heart, he was like the tree in the Psalms planted by the river
side, unceasingly watered, and bringing forth unto the Lords his fruits
in due season. Many were the souls that he delivered from the snares
of the devil, and brought safely unto Christ; for many resorted unto
him, and profited by his wholesome words. And not a few left the way
of error, and ran toward the word of salvation; while others bade a
long farewell to the