at he put women aside,
for woman represents the five senses: pleasure of the eyes, of the ears,
of the mouth, of the finger-tips, of the nostrils: we did not fail to
point out that though our brethren might go in and unto them for worthy
motives, yet in so doing they would experience pleasure, and sexual
pleasure leads to the pleasure of wine and food. One of the brethren
said this might not be so if elderly women were chosen, and at first it
seemed as if a compromise were possible. But a moment after, a brother
reminded us that elderly women were not fruitful. To which I added
myself another argument, that a different diet from ours is necessary to
those who take wives unto themselves. Thou understandest me, Joseph?
Women have never been a temptation to me, Joseph answered, nor to Jesus,
and in meditative mood he related the story of the wild man in the
woods, at the entrance of whose cave Jesus had laid a knife so that he
might cut himself free of temptation.

At this Hazael was much moved, and they talked of Jesus, Joseph saying
that he had suffered cruelly for teaching that the Kingdom of God is in
our own hearts; for to teach that religion is no more than a personal
aspiration is to attack the law, which, though given to us by Moses,
existed beforetimes in heaven, always observed by the angels, and to be
observed by them for time everlasting. Jesus, then, set himself against
the Temple? Hazael said slowly, looking into Joseph's eyes. In a
measure, Joseph answered, but it was the priests who exasperated the
people against him, and what I have come here for, beyond his
companionship on the journey is to beg of you to put no questions to
him. A day may come when he will tell his story if he remain with thee.
Here he is safe, Hazael said, and I pray God that he may remain with us.
But where is Jesus? Hazael asked, and they sought him in the terraces,
where the monks were at work among the vines. See our fig-trees already
in leaf. Without our figs we should hardly be able to live here, and it
is thy transport that enables us to sell our grapes and our figs and the
wine that we make, for we make wine, though there are some who think it
would be better if we made none.

It was thou that urged Pilate to free these hills from robbers, and
hadst thou not done so we shouldn't have been able to live here. But I'm
thinking of so many things that I have lost thought of him whom we seek.
He cannot have passed this way, unless, i