Chapter 21

With such moral words, then, the most honoured old man admonished the king's son,

and went away to his own lodging. Now the young man's attendants and tutors marvelled to see how often Barlaam came into the palace. And one of the foremost among them, whom the king had set over his son's palace as most faithful and trustworthy — a man named Zardan — said to the king's son: "You know well, my lord, how great is the fear of your father that lies upon me, and how great my faithfulness toward him; for which reason he charged me, as his most trusted servant, to wait upon you. But now, seeing this stranger so often in conversation with you, I am afraid that he may belong to the religion of the Christians, toward which your father is most bitterly disposed; and I shall be found liable to a sentence of death. Either, then, make known to the king what concerns this man, or henceforth cease to converse with him. And if you will not, dismiss me from your presence,

so that I may not be held to blame, and ask your father to appoint another to be here." The king's son said to him: "Before all else, Zardan, do this: take your seat within the curtain, and listen to his conversation with me; and afterward I will tell you what must be done." So when Barlaam was about to come in to him, he brought Zardan inside the curtain, and said to the old man: "Sum up for me the points of your inspired teaching, that it may be planted more firmly in my heart." Then Barlaam took up the discourse and spoke much concerning God and reverence toward him: how God alone must be loved with the whole heart and with the whole soul and with the whole mind, and how his commandments must be kept with fear and with longing; and how he is the maker of all things visible and invisible. Upon which he also called to mind the fashioning of the first man, the commandment given to him and its transgression, and the condemnation laid by the Creator upon that transgression. Then in order he recounted the good things from which, by setting aside the commandment, we shut ourselves out;

and again he recalled the sorrows, all that befell us wretchedly after their loss. After this he brought forward the works of God's love for mankind: how the Creator, caring for our salvation, sent teachers and prophets to proclaim the incarnation of the Only-Begotten; then his coming down, his becoming man, his benefactions, his miracles, and his sufferings on behalf of us, the ungrateful — the cross, the spear, the voluntary death; and at last our restoration, our recall, our return to the first good; and after these, the kingdom of heaven that awaits the worthy, the torment laid up for the wicked, the fire that is never quenched, the darkness that never ends, the undying worm, and whatever other punishment the slaves of sin have stored up for themselves. Having gone through these things and brought his discourse to a close with moral teaching, having spoken much concerning purity of life, and condemned the emptiness of present things, and exposed the wretchedness of those who cling to them, he ended with prayer. And having prayed that the young man's confession of the orthodox faith might be unshaken and unbending, his life blameless and his manner of living most pure, he set an end to the prayer and went away again to his lodging. Then the king's son, calling Zardan to him and testing his disposition, said: "Did you hear what manner of things this idle babbler discusses with me, attempting to deceive me with his empty plausibilities and to rob me of this delightful joy and pleasure, and to make me serve a strange God?"

And Zardan said: "Why has it seemed good to you, O king, to put me, your servant, to the test? I know that the man's words have sunk deep into your heart; for were it not so, you would not converse with him so gladly and so unceasingly. We too are not ignorant of this teaching; but ever since your father raised an implacable persecution against the Christians, they were driven from these parts, and their preaching fell silent. But if now this doctrine has appeared pleasing to you, and you are strong enough to take up its hardness and toil, may your purposes be directed toward the good. As for me, what shall I do? I cannot so much as look such severity in the face, and the fear of the king divides my soul amid pains and griefs. What defence shall I make to him, if I have dealt carelessly with his orders and granted this man entry to you?" The king's son said to him: "I, knowing no other worthy return for your great goodwill toward me, and finding this — and more than worthy — for your benefit, have done you the work of a good beyond nature: to make it known to you for what end you were created, and that you might recognize the Creator, and, forsaking the darkness, run to the light;

and I hoped that, as soon as you heard, you would follow with an irresistible longing. But I have been disappointed of my hope, as I see, finding you lukewarm toward what was spoken. Yet if you disclose this to the king my father, you will do nothing else than fill his soul with cares and griefs and make it bitter. But if indeed you are well-disposed toward him, by no means report anything of these matters until the proper time." In saying this to Zardan, he seemed to be sowing upon water; for wisdom will not enter into a soul without understanding. On the next day Barlaam came and spoke of his departure; and the young man, not bearing to be parted from him, grieved in his soul, and his eyes filled with tears. The old man spoke much to him, and called him to witness that he would remain unmoved in the good, and steadied his heart with words of comfort, and asked to be sent away with gladness; and at the same time he foretold that before long they would be joined together in a union that knows no parting. Then the king's son, unable to lay further toil upon the old man or to keep him from the road he longed for,

and at the same time suspecting that Zardan might make known what concerned him to the king and subject the old man to punishments, said to him: "Since this has seemed good to you, spiritual father and best of teachers and broker to me of every good, that you should leave me to live amid the emptiness of the world and yourself go to the place of spiritual rest, I no longer dare to hold you back or hinder you. Go, then, guarded by the peace of God, and remember my wretchedness always in your precious prayers, for the Lord's sake, that I may be able to reach you and behold your honoured face forever. But grant me one request: since you would take nothing on behalf of your fellow ascetics, accept at least for yourself some small means for sustenance and a garment for clothing." He answered him: "If I did not take anything from you on behalf of my brothers — for they too have no need to take up the things of the world from which they have willingly withdrawn — how shall I procure for myself what I forbade to them? For if the possession of wealth were good, I would have shared it with them before myself; but since I know its possession to be ruinous, I will subject neither them nor myself to such snares." When the young man could not prevail in this either, he began a second entreaty, and made a second request:

that the old man should not wholly disregard his pleas, nor pour out all his disappointment upon him, but should leave him that worn-out garment and rough cloak — partly as a memorial of his teacher's ascetic life, partly as a safeguard against all the working of Satan — and take from him another in its place: "So that," he said, "seeing what was given by me, you may carry my lowliness in your memory." The old man said: "To give you the old and tattered garment and to take a new covering is not lawful, lest I be condemned to receive here the reward of my small toil; but, that I may not check your eagerness, let what is given to me by you be old and in no way different from my own." So the king's son sought out old hair-cloth rags, and gave them to the old man, and rejoiced to take his garments, accounting them beyond all comparison more precious than any purple or royal robe. Then the most godly Barlaam, wishing to depart without further delay, spoke of his going, and offered him a last teaching, saying: "Beloved brother and sweetest child, whom I have begotten through the Gospel, you know what King you have been enlisted under, and to whom you have made your confessions. You must keep these firm, then, and eagerly fulfil the terms of your service, all that you promised to the Master of all in the document of your confession,

while all the heavenly host stands present and bears witness, and at the same time records what was confessed — which, if you keep, you will be blessed. Therefore prefer none of the present things to God and his good gifts. For what among present things could be so fearful as the Gehenna of eternal fire, where what burns gives no light at all, and what punishes never ceases? And what again among the good things of the world could give such gladness as God himself, bestowed upon those who have loved him? — whose beauty is unutterable, whose power is unconquerable, and whose glory is everlasting; whose good things, laid up for his friends, surpass beyond all comparison everything that is seen, things which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man. May you be shown forth as their heir, guarded by the most mighty hand of God."

The king's son, overcome with tears, grieved and was distressed, not enduring to be left without a tender father and the best of teachers. "And who," he said, "father, will fill your place for me? Under what shepherd and such a guide of the soul's salvation shall I come? What comfort shall I make for my longing for you? For behold, you brought me, the wicked servant and apostate, to God, and set me in the rank of a son and an heir; you sought out the lost one, taken captive upon the mountains, ready to be the prey of every beast, and mingled him with the unerring sheep of God; you showed me the short road of truth, leading me out of the darkness and the shadow of death, and, moving my feet from the slippery and death-bearing and most crooked and winding path, you have become to me the broker of great and wondrous goods, whose surpassing greatness no words would suffice to declare. May you yourself, on behalf of me the small one, share in the great gifts of God; and may the Lord fill up the deficiency of my thanksgiving, he who alone overcomes by the returns of his gifts those who love him." But Barlaam, cutting short his lamentation, rose and stood for prayer, and lifting up both his hands to heaven, he said: "O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who enlightened things once darkened,

and brought this visible and invisible creation out of nothing into being, who have turned back your handiwork and have not let us walk after our folly, we give thanks to you, and to your wisdom and power, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom you also made the ages, and raised us up when we had fallen, and forgave their sins to those who had transgressed, and brought back those who had wandered, and ransomed those who had been taken captive, and gave life to the dead by the precious and lordly blood of your Son. You, then, I call upon, and your only-begotten Son, and your all-holy Spirit: look upon this rational sheep of yours, which has come through me, the unworthy, as a sacrifice to you, and sanctify his soul by your power and grace; visit this vine that has been planted through your Holy Spirit, and grant it to bear the fruit of righteousness; strengthen him, confirming your covenant in him, and deliver him from the deceit of the devil. By the wisdom of your good Spirit teach him to do your will, and do not withdraw your help from him, counting him worthy, together with me your useless servant, to become an heir of your unending goods; for blessed are you and glorified unto the ages. Amen." When he had finished the prayer and turned, he embraced the child now of the heavenly Father,

and praying for him peace and eternal salvation, he went out of the palace, and departed rejoicing and giving thanks to God, who had prospered his way unto good.