Chapter 28

When Nachor had gone through these things, the king was changed by anger; but his orators and temple-keepers stood speechless, unable to gainsay him except with a few rotten and worthless little arguments. But the king's son rejoiced in spirit, and with a radiant face glorified the Lord, who gives a way out of what has no way to those who trust in him, and who confirmed the truth even through the foe and enemy; and the leader of error was shown to be an advocate of right reason. The king, however, though terribly angered at Nachor, could nevertheless do him no harm, because of the decree proclaimed before all, by which he himself had urged him to speak fearlessly on behalf of the Christians; and though he gainsaid him much, he reminded him through riddling hints to give ground in his stand and to be defeated in the dispute with the orators. But Nachor prevailed all the more, dissolving all their propositions and syllogisms, and exposing the deceitfulness of their error. And when the dispute had been drawn out nearly until evening, the king ordered the council to be dissolved, intending to deliberate again about this matter on the next day. But the son said to the king: "As at the beginning you ordered a just judgement to take place, master, set justice also at the end, doing one of two things: either permit my teacher to remain with me this night,

that we may deliberate together about what we must say tomorrow to those who war against us, while you in turn, taking your men with you, may consider as is fitting whatever you wish; or, having yielded your men to me for this night, take mine to yourself. But if both are with you — mine in affliction and fear, yours in joy and ease — it does not seem to me a just judgement, but the force of power and a transgression of the agreements." The king, overcome by the elegance of the words, took his wise men and priests to himself, and yielded Nachor to his son, still cherishing hopes in Nachor and thinking he would keep what had been agreed. So the king's son went away to his own palace, like some Olympic victor who has overcome his adversaries, having Nachor with him. And calling him aside, he said: "Do not think your case is hidden from me; for I know precisely that you are not the most godly Barlaam, but Nachor the astrologer. And I marvel how it seemed good to you to play such a part, and to think you could throw such blindness over me in the middle of the day, that I should receive a wolf instead of a sheep. But the saying is well sung, that The heart of the fool will conceive vain things. This device and counsel of yours, then, was stale and altogether senseless; but the work you have done is full of all understanding. Therefore rejoice, Nachor, and be glad;

for I render you many thanks, that you have today become an advocate of the truth, and have not defiled your lips with abominable words and crafty pretence, but rather have cleansed yourself from many defilements, having convicted the error of the false-named gods and confirmed the truth of the Christian doctrines. But I was eager to bring you with me for two reasons: that the king might not, taking you aside alone, punish you because you did not speak what was to his liking; and that I might repay this favour which you have done today. And what is the repayment? To show you how to turn aside from the wicked and slippery road which you have travelled until now, and to walk the straight and saving path, which not in ignorance, but doing evil willingly, you fled, casting yourself down into pits and precipices of lawlessness. Understand, then, Nachor, being a man of understanding, and be eager to gain Christ alone and the life hidden with him, despising these fleeting and perishing things. For you will not live for all ages; but, being mortal, you will depart before long, like all who were before you. And woe to you, if, bearing the heavy burden of sin, you depart to that place where there is just judgement and recompense of works, and do not cast it off, since it is easy to lay it aside." So Nachor, pricked in his soul at these words, said: "Well have you spoken, O king, well. For I too know the true and unerring God, through whom all things came to be, and I understand the coming judgement, having heard of it from many words of Scripture; but the wicked habit and the assault of the old supplanter

blinded the eyes of my heart, and poured deep darkness round about my reason. But now, at your word, casting off the gloomy veil, I will run to the light of the Lord's face. Perhaps he will have mercy on me, and open a door of repentance to the wicked servant and apostate, even though it seems impossible to me that there should be forgiveness of my offences, which are heavier than the sand, . . . which in knowledge and in ignorance I have committed from childhood and until this age and grey hairs of mine." When the king's son heard this, he at once stood up and became more fervent in soul. And he began to lift up Nachor's reasoning, which was bending down toward despair, and to set it more firmly upon faith in Christ, saying: "Let there be no doubt for you about this, Nachor, none at all. For it is written that God is able even of these stones to raise up children to Abraham; which is nothing other than this, as my father Barlaam said: that out of the hopeless and those stained with all lawlessness men can be saved, and become servants of Christ, who through the utmost excess of his love for mankind opened the gates of heaven to all who turn to him, shutting the road of salvation against none at all, but compassionately receiving those who repent. For this reason also, to those who came to the vineyard at the first and third, the sixth and ninth and eleventh hour, the wage is apportioned equally, as the holy Gospel says; so that,

even though you have grown old in sins until now, if you come fervently, you will be counted worthy of the same rewards as those who have contended from their youth." When the most godly young man had spoken much else also concerning repentance to Nachor, who had grown old in evils, and had promised that Christ would be merciful and pledged forgiveness, and had assured him that the Good One is always ready to receive repentance, he softened his diseased soul as with certain medicines, and granted it pure health. For Nachor said at once to him: "May you, noble in soul rather than in body, well initiated into these wondrous mysteries, remain in the good confession until the end, and may no length of time or manner of life cut it out from your heart; but I will go away this very hour, seeking my own salvation, and through repentance reconciling the God whom I have provoked. For I will no longer look upon the king's face, if only you are willing." The king's son, becoming exceedingly glad and gladly receiving his word, embraced him and kissed him, and, earnestly praying to God, sent him out of the palace. Nachor, going out, pricked in his soul, leaped to the deepest part of the desert like a deer, and reached the cave of a certain monk who was clothed with the dignity of the priesthood, where the monk had hidden himself because of the fear that lay upon him. To him Nachor fell down most fervently, washed his feet with tears, imitating the harlot of old, and asked for holy baptism.

The priest, then, being full of divine grace, rejoiced greatly, and at once, as is the custom, having instructed him, after not a few days perfected him by baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And Nachor remained with him, ever repenting of his sins, and blessing God, who wills that none should perish, but awaits the conversion of all and compassionately receives those who repent. At dawn, when the king learned what concerned Nachor, and despaired of the hope he had cherished in him, and saw also his wise and senseless orators so utterly defeated, he was at a loss. And assailing them with terrible insults and dishonours, and some he scourged severely with ox-thongs and smeared their faces with soot, he cast them from his presence. But he himself began to condemn the weakness of the false-named gods, even though he did not yet wish to look fully upon the light of Christ. For the thick cloud of the mist surrounding him still held the sight of his heart. Yet he no longer honoured the temple-keepers, nor did he keep feasts and make libations to the idols; but he had his mind shaken from both sides, condemning on the one hand the weakness of his gods, and on the other dreading the strictness of the evangelical way of life, and being held hard to tear from his wicked habits.

For he was utterly enslaved to the pleasures of the body, and was wholly led toward the passions like a captive, and drunk, as Isaiah says, without wine, and dragged as by a muzzle of his wicked habit. While the king thus wrestled with two reasonings, his most noble son, who had truly acquired a most royal soul, lived quietly in his palace, displaying to all by his deeds the nobility of his nature, both orderly and steadfast. For theatres and horse-races and the practice of hunting, and all the empty pastimes and deceits of youth, the baits of foolish souls, he counted as nothing; but he was wholly devoted to the commandments of Christ, and longed for him, wounded in soul with divine love; he longed for the truly desirable One, who is wholly sweetness and longing, and insatiable yearning. And coming to the remembrance of his teacher Barlaam, and mirroring his life, he was charmed in soul with love, and took thought most carefully how he might see him; and carrying his words unforgettably in his heart, he was like a tree planted by the waters of the psalm, watered unceasingly and bringing forth fair fruit to the Lord. For he delivered many souls from the snares of the devil and brought them

to Christ, saved; for many who frequented him enjoyed his saving words, of whom not a few, fleeing error, ran to the saving Word; and others, bidding a long farewell to the things of life, entered the wrestling-school of the ascetic life. He himself busied himself with prayers and fasts, and frequently sent up this cry, saying: "O Lord, my Lord and King, in whom I have believed, to whom I have fled and from error been delivered, render a worthy reward to your servant Barlaam, in return for his showing me, who had gone astray, the road of truth and of life; and do not deprive me of seeing again that angel in the body, of whom the world is not worthy, and of finishing the rest of my life with him, that, walking in the footsteps of his way of life, I may be well-pleasing to you, my God and Master."