77. So great was his virtue, and the eminence of his fame, that many of his minor characteristics, nay, even his physical defects, have been assumed by others with a view to notoriety. For instance his paleness, his beard, his gait, his thoughtful, and generally meditative, hesitation in speaking, which, in the ill-judged, inconsiderate imitation of many, took the form of melancholy. And besides, the style of his dress, the shape of his bed, and his manner of eating, none of which was to him a matter of consequence, but simply the result of accident and chance. So you might see many Basils in outward semblance, among these statues in outline, for it would be too much to call them his distant echo. For an echo, though it is the dying away of a sound, at any rate represents it with great clearness, while these men fall too far short of him to satisfy even their desire to approach him. Nor was it a slight thing, but a matter with good reason held in the highest estimation, to chance to have met him or done him some service, or to carry away the souvenir of something which he had said or done in jest or in earnest: as I know that I have myself often taken pride in doing; for his improvisations were much more precious and brilliant than the laboured efforts of other men.
78. But when, after he had finished his course, and kept the faith, [4580] he longed to depart, and the time for his crown was approaching, [4581] he did not hear the summons: "Get thee up into the mountain and die," [4582] but "Die and come up to us." And here again he wrought a wonder in no wise inferior to those mentioned before. For when he was almost dead, and breathless, and had lost the greater part of his powers; he grew stronger in his last words, so as to depart with the utterances of religion, and, by ordaining the most excellent of his attendants, bestowed upon them both his hand and the Spirit: so that his disciples, who had aided him in his priestly office, might not be defrauded of the priesthood. The remainder of my task I approach, but with reluctance, as it would fall more fully from the mouths of others than from my own. For I cannot philosophise over my misfortune, even if I greatly longed to do so, when I recollect that the loss is common to us all, and that the misfortune has befallen the whole world.
79. He lay, drawing his last breath, and awaited by the choir on high, towards which he had long directed his gaze. Around him poured the whole city, unable to bear his loss, inveighing against his departure, as if it had been an oppression, and clinging to his soul, as though it had been capable of restraint or compulsion at their hands or their prayers. Their suffering had driven them distracted, all were eager, were it possible, to add to his life a portion of their own. And when they failed, for it must needs be proved that he was a man, and, with his last words "Into thy Hands I commend my spirit," [4583] he had joyfully resigned his soul to the care of the angels who carried him away; not without having some religious instructions and injunctions for the benefit of those who were present--then occurred a wonder more remarkable than any which had happened before.
80. The saint was being carried out, lifted high by the hands of holy men, and everyone was eager, some to seize the hem of his garment, [4584] others only just to touch the shadow, [4585] or the bier which bore his holy remains (for what could be more holy or pure than that body), others to draw near to those who were carrying it, others only to enjoy the sight, as if even this were beneficial. Market places, porticos, houses of two or three stories were filled with people escorting, preceding, following, accompanying him, and trampling upon each other; tens of thousands of every race and age, beyond all previous experience. The psalmody was overborne by the lamentations, philosophic resignation sank beneath the misfortune. Our own people vied with strangers, Jews, Greeks, and foreigners, and they with us, for a greater share in the benefit, by means of a more abundant lamentation. To close my story, the calamity ended in danger; many souls departed along with him, from the violence of the pushing and confusion, who have been thought happy in their end, departing together with him, "funeral victims," perhaps some fervid orator might call them. The body having at last escaped from those who would seize it, and made its way through those who went before it, was consigned to the tomb of his fathers, the high priest being added to the priests, the mighty voice which rings in my ears to the heralds, the martyr to the martyrs. And now he is in heaven, where, if I mistake not, he is offering sacrifices for us, and praying for the people, for though, he has left us, he has not entirely left us. While I, Gregory, who am half dead, and, cleft in twain, torn away from our great union, and dragging along a life of pain which runs not easily, as may be supposed, after separation from him, know not what is to be my end now that I have lost my guidance. And even now I am admonished and instructed in nightly visions, if ever I fall short of my duty. And my present object is not so much to mingle lamentations with my praises, or to portray the public life of the man, or publish a picture of virtue common to all time, and an example salutary to all churches, and to all souls, which we may keep in view, as a living law, and so rightly direct our lives as to counsel you, who have been completely initiated into his doctrine, to fix your eyes upon him, as one who sees you and is seen by you, and thus to be perfected by the Spirit.
81. Come hither then, and surround me, all ye members of his choir, both of the clergy and the laity, both of our own country and from abroad; aid me in my eulogy, by each supplying or demanding the account of some of his excellences. Regard, ye occupants of the bench, the lawgiver; ye politicians, the statesman; ye men of the people, his orderliness; ye men of letters, the instructor; ye virgins, the leader of the bride; ye who are yoked in marriage, the restrainer; ye hermits, him who gave you wings; ye cenobites, the judge; ye simple men, the guide; ye contemplatives, the divine; ye cheerful ones, the bridle; ye unfortunate men, the consoler, the staff of hoar hairs, the guide of youth, the relief of poverty, the steward of abundance. Widows also will, I imagine, praise their protector, orphans their father, poor men their friend, strangers their entertainer, brothers the man of brotherly love, the sick their physician, whatever be their sickness and the healing they need, the healthy the preserver of health, and all men him who made himself all things to all that he might gain the majority, if not all.
82. This is my offering to thee, Basil, uttered by the tongue which once was the sweetest of all to thee, of him who was thy fellow in age and rank. If it have approached thy deserts, thanks are due to thee, for it was from confidence in thee that I undertook to speak of thee. But if it fall far short of thy expectations, what must be our feelings, who are worn out with age and disease and regret for thee? Yet God is pleased, when we do what we can. Yet mayest thou gaze upon us from above, thou divine and sacred person; either stay by thy entreaties our thorn in the flesh, [4586] given to us by God for our discipline, or prevail upon us to bear it boldly, and guide all our life towards that which is most for our profit. And if we be translated, do thou receive us there also in thine own tabernacle, that, as we dwell together, and gaze together more clearly and more perfectly upon the holy and blessed Trinity, of Which we have now in some degree received the image, our longing may at last be satisfied, by gaining this recompense for all the battles we have fought and the assaults we have endured. Such are our words on thy behalf: who will there be to praise us, since we leave this life after thee, even if we offer any topic worthy of words or praise in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom be glory forever? Amen.
[4397] For when, etc. This seems to be the sense of an admittedly difficult sentence.
[4398] As priests, or, more generally, "as those who approach our temples." In the E. there were lavers at the entrance to the churches for the ablutions of intending worshippers.
[4399] Of the task, i.e., of restoring the orthodox faith in Constantinople.
[4400] Fetter, i.e., the body.
[4401] History and poesy, e.g., Xenophon, Polybius, and Apollonius.
[4402] Renowned, etc. Cf. Homer, Od. ix. 27.
[4403] Trainers, lit. "anointers"--those who physically and by their advice prepared athletes for their exercises.
[4404] Exod. xvi. 2 et seq.
[4405] 1 Cor. x. 10.
[4406] Exod. xvi. 13.
[4407] Ib. xiv. 21.
[4408] Josh. iii. 16; x. 12.
[4409] Huntresses, esp. Artemis, a passion for whom was fatal to Orion and Actæon.
[4410] The maiden, Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon.
[4411] Rom. i. 20, 25.
[4412] 2 Cor. x. 5.
[4413] Ps. cxxxix. 16.
[4414] Centaur. Alluding to Chiron, the tutor of Achilles.
[4415] Cæsarea, the Cappadocian city, as seems plain from the context. Yet Tillemont and Billius incline to think Cæsarea in Palestine is meant.
[4416] Chair, etc., Before he had studied rhetoric and philosophy.
[4417] 1 Sam. ix. 3.
[4418] They leap, etc. This passage refers to the spectators who unite in sympathy with, and imitate as far as possible, in their excitement, the actions of, those who drive the chariots in the races.
[4419] Homer Il. xi. 72.
[4420] Ib. xi. 496.
[4421] Philosophy, here, a truly Christian life.
[4422] Olymp. Od. vi. 1.
[4423] All things, etc., i.e. Empedocles and Anaxagoras.
[4424] Gyges is said to have had a ring by means of which he could make himself invisible, and by thus using it was able to seize on the Kingdom of Lydia.
[4425] Midas, said to have had the power granted of turning everything he touched to gold. Accordingly, as this power took effect on his food, he died of hunger.
[4426] Abaris, a Hyperborean priest of Apollo, who was said to have given him an arrow, on which he rode through the air.
[4427] Pegasus, called Argive, because caught near to Argos, the winged horse, by the aid of which Bellerophon was said to have destroyed the Chimæra.
[4428] A river, etc. The Alpheus, a river of Arcadia.
[4429] Animal. The salamander, a lizard said to be impervious to the action of fire. Plin. N. H. x. 67.
[4430] Lydian car, proverbial expression for anything whose speed distances all competitors.
[4431] Orestes and Pylades, types of close comradeship in Greek tragedies.
[4432] Sons of Molione, Eurytus and Cteatus, Hom. Il. ii. 621. Their father was Actor.
[4433] Wisd. iv. 8.
[4434] Which breathes, a phrase used Hom. Il. vi. 182 of the Chimæra.
[4435] Labyrinths, the mythical mazes of Crete, the home of the Minotaur.
[4436] Minos and Rhadamanthus, Kings of Crete and Lycia, fabled to have been made judges in the lower world because of their justice when on earth.
[4437] Beyond Cadiz. The Atlantic Ocean beyond Cadiz was reputed impassable by the ancients.
[4438] Tit. iii. 4.
[4439] The legend, i.e., of Cadmus who sowed at Thebes the dragon's teeth from which sprung giants.
[4440] This rank, i.e., the office of Lector, or Reader.
[4441] Ps. cvii. 32.
[4442] His predecessor, Eusebius, Archbishop of Cæsarea.
[4443] Nazarites, i.e., the monks.
[4444] Their chief, i.e., Basil.
[4445] His opponent, lit. "the man who was vexing him," i.e., Eusebius.
[4446] Bishops. It is uncertain who these bishops were. Clémencet thinks they were Lucifer and Eusebius of Vercellæ. But a separation had ere this taken place between them in consequence of Lucifer's rash action at Antioch. Nor is it certain that Eusebius had not already returned to Italy.
[4447] One, a monastery. The rule of S. Basil is widely observed to this day in Eastern monasteries. Cf. § 34.
[4448] John, Saint John Baptist.
[4449] An Emperor, Valens.
[4450] Madness, cf. ii. 37, Note.
[4451] Glory. The word doxa means both "doctrine" and "glory."
[4452] Properties. idiotetes. Petav. de Trin. iv. Proem. § 2 gives other Greek equivalent terms. The Latin terms are "notiones" (S. Thom. Aq. Summa. I. xxxii. qu. 2), "proprietates" or relationes. They denote those relative "attributes ad intra" which distinguish the Persons, if they do not actually constitute the Personality of each of the Three Divine Persons. They are five in number, Unbegottenness, Paternity, Filiation, active and passive Spiration. Perhaps the nearest English equivalent is "characteristic (or distinctive) relations."--Cf. Orat. xlii. 15.