HOMILY VII.] HOMILIES ON PHILIPPIANS. 217 glory any other way than by fleeing from glory, for as long as we pursue it, it flies from us, but when we flee from it, then it pursues us. If thou wouldest be glorious, do not desire glory. If thou wouldest be lofty, do not make thyself lofty. And further, all honor him who does not grasp at honor, but spurn him who seeks it. For the human race somehow or other is fond of contention, and leans to contrary feeling. Let us therefore despise glory, for thus we shall be enabled to become lowly, or rather to become exalted. Exalt not thyself, that thou rnayest be exalted by another ; he that is exalted by him self is not exalted by others, he who is humbled by himself is not humbled by others. Haughti ness is a great evil, it is better to be a fool than haughty ; for in the one case, the folly is only a perversion of intellect, but in the other case it is still worse, and is folly joined with madness : the fool is an evil to himself ; but the haughty man is a plague to others too. This misery comes ofsenselessness. One cannot be haughty-minded without being a fool ; and he that is brimfull of folly is haughty. Listen to the Wise Man, who says, " I saw a man wise in his own conceit ; there is more hope of a fool than of him." (Prov. xxvi. 12.) Seest thou how it was not without reason I said, that the evil of which I am speaking is worse than that of folly, for it is written, " There is more hope of a fool than of him"? Wherefore, Paul too said, " Be not wise in your own conceits." (Rom. xii. 16.) Tell me what description of bodies do we say are in good health, those which are much inflated, and are inwardly full of much air and water, or those which are kept low, and have their surface such as marks restraint? It is manifest that we should choose the latter. So, too with the soul, that which is puffed up has a worse disease than dropsy, whilst that which is under restraint is freed from all evil. How great then are the good things which lowliness of mind bringeth to us ! What wouldest thou have ? For bearance ? freedom from anger ? love to our fel low-men? soberness? attentiveness ? All these good things spring from lowly-mindedness, and their contraries from haughtiness : the haughty man must needs be also insolent, a brawler, wrathful, bitter, sullen, a beast rather than a man. Art thou strong, and proud thereat? Thou shouldest rather be humble on this ac count. Why art thou proud for a thing of nought? For even a lion is bolder than thou, a wild boar is stronger, and thou art not even as a fly in comparison with them. Robbers too, and violaters of tombs, and gladiators, and even thine own slaves, and those perchance who are more stupid still, are stronger than thou. Is this then a fit subject for praise ? Art thou proud of such a matter ? Bury thyself for shame ! But art thou handsome and beautiful? This is the boast of crows ! Thou art not fairer than the peacock, as regards either its color or its plumage ; the bird beats thee in plumage, it far surpasseth thee in its feathers and in its color. The swan too is passing fair, and many other birds, with whom if thou art compared thou wilt see that thou art nought. Often too worth less boys, and unmarried girls, and harlots, and effeminate men have had this boast ; is this then a cause for haughtiness? But art thou rich? Whence so? what hast thou? Gold, silver, precious stones ! This is the boast of robbers also, of man-slayers, of those who work in the mines. That which is the labor of criminals becomes to thee a boast ! But dost thou adorn and deck thyself out ? Well, we may see horses also decked out, and among the Persians camels too, and as for men, all those who are about the stage. Art thou not ashamed to boast thyself of these things, if unreasoning animals, and slaves, and man-slayers, and effeminate, and robbers, and violaters of tombs, share with thee ? Dost thou build splendid palaces? and what of this? Many jackdaws dwell in more splendid houses, and have more noble retreats. Dost thou not see how many, who were mad after money, have built houses in fields and desert places, that are retreats for jackdaws? But art thou proud on account of thy voice. Thou canst by no means sing with clearer and sweeter tones than the swan or the nightingale. Is it for thy varied knowledge of arts ? But what is wiser than the bee in this ; what embroiderer, what painter, what geometrician, can imitate her works ? Is it for the fineness of thy apparel ? But here the spiders beat thee. Is it for the swiftness of thy feet? Again the first prize is with unreasoning animals, the hare, and the gazelle, and all the beasts 1 which are not want ing in swiftness of foot. Hast thou traveled much? Not more than the birds; their transit is more easily made, they have no need of pro visions for the way, nor beasts of burden, for their wings are all-sufficient for them ; this is their vessel, this their beast of burden, this their car, this is even their wind, in short, all that a man can name. But art thou clear sighted? Not as the gazelle ; not as the eagle. Art thou quick of hearing? the ass is more so. Of scent? the hound suffers thee not to surpass him. Art thou a good provider? yet thou art inferior to the ant. Dost thou gather gold ? Yet not as the Indian ants. Art thou proud because of thy health? Unreasoning creatures are far better than we both in habit of body, and in indepen dence ; they fear no poverty. " Behold the 1 (iTroAeiirfTat is better with a word after it, read perhaps irTt]vutv t " and the beasts that are not left behind by the birds for swiftness of foot."