16. And then one day he got up and went to church...

And one day he got up and went to church to pray; And when the procession was over, he returned to his room and sat down before the gate of his parents' house, and his father was also there. And when Blessed Andrew was passing along the road leading along the street, doing what was his custom, Epiphanius saw him and, moved by friendly sympathy, wanted to lead him into his house. However, he did not know how to introduce this acquaintance of his to his father, who was in the house, and, pretending that he did not know Andrew, he said to his father: "My lord father! Do you see that man walking hither and thither with a naked body? It seems to me that, although he has gone mad because of the intrigues of the enemy of the human race, yet, my lord father, let you not see the death of your dear son Epiphanius! "Let us bring him into our house, and with the help of the Lord, Who has honored and made you rich, give him food from the blessings that God has given us, and give him wine to drink for the redemption of our souls — for this is what we must find in the Kingdom of God." His father, being inspired and glad, kissed him and said: "O peace of my soul and the light of my eyes, need you ask me about such a matter? Go and do as you suggest, for all that is mine is yours." Epiphanius answered: "Yes, father, I also know, but it is written: 'The son who teaches his father shall perish, and wherever the father undertakes the work, every filial enterprise will be destroyed.'" Hearing this, the father rejoiced at the prudence shown even in his son's answers. And Epiphanius quickly ran after the saint, caught up with him far from the house and led him, holding him by the hand, to himself. And when they approached the gate, but his father was not there, Blessed Andrew refused to enter it, but sat outside. Then Epiphanius' neighbors and passers-by, seeing the naked and insane man, began to gather to him, and some wailed with groans, cursing the devil that he had ruined such a man by depriving him of his mind, others gave him small coins, and still others wine; he, according to his custom, drove everyone away.

17. And while he was sitting on the ground at the gate, a young eunuch came...

And while he was sitting on the ground at the gate, there came a young eunuch, who had been a servant of a noble gentleman. His face was like a rose, with a body as white as snow, stately, fair-haired, possessed of extraordinary softness, fragrant with musk from afar. Since Epiphanius grew up with him and was his friend, they had great affection for each other. And so the eunuch brought with him dates, about thirty of them. Seeing the saint with a naked body, he became agitated and began to ask Epiphanius, saying at the same time: "My dearest and beloved Epiphanius! Indeed, this man, and why does he walk naked, when the winter and the cold are unbearable, and he looks like those who have been shipwrecked?" Epiphanius answered him: "Dear brother, I do not know what to tell you about his appearance, for his mind is in captivity to the evil one, and he wanders around like a madman possessed. However, all people of this kind tear up their tunics, run around without feeling anything." And he said this, not wanting to reveal the feat of the saint. Hearing this, the eunuch fell silent and gave all the dates that he had to the blessed one, pitying him as a poor man, and said: "Take this for the time being, since I have nothing else here." The saint, divining with the eyes of his mind the deeds of his soul, looked at him with a menacing gaze and said: "Fools do not eat the gifts of colophony." And the eunuch, who did not understand what was said, said to him: "O truly bereft of reason! Did you look at the dates and think they were Colophon?" The blessed one said to him: "Go away, deceiver, to your master's bedchamber and give yourself up with him to the disease of sodomy, and he will give you other dates as well. O wretched one, who does not see the rays of the Kingdom of Heaven, who does not realize the severity and cruelty of hell! Are you not ashamed even of the angel who accompanies you as a Christian? What must happen to you, unclean one, hiding in corners and doing what you ought not to do, which neither dogs, nor pigs, nor creeping creatures, nor snakes do? Why do you, O damned one, do this? Woe to your youth, which Satan has mutilated and thrown with fury and boundless audacity to the terrible depths of hell! See that you go no further, lest some day the god do you justice, incinerating you here with a bolt of lightning, and there with hellfire fire." Hearing this, the eunuch trembled, his face became like fire, and he was ashamed of great shame. Epiphanius said to him: "What has happened to you, my lord? What are you ashamed of? For I told you that he was mad, and if anything came into his head, he would talk about it. And yet, my beloved in Christ, if you know anything of what he has said to you, then go and correct yourself, and do not be angry with his words: for you are young, and Satan is evil, and compels us to commit sin only to make us his comfort in the fire of hell."

Hearing this, the eunuch departed, and the worthy Epiphanius, calling the saint, went with him to his room, and finding a table there, they sat down and rejoiced in the gifts of God. And after they have had their fill"! Epiphanius said to the blessed one: "Why, venerable lord, hast thou so severely rebuked my friend?" The blessed one answered him: "Because he is your friend and dear to you! That is why I entered into conversation with him, for if he were not your friend, he would not have heard a single word from me at all: it is not my purpose to reproach sinners, but to flee the straight path that leads to a better life." Epiphanius again says: "I know this, O servant of God, but this young man is a slave, and being compelled by his master, what can he do?" The saint answers: "I know, and I know it very well; however, for bodily needs, the slave must obey the one who bought him, and not for the sake of the devil's occupations, especially this accursed and abominable abomination, which even animals do not know how to do." Epiphanius said: "If the master gives an order to a slave for bodily needs, or spiritual, or sinful, and the slave does not obey, you know, of course, my lord, how much he will endure, insulted, beaten, showered with threats, and receiving all other torments." And the saint answered: "This, child, is the martyrdom of Jesus Christ, of which he hinted: 'Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.' Therefore, if slaves do not submit to their masters in the abominable lust of sodomy, they are blessed and thrice blessed, for through the trials of which you speak, they will be numbered among the martyrs."

18. While they were talking about this, one of Epiphanius' servants...

While they were talking about this, one of the servants of Epiphanius, whom his father had entrusted to buy food, observing the saint, understood the meaning of his service and, sitting at his feet, began with tears to beseech the saint, that he would intercede for him before God, that he might lead such a life. And the righteous man understood in his soul what exactly this boy was striving to receive, and, wishing to speak with him alone, by the power of the Holy Spirit he changed his speech into Syriac, then sat down and began to speak to him in Syriac, as he had wished. And the boy spoke to him thus: "If I were not capable of this, I would not have asked you to help me become like yourself." The saint answered him: "You cannot endure the trials and hard labors of this feat, for this path is narrow; Wherefore it is better to remain as thou art in piety and modesty, learning from thy master what is best and what leads to salvation, avoiding lust, adultery, vindictiveness, and all other passions, lest such misfortunes befall thee." And the boy said to him, "And so, if you will not listen to me, an insignificant one, tell me that you cannot do it, and I will certainly leave you."

Epiphanius, noticing the sudden transformation of the boy, for he spoke in a language he had not learned, said: "What a miracle! Wondrous is God in His saints!" And Blessed Andrew asked the Lord about this boy, what was really to happen at his request, and a voice appeared to him, saying: "There is no profit in this, refuse this enterprise; but show him what it is, so that he does not condemn you as powerless." And the blessed one immediately commanded the angel standing next to them: "Fill the cup of spiritual joy, from which pours out the grace of the gift given to me." The angel of the Lord did so, and the blessed one said to him: "Give drink to him who sits at my feet." He immediately gave him water invisibly, and the boy began to make signs similar to those made by the God-bearing father, who, looking at him, smiled joyfully. And Epiphanius, seeing what had happened, became anxious, fearing that all the wrath of his father would fall upon him, and said to the blessed one: "I beseech thee, servant of God, not to do this to the servant of my father, lest thou also be treated with contempt, and God be reproached for good, and render me not worthy of hatred and curse before my father. Wherefore I beseech and beseech thee, that thou mayest not reject my request as in vain, but that thou mayest remember the testimony of my love which thy servant, which I once gave thee." And the blessed one, not wishing to leave the request of Epiphanius fruitless, commanded the angel to take away from the boy the gift given to him, and immediately the angel of the Lord took this grace from him, and the boy returned to his former state, in which he had been before. In great sorrow, however, he began to beseech the saint to give him this gift again. The latter answered him: "You told me that I was not able to manifest such a thing in you; see now and know that in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I can manifest in you even more, if I will; however, your lord Epiphanius came to your defense, and the divine laws "do not allow you to act contrary to the opinion of your master." And then one of the slaves, the boy's companions, called him to his usual service by order of his master.

With the onset of evening Epiphanius persuaded the saint to remain with him. Near the first night watch, all the slaves, having fulfilled their duties, gathered around Epiphanius, seized with ardent love, and since they stood with clasped hands, he ordered them to sit down.

19. ON THE SERVANTS OF EPIPHANIUS.

And so, as soon as everyone sat down around him, Blessed Andrew looked with the spiritual eye of his mind at the actions of each of them, and what sin each of them had committed, and, wishing to bring them to their senses, he began to speak in allegories, recounting a certain parable. And some, heeding the words of the saint, repented, covered with the color of shame, others felt dizziness and trembling, and still others fled in shame. After all, the simple speech of the righteous man decisively exposed the sins of all of them, revealing why, how, and where they were committed. But what is even more surprising is that each of them perceived what was said in his own language; and each concluded: "This man speaks of me." And falling into fear and trembling because in parables he rebuked their sins, they came to repentance. And the vile demon, looking at how the slaves of Epiphanius were reforming, brought with him a multitude of unclean spirits, and, sitting down in the courtyard in front of the house, they began to laugh. The blessed one guessed and smiled when he heard this. Then Epiphanius and those who were with him noticed the righteous man's smile and, considering it strange, wanted to know why he behaved in this way: after all, they did not hear the voices of evil demons, for they did not have such insight. Realizing this, the righteous man, casting a glance to the right, said with a kind of authority: "Lift the veil from the hearts of those who are here!" With these words of his, their spiritual ears were opened, and they heard what the demons were talking about. And they began to ask Epiphanius: "Lord, who are these profligate women, who, standing outside the gates, compete in shamelessness?" And he answered them: "It is the demons who jump joyfully, because we are sinners." And when they heard this, they began to scold themselves. Suddenly, suddenly rising and bowing at the feet of the worthy Epiphanius, they went each to his bed. But as one was leaving, he said to the other, "Have you noticed a strange thing: how did this poor man tell me about my sins?" And the other said: "Believe me, brothers, he has revealed to me all the secrets of my heart!" And some said that he was a saint, others that he was a soothsayer and by the arrangement of the signs of the Zodiac announced what could happen, and still others objected: "He revealed everything to us with the help of demonic power."

Finally, when everyone had fallen asleep, Epiphanius, leaving his bed, according to his custom, lay down on the floor; the saint, pretending to have fallen asleep on the bed of Epiphanius, left him himself, went out into the courtyard and lay down in a dunghill for the rest of the night.

With the onset of morning, he went out, accompanied by Epiphanius, to his spiritual struggle. Then Epiphanius, summoning to him the boy with whom the saint had spoken in Syriac, began to find out from him how this mystery had been created in him. "My lord," he said, "when I entered your room, I was suddenly speechless, for I saw the face of that saint shining brighter than the sun. Astonished, I heard a voice (from whence I do not know) saying to me: "Look, and you will understand how great his foolishness has made for the Lord's sake." Then I began to look: and behold, from the ray that was on the righteous man, a part separated and approached my face, and immediately I began to make his movements — for as long as you saw. Then they took it away from me, and I became what I was before, that is, attached to ordinary worldly things. Now, sir, from now on, be thyself the guardian of my salvation, leading me along the path of God's commandments." Hearing this, Epiphanius was amazed in his soul and felt dizzy. Embracing the boy with tears, he kissed his eyes, which had become witnesses to such mysteries, and said: "The Almighty Lord, Who has shown you His wondrous mysteries, can save your soul also, my beloved brother, and from this day I will dispose of your Affairs, considering you my close friend and spiritual brother." That is why from that time on, Epiphanius fell in love with the boy, becoming his assistant in everything that pleased the Creator.

And Blessed Andrew, after having departed from the house of Epiphanius, wrestled in the hidden places and nooks of the city, where no one knew him, pierced by unbearable cold and fettered by the cold, hated by all, so that even the children of the city beat him, dragged him, beat him cruelly, and, throwing a rope around his neck, dragged him! Thus tormented, he went to the Artopolis to recuperate his strength, for his body had been exhausted by excessive fasting. Some of the Christ-loving people, noticing how exhausted he was, gave him small coins, and since they had not seen him for a long time, they said: "Where have you been until now, idiot, and where have you spent so many days?" And he answered them: "Do you not know, blockheads, that when I was with fools, I fought like a fool? Why, you are fools yourself!"; They laughed at him, not understanding what was said, for he called fools the pernicious demons, with whom he always waged a struggle, fighting for the Kingdom of Heaven. And some gave him small coins, others beans, others bread, others cheese or fruit, each of what he bought. And he, going into the tavern, divided; all this with poor people like him. And often some of the compassionate people, feeling sorry for him and sympathizing with him, gave up the cloak; but other poor people, living like unscrupulous robbers, attacked! they robbed him by night and, having undressed him, and fled, leaving him naked: these are those whom the townspeople usually call the archbishop's boys.