After Barlaam was gone forth, Ioasaph gave himself unto prayer and
bitter tears, and said, "O God, haste thee to help me: O Lord, make
speed to help me, because the poor hath committed himself unto thee;
thou art the helper of the orphan. Look upon me, and have mercy upon
me; thou who willest have all men to be saved and to come unto the
knowledge of the truth, save me, and strengthen me, unworthy though I
be, to walk the way of thy holy commandments, for I am weak and
miserable, and not able to do the thing that is good. But thou art
mighty to save me, who sustainest and holdest together all things
visible and invisible. Suffer me not to walk after the evil will of the
flesh, but teach me to do thy will, and preserve me unto thine eternal
and blissful life. O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the consubstantial
and undivided Godhead, I call upon thee and glorify thee. Thou art
praised by all creation; thou art glorified by the intelligent powers
of the Angels for ever and ever. Amen."
From that time forth he kept himself with all vigilance, seeking to
attain purity of soul and body, and living in continency and prayers
and intercessions all night long. In the day-time he was often
interrupted by the company of his fellows, and at times by a visit from
the king, or a call to the king's presence, but the night would then
make good the shortcomings of the day, whilst he stood, in prayer and
weeping until daybreak, calling upon God. Whence in him was fulfilled
the saying of the prophet, "In nights raise your hands unto holy
things; and bless ye the Lord."
But Zardan observed Ioasaph's way of life, and was full of sorrow, and
his soul was pierced with grievous anxieties; and he knew not what to
do. At the last, worn down with pain, he withdrew to his own home,
feigning sickness. When this had come to the knowledge of the king he
appointed in his place another of his trusty men to minister unto his
son, while he himself, being concerned for Zardan's health, sent a
physician of reputation, and took great pains that he should be healed.
The physician, seeing that Zardan was in favour with the king, attended
him diligently, and, having right well judged his ease, soon made this
report to the king; "I have been unable to discover any root of disease
in the man: wherefore I suppose that this weakness is to be ascribed to
distress of spirit." But, on hearing his words, the king suspected
that his son had been wroth with Zardan, and that this slight had
caused his retirement. So, wishing to search the matter, he sent
Zardan word, saying "To-morrow I shall come to see thee, and judge of
the malady that hath befallen thee."
But Zardan, on hearing this message, at daybreak wrapt his cloak around
him and went to the king, and entered and fell in obeisance on the
ground. The king spake unto him, "Why hast thou forced thyself to
appear? I was minded to visit thee myself, and so make known to all my
friendship for thee." He answered, "My sickness, O king, is no malady
common to man; but pain of heart, arising from an anxious and careful
mind, hath caused my body to suffer in sympathy. It had been folly in
me, being as I am, not to attend as a slave before thy might, but to
wait for thy Majesty to be troubled to come to me thy servant." Then
the king enquired after the cause of his despondency; Zardan answered
and said, "Mighty is my peril, and mighty are the penalties that I
deserve, and many deaths do I merit, for that I have been guilty of
neglect of thy behests, and have brought on thee such sorrow as never
before."
Again said the king, "And of what neglect hast thou been guilty? And
what is the dread that encompasseth thee?" "I have been guilty," said
he, "of negligence in my close care of my lord thy son. There came an
evil man and a sorcerer, and communicated to him the precepts of the
Christian religion." Then he related to the king, point by point, the
words which the old man spake with his son, and how gladly Ioasaph
received his word, and how he had altogether become Christ's. Moreover
he gave the old man's name, saying that it was Barlaam. Even before
then the king had heard tell of Barlaam's ways and his extreme severity
of life; but, when this came to the ears of the king, he was
straightway astonied by the dismay that fell on him, and was filled
with anger, and his blood well-nigh curdled at the tidings. Immediately
he bade call one Araches, who held the second rank after the king, and
was the chief in all his private councils: besides which the man was
learned in star-lore. When he was come, with much despondency and
dejection the king told him of that which had happened. He, seeing the
king's trouble and confusion of mind, said, "O king, trouble and
distress thyself no more. We are not without hope that the prince will
yet change for the better: nay, I know for very certain that he will
speedily renounce the teaching of this deceiver, and conform to thy
will."
By these words then did Araches set the king in happier frame of mind;
and they turned their thoughts to the thorough sifting of the matter.
"This, O king," said Araches, "do we first of all. Make we haste to
apprehend that infamous Barlaam. If we take him, I am assured that we
shall not miss the mark, nor be cheated of our hope. Barlaam himself
shall be persuaded, either by persuasion or by divers engines of
torture, against his will to confess that he hath been talking falsely
and at random, and shall persuade my lord, thy son, to cleave to his
father's creed. But if we fail to take Barlaam, I know of an eremite,
Nachor by name, in every way like unto him: it is impossible to
distinguish the one from the other. He is of our opinion, and was my
teacher in studies. I will give him the hint, and go by night, and
tell him the full tale. Then will we blazon it abroad that Barlaam
hath been caught; but we shall exhibit Nachor, who, calling himself
Barlaam, shall feign that he is pleading the cause of the Christians
and standing forth as their champion. Then, after much disputation, he
shall be worsted and utterly discomfited. The prince, seeing Barlaam
worsted, and our side victorious, will doubtless join the victors; the
more so that he counteth it a great duty to reverence thy majesty, and
do thy pleasure. Also the man who hath played the part of Barlaam
shall be converted, and stoutly proclaim that he hath been in error."
Tim king was delighted with his words, and rocked himself on idle
hopes, and thought it excellent counsel. Thereupon, learning that
Barlaam was but lately departed, he was zealous to take him prisoner.
He therefore occupied most of the passes with troops and captains, and,
himself, mounting his chariot, gave furious chase along the one road of
which he was especially suspicious, being minded to surprise Barlaam at
all costs. But though he toiled by the space of six full days, his
labour was but spent in vain. Then he himself remained behind in one
of his palaces situate in the country, but sent forward Araches, with
horsemen not a few, as far as the wilderness of Senaar, in quest of
Barlaam. When Araches arrived in that place, he threw all the
neighbour folk into commotion: and when they constantly affirmed that
they had never seen the man, he went forth into the desert places, for
to hunt out the Faithful. When he had gone through a great tract of
desert, and made the circuit of the fells around, and journeyed a-foot
over untrodden and pathless ravines, he and his hosts arrived at a
plateau. Standing thereon, he descried at the foot of the mountain a
company of hermits a-walking. Straightway at their governor's word of
command all his men ran upon them in breathless haste, vying one with
another, who should arrive first. When they arrived, they came about
the monks like so many dogs, or evil beasts that plague mankind. And
they seized these men of reverend mien and mind, that bore on their
faces the hall-mark of their hermit life, and haled them before the
governor; but the monks showed no sign of alarm, no sign of meanness or
sullenness, and spake never a word. Their leader and captain bore a
wallet of hair, charged with the relics of some holy Fathers departed
this life.
When Araches beheld them, but saw no Barlaam--for he knew him by
sight--he was overwhelmed with grief, and said unto them, "Where is
that deceiver who hath led the king's son astray?" The bearer of the
wallet answered, "He is not amongst us, God forbid! For, driven forth
by the grace of Christ, he avoideth us; but amongst you he hath his
dwelling." The governor said, "Thou knowest him then?" "Yea," said
the hermit, "I know him that is called the deceiver, which is the
devil, who dwelleth in your midst and is worshipped and served by you."
The governor said, "It is for Barlaam that I make search, and I asked
thee of him, to learn where he is." The monk answered, "And wherefore
then spakest thou in this ambiguous manner, asking about him that had
deceived the king's son? If thou wast seeking Barlaam, thou shouldest
certainly have said, 'Where is he that hath turned from error and saved
the king's son?' Barlaam is our brother and fellow-monk. But now for
many days past we have not seen his face." Said Araches, "Show me his
abode." The monk answered, "Had he wished to see you, he would have
come forth to meet you. As for us, it is not lawful to make known to
you his hermitage."
Thereupon the governor waxed full of indignation, and, casting a
haughty and savage glance upon him, said, "Ye shall die no ordinary
death, except ye immediately bring Barlaam before me." "What," said the
monk, "seest thou in our case that should by its attractions cause us
to cling to life, and be afraid of death at thy hands? Whereas we
should the rather feel grateful to thee for removing us from life in
the close adherence to virtue. For we dread, not a little, the
uncertainty of the end, knowing not in what state death shall overtake
us, lest perchance a slip of the inclination, or some despiteful
dealing of the devil, may alter the constancy of our choice, and
mis-persuade us to think or do contrary to our covenants with God.
Wherefore abandon all hope of gaining the knowledge that ye desire, and
shrink not to work your will. We shall neither reveal the
dwelling-place of our brother, whom God loveth, although we know it,
nor shall we betray any other monasteries unbeknown to ye. We will not
endure to escape death by such cowardice. Nay, liefer would we die
honourably, and offer unto God, after the sweats of virtue, the
life-blood of courage."
That man of sin could not brook this boldness of speech, and was moved
to the keenest passion against this high and noble spirit, and
afflicted the monks with many stripes and tortures. Their courage and
nobility won admiration even from that tyrant. But, when after many
punishments he failed to persuade them, and none of them consented to
discover Barlaam, he took and ordered them to be led to the king,
bearing with them the wallet with the relics, and to be beaten and
shamefully entreated as they went.