The Life of Rabban Hormizd (chapters 18. Of the coming of the Catholicus to the consecration of the Monastery–24. The Death of Rabban Gôrmîzd)

The Life of Rabban Hormizd

continued

Chapter 18. Of the coming of the Catholicus to the consecration of the Monastery

And Mâr Catholicus, the Patriarch of the East, Tûmârşâ the Second, heard that the Monastery of Rabban Hôrmizd in the mountain of 'Edhrai was completed, and he rejoiced with an exceedingly great joy in Rabban, for he had been a fellow monk of Rabban's, and a most familiar friend, and he had been in the same monastery with him, and moreover, he had been thoroughly well acquainted with his divine life and deeds from the time when they lived in close intercourse together in the holy Monastery of Rabban Bar Idtâ. And by reason of the divine love which [existed] between each of them Tûmârşâ was constrained by divine love, and also because the matter necessarily called to him to come to Rabban, the great glory of his bishops went up from his throne, and came to Rabban in that mountain of Bêth Edhrai. And it came to pass that when Rabban heard and he had learned by the spirit of divine revelation that the coming of Mâr Catholicus unto him had drawn nigh, he called unto his servant Gabriel, and unto George his steward, and said unto them, "O my brethren and children, inasmuch as the grace of Christ hath invited our Father, the pious Mâr Tûmârṣâ the Second, the Patriarch of the East, and hath, moreover, made straight his journey unto us for sundry and divers causes which [lie] between him and me, it is seemly for us to go down to meet our Father, and for us to receive him with that honour which befitteth his greatness.

Now let the brethren go down, one hundred in number, together with the Book of the Gospels, and with censers, and with lights, and with branches of trees' which will give shade; and behold, my beloved, ye must receive the pious person of our Father in Bêth Ḳôpâ, a village of believing men. Then without any hesitation (or, delay) whatsoever, Gabriel and George did what Rabban had commanded them, and, according to what he had said unto them, that they should meet him in Bêth Ḳôpâ, a village of believing men, they went forth to meet him and they overtook him [there] as they were chanting holy Psalms. But inasmuch as Mâr Tûmârṣâ was a man who was full of grace, and a fearer of God, it seemed not good in his sight to make known concerning himself in the village of Bêth Kôpâ that he was Mâr Catholicus, and it was only after the brethren, the children of Rabban Hôrmizd, had come to meet him with such pomp and ceremony, that the believing men of the village learned from the brethren that he was Mâr Catholicus [for they said], "Rabban hath commanded 'us to go down to meet him.'" Then did the minds of the believing men of the village of Bêth Kôpâ fall between the mountains of doubt, for on the one hand Mâr Tûmârsâ was the Catholicus, and yet he had not revealed concerning himself that he was the Catholicus, and on the other he had proclaimed that he himself was the Patriarch;

as the former he was a son of praise, and as the latter a son of the kingdom. Then they went together to Rabban, and both companies of men were singing [as they went] before the pious Patriarch, and chanting holy hymns and canticles. And Rabban met Mâr Catholicus before the temple, for he was not able to walk any further by reason of his old age, and the frailty of his body which had become old and greatly wasted through the labours and exceedingly great toil of the ascetic life [which he had led]. Now when the two personages had received each other no tongue of flesh can describe how great was the divine joy which took up its abode in the holy soul of Mâr Tûmârsâ the Second by reason of his meeting with Rabban, and having met Rabban, the soul of Mâr Catholicus rejoiced by reason of the Divine grace wherewith he was clothed. And when they had held divine converse with each other for a brief space the holy man Rabban Hôrmîzd said unto him, "If our Father wish [it] let him command his servants, and they shall make ready for us a place of habitation so that thou mayest enjoy rest, my lord, before thou shalt consecrate this temple which hath been dedicated to the honour of thy Lord. Then the Patriarch answered and said unto Rabban, "Yea or nay. I say unto thee that I will not drink water this day until I have consecrated ed thine altar, my lord, this day.

And straightway he commanded, and the beater smote the board which called the monks together, and as soon as the whole company of the brethren was assembled in the temple Tûmârsâ the Patriarch began the service of consecration, and he was administering the Holy Mysteries to everyone from noon of the day on which he had entered into the monastery until far into the night. And at the completion of the consecration of that holy altar the souls of Rabban and of his spiritual sons were gratified, and henceforward the whole of that country was girt about with great gladness because our Lord had held that country and the inhabitants thereof to be worthy to see therein the Monastery of Rabban Hôrmîzd, the glorious man. But we must not dismiss into oblivion the excellence and goodness of the upright and believing man Khôdâhwî, the son of Shûbhhî, and his anxious care and love for Rabban and his sons, for he desired to help with all his heart, and he exerted himself strenuously that the furniture of that holy and godly house should be provided from his own possessions and from the abundant riches of his fathers. And he added greatly to the large amount of money which he had already given unto Rabban, and when this righteous man saw Mâr Tûmârsâ, the Patriarch, passing through the village of Bêth Kôpâ to go to Rabban to consecrate that holy temple which he had founded to the glory of Christ with his name, straightway and quickly he sent his servants, together with goods and much money, to the city of Mâwsel, [saying, "See that] there is there this day everything which is necessary for the well-being of the Patriarch and of the brethren. And he himself took seven mules, and loaded them with corn, and with wine, and with good things of every kind for the consecration of that holy temple, and he also took in his hand a talent of silver.

And when the Patriarch had finished [administering] the Holy Mysteries, even as I have said above, Khôdâhwî, and Gabriel, and George gathered together all the priests, and 'deacons, and believing men who were gathered together there to celebrate the holy festival, and he made the community of the brethren to be gratified with bread, and wine, and oil; and whatsoever remained [from the meal] of the company of believing men and priests the brethren divided among themselves. In this way did that multitude (or, assembly) of believers rejoice in the confession of the faith in God, and they were all bound together in one true bond of the Holy Spirit; and each of them was talking of the confession of faith and thanks which they were offering unto God in the Holy Spirit through the supplication and prayer which the holy man Rabban [was making] on their behalf. And our Father, the pious Mâr Tûmârsâ the Patriarch, was occupied with Rabban in the secret matters on account of which he had come unto him, and by Rabban's prayers he obtained a complete and satisfactory issue out of them all, and he had rest from strifes by the prayers of Rabban, and by Divine Grace he obtained freedom therefrom. Then the Patriarch gave the command and wrote a decree with his own hand, in which [it] was set forth thus:— "I Tûmârsâ the Catholicus, a stranger, who by the grace of God hold [the office] of Patriarch of the Eastern Country, whom the mercy of heaven hath invited to the opening of this holy church, which is a type and image of the heavenly Jerusalem, I hereby command by the heavenly nod, and I curse by the speech of angels, and I deny by the divine command that any Bishop or Metropolitan in all the country hath any power to take in his hand the priestly staff, or to put on the apostolic apparel in this holy monastery which Rabban Hōrmīzd hath founded; and no one shall bind in or loose from the headship of the brethren who are in this monastery except only the Patriarch of the East, whosoever he may be, and it is only just and seemly thus to proclaim (for this altar hath been consecrated by my hands) through the blessed and pious brethren; and the Bishops and Metropolitans who are with me to this have set [their hands]." Thus did they decree in the handwriting of the pious Mār Tūmārṣā, the Catholicus and Patriarch, and [to this decree] did all the brethren, and the Bishops, and the Metropolitans set their hands, hand after hand, one after his fellow, and the Patriarch sealed this [writing] and placed it in the hand of Rabban Hōrmīzd, and the holy man gave it unto George his steward.

And it came to pass after all these things had taken place in this wise, on that same evening, when it was late, they set a feast on the board, and one broke bread and blessed, and they [all] began to partake of the feast with joy and gladness, together with Rabban and the Patriarch; and when they had finished [eating at] the table, and had risen up therefrom, Khōdāhwī, the son of Shubhī, of Kōpā brought unto them [wine to] drink, and they drank together with joy therefrom, each man three cups, according to the command of Abba Isaiah the monk. And moreover, he set a talent of silver before the Patriarch, saying, Take these moneys from the hands of thy disciple "Khôdâhwî, the son of Shubhhi, of Kôpâ, that they may serve for thy use and for the expenses of thy journey, O master. Then Mâr Patriarch looked upon the believing man Khôdâhwî and blessed him, and he said unto him, "The burden which we have laid upon thee yesterday, this day, and now, is sufficient for thee, according to what we have heard, and the true believers have related unto us concerning thee, and concerning thy watchful care and the strenuousness of thy mind towards Rabban and his holy house. Now, as far as it concerneth us, such large moneys as these are of no use unto us, and if thou art willing take back thy money, O our brother, to thyself; that which I possess is sufficient for me.

Then this believing man constrained him, saying, "What I have vowed unto thee [I have vowed]. I must pay unto the Lord my vows, and this money belongeth unto thee and unto the Lord, and it cannot return unto my habitation. Master, thy servant hath possessions in abundance, and they are sufficient for me; only accept thou a talent [of silver] from what I have. And having been constrained to do so by this believing man the Patriarch accepted the money at his hand, and laid [it] before himself.

Chapter 19. Of the gift to the Catholicus from Khôdâhwî after the manner of a blessing

[Thus Khôdâhwî gave] of his own possessions another talent. And the Patriarch called Gabriel and George, the guardians of the monastery of Rabban, and said unto them, "Take this money, and let it [serve] for the expenses of the monastery, and for such things as are lacking therein;" and these stewards accepted the money at the hands of the pious Patriarch, and they did therewith according as they had been commanded. And on the morning of the next day Tûmârsâ the Patriarch set out early on his journey, and Rabban accompanied him as far as our Lord gave him strength, and he [only] ceased from walking when he was unable to go down with him another step; and there they were blessed by each other, and they gave each other the salutation of peace with a holy kiss and separated. Then Rabban returned to his cave, his soul being filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit. Now when that Satan which belonged to the idol [of Mattai] and which led [men] into error, had been driven forth from his place, and had been put to open shame, he breathed forth loud threats of vengeance, and stirred up against Rabban all the heretics who lived round about him, and the heretics, and their chief men who were marbôsê, and also the "shorn" monks who were in all their monasteries.

Chapter 20. Of the drowning of twenty heretics, and of the deliverance of Pîthîon, the Nestorian boatman, who was master of the ferry-boat

Now therefore there was assembled against Rabban a secret council in the city of Mâwsel, and on this account the [members thereof] collected ten talents of silver, saying, "Let us strive to slay him and [to work] the destruction of his soul. For it is this man who hath uprooted our monasteries, and defiled our altars, and overturned from their foundations our temples, and thrown down our sanctuaries; therefore let us deal wisely also in [working] his destruction, even as he hath acted cunningly in bringing about our overthrow. And, if it should happen that we be taken prisoners by the governor because of his death, let us weigh out to him his weight of gold; but let us destroy Rabban because he hath made inroads into our monasteries after the manner of a tyrant, and hath swept away our congregations in a pitiless manner. Let us destroy this man from our dominion [at once], so that he may not lay waste all [our] monasteries, lest his Son of man, Jesus, Who hath become God, according to what he saith, come and deliver him out of our hands. But these men of strife did not know that the sword of Jesus was whetted for their slaughter, and that the spear of the Lord was ready to transfix them.

And there gathered together of their chief men eight marbōsē, and seven "shorn" monks, and five young men, and they went forth from the city of Māwṣel secretly, before the men of the same faith as Rabban knew about them or could plot their destruction; but they stole away and went forth two by two, and three by three, to cross the river Tigris, that they might go up to Rabban under a pretence of peace, and might stretch out their hands upon him and slay him. "And if," [said they] "we be taken prisoners by the governor we will give unto him whatever we are called upon to give, and we shall escape." And it came to pass that in this murderous mind, and with this deadly intent, they embarked in the ferry-boat to cross the river and to go to the holy man that they might destroy him utterly; now the master of the ferry-boat in which they had embarked was a Christian, and he belonged to the orthodox faith. And when the boat had gone a little distance in the waters of the Tigris, and they had come into FoI. 73 a deep water, the boat stood still in the midst of the water, and it would go neither forwards nor backwards. Then was Pîthîôn, the master of the boat, much troubled, and he began to cry out in his faith to the holy man [Rabban] to help him, saying, "O 'help me, ye saints of our Lord, in this season of great tribulations, for our trust is [fixed] upon God and upon His saints.' And again he cried out, and said, 'O God of Rabban Hôrmîzd, help Thou me in this time of my affliction through the prayers of Rabban Hôrmîzd, the glorious man.' And the Lord heard the prayer of Pîthîôn the boatman, and He sent His angel, in the form of Rabban Hôrmîzd, to help him, and Rabban appeared unto him sitting above the sail of the boat;

and whilst Pîthîôn the boatman was wondering at the sight of the old man, who seemed to be made of fire, he took in his right hand the rudder of the boat, and turned the boat upside down, and thus he utterly destroyed all the men in the waters of the river. Now when the boat had gone back a little in the water and it was still floating upside down, suddenly that old man made it to right itself, and to take its former position; and to Pîthîôn, the old boatman, there came no harm, and not one piece of tackle nor any block which was used in the working of the boat was lost, for the old man, who seemed to be of fire, was taking great care of the boat, which he was guarding like the apple of the eye. Then the angelic man made Pīthīōn the old boatman to hear with his natural senses these words, saying, Hearken, O Pīthīōn the boatman, I have delivered thee from all this destruction with these wicked men, and have not destroyed thee along with them, because thou didst make me thy place of refuge, and didst call upon me; moreover, I did answer thee since thou didst call upon me, Rabban Hōrmīzd. These men who have perished in the waters, and whom I have drowned by the grace of our Lord, went forth and came to slay me;

but thee have I made to escape out of their hands, and I have not made thee to perish in the manner in which they have perished. Therefore glorify thy God, O thou old man Pīthīōn, because the Lord did not shew Himself longsuffering in respect of them, and because He hath brought upon them a terrible doom. And an account of this wonderful thing was written [and sent] throughout all the country which was round about them; thus the Lord protected and made His friend to triumph by means of such things as these, and by others which were like unto them. And this old man [Rabban] was hot with zeal against the heretics, and he burned with fervent desire for the utter destruction of their worship of error. And he besought our Lord, and made supplication unto Him in his prayer, saying, "O Lord Jesus Christ, Thou true and beloved Son, Thou Light of light Who hast destroyed the darkness of error out of the world and hast illumined it with the light of Thy Godhead, grant Thou unto me rational and spiritual might that I may go into the dark chambers of the hidden things of the children of darkness, and may be able by the power which [I shall receive] from Thee to make to be of none effect the error, which [is contained] in the books [of the heretics] that have been written by the finger of iniquity and [composed by] sinful meditation, wherein is buried the medicine of death (i. e., poison); in Thy Father, and by Thy Spirit, and by Thy feeble servant, let Thy holy name be glorified, Amen."

Chapter 21. Of the destruction of the books of forgery of the heretics

And when Rabban had made an end of his prayer the salutation of peace was given unto him by a spiritual being, and an angel took him by his right hand, and said unto him, "Peace, O Rabban; peace, O Rabban; and having smitten his wings of the spirit together, with one stroke he set Rabban immediately at the door of the tavern of Mattai, and then removed himself therefrom and stood opposite [to Rabban]. And Rabban prayed with many sad and sorrowful tears, and made supplication concerning the error of the sons of the deceiver. Then the spiritual being made answer unto him in a figurative manner, [saying], "I do not desire the death of a sinner, but that he should repent of his iniquity, and live. If he repenteth in truth, [well]; and if he doth not, what then? These things were revealed after the manner of a mystery in that divine understanding, [as if to say], "They will not turn from their evil ways and do the things which are good, for they have learned to commit wickedness.

And it came to pass that when the evening had come, and every man had returned unto his habitation and was asleep, the holy man again prayed unto our Lord that He would give him the victory in the matter on account of which the mercy of heaven had led his steps thither, and which it had summoned him [to do], and that he might be delivered from the baleful attacks of the devils which were stirring up war against the holy men of God. Now therefore the holy, spiritual being opened before him the gates which were fastened carefully, and he led him from place to place through the dark and secret chambers [of the monastery] until he set him at the door of the room where the books of the calumniators [of God] were kept, and he went before him, and opened it and said unto him, "Behold, O thou zealous man of Christ, take the things of the spirit, and make thyself rich [therewith]. And the blessed man went about hither and thither in the room in which the books of the deceiver were kept, and he prayed unto our Lord that peradventure He might make him wise [to bring about] the violent destruction of the books of the deceiver, and as he was praying there a small fountain of water welled up for Rabban in the room in which he was standing, and the waters thereof were thick by nature and stinking in smell ;

and Rabban knew that the waters which bubbled up from that fountain were akin unto the stinking offal of the body. Then straightway in the strength of the zeal of a zealous man he took the books which were arranged in rows in the library, and he befouled them with the water, and dipped them in it, and they were at once destroyed and were fit for nothing whatsoever; and when Rabban had thus done unto all those books, and had made an end [of the doing], the fountain of water which had welled up suddenly ceased to flow. And Rabban prayed again unto our Lord, and that angel who had already carried him seized him and bore him away from that place to the outside of the gate of the monastery of the deceiver. And the soul of the righteous man was crying out to him through sickness (or, sorrow), and he was asking of our Lord release from this world. Then he heard a voice which could be perceived by the senses from the heights of heaven, saying, "Fear not, O My servant Hôrmîzd, for the completion of thy strife, and the end of thy days shall be granted unto thee;" and at this voice which could be perceived by the senses his holy soul was filled with the spirit of Divine Grace. And suddenly his understanding was seized and carried away with wonderment at God, and with the sight of the Holy Trinity, and with heavenly contemplation, and moreover, it was then revealed unto him on what day his departure from this world of labours and afflictions unto the place of divine rest and delight, and to the Jerusalem of the holy firstborn, should take place. And the delights of the new world were made known in his mind in a secret and mysterious manner, according to that sublime gift which had been given unto him by our Lord from the time of his youth and up to that day, and thereby had he become renewed and had gained the strength of his youth again, and thereby had he trafficked and gotten gain, and he had become a new and perfect man in Jesus Christ, in the likeness of his creator. Now this complete perfection was renewed each and every day in this holy and blessed old man, even as the eagle which is renewed [in strength daily]; these are the firstborn sons of heaven who have been sealed with the seal of the Lordship of Jesus, Who is the Master of many brethren.

Chapter 22. Rabban Górnisz and Ignatius the sorcerer

Now therefore, after our Lord had wrought in this wise by means of Rabban in the house of the deceiver, in the monastery of him that leadeth into error, who, as I have said above, was dwelling in that wretched little idol, which they (i. e., the heretics) were worshipping secretly, He was making manifest the more in Ignatius, the head of that monastery, the strength of his error. For it was he who was offering up offerings continually in his cell, at one time birds, at another kids and sheep, at another cats and apes, at another medicines in the censers; and he was slaughtering and offering up sacrifices and libations to the devil that was a deceiver. Now this devil of error used to make Ignatius to have triumph in many ways before kings and governors; sometimes after the manner of a prophet he would reveal things unto him before they took place, and at others he would send forth the fame of the name of Ignatius before the multitude, and proclaim him to be a holy man, and also make manifest that he wrought divine, mighty deeds; in this wise the error became greatly noised abroad.

Then that devil who was a deceiver answered and said unto him, "O Ignatius, my friend, why is thine heart so overwhelmed that thou dost not know what hath been happening in thy monastery during these days?" And the sorcerer Ignatius said unto him, "I know not what thou sayest now; but this thing I know, I have not seen thee performing anything whatsoever in this monastery for very many days past. The storehouse (or, bin) for the corn is empty, the flask hath no oil therein, the wine skins have dried up because they never have any wine in them, there are no congregations, the women go not up [to the shrine], the brethren rejoice not, the treasury is wholly empty of money, and, behold, our breadcake which was wont to warm the bosoms of those who ate it is now cold and dried up. Wherein have we neglected thee? What sin have we committed against thee that thou shouldst be unmindful of us in thy forgetfulness? Behold, we lay incense before thee, but why do the congregations resist thee? Behold, the brethren love thee, and worship thee! Behold, we and our old men strip ourselves naked and stand before thee for thy gratification! What thing have we diminished of the honour which is due unto thee, or in what way have we failed to gratify thee wholly, that thou hast not appeared unto us during this [long] time which is past?" Then the deceiving devil said unto him, "I entreat thee to examine thyself a little as to why I have not appeared before thee in these [last] days." And Ignatius said unto him, "Yea, get thee into the house of thy Mattai, for I have [left] a little of the oil of the lamp which burneth before him, and come to me."

And Ignatius went forth in great haste from before his master the deceiving devil, and went, according to his wont, to enter in before the shrine of the holy man Mâr Mattai, but through the care of Divine Providence he was not permitted to do so; and he did thus once, twice, and thrice, but he was not able to enter therein. And being put to shame he came unto his foul devil, and fell down and worshipped him, saying, "Reveal unto me, O thou deceiving one, why I have not been permitted to go into the shrine of Mâr Mattai. And that deceiving devil said unto him, "I have already told thee that thou didst not know what hath happened in thy monastery during these [last] days; then Ignatius said, "What hath happened? Tell me. And the deceiving devil said, "Hôrmizd, the Nestorian, came with his devils craftily, and entered by night into the room where Mattai abideth, and he hath stolen and carried off that image of mine which was there; and then, perceiving through my image that I had been carried off from there through your negligence, I became angry with you, and I departed from you. Now the brother of that image also, when he heard what had been done to his fellow, became furiously angry, and he watched his brother's place, and would not allow you to enter therein and inherit the shrine of his brother;

but as ye were neglectful of his brother, and his shrine and his image had been carried off, he also, very justly, drove you forth from his house and cast you away from before his face, because ye had made him a stranger unto his house and the house of his master. Thou seest, Ignatius, that Mattai, in whom ye boast, hath in no wise benefited you, for that deceiver Hôrmîzd, the sorcerer, came and plundered his house and his shrine, and he hath robbed him of his power and carried [it] off, and he hath stolen the riches which were hidden in my shrine there. But what is worse for you is this. When I had gone afar off from you, and from your monastery, the sorcerer Hôrmîzd stripped me of my might and of my power of working, and he came back to you secretly, having put on as a garment the devil of his pride, and with his devils going on in front of him in their glory, until he arrived in the insolence of his mind, with the glory of his legions, and he went into your library, and by the operation of his sorceries he impudently defaced and destroyed with stinking matter the Holy Scriptures, because ye never toiled at my book and ye have made them to perish.

My friends and my companions who have lived in all generations have, through the Holy Spirit which I breathed into them, set down in writing my triumphant acts according as I taught them, and ye, through your negligence, have been wholly unmindful of them; and that sorcerer Hōrmizd hath had envy of them, and [now] he hath destroyed them wholly and utterly through the operation of his sorceries. Go, Ignatius, and see the overthrowings which have been caused by the sorcerer Hōrmizd." And behold, when Ignatius had gone to his own library and had seen that it was even as his deceiving devil had said unto him, straightway he fell into great heaviness and bitterness of spirit; and he cried unto his devils secretly, and to his legions of "shorn" monks openly, and he made known unto them what had happened unto them through the two [calamities] which had befallen them, and which are written above, and they were greatly moved and were smitten with consternation in their hearts. Then was Ignatius made wise by his devils, and he told the deacon of the community, and they kneaded dough in the monastery, and baked bread which they fashioned in the form of the bread-cake of the deceiver; and when it was [still] burning hot, the devils took it and made it to fly swiftly through the air until they set it down at the door of the sleeping chamber of the governor of Māwṣel.

Chapter 23. Of the coming of the accursed Ignatius to Mâwsel, and of the sorcery which he wrought [there]

And inasmuch as the governor of the city of Mâwsel was a friend of Ignatius, his servants went in and informed him concerning [his arrival], and the governor commanded quickly that he should go into his presence; and when Ignatius had gone in the governor gave him the salutation of peace, and gave the order, and made him to sit down by his side in honour. Then Ignatius set the bread, which was still hot, before him, saying, "I have brought this bread as a blessing for thee from my monastery;" and the governor, who was making merry with him, said unto him, "Give me a little of that bread of thy monastery as a blessing;" and Ignatius stretched out [his hand] and gave him one bread-cake. And, behold, the governor perceived that the bread was hot like the oven it came from, and he cried out, and said, "Oh! this bread is still hot." Then Ignatius said unto him, "O my lord the governor, I have only just brought it from within the oven of my monastery", and the governor wondered at this thing; now several times before Ignatius had made him to wonder at his sorceries, and the governor was wont to declare that he was a holy man. Then having come to the matter of his sorceries, Ignatius made bitter complaints against the holy man Rabban Hôrmîzd, and calumniated him, saying, "His sorceries are more in number than those of all the sorcerers who have ever lived or now live, and he hath wrought many evil things upon our monastery, and [committed] many thefts; and we also ask thee to have mercy upon thy servants, and to avenge the cause of thy servant Ignatius, and the cause of all thy servants who are the sons of my monastery."

And because the governor was led captive by the devils of the deceiver, and was under subjection to his bread-cake, he hearkened unto the devil, and unto the evil things which he sowed in his heart; and the governor burned with desire for the destruction of Rabban. Then, having made hot the mind of the governor in the oven of his own wrath, Ignatius said unto him, "O my lord, I entreat thee that I may declare unto thee all my desire concerning the sorcerer Hōrmizd: I would that he and I might enter into judgment to-morrow before thee, and before all the assembly of thy city; thereupon the governor hearkened unto Ignatius, and [promised] to perform [his] desire in this matter. And the governor straightway sent for Rabban five horsemen and five runners, and they came to the place where he was at the time of sunset, and the horsemen made haste and brought him down quickly; and Rabban took a mule from the village of Al-Kōsh to ride upon, for he was unable , to walk, and ten of the brethren of the monastery went down with him, but they knew nothing of the reason why the governor had sent for him. Now the governor who had known Rabban had departed from the city, and another, whose name was 'Ali, had come [in his place]; and he had no child except an only son who was thirteen years old, and who was vexed by an evil devil.

And Ignatius had worked his sorceries upon the youth many times, but he was not healed, although day by day he used to make the governor to be confident of the healing of his son; but the cure of the youth continued to be far off from the sorcerer Ignatius. And by his crafty devices he used to strike wonder into the governor day after day by his sorceries, and he would make his devils to fly about in the air [seated] upon seats of fire which emitted sparks of light. And for this reason he worked in this wise by the crafts and wiles of his devils, and said to the governor, "Gather together unto me the multitudes of thy city to-mor-row, and to-morrow I will shew my glory unto thee in the air, that is to say, in the sight of those multitudes that they may praise him, [and confess] that he is great, and also that he is worthy of praise.' But the devil did not know that the sword of Jesus was whetted, and made ready and was prepared for the slaughter of his swinish nature, and that in course of time [instead of] praise", forsooth, he would receive the decree of doom from the Most High in return for his sorcery, for he had dared to attack Rabban, and had spoken falsehood against His holy man;

[and he know not] that the height of his boasting would be brought low through His saint Rabban Hôrmîzd, and that his lying nature and craftiness would be laid bare before God. Now the horsemen were journeying along the road with Rabban, and before it was light in the morning, that is to say, whilst it was still dark, they arrived at the river Tigris, and at that time [of the day] they could not find the ferry-boat which should take them over to the side where the city was. And Rabban made over the waters of the river the sign of the Cross three times, and, in the Name of Jesus the Nazarene, walked upon the waters of the river Tigris as upon dry land; then he stood up opposite to the horsemen, and cried out to them, "Come, O ye horse-men, come, O ye children of the portion of Ignatius the sorcerer, can it be that the deceiving devil who is the friend of Ignatius hath not told him not to draw nigh unto the consuming fire? Can it be that the deceiving devil hath not preserved his friend-ship for Ignatius, who hath been wont to offer up sacrifices unto him as the confession of faith of his wretched soul?" Let iniquity come upon you, O devils, ye crafty devils, because ye do not preserve sufficient love and friendship, even for your friends and those who worship you, [to warn them] when the decree of doom from the Most High is about to come upon them, and because it is through you that your friends receive the punishments of heaven—even as happened in that day to Ignatius the sorcerer!

And when the day had dawned and the light had become bright, the horsemen found the ferry-boat and crossed over therein, and the brethren also who were with Rabban crossed over with them to the other side of the river Tigris. Then Rabban encouraged the brethren who had come with him, and said unto them, "Be not sorrowful, O my brethren, and despair not, for I have received [news] from our Lord that the man of iniquity is this day about to receive the punishment of death from our Lord, and that his sins and iniquities have invited him to the slaughter of his swinish and iniquitous person." Now when the horsemen had taken Rabban and his companions and had entered into the city of Mâwsel, and the governor had been told that Rabban had arrived, he commanded that they should come in before him; and as soon as Rabban entered and gave the salutation of peace to him, the governor was greatly moved at the awfulness of his visage, wherefrom there streamed forth divine fire. Then by reason of the fear and great consternation which had seized upon him, the governor stood up upon his feet, and returned to the holy man the salutation of peace with honour and affection, and he made him to sit at his right hand, and enquired of him concerning his age; and when Rabban had made answer unto him, he greatly marvelled at his wisdom, and gentleness, and humility, and self-restraint, and serene disposition. And the governor answered and said unto the crowds that were gathered together about him, "Verily this man is the faithful servant of God, for his service unto his Lord is well known from the appearance of his face."

And behold, the phantoms of darkness of Ignatius had been evoked in the air, and whilst he was seeking to make a display of himself with his evil spirits and fiends—now he was wont to say that he was carried aloft through the air by the holy angels—the fiends seized the devil (Ignatius), and placed him in mid-air. Then suddenly Rabban strung his bow, and placed the arrow of deliverance upon the string which had been given by grace, and therewith he transfixed the iniquitous one and his legions, saying, "It is not for you, O ye deceivers, to deliver your wills unto the soul's desire of the iniquitous one, nay, by Jesus Christ the Nazarene, I set a bond upon you, and ye shall remain in the air in the positions in which ye now are, until I set you free from the bond wherewith I have bound you; and thereupon, by Divine Providence, the devils stood in mid-air perforce and against their own wills. And as soon as the devil Ignatius saw that the wheels of the course of his sorcery had become useless, and that the Divine Will had gained the dominion [over him], and that the sword of the punishment of the Most High was in Its hand, and also that the penalty and retribution for his sinfulness had drawn nigh, he began to ascribe woe to himself. And he cried out in mid-air, saying, "Woe is me! What hath befallen me through my sins which have overtaken me?

And I am powerless to escape from the cruel circle of thy prayer, O Rabban Hōrmizd. Woe is me! O Rabban, I repent of the sinfulness in which I was held fast, and I will become a sincere penitent through thee, O thou holy man, Rabban Hōrmizd. Let not thy Lord reject me as a penitent, even as Thy Lord did not reject the holy man Cyprian, the sorcerer, for when he repented sincerely the Lord accepted him with all His heart, and Cyprian became an advocate for the afflicted, and a refuge for those who were in trouble, and who fled to him for help." And because the soul of Rabban was filled with mercy and compassion, his mercy rolled upon him that was crying out and weeping bitterly, and straightway he turned his face to the East, and prayed on his behalf with pain and tears, that, peradventure, he might be accepted, and be pardoned his sins, and might live; but Divine righteousness did not will to accept him, since he had not repented sincerely and with his own heart, but only because he had at that moment been seized by the devouring [jaws] of justice. For however long justice had been silent and motionless, yet it was now roused up, and it was neither silent nor motionless [in exacting] vengeance on the devil. Now Rabban knew these things by means of a revelation from the Holy Spirit, which said, "Repentance befitteth not the devil, but only a punishment such as will be helpful to him." Then the blessed man rose up from his prayer being sorrowful, and his soul was suffering pain because of the destruction of that devil. And because he had

not the means to do that which he had learned from the indication [given] by heaven, the holy man looked up into heaven, and said, "O our Lord Jesus Christ, Who art merciful and compassionate, shew mercy unto me [in the matter of] this wretched devil, and Christianity, and was martyred at Damascus in the reign of Decius or Diocletian. "although his end must come by the death of his body through a punishment of this kind, do Thou make his soul to live on the day of Thy revelation, O our Lord Jesus Christ." Then the holy man answered and told the guardian angel [who was] with him (i. e., Ignatius) to desist from his care of him, and as soon as the angel had gone away from him, he commanded the fiends [which held him] to drop him down from the heights of air into the deepest depth, and the fiends did as they were commanded by Rabban. And straightway he fell down, and his bowels were rent asunder, and the men of his faith took up his body and buried it; as the Arians did who gathered up the portions of the body of Arius to bury him, even so did the sons of these [heretics].

And when 'Ali the governor saw this wonderful thing which Rabban Hörmizd had wrought, he brought his son, who was vexed by an evil devil, before the holy man, and said unto him, "Lay thou thy right hand upon the head of this my son so that the fiend may flee out of him;" and Rabban did according to what the governor had said unto him, and the devil went forth from the young man. And the devil cried out, and said, "Woe is me! Fie upon thee, O son of Persians! Cursed be Persia, and every thing which she hath sent upon us through thee!" And suddenly the devil flew into the air, and he was never again [seen]. Then 'Ali embraced Rabban again, and said unto him, "In truth I understand now that thou art the faithful servant of God, and that thou acceptest not the person of any man; thy Lord hath indeed judged Ignatius the sorcerer, although thou didst pray to thy Lord that he might live; but he did not live because thy Lord, according to His will, desired his death more than his life."

Then Rabban went out of the city of Mâwṣel in unspeakable triumph, and by his means Divine Grace wrought many wonderful triumphs, besides the healing of the son of the governor of the city of Mâwṣel, and many other similar healings which can neither be described nor written down in this history lest it become [too] long and the reader thereof become exhausted. Now when Rabban and his companions went forth from the city of Mâwṣel, they did so by night, secretly, and without any man knowing of their going forth, [and they did so] because of the mighty crowds of people which were thronging him; and he arrived at the waters of the Tigris, and he walked upon this liquid substance as upon dry land.

Chapter 24. The Death of Rabban Gôrmîzd

And when he had arrived at his monastery, and had gone into his cave, and had rested himself from the toil of his journey, the ship of his soul began to enter into the haven of the kingdom on high. And he called unto Gabriel his servant, and said unto him, "My son Gabriel, knowest thou that the day wherein I shall sleep with my fathers draweth nigh, and that I am going to travel the road of all the earth and all the world? My son, gather the whole brotherhood together; and they smote the board for summoning the brethren, and they were all gathered together unto him. Then he said unto them, "O my beloved brethren, the time when I shall be set free [from the body] hath arrived. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, and according to my thoughts there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, not for me only, but also for those who have embraced the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is from heaven.

Ye have heard of my career of contendings—now I speak only to incite you thereto, and I seek not to boast myself— in fasting and in prayer, in vigil and in self-denial, in strict abstinence and in austere life, in cold and in heat, in hunger and in thirst, in the cruel stripes which were inflicted by rebellious devils, in deadly punishments of various kinds, and divers [calamities arising] from sufferings, and wars, and hateful and abominable fiends, in the wants which arose through heretics, and in wants which arose through lying brethren. Now therefore, O my brethren and sons, take heed unto yourselves, and be strong in your faith, and also in your doctrine which ye have heard from me during the whole of the time which I have been with you and unto this present; O my beloved, keep ye these things and do [them] unto the end in the good hope of your sure faith, and fight ye the good fight of the faith of Jesus Christ. If now ye thus keep your souls, it shall be the redemption of your lives—for ye know that such is the will of God, good, acceptable, and perfect. I am a feeble man, but do ye, my sons, fight and bear yourselves strenuously in performing the work of God. Ye shall not possess either gold or silver, but ye shall keep these things that ye may inherit for yourselves the benefit of life;

and may our Lord Himself, in His grace, glorify you, and guide you into the straight road of His saints, and may He mercifully lead you on your way until ye attain unto that [perfection] for the sake of which Christ, in His grace and mercy, followed after you. Amen." Then Rabban stretched out his holy hands in prayer, and said, "O good Lord, Merciful Father, Who alone hast care for the redemption of the race of the children of men, have compassion on Thy servant, and by Thy grace remove the sins, follies, and weaknesses of him, myself, for I have sinned before Thee all the days of my life. Thou knowest that I am clothed with a frail nature, and although I am unworthy, receive Thou my spirit from me in peace, [and let it abide] with those upon whom Thy compassion hath shewn mercy, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. And again he answered and said [unto the brethren], "Remain ye in peace", and then he shut his eyes and held his peace; and he opened his eyes once more, and sealed the company of his sons with the sign of the Cross three times, and said, Remain ye in threefold peace"; and died. Then there came down the hosts of light, and the legions of the spirit, and the angelic beings in their grades and ranks, and surrounded that holy body; and there breathed forth from him the sweet odour of spiritual beings, and the brethren were not able to draw nigh unto that holy body for a space of about two hours, until the beautiful odour of the angels had departed, when they all drew nigh and fell upon the body of their holy father; and the voice of their weeping went forth for a long time.

And the multitudes of the spiritual beings accompanied the soul of the blessed man with the sweet sounds and the sublime words of their praisings until they had made it to take up its abode in the Eden of the Paradise of God, where [abide] the spirits of the just men who have been made perfect. And the report of the death of the righteous man was heard in the cities of Bâlâdh, and Mâwṣel, and Ma'allêthâ, and in the countries round about his monastery; and great and uncountable multitudes of people from these countries gathered together, and his sons, and the bishops, and priests, and deacons, and a congregation of believing men extolled him for three days and three nights, and then they dug in the martyrium of the monastery a little cave in the rock and they laid him therein. And he hath now become a fountain of help unto all those who take refuge in him in faith, and his prayer is a strong rock unto all those who take refuge in him in faith, and who call upon him when both near and afar off.

Now the blessed man had rest from his labour and trouble on the Second Day of the week which followeth the First Day of the third week of the Resurrection. And the years of the life of the blessed man upon earth were eighty and five years; [he lived] in the world, twenty years; in the Monastery of the holy man Rabban Bar-'Idtâ, thirty-nine years; in the Monastery of Rîshâ, six years; and in his own monastery twenty-two years. May God, Who made him to triumph in the height and in the depth, and in Whose Holy Church the beauty and splendour of his glorious and divine deeds and life have sent rays of light, make his praiseworthy, exalted, and sublime deeds to shine [with those] of the beings of the spirit. And let all those who have lived in the monastery in which he brought his noble life and deeds to an end find mercy and compassion before our Lord, and may they be worthy to enjoy happiness in the kingdom of heaven and the good things which never come to an end. And we make supplication unto Christ our Lord that He will make to rest upon his monastery the right hand of His Providence, and may the priests, and the believing men, and all sorts and conditions of men, who have extolled our holy father with us in his commemoration this day, be preserved by his prayers from all the troubles and afflictions of disturbed times.

And may all our congregation, both priests and believing men, in the world which is to come and is for ever, enjoy his praises with the joys of the kingdom of heaven by the grace and by the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. And may praise ascend to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, from the two churches of spiritual beings and of beings who are in the flesh, now, and always, and for ever and ever. Amen. Here endeth the history of the glorious life and deeds, and of the divine triumphs of the righteous anchorite, the true ascetic, the seraph in the flesh, Rabban Mâr Hôrmizd the Persian. May his prayers be upon the whole world, from one end thereof even to the other. Yea and Amen. COLOPHONS. — 1. This [copy of this] history was finished in the blessed month Nisân, on the second day, on the Fifth Day of Easter Week, of the year one thousand, eight hundred, and ninety-two of the Incarnation of our Lord and God Jesus Christ. Glory be unto Him that maketh times and seasons to pass away, whilst He Himself never, never passeth away. Yea and Amen. 2. [This copy] was written in the blessed village of Al-Kôsh, the village of Nahum the prophet, which is set, and built, and laid out by the side of the Monastery of Rabban Hôrmizd the Persian; may our Lord protect it by His mighty right hand. Yea and Amen.

3. [This copy] was written in the days of the Father of fathers, and the Chief of shepherds, and the Head of all the churches, who bindeth on crowns, who anointeth priests, who fasteneth on girdles, who maketh [priests] to hold staves, who bestoweth ecclesiastical dignities, Mâr Êliyâ the Thirteenth, the Catholicus and Patriarch of Babel of the East. May Christ our Lord establish his throne to the end of days through the prayer of the Apostles and Fathers. Yea and Amen. 4. [This copy] was written by the hands of the feeble and sinful deacon, Îsâ, the son of Isaiah, the son of the deacon Cyriacus, from the village of Ekrôr which is in the country of the Sendâyê, and who hath his habitation at this time in the village of Al-Kôsh. I entreat the pious readers [of this history] to remember the scribe in their prayers which will be heard [by God] that, perhaps, compassion may be shewn unto him before the throne of Christ our Lord.