Complete Poetic Works, Volume 7

...seeing him, who used to shake the whole world, now shattered by fear. He has become more timid than a frog or a hare. Without any physical chains, he clings to this column, bound and trembling by a chain of fear. Seeing this, a man will lower his pride. Having considered what must be considered in the face of human misfortune, he will depart having learned through actual experience what the words of Scripture teach us. For instance: All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man is like the flower of the grass. The grass withered, and its flower fell. This quote is from the Book of Isaiah 40:6, often repeated in the New Testament. Likewise another: Like grass they shall quickly wither, and like green herbs they shall quickly fall away, for their days are like smoke. A paraphrase of sentiments found in Psalms 37 and 102. Such are these lessons. On the other hand, a poor man who enters and notices this spectacle does not feel dissatisfied with himself, nor does he deplore his own lot. Instead, he gives thanks to Poverty. For him, poverty serves as the safest refuge, a most tranquil harbor, and a most fortified citadel. Having seen these sights, if he were given the choice, he would prefer to remain content with his present condition rather than hold the wealth of everyone for a short time, only to soon face danger to his own life. These are the words of the "Golden Mouth of Greece." original: "aureum os Græciæ," referring to Saint John Chrysostom, whose name in Greek means "Golden-Mouthed." Indeed, nothing could be written more clearly or spoken more elegantly than this hypotyposis: a vivid, life-like description intended to paint a scene before the reader's eyes by that most eloquent Father.

Almost identical in tone to that work is the entire Paraenesis: a speech or text intended to provide moral exhortation or advice of Saint Eucherius, Bishop of Lyon. With effective words, a strong voice, and profound wisdom, he laments the Vanity of the World. He labors to turn his kinsman Valerian away from such vanity. He places the worthlessness of passing things directly before our eyes.

The human race, he says, is driven toward its setting by a rapid mortality. All posterity runs its course by the law of succeeding ages. Our fathers have passed away, we ourselves shall depart, and those who come after us will follow. Just as waves thrown from the deep sea are broken at the edge of the shore as one wave follows another, so the successive generations of life are dashed against the boundary of death. Whatever it may be, the appearance of those things once polished with a shadowy brilliance has now faded. All that artificial splendor has fallen away. Scarcely now does this [have]...