A Treatise on Fugitives.

 I. (1) And Sarah afflicted her, and she fled from before her face. And the angel of the Lord found her sitting by a fountain of water in the wilderne

 II. (7) Therefore the account which follows will show these characteristics more accurately. But we must return to the heads of the question which we

 III. (14) But seeing that he is dumb with respect to learning and to all desirable and legitimate authority, he very naturally thinks of flight. For h

 IV. (23) Hatred then, was the cause of the flight which I have been here describing but fear was the cause of the one which I am about to mention. Fo

 V. (28) If therefore, you wish to convict a wicked man, who is also possessed of great wealth, do not disdain an abundance of money for the unhappy m

 VI. (33) And here therefore truth may not unreasonably blame those who, without any examination, abandon the business and means of regulating a civil

 VII. (39) Behold, says she, Esau thy brother threatens thee. But is it not natural for that disposition, hard as oak and obstinate through ignoran

 VIII. (44) On which account we read, He will depart to Laban, not to him as the Syrian, but as the brother of his mother that is to say, he will go

 IX. (48) And his father also gives him similar precepts, adding a few trifling injunctions for he says, Rise up and flee into Mesopotamia, to the ho

 X. (53) But Moses has spoken more accurately about flights when he was establishing the law with respect to homicides, in which he goes through every

 XI. (56) Moreover, she confirmed this opinion of hers by the sacred scriptures, one of which ran in this form: You who cleave unto the Lord your God

 XII. (62) But it was by all means necessary that different regions should be assigned to different things, the heaven to good things, the earth to wha

 XIII. (65) And the expression, not intentionally, but if God deliver him into his hand, is used with exceeding propriety with reference to those who

 XIV. (71) On which account, after Moses had already put in God's mouth this expression, Let us make man, as if speaking to several persons, as if he

 XV. (77) Having now said thus much in a philosophical spirit with respect to involuntary offences, he proceeds to legislate concerning the man who ris

 XVI. (83) Therefore, having further commanded the unholy man who is a speaker of evil against divine things to be removed from the most holy places an

 XVII. (87) And it is worth while to examine with all the accuracy possible into some necessary points relating to this place. They are four in number.

 XVIII. (94) These then are the reasons on account of which they who have committed unintentional homicide fly only to those cities which belong to the

 XIX. (100) These, then, are the six cities which Moses calls cities of refuge, five of which have had their figures set forth in the sacred scriptures

 XX. (106) The fourth and last of the points which we proposed to discuss, is the appointing as a period for the return of the fugitives the death of t

 XXI. (113) This high priest, as Moses says, shall not enter into any soul that is dead. But the death of the soul is a life according to wickedness

 XXII. (119) Having now, therefore, said what was proper on the subject of fugitives, we will proceed with what follows in the regular order of the con

 XXIII. (124) And the leader of this company is the king of the region of the body. For, says Moses, Pharaoh turned himself about and went into his

 XXIV. (132) I very greatly wonder at those persons also, I mean at him who is fond of asking questions about what is in the middle between two extreme

 XXV. (137) Those also who have inquired what it is that nourishes the soul, for as Moses says, They knew not what it was, learnt at last and found t

 XXVI. (143) Having now spoken at sufficient length on this point also, let us proceed in regular order to consider the third head of our subject, in w

 XXVII. (149) Nor does he, who is sent forth to search for that virtue which is invincible and embittered against the ridiculous pursuits of men, by na

 XXVIII. (157) Also the person who loves virtue seeks a goat by reason of his sins, but does not find one for, already, as the sacred scripture tells

 XXIX. (161) On one occasion Moses was urged on, by a desire of learning, to investigate the causes through which the most necessary of things in the w

 XXX. (166) Having now said thus much concerning the third head of our subject, we will proceed to the fourth and last of the propositions we proposed

 XXXI. (170) There is also a third definition of what is taught a man by himself, namely that which of its own accord rises upwards. For it is said in

 XXXII. (177) Having now said thus much on the subject of discovery, we will proceed in due order to what comes next in the context. Moses proceeds, T

 XXXIII. (183) There are also many various fountains of instruction, by means of which most nutritious reasonings have sprung up like the trunks of pal

 XXXIV. (188) Such then are the fountains of intermediate instruction. Let us now consider the fountain of folly, concerning which the lawgiver speaks

 XXXV. (194) These are the fountains of errors. We must now examine that of prudence. To this one it is that perseverance, that is to say, Rebecca, des

 XXXVI. (197) We must now speak also concerning that highest and most excellent of fountains which the Father of the universe spake of by the mouths of

 XXXVII. (202) We have now then said as much as the time will permit us to say on the subject of the fountains, and it is with great accuracy and propr

 XXXVIII. (207) Therefore the convicter of the soul approving of her in respect of her obedience says, Return unto thy mistress for the government of

XXXI. (170) There is also a third definition of what is taught a man by himself, namely that which of its own accord rises upwards. For it is said in the hortatory injunctions, "Ye shall not sow, neither shall ye reap those things which arise from the earth of their own Accord."[Ge 25:11.] For nature has not need of any art since God himself sows those things, and by his agricultural skill brings to perfection, as if they grew of themselves, things which do not grow of themselves, except inasmuch as they stand in need of no human assistance whatever. (171) But this is not so much a positive exhortation as an announcement of his opinion, for if he had been giving a positive recommendation he would have said, "Do not sow, and do not reap:" but as he is only giving his opinion, he says, "Ye shall not sow, neither shall ye reap." For as to those things with which we meet by the voluntary bounty of nature, of these we cannot find either the beginnings or the ends in ourselves as if we were the cause of them: therefore the beginning is the seed-time and the end the harvest time. (172) And it is better to understand these things thus: every beginning and every end is spontaneous, that is to say, it is the work of nature and not of ourselves. For instance; what is the beginning of learning. It is plain that it is a nature in the person who is taught which is well calculated to reeive the particular subjects of meditation submitted to him. Again what is the beginning of being made perfect? If we are to speak plainly without keeping anything back, it is nature. Therefore he who teaches is also indeed to effect improvement, but it is God alone, the most excellent nature of all, who is able to conduct one to supreme perfection. (173) He who is bred up among such doctrines as these has everlasting peace, and is released from wearisome and endless labours. And according to the lawgiver there is no difference between peace and a week; for in each creation lays aside the appearance of energising and rests. (174) Very properly, therefore, is it said, "And the sabbath of the law shall be food for you," speaking figuratively. For the only thing which is really nourishing and really enjoyable is rest in God; which confers the greatest good, undisturbed peace. Peace, therefore, among cities is mixed up with civil war; but the peace of the soul has no mixture in it of any kind of difference. (175) And the lawgiver appears to me to be recommending most manifestly that kind of discovery which is not preceded by any search, in the following words, "When the Lord thy God shall lead thee into the land which he swore to thy fathers that he would give thee, large and beautiful cities which thou buildest not, houses full of all good things which thou filledst not, cisterns hewn out of the quarries which thou hewedst not, vineyards and olive gardens which thou plantedst Not."[De 6:10.] (176) You see here the ungrudging abundance of all the great blessings which are ready, and poured forth for man's possession and enjoyment. And the generic virtues are here likened to cities, because they are of the most comprehensive kind; and the specific virtues are likened to houses, because they are contracted into a narrower circle; and the souls of a good disposition are likened to cisterns, which are well inclined to receive wisdom, as the cisterns are calculated to receive water; and the improvement, and growth, and production of fruit, are compared to vineyards and olive gardens; and the fruit of knowledge is a life of contemplation, which produces unmixed joy, equal to that which proceeds from wine; and a light appreciable only by the intellect, as if from a flame of which oil is the nourishment.