A letter from Jerome (400)

Translated letter:

1. I fear that obligation may be considered ambition; and because I do this after the example of the one who says, “Learn from me, because I am meek and humble of heart”, I am said to act because I seek glory. Instead of consoling a widow consumed with grief, I am said to steal a place for myself in the royal court; instead of seizing a chance moment for conversation, I am said to seek the friendship of the powerful. But clearly a man will not think such things, he who knows the precept, “You will not receive in judgment the person of the poor” unless we judge what is unjust under the pretext of compassion. For each person must be judged not by his influence over men, but by the weight of his circumstances. For wealth does not suggest baseness for a rich man if he uses it well: nor does poverty make a poor man more commendable if, in his squalor and destitution, he does not avoid sins. Both Abraham and daily examples supply proof of either circumstance for us: for the one was a friend of God while he had a great many riches; the others who were apprehended daily for their crimes pay their penalty according to the law. I address, then, a poor woman of wealth, as she does not know what she possesses. I speak not of her purse, but the purity of her soul. I am speaking to the woman whose face I do not know, but whose virtues I do. Her reputation recommends her to me; her youth makes her chastity even more venerable. She wept for the death of her young husband in such a way that she has shown herself the model wife; she bore his death thus: she believed that he was not lost, only just ahead of her. The deep sense of her bereavement became an opportunity for piety, for she seeks her absent Nebridius in a way that shows how she recognizes that he is present in Christ. Why, then, do I write to a woman I do not know? The reason is threefold. First, because, in accordance with my duty as a priest, I love all Christians as my children, and their success is my ambition; secondly, because the deceased’s father and I were joined by an intimate bond; lastly, the strongest reason, because I was unable to deny anything to my son, Avitus. He was the one who, by writing frequent letters, surpassed a widow who disturbs a harsh judge, and placed before my eyes the examples of many men to whom I had written before concerning the same subject. In fact, he weighed upon my modest reticence so much that I wanted to act more in accordance with what he desired than with what was agreeable to me. 2. Another may praise Nebridius, perhaps, because he was the child of the empress’s sister, and because he was raised in the lap of his aunt. He was so dear to the unconquerable emperor that the emperor found a most noble wife for him who became a sort of hostage, pledging the loyalty of Africa which was recently divided by civil wars. I simply must proclaim from the start that he lived as if he knew that death was at hand, between the splendor of his palace and the accumulation of his honors, a height that surpassed his years. He lived as though he believed that he would set out toward Christ. The sacred history tells us that God so favored Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian cohort, that He sent an angel to him and taught him the entire mystery that pertained to his merits, the mystery whereby Peter was taken away from the straits of circumcision to the broad expanse of uncircumcision. Indeed, this was the man who, baptized by the Apostle first, established a path of salvation for the Gentiles. Of this man it was written: There was a certain man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of a cohort called the Italian cohort, a religious man, who revered God with his entire house, giving generous alms to the people, and always praying to the Lord [Act.10:1-2]. Whatever is said about that man, I claim is true of my Nebridius (I only need to change the name). In fact, Nebridius was so devout and so much a lover of chastity that he was still pure when he took a wife; he so revered God with all his house, that, forgetful of his lofty station, he spent most of his time with monks and clergy, he gave alms to the people so generously that throngs of the sick and the poor would crowd around his door, and he was always praying to God that whatever was best would come to pass. He was taken so that wickedness would not alter his mind, because his soul was pleasing to God [Sap.4:11,14]. Thus, concerning him, I can use the words of the Apostle who said, “In truth I have recognized that God does not unjustly regard people; but in every manner, he who fears God and performs justice is received” [Act.10:34-35]. His cloak did not harm him while he was in the military, nor did his belt, nor the troops of soldiers. He wore the uniform of one man; he served as the soldier of another. But, on the contrary, a cheap hood, a dark tunic, a filthy body and the appearance of poverty, all of these things benefit no one if he destroys his dignity with his deeds. We have read in the gospel a testimony of another centurion of God: I have not found so great a faith in Israel [Luke7:9]. And (let us turn to earlier times) we have the example of Joseph, who gave proof of his virtues when he was poor and when he was rich. Whether he was a slave or a master, he instilled in many the freedom of the soul. Was Joseph not so dear to God that, decorated in royal insignia in the manner of the Pharaoh, he became the father of two tribes, above all the patriarchs? Daniel and the three boys were in charge of the resources in Babylonia, and were among the leaders of the state. Although they were in the dress of Nebuchadnezzar, they served the Lord in their minds. Mordechai and Esther, surrounded by purple, silk, and gems, conquered pride with humility, and they merited so much that, although they were captives, they were able to command their conquerors. 3. With this letter I intend to show that my young friend considered his royal connection, abundance of wealth, and emblems of power to be his tools for virtue. As it is said in Ecclesiastes, “Just as wisdom protects, money protects as well” [Eccle.7:13]. And we should not immediately consider that statement contrary to this one: “Amen I say to you, a wealthy man will enter into the kingdom of heaven with difficulty; and again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to cross through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy man to enter into the kingdom of heaven” [Matth.19-23-24]. Otherwise, contrary to this statement, Zachaeus the tax-gatherer, whom Scripture describes as a very wealthy man, would seem saved. But the Apostle in his writing to Timothy teaches how what is impossible for men is possible for God: teach those who are wealthy in this world not to be proud in their knowledge, nor to have hope in the uncertainty of their riches; rather, they should have hope in the living God, who gives to us all things to enjoy in abundance. Let them do good, let them be rich in good deeds, let them distribute easily; let them talk to one another, let them gather for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may embrace the true life [1Tim.6:17-19,25]. I mentioned how a camel could walk through the eye of a needle, how an oddly-shaped animal, after setting down its burden, could take on the feathers of a dove, and have a moment of respite on the branches of a tree, which grew from a mustard plant. We have read in Isaiah about the camels of Madian, Gephah, and Sheba that carried gold and incense to the city of the Lord. On similar camels, Ishmaelite merchants bring to the Egyptians perfume, incense, and a type of resin that grows in Gilead and covers wounds. These men are of such good fortune that they, in buying and selling Joseph, have as their merchandise the salvation of the world. Even a fable of Aesop tells us that a mouse with a full belly was not able to pass through a narrow crack. 4. Therefore, my Nebridius thought this over every day: Those who wish to become rich fall into temptation and the snare of the devil, and into many desires [1Tim.6:9]. Whatever the largess of the Emperor and the distinguishing marks of his office provided, he used it all to help the poor. For he knew that this was a commandment of the Lord: If you wish to be perfect, go, sell all that you have, and give it to the poor, and come—follow me [Matth.19:21]. But he was not able to fully complete this task because he had a wife, very small children, and a large household. Thus, he made friends of the mammon of iniquity so that they might receive him into everlasting dwellings. And he did not at once cast out his burden as the Apostles did when they left behind the father, the net, and the small ship; rather, out of his sense of equality, he shared his abundance with the poor so that their wealth might alleviate his own poverty later on. The lady herself, to whom this letter is written, knows that I am narrating events that I have heard told, not seen firsthand; she is also aware that I do not, after the fashion of Greek writers, flatter someone because of some benefit conferred upon me. Let that suspicion be at a distance from the Christians. We are content with having victuals and vestments [1Tim.6:8]. Where there is cheap cabbage and a reserve of bread and food and drink in sufficient quantity, there the riches are superfluous, there no adulation exists which looks especially toward profit. Thus, we arrive at the conclusion that the testimony is trustworthy because it has no cause for fabrication. 5. Also, so that no one may think that I mean only to praise Nebridius’ generous almsgiving, although it is a great thing to practice, about which it is said: “as water extinguishes fire, so the alms the sinner” [Eccli.3:33], I shall come to his remaining virtues, each of which are singular and present in very few men. Who has approached the furnace of the king of Babylon without burning? What youth was not robbed of his cloak by his Egyptian mistress? What wife of a eunuch has no children after enjoying her marriage bed? What man is not terrified by this dispute: “I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind, and leading me, captive, in a law of sin which is in my members”? [Rom.7:23] Nevertheless, it is wonderful how Nebridius, while raised in a palace as a companion and schoolmate of the Augusti, whose table is supplied by the world and who are served by land and sea, was so modest in the early bloom of his life, in the middle of this great abundance, that he surpassed the chastity of a maiden. He also gave no occasion at all for obscene gossip against him. Furthermore, although he was very close to the princes, a friend, a relative, and was educated alongside them in the same subjects (a thing which unites even the most opposite of minds), nevertheless he was not puffed up with pride, nor did he look down his nose at other men; rather, he was kind to everyone. He also loved the princes as if they were his brothers, respected them as if his rulers. In fact, he was used to confessing that his own safety rested on the safety of the princes. He befriended their attendants as well as the whole staff of the palace, who greatly increase imperial splendor. He befriended them by showing such high regard that those who were rightly inferior in social standing, judged themselves equal because of his kind services. It is a difficult accomplishment to overcome glory with virtue, to be loved by those whom you surpass. What widow has not been uplifted by this man’s aid? What orphan did not find a father in him? The bishops of the entire East brought the prayers of the wretched and the requests of the oppressed to this man. Whenever he asked anything of the emperor, he always had the following in mind: almsgiving for the poor, ransom for the captives, and compassion for the weak. For this reason the princes also donated freely, knowing that they would be helping not one man, but many.

6. Why put this off any further? All flesh is grass, and all of its glory is as a flower of the field [Isa.40:6]. Earth has returned to earth; he slept in the Lord and was placed near his fathers, full of days and the light, nurtured in his good old age. For wisdom is the white hair of man. In a brief period, he lived a great deal. And in his place we have his sweet children; and his wife is the heir to his purity. To those seeking their father, young Nebridius shows: “Thus were the eyes, the hands, the face that he bore” [Virgil, Aen.3.490]. A spark of the father’s energy shines in his son; even a resemblance in spirit is reflected in the mirror. In a small chest stirs a great heart [Virgil, Georg.4.83]. His sister is beside him, a basket of roses and lilies, a union of ivory and purple. Her face recalls that of her father and this fact brings her even more charm; her coloring recalls that of her mother and there is such an even amount of similarity that you could recognize both father and mother in her. She is so delightful and sweet that she is the pride of all her relations. The emperor does not consider it unworthy to embrace her; the empress delights in nursing her in her lap. Everyone is eager to pick her up and hold her. She hangs on to the neck of one, she clings to the arms of another. She chats and prattles and is sweeter still for her stammering.

7. Therefore, Salvina, you have the ones whom you nurse, through whom you may believe that you are holding your absent husband. Behold, children are the inheritance of the Lord, the reward is the fruit of the womb [Ps.126:3]. You have received two children in place of one man, and the amount of love has increased. Whatever you owed to your husband, give now to your children. Temper the longing for your absent husband with the love for your present children. It is no small thing in God’s eyes to raise children well. Heed the Apostle who reminds you: “Let a widow not be chosen younger than sixty who was the wife of one man, having evidence of her good works, if she raised her children, if she was hospitable, if she washed saints’ feet, if she gave abundant help to the weak, if she pursued every good work” [1Tim.5:9-10]. You have come to know an accounting of your virtues; what you owe to your name, with what services you may possess the second level of chastity. Do not be troubled because a sixty-year- old widow is chosen and do not worry that the Apostle will reject women who are younger. Believe that you are chosen by the one who said to his disciple: “Let no one scorn your adolescence” 1Tim.4:12]; not your continence, but your age. Otherwise all women who are widowed before the age of sixty will have husbands from this law. But he was setting up a church unknowing of Christ, and was providing for every class, especially the paupers, whose care had been laid upon him and Barnabas; he also wishes that the women who are unable to work with their hands, who are widows, of whom both their age and their life approved, be helped by the resources of the church. The faults of his children made Eli, the priest, offensive to God. On the other hand, some appease God through their virtues, “if they remain in faith and love and sanctity as well as chastity” [1Tim.2:15]. “Oh Timothy, keep yourself chaste” [1Tim.5:22]. In no way should I suspect anything improper of you; but to warn you that a life can grow inconstant through abundance is an act of goodness. Take in the words I am about to say—not to you, but to your girlish years: “A widow who lives in pleasure is dead while living” [1Tim.5:6]. Thus the vessel of election speaks, and from that treasure he is brought forth and states boldly, “Do you seek proof of Christ who speaks in me?” [2Cor.13:3] This he pronounces, who, in his own person, was openly confessing the fragility of the human body. “For I do not do the good that I will, but the ill that I won’t” [Rom.7:19]. For this reason, I drive and push my body down into subjection so that I, while preaching to others, may not be found to be below standard [1Cor.9:27]. If that man is afraid, who among us is able to be untroubled? If David, a friend of the Lord, and Solomon, loved by the Lord, were conquered like men to offer the example of their fall as a warning, the example of their penitence to lead us to salvation, who would not fear falling on a slippery path? Keep the pheasants far from your table; also plump turtledoves, the Ionian grouse, and all other birds that make off with the greatest portion of the inheritance. Also, don’t think that you do not enjoy meat, if you reject the edible bits of pork, hare, venison, and four-legged animals. For, the number of their feet is not in question, but rather, the pleasantness of taste. We know that the Apostle said: “Each of God’s creatures is good and nothing must be rejected which is received with an act of grace” [1Tim.4:4]. But he also says: “It is good to drink no wine, to eat no flesh” [Rom.14:21]. In another place: “Do not become inebriated with wine, in which there is lechery” [Eph.5:18]. Each of God’s creatures is good. Let women who are concerned hear how they may please their husbands. Let those women who serve meat, eat meat; whose boiling passion is cured through intercourse, who are bound to their husbands, whose primary care is to bear children. Let their intestines be filled with flesh, in whose wombs are unborn children. But you, you have buried all such pleasures in your husband’s tomb; your face, covered with rouge and ceruse, you washed with your tears over his bier; you wore a dark tunic and black sandals, giving up a bright dress and golden slippers; you need nothing else but to persevere. Let fasting, a pallid complexion, and filth be your jewels: do not let the softness of feathers comfort your youthful limbs. Do not let the heat of the baths warm your young blood. Hear what a heathen poet sings about a chaste widow: “That man who joined me to him first stole my heart: let him keep my heart with him and preserve it in his grave” [Virgil,Aen.4.28-29]. If the cheapest glass is worth this much, how much is the most precious pearl? If, through a common law of nature, a Gentile widow condemns all physical pleasures, what should be expected of a Christian widow, who owes her purity not only to her husband who has passed, but also to the one with whom she will reign?

8. I beg, do not let these general words of advice and this speech, applicable to any young maiden, stir up any suspicion of insult against you. Nor should you think that I am writing in the spirit of one who scolds; no, it is in the spirit of one who worries, who prays that you not know what I fear. The reputation of chastity is a delicate matter for women, just as a beautiful flower quickly withers at a slight wind and is damaged by a gentle breeze. This is especially the case when she is of an age to consent to sin and the authority of her husband is not present; for a husband’s shadow is a wife’s protection. What does a widow do when she is with her household, among the groups of attendants? Being slaves, she should not despise them, but being men, she should blush before them. Certainly, if her great estate requires these services, let her put an older man of good character in charge of them, whose primary duty may be the honor of his mistress. I know that many women, although their doors were closed to the public, did not escape disgrace because of their relationship with their slaves. They eventually came under suspicion, either because of their extravagant dress, or the polish of their stout bodies, or because they were at an age appropriate for illicit behavior, or because they, from knowing a secret affection, became too proud. But this pride, however well-concealed, often breaks out in public when a slave shows disdain for his fellow-slaves as though they were beneath him. Let this be said in abundance, so that you may guard your heart with all diligence and beware whatever can be fabricated about you.

9. Do not let either a coiffed steward walk next to you, or an effeminate actor, or a devilish bard with a bewitching sweetness, or a plucked and shiny youth. Do not let any theatrical tricks or any complaisant obsequiousness be connected to you. Keep company with widows and virgins; be consoled by your sex; for mistresses are judged also on the behavior of their handmaidens. Indeed, when a holy mother is with you, and when your aunt, a perpetual virgin, clings to your side, you should not remove yourself from their company and take risks by seeking comfort from strangers. May there always be divine scripture in your hands and so many sermons that, with this shield, all the arrows of thought that usually pierce adolescents may be repelled. It is difficult—no, it is impossible for anyone to be free from the onslaught of passions which the Greeks call propatheias, which we, through translation, are able to call presentiments. For the incentives of all vices may tantalize the mind and, as though right in the middle of it, our decision is either to reject or accept these thoughts. Thus, the lord of nature was saying in the Gospel, from the heart depart base thoughts, homicide, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, blasphemy [Matth.15:19]. From this it is clear—along with the testimony of another book—that a person’s heart is inclined from childhood toward evil and, between the workings of the flesh and the spirit, which the Apostle Paul specifies, the core of the soul wavers, taking a hold of now these things, now those things. Indeed no one is born without sins; but the best man is the one who is beset by the fewest sins, just as if you should lay hold of the birth marks scattered over an excellent body [Horace, Sat.1.3.68, 1.6.67]. This is just what the prophet signifies in other words: I was in turmoil and did not speak [Ps.76:5]; and in the same volume: be angry and do not sin [Ps.4:5]; and the negligent bailiff of Archytas of Tarentum: If I had not been angry, I would have killed you already with scourges. For a man’s anger does not perform the justice of God. Let us apply what has been said concerning one disturbance to others. As this is typical of an angry person, it is typical of a Christian to quell anger: thus, all flesh desires things of the flesh and, with certain enticements, leads the soul toward destructive pleasures. So it is our task, then, to wrap around the flame of pleasure the greater warmth of Christ’s love and to bring the lascivious flock under the yoke of fasting so that it may seek and desire food, not pleasure, and carry the Holy Spirit with a calm and controlled step.

10. Yet, to what end do I write such things? So that you may know that you are human and lie exposed to human passions, if you are not careful. We are all made of the same clay, made from the same elements. Dressed in silk or in rags we are ruled by the same desire. It has no fear of the royal purple, nor does it spurn the filth of beggars. So it is better by far to suffer an ache in the belly than in the mind, to have authority over the body than to be under its rule, to waver in one’s step than in one’s purity. Nor should we immediately consider penitence an easy recourse, as it is but a remedy for wretchedness. We must take care to avoid a wound that is healed by pain. It is one thing to enter the harbor of salvation on a sound ship and with cargo intact; it is quite another to cling naked to a plank, dashed upon the harshest rocks again and again with the battering of incessant waves. A widow should not know that there is a pardon for a second marriage. Nor should she be aware of the Apostle’s words: It is better to marry than to burn [1Cor.7:9]. Once the worse part, “to burn” has been omitted, then “to marry”, on its own, will not seem as good. Keep the false statements of heretics at a distance. We know that marriage is honorable and that the marriage bed is pure. Even Adam, driven out of Paradise, had only one wife. The reviled and bloodthirsty Lamech, also a descendant of Cain, was the first to divide one of his ribs for two wives, and this seed of digamy was immediately destroyed by a deluge. Then why did the Apostle make such a statement? He is compelled to be lenient on the matter because of his fear of fornication. Thus he writes to Timothy: “I prefer that young women marry, bear children, be in charge of the household, and in no way give an adversary the occasion to speak ill.” And as to the reason for his lenience, he immediately added: “For certain women have already turned aside after Satan.” [1Tim.5:14,15]. From this we understand that that man did not offer a crown to the ones on their feet, but a hand to the ones down and out. Consider how proper a second marriage can be if it is the only alternative to a brothel, because certain women have already turned aside after Satan. For this reason, if a young widow either cannot or will not restrain herself, it is better that she receive a husband than the devil.

11. This noble circumstance surely must be sought when it is taken up in comparison with Satan. Even Jerusalem was at one time a whore, spreading her feet to anyone passing through [Ezech.16:25] First she was deflowered in Egypt, and there her breasts were bruised. Then she came to the desert and, intolerant of Moses’ delays, raged as though by the sting of desire. And when she had said: “These are your gods, Israel, who led you out of the land of Egypt” [Ex.32:4] she received ill-advised precepts and horrible justifications whereby she would not live, but would be punished. Why is it surprising that, in another place, the Apostle had said concerning wanton widows, “When they grow rank in Christ, having damnation, they wish to marry, because they have rendered their first faith useless” [1Tim.5:11-12], when he conceded to those very widows the ill-advised precepts and horrible justifications of digamy, being as lenient about a second husband, a third, and if she so wished, even a twentieth? He told the widows as much so that they might have not so many husbands, but so few adulterers. These things, dearest daughter in Christ, do I drive home, and I repeat them often so that you may forget the things of the past and extend yourself toward what lies ahead. You have good examples to follow: Judith from the Hebrew history, and Anna, daughter of Phanuel famous in the Gospel. These women stayed in the temple day and night, and preserved their chastity, their treasure, by praying and fasting. One, in the type of the church, cut off the head of the devil; the other first received the Savior of the world, sharing in the knowledge of future sacraments. Thus, in the end of this letter, I ask this: please do not think that the shortness of this letter came from a want of speaking, or from a lack of subject matter; rather it is from a great feeling of modesty since I fear that I am encroaching too long upon unknown ears and I am afraid of the unknown judgment of those reading these words.(1)

    Original letter:

    1. Vereor, ne officium putetur ambitio et, quod illius exemplo facimus, qui ait: discite a me, quia mitis sum et humilis corde, gloriae facere adpetitione dicamur et non uiduam adloqui et in angustia constitutam, sed aulae nos insinuare regali et sub occasione sermonis amicitias potentium quaerere. quod liquido non putabit, qui scierit esse praeceptum: personam pauperis non accipies in iudicio, ne sub praetextu misericordiae, quod iniustum est, iudicemus. unumquemque enim nostrum non hominum, sed rerum pondere iudicandum est. nec diuiti obsunt opes, si bene utatur, nec pauperem egestas commendabiliorem facit, si inter sordes et inopiam peccata non caueat. utriusque nobis testimonium et Abraham patriarcha et cotidiana exempla subpeditant; quorum alter in summis diuitiis amicus dei fuit, alii cotidie in sceleribus deprehensi poenas Legibus soluunt, adloquimur igitur – pauperem diuitemne, sciat ipsa, quae possidet; neque enim marsuppium eius discutimus, sed animae puritatem—, loquimur ad eam, cuius faciem ignoramus et uirtutes nouimus, quam nobis fama commendat, cuius uenerabiliorem pudicitiam adulescentia facit, quae mortem iuuenis mariti sic fleuit, ut exemplum coniugii dederit, sic tulit, ut eum profectum crederet, non amissum. orbitatis magnitudo religionis occasio fuit. Nebridium suum sic quaerit, ut in Christo praesentem nouerit. cur ergo ad eam scribimus, quam ignoramus? triplex nimirum causa est: prima, qua pro officio sacerdotii omnes Christianos filiorum loco diligimus et profectus eorum nostra est gloria; altera, qua pater defuncti intima mihi necessitudine copulatus fuit; extrema, quae et ualidior, quod filio meo Auito roganti negare nihil potui, qui crebris litteris interpellatricem duri iudicis superans et multorum mihi, ad quos ante super eadem materia scripseram, exempla proponens ita suffudit pudorem is negantis, ut plus considerarem, quid ille cuperet, quam quid me facere conueniret.

12. Alius forsitan laudet Nebridium, quod de sorore generatus Augustae et in materterae nutritus sinu inuictissimo principi ita carus fuit, ut ei coniugem nobilissimam quaereret et bellis ciuilibus Africam dissidentem hac uelut obside sibi fidam redderet. mihi a principio statim illud est praedicandum, quod quasi uicinae mortis praescius inter fulgorem palatii et honorum culmina, quae aetatem anteibant, sic uixit, ut se ad Christum crederet profecturum. sacra narrat historia Cornelium, centurionem cohortis Italicae, in tantum acceptum deo, ut angelum ad eum mitteret et omne mysterium, quo Petrus de circumcisionis angustiis transferebatur ad praeputii latitudinem, ad illius merita pertineret, qui primus ab apostolo baptizatus salutem gentium dedicauit. scriptumque est de eo: erat uir quidam in Caesarea nomine Cornelius, centurio cohortis, quae dicitur Italica, religiosus et timens deum cum omni domo sua, faciens elemosynas multas plebi et orans deum semper, quid quid de illo dicitur, hoc nomine commutato in Nebridio meo uindico. Sic religiosus fuit et amator pudicitiae, ut uirgo sortiretur uxorem; sic timens deum cum uniuersa domo sua, ut oblitus dignitatis omne consortium cum monachis haberet et clericis tantasque elemosynas faceret in populis, ut fores eius pauperum atque debilium obsiderent examina; certe sic semper orans deum, ut illi, quod optimum esset, eueniret. raptus est, ne malitia inmutaret mentem eius, quia placita deo erat anima illius. unde et ego possum uere super eo abuti apostoli uoce dicentis: in ueritate cognoui, quoniam non est personarum acceptor deus, sed in omni proposito, qui timet deum et operatur iustitiam, acceptus est illi. nihil nocuit militanti paludamentum et balteus et apparitorum cateruae, quia sub habitu alterius alteri militabat, sicut e contrario nihil prodest aliis uile palliolum, furua tunica, corporis inluuies et simulata paupertas, si nominis dignitatem operibus destruant. legimus et in euangelio de alio centurione domini testimonium: nec in Israhel tantem fidem inueni. et ut ad superiora redeamus, Ioseph, qui et in egestate et in diuitiis dedit experimenta uirtutum, qui seruus et dominus docuit animae libertatem, nonne post Pharaonem regis ornatus insignibus sic deo carus fuit, ut super omnes patriarchas duarum tribuum pater fieret? Danihel et tres pueri sic praeerant Babyloniae operibus et erant inter principes ciuitatis, ut habitu Nabuchodonosor deo mente seruirent. Mardocheus et Hester inter purpuram, sericum et gemmas superbiam humilitate uicerunt tantique fuere meriti, ut captiui uictoribus imperarent.

13. Haec illo tendit oratio, ut ostendam iuuenem meum coniunctionem regalis sanguinis et affluentiam diuitiarum atque insignia potestatis materiam habuisse uirtutum dicente Ecclesiaste: sicut protegit sapientia, sic protegit et pecunia. nec statim illud huic testimonio putemus aduersum: amen dico uobis: difficile diues intrabit in regna caelorum. et rursum dico uobis: facilius est camelum per foramen acus transire quam diuitem intrare in regnum dei. alioquin Zacheus publicanus, quem ditissimum scriptura commemorat, contra hanc sententiam saluatus uidebitur. sed quomodo, quod apud homines inpossibile est, apud deum possibile fiat, apostoli consilium docet scribentis ad Timotheum: diuitibus huius saeculi praecipe non superbire nec sperare in incerto diuitiarum, sed in deo uiuo, qui praestat nobis omnia abundanter ad fruendum. benefaciant, diuitessint in operibus bonis, facile tribuant; communicent, thesaurizent sibi fundamentum bonum in futurum, ut adprehendant ueram uitam. didicimus, quomodo camelus introire possit in foramen acus, quomodo animal tortuosum deposito pondere sarcinarum adsumat sibi pennas columbae, ut requiescat in ramis arboris, quae de sinapis semente succreuit. legimus in Esaia camelos Madian ct Gephan et Saba aurum et thus ad urbem domini deportantes; in typo horum camelorum Ismahelitae negotiatores stacten et thymiama et resinam, quae nascitur in Galaad et cutem uulneribus obducit, Aegyptiis deferunt tantaeque felicitatis sunt, ut emant et uendant Ioseph et mercimonium eorura salus mundi sit. docet et Aesopi fabula plenum muris uentrem per angustum foramen egredi non ualere.

14. Ergo Nebridius meus cotidie illud reuoluens: qui uolunt diuites fieri, incidunt in temptationem et in laqueum diaboli et desideria multa, quidquid et imperatoris largitio et honoris infulae sibi dederant, in usus pauperum conferebat. nouerat enim a domino esse praeceptum: si uis perfectus esse, uade, uende omnia, quae habes, et da pauperibus et ueni, sequere me. et quia hanc sententiam inplere non poterat habens uxorem et paruulos liberos et multam familiam, faciebat sibi amicos de iniquo mammona, qui se reciperent in aeterna tabernacula. nec semel abiciebat sarcinam, quod fecerunt apostoli patrem et rete et nauiculam relinquentes, sed ex aequalitate aliorum inopiae suam abundantiam communicabat, ut postea illorum diuitiae huius indigentiam sustentarent. scit ipsa, cui libellus hic scribitur, me non nota, sed audita narrare nee ex aliquo in me beneficio scriptorum more Graecorum gratiam linguae reddere. procul a Christianis ista suspicio. habentes uictum et uestitum his contenti sumus. ubi uile holusculum et cibarius panis et cibus potusque moderatus, ibi diuitiae superuacuae, ibi nulla adulatio, quae uel praecipue fructum respicit. ex quo colligitur fidele esse testimonium, quod causas non habet mentiendi.

15. Ac ne quis me putet solas in Nebridio praedicare elemosynas, quamquam et has exercuisse sit magnum, de quibus dicitur: sicut aqua extinguit ignem, ita elemosyna peccatum, ad uirtutes eius ceteras ueniam, quas singulas in paucis hominibus deprehendimus. quis fornacem regis Babylonis sine adustione ingressus est? cuius adulescentis Aegyptia domina pallium non tenuit? quae uxor eunuchi nullos creat liberos uoluptate transacta? quem hominum disputatio illa non terreat: uideo aliam legem in membris meis repugnantem legi mentis meae et captiuum me dura centem in lege peccati, quae est in membris meis? mirum dictu est: nutritus in palatio, contubernalis et condiscipulus Augustorum, quorum mensae ministrat orbis et terrae ac maria seruiunt, inter rerum omnium abundantiam, in primo aetatis flore tantae uerecundiae fuit, ut uirginalem pudorem uinceret et ne leuem quidem in se obsceni rumoris fabulam daret. deinde purpuratorum propinquus, socius, consobrinus isdemque cum ambobus studiis eruditus—quae res etiam externorum mentes sibi conciliat—non est inflatus in superbiam, non ceteros homines adducta fronte contempsit, sed cunctis amabilis ipsos principes amabat ut fratres, uenerabatur ut dominos et in illorum salute suam salutem positam fatebatur. ministros autem eorum et uniuersum ordinem palatii, quo regalis frequentatur ambitio, sic sibi caritate sociarat, ut, qui merito inferiores erant, officiis se pares arbitrarentur. difficile factu est gloriam uirtute superare et ab his diligi, quos praecedas. quae uidua non huius auxilio sustentata est? qui pupillus non in eo repperit patrem? totius orientis episcopi ad hunc miserorum preces et laborantium desideria conferebant. quid quid ab imperatore poscebat, elemosyna in pauperes, pretium captiuorum, misericordia in adflictos erat. unde et ipsi principes libenter praestabant, quod sciebant non uni, sed pluribus indulgeri.

16. Quid ultra differimus? omnis caro fenum et omnis gloria eius quasi flos feni. reuersa est terra in terram suam: dormiuit in domino et adpositus est ad patres suos plenus dierum et luminis et nutritus in senectute bona — cani enim hominis sunt sapientia — et in breui aetate tempora multa conpleuit. tenemus pro illo dulcissimos liberos; uxor heres pudicitiae pretium est; Nebridius pusio patrem quaerentibus exhibet: sic oculos, sic ille manus, sic ora ferebat. scintilla uigoris paterni lucet in filio et similitudo morum per speculum carnis erumpens: ingentes animos angusto in pectore uersat. iungitur ei germana, rosarum et liliorum calathus, eboris ostrique commercium. sic refert in ore patrem, ut ad uenustatem propensior sit; sic matrem mixta pingit similitudine, ut in uno corpore utrumque cognoscas; ita suauis est et mellitula, ut honos sit omnium propinquorum. hanc tenere non dedignatur Augustus, hanc fouere in sinu regina laetatur. certatim ad se omnes rapiunt: pendet ex collo, haeret in brachiis singulorum. garrula atque balbutiens linguae offensione fit dulcior.

17. Habes igitur, Saluina, quos nutrias, in quibus uirum absentem tenere te credas. ecce hereditas domini filii, merces fructus uentris. pro uno homine duos filios recepisti, auctus est numerus caritatis. quidquid debebas marito, redde filiis; amore praesentium absentis desiderium tempera, non est parui apud deum bene filios educare. audi apostolum commonentem: uidua eligatur non minus annorum sexaginta, quae fuit unius uiri uxor, in bonis operibus habens testimonium, si filios educauit, si hospitalis fuit, si sanctorum pedes lauit, si adflictis abundanter praebuit, si omne opus bonum subsecuta est. didicisti catalogum uirtutum tuarum, quid debeas nomini tuo, quibus meritis secundum pudicitiae gradum possideas. nec te moueat, quod sexagenaria eligatur uidua, et putes adulescentulas ab apostolo reprobari et eligi ab eo, qui discipulo dixerat: nemo adulescentiam tuam contemnat, non continentiam, sed aetatem. alioquin omnes, quae ante sexaginta annos uiduatae sunt, hac lege accipient maritos. sed quia rudem Christi instituebat ecclesiam et omni ordini prouidebat praecipueque pauperibus, quorum ei cura cum Barnaba fuerat demandata, illas uult ecclesiae opibus sustentari, quae propriis manibus non queant laborare, quae uere uiduae sunt, quas et aetas probauit et uita. Heli sacerdos offendit deum ob uitia liberorum: ergo e contrario placatur deus uirtutibus eorum, si permanserint in fide et caritate et sanctitate cum pudicitia. o Timothee, te ipsum castum custodi. absit, ut sinistrum quippiam mihi de te suspicari liceat, sed ex abundanti lubricam aetatem monuisse pietatis est. quae dicturus sum, non tibi, sed puellaribus annis dicta intellege. uidua, quae in deliciis est, uiuens mortua est. hoc uas electionis loquitur et de illo profertur thesauro, qui confidenter aiebat: an experimentum quaeritis eius, qui in me loquitur Christus? hoc ille pronuntiat, qui libere sub persona sua fragilitatem humani corporis fatebatur: non enim, quod nolo bonum, hoc operor, sed, quod nolo malum, et: propterea subicio et redigo in seruitutem corpus meum, ne aliis praedicans ipse reprobus inueniar. si ille timet, quis nostrum potest esse securus? si Dauid, amicus domini, et Salomon, amabilis eius, uicti sunt quasi homines, ut et ruinae nobis ad cautionem et paenitudinis ad salutem exempla praeberent, quis in lubrica uia lapsum non metuat? procul sint a conuiuiis tuis Phasides aues, crassae turtures, attagen Ionicus et omnes aues, quibus amplissima patrimonia auolant, nec ideo te carnibus uesci non putes, si suum, leporum atque ceruorum et quadrupedum animantium esculentias reprobes. non enim haec pedum numero, sed suauitate gustus iudicantur. scimus ab apostolo dictum: omnis creatura dei bona et nihil reiciendum, quod cum gratiarum actione percipitur. sed idem loquitur: bonum est uinum non bibere et carnem non manducare et in alio loco: uinum, in quo est luxuria. omnis creatura dei bona est. audiant haec mulieres, quae sollicitae sunt, quomodo placeant uiris. comedant carnes, quae carnibus seruiunt, quarum feruor despumat in coitum, quae ligatae maritis generationi ac liberis dant operam. quarum uteri portant fetus, earum et intestina carnibus inpleantur. tu uero, quae in tumulo mariti sepelisti omnes pariter uoluptates, quae litam purpurisso et cerussa faciem super feretrum eius lacrimis diluisti, quae pullam tunicam nigrosque calceolos candidae uestis et aurati socci depositione sumpsisti, nihil habes necesse aliud nisi perseuerare. ieiunium, pallor et sordes gemmae tuae sint, plumarum mollities iuuenalia membra non foueant, balnearum calor nouum adulescentiae sanguinem non incendat. audi, quid ex persona uiduae continentis ethnicus poeta decantet: ille meos, primus qui me sibi iunxit, amores/ abstulit; ille habeat secum seruetque sepulchro. si tanti uilissimum uitrum, quanti pretiosissimum margaritum? si communi lege naturae damnat omnes gentilis uidua uoluptates, quid expectandum est a uidua Christiana, quae pudicitiam suam non solum ei debet, qui defunctus est, sed ei, cum quo regnatura est? 8 Quaeso te, ne generalia monita et conueniens puellari sermo personae suspicionem tibi iniuriae moueant et arbitreris me obiurgantis animo scribere, non timentis, cuius uotum est te nescire, quae metuo. tenera res in feminis fama pudicitiae est et quasi flos pulcherrimus cito ad leuem marcescit auram leuique flatu corrumpitur, maxime ubi et aetas consentit ad uitium et maritalis deest auctoritas, cuius umbra tutamen uxoris est. quid facit uidua inter familiae multitudinem, inter ministrorum greges? quos nolo contemnat ut famulos, sed ut uiros erubescat. certe, si ambitiosae domus haec officia flagitant, praeficiat his senem honestis moribus, cuius honor dominae dignitas sit. scio multas clausis ad publicum foribus non caruisse infamia seruulorum, quos suspectos faciebat aut cultus inmodicus aut eras si corporis nitor aut aetas apta libidini aut ex conscientia amoris occulti securus animi tumor, qui etiam bene dissimulatus frequenter erumpit in publicum et conseruos quasi seruos despicit. hoc ex abundanti dictum sit, ut omni diligentia custodias cor tuum et caueas, quidquid de te fingi potest. 9.Non ambulet iuxta te calamistratus procurator, non histrio fractus in feminam, non cantoris diaboli uenenata dulcedo, non iuuenis uulsus et nitidus. nihil artium scenicarum, nihil tibi in obsequiis molle iungatur. habeto tecum uiduarum et uirginum choros, habeto tui sexus solacia; ex ancillarum quoque moribus dominae iudicantur. certe, cum tecum sancta sit mater et lateri tuo amita haereat uirgo perpetua, non debes periculose externorum consortia quaerere de tuorum societate secura. semper in manibus tuis diuina sit lectio et tam crebrae orationes, ut omnes cogitationum sagittae, quibus adulescentia percuti solet, huiusce modi clipeo repellantur. difficile est, quin potius inpossibile, perturbationum initiis carere quempiam, quas significantius Graeci propatheias, uocant, nos, ut uerbum uertamus e uerbo, antepassiones possumus dicere, eo quod incentiua uitiorum omnium titillent animos et quasi in meditullio nostrum iudicium sit uel abicere cogitata uel recipere. unde et naturarum dominus in euangelio loquebatur: decorde exeunt cogitationes malae, homicidia, adulteria, fornicationes, furta, falsa testimonia, blasphemiae. ex quo perspicuum est—iuxta alterius libri testimonium—procliuius esse cor hominis a pueritia ad malum et inter opera carnis et spiritus, quae apostolus Paulus enumerat, mediam animam fluctuare nunc haec, nunc illa capientem. nam uitiis nemo sine nascitur; optimus ille est, qui minimis urguetur, uelut si egregio inspersos reprehendas corpore naeuos. hoc est, quod aliis uerbis os prophetae significat: turbatus sum et non sum locutus et in eodem uolumine: irascimini et nolite peccare et illud Archytae Tarentini ad uilicum neglegentem: ‘iam te uerberibus enecassem, nisi iratus essem’. ira enim uiri iustitiam dei non operatur. quod de una perturbatione dictum est, referamus ad ceteras. sicut irasci hominis est et iram non perficere Christiani, sic omnis caro concupiscit quidem ea, quae carnis sunt, et quibusdam inlecebris ad mortiferas animam uoluptates trahit, sed nostrum est uoluptatis ardorem maiore Christi amore restinguere et lasciuiens iumentum frenis inediae subiugare, ut non libidinem, sed cibos desideret et sessorem spiritum sanctum moderato atque conposito portet incessu.

18. Quorsum ista? ut hominem te esse noueris et passionibus humanis, nisi caueris, subiacere. de eodem cuncti facti sumus luto, isdem conpacti exordiis: et in serico et in pannis eadem libido dominatur nec regum purpuras timet nec mendicantium spernit squalorem multoque melius est stomachum te dolere quam mentem, imperare corpori quam seruire, gressu uacillare quam pudicitia. nec statim nobis paenitentiae subsidia blandiantur, quae sunt infelicium remedia. cauendum est uulnus, quod dolore curatur. aliud est integra naui et saluis mercibus portum salutis intrare, aliud nudum haerere tabulae et crebris fluctuum recursibus ad asperrima saxa conlidi nesciat uidua digamiae indulgentiam nec nouerit illud apostoli: melius est nubere quam uri. tolle, quod peius est, uri, et per se bonum non erit nubere. procul hereticorum calumniae: ‘scimus honorabiles nuptias et cubile inmaculatum’. etiam de paradiso expulsus Adam unam uxorem habuit. primus Lamech maledictus et sanguinarius et de Cain stirpe descendens unam in duas diuisit costam et plantarium digamiae protinus diluuii poena subuertit. unde illud apostoli, quod fornicationis metu iudulgere conpellitur scribens ad Timotheum: uolo adulescentulas nubere, filios procreare, rnatres familias esse, nullam occasionem dare aduersario detractionis causa, cur indulserit, statim subiecit: iam enim quaedam declinauerunt post satanan. ex quo intellegimus illum non stantibus coronam, sed iacentibus manum porrigere. uide, qualia sint secunda matrimonia, quae lupanaribus praeferuntur, quia declinauerunt quaedam post satanan. ideo adulescentula uidua, quae se non potest continere uel non uult, maritum potius accipiat quam diabolum.

19. Pulchra nimirum et adpetenda res, quae satanae conparatione suscipitur. fornicata est quondam et Hierusalem et diuaricauit pedes suos omni transeunti. in Aegypto primum deuirginata est et ibi fractae sunt mammae eius. cumque ad deserta uenisset et morarum Moysi ductoris inpatiens quasi oestro libidinis furibunda dixisset: isti sunt dii tui, Israhel, qui te eduxerunt de terra Aegypti, accepit praecepta non bona et iustificationes pessimas, in quibus non uiueret, sed puniretur. quid ergo mirum, si et lasciuientibus uiduis, de quibus in alio loco apostolus dixerat: cum luxuriatae fuerint in Christo, nubere uolunt habentes damnationem, quia primam fidem irritam fecerunt, concessit digamiae praecepta non bona et iustificationes pessimas ita secundum indulgens maritum et tertium et, si liberet, uicesimum, ut scirent sibi non tam uiros datos quam adulteros amputatos? haec,filia in Christo carissima,inculco et crebrius repeto,ut posteriorum oblita in priora te extendas habens tui ordinis, quas sequaris, Iudith de Hebraea historia et Annam, filiam Phanuelis, de euangelii claritate, que diebus et noctibus uersabantur in templo et orationibus atque ieiuniis thesaurum pudicitiae conseruabant. unde et alter in typo ecclesiae diabolum capite truncauit, altera saluatorem mundi prima suscepit sacramentorum conscia futurorum. illud in calce sermonis quaeso, ut breuitatem libelli non de inopia eloquii uel de materiae sterilitate, sed de pudoris magnitudine aestimes accidisse, dum uereor ignotis me diu ingerere auribus et occultum legentium iudicium pertimesco.

    Historical context:

    Jerome did not know Salvina, a highly connected aristocrat, but wrote this letter of consolation after the death of her husband, Nebridius, whose father he did know. Nebridius was a nephew of Flacilla, first wife of Theodosius I and mother of the emperors Arcadius and Honorius. Jerome praises Nebridius and encourages and admonishes Salvina. He admits that he was urged to write by Avitus, apparently an acquaintance of Nebridius, who had been connected to monastic circles at the court, according to J.N.D. Kelly, Jerome (London: Duckworth, 1975, 216-17). Jerome begins the letter speaking in the first person plural.

    Scholarly notes:

    1 The translation of this letter was provided by Amy Oh.

Printed source:

Sancti Eusebii Hieronymi Epistulae, 3 v. ed. Isidorus Hilberg (CSEL, Vienna: Tempsky, 1910-18, repr. NY: Johnson, 1970), ep.79.

Date:

400