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The Life and Passion of Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr. By Pontius the Deacon

Pontius the Deacon

Section 6

About this work

Author: Pontius the Deacon

6. Henceforth who is sufficient to relate

‹ Section 5 Section 7 ›

the

manner

in

which

he

bore

himself

?

—

what

pity

was

his

?

what

vigour

?

how

great

his

mercy

?

how

great

his

strictness

?

So

much

sanctity

and

grace

beamed

from

his

face

that

it

confounded

the

minds

of

the

beholders

.

His

countenance

was

grave

and

joyous

.

Neither

was

his

severity

gloomy

,

nor

his

affability

excessive

,

but

a

mingled

tempering

of

both

;

so

that

it

might

be

doubted

whether

he

most

deserved

to

be

revered

or

to

be

loved

,

except

that

he

deserved

both

to

be

revered

and

to

be

loved

.

And

his

dress

was

not

out

of

harmony

with

his

countenance

,

being

itself

also

subdued

to

a

fitting

mean

.

The

pride

of

the

world

did

not

inflame

him

,

nor

yet

did

an

excessively

affected

penury

make

him

sordid

,

because

this

latter

kind

of

attire

arises

no

less

from

boastfulness

,

than

does

such

an

ambitious

frugality

from

ostentation

.

But

what

did

he

as

bishop

in

respect

of

the

poor

,

whom

as

a

catechumen

he

had

loved

?

Let

the

priests

of

piety

consider

,

or

those

whom

the

teaching

of

their

very

rank

has

trained

to

the

duty

of

good

works

,

or

those

whom

the

common

obligation

of

the

Sacrament

has

bound

to

the

duty

of

manifesting

love

.

Cyprian

the

bishop’s

cathedra

received

such

as

he

had

been

before

,

—

it

did

not

make

him

so

.

Notes

9
[Nor does it make any one so. But the Fathers seem to have thought it made good men more humble.]