Letter 1521
Isidore of Pelusium→Unknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: A craftsman, and then to Hierax the Deacon
Date: ~410 AD
Context: First, Isidore encourages a manual laborer; then turns to address Hierax the Deacon on the virtue of moderation.
Do not be ashamed of your work — take pride in it. You have taken up the most necessary and useful craft. It is those who chase pleasure who deserve to blush. Their fires are nearly extinguished by the very pursuit they live for.
To Hierax the Deacon: The man who keeps his soul composed even in the heart of winter is wise. Even at the peak of the cold season, a fire kept burning in a sheltered room preserves its warmth. So too the soul that does not give itself over to distraction will hold its heat even against the worst conditions.
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From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: A craftsman, and then to Hierax the Deacon
Date: ~410 AD
Context: First, Isidore encourages a manual laborer; then turns to address Hierax the Deacon on the virtue of moderation.
Do not be ashamed of your work — take pride in it. You have taken up the most necessary and useful craft. It is those who chase pleasure who deserve to blush. Their fires are nearly extinguished by the very pursuit they live for.
To Hierax the Deacon: The man who keeps his soul composed even in the heart of winter is wise. Even at the peak of the cold season, a fire kept burning in a sheltered room preserves its warmth. So too the soul that does not give itself over to distraction will hold its heat even against the worst conditions.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.