Letter 40: Onasus, of Segesta, the subject of this letter, was among Jerome's Roman opponents. He is here held up to ridicule in a manner which reflects little credit on the writer's urbanity. The date of the letter is 385 A.D.

Letter 40: To Marcella, Concerning Onasus of Segesta (385 AD) [Onasus was one of Jerome's critics in Rome. Jerome holds him up to savage ridicule — a letter that displays his gift for invective more than his Christian charity.] 1. The surgeons called upon to perform operations are thought cruel, but really deserve our pity. For is it not pitiable to cut away the dead flesh of another person with merciless knives, unmoved by his agony? Is it not pitiable that the man curing the patient must appear indifferent to his suffering — must look, in fact, like his enemy? But that is the nature of things. Truth is always bitter; pleasantness accompanies wrongdoing. Isaiah went naked without blushing, as a sign of the captivity to come [Isaiah 20:2]. Jeremiah was sent all the way to the Euphrates to leave his loincloth to rot in the Chaldean camp [Jeremiah 13:6-7]. Ezekiel was told to eat bread baked over dung [Ezekiel 4:9-16] and to watch his wife die without shedding a tear [Ezekiel 24:15-18]. Amos was thrown out of Samaria [Amos 7:12-13]. And why? Because, like all of them, he was a spiritual surgeon, cutting away the parts diseased by sin and urging men to repent. The apostle Paul puts it plainly: "Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" [Galatians 4:16]. And the Savior himself experienced the same thing — many of his disciples walked away because his sayings seemed too hard [John 6:60, 66]. 2. It should come as no surprise, then, that by exposing people's faults I have made enemies. I set out to operate on a cancerous nose — let anyone who suffers from warts start trembling. I criticize a chattering jackdaw — let the crow realize she is offensive too. But tell me: is there only one man in all of Rome "whose nostrils are disfigured by a scar"? Is Onasus of Segesta the only person who puffs out his cheeks like bladders and balances hollow phrases on his tongue? I observe that certain people have climbed to high positions through crime, perjury, and fraud. How does that hurt you, if you know the charge doesn't apply to you? I laugh at a lawyer without clients and mock a hack writer's eloquence. Why should that bother you, the polished speaker? I attack mercenary priests — but you're already rich, so why take offense? I choose to make sport of ghosts and owls and the monsters of the Nile — and whatever I say, you claim it's aimed at you. At whatever fault I point my pen, you cry out that you are the target. You drag me into court and charge me, absurdly, with writing satire when I am writing plain prose. So you really fancy yourself a handsome fellow just because you have a lucky name? That doesn't follow at all.

To Marcella Onasus, of Segesta, the subject of this letter, was among Jerome's Roman opponents. He is here held up to ridicule in a manner which reflects little credit on the writer's urbanity. The date of the letter is 385 A.D. 1. The medical men called surgeons pass for being cruel, but really deserve pity. For is it not pitiful to cut away the dead flesh of another man with merciless knives without being moved by his pangs? Is it not pitiful that the man who is curing the patient is callous to his sufferings, and has to appear as his enemy? Yet such is the order of nature. While truth is always bitter, pleasantness waits upon evil-doing. Isaiah goes naked without blushing as a type of captivity to come. Isaiah 20:2 Jeremiah is sent from Jerusalem to the Euphrates (a river in Mesopotamia), and leaves his girdle to be marred in the Chaldæan camp, among the Assyrians hostile to his people. Jeremiah 13:6-7 Ezekiel is told to eat bread made of mingled seeds and sprinkled with the dung of men and cattle. Ezekiel 4:9-16 He has to see his wife die without shedding a tear. Ezekiel 24:15-18 Amos is driven from Samaria. Amos 7:12-13 Why is he driven from it? Surely in this case as in the others, because he was a spiritual surgeon, who cut away the parts diseased by sin and urged men to repentance. The apostle Paul says: Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? Galatians 4:16 And so the Saviour Himself found it, from whom many of the disciples went back because His sayings seemed hard. John 6:60, 66 2. It is not surprising, then, that by exposing their faults I have offended many. I have arranged to operate on a cancerous nose; let him who suffers from wens tremble. I wish to rebuke a chattering daw; let the crow realize that she is offensive. Yet, after all, is there but one person in Rome Whose nostrils are disfigured by a scar? Is Onasus of Segesta alone in puffing out his cheeks like bladders and balancing hollow phrases on his tongue? I say that certain persons have, by crime, perjury, and false pretences, attained to this or that high position. How does it hurt you who know that the charge does not touch you? I laugh at a pleader who has no clients, and sneer at a penny-a-liner's eloquence. What does it matter to you who are such a refined speaker? It is my whim to inveigh against mercenary priests. You are rich already, why should you be angry? I wish to shut up Vulcan and burn him in his own flames. Are you his or his neighbor that you try to save an idol's shrine from the fire? I choose to make merry over ghosts and owls and monsters of the Nile; and whatever I say, you take it as aimed at you. At whatever fault I point my pen, you cry out that you are meant. You collar me and drag me into court and absurdly charge me with writing satires when I only write plain prose! So you really think yourself a pretty fellow just because you have a lucky name! Why it does not follow at all. A broke is called a broke just because the light does not break through it. The Fates are called sparers, just because they never spare. The Furies are spoken of as gracious, because they show no grace. And in common speech Ethiopians go by the name of silverlings. Still, if the showing up of faults always angers you, I will soothe you now with the words of Persius: May you be a catch for my lord and lady's daughter! May the pretty ladies scramble for you! May the ground you walk on turn to a rose-bed! 3. All the same, I will give you a hint what features to hide if you want to look your best. Show no nose upon your face and keep your mouth shut. You will then stand some chance of being counted both handsome and eloquent. About this page Source. Translated by W.H. Fremantle, G. Lewis and W.G. Martley. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 6. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1893.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3001040.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.