————————————
1. many genuine
and true friends, men who understood the laws of friendship, and
faithfully observed them; but out of this large number there was
one who excelled all the rest in his attachment to me, striving to
outstrip them as much as they themselves outstripped ordinary
acquaintance. He was one of those who were constantly at my side; for we were engaged in the same studies, and employed the same teachers. We had the same eagerness and zeal about the studies at which we worked, and a passionate desire produced by the same circumstances was equally strong in both of us. For not only when we were attending school, but after we had left it, when it became necessary to consider what course of life it would be best for us to adopt, we found ourselves to be of the same mind.
2. And in addition to these, there were other things
also which preserved and maintained this concord unbroken and
secure. For as regarded the greatness of our fatherland neither had
one cause to vaunt himself over the other, nor was I burdened with
riches, and he pinched by poverty, but our means corresponded as
closely as our tastes. Our families also were of equal rank, and
thus everything concurred with our disposition.
3. But when it became our duty to pursue the
blessed life of monks, and the true philosophy, our balance was no longer even, but his scale mounted high, while I, still entangled in the lusts of this world, dragged mine down and kept it low, weighting it with those fancies in which youths are apt to indulge. For the future our friendship indeed remained as firm as it was before, but our intercourse was interrupted; for it was impossible for persons who were not interested about the same things to spend much time together. But as soon as I also began to emerge a little from the flood of worldliness, he received me with open arms; yet not even thus could we maintain our former equality: for having got the start of me in time, and having displayed great earnestness, he rose again above my level, and soared to a great height.
4. Being a good man, however, and placing a high
value on my friendship, he separated himself from all the rest (of
the brethren), and spent the whole of his time with me, which he
had desired to do before, but had been prevented as I was saying by
my frivolity. For it was impossible for a man who attended the
law-courts, and was in a flutter of excitement
about the pleasures of the stage, to be often in
the company of one who was nailed to his books, and never set foot
in the market place. Consequently when the hindrances were removed, and he had brought me into the same condition of life as himself, he gave free vent to the desire with which he had long been laboring. He could not bear leaving me even for a moment, and he persistently urged that we should each of us abandon our own home and share a common dwelling:—in fact he persuaded me, and the affair was taken in hand.