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kindler of my fires.[1] Forgive me and be merciful to me like as God.
770. "I know that in the end thou wilt not blame this my resolve. A wise man cannot abandon his beloved friend. I venture to remind thee of the teaching of a certain discourse made by Plato:[2] 'Falsehood and twofacedness injure the body and then the soul.'
771. "Since lying is the source of all misfortunes, why should I abandon my friend, a brother by a stronger tie than born brotherhood? I will not do it! What avails me the knowledge of the philosophizing of the philosophers! Therefore are we taught that we may be united with the choir of the heavenly hosts.
772. "Thou hast read[3] how the apostles write of love, how they speak of it, how they praise it; know thou it and harmonize thy knowledge: 'love exalteth us,' this is as it were the tinkling burden of their song;[4] if thou conceive not this how can I convince ignorant men?
773. "He who created me, even He gave me power to overcome foes; He who is the invisible Might, the Aid of every earthly being, who fixes the bounds of the finite, sits immortal God as God, He can in one moment change a hundred into one and one into a hundred.
774. "What God wills not will not become fact. The violet fades, the rose withers, if they cannot gaze on the sunbeams; every lovely thing is desirable for the eye to gaze on. How can I endure the lack of him, or how can life please me!
775. "However angry thou art, forgive me that I have not kept your command; enthralled, I had no power to fulfil it. No![5] to go was the remedy for the flaming of
- ↑ Ch. for tzetzkhlt'ha, fires, reads tzremlt'ha, tears, and interprets, 'sprinkler of my tears.'
- ↑ The reference has not been traced.
- ↑ ? "I will quote to you."
- ↑ Ezhvanni, rattles; cf. Svanetian rozhven, small bell, rattle.
- ↑ Ch., as—? misprint for ar; reading ats: "Now, to go was," etc.; or, taking tsamali in the sense of "cause": "Not-going was the cause," etc.
