The Life and Conduct

and have chosen and taken upon yourself this hard, apostolic life above all the loveliness and pleasure of this world? When the man of God perceived and heard the king's words, he answered him publicly with a joyful mouth and heart: O King, if you wish to know and hear my reasons for why I have done this, then first drive your enemies out of your council, and I will give you an account and answer to everything you ask me. In their presence, however, I will give you no word, for then my answer would not be according to equity. If that be the case, then torment, torture, and kill me, for "the world is crucified to me, and I to the world," says my teacher. Then the king asked him: Who are the enemies that you desire and command to be driven out? The holy man spoke: They are Anger and Desire. For these two were originally given by God to nature as helpers, and they still have that in them which is not according to the desire of the flesh, but according to the spirit. In you, however, who are entirely fleshly and have nothing of the spirit, they are contrary to each other and work nothing but what is hostile and adverse. For Desire works in you and incites you to all pleasure and vanity, while Anger destroys everything. Therefore, dismiss these two assessors from you today, and in their place for our hearing, seat Wisdom and Equity. If you would abolish Anger and Desire, and instead introduce Wisdom and Equity, I will tell you the truth. Thereupon the king said: Take note, I will grant your request and put away Desire and Anger, and instead take up Wisdom and Equity. Tell me in secret, from where did this great