VIII

PREFACE.

Returned from the West, Sahdona re-entered the convent of Beit-Abe and wrote his treatise on asceticism, which we are publishing in the first part of this Volume.

This treatise is divided into two parts: the first comprises four books and twenty-two chapters; the second has a single book divided into fourteen chapters. It remained secret at first and was only known after the nomination of Sahdona to the bishopric of Mahoze of Arewan (Mahoze d'Arewan), a city in the province of Beit-Garmai. One can understand the anger that this disclosure excited in the high Nestorian clergy, where Sahdona enjoyed great consideration as much for his erudition and eloquence as for his distinguished piety. Ichoyab of Adiabene, who was his friend and who had acted in favor of his elevation to the see of Mahoze, employed every means to bring him back to Nestorian doctrine. Sahdona seems to have been shaken on various occasions. According to Ichoyab (see Budge, II, p. 145, l. 1), he retracted eight times in full synod, three times in writing and five times verbally. Sahdona perhaps took a simple engagement not to publish his treatise. In fact, two Fathers whom Ichoyab had sent to him had obtained from him the suppression of sixteen chapters of this treatise (Budge, II, p. 134, l. 6 from the bottom). A vertical pencil line in the right margin, starting with a cross and ending with an arrow pointing downwards. It happens, precisely, that in the manuscript we are publishing, there is a gap of sixteen chapters at the beginning. One is therefore led to believe that this gap is not accidental, but that it was already present in Sahdona's manuscript and that it resulted from the cut he had been forced to make. But a difficulty arises. Although these sixteen chapters have disappeared, we can