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The Life of Malchus, the Captive Monk

9.

Three days after we saw in the dim P. 318 distance two men riding on camels approaching with all speed. At once foreboding ill I began to think my master purposed putting us to death, and our sun seemed to grow dark again. In the midst of our fear, and just as we realized that our footsteps on the sand had betrayed us, we found on our right hand a cave which extended far underground. Well, we entered the cave: but we were afraid of venomous beasts such as vipers, basilisks, scorpions, and other creatures of the kind, which often resort to such shady places so as to avoid the heat of the sun. We therefore barely went inside, and took shelter in a pit on the left, not venturing a step farther, lest in fleeing from death we should run into death. We thought thus within ourselves: If the Lord helps us in our misery we have found safety: if He rejects us for our sins, we have found our grave. What do you suppose were our feelings? What was our terror, when in front of the cave, close by, there stood our master and fellow-servant, brought by the evidence of our footsteps to our hiding place? How much worse is death expected than death inflicted! Again my tongue stammers with distress and fear; it seems as if I heard my master’s voice, and I hardly dare mutter a word. He sent his servant to drag us from the cavern while he himself held the camels and, sword in hand, waited for us to come. Meanwhile the servant entered about three or four cubits, and we in our hiding place saw his back though he could not see us, for the nature of the eye is such that those who go into the shade out of the sunshine can see nothing. His voice echoed through the cave: “Come out, you felons; come out and die; why do you stay? Why do you delay? Come out, your master is calling and patiently waiting for you.” He was still speaking when lo! through the gloom we saw a lioness seize the man, strangle him, and drag him, covered with blood, farther in. Good Jesus! how great was our terror now, how intense our joy! We beheld, though our master knew not of it, our enemy perish. He, when he saw that he was long in returning, supposed that the fugitives being two to one were offering resistance. Impatient in his rage, and sword still in hand, he came to the cavern, and shouted like a madman as he chided the slowness of his slave, but was seized upon by the wild beast before he reached our hiding place. Who ever would believe that before our eyes a brute would fight for us?

One cause of fear was removed, but there was the prospect of a similar death for ourselves, though the rage of the lion was not so bad to bear as the anger of the man. Our hearts failed for fear: without venturing to stir a step we awaited the issue, having no wall of defence in the midst of so great dangers save the consciousness of our chastity; when, early in the morning, the lioness, afraid of some snare and aware that she had been seen took up her cub in her teeth and carried it away, leaving us in possession of our retreat. Our confidence was not restored all at once. We did not rush out, but waited for a long time; for as often as we thought of coming out we pictured to ourselves the horror of falling in with her.

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Vita Malchi monachi captivi

IX

[Herus fugientem occupat.]

Post diem tertium dubio aspectu procul respicimus duos camelis insidentes venire concite. Statimque mens mali praesaga putare dominum, meditari mortem, solem cernere nigrescentem. Dumque timemus et vestigiis per arenas nos proditos intellegimus, offertur ad dexteram specus longe sub terram penetrans. Igitur timentes venenata animalia (solent quippe viperae, reguli et scorpiones ceteraque huiuscemodi fervorem solis declinantia umbras petere) intramus quidem speluncam. Sed statim in ipso introitu sinistrae nos foveae credimus nequaquam ultra progredientes, ne, dum mortem fugimus, incurramus in mortem, illudque nobiscum reputantes: si iuvat dominus miseros, habemus salutem; si despicit peccatores, habemus sepulcrum.

Quid putas nobis fuisse animi, quid terroris, cum ante specum haud procul starent dominus et conservus et vestigio indice iam ad latebras pervenissent? O multo gravior exspectata quam illata mors! Rursus cum labore et timore lingua balbutit, et quasi clamante domino non audeo loqui. Mittit servum, ut nos de spelunca protrahat. Ipse camelos tenet et evaginato gladio nostrum exspectat adventum. Interea tribus ferme vel quattuor cubitis introgresso famulo, nobis ex occulto tergum eius videntibus (nam oculorum istiusmodi natura est, ut post solem umbras intrantibus caeca sint omnia) vox per antrum sonat: ‹Exite, furciferi, exite morituri! Quid statis, quid moramini? Exite! Dominus vos vocat.› Adhuc loquebatur - et ecce: per tenebras aspicimus leaenam invasisse hominem et gutture suffocato cruentum intro trahere. Iesu bone, quid tunc nobis terroris, quid gaudii fuit! Spectabamus hostem nostrum perire domino nesciente. Qui cum videret illum moras facere, suspicatus duos uni resistere, sed et iram differre non valens, sicut tenebat gladium, ad speluncam venit et clamore rabido servi increpans socordiam prius a fera tentus est, quam ad nostras latebras perveniret. Quis hoc umquam crederet, ut ante os nostrum pro nobis bestia dimicaret? Sublato autem illo metu similis ante oculos nostros versabatur interitus, nisi quod tutius erat leonis rabiem quam iram hominum sustinere. Pavemus intrinsecus et ne movere quidem nos ausi praestolamur eventum rei inter tanta pericula, pudicitiae tantum conscientia pro muro saepti. Leaena insidias cavens et visam se esse sentiens apprehensum mordicus catulum matutina effert nobisque cedit hospitium. Neque tamen satis creduli statim erupimus, sed exspectamus diu et egredi cogitantes illius nobis semper figuramus occursum.