ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, πάνυ τοῦτον φιλῶν καὶ διὰ τιμῆς ἄγων, ὡς ἤκουσε ταῦτα, ἤλγησε μὲν τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ φίλου στερήσει, ἐξεκαύθη δὲ πλέον τῇ κατὰ τῶν μοναζόντων ὀργῇ.
καὶ δὴ κατὰ ζήτησιν αὐτοῦ πανταχοῦ ἀποστείλας, καὶ πάντα λίθον κινήσας, τὸ τοῦ λόγου, ὥστε τοῦτον ἐφευρεῖν,
μετὰ οὖν χρόνον ἱκανὸν οἱ εἰς ἐπιζήτησιν αὐτοῦ πεμφθέντες, ὡς ᾔσθοντο ἐν ἐρήμοις αὐτὸν τὰς οἰκήσεις ἔχοντα, (16,1) διερευνήσαντες καὶ συλλαβόμενοι, τῷ τοῦ βασιλέως παρέστησαν βήματι.
ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν οὕτω πενιχρᾷ καὶ τραχυτάτῃ ἐσθῆτι τὸν λαμπροῖς ποτε ἱματίοις ἠμφιεσμένον, καὶ τὸν πολλῇ συζῶντα τρυφῇ τεταριχευμένον τῇ σκληρᾷ τῆς ἀσκήσεως ἀγωγῇ, καὶ τοῦ ἐρημικοῦ βίου ἐναργῶς περικείμενον τὰ γνωρίσματα, λύπης ὁμοῦ καὶ ὀργῆς ἐπεπλήρωτο, καί, ἐξ ἀμφοῖν τὸν λόγον κεράσας, ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν·
Rex autem, cum eum majorem in modum diligeret, atque in honore ac pretio haberet, ut hoc audivit, de amici jactura dolorem animo cepit, vehementiusque adversus monachos exarsit.
Atque cum homines ad eum conquirendum quaquaversum misisset, et, quemadmodum vulgo dicitur, nullum non lapidem movisset quo eum inveniret,
aliquando post illi qui ad eum investigandum missi fuerant, ut eum in solitudine commorari (447d,1) senserunt, ita perscrutati sunt, ut tandem eum arriperent, atque ad regis tribunal sisterent.
Rex autem, cum eum qui quondam splendidis vestibus utebatur, atque in magnis deliciis vitam exigebat, tam viliter et abjecte amictum, ac religiosae exercitationis asperitate afflictum, vitaeque solitariae signa haud obscure gestantem conspexisset, moerore simul atque iracundia implebatur, atque ex utroque affectu temperato sermone, ita eum allocutus est:
But when the king, who loved and esteemed him highly, heard thereof, he was grieved in spirit at the loss of his friend, but his anger was the more hotly kindled against the monks.
And so he sent everywhere in search of him, leaving “no stone unturned,” as the saying is, to find him.
After a long while, they that were sent in quest of him, having learnt that he abode in the desert, after diligent search, apprehended him and brought him before the king’s judgement seat.
When the king saw him in such vile and coarse raiment who before had been clad in rich apparel, -- saw him, who had lived in the lap of luxury, shrunken and wasted by the severe practice of discipline, and bearing about in his body outward and visible signs of his hermit-life, he was filled with mingled grief and fury, and, in speech blended of these two passions, he spake unto him thus:
En þegar sem konongrenn fra at hans einn hinn hœverskaste þionastumaðr oc einn af þeim er hann hugði at hans sœmd skylldi i alla staðe með matt oc kunnastu fullgera. hafðe skiotlega fra honom faret. þa varð hann akaflega reiðr ollum cristnum mannum. en um þa fram alia stnere hann sinum hug oc grimleik ollum mest til munkka.
þvi nest sendde konongr menn sina at leita i allar markker oc skoga. fioll oc dala. hella oc holor.
oc um siðir funnu þeir hann i einum skoge. gripu þeir hann þegar oc til konongs hafðu.
Oc sem konongrenn sa hann miok vlikan þvi er hann sa hann næstom. oc hann sœmde hann oc hann var fagrbuinn i millum hœveskrar hirðar. en nu syndizt hann skarpr oc bleikr oc i hervilegom bunaðe. er þaðan var leiðilegaztr sem þa sa maðr a hann. þa leit konongr til hans bæðe af reiði oc ryggleika oc mællte.
Men saasnart Kongen erfarede, at en af hans mest höviske Tjenere, og det en af dem, som han tænkte skulde i alle Henseender med Kraft og Kyndighed befordre hans Hæder, hastigen var dragen fra ham, da blev han heftig vred paa alle Christne, men fremfor dem alle vendte han især sin Harme og hele sin Grumhed mod Munke.
5. (7,1) Dernæst sendte Kongen sine Mænd hen at lede i Marker og Skove, Fjelde og Dale, Bjerghuler og Jordhuler,
og omsider fandt de ham i en Skov, grebe ham strax og förte ham til Kongen.
Og da Kongen saa ham meget forandret, siden han saa ham sidst - den Gang gjorde han ham Opvartning og var smukt klædt imellem en hövisk Hird, men nu viste han sig mager og bleg og i hæslige Klæder, der syntes desto fælere, jo mere man betragtede dem - da saa Kongen paa ham baade med Vrede og Bedrövelse og sagde.