He Goes to the Desert

The next day he went out still more eagerly set on the service of God. He came across the old man he had met before, and asked him to live with him in the desert. But the old man declined, because of his great age and because there was not yet any such custom. So Antony himself set off at once for the mountain. Yet again the enemy saw his zeal and wanted to hinder it, and threw in his way what looked like a large silver dish. But Antony saw the trickery of the evil one and stood still. He looked at the dish and put the devil in it to shame, saying: “Where does a dish in the desert come from? This road is not well worn, and there is no trace here of any traveler. It could not have fallen without being missed, because of its size. And whoever lost it would have turned back to look for it and found it, for this is a desert place. This is some trick of the devil. You evil one, you will not hinder my purpose with this. May it go with you to destruction.” And when Antony had said this, it vanished like smoke before fire. [a]