Since, then, the uncreated nature is incapable of admitting of such movement as is implied in turning or change or alteration, while everything that subsists through creation has connection with change, inasmuch as the subsistence itself of the creation had its rise in change, that which was not passing by the Divine power into that which is; and since the above-mentioned power was created too, and could choose by a spontaneous movement whatever he liked, when he had closed his eyes to the good and the ungrudging like one who in the sunshine lets his eyelids down upon his eyes and sees only darkness, in this way that being also, by his very unwillingness to perceive the good, became cognisant of the contrary to goodness. Now this is Envy. Well, it is undeniable that the beginning of any matter is the cause of everything else that by consequence follows upon it, as, for instance, upon health there follows a good habit of body, activity, and a pleasurable life, but upon sickness, weakness, want of energy, and life passed in distaste of everything;

ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἡ ἄκτιστος φύσις τῆς κινήσεως τῆς κατὰ τροπὴν καὶ μεταβολὴν καὶ ἀλλοίωσίν ἐστιν ἀνεπίδεκτος͵ πᾶν δὲ τὸ διὰ κτίσεως ὑποστὰν συγγενῶς πρὸς τὴν ἀλλοίωσιν ἔχει͵ διότι καὶ αὐτὴ τῆς κτίσεως ἡ ὑπόστασις ἀπὸ ἀλλοιώσεως ἤρξατο͵ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι θείᾳ δυνάμει μετατεθέντος· κτιστὴ δὲ ἦν καὶ ἡ μνημονευθεῖσα δύναμις͵ αὐτεξουσίῳ κινήματι τὸ δοκοῦν αἱρουμένη· ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθόν τε καὶ ἄφθονον ἐπέμυσεν ὄμμα͵ ὥσπερ ὁ ἐν ἡλίῳ τοῖς βλεφάροις τὰς ὄψεις ὑποβαλὼν σκότος ὁρᾷ͵ οὕτω κἀκεῖνος αὐτῷ τῷ μὴ θελῆσαι τὸ ἀγαθὸν νοῆσαι τὸ ἐναντίον τῷ ἀγαθῷ κατενόησε. τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν ὁ φθόνος. ὁμολογεῖται δὲ παντὸς πράγματος ἀρχὴν τῶν μετ΄ αὐτὴν κατὰ τὸ ἀκόλουθον ἐπισυμβαινόντων αἰτίαν εἶναι͵ οἷον τῇ ὑγείᾳ τὸ εὐεκτεῖν͵ τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι͵ τὸ καθ΄ ἡδονὴν βιοτεύειν· τῇ δὲ νόσῳ τὸ ἀσθενεῖν͵ τὸ ἀνενέργητον εἶναι͵ τὸ ἐν ἀηδίᾳ τὴν ζωὴν ἔχειν.