Base Speech

Περὶ αἰσχρολογίας.   Φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρηστὰ ὁμιλίαι κακαί.   Πᾶς λόγος σαπρὸς μὴ ἐκπορευέσθω ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν, ἀλλ' εἴ τις ἀγαθὸς πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν τῆς χρείας, ἵνα δῷ χάριν τοῖς ἀκούουσιν. Αἰσχρότης καὶ μωρολογία, ἢ εὐτραπελία, τὰ μὴ ἀνήκοντα, μηδὲ ὀνομαζέσθωσαν ἐν ὑμῖν, καθὼς πρέπει ἁγίοις.   Αἰσχρολογία μὴ ἐξερχέσθω ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν.  Ἡ τῶν λόγων συνήθεια ὁδός ἐστιν ἐπὶ τὰ πράγματα. Διὸ πάσῃ φυλακῇ τὴν ψυχὴν τηρητέον, μὴ διὰ τῆς τῶν λόγων ἡδονῆς παραδεξάμενοί τι, λάθωμεν τῶν χειρόνων, ὥσπερ καταδηλητήρια μετὰ τοῦ μέλιτος προσιέμενοι. Κακοῦ μελέτη χρόνῳ βεβαιωθεῖσα δυσίατός ἐστιν, ἢ καὶ παντελῶς εἰς φύσιν ὡς τὰ πολλὰ τοῦ ἔθους μεθισταμένου. Κηρῷ τὰ ὦτα φράσσε πρὸς φαύλους λόγους, Ὠδῶν τε τερπνῶν ἐκμελῆ λυγίσματα. Αἰσχροὶ καὶ εἰκαῖοι, οἱ ἐν τοῖς ματαίοις εὐφυΐαν ἀνεπιδεικνύντες, βραδεῖς μὲν ὄντες τὰ καλὰ παιδεύεσθαι, τὰ δὲ ἐναντία μανθάνειν ὀξύτατοι καὶ προχειρότατοι. Αἰσχρολογίας αὐτοῖς τε ἡμῖν παντελῶς ἀφεκτέον, καὶ τοὺς χρωμένους αὐτῇ ἐπιστομιστέον, καὶ ὄψει δριμυτέρᾳ, καὶ προσώπου ἀποστροφῇ, καὶ τῷ ἀπομυκτηρισμῷ καλουμένῳ, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ λόγῳ θρασυτέρῳ. Τὸ ἐν τοῖς ὀνόμασιν ἀτακτεῖν, μελέτην ἐμποιεῖ τοῦ καὶ εἰς τὰ ἔργα ἀκοσμεῖν. Πάντη ἀφεκτέον αἰσχρῶν ἀκουσμάτων καὶ θεαμάτων· πολὺ δὲ πλέον ἔργων αἰσχρῶν καθαρευτέον. Ὁδὸς ἐπ' ἀναισχυντίαν ἡ αἰσχρολογία, καὶ τέλος ἀμφοῖν ἡ αἰσχρουργία. Κίνδυνον φέρει πολλάκις τὸ δυσφήμους λόγους ἀκούειν. Άγιος Ιωάννης ο Δαμασκηνός, Τὰ Ιἐρα Παραλληλα, Στοικειον Α' , Τιτλ ΜϚ.  Source:Migne PG 95 1254c-1256a

Concerning Base Speech Depraved speech corrupts good morals. 1   Let not a wicked word proceed from your mouth, but if it is something good for edification, let it be given for the edification of those who hear. 2 Baseness and foolish speech, and scurrilous talk, which pertains to nothing, let it not be spoken among you, as befits the holy. 3 Let not base speech come out of your mouth. 4 It is the way of words to lead to deeds, whence the soul must be guarded most diligently, lest being somewhat carried away by the pleasure of speaking we are forgetful of evils, not marking our own hands mixing together poison and honey. 5 A passion for evil is fortified by duration; and inevitably, as many things do, by custom it passes into a man's nature. 5 Seal up your ears with wax to base words and to the sweet sound of songs. 6 Base and mindless they are who in vain things evince a sort of cleverness, and when to things sublime you direct them are sluggish, though to doing base things they are swift, and most keen to display it. 7 One should not only abstain from obscene words but also silence those who use them, and even at the sight of their gaze avert your face, so often will you be preserved even from the speech of the most reckless. 8 Immodesty in words does this, that next we are carried to repulsive deeds. 8 Immediately we must abstain from hearing of baseness and from obscene sights, that much more surely we will not be stained by wicked deeds. The way to disgrace is through obscene words, and the end of both is obscene works. 8   The hearing of base words is often a bearer of peril. 9   Saint John of Damascus, Sacred Parallels, Part 1, Chap 46 1 1 Cor 15.33 2 Ephes 5.4 3 Ephes 5.4 4. Colos 3.8 5. Basil Homily to Youths 6 Greg Naz Tetras 17 7. Philo 8 Clem Paed, 2 6 9 Didymus