Testing A Monk

Ἐπῃνέθη τις μοναχὸς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀντώνιον. Ὁ δὲ παραβαλόντα αὐτὸν ἐπείρασεν, εἰ φέρει ἀτιμίαν· καὶ εὐρὼν ὅτι οὐ βαστάζει, εἴπεν αὐτῷ· Ἒοικας κώμῃ τὰ ἔμπροσθεν κεκαλλωπισμένῃ, τὰ δὲ ὅπισθεν ὑπὸ λῃστῶν συλουμένῃ. Ἀποφθέγματα Των Ἁγίων Γερόντων, Παλλαδιος Source: Migne PG 65.80c

A certain monk was praised to Anthony by the brothers. When the monk came to him, he tested him, to see if he would bear dishonour, and finding that he would not suffer it, he said to him, 'You seem like a village that is fair without, but within it has been plundered by bandits.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia