71. Modesty ought to be maintained in all our physical movement as well, in the way we carry ourselves, and in the way we walk. It is from the attitude of the body that the condition of the spirit is gauged. This is the evidence upon which people form their opinions of ‘the hidden man of our heart’, concluding that here is someone who is rather fickle, perhaps, or boastful, or prone to get upset—or, alternatively, that this is a person who is altogether firm and steady, pure, and mature. The movement of the body thus acts as a kind of voice for the soul.

72. You will recall, my sons, a certain friend of ours. He appeared to commend himself by carrying out his duties with due care, yet I still refused to admit him into the body of the clergy. I had one reason only, and it was this: he carried himself physically in a way that was totally unseemly. You will recall another man, too. He was already a member of the clergy when I first encountered him, but I issued instructions that he was never to walk in front of me, for the cocky way in which he walked was—to be frank—painful for me to behold. And I said just that when he was restored to his office after committing his offence. I had no other reason but this to reject these men; but I did not prove mistaken in my judgement, for both of them went on to leave the church: they showed themselves to be every bit as faithless in spirit as their style of walking had suggested. One deserted the faith at the time of the Arian onslaught; the other was so keen on money that he was prepared to say he was not one of us, so as to escape being judged by his bishop. The hallmark of the fickleness inside these men was plain in the way they walked—they had all the appearance of wandering jesters.

 

In chapters 73 and 74, Ambrose says that movements should neither be too slow nor too hurried. He advocates moderateness:

 

75. There is, though, another type of gait, one of which we can approve, which gives an impression of authority, of firmness and gravity, and a sense of calm purpose. The important thing is to keep studied effort and affectation out of it, and to allow your movement to be natural and simple; for no kind of falsehood can ever be pleasing. Let nature herself shape your movement. If, of course, there is some flaw in the style nature has given you, then by all means try to put it right with a little hard work: it is artificiality that needs to be kept out of things, not an appropriate measure of correction.

 

(trans. Davidson 2001: 159-163)