Letter 283: I hope to find a suitable day for the conference, after those which I intend to fix for the hill-country. I see no opportunity for our meeting (unless the Lord so order it beyond my expectation), other than at a public conference. You may imagine my position from your own experience.
I hope to find a suitable day for the meeting, after those I intend to schedule for the hill country. I see no other opportunity for us to meet -- unless the Lord arranges it beyond my expectations -- except at a public gathering.
You can imagine my situation from your own experience. If the care of a single household surrounds you with such a crowd of anxieties, think how many distractions each day brings to me.
As for your dream, I think it reveals more clearly than anything the need for spiritual contemplation and for cultivating the inner vision through which God makes Himself known. But you have the consolation of the Holy Scriptures, and you stand in need of neither my assistance nor anyone else's to understand your duty. You have the all-sufficient counsel and guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead you to what is right.
Human translation - New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)
Latin / Greek Original
[Πρός: Ἐλευθέρᾳ]
Ἡμέραν μὲν ἐπιτηδείαν τῆς συνόδου ἐλπίζομεν εὑρίσκειν μετὰ τὰς κατὰ τὴν ὀρεινὴν μελλούσας παρʼ ἡμῶν τυποῦσθαι· συντυχίας δὲ καιρὸς ἄνευ τῆς κατὰ τὴν σύνοδον λειτουργίας ἄλλος ἡμῖν οὐχ ὑποφαίνεται, πλὴν ἐὰν μή τι ἔξω τῶν ἐλπιζομένων ὁ Κύριος οἰκονομήσῃ. στοχάζεσθαι δὲ ὀφείλεις ἐν τῶν κατὰ σεαυτὴν πραγμάτων. εἰ γὰρ τῇ σῇ εὐγενείᾳ μιᾶς φροντιζούσῃ τοσοῦτος περίκειται ὄχλος μεριμνῶν, πόσας νομίζεις ἡμᾶς τὰς ἐφʼ ἑκάστης ἡμέρας ἀσχολίας ἔχειν;
Τὸ δὲ σὸν ὄναρ ἡγοῦμαι τελειότερον ἐνδείκνυσθαι, ὡς ἄρα δέοι περὶ τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν θεωρίας ποιεῖσθαί τινα ἐπιμέλειαν, κἀκείνους τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς θεραπεύειν οἷς ὁ Θεὸς ὁρᾶσθαι πέφυκεν. ἔχουσα δὲ τὴν ἐκ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν παράκλησιν, οὔτε ἡμῶν οὔτε ἄλλου τινὸς δεηθήσῃ πρὸς τὸ τὰ δέοντα συνορᾷν, αὐτάρκη τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἔχουσα συμβουλίαν καὶ ὁδηγίαν πρὸ τὸ συμφέρον.
Revision history
- 2026-05-27v2.2.34-import
Initial corpus import from New Advent / NPNF.
Fields: letter text, metadata, source links. Source: https://github.com/PerseusDL/canonical-greekLit/blob/master/data/tlg2040/tlg004/tlg2040.tlg004.perseus-grc2.xml
Related Letters
I have been most wishful to write constantly to your excellency, but I have from time to time denied myself, for fear of causing any temptation to beset you, because of those who are ill disposed toward me. As I am told, their hatred has even gone so far that they make a fuss if any one happens to receive a letter from me. But now that you have ...
The oration , which contains some account of your glorious actions, you honour not only with praise but admiration.
Conflicting rumors slowed my journey.
Some account of the so-called alphabetical psalms (XXXVII., CXI., CXII., CXIX., CXLV.). After explaining the mystical meaning of the alphabet, Jerome goes on thus: What honey is sweeter than to know the wisdom of God? Others, if they will, may possess riches, drink from a jewelled cup, shine in silks, and try in vain to exhaust their wealth in t...
You, who have included all the art of the ancients in your own mind, are so silent, that you do not even let me get any gain in a letter. I, if the art of Dædalus had only been safe, would have made me Icarus' wings and come to you. But wax cannot be entrusted to the sun, and so, instead of Icarus' wings, I send you words to prove my affection.