Letter 190: Chrysostom gently rebukes Brison for failing to write despite publicly showing affection.

What is this? When we were there, you were eager to do and say countless things, and to the whole city, or rather the whole world, you became known for the affection you showed us. You could not hide it in silence; you displayed it everywhere by word and deed. Yet you have not considered us worthy of even one letter, though we thirst for your letters and long for them. I do not say this as an accusation. I know that, whether you write or keep silent, your disposition toward us remains in bloom. I speak because I greatly desire your letters. Even when you do not write, we keep asking those who come from there about your health and cheerfulness, and we rejoice greatly when we hear what we want to hear. But we want to learn these things from your own tongue and hand. Grant us this favor now; it is not burdensome, and it will bring us much pleasure.

Ρʹ. Βρίσωνι. Τί τοῦτο; Αὐτόθι μὲν ὄντων ἡμῶν μυρία καὶ ποιεῖν καὶ λέγειν ἐσπούδακας, καὶ τῇ πόλει πάσῃ, μᾶλλον δὲ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ κατάδηλος γέγονας ἐπὶ τῷ φίλτρῳ, ᾧ περὶ ἡμᾶς ἐπιδείκνυσαι, μὴ στέγων αὐτὸ σιγῇ κατέχειν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν ἔργων, διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων πανταχοῦ ἐπιδεικνύμενος, ἐπιστεῖλαι δὲ ἡμῖν οὐδὲ ἅπαξ κατεδέξω, καὶ ταῦτα σφόδρα διψῶσι τῶν ἐπιστολῶν τῶν σῶν, καὶ τῶν γραμμάτων ἐπιθυμοῦσιν; Οὐκ οἶσθα ὅσην ἐμέλλομεν καρποῦσθαι παράκλησιν τῆς οὕτω γνησίας ψυχῆς, τῆς οὕτω θερμῆς φιλίας ἔγγονα δεχόμενοι γράμματα; Καὶ ταῦτα οὐκ ἐγκαλῶν λέγω οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι καὶ γράφων, καὶ σιγῶν, ἀκμάζουσαν διατηρεῖς τὴν περὶ ἡμᾶς διάθεσιν, ἀλλὰ σφόδρα ἐπιθυμῶν σου τῶν ἐπιστολῶν. Καὶ μὴ γράφοντος μέν σου, οὐ παυόμεθα τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν ἀφικνουμένους ἐρωτῶντες περὶ τῆς ῥώσεώς σου καὶ τῆς εὐθυμίας, καὶ σφόδρα χαίρομεν ἀκούοντες ἅπερ ἐπιθυμοῦμεν· ἀλλὰ βουλόμεθα καὶ παρὰ τῆς γλώττης τῆς σῆς, καὶ παρὰ τῆς δεξιᾶς τῆς σῆς ταῦτα μανθάνειν. Εἰ τοίνυν μὴ βαρὺ μηδὲ ἐπαχθὲς ζητοῦμεν, νῦν γοῦν ταύτην ἡμῖν παράσχου τὴν χάριν, μεγίστην οὖσαν καὶ ἡδίστην, καὶ πολλὴν ἡμῖν φέρουσαν τὴν ἡδονήν.