Letter 219: Chrysostom gently complains of Severina and Romula's silence while trusting their love.

If I did not know very well the genuineness of your love and the care you always show toward us, I would accuse you strongly of laziness because of this long silence, especially since you have received many steady letters from us. But because I know that whether you are silent or writing you feel the same toward us, I cannot bring myself to blame your silence, though I greatly long to receive frequent letters from you about your health. Nor could you take refuge in the claim that letter-carriers are scarce. Our dear and beloved Salustius could certainly have served you in this. Even so, I do not accuse you, because I am very confident of your love. As for me, whenever I can, I will not stop writing. I know the genuine and warm character of your disposition.

ΣΙΘʹ. Σευηρίνῃ καὶ Ῥωμύλῃ. Εἰ μὴ σφόδρα τὴν γνησίαν ὑμῶν ἀγάπην ᾔδειν, καὶ τὴν σπουδὴν, ἣν ἀεὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς ἐπιδείκνυσθε, κἂν ῥᾳθυμίαν πολλὴν ὑμῖν ἐνεκάλεσα, τῆς μακρᾶς ἕνεκεν ταύτης σιγῆς ἣν ἐσιγήσατε, καὶ ταῦτα πολλάκις καὶ συνεχῆ παρ' ἡμῶν δεχόμεναι γράμματα. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οἶδα ὅτι καὶ σιωπῶσαι, καὶ γράφουσαι, ὁμοίως περὶ ἡμᾶς διάκεισθε, τούτου χάριν ἐγκαλεῖν οὐκ ἂν ἀνασχοίμην τῆς σιγῆς ἕνεκεν, εἰ καὶ σφόδρα ἐπιθυμῶ πυκνὰ παρ' ὑμῶν δέχεσθαι γράμματα, περὶ τῆς ὑγείας ὑμῶν δηλοῦντα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχοιτ' ἂν καταφυγεῖν εἰς τὸ μὴ συνεχῶς ἐπιτυγχάνειν γραμματηφόρου· ὁ γὰρ ποθεινότατος καὶ γλυκύτατος ἀγαπητὸς ἡμῶν Σαλούστιος, εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι πρὸς τοῦτο ὑμῖν διακονήσασθαι ἠδύνατο. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτως ὑμῖν ἐγκαλῶ, διὰ τὸ σφόδρα θαῤῥεῖν ὑμῶν περὶ τῆς ἀγάπης. Αὐτὸς μέντοι, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ, συνεχῶς ἐπιστέλλειν οὐ παύσομαι· οἶδα γὰρ ὑμῶν τὸ γνήσιον καὶ θερμὸν τῆς διαθέσεως.