Letter 130: A man newly arrived from Egypt refuses to let winter, sea, or distance keep him from his promises.

The cause of this letter is not boldness, nor ignorance of how to remain within my own limits, but a man dear to God and full of every virtue. Neither his having only just come from Egypt, nor a respectable school, nor threatening winter, nor the sea in the way, nor a long journey has persuaded him to overlook his promises to you. Knowing one virtue only, to fulfill promises in deed and to be the same toward everyone alike, he looks wholly toward you. He is also reported to be coming to me soon, and I am easily persuaded, having taken proof from his promises to you. What remains, then, is for you to be overcome; and it would be fitting not to wish to hold back a man who thinks nothing so terrible as the necessity of breaking what he has promised. Send the man quickly, then, to report your humanity toward me.

Μαρκέλλωι Τῶν παρόντων γραμμάτων οὐ θράσος αἴτιον, οὐδὲ τὸ μὴ μένειν ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκείων ὅρων εἰδέναι, ἀλλ' ἀνὴρ θεῷ τε φίλος καὶ πάσης ἀνάπλεως ἀρετῆς, ὃν οὐ πέπεικε τὰς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὑποσχέσεις ὑπερορᾶν οὐ τὸ νῦν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου μόλις ἐλθεῖν, οὐ φροντιστήριον εὐπρεπές, οὐ χειμὼν ἀπειλούμενος, οὐ πέλαγος ἐμποδών, οὐχ ὁδοιπορία μακρά, ἀρετὴν δὲ μίαν εἰδὼς τὸ πληροῦν ἔργῳ τὰς ὑποσχέσεις καὶ πρὸς ἅπαντας ὁμοίως γίνεσθαι παραπλήσιον, ὅλος ὁρᾷ πρὸς ὑμᾶς. ἀλλὰ καὶ θᾶττον ἰέναι παρ' ἡμᾶς καταγγέλλεται, καὶ πέπεισμαι ῥᾳδίως, ἐκ τῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὑποσχέσεων τὴν πεῖραν λαβών. ὑπόλοιπον τοίνυν ὑμῖν κρατεῖσθαι, καὶ πρέπον ἂν εἴη μὴ κρατεῖν ἐθέλειν ἄνδρα μηδὲν οὕτω δεινὸν ἡγούμενον, ὡς τὴν τοῦ παραβαίνειν ἀνάγκην ἅπερ ἐπήγγελται. πέμπε τοίνυν τάχος τὸν ἄνδρα τὴν ὑμετέραν φιλανθρωπίαν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀφηγούμενον.