Letter 135: Epiphanius's study habits are enough defense against an old rumor.

Good Epiphanius, bringing with him great goodwill through your letter, was recommended to me in this way. He showed every zeal for learning, displaying none of the things youth carries with it, but giving himself wholly to words and persevering in study. This seems proof that the accusation was fabricated and that the old rumor was false. Such charges belong to idle people and to a mind carried by irrational leisure where it should not go. But someone persuaded by Isocrates and spending "the leisure of life on love of hearing words" gives the slanderer no reason to claim the charge was plausible. Even if he says nothing, his life is enough for his defense. May the young man not miss hope still more in this matter.

Πέτρωι Ὁ καλὸς Ἐπιφάνιος τοῖς ὑμετέροις γράμμασι πλείστην ἐπαγόμενος εὔνοιαν συνέστη μὲν οὕτως ἐμοί, σπουδὴν δὲ πᾶσαν ἐπεδείξατο λογικήν, μηδὲν τῶν ὅσα φέρει νεότης ἐπιδεικνύμενος, ἀλλ' ὅλον αὐτὸν τοῖς λόγοις διδοὺς καὶ τῇ μελέτῃ προσκαρτερῶν. ὃ δὴ καὶ τεκμήριον εἶναι δοκεῖ τοῦ τὴν κατηγορίαν πεπλάσθαι καὶ ψευδὲς εἶναί που τὸ πάλαι θρυλούμενον. ἀργούντων γὰρ ἐκεῖνα καὶ διανοίας ἐξ ἀλόγου σχολῆς ἐφ' ἃ μὴ δεῖ φερομένης. Ἰσοκράτει δέ τις πειθόμενος καὶ καταναλίσκων "τὴν τοῦ βίου σχολὴν εἰς τὴν τῶν λόγων φιληκοΐαν", οὐ δίδωσι τῷ συκοφάντῃ λόγον ὡς εἰκότως ἄρα κατηγορεῖ. κἂν γὰρ αὐτὸς σιγᾷ, τὸν βίον ἔχει πρὸς ἀπολογίαν ἀρκοῦντα. γένοιτο δὲ καὶ τὸν νέον μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τούτῳ μὴ διαμαρτάνειν ἐλπίδος.