Letter 2091: You are always the bearer of great joys for me, but now what you report has exceeded even my prayers.

You are always to me the author of immense joys; but now it has gone beyond my prayers, in that you have honored me with the close friendship of a man wholly to be sought after and courted. Nor do I infer this from supposition; for the conversation of Patricius gave proof that, under your sponsorship, his attentiveness toward me was secured. Wherefore, among your other good deeds, this distinction too shall be entered into the reckoning, the one which alone could satisfy any greediness of desire, however great. Farewell. [Letter] 91 (90), before the year 395. Symmachus to his brother Flavianus. As often as we are bound by the kindnesses of our parents, the bond of the debt must of necessity pass on to the heirs. The aforementioned general principle pertains to my son Senator, a most distinguished and most honored man; whose father, illustrious in all things and to be cherished by me with exceptional reverence, displayed very great honor and devotion to my household. Bound by his good offices, I desire to repay to the son what I contracted from the father. But your magnificence alone can free me from the contract of this gratitude, if it will assist his posterity, especially in those matters which are upheld by the protection of justice. For indeed he complains that his fields are, contrary to your judgment, being curtailed in great part. This might seem grave and intolerable, were it not that even the agreement of the parties is mocked by deceptions. For it is a lesser thing to spurn another's verdict than to be at variance with one's own. It is therefore in your hand, in a kind of petition so unconditional and so commendable, with the laws preserved and with regard to equity, to grant something also to my person, whose intervention he has requested out of weariness of a long lawsuit, not out of distrust of the case.

Semper mihi auctor es ingentium gaudiorum; at nunc supra vota processit, quod 10 me expetendi plane et exambiendi viri familiaritate decorasti. neque hoc suspicione coniecto. nam Patricii sermo fecit indicium, diligentiam in me suam te praesule pro- Tocatam; quare mm ceteris benefactis tuis etiam hic titulus procedet in numemm, qui solus quamlibet voti ayaritiam possit explere. vale. LXXXXI (LXXXX) ante a. 395. 15 . SYMMACHVS FLAVIANO FRATRI. Qnotiens parentum beneficiis obligamur, necesse est ad heredes nexum debiti pertinere. ad filium meum Senatorem praeclamm atque omatissimum virum pertinet praefata generalitas; cuius pater omnibus rebus inlustris et mihi eximia veneratione recolendus plurimum domui meae honorificentiae et religionis exhibuit. cuius ego 20 devinctus oflSciis filio opto persolvere, quod de parente contraxi. sola autem me po- test magnificentia tua contractu gratiae liberare, si posteritatem eius adiuverit, ])rae- cipue in his rebus, quae iustitiae patroeinio fulcinntur. siquidem queritur agros suos 2 contra iudicatum vestram magna parte mutilari. grave hoc et inpetibile posset videri, nisi etiam consensus partium fmstrationibus luderetur. minus est enim alienam sen- 2s tentiam speraere quam a propria discrepare. est igitur in mann tua in tam absoluto et probabili petitionis genere servatis legibus et aequitatis intuitu aliquid etiam meae deferre personae, cuius interventum fastidio longae litis, non difBdentia negotii postu- lavit. sus P 1 m. lauderetur P, fori. laederetur 25 ad proprfa P 26 atque probabili F 27 dif- fldentia/ P poatulani uale F 70 SYMIOACHI EPISTVLAE