Letter 4010: This is a lengthy letter substantially corrupted by OCR artifacts and interwoven editorial apparatus.

How often you accuse me of being slothful in writing. What grieves me more, I do not know: speech left off seems to charge me with negligence of our friendship, speech sparingly given with childish lack of eloquence. I prefer, nevertheless, that you should make your reproach against my talent rather than against my character, for so long as I am mindful of my own self, you cannot reproach me with forgetfulness of you. You have likewise chastened me for joining you with your brothers in the greetings to be conveyed. I am indeed poor in speaking and stingy with my little sheet of paper, but you ought not to count it a fault in me that I plainly embrace them as well. Moreover, the law of our senate-house brings it about that authority of greater number takes precedence with me. What if I were to invite you all together to the good cheer of my table? Would you be unwilling to be received on the same couch with your brothers? And do not begrudge it, if, as creditor of a single letter, I in a manner exact from you the profit of a threefold interest. For nothing is paid me by each of you on behalf of the other. Or why do you demand that my services be divided, you who join your own together for the purpose of reproaching me? [Letter XXVIII, of the years 395-402.] To Protadius. From Symmachus, Prefect of the City. It is plain to all that human dispositions are prompt to find fault. But you, who are reckoned among rare goods, leave off pursuing through your nature the things that are easier, and take up the defense of my long silence, which abounds in very many pleas of justice, if you will consider that, with regard to the neighborhood of the Rhine, from which now both the most excellent emperor and the most powerful magistrate are absent, no one from our quarters travels there. It may chance, perhaps, that someone unknown to me undertakes so long a journey on account of a private affair. You have the greater opportunity of those setting out for Rome; first, because to the common capital of the empire there is a gathering from the nations on every side; then, because the various desires or necessities of all men follow the most merciful emperor while he dwells in this region. And yet, although many occasions offer you letter-carriers, you equally refrain from the pen, nor are you pressed by any demand from us. For my freedom from anxiety brings it about that, even from one who is silent, I do not lose the love I have. Therefore let the confidence of our friendship not depend upon letters. Chance will make the intervals of those letters; but the trust of mutual affection disdains any assertion of the tongue. To this end you also ask for lengthy letters, as though you would make trial of how much in writing I have advanced in my gray old age. I have always indeed, like dried-up little streams, shrunk from broader banks, so that affected brevity might conceal my poverty. Now my burdensome years too have drunk up whatever was dripping from my breast. Besides, no subject matter is at hand for extending what we write. You know my leisure, about which it is a weariness to both of us to speak at length with you: more words befit affairs of business. Let the same measure of speech be ours that there is of our fortune. I would rather, after the manner of the Aborigines [the earliest dwellers of Italy], write my words of mutual greeting on wood or on bark; let Egypt have woven her rolls of papyrus for libraries and for the forum. Let it suffice now and then for the cultivating of friendship: if you are well, it is well. I wish that these very exchanges of greetings, which you complain are short, may, while we are apart, remain long-lasting between us. [Letter XXVIIII, of the years 396-397.]

Vt desidem me scribendi saepe accusas. quid doleam magis. nescio: sermo omissus amicitiae neglegentiam videtur arguere, parcus infantiam. malo tamen, ut ingenio convicium quam moribus meis facias, quibus, quamdiu mei ipse sum memor, obicere oblivionem tui non potes. castigasti item, quod te fratribus tuis dicenda sa- 15 lute consociem. sum quidem locpiendi pauper et tenax cbartulae, sed te mihi dare 2 vitio non oportet, quod illos constat amplecti. facit autem lex curiae nostrae, ut maioris apud me numeri antistet auctoritas. qnid si vos una ad mensae genialitatem vocarem? noUes eodem cum fratribus toro accipi? nec invideris, si unius epistulae creditor quaestum quodammodo de vobis usurae triplicis exerceo. nihil enim mibi a 20 singulis pro altero solvitur. aut cur mea ofGcia dividi postulatis, qui ad exprobrandum vestra coniungitis? XXVm a. 395—402. AD PROTADIVM. PVF Ingenia humana prompta ad arguendum esse omnibus liquet. sed tu, qui inter 25 bona rara numeraris, omitte sectari per naturam faciliora et defensionem longi silentii mei suscipe, quae abundat plurimis iustitiae patrociniis, si contempleris ad viciniam Rheni, a qua nunc et optimus princeps et magistratus potissimus abest, nullum nostra- rum partium commeare. fors fuat, an quis tantum viae ob rem privatam mihi ignora- tuB adripiat. tibi proficiscentium Romam maior facultas; primo quia in commune im- 2 30 perii caput undique gentium convenitur; tunc quod clementissimum principem in hac parte degentem varia omnium desideria vel necessitates sequuntur. et tamen, cum tabellarios tibi plures causae offerant, aeque a stilo temperas nec ulla a nobis expostu- latione perstringeris. faeit enim securitas mea, ut diligi me etiam a tacente non am- mu8 et instantla V 10 om, VM 11 pTaeiiderim: ut desidem me scribendi saepe accusas. sermo omissus amlcitlae ne- glegentiam uidetur arguere, parcus infantiam. qnid doleam magis, nescio; malo tamen tt q. a. 14 obli- uione V potest P item] me VM 15 cartiilae PVM 17 maiorea P l m. quod V 19 creditor] LeeUuB, creditur PVM niam] PVr^ uicina 0, uicinitatem F 27 a om. F nullumque F 28 flat VF ignoratis PF, ignoranti F 29 facultas fuit F 30 capud P l m. ium F 31 secuntur P 1 m. VF 14 * 108 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE PVF bigam. ergo amicitiae nostrae fiducia non ex litteris pendeat. illarnm intervalla fors 3 faciet, fides autem mutuae diligentiae indignatur linguae adsertionem. ad hoc etiam prolixas epistulas petis tamquam facturus periculum, quantum in scribendo cana aetate profecerim. semper quidem similis arentibus rivulis laxiores ripas refugi, ut inopiam brevitas adfectata celaret. nunc graves quoque anni, ^i quid de pectore meo stilla- 5 bat, biberunt. praeterea nihil argt/menti suppetit ad propaganda, quae scribimus. nosti otium meum, de quo apud te largiter loqui utriusqne fastidium est: magis nego- 4 tiis plura verba conveniunt. nobis idem sit linguae modus, qui fortunae est. mallem Aboriginum more dictionem salutis altemae ligno aut corticibus scribere; Aegyptus papyri volumina bybliothecis foroque texuerit. sufficiat aliquando celebrandae amici- 10 tiae : si vales, bene est. opto has ipsas, quas tu breves quereris, salutationum vices, dum absumus, inter nos longum manere. XXVim a. 396—397.