Letter 7046: ...either soothe your busy mind or repay my courtesies when you're at leisure.

...either you may soothe your mind when occupied, or repay the favor when at leisure. Farewell. [Letter LVI] [...] Your kindness encourages us not to refuse aid to those who ask for it. But in Theodulus' case my reason for writing to you is the stronger, since he is a tenant farmer of my lands, and the care owed to him is rather a debt than a favor. Keep up your custom, therefore, and let yourself be swayed by my entreaties, as your habit promises, so that whatever fault or error he has fallen into, you may deign, against his own deserving, to remit it in deference to my intercession. Farewell. [Letter LVII] [...] It belongs both to your virtue and to your purpose to take up all good men; among whom Alexander is by rights reckoned, in consideration of his honorable character. Having attended him both for his own assistance and for the sake of my affection toward you with this letter between friends, I earnestly entreat you to grant him fitting favor, and to discharge to me in return the obligation of correspondence. Farewell. [Letter LVIII, AD 396-397] Two little orations of mine, lately published, I have sent to those illustrious men endowed with virtue and learning, Felix and Minervius, who hold priestly office. Of these I wish you too, as one who loves me, to be a reader, if you are not offended by works of modest talent. They themselves will furnish you a copy of the volume; for so zealously do they nourish my reputation that they cannot bring themselves to begrudge me the good opinion of worthy men. Farewell. [Letter LVIIII, AD 400] Julius, an agent in the imperial service, presented to me a sacred letter containing the gift of leopards; the same man at once also delivered to me that page from you which we had been longing for. In the first place, therefore, I render to you the reverence of a greeting; next I ask that on my behalf you give thanks to the author of that gift freely bestowed -- which will be the more welcome if a timely commendation accompanies it -- and that what my own modesty could scarcely have accomplished, the graciousness of your speech may carry through. I hope, from the measure of the affection which I deserve from you, that I may most abundantly fulfill the greatness of our congratulation. Farewell. [Letter LX, before AD 399. To Patricius.] It was already burdening my modesty that you had written first: immediately a second letter of yours laid a double debt upon my already weighed-down brow. I dread, because I desire it, that before the settling of two contracts a third discourse may be granted me by you. For that abundance of speech which prevails in you has this impatience, that it denies any interval to the exchange and outruns courtesies not yet repaid. One way alone, therefore, remains to me for making satisfaction: that I confess myself unequal in pen, though I do not deny that I am equal in the cultivation of friendship. And do not think it is done out of stubbornness, that I bring to you the diligence of my heart: otherwise I am loved by you in vain, unless you allow us at least to be matched in affection. Wherefore, after this declaration of mine, dispense often the gift of your praised eloquence; remember that I, if I am rarer, have yielded. Or shall I, against the public verdict, challenge in my letters the master of the imperial correspondence? It is ours to blow upon the pastoral reeds, yours to strike up a song on the sacred pipes; leisure dulls us, practice keeps you in exercise. Unless perhaps you think this respite of mine from private life the more suitable for frequent letter-writing. You see that rivers do not creep from a stagnant pool with the same motion as they hasten from a spring. Everything that is in motion thrives; continual practice renews its own strength. The chance of replying has been taken from you. See to it henceforth, with whatever wealth of writing you command, that your example brings me as much capacity as my own talent has not given. [Letter LXI, before AD 399. To Patricius.] I had given you notice that I would be rarer in writing: but what am I to do with friendship, which compels me to lie? I have fallen away from my promise, but I believe that you approve a deceit of this kind. Now I would have you consider how frequent you ought to be, you who have held out the more in hope. Did you not first hurl at me the gifts of your eloquence? To which I, as it were holding out the grass [in token of surrender], reply with a plea for pardon. I beg you to keep to your promises and to maintain the diligence of your undertakings. I appeal to your good faith -- I, who have all but boasted that I have lied? [Letter LXII] [...]

aut animum mulceas occui^atus aut vicem referas otiosus. vale. LVL n * PVMF ************** Tua nos hortatur humanitas opem poscentibus non negare. pro Theodwlo autem scribendi mihi ad te causa propensior est, cum sit colonus agrorum meorum atque illi debita magis quam precaria cura praestetur. serva igitur consuetudinem tuam et precibus meis, ut mos tuus promittit, inflectere, ut quidquid culpae aut erroris in- 25 currit, contra illius meritum meo digneris interventui relaxare. vale. Lvn. PVM ************** Et virtutis et propositi tui est bonos quosque suscipere; inter quos Alexander contemplatione honestatis iure censetur. hunc et in adiumentum sui et amoris in te 30 mei gratia familiaribus litteris prosecutus inpendio deprecor, ut illi favorem congruum tribuas, mihi vicissitudinem sermonis exsolvas. vale. praestitit Af benignitates P 1 m. 9 petitioni meae F, meae petitionis P 1 m. V ualde V, ualere M 18 suggeremus] luretus, suggerimns VAf, sugerimns P 19 occupaturus V otiosos P 1 m, si quid M 26 interuentu F in P 32 uicissitudinem sermonis exsolnas] VM[n), n\cU»\t////////////////so\a9^s P LVm a. 396—397. Duas oratiimculas meas nuper editas ad inlastres viros yirtutam ac litteraram praeditos sacerdotio Felicem et Minervium misi. harum etiam te ut amantem mei, 5 si mediocribas ingeniis non offenderis, opto esse lectoi^Bm. ipsi voluminis copiam fa- cient; ita enim studiose famam meam nutriunt, at suffragia bonorum mihi nesciant invidere. vale. LVim a. 400. 10 Sacras mihi litteras lalius agens in rebus exhibuit leopardorum munificentiam continentes: idem tuam desideratam nobis paginam simul tradidit. principe igitur loco salutationis tibi solvo reverentiam; dehinc postulo, ut pro me gratias agas voti- vae largitatis auctori — quae iucundior erit, si ei commendationem prosecutio opor- tuna praestiterit — , et quod verecundia mea vix implere potuisset, oris tui adfabilitas 15 prosequatur. spero ex mensnra adfectionis, quam de te mereor, quod cumulatissime possim magnitndinem nostrae gratnlationis inplere. vale. LX ante a. 399. AD PATRICIVM. PVMF Onerabat .verecundiam meam , quod prior scripseras : continuo altera epistula tua 20 gravatae fronti duplex fenns inposuit. formido, quod cupio, ne mihi ante solutionem duomm contractnum tertius a te sermo tribuatur. habet quippe hanc mpatientiam, quae in te pollet oris ubertas, ut intervallum vicissitudini neget et officia nondnm conpensata praeveniat. una igitur mihi ad satisfactionem via superest, ut inparem me stilo fatear, quamvis cultu amicitiae parem non negem. nec contnmaciter fieri 2 25 putes, quod tibi animi mei diligentiam confero: alioquin frustra a te diligor, nisi adfectione saltem nos pateris conparari. quare post hanc professionem meam lauda- tae facundiae donum freqnenta; me, si rarior fuero, memento cessisse. an ego ad- versum iudicium publicum provocem scriptis epistularum regiarum magistrum? nostmm est pastorales inflare calamos, tnum sacris tibiis carmen incinere; nos obtundit otium, 30 te usas exercet. nisi forte hanc nostram privatae vitae vacationem magis oportunam 3 frequentandis litteris putas. vides non eodem motu flumina de stagno serpere et de dttos M faelicem VM n//neruium P etiam hanim F, tibi liarum M 5 medio- tribns P 1 m. igneis V faciant P spero me (/7), periit in P ex mensnra] VM[n), IIIImvlta P quam] VAf, qna (77), periit in P de te mereor] VM[IT)f periit in P 16 possim] PF, possum V, om, Af, possis (77) magnitu- dlnem] rVM(n), lllllllHlem P uale periit in P tiam PF, potentlam VM 22 et om. F 24 parem om. P 26 affectionem VF 29 pasta- rales V Q. AvRRLrra Stmmacbvb. 25 194 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE PVMF fonte properare. omne, quod in carsu est, viget; continuatio experientiae vires suas renovat. sublatum tibi CBt, quod respondere potuisses. fac deinceps, qua vales scri- bendi copia, ut tantum mihi adferat facultatis exemplum tuum, quantum ingenium meum non dedit. LXI ante a. 399. 5 AD PATRICIVM. Denuntiaveram tibi, quod rarior in scribendo essem futurus: quid amicitiae fa- ciam, quae cogit, ut mentiar? descivi a promisso, sed credo te huiusmodi probare fallaciam. nunc velim cogites, quam frequens esse debeas, qui spei amplius optu- listi. an non prior in me iaculatus es oris tui munera? quibus ego veluti herbam 10 porrigens cum veniae petitione respondeo. maneas oro promissis et coeptorum tuo- rum diligentiam teneas. fidem tuam convenio, qui me paene iacto mentitum? LXII.