Letter 7047: Friendship was invented so that the exchange of favors might serve mutual benefit.

[End of the preceding letter:] For this reason friendship was established, that by mutual exchanges of good offices a common advantage might be governed. The aforesaid maxim looks to the present situation. For I presume, relying on your Excellency's zeal, that the petition of my brother Callistianus and of his wife will not go without a share in your sacred favor, since both the fairness of the request and the customary form of obtaining it tell in its support. Since therefore nothing stands in the way of what is asked, bring your goodwill to bear in aiding these prayers; and since that goodwill is inborn in you, it relieves me of the labor of pleading. For one almost does an injury to kindness if one anxiously asks for what the nature of the giver promises. [Letter] LXIII. To Patricius. I rejoice that my Aurelius holds so great a place with you that, though handed over by me to you, he is in turn given back under your commendation. You have surpassed our own attentiveness on his behalf, which you bid to grow. And so I am obedient to your word. For no affection is so complete that it cannot take increase. You will gladly hear that I am away from home and am feasting on leisure in the region of Campania; for you are accustomed to share in the happy pleasure of your friends. May the honor of your military service bring you favorable returns: may our life be secure, and yours conspicuous. [Letter] LXIIII. To Patricius. Martyrius will press the cases of my kinsmen, who has earned these letters from me in support of his cause. I ask that he may obtain the realization of the favor hoped for from you. [Letter] LXV [dated 398?]. To Patricius. Into your hands [...] the case of my ward; so far [is it that] though befriended it may be supported by the laws. But since the treachery of guardians is for the most part of many forms, it frequently turns itself to various devices. Yet I believe that the guilty parties will now at last yield to your sacred decree, if your fairness shall have given effect to the matters to be set before you. [Letter] LXVI [dated 378]. To Alypius. Having first paid the honor of a greeting, I now, free of care, add a friendly entreaty for your sake. To my fields, which we possess in Mauretania Caesariensis, the dishonesty of the governor's staff, as commonly happens through the absence of the owners, leaves no duty unneglected. Often a complaint brought before the governor of the province has been held of little account through the sloth of the one judging. Therefore, since the lesser remedies are of no avail, we take refuge in the greater ones. Bring help, I beg you, lest the estate, drained by so many wrongs, give way. You owe this both to your own reputation and to my friendship, that you would deign in a special manner to assist the justice of my petition. [Letter] LXVII. To Alypius. He who hopes that he will shortly come into the sight of his friends is accustomed to refrain from writing letters; but for me both that hope of seeing you remains intact, and the practice of the duty of correspondence creates no weariness. I therefore observe your honor by uttering a greeting, nor do I meanwhile demand a reply, since you will from close at hand repay the interest of my pen with the gift of a conversation.

Ideo famicitia conparatum est, ut officiorum vicibus mutua gubemetur utilitas. 15 in rem praesentem spectat praefata sententia. praesumo namque eximietatis tuae sta- dio supplicationem fratris mei Callistiani atque eius uxoris exortem sacri beneficii non futuram, cui et aequitas desiderii et usitata inpetrationis forma suffragio est. quando igitur nihil obstat oratis, admove iuvandis precibus benivolentiam ; quae cum tibi in- nata sit, remittit mihi deprecandi laborem. nam paene iniuriam facit benignitati, si 2u quis anxie petat, quod praestantis natura promittit. LXin. AD PATRICIVM. Tantnm esse apud te loci Aurelio meo gaudeo, ut a me tibi traditus invicem sub commendatione reddatur. vicisti nostram pro eo diligentiam, quam iubes crescere. 25 itaque sum dicto audiens. nulla enim caritas ita plena est, ut augmenta non capiat. me domq abesse et in regione Campaniae pasci otio libens audies; nam soles ami- corum prospera voluptate partiri. tibi honor militiae pariat fructus secundos: sit vita nostra secura, vestra conspicua. preualeas Af , qui uales P 2 m. 3 oopias V 4 uale add. VMF 12 iactito V 14 om. VM 15 ideo amicitia conparata est luretusy a deo conparatum est Suse^ ita amicitia con- paratum est Kiessling 16 praefata sententia] praefatassent V eximiae aetatis V 17 cali- stiani VM exortam P 1 m. V 18 imperationis V, imperatorum M 19 admone P 1 m. 20 si om. P i m. VM 21 uale add. VM uiU nostra secnra, uestra conspicua] VM{IT), "///////////////////////// P LXIIII. AD PATRICIVM. PVMF Propinquorum meorum causas Martyrius prosequetur, qui has a me litteras in snffragium suum meruit. quaeso, ut effeetnm sperati de te favoris optineat. ^ LXV a. 398? AD PATRICIVM. PVM In manus tuas y^jj^t eausa pignoris mei; adeo utamica legibus ful- ciatur. sed ut est multifonmis plerumque perfidia tutorum, in varias se frequenter artes vertit. at noxios credo nunc saltem sacro cessuros oraculo, si vestra aequitas 10 suggerenda celebraverit. AD ALYPIVM. PVMF LXVI a, 378. Salutationis honore praefato familiarem precationem tui iam securus adnecto. agris meis, quos in Caesariensi Mauretania possidemus, ut fieri per dominorum ab- 15 sentiam solet, nihil reliqui facit officii praesidalis improbitas. saepe ad rectorem pro- vinciae delata querimonia parvi habita est per ignaviam iudicantis. ergo quoniam remedia minora non prosunt, ad maiora confugimus. feras opem, quaeso te, ne res tot iniuriis exhausta succumbat. debes hoc et tuae famae et amicitiae meae, ut peculiariter iuvare digneris iustitiam postulati. 20 LXVII. AD ALYPIVM. Qui sperat brevi in conspectum se amicorum esse venturum, solet scribendis epi- stulis abstinere; mihi et illa spes visendi te integra est et fastidium non creat litte- rarii usus officii. celebro igitur honorem tuum salute dicenda nec interim posco re- 25 scriptum, quia fenus stili mei fabularum munere ex proximo repensabis. litter///////fragium P 4 ut effectum] VMF, u//////tum P 6 om, VM 7 adeo ut PK, supple: adeo igitur eximietatem tuaro, iit tuo suffragio quamuis amica legibus ftalciatuT vel Btmile quid 9 at noxios] C. F. W, MuelleTy obnoxios PVAf nunc] ne P cessurus PV 10 uale add. VM possideo M 16 decelata V parui habita est per ignauiam] KF, //////////////////////iam P ergo quoniam remedia] VAfF, periit in P 17 possunt P 1 m. FF^ posset V ad maiora confugimus] FA/,