Letter 8019: And if fortune favors, I'll follow the letter in person soon.

My son's health, long held in doubt, compelled me to take a respite from duties of this kind. As soon as he began to recover by the favor of the healing powers, the security of writing followed at once. Receive, therefore, gladly the greeting dictated by me, which, if the wished-for fortune assists, we shall soon follow in person. [Letter] LX (LVIII). To Servius. You await, as I understand, a letter from me, as though you yourself need not be the foremost in the duty of friendship. Perhaps you make use of an appeal to custom, since most people are persuaded that the first move in greeting must be taken by those who have departed. I absolve you from the observance of custom, or from the law of laziness. It will be enough for me, as full satisfaction, if, having turned away from beginning to write, you at least follow the example. [The lines that follow in the source are a textual critical apparatus and page headings, not letter content: a block of editorial variant readings keyed to the manuscript sigla (F2.3, F^, F, T, etc.) and the running head "232 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE" (Symmachus, Letters); these are OCR-garbled editorial matter and contain no translatable letter text. ...] [Letter] LXI (LX). To Friends at Rome. We are pressing on toward Capua. Perhaps you suspect that forgetfulness of the customary attention owed to you will intervene by reason of the length of the journey; for it is a common proverb that, once Cape Malea has been sailed past, the memory of those whom you have left at home is effaced. As for me, in whatever direction I set my foot, care for my friends accompanies me. Hope, therefore, that the honor of this office toward you will remain, if fortune consents to my wishes. [Letter] LXII (LXI). To Romulus. I am not in doubt of the supposition that a letter from me is awaited. For I too suffer an equal impatience of longing for letters from you. There is, therefore, one cause of our discourse: that I may earn yours; the thirst for which, as in drinking from springs, is the greater for this reason, that the flavor is sweeter. Farewell. [Letter] LXIII (LXII). [In the] year 398. [heading only; no further text follows in the source]

valetudo filii mei diu in dubio versata cessationem mihi ab huiusmodi ofRciis impe- ravit. qui ubi primum suflfragio salutarium potestatum coepit emergere, se- cutus est ilico scribendi usus securitatem. accipe igitur libens a me dictam salutem, quam si fors optata iuverit, mox sequemur. 25 LX (LVUII). AD SERVIVM. Opperiris, ut intellego, litteras meas., quasi ipse familiaris officii praesul esse non debeas. fortasse allegatione moris uteris, quoniam plerisque persuasum est, au- spicium salutationis profectis esse capiendum. absolvo te consuetudinis observantia 30 aut lege pigritiae. satis erit mihi ad plenam satisfactionem , si aversatus scribendi occupare principium saltem sequaris exemplum. personas F2.3, om, F^ patris F2, om, F» 5 nobis F^ retentatur] /7, retinetur F etiam] et F^ etiam mihi F^ tuus] Lyp8iu$, mutnus F^, inuitus F^, munus Fi 6 est Uxatio F2, taxatio uel existimatio est F^ mihi] (77), om, F credo F^ 7 tuo om. F2.3 romidolo F^ 8 uale om, F^ eorr. ex dinisis T 14 sensus] (r), usus (U) 16 gratias (F) 17 debitus] T, om. (IT) ^^'^testatum coepit (/7), auppU: e periculo vel aimile quid 232 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE LXI (LX). n AMICIS ROMAM. Iter Capuam promovemus. forsitan suspicemini interventuram soliti in vos officii oblivionem per longitudinem viae; vulgati quippe proverbii est, enavigato Maleo ob- limari eorum memoriam, quos domi reliqueris. me, quoquo versum pedem ikulero, s amicorum cura comitatur. sperate igitur bonorem huius mnneris circa vos esse man- surum, si optatis fortuna consenserit. LXII (LXI). AD ROMVLVM. Non sum opinionis ambiguus, expectari litteras meas. nam ego quoque parem lo desiderii inpatientiam de epistulis tui^ patior. una igitur est nostri causa sermonis, ut tuum merear; cuius, ut in potu fontium; ideo maior est sitis, quia sapor dulcior. vale. LXm (LXII) a. 398.