Letter 8020: Break into the gifts of familiar writing and share with me whatever you've accomplished in administering the city's...

When I most recently departed from the city, you had advised that, if I wished to open for you a way of access to writing, I should be the first to begin a correspondence. I satisfy your wish, which embraces the observance of an old-fashioned custom. Released, therefore, from this scruple, burst forth into the offices of a familiar pen, and share with me whatever, in administering the protection of the city, you may have done for the public good. And let no modesty of the writer detract anything from this, lest the bashfulness of your letter be a loss to my pleasure. Letter 64 (63). To Dionysius. It had given us offense that you had departed too soon, before the proper time. Fortune washed away her own fault, in that she restored you to the good with equal haste. But what does the return of my friend profit me, who am absent from it? Console this misfortune of mine with frequent letters. Write also what the charge entrusted to you has permitted you to do at the city, so that, when a more generous day shall have promised me the hope of seeing your excellence, I too, after the troubles of the city, may at last enjoy a more lasting leisure, once it has been claimed. Farewell. [The following lines are the editor's critical apparatus recording manuscript variants, not letter text: "etiam patientiam de eplis tuis F... oana F... igitur est (77), est enim F1-2, est ergo F... no«tri] mei F8 12 nt in] (77) F3, ut om. F... fontibus F... est ant« dulcior inser. F3 13 uale om. F... 17 obsemantia (77) pari] 77F3, de patris F... abscentem F... 26 etiam] igitur F2 27 cura om. F... permisit F2 mihi] ipse F... spem] spes F... largior] 77, longior F 28 uale om. F..."] Letter 65 (64). Year 398. To Lampadius. By the judgment of the city's tranquillity you have in a manner prolonged the time for me to claim my leisure. For the peacefulness of the citizens, secured by your counsels—counsels by which the common people have been reduced to a repentant modesty—allows me to be absent for a long while. Now therefore, after the flight of all my cares, it will be permitted me to extend my holidays, rich ones, so to speak. Although I ought not to prescribe uncertain things to your mind, conscious as I am to myself of a tender affection toward you all, and of that longing by which, before all the pleasures of life, I love my native land. Letter 66 (65). [Text breaks off here.]

Admonueras, cum proxime urbe digrederer, si vellem tibi aditum scriptionis ape- rire, ut prior litteras inchoarem. satisfacio voluntati tuae, quae observantiawi prisci moris amplectitur. absolutus igitur hac religione erumpe in familiaris stili mnnera mecumque communica, quidquid in administranda urbis tutela ex bono publico feceris. nec quidquam vero scribentis detrahat pudor, ne voluptati meae damno sit epistnlae 20 verecundia. LXIIII (LXni) . AD DIONYSIVM. Offenderat nos, quod inmature ante discesseras. dilnit fortuna peccatum suum, quae bonis te pari festinatione restituit. sed quid me iuvat amici reditus absentem? 25 solare hunc litteris frequentibus casum. scribe etiam, quid tibi apud urbem mandata cura permiserit, ut cum mihi spem visendae eximietatis tuae promiserit dies largior, ego quoque vix post urbanas molestias usurpato otio longius fruar. vale. etiam patientiam de eplis tuis F^ oana F^ igitur est] (77), est enim Fi*2, est ergo F^ no«tri] mei F8 12 nt in] (77) F3, ut om. F^'^ fontibus F^ est anU dulcior inser. F3 13 uale om. F^ 17 obsemantia (77) pari] 77F3, de patris F«.2 abscentem F^ 26 etiam] igitur F2 27 cura om, F» per- misit F2 mihi] ipse F^ spem] spes F' largior] 77, longior F 28 uale om. F^ LXV (LXini) a. 398. AD LAMPADIVM. ' n iBdicio quietiB urbanae tempus quodammodo usurpandi otii prorogasti. abesse enim longum placiditas me ciyium sinit consiliis tuis parta, quibus plebs redacta est 5 in paenitendi verecundiam. nt^nc ergo post curarum omnium fugam producere mihi ferias, ut ita dicam, pingues licebit. quamvis praecipere animo tuo incerta non de- beam, qui sim mihi conscius tenerae in vos adfectionis et illius desiderii, quo prae cunctis vitae voluptatibus patriam meam diligo. LXVI (LXV).