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this man to hear. But what does this mean for me? In any case you already understand, but it will be said nonetheless. It seems to me that the Muses truly inhabit your soul; then, being possessed by the goddesses, you have a life dedicated to them, and nothing is admirable to you except books and discourses and whatever leads the soul to the better. From this you became our guest, beginning a friendship, I think, befitting yourself. But would that you had not missed the hope you had in us, but that the book you ask for was with us. For thus you would always have what you long for, and for me it would be the greatest thing to seem to have obliged you. But now I swear not by the plane tree of Socrates but by the discourses themselves, that I have not yet obtained this possession, although I have been desiring it for a very long time. But a little later—but may it be said with Hermes and the Muses—it will be brought from Alexandria. For those who were instructed have written this to us from there. If this should come to pass, you will certainly see me approaching you of my own accord about sharing it, as if I myself wished to receive it. 4 To Germanus How much good men cause pain by giving a taste of themselves and then departing from those who have come to know them, I now, having learned by experience, relate to others. For I knew you even before we entered into conversation. And if you wonder from where, I had as teachers all those who, having experienced you, admired you. And when I too, having met you, came to understand, I confessed my gratitude to fortune, but again I blamed her that, having given a taste of so great a thing with the tip of the finger, as they say, she would then take away the pleasure. And the present did not delight me so much as the expectations of the future pained me. For I reasoned that you would soon depart, leaving us. And this has happened and, having happened, it pains me, and I am at a loss in this matter; but you, even having gone far away, strive to kindle our love to a greater degree. For in your zeal for me, you were victorious, even surpassing my hopes. But would that some god might be favorable to us and quickly bring you to us again. 5 To John If there were indictments for neglect of friends, and someone brought me into a court of law, accusing me of this very thing, that I do no small injustice by holding a friend of no account, I would not think to win the verdict otherwise than by presenting you as a witness, who have now, I know not how, appeared as my accuser. So unexpected to me were the things from you, if some small matter has caused you to be in doubt about me. For I know both non-friends who often bombard with letters when they wish to go unnoticed, and friends who are silent, whenever, being content with the memory of the absent, they are occupied with others. Therefore, neither is writing a sign of goodwill, nor is silence a cause for accusation, unless the intention confirms either. Therefore, setting these things aside, consider those things, whether nothing of yours gives me forgetfulness, whether I hold you in all conversation and admiration as if being adorned by the memory, whether having mentioned John, I always added "the sweet" to my speech. Considering these things, you will love me in my silence more than another who speaks, even if the bronze cauldron of Dodona resounds on his tongue. But see that you do not, thinking you have this defense, fall silent; otherwise, we will say the opposite. 6 To Zacharias the brother Wishing to relate to you the matters concerning this most excellent man, I fear lest I seem to trouble you in vain, making my speech to those who already know. For you know what sort of man he himself has become, how, having dedicated his whole life to God, he detests all human things, and holds to the hope from above, and for this reason he is exposed to those wishing to do him injustice, and is disposed to suffer. And you also know this other man—for I am ashamed to call him a brother—how he considers it his one virtue to fulfill every wickedness, overlooking his brother for so long a time, so oppressed by hunger, not intending to provide from his own home that which ought to have been done by a man of good sense, even if the occasion called for it. But now this is not the charge, that he neglected what is fitting for the excessively prudent, but that, having become a lover of things not his own, he has taken these things away, and he reviles this man frequently, and has often inflicted blows. And considering his own will as law, perhaps he blamed nature because he found nothing more for wickedness. whence not up to

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οὗτος ἀκούειν. ἀλλὰ τί μοι βούλεται ταῦτα; πάντως μὲν ἤδη μανθάνεις, οὐδὲν δὲ ἧττον ὅμως εἰρήσεται. ἐμοὶ δοκεῖς ὡς ἄρα τὴν σὴν ψυχὴν ὄντως οἰκοῦσιν αἱ Μοῦσαι· εἶτα κάτοχος ὢν ταῖς θεαῖς βίον ἔχεις αὐταῖς ἀνειμένον, καὶ οὐδέν σοι θαυμαστὸν ὅ τι μὴ βιβλία καὶ λόγοι καὶ ὅσα ψυχὴν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον ἀνάγει. ἐντεῦθεν ἡμῖν ἐπεξενώθης, ἀρχὴν φιλίας ποιησάμενος πρέπουσαν οἶμαι σαυτῷ. ἀλλὰ γὰρ εἴθε μὴ τῆς ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐλπίδος διήμαρτες, ἀλλ' ὅπερ αἰτεῖς βιβλίον, τοῦτο δὲ ἦν παρ' ἡμῖν. οὕτω γὰρ ἂν σὺ μὲν εἶχες ἀεὶ τὸ ποθούμενον, ἐμοὶ δὲ μέγιστον ἦν τὸ δοκεῖν ὑμῖν κεχαρίσθαι. νυνὶ δὲ ὄμνυμι οὐ τὴν πλάτανον τὴν Σωκρά τους ἀλλὰ τοὺς λόγους αὐτούς, μήπω γε τετυχηκέναι τοῦ κτήματος, καίτοι πλεῖστον ἤδη χρόνον ἐρῶντα. μικρὸν δὲ ὕστερονἀλλὰ σὺν Ἑρμῇ καὶ Μούσαις εἰρήσθωἐκ τῆς Ἀλεξάνδρου κομισθήσεται. τοῦτο γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν ἡμῖν οἱ προσταχθέντες ἐπέστειλαν. ὅπερ εἰ πρὸς ἔργον ἐκβαίη, ὄψει με πάν τως αὐτόματον ὑμῖν προσιόντα περὶ τοῦ μεταδοῦναι ὡς εἰ καὶ αὐτὸς λαβεῖν ἐβουλόμην. 4 Γερμανῶι Ὅσον οἱ ἀγαθοὶ λυποῦσιν ἄνδρες πεῖραν αὑτῶν παρέχοντες καὶ ἀφιστά μενοι τῶν ἐγνωκότων, νῦν ἔργῳ μαθὼν διηγοῦμαι τοῖς ἄλλοις. ὑμᾶς γὰρ ᾔδειν μὲν καὶ πρὶν εἰς λόγους ἐλθεῖν. εἰ δὲ θαυμάζεις ὁπόθεν, διδασκάλους εἶχον ὅσοι πειραθέντες ἐθαύμαζον. ὡς δὲ κἀγὼ συμμείξας ἐμάνθανον, χάριν μὲν ὡμολόγουν τῇ τύχῃ, πάλιν δὲ ταύτην ἐμεμφόμην εἰ τοσούτου γεύσασα πράγματος ἄκρῳ δακτύλῳ φασίν, εἶτα τὴν ἡδονὴν ἀφαιρήσεται. καὶ οὐ τοσοῦτον ηὔφρανε τὸ παρόν, ὅσον αἱ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἐλπίδες ἐλύπουν. ἐλογιζόμην γάρ, ὅτι δὴ θᾶττον ἡμᾶς οἰχήσῃ καταλιπών. τοῦτο δὲ καὶ γέγονε καὶ συμβὰν λυπεῖ, καὶ ἀποροῦμαι τῷ πράγματι, σὺ δὲ φιλονεικεῖς ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον ἡμῖν ἐξάπτειν τὸν ἔρωτα καὶ πόρρω γενόμενος. τῇ γὰρ εἰς ἐμὲ σπουδῇ καὶ τὰς ἐμὰς ἐλπίδας ὑπερβάλλων ἐνίκας. ἀλλ' εἴθε γάρ τις θεῶν εὐμενὴς ἡμῖν γένοιτο καί σε θᾶττον ὡς ἡμᾶς αὖθις ἐνέγκοι. 5 Ἰωάννηι Εἰ τῆς περὶ φίλους ὀλιγωρίας ἦσαν γραφαί, καί μέ τις εἰσῆγεν εἰς δικαστή ριον αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο κατηγορῶν, ὡς ἀδικοίην οὐ μετρίως, ἐν οὐδενὶ φίλον ποιούμενος, οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως ᾤμην τὴν νικῶσαν λαβεῖν ἢ σὲ παρεχόμενος μάρτυρα τὸν νῦν οἶδ' ὅπως ὀφθέντα κατήγορον· οὕτω μοι παρ' ἐλπίδας ἐξέβη τὰ παρὰ σοῦ, εἰ βραχύ τί σε πρᾶγμα διστάζειν ἐπ' ἐμοὶ παρεσκεύασεν. ἐγὼ γὰρ οἶδα καὶ μὴ φίλους πυκνὰ δὴ τοῖς γράμμασι βάλλοντας, ὅταν λανθάνειν ἐθέλωσι, καὶ φίλους σιωπῶντας, ὁπότε τῇ μνήμῃ τῶν ἀπόντων ἀρκούμενοι πρὸς ἑτέρους ἠσχόληνται. οὔκουν οὔτε τὸ γράφειν εὐνοίας, οὔτε τὸ σιωπᾶν ἐγκλήματος, μὴ τῆς γνώμης βεβαιούσης ἑκάτερα. οὐκοῦν ταῦτα παρεὶς ἐκεῖνα δὴ σκόπει, εἰ μηδέν μοι τῶν ὑμετέρων δίδωσι λήθην, εἰ διὰ παντὸς ἄγω λόγου καὶ θαύματος ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῇ μνήμῃ κοσμούμενος, εἰ τὸν Ἰωάννην εἰπὼν τὸν γλυκὺν πάντως τῷ λόγῳ προσέθηκα. ταῦτα σκοπῶν ἀγαπήσεις σιωπῶντα μᾶλλον ἢ φθεγγόμενον ἕτερον, εἰ καὶ τὸ ∆ωδώνης αὐτῷ χαλκεῖον ἐπὶ τῆς γλώττης ἠχεῖ. ἀλλ' ὅπως μὴ ταύτην ἀπολογίαν ἔχειν ἡγούμενος σιωπήσῃς· εἰ δὲ μή, τἀναντία φθεγξόμεθα. 6 Ζαχαρίαι ἀδελφῶι Τὰ κατὰ τὸν ἄριστον τόνδε βουλόμενος ὑμῖν διηγήσασθαι δέδοικα μὴ μάτην ἐνοχλεῖν δόξω, παρ' εἰδόσι τοὺς λόγους ποιούμενος. ἴστε γὰρ οἷος μὲν αὐτὸς καθέστηκεν, ὡς, τὸν ὅλον βίον ἀναθεὶς τῷ θεῷ, πᾶσιν ἀπεχθάνεται τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις, ἔχεται δὲ τῆς ἄνωθεν ἐλπίδος, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πρόκειται τοῖς ἀδικεῖν βουλομένοις, καὶ πρὸς τὸ παθεῖν ἐστιν ἐπιτήδειος. ἴστε δὲ καὶ τόνδεἀδελφὸν γὰρ τοῦτον προσαγορεύειν αἰσχύνομαιὡς μίαν ἀρετὴν ἡγεῖται τὸ πᾶσαν ἐκπληρῶσαι κακίαν, παριδὼν ἀδελφὸν τοσούτου χρόνου οὕτως τῷ λιμῷ πιεζόμενον, οὐκ οἴκοθεν χορηγήσειν μέλλων ὃ παρ' ἀνδρὸς εὖ φρονοῦντος ἔδει γενέσθαι, εἰ καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο ἐκάλει καιρός. νῦν δὲ οὐ τόδ' ἐστὶν ἔγκλημα, διότι τὸ πρέπον τοῖς ἄγαν σωφρονοῦσι παρέλιπεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ τῶν μὴ προσηκόντων γενόμενος ἐραστὴς ἀφῄρηται ταῦτα, καὶ λοιδορεῖται τούτῳ πυκνῶς, πληγάς τε πολλάκις ἐπέτεινε. καὶ νόμον τὴν αὑτοῦ γνώμην ἡγούμενος, ἴσως τὴν φύσιν ἐμέμψατο, ὅτι πλέον οὐδὲν εἰς πονηρίαν ἐξεῦρεν. ὅθεν οὐ μέχρι