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I wished indeed to meet with your reverence in person, and to be filled with your most sweet disposition. But since this is not possible, for it is neither possible for us, nor easy for your honor, on account of the care for the Church there, we have of necessity come to the second voyage, granting to ourselves the comfort that comes from letters. For a letter, imbued with genuine love, can also be no small thing for the consolation of those separated in body. Therefore, in order that we may continuously enjoy this comfort, as often as it is permitted and possible, do not hesitate to write to us about your health. For indeed we consider your friendship to be for us a very great treasure and an unspeakable wealth of good things. And if we continuously enjoy such good things, that is, your letters, we will not even have a sense of the desolation here, reaping much gladness from your epistles. ΚΗʹ. To Basil the presbyter. Even if we have not enjoyed a meeting with you in person, yet hearing of the virtue of your soul, and the zeal which you have against the Greeks, destroying their error and leading them by the hand to the truth, as if we were present and had been with you, and had been brought up with you for a long time, thus do we revere and honor you. Therefore we have previously hastened to write letters to you, calling you blessed for the things which you accomplish, and admiring you, and asking that you yourself also write to us whenever it is permitted. For even if we are separated from your body, yet in love we are bound to you, thinking of your reverence. Knowing these things, therefore, do not hesitate to write to us continuously, and to make known your accomplishments, so that, even while abiding in a desolate place, we may reap much consolation from this. ΚΘʹ. To Chalcedia and Asyncritia. Let none of the sorrowful things that happen disturb you, nor let the successive waves of affairs trouble your mind. For such is the narrow and afflicted way, having much difficulty, many sweats and toils. But these things pass by and are brought to an end with the present life. For though the way is narrow, yet it is a way; but the prizes from bearing these things gently and nobly are perpetual and immortal, and much greater than the sweats. Considering, therefore, both the perishable and temporary nature of affliction, and the perpetual and immortal nature of the rewards, bear all things nobly, being troubled by none of the difficulties that befall you. For sin alone is one sorrowful thing; but all other things, exiles, confiscations, abductions, plots, and all such things, are a shadow and smoke and a spider's web, and anything more worthless than these. Since, therefore, also in the time before you have practiced bearing many trials, now also show the patience that is fitting for you. For this will be able to establish you in security and fearlessness and great calm, and to make you more approved. 52.628 And write to us continuously about your health, if you find any who have come here for their own need. For you know how we hold fast to it, and how we wish to learn more frequently about it. Λʹ. To Hortius the bishop. I for my part desired also to receive a letter from your honor telling us about your health. For you know how we have always been disposed toward your reverence, most honored master. But since perhaps the scarcity of letter-carriers deprived you of this, we, having chanced upon those arriving to your reverence, first hastened with letters to your honor, and we beseech you, whenever it is permitted, you yourself also to write to us continuously, and to make known about your health. For we dwell in a most desolate place, and more desolate than the whole inhabited world around us; we are besieged also by fear of robbers, and we endure many afflictions as in a foreign land and in such great desolation; except if we frequently obtain letters from you who love us dearly, telling about your health, even being in such circumstances we will reap much consolation. For you know how great is the power of love, and

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ἐβουλόμην μὲν κατ' ὄψιν συντυχεῖν τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ τῇ σῇ, καὶ ἐμφορηθῆναι τῆς ἡδίστης σου διαθέσεως. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔνι οὔτε γὰρ ἡμῖν δυνατὸν, οὔτε τῇ τιμιότητί σου ῥᾴδιον, διὰ τὴν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς αὐτόθι πρόνοιαν, ἐπὶ τὸν δεύτερον ἀναγκαίως ἤλθομεν πλοῦν, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν γραμμάτων παραψυχὴν ἑαυτοῖς χαριζόμενοι. Οὐ γὰρ μικρὸν καὶ ἐπιστολὴ δύναιτ' ἂν, γνησίας ἀγάπης ἀνακεχρωσμένη, εἰς παράκλησιν τῶν τῷ σώματι κεχωρισμένων. Ἵν' οὖν ταύτης συνεχῶς ἀπολαύωμεν τῆς παραμυθίας, ὁσάκις ἂν ἐξῇ καὶ δυνατὸν ᾖ, γράφειν ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς μὴ κατόκνει. Καὶ γὰρ θησαυρὸν μέγιστον καὶ πλοῦτον ἄφατον ἀγαθῶν τὴν σὴν ἡγούμεθα ἡμῖν εἶναι φιλίαν. Κἂν συνεχῶς τοιούτων ἀπολαύωμεν ἀγαθῶν, ἤγουν τῶν γραμμάτων, οὐδὲ τῆς ἐνταῦθα ἐρημίας ληψόμεθα αἴσθησιν, ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν τῶν σῶν πολλὴν καρπούμενοι τὴν εὐφροσύνην. ΚΗʹ. Βασιλείῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ. Εἰ καὶ τῆς κατ' ὄψιν σου συντυχίας οὐκ ἀπηλαύσαμεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀρετήν σου τῆς ψυχῆς ἀκούοντες, καὶ τὸν ζῆλον ὃν ἔχεις κατὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων, καταλύων αὐτῶν τὴν πλάνην, καὶ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν χειραγωγῶν, ὡς παρόντες καὶ συγγενόμενοι, καὶ πολύν σοι συντραφέντες χρόνον, οὕτως σε αἰδούμεθα καὶ τιμῶμεν. ∆ιὸ καὶ πρότερον ἐπεπηδήσαμεν τοῖς πρὸς σὲ γράμμασι, μακαρίζοντές σε ὑπὲρ ὧν κατορθοῖς, καὶ θαυμάζοντες, καὶ αἰτοῦντες καὶ αὐτὸν ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ καὶ τῷ σώματί σου κεχωρίσμεθα, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀγάπῃ σοι συνδεδέμεθα, ἐννοοῦντες τὴν σὴν εὐλάβειαν. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδὼς, μὴ κατόκνει συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν, καὶ τὰ κατορθώματα τὰ σὰ δηλοῦν, ἵνα, καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ διατρίβοντες, πολλὴν ἐντεῦθεν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν. ΚΘʹ. Χαλκιδίᾳ καὶ Ἀσυγκριτίᾳ. Μηδὲν ὑμᾶς ταραττέτω τῶν συμβαινόντων λυπηρῶν, μηδὲ τὰ ἐπάλληλα τῶν πραγμάτων κύματα θορυβείτω ὑμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ στενὴ καὶ τεθλιμμένη ὁδὸς, πολλὴν ἔχουσα τὴν δυσκολίαν, πολλοὺς τοὺς ἱδρῶτας καὶ τοὺς πόνους. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν παροδεύεται καὶ τῷ παρόντι συγκαταλύεται βίῳ. Κἂν γὰρ στενὴ ἡ ὁδὸς, ἀλλ' ὁδός ἐστιν· τὰ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ταῦτα φέρειν πράως καὶ γενναίως βραβεῖα διηνεκῆ καὶ ἀθάνατα, καὶ πολλῷ μείζονα τῶν ἱδρώτων. Ἐννοοῦσαι τοίνυν καὶ τὸ ἐπίκηρον καὶ τὸ πρόσκαιρον τῆς θλίψεως, καὶ τὸ διηνεκὲς καὶ ἀθάνατον τῶν ἀμοιβῶν, φέρετε πάντα γενναίως, μηδενὶ τῶν συμπιπτόντων δυσχερῶν ταραττόμεναι. Ἓν γάρ ἐστι λυπηρὸν ἁμαρτία μόνον· τὰ δὲ ἄλλα πάντα, ἐξορίαι, δημεύσεις, ἀπαγωγαὶ, ἐπιβουλαὶ, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, σκιά τίς ἐστιν καὶ καπνὸς καὶ ἀράχνη, καὶ εἴ τι τούτων εὐτελέστερον. Ἅτε οὖν καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἔμπροσθεν χρόνον πολλοὺς μελετήσασαι φέρειν πειρασμοὺς, καὶ νῦν τὴν ἁρμόττουσαν ὑμῖν ἐπιδείκνυσθε ὑπομονήν. Αὕτη γὰρ ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ καὶ ἀδείᾳ καὶ γαλήνῃ πολλῇ καταστῆσαι ὑμᾶς δυνήσεται, καὶ δοκιμωτέρας ποιῆσαι. 52.628 Καὶ γράφετε συνεχῶς ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς ὑμετέρας, ἄν τινας εὕρητε δι' ἰδίαν χρείαν παραγενομένους ἐνταῦθα. Ἴστε γὰρ ὅπως αὐτῆς ἀντεχόμεθα, καὶ ὅπως βουλόμεθα πυκνότερον περὶ ταύτης μανθάνειν. Λʹ. Ἑορτίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ. Ἐγὼ μὲν ἐπεθύμουν καὶ γράμματα δέξασθαι τῆς σῆς τιμιότητος περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς ἡμῖν δηλοῦντα. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως ἀεὶ περὶ τὴν σὴν διετέθημεν εὐλάβειαν, δέσποτα τιμιώτατε. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ἴσως τῶν γραμματηφόρων ὑμᾶς περιείλετο ἡ σπάνις, ἡμεῖς, ἐπιτυχόντες τῶν πρὸς τὴν σὴν εὐλάβειαν ἀφικνουμένων, πρότεροι τοῖς γράμμασιν ἐπεπηδήσαμεν τοῖς πρὸς τὴν σὴν τιμιότητα, καί σε παρακαλοῦμεν, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ, καὶ αὐτὸν συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν, καὶ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς δηλοῦν. Οἰκοῦμεν γὰρ χωρίον ἐρημότατον, καὶ πάσης τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς οἰκουμένης ἐρημότερον· πολιορκούμεθα καὶ φόβῳ λῃστῶν, καὶ πολλὰς ὡς ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ καὶ ἐν τοσαύτῃ ἐρημίᾳ θλίψεις ὑπομένομεν· πλὴν ἐὰν ὑμῶν τῶν σφόδρα ἡμᾶς ἀγαπώντων πυκνῶς ἐπιτυγχάνωμεν γραμμάτων τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς ὑμετέρας δηλούντων, πολλὴν καὶ ἐν τοσαύταις περιστάσεσιν ὄντες καρπωσόμεθα παράκλησιν. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅση ἀγάπης δύναμις, καὶ