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it important, and this especially has made us marvel at your disposition toward us. For this reason we confess our thanks to you, making only one complaint, that what was most important to us, this you did not send in your letter, I mean the good news of your health. And as we are now in a state of anxiety, not knowing the state of your 52.630 illness; so if you would quickly send us a letter announcing to us that the sickness has abated, you will grant us the greatest favor. Knowing therefore how very much we desire to learn that you have indeed recovered from this weakness, grant us this joy, which in this most harsh desert and siege will be no small comfort to us. ΛΕʹ. To Alphius. May God give you your reward, both in this present life, and in the age to come, for your genuine and warm love for us, sincere and unfeigned, unmovable and unchangeable. For not small proofs of your disposition toward us, and these while dwelling at so great a distance, have you shown, my most honorable and most noble lord, but many and great ones. For this reason we are grateful to you, and we wish to write continually, but we are not able as often as we would wish, but we write as often as we are able. For you know the difficulty on the roads caused both by the winter and by the raids of bandits. Therefore, do not think us negligent when we maintain a long silence, but attribute this to the scarcity of letter-carriers, not to any neglect of ours. For if it were possible to write more continually, we would not have hesitated to send you letters frequently. For we would be gratifying ourselves by more continually rendering to you the address that is your due. Knowing these things, therefore, you too write to us continually about your health. What you said you had sent to us, no one has brought here, but the one who had it turned back for fear of the bandits. Nevertheless, we beseech you not to do this, nor to cause yourself difficulties and trouble. For your great gifts, your genuine and warm disposition, which we continually enjoy, we ever delight in the memory of your love. Λʹ. To Maron, presbyter and monk. We are bound to you in love and disposition, and we see you as if you were present here. For such are the eyes of love; they are not cut off by a road, nor do they fade with time. We wished to write more continually to your Reverence, but since this is not easy because of the difficulty of the road and the lack of travelers, whenever it is possible we greet your Honor, and we make it clear to you that we continually have you in memory, carrying you in our soul, wherever we may be. Therefore you too make clear to us more continually the things concerning your health, so that, though separated in body, by continually learning about your well-being, we may become more cheerful, and sitting in the wilderness we may receive great comfort. For it brings us no small joy to hear about your health. And above all, be exhorted to pray for us. ΛΖʹ. To Tranquilinus the bishop. My lord the most honorable bishop Seleucus was stirred up from home by his longing for us, and from here 52.631 by his love for you. This persuaded him to brave winter, and the difficulties of the road, and a most severe illness. Having praised him, therefore, my most honorable master, for the affection of his zeal, give him the reward for this long hardship, by showing even now your customary love toward him. Since we too have sent him forth into your hands as into a waveless harbor, knowing your great kindliness, your genuine love, warm and unswerving and unchangeable. And if anyone should arrive from there, and it should become easy, be exhorted to write to us also about your well-being. For Eutychius at present has not met us; wherefore we have not been able to learn any of those things which you said, when writing to us previously, that he would say, because the man appears nowhere. Knowing these things, therefore, and those things which you previously indicated through him,

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σπουδαῖον αὐτὸ, καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα ἐκπλήττεσθαι ἡμᾶς τὴν διάθεσιν τὴν περὶ ἡμᾶς πεποίηκε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό σοι χάριτας ὁμολογοῦμεν ἓν μόνον ἐγκαλοῦντες, ὅτι, ὃ μάλιστα περισπούδαστον ἦν ἡμῖν, τοῦτο οὐκ ἔπεμψας διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων, τὰ εὐαγγέλια λέγω τῆς σῆς ὑγείας. Καὶ ὡς νῦν ἐν φροντίδι καθεστήκαμεν, οὐκ εἰδότες οἷα τῆς ἀῤ52.630 ῥωστίας ἕστηκε τῆς σῆς· οὕτως ἂν διὰ τάχους ἡμῖν πέμψῃς γράμματα ἀπαγγέλλοντα ἡμῖν, ὅτι λέλυται τὰ τῆς νόσου, τὰ μέγιστα ἡμῖν χαριῇ. Εἰδυῖα τοίνυν ὅπως σφόδρα ἐπιθυμοῦμεν μαθεῖν, ὅτι δὴ ἐκ τῆς ἀσθενείας ταύτης ἀνήνεγκας, χαρίζου ἡμῖν ταύτην τὴν εὐφροσύνην, ἐν τῇ χαλεπωτάτῃ ταύτῃ ἐρημίᾳ τε καὶ πολιορκίᾳ οὐ μικρὰν ἐσομένην ἡμῖν παράκλησιν. ΛΕʹ. Ἀλφίῳ. Ὁ Θεός σοι τὸν μισθὸν δῴη, καὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ, καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι, τῆς γνησίας καὶ θερμῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς ἀγάπης, τῆς εἰλικρινοῦς, καὶ ἀνυποκρίτου, τῆς ἀκινήτου, καὶ ἀπεριτρέπτου. Οὐ γὰρ μικρὰ δείγματα τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς διαθέσεως, καὶ ταῦτα ἐκ τοσούτου καθήμενος διαστήματος, ἐπεδείξω, κύριέ μου τιμιώτατε καὶ εὐγενέστατε, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό σοι χάριτας ἴσμεν, καὶ συνεχῶς ἐπιστέλλειν βουλόμεθα, ἀλλ' οὐ δυνάμεθα ὁσάκις ἂν βουλώμεθα, γράφομεν δὲ ὁσάκις ἂν δυνώμεθα. Οἶσθα γὰρ καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν λῃστρικῶν ἐφόδων γινομένην ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς δυσκολίαν. Μὴ τοίνυν νομίσῃς ῥᾳθυμεῖν ἡμᾶς, ὅταν μακρὰν σιγήσωμεν σιγὴν, ἀλλὰ τῇ σπάνει τῶν γραμματηφόρων τοῦτο λογίζου, μὴ τῇ ὀλιγωρίᾳ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ. Ὡς εἴγε δυνατὸν ἦν συνεχέστερον ἐπιστέλλειν, οὐκ ἂν ὠκνήσαμεν πυκνὰ πέμποντές σοι γράμματα. Ἡμῖν γὰρ ἑαυτοῖς ἐχαριζόμεθα, τὴν ὀφειλομένην σοι πρόσρησιν συνεχέστερον ἀποδιδόντες. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδὼς, γράφε ἡμῖν συνεχῶς καὶ αὐτὸς τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς. Ὅπερ ἔφης ἀπεσταλκέναι ἡμῖν, τοῦτο οὐδεὶς ἐκόμισεν ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλ' ὑπέστρεψεν ὁ ἔχων διὰ τὸν τῶν λῃστῶν φόβον. Πλὴν παρακαλοῦμέν σε μὴ ποιεῖν τοῦτο, μηδὲ δυσκολίας σαυτῷ παρέχειν καὶ πράγματα. Τὰ γὰρ μεγάλα σου δῶρα, τὸ γνήσιόν σου καὶ θερμὸν τῆς διαθέσεως, οὗ διηνεκῶς ἀπολαύοντες, ἐντρυφῶμεν ἀεὶ τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς σῆς ἀγάπης. Λʹ. Μάρωνι πρεσβυτέρῳ καὶ μονάζοντι. Ἡμεῖς τῇ μὲν ἀγάπῃ συνδεδέμεθά σοι καὶ τῇ διαθέσει, καὶ ὡς παρόντα σε ἐνταῦθα οὕτως ὁρῶμεν. Τοιοῦτοι γὰρ τῆς ἀγάπης οἱ ὀφθαλμοί· οὐχ ὁδῷ διακόπτονται, οὐ χρόνῳ μαραίνονται. Ἐβουλόμεθα δὲ καὶ συνεχέστερον ἐπιστέλλειν τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ σου, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔνι ῥᾴδιον διὰ τὴν τῆς ὁδοῦ δυσκολίαν, καὶ τὴν ἀπορίαν τῶν ὁδοιπόρων, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ προσαγορεύομέν σου τὴν τιμιότητα, καὶ δῆλόν σοι ποιοῦμεν, ὅτι διηνεκῶς ἐπὶ μνήμης σε ἔχομεν, ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ περιφέροντες, ὅπουπερ ἂν ὦμεν. ∆ήλου τοίνυν καὶ αὐτὸς ἡμῖν συνεχέστερον τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς, ἵνα καὶ τῷ σώματι κεχωρισμένοι, μανθάνοντες συνεχῶς τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως τῆς σῆς, εὐθυμότεροι γινώμεθα, καὶ πολλὴν ἐν ἐρημίᾳ καθήμενοι δεχώμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν. Οὐ μικρὰν γὰρ ἡμῖν εὐφροσύνην κομίζει τὸ ἀκούειν περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς. Καὶ πρὸ πάντων εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν παρακλήθητι. ΛΖʹ. Τραγκυλίνῳ ἐπισκόπῳ. Τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν τιμιώτατον ἐπίσκοπον Σέλευκον οἴκοθεν μὲν ὁ περὶ ἡμᾶς ἀνέστησε πόθος, ἐντεῦ52.631 θεν δὲ ὁ τῆς σῆς ἀγάπης ἔρως. Οὗτος αὐτὸν καὶ χειμῶνος κατατολμῆσαι, καὶ δυσκολίας ὁδοῦ, καὶ ἀῤῥωστίας χαλεπωτάτης ἀνέπεισεν. Ἐπαινέσας τοίνυν αὐτὸν, δέσποτά μου τιμιώτατε, τοῦ φίλτρου τῆς σπουδῆς, ἀπόδος αὐτῷ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν τῆς μακρᾶς ταύτης ταλαιπωρίας, τὴν εἰωθυῖαν περὶ αὐτὸν ἀγάπην καὶ νῦν ἐπιδειξάμενος. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡμεῖς ὡς εἰς λιμένα αὐτὸν ἀκύμαντον εἰς τὰς σὰς παρεπέμψαμεν χεῖρας, εἰδότες σου τὴν πολλὴν φιλοφροσύνην, τὴν γνησίαν ἀγάπην, τὴν θερμὴν καὶ ἀκλινῆ καὶ ἀπερίτρεπτον. Κἂν ἀφικνῆταί τις ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ ῥᾴδιον γένηται, καὶ ἐπιστεῖλαι ἡμῖν παρακλήθητι τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεώς σου. Εὐψύχιος γὰρ εἰς τὸ παρὸν οὐκ ἀπήντησε· διὸ οὐδὲ μαθεῖν τι δεδυνήμεθα ὧν ἔφης ἐκεῖνον ἐρεῖν πρώην ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλων, διὰ τὸ μηδαμοῦ τὸν ἄνθρωπον φαίνεσθαι. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδὼς, ἐκεῖνά τε ἅπερ δι' ἐκείνου πρώην ἐδήλωσας,