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we are surrounded by countless dangers, but still we do not cease being concerned for your wonderfulness; and every day we inquire how your affairs are faring. So that we may learn these things not from others, but from your sweet and most longed-for disposition, write to us continually about your health; and we will have received everything, if we receive letters bringing us this good news. 52.633 42. To Candidianus. The distance of the road that separates us is great, and the time is not short since we were separated from your wonderfulness; and the crowd of troubles surrounding us is great, a most harsh solitude of place, an unbearable siege, attacks, raids of bandits, another distress, the sickness of the body. But still none of these things has made us more neglectful concerning our love for you, but we preserve it flourishing and blooming, carrying you in our mind wherever we may be, and holding your memory unforgettable, and having engraved on our mind the nobility of your soul, your generosity, your steadfastness, the unwaveringness of your genuine love, the warmth of your disposition. Thus we live here, having the memory of your good deeds as the greatest comfort for such great solitude. Therefore, write to us continually yourself, my most wonderful and magnificent lord, bringing good news of your health. For you know how we cling to it, for it is a great concern for us to learn about it, and that we will reap a double joy, both in your writing and in our receiving such letters from your magnificence. 43. To Bassiana. You yourself have been silent for a long time, and this even though you have my lord, the most honorable and reverent deacon Theodotus, who is able to easily find those who travel from there to here. But we do not, because of this, suspect your love, as if it has become more neglectful toward us; for we have had much experience of it, and through many things, and have come to know its splendor and sincerity, its genuineness and unchangeableness. Therefore, whether you write or are silent, we are disposed in the same way toward your nobility, and we are confident about your disposition, that it remains whole and pure. But still, though so disposed, we very much wish to receive continual letters from you, bringing us good news of your health, and of your entire household. Since we desire it and cling to it very much, just as you yourself also know. Knowing these things, therefore, my most modest and noble lady, grant us this favor, which is light and easy, and reasonable, and which provides great comfort to us who are sitting in solitude. 44. To Theodotus the deacon. I myself also know that you would not have been with us through letters, if it were possible through your presence; but, leaving all things, you would have been with us, if there were not an obstacle, and a very great obstacle, both the season of the year, and the difficulty of affairs, and the solitude here which is intensified for the worse each day. And I have no need to learn this from you. For since I knew at once that you are an ardent lover of us, 52.634 I also knew this well. We, therefore, even without your reminding us, would have written to all; but we admired you also for this affection toward us, that at the end of the letter you added an exhortation for this. For this is of a soul greatly concerned for our affairs, caring, being solicitous, knowing how to love genuinely. I have therefore written to all the others; but since we had formerly written also to my lady Carteria, and we learned that she is not staying there, but has gone on a long journey; if it is possible for our letters to be sent there, let this also be done, if you approve; but if it is not possible, at least meet and speak with my most honorable and noble lords around Marcellianus, so that if they ever write to her, they may make an apology on our behalf, that we have not been neglectful, nor have we been silent in the meantime, but by her long

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μυρίοις περιεστοιχίσμεθα δεινοῖς, ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐ παυόμεθα μεριμνῶντες τὴν σὴν θαυμασιότητα· καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην πυνθανόμεθα ἐν τίσιν ὁρμᾷ τὰ σά. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ παρ' ἑτέρων, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τῆς γλυκείας καὶ ποθεινοτάτης ἡμῖν διαθέσεως ταῦτα μανθάνωμεν, γράφε συνεχῶς ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως τῆς σῆς· καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀπειλήφαμεν, ἢν δεξώμεθα ἐπιστολὰς ταῦτα φερούσας ἡμῖν τὰ εὐαγγέλια. 52.633 ΜΒʹ. Κανδιδιανῷ. Πολὺ τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ μέσον τὸ διεῖργον ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὁ χρόνος βραχὺς, ἐξ οὗ τῆς θαυμασιότητος ἐχωρίσθημεν τῆς σῆς· καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων δὲ πολὺς ὁ περιεστὼς ἡμᾶς ὄχλος, ἐρημία χωρίου χαλεπωτάτη, πολιορκία ἀφόρητος, ἔφοδοι, καταδρομαὶ λῃστῶν, ἑτέρα στενοχωρία, ἡ τοῦ σώματος ἀῤῥωστία. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν τούτων ῥᾳθυμοτέρους ἡμᾶς περὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν σὴν πεποίηκεν, ἀλλ' ἀκμάζουσαν αὐτὴν καὶ ἀνθοῦσαν διατηροῦμεν, ἐπὶ διανοίας σε περιφέροντες, ὅπουπερ ἂν ὦμεν, καὶ ἄληστόν σου τὴν μνήμην ἔχοντες, καὶ τὸ εὐγενές σου τῆς ψυχῆς, τὸ ἐλευθέριον, τὸ ἄτρεπτον, τὸ ἀκλινὲς τῆς γνησίας ἀγάπης, τὸ θερμὸν τῆς διαθέσεως ἐγκολάψαντες ἡμῶν τῇ διανοίᾳ. Οὕτως ἐνταῦθα διάγομεν, μεγίστην παραμυθίαν τῆς τοσαύτης ἐρημίας τὴν μνήμην τῶν σῶν κατορθωμάτων ἔχοντες. Γράφε δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἡμῖν συνεχῶς, δέσποτά μου θαυμασιώτατε καὶ μεγαλοπρεπέστατε, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς εὐαγγελιζόμενος. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως αὐτῆς ἀντεχόμεθα καὶ γὰρ περισπούδαστον ἡμῖν περὶ ταύτης μανθάνειν, καὶ ὅτι διπλῆν καρπωσόμεθα τὴν εὐφροσύνην, τῷ τε ἐπιστέλλειν αὐτὸν, τῷ τε τοιαῦτα δέχεσθαι ἡμᾶς γράμματα παρὰ τῆς μεγαλοπρεπείας τῆς σῆς. ΜΓʹ. Βασσιανῇ. Αὐτὴ μὲν μακρὸν ἐσίγησας χρόνον, καὶ ταῦτα ἔχουσα τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν τιμιώτατον καὶ εὐλαβέστατον Θεόδοτον τὸν διάκονον, δυνάμενον ῥᾳδίως εὑρίσκειν τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν ἐνταῦθα ἀφικνουμένους. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ ἐντεῦθεν ὑποπτεύομέν σου τὴν ἀγάπην, ὡς ῥᾳθυμοτέραν γεγενημένην περὶ ἡμᾶς· πολλὴν γὰρ αὐτῆς πεῖραν, καὶ διὰ πολλῶν εἰλήφαμεν, καὶ ἔγνωμεν αὐτῆς τὸ λαμπρὸν καὶ εἰλικρινὲς, τὸ γνήσιον καὶ ἀπερίτρεπτον. ∆ιὸ κἂν γράφῃς, κἂν σιγᾷς, ὁμοίως διακείμεθά σου περὶ τὴν εὐγένειαν, καὶ θαῤῥοῦμεν περὶ τῆς διαθέσεως τῆς σῆς, ὡς ἀκεραίου καὶ ἀκραιφνοῦς μενούσης. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ οὕτω διακείμενοι, σφόδρα βουλόμεθα συνεχῆ δέχεσθαι γράμματα παρ' ὑμῶν, εὐαγγελιζόμενα ἡμᾶς περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς ὑμετέρας, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου ὑμῶν παντός. Ἐπειδὴ καὶ σφόδρα ταύτης ἐπιθυμοῦμεν καὶ ἀντεχόμεθα, καθάπερ καὶ αὐτὴ οἶσθα. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδυῖα, κυρία μου κοσμιωτάτη καὶ εὐγενεστάτη, χαρίζου τὴν χάριν ἡμῖν ταύτην, κούφην τε οὖσαν καὶ ῥᾳδίαν, καὶ εὔλογον, καὶ πολλὴν ἡμῖν καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ καθημένοις παρέχουσαν τὴν παραμυθίαν. Μ∆ʹ. Θεοδότῳ διακόνῳ. Οἶδα καὶ αὐτὸς, ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ἡμῖν διὰ γραμμάτων συνεγένου, εἰ διὰ παρουσίας ἐξῆν· ἀλλὰ πάντα ἀφεὶς μεθ' ἡμῶν ἔμελλες εἶναι, εἰ μὴ κώλυμα ἦν, καὶ κώλυμα μέγιστον, καὶ ἡ τοῦ ἔτους ὥρα, καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ δυσκολία, καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα ἡ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐπιτεινομένη πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ἐρημία. Καὶ οὐδὲν δέομαι τοῦτο παρὰ σοῦ μανθάνειν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔγνων ἅπαξ, ὅτι σφοδρὸς ἡμῶν ἐραστὴς εἶ, 52.634 ἔγνων καὶ τοῦτο καλῶς. Ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν, καὶ μὴ ἀναμνήσαντός σου, πρὸς πάντας ἂν ἐπεστάλκαμεν· ἐθαυμάσαμεν δέ σε καὶ ταύτης τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς φιλοστοργίας, ὅτι καὶ τῷ τέλει τῆς ἐπιστολῆς παράκλησιν ὑπὲρ τούτου προσέθηκας. Τοῦτο γὰρ ψυχῆς σφόδρα μεριμνώσης τὰ ἡμέτερα, φροντιζούσης, κηδομένης, γνησίως ἀγαπᾷν ἐπισταμένης. Τοῖς μὲν οὖν ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ἐπέσταλκα· ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τῇ κυρίᾳ μου Καρτερίᾳ πρώην ἦμεν ἐπεσταλκότες, ἔγνωμεν δὲ αὐτὴν μὴ διατρίβειν ἐκεῖσε, ἀλλὰ μακρὰν ὁδὸν ἀποδεδημηκέναι· εἰ μὲν οἷόν τε ἐκπεμφθῆναι τὰ γράμματα τὰ ἡμέτερα ἐκεῖ, καὶ τοῦτο γενέσθω, ἐὰν δοκιμάσῃς· εἰ δὲ μὴ δυνατὸν, τοῖς γοῦν κυρίοις μου τιμιωτάτοις καὶ εὐγενεστάτοις τοῖς περὶ Μαρκελλιανὸν συντυχὼν διαλέχθητι, ὥστε αὐτῇ εἴ ποτε ἐπιστέλλοιεν, ἀπολογήσασθαι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ὡς οὐκ ἐῤῥᾳθυμηκότων, οὐδὲ τὸν μεταξὺ χρόνον σεσιγηκότων, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς μακρᾶς αὐτῆς