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and to the people who have summoned us we will bestow the greatest benefit. But I entreat you, again and often, putting aside all hesitation, to come and forestall the difficulties of winter. 43.T TO THE BISHOPS 43.1 How pleasant you are, and humane, and abundant in your love; you have summoned us to the metropolis, I suppose, to deliberate something about a bishop, -for this I perceive of you, who, having announced neither that it is necessary to be present, nor for what reason, nor when, have suddenly declared to us that you have set out, 43.2 as if you were some who had decided not to honor us or been eager to have us as associates, but were discouraging our presence, so that you might not encounter us even unwillingly. Such, then, is your conduct, and we shall bear it, being insulted; but as for our own, how it is, we will present. 43.3 Others, of course, will put forward other candidates, each according to their own ways or means, which is wont to happen in such affairs. But we can prefer no one, for it is not holy, to our most honored son, Basil the presbyter. 43.4 For whom, of those we know, do we find more tested in life, or more powerful in speech, and from every side trained in the beauty of virtue? And if weakness is the excuse, -for you will not put forward an athlete, but a teacher, and at the same time, I suppose, the power of Him who strengthens and supports the weak, should they be such. 43.5 If you accept this vote, we will both be present and assist, either spiritually or also physically. But if the way is set and factions are about to prevail against what is just, we are glad to be overlooked. Let the work be yours, but pray for us. 44.T TO EUSEBIUS OF SAMOSATA 44.1 Whence shall I begin your praises? And by what address could I name you properly? 20a pillar and foundation20 of the Church, or 20a light in the world20, speaking the same things as the Apostle, or 20a crown of boasting20 for the remnant of Christians being saved, or 20a gift of God20, or a support of your country, or a rule of faith, or an ambassador of truth, or all these things together and more than these? 44.2 And I shall confirm the hyperbole of my praises by the things that are seen. What seasonal rain has so come to a thirsty land? What water from a rock overflowing for those in the desert? What such 20bread of angels has man eaten20? 44.3 To which of his disciples, when they were being so battered by the storm, did Jesus, our common Lord, appear at the right time to calm the sea and save those in danger, as you have appeared to us, who are weary and distressed and, as it were, already shipwrecked? What need is there to speak of other things, with how much cheerfulness and pleasure you have filled the souls of the orthodox, and from how many you have loosed despair? 44.4 But our mother, the Church, I mean of the Caesareans, now truly 20puts off the garments of her widowhood20 at the sight of you, and takes up a robe of gladness, and will be made more splendid, when she obtains a shepherd worthy of herself and of those who have gone before and of your hands. 44.5 For you yourself see what our affairs are like and how great a wonder your zeal and sweat and boldness in God have wrought; old age is renewed and sickness is conquered and those on beds leap up and 20the weak are girded with strength20. By these things I conjecture that our affairs will also turn out according to our mind. 44.6 You have then the father, both in his own place and in ours, who will set a noble end to his whole life and to his venerable grey hair—the present struggle for the Church. And we shall receive him, I well know, through your prayers, stronger and more youthful, in which one must confidently believe all things; but if he should even depart in this care, it is no loss to meet such an end for such causes. 44.7 But for me, I beg, have pardon, if, having withdrawn a little for the wicked tongues, a little later I might both run up to you and embrace you and add on my own behalf whatever is now omitted of the praise. 45.T TO BASIL 45.1 Since I learned that you were set upon the high throne and the Spirit prevailed, making public the lamp upon the lampstand, which not even before shone dimly, I was delighted, I confess. Why would I not be, seeing the common good of the Church

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καὶ τῷ ἐπικαλεσαμένῳ ἡμᾶς λαῷ μεγίστην εὐεργεσίαν καταθησόμεθα. Ἀλλὰ παρακαλῶ καὶ πάλιν καὶ πολλάκις πάντα ὄκνον ὑπερθεμένους ἀπαντῆσαι καὶ προλαβεῖν τὰ ἐκ τοῦ χειμῶνος δυσχερῆ. 43.Τ ΤΟΙΣ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΙΣ 43.1 Ὡς ἡδεῖς ὑμεῖς καὶ φιλάνθρωποι καὶ περιττοὶ τὴν ἀγάπην· κεκλήκατε ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τὴν μητρόπολιν, ὡς οἶμαι, περὶ ἐπισκόπου τι βουλευσόμενοι, -τοῦτο γὰρ ὑμῶν αἰσθάνομαι, οἵ γε μήθ' ὅτι παρεῖναι δεῖ, μήτ' ἐφ' ᾧ, μήθ' ὅτε προαγορεύσαντες, ἀθρόως ἡμῖν ὅτι ἐξώρμησθε δεδηλώκατε, 43.2 ὡς ἄν τινες οὐ τιμᾶν ἐγνωκότες ἢ κοινωνοὺς ἔχειν ἐσπουδακότες, ἀλλὰ τὸ παρεῖναι ἀποσ πουδάζοντες, ἵνα μηδ' ἄκουσιν ἡμῖν περιπέσητε. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ὑμέτερον τοιοῦτον, καὶ οἴσομεν ὑβριζόμενοι· τὸ δ' ἡμέτερον, ὅπως ἔχει, παραστήσομεν. 43.3 Ἄλλοι μὲν ἄλλους δηλαδὴ προβαλοῦνται, κατὰ τοὺς ἑαυτῶν ἕκαστος τρόπους ἢ πόρους, ὅπερ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις φιλεῖ συμβαί νειν. Ἡμεῖς δ' οὐδένα προτιμῆσαι δυνάμεθα, οὐδὲ γὰρ ὅσιον, τοῦ τιμιωτάτου υἱοῦ ἡμῶν Βασιλείου τοῦ πρεσβυ τέρου. 43.4 Τίνα γάρ, ὧν ἴσμεν, εὑρίσκομεν ἢ βίῳ δοκι μώτερον, ἢ λόγῳ δυνατώτερον, καὶ πανταχόθεν εἰς ἀρετῆς κάλλος ἐξησκημένον; Εἰ δὲ ἀσθένεια πρόφασις, -οὐ γὰρ ἀθλητὴν προβαλεῖσθε, ἀλλὰ διδάσκαλον, καὶ ἅμα που τὸ δυνατὸν τοῦ τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς, ἄνπερ ὦσι τοιοῦτοι, ῥώννυντος καὶ ὑπερείδοντος. 43.5 Ἂν ταύτην δέχησθε τὴν ψῆφον, καὶ παρεσόμεθα καὶ συλληψόμεθα ἢ πνευμα τικῶς, ἢ καὶ σωματικῶς. Εἰ δ' ἐπὶ ῥητοῖς ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ κρατεῖν μέλλοιεν αἱ συστάσεις παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον, χαίρομεν παρεωραμένοι. Ὑμέτερον ἔστω τὸ ἔργον, ἡμῶν δ' ὑπερεύ χεσθε. 44.Τ ΕΥΣΕΒΙΩΙ ΣΑΜΟΣΑΤΩΝ 44.1 Πόθεν ἄρξομαι τῶν σῶν ἐγκωμίων; καὶ τί προσειπών σε κυρίως ἂν ὀνομάσαιμι; 20στύλον καὶ ἑδραίωμα20 τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ἢ 20φωστῆρα ἐν κόσμῳ20, τὰ αὐτὰ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ φθεγγόμενος, ἢ 20στέφανον καυχήσεως20 τῷ σῳζομένῳ μέρει Χριστιανῶν, ἢ 20Θεοῦ δῶρον20, ἢ πατρίδος ἔρεισμα, ἢ κανόνα πίστεως ἢ πρεσβευτὴν ἀληθείας, ἢ ὁμοῦ πάντα καὶ πλείω τούτων; 44.2 Καὶ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῶν ἐπαίνων τοῖς ὁρωμένοις πιστώσομαι. Τίς οὕτως ὑετὸς ὥριμος ἦλθε διψώσῃ γῇ; Ποῖον ἐκ πέτρας ὕδωρ τοῖς ἐν ἐρήμῳ πλημμυροῦν; Τίνα τοιοῦτον 20ἄρτον ἀγγέλων ἔφαγεν ἄνθρωπος20; 44.3 Τίσιν Ἰησοῦς, ὁ Κύριος ὁ κοινός, τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς οὕτως ἐν καιρῷ βαπτιζομένοις ἐπέστη, ἵνα καὶ τὸ πέλαγος ἡμερώσῃ καὶ τοὺς κινδυνεύον τας περισώσηται, οἷος σὺ κάμνουσιν ἡμῖν καὶ ἀνιωμένοις καὶ οἷον ἤδη ναυαγοῦσιν ἐφάνης; Τί δεῖ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων λέγειν, ὅσης εὐθυμίας καὶ ἡδονῆς ψυχὰς ὀρθοδόξων ἐνέπλησας, καὶ ὅσων ἀπόγνωσιν ἔλυσας; 44.4 Ἀλλ' ἡ μήτηρ ἡμῶν Ἐκκλησία, τὴν Καισαρέων λέγω, νῦν ὄντως 20ἀποδύεται τὰ ἐνδύματα τῆς χηρεύσεως20 ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ θέᾳ καὶ στολὴν εὐφροσύνης ἀναλαμβάνει καὶ λαμπρυνθήσεται μᾶλλον, ἐπειδὰν ποιμένος τύχῃ ἑαυτῆς τε καὶ τῶν προειληφότων καὶ τῶν ὑμετέρων χειρῶν ἀξίου. 44.5 Τὰ γὰρ ἡμέτερα καὶ αὐτὸς ὁρᾷς οἷα καὶ ὅσον ἐθαυμα τούργησεν ὁ σὸς ζῆλος καὶ ἰδρὼς καὶ ἡ κατὰ Θεὸν παρ ρησία· γῆρας ἀνακαινίζεται καὶ ἀρρωστία νικᾶται καὶ πηδῶσιν οἱ ἐπὶ κλίνης καὶ 20ἀσθενοῦντες περιζωννύον ται δύναμιν20. Τούτοις εἰκάζω καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα κατὰ νοῦν ἐκβήσεσθαι. 44.6 Τὸν μὲν οὖν πατέρα ἔχεις καὶ ἀνθ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἀνθ' ἡμῶν, τέλος παντὶ τῷ βίῳ καὶ τῇ σεμνῇ πολιᾷ καλὸν ἐπιθήσοντα, τὸν νῦν ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀγῶνα. Καὶ δεξόμεθα τοῦτον, εὖ οἶδα, εὐχαῖς ὑμετέραις ἐρρωμενέστερόν τε καὶ νεανικώτερον, αἷς δεῖ πάντα πιστεύειν θαρροῦντα· εἰ δὲ κἀν τῇ φροντίδι καταλύσειεν, οὐ ζημία τοιαύτης καὶ ἐπὶ τοιούτοις τυχεῖν τελευτῆς. 44.7 Ἐμοὶ δέ, παρακαλῶ, συγγνώμην ἔχετε, εἰ, μικρὸν ταῖς τῶν πονηρῶν γλώσσαις ὑποχωρήσας, μικρὸν ὕστερον ὑμῖν καὶ προσδράμοιμι καὶ περιπτυξαίμην καὶ ὅσα παρεῖται νῦν δι' ἐμαυτοῦ προσθείην τῆς εὐφημίας. 45.Τ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩΙ 45.1 Ἐπειδή σε τεθέντα ἐπὶ τὸν ὑψηλὸν θρόνον ἔγνων καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐνίκησε, τὸν λύχνον ἐπὶ τῆς λυχνίας δημοσιεῦσαν, οὐδὲ τὸ πρὶν ἀμυδρῶς λάμποντα, ἥσθην μέν, ὁμολογῶ. Τί δ' οὐκ ἔμελλον, τὸ κοινὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὁρῶν