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and that we may enjoy clear weather as quickly as possible. 39 ANOTHER FESTAL LETTER. I wished to write pleasant things, and to sing of the spiritual joy of the feast; but the multitude of our sins does not permit it, bringing upon us punishments sent by God. For who is sick with such insensibility as not to perceive the divine wrath? Let your Piety, therefore, pray that affairs may receive a good change, so that we too may change the character of our letters, and instead of lamentations may send pleasant things. 40 TO THEODORE THE DEPUTY. The law of the feast indeed directs me to write a festal letter, but the cloud of calamities did not allow us to gather the joy of the feast as usual. For who is so stony-hearted as not to be distressed and afraid when the Lord is angry and indignant, and to stir up the memory of his sins, and to await the just sentence? These things have obscured the gladness of the festival for us. But we believe that the Lord, being a lover of mankind, will not confirm the threat with deeds, but will by His nod dissolve the gloomy things, and will open the fountains of mercy, and will show His usual long-suffering. And addressing your Greatness, I ask that your thrice-desired health be reported to me. 41 TO CLAUDIANUS. The divine festival has as usual brought us spiritual gifts; but the bitter fruits of sin did not allow us to enjoy them with gladness. For such are their sprouts; from the beginning it sprouted thorns and thistles and sweat and toils and sorrows; and at present, it both shakes the earth against us, and has set the tribes of barbarians upon us from all sides. And we lament, because we compel the good Lord, who wishes to do good, to do the opposite, and we constrain Him to bring on punishments. Nevertheless we are comforted, considering the abyss of His mercy; and we believe that the Lord will not cast off His people, and will not forsake His inheritance. And addressing your Magnificence, I ask you to inform me of your admirable health. 42 TO CONSTANTINE THE PREFECT. If I had used letters to your Greatness without any compelling necessity, I might perhaps have been found guilty of audacity, having neither measured myself, nor been ignorant of the greatness of your authority. But since the remnants of the city and country entrusted to me by God are in danger of being utterly destroyed, slander having been dared by some against the inspection that took place, your Magnificence will forgive, I well know, the boldness of my letter, examining both the need of the matter and the purpose of the writer. I groan and lament, being compelled to write against a man whose faults ought to have been covered over because of the name of the priesthood. I write nevertheless, as a champion of the poor who are wronged by him. For this man, having become liable for many transgressions, and having been excluded from communion, as the holy synod had not yet been convened, and fearing the vote of the episcopal council, fled from here, the

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καὶ αἰθρίας ἡμᾶς ὡς τάχιστα καθαρᾶς ἀπολαῦσαι. 39 ΑΛΛΗ ΕΟΡΤΑΣΤΙΚΗ. Ἐβουλόμην τὰ θυμήρη γράφειν, καὶ τῆς ἑορτῆς ᾄδειν τὴν πνευματικὴν εὐφροσύνην· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐᾷ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὸ πλῆθος, τὰς θεηλάτους ἡμῖν τιμωρίας ἐπάγον. Τίς γὰρ τοσαύ την ἀναλγησίαν νοσεῖ, ὡς μὴ λαβεῖν αἴσθησιν τῆς θείας ὀργῆς; Εὐξάσθω τοίνυν ἡ εὐλάβειά σου τὰ πράγματα μεταβο λῆς τυχεῖν ἀγαθῆς, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς μεταβάλωμεν τῶν γραμμάτων τὸν χαρακτῆρα, καὶ ἀντὶ θρήνων ἐπιστέλλωμεν τὰ θυμήρη. 40 ΘΕΟ∆ΩΡΩ ΤΟΠΟΤΗΡΗΤΗ. Ὁ μὲν τῆς ἑορτῆς νόμος ἑορταστικὴν παρεγγυᾷ γράφειν ἐπιστολήν, τὸ δὲ τῶν συμφορῶν νέφος οὐκ εἴασεν ἡμᾶς συνή θως τρυγῆσαι τὴν εὐφροσύνην τῆς ἑορτῆς. Τίς γὰρ οὕτω λίθινος, ὡς θυμουμένου τοῦ ∆εσπότου καὶ χαλεπαίνοντος μὴ ἀσχάλλειν καὶ δεδιέναι, καὶ τὴν μνήμην τῶν πεπλημμελημένων ἀνακινεῖν, καὶ τὴν δικαίαν προσδέχεσθαι ψῆφον; Ταῦτα τῆς πανηγύρεως ἡμῖν τὴν θυμηδίαν ἠμαύρωσε. Πιστεύομεν δέ, ὡς φιλάνθρωπος ὢν ὁ ∆εσπότης οὐκ ἐμπεδώσει τοῖς ἔργοις τὴν ἀπειλήν, ἀλλὰ νεύσει καὶ διαλύσει τὰ σκυθρωπά, καὶ ἀνοίξει τὰς τοῦ ἐλέου πηγάς, καὶ τὴν συνήθη δείξει μακροθυμίαν. Τὸ δὲ ὑμέτερον ἐγὼ προσφθεγγόμενος μέγεθος, μηνυθῆναί μοι τὴν τριπόθητον ὑμῶν ὑγείαν παρακαλῶ. 41 ΚΛΑΥ∆ΙΑΝΩ. Ἡ μὲν θεία πανήγυρις τὰς πνευματικὰς ἡμῖν συνήθως προσενήνοχε δωρέας· οἱ δὲ πικροὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καρποὶ τού των ἀπολαῦσαι μετ' εὐφροσύνης οὐκ εἴασαν. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τὰ ἐκείνων βλαστήματα· καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς μὲν ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβό λους καὶ ἱδρῶτας καὶ πόνους καὶ λύπας ἐβλάστησεν· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ παρόντος, καὶ τὴν γῆν κλονεῖ καθ' ἡμῶν, καὶ τὰ φῦλα τῶν βαρβάρων πάντοθεν ἡμῖν ἐπέστησεν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ θρηνοῦμεν, ὅτι τὸν ἀγαθὸν ∆εσπότην εὐεργετεῖν βουλόμενον τἀναντία ποιεῖν βιαζόμεθα, καὶ τιμωρίας ἐπάγειν καταναγκάζομεν. Ψυχαγω γούμεθα δὲ ὅμως, τοῦ ἐλέου τὴν ἄβυσσον λογιζόμενοι· καὶ πιστεύομεν ὅτι οὐκ ἀπώσεται Κύριος τὸν λαὸν αὑτοῦ καὶ τὴν κληρονομίαν αὑτοῦ οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψει. Τὴν δὲ σὴν μεγαλοπρέ πειαν προσφθεγγόμενος, παρακαλῶ μηνῦσαί μοι τὴν ἀξιέ ραστον σαυτοῦ ὑγείαν. 42 ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΩ ΕΠΑΡΧΩ. Εἰ μὲν μηδεμιᾶς βιαζομένης ἀνάγκης γράμμασιν ἐχρησάμην πρὸς τὸ ὑμέτερον μέγεθος, αὐθαδείας ἂν τυχὸν ὤφλησα δίκην, μήτε ἐμαυτὸν μετρήσας, καὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἐξουσίας ἀγνοήσας τὸ μέγεθος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ κινδυνεύει τῆς θεόθεν ἐγχειρισθείσης μοι πόλεώς τε καὶ χώρας ἄρδην ἀπολέσθαι τὰ λείψανα, συκο φαντίας κατὰ τῆς γεγενημένης ἐποψίας παρά τινων τολμη θείσης, συγγνώσεται, εὖ οἶδα, τῇ τόλμῃ τῶν γραμμάτων ἡ ὑμετέρα μεγαλοπρέπεια, τοῦ τε πράγματος τὴν χρείαν, καὶ τοῦ γράφοντος τὸν σκοπὸν ἐξετάζουσα. Στένω δὲ καὶ ὀδύρομαι γράφειν κατὰ ἀνδρὸς βιαζόμενος, οὗ συσκιάζειν ἔδει τὰ πλημμελήματα διὰ τὴν τῆς ἱερωσύνης προσηγορίαν. Γράφω δὲ ὅμως, τῶν ἀδικουμένων ὑπ' αὐτοῦ πενήτων ὑπερμαχῶν. Οὗτος γάρ, πολλοῖς μὲν παρανομήμασιν ὑπεύθυνος γεγονώς, εἱρχθεὶς δὲ τῆς κοινωνίας, ὡς μηδέπω τῆς ἁγίας συγκληθείσης συνόδου, δείσας δὲ τοῦ ἀρχιερατικοῦ συνεδρίου τὴν ψῆφον, ἀπέδρα μὲν ἐντεῦθεν, τοὺς