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For a long time I have been watching for the merchant ships, always in suspense about the future. But they land somewhere, a second and a third time, and they prove that our affairs were only hopes. I am looking for the reason for your silence, and I am at a loss on every side. For if I have grieved you in any way—though having grieved no one—let these things be gone and may the breezes carry them away. Yet, I suffer a greater punishment than my offenses deserve, if I do not hear from you. But if you are feigning otherwise, saying that you cannot speak beautifully, we are the judges of these things, and we blame the reason. But perhaps I can now guess the matter, without even drinking from your Daphne. You will say you are blushing for having broken your promise and disregarded the agreements and for having the book for what must be a third or fourth year now, you who promised not to keep it even for a third month. Therefore, if you say these things with vexation, you will prove it by not keeping it any longer. And accepting your silence as a sign of shame, I attribute the matter to necessity, although I have given you a book for which I have not even now paid the price, but it is unclear whether it belongs to the seller or to me who gave it. But nevertheless, I have placed no obstacle to your need, not the uncertainty of its ownership, nor the need to learn something from it, but overlooking everything, I would have provided it to you with many others, if you had allowed me to do this too. Nevertheless, it is no terrible thing if you limit the delay to the present time. But if you add more, I will get this much from the affair: that I will consider all men untrustworthy; for what could I hope for, having suffered such things from you? But the most wise John is not like that, who, having taken one from me, after not much time sent a second in addition. Thus he wished to seem grateful rather than to possess a book. And do not say to me, "1I kept it not wishing to deprive you"2. For I happen to be persuaded of this, and I will swear a great oath on it. But you should not have prolonged the delay, since to return something after a long time and with difficulty is equivalent to depriving. But, by Philius, do not wait for other letters or another ship than the one that brings you this letter. 72 To Diodorus The one who brings you this letter will not experience your goodwill now for the first time, but while still recounting the first, he will receive a second experience, and as I think, perhaps an even greater one; for he enjoyed the former when he was about to be called our kinsman by marriage, but he will receive the latter now that he has come to the deed. But you who honored this man in prospect, who would you be, seeing it come to pass? For I think that you will at once set in motion the treasuries of the laws, and having sharpened your tongue against the unjust, you will release springs of words. And what else will you do but bring the spectator to the memory of an Attic tribunal? These things I can say, with these hopes the young man is present. And neither will I be convicted of falsehood, nor he of having hoped in vain. 73 To Castor For the one who brings this letter, many things demand your goodwill: kinship connecting him to me, a marriage confirming the relationship, and, the greatest thing of all, our letter. And this is not a word of boasting, but rather of confidence, that my things, though small by nature, are powerful with you. He needs a just tongue and a flow of words able to extinguish slander. I know, therefore, that you will be better than my hope; for you always strive to prove greater than whatever anyone might hope from you. It would be your part, then, either to surpass my hope with your deeds or to show that the results are not less than it. 74 To Ilasius The place with you seems to bear good fruits, but to be opposed only to bodies; for the former it provides a marvel to those who see them and forces the nature of the season, but the latter, having received them healthy, a little later it returned them pale. Hence I would not choose, after enjoying a few fruits, to be sick and, when asked the reason, to be ashamed and keep silent, which you are accustomed to do, adorning the places with silence. But I wish you both to enjoy the most good things and to conquer the nature of the place with the strength of your body. 75 To Nestorius Chremylus has suddenly become rich, the comedy says. And you now seem to be rich, having never experienced this, but always having been poorer than Irus. From that, then, your fatherland has become more desirable to you, which you previously called the pit of the inhabited world, and you have become wholly of matter, having bid farewell to philosophy. The

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πάλαι περισκοπῶ τὰς ὁλκάδας, μετέωρος ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον γινόμενος. αἱ δέ που καταίρουσι καὶ δευτέρα καὶ τρίτη, καὶ τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς διελέγχουσιν ὡς μόνον ἦσαν ἐλπίδες. τὴν δὲ τῆς σιγῆς αἰτίαν σκοπῶ, καὶ πανταχόθεν ἠπόρημαι. εἰ μὲν γάρ τι λελύπηκακαίτοι λυπήσας μηδένταῦτα μὲν οἰχέσθω καὶ φέροιεν αὖραι. μείζω δ' οὖν ὅμως τῶν ἐγκλη μάτων ὑφίσταμαι δίκην, εἰ μὴ λαλοῦντος ἀκούσομαι. εἰ δὲ τὴν ἄλλως ἀκκίζει μὴ δύνασθαι λέγων εἰς κάλλος εἰπεῖν, δικασταὶ τούτων ἡμεῖς, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν μεμφόμεθα. ἀλλ' ἤδη που τάχα τὸ πρᾶγμα μαντεύομαι, μηδὲ τῆς ὑμετέρας ∆άφνης πιών. ἐρυθριᾶν φήσεις ὡς παραβὰς τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν καὶ τὰς συνθή κας ὑπεριδὼν καὶ τὸ βιβλίον ἔχων που τρίτον ἢ τέταρτον ἔτος τουτί, ὁ μηδὲ τρίτον μῆνα καθέξειν ἐπαγγειλάμενος. ταῦτα τοίνυν, εἰ μὲν ἀχθόμενος ἐρεῖς, δείξεις μὴ πλείω χρόνον κρατήσας. καὶ τὴν σιωπὴν ἀποδεξάμενος τὸ σύμβολον τῆς αἰδοῦς, τῇ ἀνάγκῃ τὸ πρᾶγμα λογίζομαι, καίτοι βιβλίον ὑμῖν δεδωκὼς οὗ τὴν τιμὴν οὐδέπω καὶ νῦν καταβέβληκα, ἀλλ' ἄδηλον εἴτε τοῦ πιπράσκοντός ἐστιν εἴτε τοῦ δεδωκότος ἐμοῦ. ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν ἐμπο δὼν τῇ σῇ χρείᾳ πεποίημαι, οὐ τὸ τοῦ κτήματος ἄδηλον, οὐ τὸ δεῖν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τι μαθεῖν, ἀλλὰ πάντα παριδὼν μετὰ πολλῶν ἄν σοι παρέσχον, εἰ καὶ τοῦτο ποιεῖν συνεχώρησας. ὅμως οὐδὲν δεινὸν εἰ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ὁρίζεις τὸ βράδος. εἰ δὲ προσθήσεις ἔτι, τοσοῦτον ἀπολαύσω τοῦ πράγματος ὅτι δὴ πάντας ἀπίστους ἡγήσομαι· τί γὰρ ἂν ἐλπίσαιμι, παρὰ σοῦ τοιαῦτα παθών; ἀλλ' οὐχ ὅ γε σοφώτατος Ἰωάννης τοιοῦτος, ὃς ἓν λαβὼν παρ' ἐμοῦ μετ' οὐ πολὺν χρόνον δεύτερον προσαπέστειλεν. οὕτως εὐγνώμων δοκεῖν ἤθελε μᾶλλον ἢ κεκτῆσθαι βιβλίον. καὶ μή μοι λέγε ὡς "1οὐκ ἀποστερεῖν ἐθέλων κατέσχον"2. τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ τυγχάνω πεπεισμένος, καὶ ἐπὶ μέγαν ὅρκον ὀμοῦμαι. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔδει παρατεῖναι τῷ βράδει, ὅπου γε ἴσον δύναται τῷ ἀποστερεῖν τὸ χρόνῳ καὶ μόλις ἀποδιδόναι. ἀλλά, πρὸς Φιλίου, μὴ ἀναμείνῃς ἔτι ἕτερα γράμματα μηδὲ πλοῖον ἕτερον ἢ τὸ κομίζον σοι τὴν ἐπιστολήν. 72 ∆ιοδώρωι Ὁ φέρων σοι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν οὐ νῦν πρῶτον πειραθήσεται τῆς εὐνοίας τῆς σῆς, ἀλλ' ἔτι τὴν πρώτην διηγούμενος δευτέραν λήψεται πεῖραν, ὡς δὲ δοκῶ, τάχα καὶ μείζονα· ἐκείνης μὲν γὰρ ἀπέλαυσε κηδεστὴς καλεῖσθαι μέλλων ἡμέτερος, ταύτην δὲ λήψεται καὶ δὴ πρὸς ἔργον ἐλθών. ὁ δέ γε μέλλοντα τοῦτον τιμήσας, τίς ἂν εἴης, γεγενημένον ἰδών; οἶμαι γὰρ ὡς τῶν νόμων εὐθὺς τὰ ταμιεῖα κινήσεις, καὶ παραθήξας τὴν γλῶτταν κατὰ τῶν ἀδικούντων λόγων ἐπαφήσεις πηγάς. καὶ τί γὰρ ἕτερον ἢ βήματος Ἀττικοῦ πρὸς μνήμην ἄξεις τὸν θεατήν; ταῦτα λέγειν ἔχω, ταῦτα πάρεστιν ἐλπίζων ὁ νέος. καὶ οὔτ' ἐγὼ ψευδολογίας ἁλώσομαι, οὔτε μάτην ἐλπίσας ἐκεῖνος. 73 Κάστορι Τῷ φέροντι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν πολλὰ παρὰ σοῦ τὴν εὔνοιαν ἀπαιτεῖ· γένος συνάπτον ἐμοί, γάμος τὴν οἰκειότητα βεβαιῶν, καὶ τὸ δὴ μέγιστον ἡμέτερα γράμματα. καὶ οὐκ ἀλαζονείας ὁ λόγος, θαρροῦντος δὲ μᾶλλον, ὡς τἀμὰ μικρὰ μὲν τῇ φύσει, μεγάλα δὲ δύναται παρὰ σοί. δεῖται δὲ γλώττης δικαίας καὶ λόγων εὐροίας σβέσαι δυναμένης συκοφαντίαν. οἶδα τοίνυν ὡς τῆς ἐμῆς ἐλπίδος κρείττων γενήσῃ· φιλοτιμεῖ γὰρ ἀεὶ μεῖζον εἰς πεῖραν ἐλθεῖν ὧν ἄν τις ἐλπίσῃ παρὰ σοῦ. σὸν δ' ἂν εἴη λοιπὸν ἢ τὴν ἐμὴν ἐλπίδα νικῆσαι τοῖς ἔργοις ἢ μὴ ταύτης ἐλάττω δεῖξαι τὰ πράγματα. 74 Ἰλασίωι Τὸ παρ' ὑμῖν χωρίον καρποὺς μὲν τίκτειν ἔοικεν ἀγαθούς, ἀντικεῖσθαι δὲ μόνοις τοῖς σώμασι· τοὺς μὲν γὰρ θαῦμα τοῖς ὁρῶσι παρέχει καὶ τὴν τῆς ὥρας βιάζεται φύσιν, τὰ δὲ λαβὸν ἐρρωμένα μικρὸν ὕστερον ἀπέδωκεν ὠχριῶντα. ὅθεν οὐκ ἂν ἑλοίμην ὀλίγων καρπῶν ἀπολαύσας νοσεῖν καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐρωτώμενος αἰσχύνεσθαι καὶ σιγᾶν, ὃ δὴ ποιεῖν εἴωθας σιγῇ τὰ χωρία κοσμῶν. σὲ δὲ βούλομαι καὶ πλείστων ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύειν καὶ τῇ τοῦ σώματος ῥώσει τὴν τοῦ χωρίου φύσιν νικᾶν. 75 Νεστορίωι Χρεμύλος πεπλούτηκεν ἐξαίφνης, ἡ κωμῳδία φησί. καὶ σὺ νῦν πλουτεῖν ἔοικας, οὐπώποτε τοῦτο παθών, Ἴρου δὲ πτωχότερος ἀεὶ γεγονώς. ἐκεῖθεν ἄρα σοι ποθεινοτέρα γέγονεν ἡ πατρίς, ἣν πρότερον ἀπεκάλεις τῆς οἰκου μένης τὸ βάραθρον, ὅλος δὲ τῆς ὕλης γέγονας, τῇ φιλοσοφίᾳ χαίρειν εἰπών. τὸ