Ep. LXXVI.

This, then, was also reserved for my sad life, to hear of the death of Basil, and the departure of that holy soul, which has gone from us that it may be with the Lord, for which he had been preparing himself all his life.  And among all the other losses I have had to endure this is the greatest, that by reason of the bodily sickness from which I am still suffering and in great danger, I cannot kiss that holy dust, or be with you to enjoy the consolations of a just philosophy, and to comfort our common friends.  But to see the desolation of the Church, shorn of such a glory, and bereft of such a crown, is what no one, at least no one of any feeling, can bear to let his eyes look upon, or his ear hearken to.  But you, I think, though you have many friends and will receive many words of condolence, yet will not derive comfort so much from any as from yourself and your memory of him; for you two were a pattern to all of philosophy, a kind of spiritual standard, both of discipline in prosperity, and of endurance in adversity; for philosophy bears prosperity with moderation and adversity with dignity.  This is what I have to say to Your Excellency.  But for myself who write so, what time or what words shall comfort me, except your company and conversation, which our blessed one has left me in place of all, that seeing his character in you as in a bright and shining mirror, I may think myself to possess him also!

[76] ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΩΙ ΝΥΣΣΗΣ

Καὶ τοῦτο ἀπέκειτο τῇ μοχθηρᾷ μου ζωῇ, τὸ Βασιλείου θάνατον ἀκοῦσαι καὶ τῆς ἁγίας ἐκείνης ψυχῆς ἐκδημίαν, ἣν ἐξεδήμησεν ἀφ' ἡμῶν ἵν' ἐνδημήσῃ πρὸς Κύριον, πάντα τὸν βίον μελέτην τούτου πεποιημένος. Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ μὲν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τοῦτο ἀφῄρημαι διὰ τὸ καὶ νῦν ἔτι πονηρῶς ἔχειν τοῦ σώματος καὶ λίαν ἐπικινδύνως, τὸ καὶ περιπτύξασθαι τὴν ἁγίαν κόνιν καί σοι παρεῖναι τὰ εἰκότα φιλοσοφοῦντι καὶ τοὺς κοινοὺς ἡμῶν φίλους παραμυθήσασθαι. Τὸ γὰρ τὴν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἰδεῖν ἐρημίαν, τοιαύτην ἀποκειραμένης δόξαν καὶ τοιοῦτον ἀποσεισαμένης στέφανον, οὔτε ὄψει θεατὸν οὔτε ἀκοῇ χωρητὸν τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσι. Σὺ δέ μοι δοκεῖς, πολλῶν ὄντων καὶ φίλων καὶ λόγων τῶν εἰς παράκλησιν, ὑπ' οὐδενὸς ἂν οὕτω παρακληθῆναι ὡς ὑπὸ σεαυτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἐκείνου μνήμης: οἳ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι γεγόνατε φιλοσοφίας ὑπόδειγμα καὶ οἷόν τις στάθμη πνευματικὴ τῆς τε ἐν τοῖς χρηστοῖς εὐταξίας καὶ τῆς ἐν τοῖς ἀνιαροῖς καρτερίας, ἐπειδὴ δύο ταῦτα οἶδε φιλοσοφία εὐπραξίαν τε διαθέσθαι μετρίως καὶ συμφορὰν εὐσχημόνως. Ταῦτα παρ' ἡμῶν πρὸς τὴν σὴν τιμιότητα: ἐμὲ δὲ τίς παραμυθήσεται χρόνος ἢ λόγος, τὸν ταῦτα γράφοντα, πλὴν τῆς σῆς συνουσίας καὶ ὁμιλίας, ἣν ἀντὶ πάντων ἡμῖν ὁ μακάριος καταλέλοιπεν, ἵν' ἐν σοὶ τὰ ἐκείνου καθορῶντες ὥσπερ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ καλῷ τε καὶ διαυγεῖ, κἀκεῖνον ἔχειν νομίζωμεν;