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having demanded the answers. But now this letter has come to you, both fulfilling an apology for what has passed and giving a beginning to a second communication. Therefore, whenever you write to us, do not think of it as having begun a second series of letters, but as fulfilling what was owed in addition to the present ones. For, even if our letter is a return for yours, yet by being more than double the length, it will complete the order of both. Do you see what kind of sophistries idleness compels us to invent? But you, O best of men, cease from making great accusations in small words, which indeed have no excess of malice; for forgetfulness of friends and arrogance arising from power together contain all terrible things. For if we do not love according to the Lord's commandment, we do not even have the mark that is set upon us; or if, being blinded, we have been filled with empty pride and arrogance, we fall into the inescapable judgment of the devil. Therefore, if you hold such thoughts about us and used these words, pray that we may flee the wickedness you have found in our character; but if your tongue came to these words through some unexamined habit, we shall console ourselves and ask your goodness to add the testimony of deeds. For know this well, that the present care has become for us an occasion for humility. So we will forget you then, when we are also ignorant of ourselves. Do not, therefore, ever make our occupations a sign of character and ill-will.

57. TO MELETIUS THE BISHOP

57.1 If somehow the greatness of the joy became clear to your Godliness

which you create in us whenever you write, I know that you would never have passed over an occasion for a letter that chanced to fall, but would even have contrived to write many letters to us each time, knowing the reward laid up by the merciful Master for giving respite from afflictions. For all things here are filled with pain, and our only turning away from terrible things is the thought of your Holiness; which the converse through your letters, filled with all wisdom and grace, makes clearer to us. Therefore, whenever we take your letter in our hands, we first examine its length and love it the more, the more it abounds in quantity. Then going through it, we rejoice in whatever part of the text we happen upon, but are dismayed as we approach the end of the letter. So much good is in whatever you might say in your letters. For from a good heart is the good that abounds. And if we should be deemed worthy through your prayers, while we are on earth, of a face-to-face meeting and of receiving from your living voice itself beneficial teachings, or provisions for both the present age and the one to come, we would judge this to be the greatest of good things and would consider it for ourselves a prelude to God's favor. And indeed we were already pursuing this impulse, had not most genuine and in all things brotherly men restrained us, and so that I might not publicize their intention in a letter, I have related the details to our brother Theophrastus to report to your Perfection.

58. TO GREGORY THE BROTHER

58.1 How could I quarrel with you through a letter? How could I fittingly

attack your all-around goodness? Who, tell me, falls into the same nets a third time? Who falls into the same snare a third time? Not even one of the irrational animals would easily suffer this. Having put together one letter, you brought it to me, as if from the most reverend

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ἀπαιτήσας τὰς ἀποκρίσεις. Νυνὶ δὲ ἥκει σοι τὰ γράμματα ταῦτα, ὑπέρ τε τῶν φθασάντων ἀπολογίαν πληροῦντα καὶ ἀρχὴν διδόντα προσηγορίας δευτέρας. Ὥστε, ἐπειδὰν ἐπιστέλλῃς ἡμῖν, μὴ ὡς ἄρξας δευτέρας περιόδου γραμμάτων διανοοῦ, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀποπληρώσας ἐπὶ τοῖς παροῦσι τὰ ὀφειλόμενα. Καὶ γάρ, καὶ εἰ ἀντίδοσις προαγόντων ἐστὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα, ἀλλὰ τῷ πλέον ἢ διπλάσιον ὑπερβάλλειν κατὰ τὸ μέτρον ἑκατέ ρων τὴν τάξιν ἀποπληρώσει. Ὁρᾷς ὁποῖα σοφίζεσθαι ἡμᾶς ἡ ἀργία καταναγκάζει; Σὺ δὲ παῦσαι, ὦ ἄριστε, ἐν μικροῖς ῥήμασι μεγάλας αἰτίας, οὐ μὲν οὖν ἐχούσας ὑπερ βολὴν εἰς κακίαν, παρεχόμενος· λήθη γὰρ φίλων καὶ ὑπερ οψία ἐκ δυναστείας ἐγγινομένη πάντα ἔχει ὁμοῦ τὰ δεινά. Εἴτε γὰρ οὐκ ἀγαπῶμεν κατὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου, οὐδὲ τὸν χαρακτῆρα ἐπικείμενον ἡμῖν ἔχομεν· εἴτε φρονή ματος κενοῦ καὶ ἀλαζονείας ὑπεπλήσθημεν τυφωθέντες, ἐμπίπτομεν εἰς τὸ ἄφυκτον κρίμα τοῦ διαβόλου. Ὥστε, εἰ μὲν οὕτως ἔχων διανοίας περὶ ἡμῶν τούτοις ἐχρήσω τοῖς ῥήμασιν, εὖξαι φυγεῖν ἡμᾶς τὴν πονηρίαν ἣν ἐξεῦρες ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ τρόπῳ· εἰ δὲ συνηθείᾳ τινὶ ἀνεξετάστῳ ἐπὶ τῶν ῥημάτων ἦλθεν ἡ γλῶττα, ἑαυτοὺς παραμυθησόμεθα καὶ τὴν σὴν χρηστότητα τὰς ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων μαρτυρίας προσθεῖναι παρακαλοῦμεν. Ἐκεῖνο γὰρ εὖ ἴσθι, ὅτι ἡ παροῦσα φροντὶς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῖν γέγονεν ἀφορμή. Ὥστε σοῦ τότε ἐπιλησόμεθα, ὅταν καὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἀγνοήσω μεν. Μὴ τοίνυν ποτὲ τὰς ἀσχολίας σημεῖον τρόπου καὶ κακοηθείας ποιήσῃ.

57.τ ΜΕΛΕΤΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ

57.1 Εἴ πως ἐγένετο φανερὸν τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ σου τῆς εὐφρο σύνης τὸ μέγεθος

ἣν ἐμποιεῖς ἡμῖν ὁσάκις ἂν ἐπιστέλλῃς, οἶδα ὅτι οὐκ ἄν ποτε παραπεσοῦσαν γραμμάτων πρόφασιν ὑπερέβης, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπενόησας ἂν πολλὰς ἡμῖν ποιεῖν ἑκάστοτε τὰς ἐπιστολάς, γνωρίζων τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναπαύσει τῶν θλίψεων παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου ∆εσπότου μισθὸν ἀποκείμενον. Πάντα γὰρ ὀδύνης τὰ τῇδε πεπλήρωται, καὶ μόνη ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἀποστροφὴ τῶν δεινῶν ἡ τῆς σῆς ὁσιό τητος ἔννοια· ἣν ἐναργεστέραν ἡμῖν ἐμποιεῖ ἡ διὰ τῶν πάσης σοφίας καὶ χάριτος πεπληρωμένων γραμμάτων σου ὁμιλία. Ὥστε, ὅταν λάβωμεν εἰς χεῖρας τὴν ἐπιστολήν σου, πρῶτον μὲν τὸ μέτρον αὐτῆς ἐπισκοποῦμεν καὶ τοσοῦτον αὐτὴν ἀγαπῶμεν ὅσῳπερ ἂν περισσεύῃ τῷ πλήθει. Ἔπειτα διεξιόντες, τῷ μὲν ἀεὶ προστυγχάνοντι τοῦ λόγου χαίρομεν, τῷ τέλει δὲ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς προσεγγίζοντες δυσχεραίνομεν. Οὕτω πᾶν ὅτιπερ ἂν εἴπῃς τοῖς γράμμα σιν ἔνεστιν ἀγαθόν. Ἀπὸ γὰρ ἀγαθῆς καρδίας ἀγαθόν ἐστι τὸ περισσεῦον. Εἰ δὲ καταξιωθείημεν ταῖς σαῖς προσ ευχαῖς, ἕως ἐσμὲν ἐπὶ γῆς, καὶ τῆς κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς συντυχίας καὶ παρ' αὐτῆς τῆς ζώσης φωνῆς λαβεῖν ὠφέ λιμα διδάγματα, ἢ ἐφόδια πρός τε τὸν ἐνεστῶτα αἰῶνα καὶ τὸν μέλλοντα, τοῦτο ἂν μέγιστον τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκρίναμεν καὶ προοίμιον τῆς παρὰ Θεοῦ εὐμενείας ἑαυτοῖς ἐτιθέ μεθα. Καὶ ἤδη γε τῆς ὁρμῆς εἰχόμεθα ταύτης, εἰ μὴ γνησιώτατοι καὶ τὰ πάντα φιλάδελφοι ἐπέσχον ἡμᾶς, ὧν ἵνα μὴ γράμματι δημοσιεύσω τὴν προαίρεσιν, διηγησάμην τῷ ἀδελφῷ Θεοφράστῳ τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον ἀπαγγεῖλαι τῇ σῇ τελειότητι.

58.τ ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΩ Α∆ΕΛΦΩ

58.1 Πῶς ἄν σοι διὰ γραμμάτων μαχεσθείην; Πῶς δ' ἂν ἀξίως σου

καθαψαίμην τῆς περὶ πάντα χρηστότητος; Τρίτον τίς, εἰπέ μοι, τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπίπτει δικτύοις; Τρίτον τίς τῇ αὐτῇ περιπίπτει πάγῃ; Οὐδ' ἂν τῶν ἀλόγων τι τοῦτο ῥᾳδίως πάθοι. Μίαν μοι συμπλέξας ἐπιστολὴν ἐκό μισας, ὡς παρὰ τοῦ αἰδεσιμωτάτου