Letter LX.485    Of the same time as the preceding.

To Gregory his uncle.

Formerly I was glad to see my brother.  Why not, since he is my brother and such a brother?  Now I have received him on his coming to visit me with the same feelings, and have lost none of my affection.  God forbid that I should ever so feel as to forget the ties of nature and be at war with those who are near and dear to me.  I have found his presence a comfort in my bodily sickness and the other troubles of my soul, and I have been especially delighted at the letter which he has brought me from your excellency.  For a long time I have been hoping that it would come, for this only reason, that I need not add to my life any doleful episode of quarrel between kith and kin, sure to give pleasure to foes and sorrow to friends, and to be displeasing to God, Who has laid down perfect love as the distinctive characteristic of His disciples.  So I reply, as I am indeed bound, with an earnest request for your prayers for me, and your care for me in all things, as your relative.  Since I, from want of information, cannot clearly understand the meaning of what is going on, I have judged it right to accept the truth of the account which you are so good as to give me.  It is for you of your wisdom to settle the rest, our meeting with one another, the fitting time and a convenient place.  If your reverence really does not disdain to come down to my lowliness and to have speech with me, whether you wish the interview to take place in the presence of others or in private, I shall make no objection, for I have once for all made up my mind to submit to you in love, and to carry out, without exception, what your reverence enjoins on me for the glory of God.

I have not laid my reverend brother under the necessity of reporting anything to you by word of mouth, because on the former occasion what he said was not borne out by facts.

ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙῼ ΘΕΙῼ

[1] Καὶ πρότερον ἡδέως εἶδον τὸν ἀδελφόν μου (τί γὰρ οὐκ ἔμελλον, ἀδελφόν τε ὄντα ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ τοιοῦτον;), καὶ νῦν δὲ τῇ αὐτῇ διαθέσει προσεδεξάμην ἐπιδημήσαντα, μηδέν τι τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ στοργῆς παρατρέψας. Μηδὲ γὰρ γένοιτό τι τοιοῦτο μηδὲν ὅ με τῆς φύσεως ἐπιλαθέσθαι καὶ ἐκπολεμωθῆναι πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους ποιήσει. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν τοῦ σώματος ἀρρωστημάτων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀλγεινῶν τῆς ψυχῆς παραμυθίαν ἡγησάμην εἶναι τὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς παρουσίαν, τοῖς τε παρὰ τῆς τιμιότητός σου δι' αὐτοῦ κομισθεῖσι γράμμασιν ὑπερήσθην: διὸ καὶ ἐκ πολλοῦ ἐπεθύμουν ἐλθεῖν, οὐκ ἄλλου τινὸς ἕνεκεν ἢ τοῦ μὴ καὶ ἡμᾶς τι σκυθρωπὸν διήγημα τῷ βίῳ προσθεῖναι, ὡς ἄρα τις εἴη τοῖς οἰκειοτάτοις πρὸς ἀλλήλους διάστασις, ἡδονὴν μὲν ἐχθροῖς παρασκευάζουσα, φίλοις δὲ συμφοράν. ἀπαρέσκουσα δὲ Θεῷ, τῷ ἐν τῇ τελείᾳ ἀγάπῃ τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῶν ἑαυτοῦ μαθητῶν θεμένῳ. Διὸ καὶ ἀντιφθέγγομαι ἀναγκαίως εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν παρακαλῶν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα κήδεσθαι ὡς οἰκείων. Τὸν δὲ νοῦν τῶν γινομένων ἐπειδὴ αὐτοὶ ὑπὸ ἀμαθίας συνεῖναι οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἐκεῖνον ἐκρίναμεν ἀληθῆ εἶναι νομίζειν ὃν ἂν αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ἐξηγήσασθαι καταξιώσῃς. Ἀνάγκη δὲ καὶ τὰ λειπόμενα παρὰ τῆς σῆς μεγαλονοίας ὁρισθῆναι, τὴν συντυχίαν ἡμῶν τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους καὶ καιρὸν τὸν πρέποντα καὶ τόπον ἐπιτήδειον. Εἴπερ οὖν ὅλως ἀνέχεται καταβῆναι πρὸς τὴν ταπείνωσιν ἡμῶν ἡ σεμνότης σου καὶ λόγου τινὸς μεταδοῦναι ἡμῖν, εἴτε μετ' ἄλλων, εἴτε κατὰ σεαυτὸν βούλει γενέσθαι τὴν συντυχίαν, ὑπακουσόμεθα, τοῦτο ἅπαξ ἑαυτοῖς συμβουλεύσαντες, δουλεύειν σοι ἐν ἀγάπῃ καὶ ποιεῖν ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου τὰ εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ παρὰ τῆς εὐλαβείας σου ἡμῖν γραφόμενα. Τὸν δὲ αἰδεσιμώτατον ἀδελφὸν οὐδὲν ἠναγκάσαμεν ἀπὸ γλώττης εἰπεῖν ἡμῖν, διότι οὔτε πρότερον μεμαρτυρημένον εἶχε τὸν λόγον ὑπὸ τῶν ἔργων.