Letter CVII.633    Placed in 372.

To the Widow Julitta.634    On the pressure put upon her by the guardian of her heirs.

I was grieved to find on reading your ladyship’s letter that you are involved in the same difficulties.  What is to be done to men who show such a shifty character, saying now one thing now another and never abiding in the same pledges?  If, after the promises made in my presence, and in that of the ex-prefect, he now tries to shorten the time of grace as though nothing had been said, he does seem to have lost, as far as I am concerned, all sense of shame.  Nevertheless I wrote to him, rebuking him, and reminding him of his promises.  I wrote also to Helladius, who is of the household of the prefect, that information might be given through him about your affairs.  I hesitated myself to make so free with an officer of such importance, on account of my never having yet written to him about my own private affairs and my fearing some adverse decision from him, great men, as you know, being easily annoyed about such matters.  If, however, any good is to be done in the matter, it will be through Helladius, an excellent man, well disposed towards me, fearing God, and having perfectly free access to the prefect.  The Holy One is able to deliver you from all affliction, if only truly and sincerely we fix all our hope on Him.

ΙΟΥΛΙΤΤῌ ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡᾼ

[1] Πάνυ ἠθύμησα τοῖς γράμμασιν ἐντυχὼν τῆς εὐγενείας σου, ὅτι σε πάλιν αἱ αὐταὶ περιέχουσιν ἀνάγκαι. Καὶ τί δεῖ ποιεῖν πρὸς ἀνθρώπους οὕτω παλίμβουλον ἐπιδεικνυμένους τὸ ἦθος καὶ ἄλλοτε ἄλλα λέγοντας καὶ ταῖς ἰδίαις ὁμολογίαις μὴ ἐμμένοντας; Εἰ γὰρ μετὰ τὰς ἐπ' ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἀπὸ ὑπάρχων ὑποσχέσεις, νῦν, ὡς μηδενὸς εἰρημένου, οὕτω στενοχωρεῖ τὴν προθεσμίαν, ἔοικε παντελῶς ἀπηρυθριακέναι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁ ἀνήρ. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐπέστειλα αὐτῷ ἐντρέπων αὐτὸν καὶ ὑπομιμνήσκων τῶν αὐτοῦ ὑποσχέσεων. Ἐπέστειλα δὲ καὶ Ἑλλαδίῳ τῷ οἰκείῳ τοῦ ἐπάρχου, ἵνα δι' αὐτοῦ διδαχθῇ τὰ κατὰ σὲ ὁ ἔπαρχος. Αὐτὸς γὰρ μέχρι τοσούτου θαρρῆσαι δικαστῇ τοσούτῳ οὐκ ἐνόμισα ἐπιβάλλον εἶναί μοι, διὰ τὸ μηδέ πω περὶ ἰδιωτικοῦ πράγματος αὐτῷ ἐπεσταλκέναι καὶ ὑφορᾶσθαι κατάγνωσίν τινα, ὡς οἶδας, εὐκόλως τῶν μεγάλων ἀνδρῶν ἀγριαινόντων πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα. Εἰ μέντοι τι ἔσται ὄφελος, ἔσται τοῦτο διὰ Ἑλλαδίου ἀνθρώπου καὶ χρηστοῦ καὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς διακειμένου καὶ Θεὸν φοβουμένου καὶ παρρησίαν ἀμύθητον ἔχοντος πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα. Δυνατὸς δὲ ὁ Ἅγιος διαγαγεῖν σε πάσης θλίψεως, μόνον ἐὰν ἀληθινῇ καὶ γνησίᾳ καρδίᾳ ἐπελπίσωμεν ἐπ' αὐτόν.