Letter CXXVII.684    Placed in 373.

To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata.685    On Basil’s difficulties while at Nicopolis, with a request for the sympathy of Eusebius.

Our merciful God, Who makes comfort match trouble, and consoles the lowly, lest they be drowned unawares in exceeding grief, has sent a consolation, equivalent to the troubles I have suffered in Nicopolis, in seasonably bringing me the God-beloved bishop Jobinus.  He must tell you himself how very opportune his visit was.  I shrink from a long letter, and will hold my peace.  And I am the more inclined to silence, lest I seem as it were to put a mark on men, who have turned round and begun to show regard to me, by mentioning their fall.

God grant that you may come to see me in my own home, so that I may embrace your reverence and tell you everything in detail.  For we often find some comfort in telling what is painful in actual experience.  However, for all that the very godly bishop has done, fully as far as regards his affection for me, and preeminently and stoutly as regards the exact observance of the canons, commend him.  Moreover, thank God that your pupils everywhere exhibit your reverence’s character.

ΕΥΣΕΒΙῼ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠῼ ΣΑΜΟΣΑΤΩΝ

[1] Ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς ὁ συμμέτρους ταῖς θλίψεσι τὰς παρακλήσεις συνάπτων καὶ παρακαλῶν τοὺς ταπεινούς, ἵνα μὴ λάθωσιν ὑπὸ τῆς περισσοτέρας λύπης καταποθέντες, ἴσην ταῖς ἐπιγενομέναις ἡμῖν κατὰ τὴν Νικόπολιν ταραχαῖς τὴν παραμυθίαν ἐπήγαγε τὸν θεοφιλέστατον ἐπίσκοπον Ἰουβῖνον ἐν καιρῷ ἐπιστήσας: ὃς ὅπως εὐκαίρως ἡμῖν ἐπεφάνη, αὐτὸς διηγησάσθω. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ φειδόμενοι τοῦ μήκους τῆς ἐπιστολῆς σιωπήσομεν καὶ ἵνα μὴ δόξωμεν τοὺς ἐκ μεταβολῆς ἀγαπητοὺς ἡμῖν γενομένους οἱονεὶ τῇ ὑπομνήσει τοῦ σφάλματος στηλιτεύειν. Ἀλλὰ παράσχοι ὁ ἅγιος Θεὸς ἐπιστῆναί σε τοῖς ἡμετέροις τόποις, ὥστε περιπτύξασθαι μὲν τὴν σὴν σεμνοπρέπειαν, διηγήσασθαι δὲ τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον. Πέφυκε γάρ πως τὰ κατὰ τὴν πεῖραν λυπήσαντα ψυχαγωγίαν ἔχειν ἐν διηγήμασι. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ὧν τελείως μὲν ὡς πρὸς τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀγάπην, προηγουμένως δὲ καὶ στιβαρῶς ὡς πρὸς τὴν τῶν κανόνων ἀκρίβειαν ὁ θεοφιλέστατος ἐπίσκοπος ἐκινήθη ἐπαίνεσον αὐτόν, καὶ εὐχαρίστησον τῷ Κυρίῳ ὅτι τὰ σὰ θρέμματα πανταχοῦ τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῆς σῆς σεμνότητος δείκνυσιν.