Letter CLXIII.810    Placed in 374.

To Count Jovinus.

One can see your soul in your letter, for in reality no painter can so exactly catch an outward likeness, as uttered thoughts can image the secrets of the soul.  As I read your letter, your words exactly characterized your steadfastness, your real dignity, your unfailing sincerity; in all those things it comforted me greatly though I could not see you.  Never fail, then, to seize every opportunity of writing to me, and to give me the pleasure of conversing with you at a distance; for to see you face to face I am now forbidden by the distressing state of my health.  How serious this is you will learn from the God-beloved bishop Amphilochius, who is both able to report to you from his having been constantly with me, and fully competent to tell you what he has seen.  But the only reason why I wish you to know of my sufferings is, that you will forgive me for the future, and acquit me of lack of energy, if I fail to come and see you, though in truth my loss does not so much need defence from me as comfort from you.  Had it been possible for me to come to you, I should have very much preferred a sight of your excellency to all the ends that other men count worth an effort.

ΙΟΒΙΝῼ ΚΟΜΗΤΙ

[1] Εἶδόν σου τὴν ψυχὴν ἐν τοῖς γράμμασι. Καὶ γὰρ τῷ ὄντι οὐδὲ εἷς γραφεὺς χαρακτῆρα σώματος οὕτως ἀκριβῶς ἐκλαβεῖν ὡς λόγος ἐξεικονίσαι τῆς ψυχῆς τὰ ἀπόρρητα δύναται. Τότε γὰρ τὸ τοῦ ἤθους εὐσταθὲς καὶ τὸ τῆς τιμῆς ἀληθὲς καὶ τὸ τῆς γνώμης ἐν πᾶσιν καίριον ἱκανῶς ἡμῖν ὁ ἐν τοῖς γράμμασι λόγος ἐχαρακτήρισεν: ὅθεν καὶ μεγάλην ἡμῖν παραμυθίαν τῆς ἀπολείψεώς σου παρέσχετο. Μὴ τοίνυν διαλείπῃς τῇ ἀεὶ παραπιπτούσῃ προφάσει χρώμενος πρὸς τὸ ἐπιστέλλειν καὶ τὴν διὰ μακροῦ ταύτην ὁμιλίαν χαρίζεσθαι, ἐπειδὴ τῆς κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς ὁμιλίας ἀπόγνωσιν ἡμῖν λοιπὸν ἡ ἀσθένεια τοῦ σώματος ἐμποιεῖ. Ἣν ὁπόση ἐστὶν ἐρεῖ σοι ὁ θεοφιλέστατος ἐπίσκοπος Ἀμφιλόχιος, ὁ καὶ γνωρίσας τῷ ἐπὶ πλεῖον συγγεγενῆσθαι ἡμῖν καὶ δυνατὸς ὢν λόγῳ παραστῆσαι τὰ θεαθέντα. Γνωρίζεσθαι δὲ βούλομαι τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ δυσχερῆ, οὐκ ἄλλου τινὸς ἕνεκεν ἢ τῆς πρὸς τὸ ἐφεξῆς συγγνώμης, ὡς μὴ ῥᾳθυμίας ἔχειν κατάγνωσιν, ἐὰν ἄρα ἐλλείπωμεν τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν ὑμῶν. Καίτοιγε οὐκ ἀπολογίας μᾶλλον ἢ παραμυθίας δεῖ πρὸς τὴν ζημίαν ταύτην. Εἰ γὰρ ἦν δυνατὸν συνεῖναί σου τῇ σεμνότητι, πολλῷ ἂν ἐγὼ τῶν παρ' ἄλλοις σπουδαζομένων ταύτην ἐμαυτῷ προτιμοτέραν ἐθέμην.