Letter CLXXI.831    Placed with the preceding.

To Gregory.

I wrote to you, not long ago, about Glycerius and the virgins.  Even now they have not returned, but are still hesitating, how and why I know not.  I should be sorry to charge this against you, as though you were acting thus to bring discredit on me, either because you have some ground of complaint against me, or to gratify others.  Let them then come, fearing nothing.  Do you be surety for their doing this.  For it pains me to have my members cut off, although they have been rightly cut off.  If they hold out the burden will rest on others.  I wash my hands of it.

ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙῼ ΕΤΑΙΡῼ

[1] Ἐπέσταλκά σοι καὶ πρῴην περὶ Γλυκερίου καὶ τῶν παρθένων. Οἱ δὲ οὐδέπω καὶ τήμερον ἐπανήκασιν, ἀλλ' ἔτι μέλλουσιν, οὐκ οἶδα ὅθεν καὶ ὅπως. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐκεῖνό σου καταγνοίην ὡς ἐφ' ἡμετέρᾳ διαβολῇ τοῦτο ποιεῖς ἢ αὐτὸς πάσχων τι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἢ ἄλλοις χαριζόμενος. Ἡκέτωσαν οὖν μηδὲν δεδοικότες: σὺ γενοῦ τούτου ἐγγυητής. Καὶ γὰρ ἀλγοῦμεν τεμνομένων τῶν μελῶν, εἰ καὶ καλῶς ἐτμήθησαν. Εἰ δὲ ἀντιτείνοιεν, ἐπ' ἄλλους τὸ βάρος, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀποπλυνόμεθα.