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315. UNTITLED, ON BEHALF OF A KINSMAN 315.1 Being fully persuaded that I shall in no way fail in the things for which I might justly entreat your Honor, I have come eagerly to give this letter to this most modest woman who presides over orphans and inhabits a house more troublesome than some many-headed hydra. In addition to all these things, we happen also to be related to one another by birth. Therefore I entreat your Nobility, both honoring us and preserving the due honor for the grandfather of the orphans, to provide some assistance, so as to make their property bearable for them for the future.

316. UNTITLED, ON BEHALF OF ONE IN DISTRESS

316.1 Being fully persuaded that those who come to your goodness have no need of letters, because you do more out of the nobility of your character than anyone could urge you toward the good by entreaty, nevertheless because of my extraordinary concern for this son, I was led to write to your pure and guileless soul, recommending the man to you and asking that, in whatever ways possible, you provide him with assistance in his present affairs according to your ability. And I know for certain that he will need no other patron, if you deem it worthy to use all the power which the Lord has given you for his protection.

317. UNTITLED, ON BEHALF OF ONE IN NEED

317.1 The scarcity of replies from your area makes our letters to your Honor scarce. For we take it as a sign that our letter is a burden to your Honor that we do not receive replies to what we write from time to time. But again, the thought of the multitude of your affairs shifts us to another way of thinking, and we have forgiveness for one who has so much in hand and forgets us, whom it would not be easy to remember even if there were complete leisure and quiet, because of the lowliness of our life. May the Holy One, therefore, both lead you to greater distinction and preserve you in your present splendor by His own grace. But we respond to every pretext with letters, and not least the present one on account of this man, whom we commend to you and ask that he might receive some perception of the service of our letters.

318. UNTITLED, ON BEHALF OF A COUNTRYMAN

318.1 The very claim of a common fatherland recommends to you those who have come from our country, although by the goodness of your character you bring under your own care all who are in any way in need of some assistance. Receive, therefore, the one delivering this letter to your Decorum, this son, both as a countryman and as one in need of assistance and as one recommended to you by us, and from all these things let one result be his: to obtain the possible help from you in his present affairs. And it is clear that for good works the rewards come not from us insignificant ones, but from the Lord who repays good intentions.

319. UNTITLED, ON BEHALF OF A STRANGER

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315.τ ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΥΠΕΡ ΣΥΓΓΕΝΟΥΣ 315.1 Πάνυ πεπεισμένος μηδὲν διαμαρτήσεσθαι περὶ ὧν ἂν μετὰ τοῦ δικαίου

παρακαλέσω τὴν τιμιότητά σου, προθύμως ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὸ δοῦναι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τῇ κοσμιωτάτῃ τῇδε ὀρφανῶν προεστώσῃ καὶ οἰκίαν οἰκούσῃ ὕδρας τινὸς πολυ κεφάλου χαλεπωτέραν. Ἐπὶ πᾶσι δὲ τούτοις ὑπάρχει ἡμῖν τὸ καὶ οἰκείως ἔχειν ἀλλήλοις κατὰ γένος. ∆ιὸ παρακαλοῦ μέν σου τὴν εὐγένειαν καὶ ἡμᾶς τιμῶντα καὶ τῷ πάππῳ τῶν ὀρφανῶν τὴν ὀφειλομένην ἀποσώζοντα τιμὴν παρα σχέσθαι τινὰ βοήθειαν, ὥστε φορητὴν τοῦ λοιποῦ τὴν κτῆσιν αὐτοῖς καταστῆσαι.

316.τ ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΥΠΕΡ ΚΑΤΑΠΟΝΟΥΜΕΝΟΥ

316.1 Πάνυ πεπεισμένος μηδὲν δεῖσθαι γραμμάτων τοὺς πρὸς τὴν σὴν

χρηστότητα ἀφικομένους, διὰ τὸ πλεῖον ποιεῖν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ τρόπου καλοκἀγαθίας ἢ ὅσον ἄν τις παρακαλέσας προτρέψαιτό σε πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθόν, ὅμως διὰ τὸ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν φροντίζειν τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦδε ἐπιστεῖλαι τῇ καθαρᾷ σου καὶ ἀδόλῳ ψυχῇ προήχθην συνιστῶν σοι τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ παρακα λῶν, ἐν οἷς ἂν ᾖ δυνατόν, παρασχέσθαι αὐτῷ εἰς τὰ προ κείμενα τὴν κατὰ δύναμίν σοι ἐπικουρίαν. Ὅτι δὲ οὐδενὸς ἑτέρου δεηθήσεται προστάτου, σοῦ καταξιώσαντος πάσῃ δυνάμει ἣν ἔδωκέ σοι ὁ Κύριος χρήσασθαι εἰς τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ προστασίαν, ἀκριβῶς ἐπίσταμαι.

317.τ ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΥΠΕΡ ΕΝ∆ΕΟΥΣ

317.1 Σπανίας ἡμῖν τὰς πρὸς τὴν σὴν τιμιότητα κατασκευάζει ἐπιστολὰς τὸ

σπάνιον τῶν αὐτόθι ἀποκρίσεων. ∆εῖγμα γὰρ ποιούμεθα ὄχλον ἡμῶν τὸ γράμμα φέρειν τῇ τιμιότητί σου τὸ μὴ δέχεσθαι ἐφ' οἷς ἂν ἑκάστοτε γράφωμεν τὰς ἀποκρί σεις. Πάλιν δὲ εἰς ἑτέραν μεθίστησι διάνοιαν ἡ ἔννοια τοῦ πλήθους τῶν περὶ σὲ πραγμάτων καὶ συγγνώμην ἔχομεν τῷ τοσαῦτα διὰ χειρὸς ἔχοντι ἐπιλανθανομένῳ ἡμῶν, ὧν οὐδὲ εἰ πᾶσα ἦν σχολὴ καὶ ἡσυχία διὰ τὸ ταπεινὸν τοῦ βίου μεμνῆσθαι ῥᾴδιον. Σὲ μὲν οὖν ὁ Ἅγιος καὶ ἐπὶ μείζονα τῆς περιφανείας ἀγάγοι καὶ τῇ παρούσῃ λαμπρότητι συντηρήσοι τῇ ἑαυτοῦ χάριτι. Ἡμεῖς δὲ πᾶσαν πρόφασιν ἀμειβόμεθα γράμμασιν, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ τὴν παροῦσαν διὰ τόνδε ὃν καὶ παρακατατιθέμεθά σοι καὶ ἀξιοῦμεν λαβεῖν τινα αὐτὸν τῆς τῶν γραμμάτων ἡμῶν διακονίας αἴσθησιν.

318.τ ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΥΠΕΡ ΠΑΤΡΕΩΤΟΥ

318.1 Τοὺς ἐκ τῆς πατρίδος ἡμῶν ἀφικομένους συνίστησί σοι αὐτὸ τὸ τῆς

πατρίδος δίκαιον, εἰ καὶ ὅτι τῇ τοῦ τρόπου χρηστότητι πάντας ὑπὸ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἄγεις πρόνοιαν τοὺς ὁπωσοῦν δεομένους τινὸς ἀντιλήψεως. Καὶ τὸν ἐγχειρίζοντα τοίνυν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τῇ κοσμιότητί σου, τὸν υἱὸν τοῦδε δέξαι καὶ ὡς πατρεώτην καὶ ὡς δεόμενον ἀντιλήψεως καὶ ὡς παρ' ἡμῶν συνιστάμενόν σοι, καὶ ἐκ πάντων τούτων ἓν αὐτῷ ὑπαρξάτω, τυχεῖν τῆς ἐνδεχομένης παρὰ σοῦ βοηθείας εἰς τὰ προκείμενα. ∆ῆλον δὲ ὅτι ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἔργοις αἱ ἀνταποδόσεις οὐ παρ' ἡμῶν τῶν μικρῶν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου τοῦ τὰς ἀγαθὰς προαιρέσεις ἀμειβομένου.

319.τ ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΥΠΕΡ ΞΕΝΟΥ