Letter CCCXLI.

 Libanius to Basil.

You have not yet ceased to be offended with me, and so I tremble as I write.  If you have cared, why, my dear sir, do you not write?  If you are still offended, a thing alien from any reasonable soul and from your own, why, while you are preaching to others, that they must not keep their anger till sundown,1540    cf. Eph. iv. 27, and the passage quoted by Alford from Plut., De Am. Frat. 488 B., to the effect that the Pythagoreans, whenever anger had caused unkindly words, shook hands before sundown, and were reconciled. have you kept yours during many suns?  Peradventure you have meant to punish me by depriving me of the sound of your sweet voice?  Nay; excellent sir, be gentle, and let me enjoy your golden tongue.

ΛΙΒΑΝΙΟΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙῼ

[1] Οὔπω μοι τῆς λύπης ὑφῆκας, ὥστε με μεταξὺ γράφοντα τρέμειν. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ὑφῆκας, τί οὐκ ἐπιστέλλεις, ὦ ἄριστε; Εἰ δὲ κατέχεις ἔτι, ὃ πάσης λογίας ψυχῆς καὶ τῆς σῆς ἀλλότριον, ὁ κηρύττων μέχρι δυσμῶν ἡλίου μὴ χρῆναι φυλάττειν λύπην ἐν πολλοῖς ἡλίοις ἐφύλαξας. Ἢ τάχα τιμωρεῖσθαί με βούλει τῆς μελιχρᾶς σου φωνῆς ἀποστερῶν; Μὴ σύ γε, ὦ γενναῖε, ἀλλὰ γενοῦ πρᾶος καὶ δὸς ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς παγχρύσου σου γλώττης.