Letter CCCXLII.

Basil to Libanius.

All who are attached to the rose, as might be expected in the case of lovers of the beautiful, are not displeased even at the thorns from out of which the flower blows.  I have even heard it said about roses by some one, perhaps in jest, or, it may be, even in earnest, that nature has furnished the bloom with those delicate thorns, like stings of love to lovers, to excite those who pluck them to intenser longing by these ingeniously adapted pricks.1541    ms. vary between ἐνπλήκτοις, ἐνπλέκτοις, ἀπλήκτοις, ἀπράκτοις.  But what do I mean by this introduction of the rose into my letter?  You do not need telling, when you remember your own letter.  It had indeed the bloom of the rose, and, by its fair speech, opened out all spring to me; but it was bethorned with certain fault findings and charges against me.  But even the thorn of your words is delightful to me, for it enkindles in me a greater longing for your friendship.

ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΣ ΛΙΒΑΝΙῼ

[1] Οἱ πρὸς τὸ ῥόδον ἔχοντες, ὡς τοὺς φιλοκάλους εἰκός, οὐδὲ τὰς ἀκάνθας ὧν τὸ ἄνθος ἐκφύεται δυσχεραίνουσι. Καί τινος ἤκουσα τοιοῦτόν τι περὶ αὐτῶν παίζοντος ἢ τάχα που καὶ σπουδάζοντος, ὅτι καθάπερ κνίσματα τοῖς ἐρασταῖς τοῦ ἄνθους ἡ φύσις τὰς λεπτὰς ἐκείνας ἀκάνθας προσέφυσε. Τί μοι δὴ βούλεται τοῖς γράμμασι τὸ ῥόδον ἐπεισαγόμενον; Πάντως οὐδέν σε χρὴ διδαχθῆναι τῆς ἐπιστολῆς μεμνημένον τῆς σῆς ἣ τὸ μὲν ἄνθος ἡμῖν ἔφερε τοῦ ῥόδου, τῆς εὐγλωττίας τὸ ἔαρ, μέμψεσι δέ τισι καὶ ἐγκλήμασι καθ' ἡμῶν ἐξηκάνθωτο. Ἀλλ' ἐμοὶ τῶν σῶν ῥόδων καθ' ἡδονήν ἐστι καὶ ἡ ἄκανθα εἰς μείζονα πόθον τῆς φιλίας ἐκκαίουσα.