Letter CCCLII.

Libanius to Basil.

Behold!  I have sent you my speech, all streaming with sweat as I am!  How should I be otherwise, when sending my speech to one who by his skill in oratory is able to shew that the wisdom of Plato and the ability of Demosthenes were belauded in vain?  I feel like a gnat compared with an elephant.  How I shiver and shake, as I reckon up the day when you will inspect my performance I am almost out of my wits!

ΛΙΒΑΝΙΟΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙῼ

[1] Ἰδοὺ πέπομφα τὸν λόγον ἱδρῶτι περιρρεόμενος. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἔμελλον ἀνδρὶ τοιούτῳ πέμπων τὸν λόγον, ὃς ἱκανός ἐστι τὴν Πλάτωνος σοφίαν καὶ Δημοσθένους δεινότητα τῇ περὶ τοὺς λόγους εὐμαθείᾳ δεῖξαι θρυλουμένας μάτην; Τὸ δὲ ἐμὸν τοιοῦτον οἷον κώνωψ ἐλέφαντι παραβαλλόμενος. Ὅθεν πέφρικα καὶ τρέμω τὴν ἡμέραν λογιζόμενος καθ' ἣν ἐπισκέψῃ τοὺς λόγους: μικροῦ δὲ καὶ τῶν φρενῶν ἐκπέπτωκα.