to glory in such a name, and not only to glory, but also to have compassion on those who hate you, and to desire that they might acquire a better mind and become upright, whose prudence is this, and whose philosophy? And on this account, most admirable and magnificent Lord, we heap praises upon you and look up to you; for this reason, I say, we also greatly exult, glorying in your friendship as if in a splendid crown. B Since, however, you also request prayers from us by letter, I would have you know that we did not cease even before these letters to offer up prayers that so great and philosophical a soul might be initiated into the holy rites and be gifted with those holy and tremendous mysteries. And if it is permitted us to receive such joyous news, we shall have been liberated from this exile, and we shall put aside the memory of our solitude, and we shall consider ourselves released from the bodily infirmity with which we currently struggle. C Nor indeed is it any doubt to us, O admirable man, that you strive and desire to attain these secret goods by our mediation. Which also, as you yourself know, is for us a matter of zeal and desire. But if some delay should occur on our part, take care that this delay does not reach the thing itself. For generally, even if we were absent, most friendly men would not be lacking to you, who would be able to lead you to these initiations of the mysteries. D But if that should happen, we shall be affected with the same pleasure with which we would be affected if we had supplied the service ourselves to the administration of this heavenly benefit, since the grace is also the same.
CXXXIII. To Adolia.
What are you saying? Are you lamenting treachery again, and do you ask that you are affected by grievous calamities? But what, I pray you, stands in the way of your betaking yourself to a tranquil harbor and being freed from all these waves? Did I not always sing these things to you, and yet you never thought fit to obey me? Nay, rather, you yourself bring upon yourself six hundred evils from the mire of such dealings, falling perpetually into the filth, and inflicting upon us, while you suffer these things, frequent and constant sorrow. A Do you think that I am affected with light sorrow when I have heard what you wrote to me, namely that you have been betrayed by kinsmen, or rather by strangers (for I shall use your own words), and have endured grievous tragedies? How long will you sit by the smoke and trouble the clear eye of your soul? Will you never vindicate yourself from this most bitter servitude into liberty? But what prevented you from coming hither, and from our taking counsel together concerning these things? For you write that you would never have grasped any sense of these things if that had happened. I am held in great admiration and astonishment, and I find no other cause for your long absence from us than negligence and laziness. B For we are separated by a small interval of journey, and the time of year is most suitable for traveling, as it is neither troublesome by cold nor by heat. But perhaps again, she who is the parent of all evils for you, that is the care of the things of this life, she now also brings you an impediment. As for me, if you come, I am going to have great gratitude; if you do not come, I shall not for that reason accuse you or take it ill; but that charity which I have always shown you, I retain whole and flourishing. But I endure that with an unequal and bitter soul, when I hear that you are held entangled by innumerable dealings, and are carrying about six hundred burdens of the cares of this life. C And were it not that the necessity of exile held me as if bound in shackles, I would not cause you trouble, but even if I were laboring under still heavier bodily infirmity than that with which I now am, I myself surely would have run to you, nor would I have stopped doing and contriving anything before I had extracted you from this tempest and from the mire and filth of innumerable evils. But since that is by no means allowed, I would surely desire that you come hither and refer these matters to us. D But if not even that is easy, but difficult, I shall not cease to warn and exhort you by letter that you cut the ropes and bonds, and break asunder the shackles of the soul, and walk with great ease and freedom. For by this way you will not only attain the joy of this life, but you will also receive heaven with easy effort. Therefore, put in effort so that those things which, some time later, when you must migrate from here, you are going to leave unwillingly, you may send on ahead of your own accord into the treasuries, free and immune from all injury of robbers, and through them store up for yourself immortal and never-fading crowns.
CXXXIV. To Diogenes.
I would have purchased at a great price, my most admirable lord, that it were permitted me to see your sweetness, and this you yourself know even before our letters, since my love toward you is manifest to you as well. A Since, however, that is by no means allowed (for a long journey is interjected between us, nor is it in our power to betake ourselves whither we desire, and finally the fear of the Isaurian incursions increases daily), I ask of you that, because it is the greatest solace for us both of this solitude and of all our distresses and calamities, I may receive letters from you as often as possible, by which I may be made more certain of your health and that of your whole house; I would desire that, if the opportunity be given, you grant this to us as often as possible. B Nor is it easy for us to obtain this abundantly, because it is not easy for anyone to come to us from there. Moreover, even if what we ask is arduous, nevertheless, as far as it can be done, I would wish you to put in effort that you send frequent letters to us, which might set forth to us the state of your health. C But in order that you may be able to intelligence what we ourselves are doing, we enjoy leisure and great quiet, with great tranquility and moderate bodily health; this one thing troubles our soul, that we are separated from you, by whom we are loved. But your prudence, by the reason which we have spoken of, can apply a solace to this evil also. Wherefore grant us this favor, I pray, by which, although so far from you occupied