625continually seeking from you. That this is difficult, both because of the season of the year and because of the difficulty of the journey, with few travelers appearing who might perform this service for you, we are not unaware; nevertheless, we beseech you, as far as it is possible and as far as such difficulty permits, to write frequently, and from your love we ask for this favor. And to my lord, the most reverend presbyter Romanus, just as you ordered, we have sent, and for this, too, we are very grateful to you. For this also is a sign of those who love us greatly and cherish us with excess, that they should attempt, even through letters, to reach such men, and to take great care to unite us more closely. Having received, therefore, our letter to him, we ask that you also deign to give it, and to greet him again for us, even apart from the letter. For we have been his most fervent lovers from above and from the beginning, as you know; and let him learn through your own lips that we remain keeping the same love, granting ourselves the greatest gifts; and that we have not caused the silence between us through negligence, but by waiting to receive letters from his reverence. Since he asked that we write first, behold, we do this, and we beseech him also to do this continually for us.
XXIV. To Hesychius.
You yourself deserve to obtain pardon for not having appeared, by putting forward your infirmity. But I crown and proclaim you for the intention from which you also appeared, and you have nothing less among us, in the calculation of love, than those who have come. God is able both to relieve you of the infirmity that possesses you and to restore you to pure health, so that we may also enjoy face-to-face communion with you. For we greatly desire to see and embrace you, and to kiss the head so dear to us. Until, however, both this illness of yours and the season of the year hinder your nobility, we shall not cease writing frequently to your honor, and procuring for ourselves the pleasure that comes from this.XXV. To Elpidius the Bishop.
We indeed wished to write frequently to your reverence, and you yourself know this, most honorable lord; but since the fact that no one is continually visiting us deprives us of this (for the wilderness of this place, and the fear of brigands which intensifies it, and finally the season of the year walling off the roads, makes Cucusus impassable to all), yet whenever we chance upon letter-carriers, we fulfill our desire, granting ourselves the greatest gifts. This is what we have done now through my lords, the most honorable presbyters, both by rendering the duty of greeting due to your godliness, and by beseeching you, whenever it is possible, to write back to us, and to inform us of your health. For you are not unaware, my most honorable and reverend lord, how we always study to learn about this. For even if we have been exiled to the very extremities of the inhabited world, yet we cannot forget your genuine and warm, sincere and guileless love; but wherever we go, we carry it with us as we depart, harvesting the greatest consolation from it.XXVI. To Magnus the Bishop.
Even if you yourself have not written to us, although my lords the presbyters have arrived, yet we, mindful of your friendship from above, and admiring the gentleness of your character and the courage of your soul, and knowing also the strong affection that you have always shown toward us, have been the first to leap to writing to your harmony, and we confess our gratitude for the disposition that is shown toward us; for this has not escaped us, even though we sit at such a great distance. We beseech you, therefore, whenever it is possible, to write to us continually, and to bring us the good news regarding your health. For when we hear that our fervent and noble lovers are thus aroused, sober, and vigilant regarding the care of the Churches, and live in health, we harvest much consolation from this as well. Knowing these things, therefore, my most honorable and reverend lord, do not delay in continually informing us of these things. For thus, even if we were carried off to the very extremities of the inhabited world, we shall harvest much consolation, continually enjoying this comfort.XXVII. To Domnus the Bishop.
I have many thanks for your reverence, most honorable lord, both for sending the most honorable presbyter to visit us, and for writing. For both are signs of genuine love and a warm disposition. For this reason, even while dwelling in the wilderness, we harvest much—