Letter 118: You owe me a good turn. For I lent you a kindness, which I ought to get back with interest;— a kind of interest, this, which our Lord does not refuse. Pay me, then, my friend, by paying me a visit.
You owe me one. I did you a kindness, and I expect it back — with interest. And this is the kind of interest even our Lord approves of. So pay me back, my friend: come visit me. That's the principal. As for the interest? The fact that it's *you* making the trip — a man so much my superior, as a father is to a child.
Human translation — New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)
Latin / Greek Original
[Πρός: Ἰοβίνῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Πέρρης]
Ἔχω σε χρεώστην ὀφλήματος ἀγαθοῦ. ἐδάνεισα γάρ σοι χρέος ἀγάπης, ὃ χρή με ἀπολαβεῖν σὺν τόκῳ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν τὸ τοιοῦτον εἶδος τῶν τόκων οὐ παραιτεῖται. ἀπόδος τοίνυν, ὦ φίλη κεφαλή, ἐπιστὰς ἡμῶν τῇ πατρίδι. τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ἐστὶν αὐτὸ τὸ κεφάλαιον. τίς δὲ ἡ προσθήκη; τὸ σὲ εἶναι τὸν παραγινόμενον, ἄνδρα τοσοῦτον ἡμῶν διαφέροντα ὅσῳ πατέρες εἰσὶ βελτίους παίδων.
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