Letter 193: I am not able to flee from the discomforts of winter so well as cranes are, although for foreseeing the future I am quite as clever as a crane. But as to liberty of life the birds are almost as far ahead of me as they are in the being able to fly. In the first place I have been detained by certain worldly business; then I have been so wasted by ...
Basil of Caesarea→Meletius, of Antioch|c. 368 AD|basil caesarea
illnessimperial politics
Travel & mobility
From: Basil, Bishop of Caesarea
To: Meletius, physician
Date: ~368 AD
Context: A wonderfully self-deprecating letter from Basil about his miserable winter health -- fever, quartan ague, and a body "thinner than a cobweb."
I cannot escape the discomforts of winter as well as cranes can, though when it comes to foreseeing trouble I am quite as shrewd as any crane. But in freedom of life the birds are almost as far ahead of me as they are in their ability to fly.
First, I have been detained by various worldly business. Then I have been so wasted by constant, violent attacks of fever that there now seems to be something thinner even than I was -- and I was thin before. On top of all that, bouts of quartan ague [a malarial fever recurring every four days] have continued for more than twenty cycles. I do seem to be free of fever at the moment, but I am in such a feeble state that I am no stronger than a cobweb. The shortest journey is too far for me, and every gust of wind is more dangerous to me than a great wave is to sailors at sea.
I have no choice but to hide in my hut and wait for spring -- if I can last that long and am not carried off first by the internal illness that never leaves me. If the Lord saves me with his mighty hand, I will gladly make my way to your remote corner of the world and gladly embrace a friend so dear. Only pray that my life may be ordered in whatever way is best for my soul.
ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA
To Meletius the Physician.
I am not able to flee from the discomforts of winter so well as cranes are, although for foreseeing the future I am quite as clever as a crane. But as to liberty of life the birds are almost as far ahead of me as they are in the being able to fly. In the first place I have been detained by certain worldly business; then I have been so wasted by constant and violent attacks of fever that there does seem something thinner even than I was — I am thinner than ever. Besides all this, bouts of quartan ague have gone on for more than twenty turns. Now I do seem to be free from fever, but I am in such a feeble state that I am no stronger than a cobweb. Hence the shortest journey is too far for me, and every breath of wind is more dangerous to me than big waves to those at sea. I have no alternative but to hide in my hut and wait for spring, if only I can last out so long, and am not carried off beforehand by the internal malady of which I am never rid. If the Lord saves me with His mighty hand, I shall gladly betake myself to your remote region, and gladly embrace a friend so dear. Only pray that my life may be ordered as may be best for my soul's good.
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Source. Translated by Blomfield Jackson. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 8. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3202193.htm>.
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From:Basil, Bishop of Caesarea
To:Meletius, physician
Date:~368 AD
Context:A wonderfully self-deprecating letter from Basil about his miserable winter health -- fever, quartan ague, and a body "thinner than a cobweb."
I cannot escape the discomforts of winter as well as cranes can, though when it comes to foreseeing trouble I am quite as shrewd as any crane. But in freedom of life the birds are almost as far ahead of me as they are in their ability to fly.
First, I have been detained by various worldly business. Then I have been so wasted by constant, violent attacks of fever that there now seems to be something thinner even than I was -- and I was thin before. On top of all that, bouts of quartan ague [a malarial fever recurring every four days] have continued for more than twenty cycles. I do seem to be free of fever at the moment, but I am in such a feeble state that I am no stronger than a cobweb. The shortest journey is too far for me, and every gust of wind is more dangerous to me than a great wave is to sailors at sea.
I have no choice but to hide in my hut and wait for spring -- if I can last that long and am not carried off first by the internal illness that never leaves me. If the Lord saves me with his mighty hand, I will gladly make my way to your remote corner of the world and gladly embrace a friend so dear. Only pray that my life may be ordered in whatever way is best for my soul.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.