Letter 52: Chrysostom rejoices that Adolia recovered from a grave illness and presses her to write directly.

We have learned that you were ill, terribly ill, and that you came to the very gates of death. We have also learned that you recovered from the illness, have now escaped the danger, and are on the road to health. But I learned none of this from your letters, and that caused me great pain. I heard it from another source and from other people. Still, it is enough comfort for us that your piety has been delivered from the illness. Yet because this is enough comfort, do not think we can bear your long silence calmly. We wanted, as you yourself know, to see you come here. If illness had not intervened, nothing would have prevented it: the winter here has so far imitated the gentlest spring, and Armenia has been freed from the Isaurians. Even so, we do not compel you, and we do not force you against your will to be present here. But one thing is not prevented by fear of the Isaurians, severity of winter, weariness of the road, or anything else: letters from your warm and genuine disposition. If we continually enjoy letters reporting your health and cheerfulness, we shall receive no ordinary comfort from them. Think what a favor you will grant us, and do not hesitate to do this. You know how tightly we hold to your nobility and how much love we have always shown for your grace.

ΝΒʹ. Ἀδολίᾳ. Ὅτι μὲν ἠῤῥώστησας, ἔγνωμεν, καὶ ὅτι χαλεπῶς ἠῤῥώστησας, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰς ἦλθες τοῦ θανάτου τὰς πύλας· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅτι ἀνήνεγκας ἐκ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας, καὶ τοῦ κινδύνου λοιπὸν ἀπαλλαγεῖσα πρὸς ὑγείαν ὁδεύεις. Ἀλλ' οὐ παρὰ τῶν σῶν γραμμάτων ἔμαθόν τι τούτων, διὸ καὶ σφόδρα ἤλγησα· ἀλλ' ἑτέρωθεν, καὶ παρ' ἑτέρων. Πλὴν ἀρκεῖ εἰς παραμυθίαν ἡμῖν τὸ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἀπηλλάχθαι σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν. Οὐ μὴν, ἐπειδὴ ἀρκεῖ, πράως φέρομεν τὴν μακράν σου ταύτην σιγήν. Ἐβουλόμεθα γὰρ, καθάπερ καὶ αὐτὴ οἶσθα, καὶ παραγενομένην ἐνταῦθα ἰδεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ μὴ ἀῤῥωστία παρενέπεσε, τὸ κωλύον οὐδὲν ἦν. Ὅ τε γὰρ χειμὼν ὁ ἐνταῦθα ἔαρ ἡμερώτατον τέως μιμεῖται, τῶν τε Ἰσαύρων ἡ Ἀρμενία ἀπήλλακται. Ἀλλ'ὅμως οὐδὲν ἀναγκάζομεν, οὐδὲ βιαζόμεθα μὴ βουλομένην ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐνταῦθα παρουσίας. Ἀλλ' ὅπερ οὔτε Ἰσαύρων φόβος, οὔτε χειμῶνος σφοδρότης, οὔτε ὁδοῦ ταλαιπωρία, οὔτ' ἄλλο οὐδὲν κωλύει, τοῦτο αἰτοῦμεν συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ὑπάρχειν τὰ γράμματα, τὰ τῆς θερμῆς σου καὶ γνησίας διαθέσεως. Ἢν γὰρ τούτων ἀπολαύωμεν συνεχῶς, ἀπαγγελλόντων ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας καὶ εὐθυμίας τῆς σῆς, οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν καρπωσόμεθα παραμυθίαν. Ἐννοοῦσα τοίνυν ἡλίκην ἡμῖν χαριῇ χάριν, μὴ κατόκνει τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως ἀντεχόμεθά σου τῆς εὐγενείας, καὶ ὅσην ἀεὶ περὶ τὴν σὴν ἐμμέλειαν ἐπεδειξάμεθα τὴν ἀγάπην.