Letter 105: Your commands delighted me; your fear of imposing on me did not.

To Demetrius. (359/60) In the orders you laid upon me you gave me pleasure, but in your fear that you might be causing me trouble you grieved me; for you do not know what manner of man I am where your household is concerned. Thus, in seeking not to grieve me, you ended up having grieved me, and having begged off earlier when it was not the right moment, now you stand in need of a defense, since your begging-off has become a charge against you; for I, when you command, am ready to set my hand to the task, even if, as the saying goes, the water be flowing past. Indeed, even if you wish me to fly, I shall grow no wings, but I shall be distressed at being unable, and I shall blame the present age, because it does not show me to be another Daedalus. As for what is now to be done for you, by the very nature of the matter it is most easy; but the man is fond of delays. Still, all the same, one must not shrink from it.

To Demetrius. (359/60) By what you commanded of me, you gave me pleasure; but by fearing you might cause me trouble, you gave me pain — for you clearly do not know what sort of man I am when it comes to your household. In fleeing from causing me grief, you have landed yourself in having caused it, and by declining my help when it was not the right moment, you now find yourself needing an apology, since your very refusal has become a charge against you. For my part, at your command I am ready to put my hand to anything, even if, as the saying goes, the water is already flowing past. Indeed, if you wished me to fly, I would not sprout wings — but I would be vexed at the impossibility and would reproach the present age for not revealing in me a second Daedalus. As for what you now need done, the thing itself is, by its nature, perfectly easy; the man in question, however, is fond of delays. Still, one must not shrink from the attempt.

Δημητρίῳ. (359/60) Οἷς μὲν ἐπέταξας εὔφρανας, οἷς δὲ ἔδεισας μή μοι πα- ράσχοις ὄχλον ἐλύπησας· οὐ γὰρ εἰδότος, ὅστις ἐγὼ περὶ τὴν σὴν οἰκίαν. φεύγων οὖν τὸ μὴ λυπῆσαι κατέστης εἰς τὸ λελυπηκέναι, καὶ παραιτησάμενος οὐκ ἐν καιρῷ πρότερον νῦν χρῄζεις ἀπολογίας ἐγκλήματός σοι τῆς παραιτήσεως γενομένης, ὡς ἔγωγε σοῦ κελεύθντος ἕτοιμος ἐγχειρεῖν, κἂν ὕδωρ, φασί παραρρέῃ. καὶ γὰρ εἰ πέτεσθαί με ἐθέλεις, πτερὰ μὲν οὐ φύσω, τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι δὲ ἀνιάσομαι καὶ μέμψομαί γε τὸν παρόντα χρόνον, ὅτι με μὴ δείκνυσιν ἕτερον Δαίδαλον. ὃ δὲ σοὶ νῦν γενέσθαι, τῇ μὲν τοῦ πράγματος φύσει ῤᾷστον, ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἀναβολαῖς φίλος, ἀλλ᾿ ὅμως οὐκ ἀποκνητέον.