Letter 394: You are generous in your letter.

To Acacius. (355) You are kind in your letter. For the qualities you wish to be present in us, about these you write as though they were already there. As for me, if someone praises me as one who knows how to work hard, perhaps he does not lie; but whoever thinks me a skilled composer of speeches, let him know that he lies. As for your letter, we loved it both for its length and because it was not long so much as it was fine. Your art shows itself also in the souls of the young men, since not many have come to us here possessing such good discipline.

Ἀκακίῳ. (355) Χρηστὸς εἰ τοῖς γράμμασιν. ἃ γὰρ ἐν ἡμῖν εἶναι ἐθέ- λεις, περὶ τούτων ὡς ἐνόντων γράφεις. ἐμὲ δὲ εἰ μέν τις ὡς ἐπιστάμενον πονεῖν ἐπαινεῖ, τάχα οὐ ψεύδεται· λόγων δὲ ποι- ητὴν ὅστις οἴεται δεξιόν, ἴστω ὅτι ψεύδεται. τῆς δὲ ἐπι- στολῆς σου καὶ τοῦ μήκους ἠράσθημεν καὶ ὡς οὐ μακροτέρα μᾶλλον ἢ καλλίων. δείκνυται δὲ καὶ ἐν ταῖς τῶν νέων ψυχαῖς ἡ σὴ τέχνη· ὡς οὐ πολλοὶ παρ’ ἡμᾶς ὧδε ἔχοντες τάξεως ἦλθον.