Letter 42: I delight in this kind of slander.

To Modestus. (358/359) I take delight in such a slander, and if, while holding still more of my letters, you again say that you have nothing, I shall be the more pleased. For it is the falsehood of one who loves, and who out of his very desire to receive denies that he has received. Just as, therefore, if having received a single letter you were to praise the multitude of my letters, you would make it clear that you stand in no need of letters, so now, when amid the many that have come you cry out that nothing has come, you reveal that no multitude could ever quench this thirst of yours; since, that my swallows are more numerous than yours, I am able to maintain, unless indeed you say this: that whoever, along with his public duties, has sent three letters has outdone the five of one who lives only in the act of writing. I hated the Persian even before, because, while attempting to do harm, he then suffers and so falls in love with his own misfortunes. Now I consider him still more hostile, both for besetting you with toils and for robbing us of so long a time of the sweetest companionship. But you, even when absent, gladden us by the hopes you grant, putting the enemy to flight with bare preparations. And I shall behold you, even if rather more slowly, yet more august, carrying off as the reward of these many marches the wages of good repute. Then indeed, then, you will remember these present unpleasantnesses with pleasure.

**To Modestus** (358/359) I delight in this kind of slander, and if you say once again that you have received nothing despite holding still more letters in your hands, I shall delight all the more. For the lie is that of a man in love, who denies having received what he has received out of sheer desire to receive more. Just as, then, if you had received a single letter and praised the abundance of my correspondence, you would have made it plain that you had no need of letters at all — so now, when many have arrived and you cry out as though none had come, you reveal that no quantity could ever quench this thirst of yours. For I can indeed say that my swallows outnumber yours — unless you mean to argue that a man who has sent three letters while conducting affairs of state has bested the five of one whose life consists of nothing but writing. As for me, I hated the Persian even before — because he sets out to do harm and then, suffering harm himself, still craves more of it. But now I hate him all the more, considering him my enemy: he heaps labors upon you and robs us of the sweetest companionship over so long a time. Yet even in your absence, you gladden us with the hopes you give, terrifying the enemy with your preparations alone. And I shall see you — later than I would wish, perhaps, but all the more gloriously — reaping a harvest of praise as the reward for all these many campaigns. Then, yes then, you will remember the present troubles with pleasure.

Μοδέστῳ. (358/359) Ἥδομαι τῇ τοιαύτη συκοφαντίᾳ, κἂν ἔτι πλείω γράμ- μάτα ἔχων πάλιν μηδὲν ἔχειν λέγῃς, ἔτι μᾶλλον ἡσθήσομαι. τὸ γὰρ ψεῦδος ἐρῶντος καὶ τῇ τοῦ λαμβάνειν ἐπιθυμίᾳ τὸ λαβεῖν ἀρνουμένου. ὥσπερ οὗν, εἰ μίαν εἰληφὼς ἐπιστολὴν ἐπῄνεις τὸ πλῆθος τῶν γραμμάτων, σαφὲς ἂν ἐποίεις, ὡς οὐδὲν δέοιο γραμμάτων, οὕτω νῦν ἐπὶ πολλοῖς τοῖς ἐλθοῦσιν ὡς οὐδὲν ἔλθοι καταβοῶν μηνύεις μηδὲν ἄν σοι πλῆθος ταυ- τηνὶ παῦσαι τὴν δίψαν· ἐπεὶ ὅτι γε τῶν σῶν χελιδόνων αἱ ἡμέτεραι πλείους, ἔχω λέγειν, πλὴν εἰ μὴ τοῦτο λέγεις, ὡς ὅστις μετὰ τοῦ πράττειν πέπομφε τρεῖς, νενίκηκε τὰς πέντε τοῦ ζῶντος ἐν μόνῳ τῷ γράφειν. μισῶν δὲ ἔγωγε τὸν Πέρ- σην καὶ πρότερον, ὅτι δὴ ποιεῖν κακῶς ἐπιχειρῶν ἔπειτα πά- σχὼν ἐρᾷ κακῶν. νῦν μᾶλλον ἡγοῦμαι δυσμενῆ σοί τε περι- ιστάντα πόνους ἡμᾶς τε τοσούτου χρόνου ἡδίστην συνουσίαν ἀφῃρημένον. ἀλλὰ σύ γε καὶ ἀπὼν οἷς δίδως ἐλπίζειν εὑ φραίνεις ψιλαῖς παρασκευαῖς τὸν πολέμιον ἐκφοβῶν. καί σε εἰ καὶ βραδύτερον, ἀλλὰ σεμνότερον ὄψομαι τῶν δρόμων του- τωνὶ τῶν πολλῶν μισθὸν κομιζόμενον εὐφημίας. τότε δή, τότε τῶν νῦν ἀηδῶν μεμνήσῃ μεθ’ ἡδονῆς.