Letter 1046: You've made up for your long silence with a double delivery.

You've made up for your long silence with a double delivery. You sent me two letters at once, filling my longing with an extra helping of attention. That tells me it wasn't the will to write that was lacking all this time — just a reliable messenger. How else could it have happened that you'd deprive me of the honor of your correspondence for so long? Rightly, then, my regard for you grows by the day, and my affection rises to its proper height. For that's how we find things work: a well-placed friendship, tested by experience, advances steadily. But I'll spare the speeches on this topic — I'd rather you felt these things than heard me say them. I gather from your letter that you're eager to be relieved of your public duties. Frankly, I'm astonished that you have such distaste for an office whose rewards — the universal love and respect you've earned — are so enviable. Is there anything more lasting than the glory that crowns a willing service? Bear with your time away from home. Console yourself with the just affection of the province you serve. Farewell.

Conpensasti longum silentium gemina scriptione. pariter enim mihi binas litteras praebuisti, ut desiderium meum ofGcio largiore conpleres. ex quo adverti, non volun- ^^ tatem tibi hactenus sed baiulum defuisse. neque enim aliter potuisset accidere, nt uel om. F 5 otut] Mereer, ut VMDP^II) 7 oentora sint VM qoantom per] (II), post VM 8 reparam V 27 om. VM haee epUUda non ad Au9onium seripta est, utpoU qui numquam provmeiam rexerit 28 qood pensasti (P^) 22 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE VMTI me tam diu sermonis tui honore fraudares. merito apud nos in dies singulos tui eultus augescit et iusto eumulo erescit adfeetio. namque ita usu conparatum videmus, ut amicitia bene locata experinndo cottidie provehatur. sed de ista parte verbis 2 supersedendum est; neque enim me oportet haec dicere, quae te malo sentire. con- peri sane ex litteris tnis, quanto opere publici muneris absolutionem requiras , et stu- 5 pere me fateor, tantum tibi administrationis eius esse fastidium, cui fructus optabilis ex omnium amore respondet. an est aliquid tenacins gloria, quae laudem adiecit voluntatis et tamen cura non deerit, ut patiaris tu tamen peregrina- tionis solare iusto amore provinciae. vale. XXXXm (XXXVII) a. 370—379. 10