Letter 1081: Of all the ... literary men, you were the last whose approval of my speech I most eagerly desired.

You alone, of all men [of letters] [...], remained to me as one to whom, greedy for praise, I might wish my oration to be approved. The matter has turned out according to my wish: I have the witness whom I wanted. Now I must cry out with the voice of the comic young man: who is more fortunate than I, and indeed more full of charm? Unless perhaps it was love of me that compelled your pen into favor toward me. For it often happens that affection breaks the severity of judgment, and that we appraise the deeds and sayings of friends with that indulgence by which, for the most part, each of us loves even our own faults. But these things would rightly be said, were not the estimation of all who have heard our discourse on your side; not that the authority of your opinion is sought from the agreement of others, but because what no one disagrees with is not exposed to suspicions of partiality. Yet I shall see whether it was your good faith or your love that wrote that letter. To me, in either condition, the honor is equally the highest, whether you judge so magnificently of me that you seem to have done me a favor, or whether you are so fond of me that you cannot judge otherwise. Farewell.

Vnus mihi adhuc supereras ex omnibus .... litterarum viris, cui probari ora- tionem meam laudis avarus optarem. res cecidit ex voto: utor teste, quo volui. iam mihi comici adulescentis voce clamandum est: quis me est fortunatior venu- statisque adeo plenior? nisi forte amor mei stilum tuum coegit in gratiam. fit 25 enim saepe, ut iudicii severitatem frangat adfectio et amicomm facta dictaque ea in- dulgentia censeamus, qua plemmque singuli etiam vitia nostra diligimus. sed haec 2 merito dicerentur, ni tecum faceret existimatio omnium, quibus sermo noster auditus est; non quo sententiae tuae ex alioram consensn quaeratur auctoritas, sed quia non patet suspicionibns indicatnm, a quo nemo dissentit. videro tamen, utmm fides tua 30 an amor illas litteras scripserit. mihi in altemtra condicione aeque summus est honor, sive ita magnifice de me indicas, ut gratificatus esse videaris, sive ita es mei diligens, ut secus iudicare non possis. vale. 23 Terent. Hecyr. 848. anil [Bic) V 6 expenderet V spectet F 12 iU magnifacio] KF, «««««« magnifacio P quas V 13 a om. VFl^ li- beroram F tutele P mihi poni V 2 m. 14 maturitatem V 15 necdum^ a P 16 ne- gotiis pes P fautum F 17 suam P uiris P 1 m. omnibuf litterarum VM probationem meam orationem V 22 excidft V nolo VFM 23 me est] P lm,y me hodie Af, me eat hodie P2m. V uenustatis quae P 25 fata P I m. 27 au- dictuB P 30 conditione aequae PV Q. ATmSLITS STMMAOmrS. 5 34 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE LXXVim (I.XXin) a. 377— 380.