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

Of all the ... literary men, you were the last whose approval of my speech I most eagerly desired. It's happened as I wished: I have the witness I wanted. Now I should cry out in the voice of the young man in the comedy [Terence]: "Who is more fortunate than I, more full of charm?" Unless, of course, your affection for me forced your pen into kindness. It often happens that fondness overrides critical judgment, and we evaluate our friends' words and deeds with the same indulgence we privately extend to our own faults. But I'd only say that if yours were an isolated opinion. In fact, everyone else who heard my speech agrees with you. Not that your judgment needs confirmation from others — but a verdict from which no one dissents is hard to suspect of bias. Still, I'll keep wondering whether it was your honesty or your love that wrote that letter. Either way, I'm content [Text breaks off in source.]

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.