Letter 1091: I'll never hold back when it comes to pleasing you.

Quintus Aurelius SymmachusUnknown|c. 400 AD|Quintus Aurelius Symmachus|AI-assisted
barbarian invasionfriendship

I'll never hold back when it comes to pleasing you. I know how eagerly you look forward to my letters, and so I've resolved never to put off writing, and never to wait for a reply before sending the next one — for fear that waiting might slow me down.

Just as I was afraid it would be a disgrace if I fell silent, I'd like you, too, to take care not to let the appearance of neglected friendship creep in. I'm confident you will — because when I consider both your generous nature and what I've earned from our bond, I can't bring myself to doubt your affection. Farewell.

AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.

Latin / Greek Original

Numquam in me parcam, quin tuo animo obsequar. novi, quam sis mei sermo- 10
nis exoptans. propterea decrevi cum animo nihil supersedere litteris porrigendis nec
expectare vicissitudinem, ne scribendi tardior fiam. sed ut ipse metui, ne mihi foret
flagitio, si tacerem, sic velim tu quoque caveas culpam dissimulatae familiaritatis
acc^dere. quod te curaturum liquido habeo conpertum, quia non minus ingenium
tuum quam meritum meum cogitans nequeo tui amoris esse diffidens. vale. 15

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