Letter 6068: There is plenty to write about, but my spirit recoils from speaking things that are painful to recall.

There is plenty to write about, but my spirit recoils from speaking things that are painful to recall. I can see, though, that news about the city can't be suppressed -- and rumor, as it loves to do, will exaggerate the present situation. So to prevent that, I've attached a brief summary of what you need to know: this way, my letter of greeting won't drag you into anxiety, and at the same time, a factual account will shut down the wild freedom of rumors. But enough of that. My daughter's condition weighs on me more than anything else I'm dealing with right now. I'm waiting for you to report that, with God's help, she's on the mend. If I hear that, even the partial comfort will ease the rest of my troubles.

Scribenda non desunt, sed horret animns loqui dura memoratu. video tamen fa- mam rerum urbanarum nequaquam posse cohiberi, quae, ut fieri amat, in maius prae- 30 sentia nuntiabit. id ne accidat, breviario addito noscenda decurrimus, ut neque lit- terae, quae vobis salutationem ferunt, de sollicitis amaritudinem trahant, et nihilo- minus rumorum licentiam fides scriptionis excludat. sed de his hactenus. filiae meae 2 1 iuogemnr P quam P 1 m, 10 praeuertit P 1 m, P 1 m. r, necne P2m.y necne; an P 3 m. 16 emissione (issi in ra$,) P 24 ea leuetis] ego, elenetis P serunli qui dudum ad] (H), seruu//////////// P 25 missuB necdum] (/7), /////////dum P tianit P 1 m. F decurrimus] e^o, decreuimus PP, discreuimus Mtrcer 31 tradant F 32 ac- t^nus P 1 m. 22* 172 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE PF valetudo gravior mihi ceteris est , quibus nunc animus asperatur. expecto igitur , ut illi deo iuvante ad salutem esse omnia nuntietis. de qua si voto apta conperero, pars ista solacii curarum quoque mearum reliqua mitigabit. LXVI (LXVU) a. 398.