Letter 7068: I make a point of writing to you often, so it never seems my care for our friendship has cooled.

It is dear to my heart to address you frequently, lest the attentive care of friendly services should seem to have grown cool in me; and so I wish you well-being in my prayers, I declare it in my letters, asking that, if ever the customary exchange of my letters should lapse through a rather long interval, you would attribute the cause of the silence not to any unwillingness or idleness on my part, but to my occupations. To Patruinus. Athanasius, a most distinguished man, has taken the injury done to his journey with just grief. For the marriage that was agreed upon for him, and bound by the obligation of pledges with ourselves as witnesses, is now being refused. I would enlarge upon the odium of this deed, were not words inferior to the realities. He himself will set it forth more fully in your presence, where personal inquiry is needed. I ought not to beg that he be aided by your help, since both your affection promises it to him and his case, fortified by the laws, secures it. In the year 401.

Cordi mihi est frequenter adloqui vos, ne videatur apud me officiomm familia- rium cura tepuisse; atque ideo salutem vobis votis opto, litteris dico, petens, ut si quando epistulamm mearum usus intervallo longiore cessaverit, causam silentii non voluntati aut desidiac meae sed occupationibus adplicetis. 20 CXX. AD PATRVINVM. Vn Athanasius v. c. peregrinationis iniuriam iusto dolore suscepit. nam pactae ei et nobis arbitris vinctae obligatione pignorum nuptiae denegantur. exaggerarem facti credas VF, aupple: iielim tamen me offensum credas vel aimile quid 6 moraris ero VF, mpple: quod si feceris vel simile quid 7 quidem om, (r) scio a . . . ee momen ... 13 benigne litt . . . indicia proprit . . . offlclorum familiarium] FF, //////////////liarium P 18 tepuisse atque ideo salutem uobisj K, te- puis////////////////// uobis P, tepuisse atque salutem ideo uobis P, tepuisse atque uobis ideo salutem (IT) litteriB dico petens] VF{IT), litter//////////// P 19 mearum usus interuallo] 7(77"), mea/////////teniallo P, mearum om, F cessauerit causam] VP, cessau////////// P 20 desidiae meae] KP, desidi////// P adplicetis om, V letur . . . ir auxl 3 . . . ndet et mn . . . t 23 u. c.] (77), uir consularis V 24 abitris V uinctae] VF, iunctae (//) LIBERVn. 211 huius invidiam, nm verba rebus essent minora. ipse apnd te, quod quaesito opns VTI est, plenius eloquetur. orare non debeo, ut tuo iuvetur auxilio. quod illi et amor tuus spondet et munita legibus causa conciliat. CXXI a. 401.