Letter 7070: I've grown more confident in my affection for Athanasius, a man of fine qualities, now that I've learned your...
I've grown more confident in my affection for Athanasius, a man of fine qualities, now that I've learned your opinion of him. Approval from a wise man is a powerful recommendation. So I'll skip the formal endorsement -- I couldn't add to what you already feel.
This much I will say: nurture the hope you've given him and bring the favor you've begun to its completion. If some setback disappoints his expectations, I beg you -- make up for it with greater generosity, so that the loss of his earlier wish may actually work to his advantage. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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