Letter 8006: This letter spans several pages and is heavily interspersed with critical apparatus.

XXVI (A.D. 396) To Gregorius. I have given to your kinsman a letter with which you could be content. For since the two of you are of one mind, the same act of respect would satisfy both. But I was afraid of imitation, lest one of you two should write back to me in the place and voice of both. Therefore, as is customarily done in honoring the divine powers, I add to the offering a small gift -- brief, I confess, and one you would have wished to be more extensive, but in things added on no measure is sought. Do you yourself repay abundance with brevity, since those people ought to lengthen their familiar pages who have no need to double them. XXVII (A.D. 396) To Censorinus. With ready and eager hand I fell upon your letter when it was offered to me, as one about to learn of prosperous matters; but when in reading I ran through the enumeration of your losses, offense took the place of pleasure. And those misfortunes indeed, which you bore along with very many others, after the manner of the human disposition have some solace from fellowship; but this blow of piratical plundering, which a hard chance has added to you in particular, I think pressed the deeper, because it has no partner and has doubled the grief. Against these accidents the mind must be armed with virtue and reason, and the hope of better things must also be taken up. Often things tottering have returned to soundness; nothing for human beings is everlasting; frequent vicissitudes turn mortal affairs about, and life is lived amid the flight of all things. I shall have touched on these matters in few words, since for your learning many more occur to you: now I answer those things which you wished to know about me. As soon as possible I am eager to visit Naples at the request of its citizens. There I shall assign a two-day interval to the honor of the holy city. After that, if the gods favor what I have rightly determined, by the road of Capua we shall make for Rome, venerable to us, and for our household hearth. Amid these matters, if it shall fall to me to enjoy the sight of you and conversation with you, I shall be filled to satiety with joy; but if greater necessity denies us your company, I would wish that, the cloud of cares wiped away, you wisely resume that cheerfulness of spirit which our meeting could have diligently procured for you. XXVIII To Romanus. I know that you remember that the same grief for our friend struck me too; but now the exchanges of conversation ought to be a solace to us. I write, therefore, that you may be compelled to answer and may return from mournful thoughts to the duties of the living. A scruple of conscience had brought it about that you did not write first: you will not be so discourteous as to hold back when challenged. XXVIIII (A.D. 399) [...]

redire. XXVI a. 396. GREGORIO. Dedi ad parentem tuum litteras, quibus contentus esse potuisti. nam ut est utri- 25 que vestrum unus animus, ita satisfaceret idem cultus ambobus. sed metui imitatio- optimum parentem ////////////ctione P, parentem tuum optimum re aut affectione F^ et litteras quas] Fi'^, et litteras tuas quas F3, ////////// V/s P 7 misi ut omnium] F, periU in P referre potuisti] F, //////////uisti P 8 nobis etiam tuo] F, ////////////o P ne respondente] F, periit in P 9 in- putaretur*»**/////////////unu8 P, imputaretur munus P*»3, imputaretur minus F^^ aenaw hic fert fuit: ne re- spondente uno alterius litteris fraudarer aut mibi inputaretur munus duorum tamen breuitas huic] F, //////////////uic P relatu digna] F, re///////// P 10 decerpsi F istum] F, ///um P tan- quam sermonis uel amoris Pi*^, tanquam uel amoris F^ in te nostri] tui F^ tenebis testem (/*), interpretem tenebis F 11 scribendo .P'»2 enim om. F^ est om. F^ a me om. F iterari F 12 nostrum Fi.2 replere (r), repreni F3 13 abunde om. F3 uale add. Fi.2 bendi F2 aotenus P 1 m., eatenus F 17 est om. F3 seriam curam om. F^ sepeliantur uoluptatibus F^ 18 oneri] omnium F^ cessare F^ 1 m. 19 ob hoc F3 amiciae F^ tuae ante munia in»tr. F nimia F^ / m. animum om. F 20 tamen] enim F^ uere- cundie F^ legere F^ 21 ad uos om. F^ me causa quae] F, metuus aquae P ue- tuit] ueni F2 cogitque F2 22 uale add. F».2 nem, ne mihi alter e vobis dnorum vice et ore rescriberet. quare, ut in honore nu- PF minum solet fieri, litationi addo donarium, breve, fateor, et quod tu prolixius esse voluisses, sed in adiectis mensura non quaeritur. ipse copiam redde brevitati, quia famiKares paginas eos oportet extendere, quibus non est necesse geminare. 5 XXVII a. 396. AD CENSORINVM. Prompta et avida manu litteras tuas, cum mihi offerrentur, invasi ut prospera cogniturus; sed cum percurrerem lectione enumerationem dispendiorum tuorum, vo- luptati successit offensio. et illa quidem adversa, quae cum plurimis pertulisti, more 10 humani ingenii habent aliquod de societate solacium, hunc vero piraticae depraeda- tionis ictum, quem speciatim casus tibi durus adiecit, inpressum altius puto, quia neque habet participem et geminavit dolorem. | contra haec fortuita virtute atque ratione 2 F animus armandus est, spes quoque adsumenda est meliorum. saepe titubantia in solidum reverterunt; nihil hominibus aetemum est; volvunt mortalia vices crebrae, et m omnium 15 rerum fuga vivitur. paucis ista perstrinxerim , cum tibi pro eruditione plura succur- rant: nunc ad illa respondeo, quae de me scire voluisti. quamprimum Neapolim pe- titu civium suorum visere studeo. illic honori urbis religiosae intervallum bidui depu- H tabo. dehinc, si bene destinata dii iuverint, Capuano itinere venerabilem nobis Ro- mam laremque petemus. inter haec, si mihi evenerit aspectu et conloquio tuo de- 20 frui, explebor gaudii satietate ; sin maior necessitas negaverit nobis tui copiam, velim cnrarum nube detersa eam sapienter resumas animi alacritatem, quam tibi congressns noster sedulo conciliare potuisset. XXVIII. AD ROMANVM. 25 Meminisse te scio, quod me quoque idem de amico dolor perculit; sed iam nobis sermonum vices debent esse solacio. scribo igitur, ut respondere cogaris et a fune- stis cogitationibus redeas in officia viventium. fecerat religiosa causa, ne prior scri- beres: non eris tam inreverens, ut provocatus abstineas. lixna F2 / m. 3 reddere F^ brenitate P 1 m. quod F^ 4 uale add. F'.2 ratione F3 9 offentio F^ quidem] quasi F^ 10 hunc (u in rcw.) P, nunc F2 11 du- rus om. F quia que non habent participem geminant F3 12 habuit F^ et] sed F^ Jindt a voet contra non tupersunt m P nisi haec: 13 t . . . 14 hih . . . mort ... 15 rerii f . . . strinxe . . . plura sncc ... 16 pondeo qua . . . qua primu neap ... 17 suoru nisere stu . . .'^rbis religiosQ in . . . putabo dehinc aibe ... 18 dii — capuano . . . rabilem — roma la ... 19 inter — enene . . . et — defru ... 20 gaudii — sin n . . . tas — nobis ... 21 curarum — dete . . . resumas — ala . . . cgressus — potaisset 12 haec] hoc F^ fortuna F^ 1 m. 14 reuerterunt] i7, conuersa sunt F^^^ uersa sunt F3 est om, F3 in] «po, om, F 15 uiuitur] iZr, uinit F^.a, luuit F^ per- struxerim F* / m. plura pro eruditione F^ 16 illa] F{r), alia (IT) uiuam antc quam- primum infer, F^ 17 snorum ciuium F^, cinium tuorum Lectius illic — deputabo post 19 pete- mns eoUoc, F* honore F» 18 dii om, F» uiuerunt F^ / m., inuerunt F2 2 m. 19 de- fru/ P, frui F 20 socieUte P 1 m, F^ sin] sui F2 necessitaa negauerit om. F3 co- piam tul F2 21 nube dete/// P, nubem detorsam F2 / m., nubem detersam Fi.3 22 uale add. Fi.2 24 periit epiatula in P praeter haec: 26 . . . nes 27 . . . a ui . . . ne prior 28 . . . ns ut pro 224 SYMMACni EPISTVLAE XXVIin a. 399.