Letter 218: You ask me to be honest about your latest speech, and I shall try -- though honesty between friends in matters of...

To Germanus. (360?) Another governor who did not write to his friends I would forgive, for they are overwhelmed by the flood of business. But you, who have a nature superior to theirs...

Γερμανῷ. (360?) Ἄλλῳ μὲν ἄρχοντι μὴ ἐπιστέλλοντι τοῖς φίλοις συγγνοίην ἄν, ἐπικλύζονται γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν πραγμάτων, σὺ δέ, κρείττω γὰρ ἔχεις φύσιν ἢ τοῦτο παθεῖν, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως ἂν ἀποφύγοις τὴν αἰτίαν. ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τῶν ἐπιστολῶν βουλεύσῃ καὶ ἴσως ἐπιστελεῖς κωλύων μὴ μείζω σοι γενέσθαι τὰ ἐγκλήματα, τὸν φέροντα δὲ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν εἰ δεῖ τι παρὰ σοῦ παθεῖν ἀγαθόν, μὴ βουλεύσῃ· δεῖ γὰρ τοῦτο εὐθὺς κε- κρίσθαι, τὸ δεῖν αὐτὸν εὖ παθεῖν. τῶν τε γὰρ περὶ τὸν ὕπαρχον ῥητόρων οὐδενὸς ὕστερος τῇ τε τῶν τρόπων ἐπιεικείᾳ πρῶτος ἁπάντων ἐμέ τε οὕτω φιλεῖ καὶ χαίρει τιμῶν, ὡς ἄν τις ἕτερος τιμώμενος. ὅπως οὖν ἐπὶ δυοῖν ἀγκύραιν ὁρμεῖν ἔχη, μὴ σαυτὸν δίδου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἄριστον Ἰουλιανὸν σαυτῷ ποίει παραπλήσιον. πάντως ἀρκεῖ σοι γράμμα περὶ τοῦ νεανίσκου καὶ γέγονεν εὐμενής.