Letter 522: I love myself, and that is why I love you, and I freely admit it.
Ἱέρακι. (356)
Φιλῶ γὰρ ἐμαυτὸν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο σὲ φιλῶ καὶ φιλεῖν
ὁμολογῶ, ὡς ὅστις σε εἰδὼς οὐ φιλεῖ, δοκεῖ μοι μισεῖν αὑτόν.
Κυζικηνῶν δὲ τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐπαινέσας μέμφομαι τὴν μεταβολήν.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὸν κύκνον ἰδεῖν καλόν, τὸ δὲ τῷ κολοιῷ
δοῦναι χώραν οὐ καλόν, ἀλλ’ ἀτεχνῶς τὸ Ἀριστοφάνους· ὁ
Θέογνις ἀντ’ Αἰσχύλου. γράμματα δὲ πρὸς οἷα οἷα
φῄς οὐχ ἧκεν, εἰ δ’ ἔλθοι, τὸν φίλον ὄψει, τῇ γυναικὶ δέ,
ἥν, ὅτι αὐτῆς ἐπιμελῇ, μακαρίζω. πέπρακται γὰρ ὧν ἔχρῃζε
τοῦ παιδὸς εὑρόντος ἕτερον σύμμαχον.
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