Letter 1070: You may be surprised that I'm recommending a bishop.
Commendari a me episcopum forte mireris. cansa istnd mihi non secta persuasit.
nam Clemens boni viri fimctns officinm Caesaream, qnae illi patria est, conciliata ma-
ximomm principnm pace tntatns est. fando acceperas, rebellione barbarica qnot anri,
quot argenti, privati et pnblici, sacri et profani Maur^niae fuit direptione hostium
u lancinatnm. evenit ea tempestate, ut etiam fisci depositum belli inre raperetnr. quod 2
a summatibns civitatis, quos reliqnos fuga fecerat, ius aerarii reposcebat. misera et
acerba condicio, nisi iustitiam tempomm Clementis cnra movisse^, qnem ego non minus
famae saecnli qnam civium secnritati dixerim commodasse. qnid enim praeter invidiam
referret aerarinm, si opes ab inopi cnria poscerentur? habes ordinem rei. quod restat
30 enitere, nt voti tni adspiratio vela faciat impetratis.
3 proxime P 1 m.
7 expHclt ad probnm incipit ad ceUinum titlanam fratrem P, ef, p, 32 v, 25 explic ad titianum ger-
mannm suom P, om, VM 9 symmacus ceUino fratri P, om, VM 12 adceleris P 1 m,
nem barbaricam V quod auri quod PV(r) 24 et publici] eyo, aut publici PVAf manrita-
niae PFAf 25 flsci] VFM, tttel P / m., fldei P 2 m, 26 ius] uis P J m, V 27 aeerua PV
conditio PVM elemeutis P 1 m, V 2 m, (f^) moaisset et PV
30 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE
LXV (LVnn) a. 380?
Related Letters
You sent over everything from the birthday feast — every dish and delicacy made its way to us.
I thank you for your reply, bishop, and for the candor with which you wrote.
Two things above all bring us down: the flattery of others that inflates us beyond what we are, and the neglect of...
I trust that by now the prefect's earlier letter has reached you.
I sensed there was something behind your long abstention from letters.