Letter 1096: Our exchange of friendly letters is a sweet competition, and rightly we've both taken care not to be outdone.

Our exchange of friendly letters is a sweet competition, and rightly we've both taken care not to be outdone. I'm glad to find us evenly matched — not just in the warmth of our hearts, but in the regularity of our correspondence. Going forward, though, I'll try to tip the scales in my favor, so that our equal tally doesn't start to look like a pact of mutual laziness. I'll write more often, provided I can find travelers to carry the letters. That way I'll earn the credit for diligence, and my steady stream of letters will prod you — busy as you are with public affairs — into keeping up your end of the conversation.

Dulce certamen est familiaris officii, et ideo iure ambo cavimus, ne altemis epi- stulis vinceremur. gratulor igitur, pares nos esse non solum adfectione mentium sed etiam vicissitudine litteramm. curabo tamen posthac, ut obsequii mei trutina et libra praeponderet , ne videatur inertiae quoddam esse conludium semper aequa lance cen- 30 seri. itaque scribam saepius, modo facultas commeantium non desit optanti. ita fiet, ut et ipse laudem sedulitatis adfectem , et te curis publicis occupatum ad rependenda conloquia adsiduitate sollicitem. titor F 8 pntaui gratulandum F qui e] que V 10 ut pute VF 11 feram V 13 tu de paucis oouice plura lurettu laude V 30 scribam om. F 32 assiduitetem V 38 SYMMACHl EPISTVLAE LXXXXm (LXXXVU) .