Letter 3014: You ask me to reply -- your letters are practically a challenge to a duel.
Petis, ut respondeam : litteris meis dennntiatio ista certaminis est. sed unde mihi
qnamqnam procedenti in annos graves senile illnd et comicum, quo tn veteres aemn-
u laris? nec tamen destilnet voluntatem tuam stili mei desperatio. quis enim pudor est
vinei post confessionem ? illnd qnoqne me ad rescribendum coegit, qnod timni cessa-
tionis exemplo quandam tibi silentii formulam dare plnsqne in me reditnmm frandis
adverti, si tna offensio imitaretur tacentem, quam si ansns meus snperiorem. aesti- 2
mabis ipse, qnanto hoc tni amore adversnm verecnndiam meam fecerim. interea, qnod
20 vales , dnlce est , quamvis adieceris , canto esse opus , ne forte reditnm nostram aevi
tni snbita praevortant. nolo annos ad calculum voces: fiducia salutis in viribns est.
qnas cnm vitet expendere tntela mornm tnorum , spera confecturos deos , ut maneas
vitae integer in metas, qnas veternm definitio dedit saecnlo. vale.
XVI.
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