Letter 5001: You do me a great kindness every time you honor our friendship with news of your well-being.

You do me a great kindness every time you honor our friendship with news of your well-being. I pray the gods reward you for such thoughtfulness toward us. I gladly match your diligence in correspondence, so that you'll be all the more motivated to keep writing when you see that a good memory never lets a kindness go unacknowledged. [To Hierophantes] Probatios recently delivered your letter, and it brought me great pleasure to learn that everything is going well for you. I shouldn't have to remind you to write often — the kind of attentiveness that comes naturally doesn't need to be prompted. [To Theodorus] The consistent praise I hear from good people about your fine character has made me eager to seek your friendship. Men who are celebrated on everyone's lips for their integrity have a way of drawing even strangers into their circle. So if you don't reject this token of my goodwill, please write back — I'd be delighted to have my initiative confirmed, though I already consider our mutual affection guaranteed.

Opulento me adficis bono, quotiens amicitiam nostram salutis tuae indicio mune- raris. deos igitur conprecor, ut te pro tanta in nos religione fortunent. vicissitudini autem litterariae parem diligentiam libenter inpendo, ut ad officia promptius inciteris, cum videas apud memorem scriptorum gratiam non perire. 16 q. aur. symmachi ti. c. c/// ordinari epistolaru lib. m/// incip. lib. •¥• editus post eius obitu a q fllio memmio symmacbo feUciter P, om, VM 17 epUiula deeH in M eadem epUHda ad HOariwn data 111, 40 ad efropbantem P, om, V 20 oratum V 22 cuiei V ' autem] uicissim tum enim V, uicissitudinis huius M UBER nn. V. 125 m. AD HIEROPHANTEM. ' PVF Scriptum mihi tniim Probatios nuper exhibuit, atque ex eo mihi plurimum gratu- lationis accessit, quod tibi pro voto omnia superesse eognovi. id ut saepe facias, & monere non debeo, cum spontanea officia stimulo exhortationis non oporteat incitari. AD THEODORVM. nU ante a. 390. Bonorum frequens adstipulatio de sanctis moribus tuis in hoc me desiderium pro- vocavit, ut amicitias tuas inpatienter exoptem. nam qui omnium sermone celebrantur 10 et probitatis laude conspicui sunt, incognitos quosque ad amorem propriae familiari- tatis invitant. ergo si haec voluntatis meae non aspemaris indicia. repende, quaeso, conloquium, ut et facti mei confirmatione delecter, quamvis mutuae adfectionis iam teneam sponsionem. V a. 398.