Letter 6081: When your boy delivered a single letter, he insisted I write back immediately, as if he were about to rush straight...

When your servant had delivered to me one letter, I set myself to write back at once, as though he would soon return to you. But, as I learned, the man himself, pressing on to parts farther off, made use of a friendly trick, so that his companion Rusticus should carry back our page. He, now on his return, has received the other letter. I imagine you are laughing, that, cheated by a slave's wile, I have paid double for a single allotment. For the cunning little house-slave, what he carried once, he has collected twice. I would go on at greater length, if I had anything to add. You, near the city, conduct your affairs amid a more abundant report of events and with equal leisure; it is your part to enrich us, placed far off, with the things you have learned. Farewell.

25 Cum mihi puer vester unam epistulam reddidisset, ut rescriberem protinus, tam- quam mox ad vos reditums incubuit. sed ut didici, ipse ad ulteriora contendens mi- mica usus est techna, ut paginam nostram comes eius Rusticus reportaret. ille alte- ram nunc regressus accepit. ridere vos arbitror, quod servili circumscriptus stropha pro sorte simplici duplum solverim. nam callidus vemula, quod semel pertulit, bis 30 recepit. pergerem longius , si adicienda suppeterent. vos in propinquo urbis cele- briore fama rerum agitis et pari otio : vestram est procul positos ditare conpertis. vale. tanae lluor] (J7), niaMu////ll/// Whor P mecum (27'), me/// P 18 meum] (/7), m/// P 19 ut Unti] (rj, uiUnti P sorte] F, pttHi in P 29 nam cailidus] F, periit in P bis recepit] F, //////epit P 176 SYMMACIII EPISTVLAE LXXVim (LXXX).