Letter 346: You yourself will judge whether I have added anything in the way of learning to the young men whom you have sent. I hope that this addition, however little it be, will get the credit of being great, for the sake of your friendship towards me. But inasmuch as you give less praise to learning than to temperance and to a refusal to abandon our soul...

[From Libanius to Basil] You yourself will judge whether I have added anything to the learning of the young men you sent. I hope that whatever small addition I have made will receive credit for being great, on account of your friendship toward me. But since you give less praise to learning than to self-control and a refusal to surrender the soul to dishonorable pleasures, they have devoted their main attention to that, and have lived -- as they should -- with constant awareness of the friend who sent them here. So welcome what is yours, and give praise to men who by the way they have lived have done credit to both you and me. As for asking you to look after them -- that is like asking a father to look after his children.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA Libanius to Basil. You yourself will judge whether I have added anything in the way of learning to the young men whom you have sent. I hope that this addition, however little it be, will get the credit of being great, for the sake of your friendship towards me. But inasmuch as you give less praise to learning than to temperance and to a refusal to abandon our souls to dishonourable pleasures, they have devoted their main attention to this, and have lived, as indeed they ought, with due recollection of the friend who sent them hither. So welcome what is your own, and give praise to men who by their mode of life have done credit both to you and to me. But to ask you to be serviceable to them is like asking a father to be serviceable to his children. About this page Source. Translated by Blomfield Jackson. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 8. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3202346.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about ty pographical errors and inappropriate ads.