Letter LXXII.
2257
To Hesychius
.
2258
I know
your affection for me,
and your zeal for all that is good. I am exceedingly anxious to
pacify my very dear son Callisthenes, and I thought that if I could
associate you with me in this I might more easily achieve my
object. Callisthenes is very much annoyed at the conduct of
Eustochius, and he has
very good
ground for being so. He charges the household of Eustochius with
impudence and violence against himself. I am begging him to be
propitiated, satisfied with the fright which he has given the impudent
fellows and their master, and to forgive, and end the quarrel.
Thus two results will follow; he will win the respect of men, and
praise with God, if only he will combine forbearance with
threats. If you have any friendship and intimacy with him, pray
ask this favour of him, and, if you know any in the town likely to be
able to move him, get them to act with you, and tell them that it will
be specially gratifying to me. Send back the deacon so soon as
his commission is performed. After men have fled for refuge to
me, I should be ashamed not to be able to be of any use to
them.
2257
Placed at
about the same period as the preceding.
2258
cf.
Letter
lxiv.
Letters
lxxii. and lxxiii.
illustrate the efforts made by Basil to mitigate the troubles caused
by slavery, and to regulate domestic as well as ecclesiastical
matters.