Letter
LXVIII.
2244
To Meletius, bishop of Antioch
.
I wished
to detain the reverend
brother Dorotheus, the deacon, so long at my side, with the object of
keeping him until the end of the negociations, and so by him
acquainting your excellency with every detail. But day after day
went by; the delay was becoming protracted; now, the moment that some
plan, so far as is possible in my difficulties, has occurred to me
concerning the course to be taken, I send him to approach your
holiness, to make a personal report to you on all the circumstances,
and show you my memorandum, to the end that, if what has occurred to me
seems to you to be likely to be of service, your excellency may urge on
its accomplishment. To be brief, the opinion has prevailed that
it is best for this our brother Dorotheus to travel to Rome, to move
some of the Italians to undertake a voyage by sea to visit us, that
they may avoid all who would put difficulties in their way. My
reason for this course is that I see that those, who are all powerful
with the Emperor, are neither willing nor able to make any suggestion
to him about the
exiled, but
only count it so much to the good that they see no worse thing
befalling the Churches. If, then, my plan seems good also to your
prudence, you will be good enough both to indite letters and dictate
memoranda as to the points on which he must enlarge, and as to whom he
had better address himself. And so that your despatches may have
weight and authority, you will add all those who share your sentiments,
even though they are not on the spot. Here all is uncertain;
Euippius
2245
has arrived, but so
far has made no sign. However, he and those who think with him
from the Armenian Tetrapolis and Cilicia are threatening a tumultuous
meeting.
2244
Of the same
time.
2245
cf.
Letter
ccli.