Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume VIII/The Letters/Letter 21

To Leontius the Sophist.

excellent Julianus seems to get some good for his private affairs out of the general condition of things.&#160; Everything nowadays is full of taxes demanded and called in, and he too is vehemently dunned and indicted.&#160; Only it is a question not of arrears of rates and taxes, but of letters.&#160; But how he comes to be a defaulter I do not know.&#160; He has always paid a letter, and received a letter&#8212;as he has this.&#160; But possibly you have a preference for the famous &#8220;four-times-as-much.&#8221; &#160;For even the Pythagoreans were not so fond of their Tetractys, as these modern tax-collectors of their &#8220;four-times-as-much.&#8221;&#160; Yet perhaps the fairer thing would have been just the opposite, that a Sophist like you, so very well furnished with words, should be bound in pledge to me for &#8220;four-times-as-much.&#8221;&#160; But do not suppose for a moment that I am writing all this out of ill-humour.&#160; I am only too pleased to get even a scolding from you.&#160; The good and beautiful do everything, it is said, with the addition of goodness and beauty. &#160; Even grief and anger in them are becoming.&#160; At all events any one would rather see his friend angry with him than any one else flattering him.&#160; Do not then cease preferring charges like the last!&#160; The very charge will mean a letter; and nothing can be more precious or delightful to me.