Letter 191: Chrysostom praises Amproucla for writing first and asks for more letters.

I received a second letter from you, though you said you had sent an earlier one, my honored and esteemed lady. I say again what I said before: do not call it boldness to be the first to write to us, and do not treat as a fault what is actually your greatest praise. We take it as proof of fervent and warm love, of a genuine and sincere disposition hotter than flame. Knowing this, keep lavishing this favor on us. Tell us about your health, and send us storms of letters with that good news. If we know that those who love us are cheerful, healthy, and safe, we will receive no small consolation in this foreign land. We will enjoy great comfort even while living in the remotest wilderness. Consider, then, what a festival you create for us, and do not begrudge us such beautiful gladness.

ΡΑʹ. Ἀμπρούκλῃ διακόνῳ. Ἐδεξάμην δευτέραν, ἣν ἔφης προτέραν ἐπιστολὴν ἐπεσταλκέναι, δέσποινά μου τιμιωτάτη καὶ κοσμιωτάτη. Καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ πάλιν λέγω, μὴ κάλει τόλμαν τὸ προτέραν τοῖς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπιπηδῆσαι γράμμασι, μηδὲ ἁμάρτημα νόμιζε τὸ μέγιστον ἐγκώμιον. Ἀγάπης γὰρ ζεούσης καὶ θερμῆς τοῦτο δεῖγμα ποιούμεθα, καὶ τῆς γνησίας καὶ εἰλικρινοῦς σου διαθέσεως τῆς φλογὸς θερμοτέρας. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδυῖα ἐπιδαψίλευε ταύτην ἡμῖν τὴν χάριν συνεχῶς, περὶ τῆς ὑγείας ἡμῖν δηλοῦσα τῆς σῆς, καὶ πέμπε νιφάδας ἡμῖν γραμμάτων, τοῦτο ἀπαγγελλούσας. Ἐὰν γὰρ θαῤῥῶμεν περὶ τῶν ἀγαπώντων ἡμᾶς, ὅτι ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ καὶ ἐν ὑγείᾳ καὶ ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ καθεστήκατε, οὐ μικρὰν δεξόμεθα τῆς ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ διατριβῆς παράκλησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγίστην καρπωσόμεθα παραμυθίαν, καίτοι γε ἐσχάτην ἐρημίαν οἰκοῦντες. Λογισαμένη τοίνυν ὅσην ἡμῖν ἐργάσῃ τὴν ἑορτὴν, μὴ φθονήσῃς ἡμῖν τῆς καλλίστης ταύτης εὐφροσύνης, ἀλλ' ὡς ἂν ἐγχωρῇ, καὶ οἷόν τε ᾖ, εὐαγγελίζου διηνεκῶς ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως τῆς σῆς.