Letter 43: Chrysostom trusts Bassiana's love despite silence and asks for news of her household.

You have been silent for a long time, even though you have my lord, the most honored and reverend deacon Theodotus, who can easily find people traveling from there to here. But because of this we do not suspect your love, as if it had become more careless toward us. We have had much experience of it in many ways, and have come to know its splendor and sincerity, its genuineness and unchangeableness. Whether you write or keep silent, then, we remain disposed in the same way toward your nobility, confident that your disposition remains whole and pure. Still, though we feel this way, we very much wish to receive continual letters from you bringing good news of your health and of your whole household. We long for this and cling to it greatly, as you yourself know. Knowing this, my most modest and noble lady, grant us this favor. It is light, easy, reasonable, and it gives great comfort to us who sit in solitude.

ΜΓʹ. Βασσιανῇ. Αὐτὴ μὲν μακρὸν ἐσίγησας χρόνον, καὶ ταῦτα ἔχουσα τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν τιμιώτατον καὶ εὐλαβέστατον Θεόδοτον τὸν διάκονον, δυνάμενον ῥᾳδίως εὑρίσκειν τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν ἐνταῦθα ἀφικνουμένους. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ ἐντεῦθεν ὑποπτεύομέν σου τὴν ἀγάπην, ὡς ῥᾳθυμοτέραν γεγενημένην περὶ ἡμᾶς· πολλὴν γὰρ αὐτῆς πεῖραν, καὶ διὰ πολλῶν εἰλήφαμεν, καὶ ἔγνωμεν αὐτῆς τὸ λαμπρὸν καὶ εἰλικρινὲς, τὸ γνήσιον καὶ ἀπερίτρεπτον. ∆ιὸ κἂν γράφῃς, κἂν σιγᾷς, ὁμοίως διακείμεθά σου περὶ τὴν εὐγένειαν, καὶ θαῤῥοῦμεν περὶ τῆς διαθέσεως τῆς σῆς, ὡς ἀκεραίου καὶ ἀκραιφνοῦς μενούσης. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ οὕτω διακείμενοι, σφόδρα βουλόμεθα συνεχῆ δέχεσθαι γράμματα παρ' ὑμῶν, εὐαγγελιζόμενα ἡμᾶς περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς ὑμετέρας, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου ὑμῶν παντός. Ἐπειδὴ καὶ σφόδρα ταύτης ἐπιθυμοῦμεν καὶ ἀντεχόμεθα, καθάπερ καὶ αὐτὴ οἶσθα. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδυῖα, κυρία μου κοσμιωτάτη καὶ εὐγενεστάτη, χαρίζου τὴν χάριν ἡμῖν ταύτην, κούφην τε οὖσαν καὶ ῥᾳδίαν, καὶ εὔλογον, καὶ πολλὴν ἡμῖν καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ καθημένοις παρέχουσαν τὴν παραμυθίαν.