Letter 8005: [First letter] It pleased the public interest that greater responsibilities were entrusted to you.

Nothing is divided between you and your excellent father, either in property or in affection. Therefore the letter as well, which I sent to his reverence, you were able, as one who shares in all things, to count as received. But now you must be cultivated by us under your own name too. Moreover, I took care that the office of two should not be charged to a single respondent [...]. Yet brevity suits this page, since I have plucked beforehand the things worthy of report. Therefore you will hold this discourse as a witness of our love toward you. But it is fitting that you be expansive in writing back. For the terms are not equal: a single labor for me, who am repaid twice over, but for each of you a separate one. It is difficult for two channels to be filled from one spring; doubled sources flow abundantly into a single bed.

Nihil inter te et optimum parentem tuum re aut adfectione divisum est. ergo et litteras, quas ad eius reverentiam misi, ut omnium particeps in acceptum referre po- tuisti. sed iam colendus es nobis etiam tuo nomine. praeterea cavi, ne respondente uno inputaretur . *. munus duorum. convenit tamen brevitas huic paginae, quia relatu digna praecerpsi. quare sermonem istum tamquam amoris in te nostri testem tenebis. 10 verum te in rescribendo decet esse prolixum. neque enim par condicio est a me ite- rati, utrique autem vestrum singularis laboris. duos meatus repleri uno fonte diflficile est; uni alveo abunde influunt duplicata principia. XXV a. 396. AD ALBINVM. 15 Crcdo arbitreris, circumsessum me Gampaniae amoenitatibus scribendi ad te hac- tenus neglegentem fuisse. non est ea fortuna horum locorum, ut seriam curam se- peliant voluptates. insolitis omnia necessitatibus strepunt et oneri cessere deliciae. quare negotium pro otio repperi, nec possum facile ad haec amicitiae munia animum retorquere. spondeo tamen reverentiae tuae , quod litteris meis praeferas. relegere 20