Epistola Constantini Ad Porphyrium

Letter of Constantine to Porphyrius. The Unconquered Constantine, Augustus, Greatest. If such weight and gravity were regarded in poetry, and Greek eloquence after the bard of Chios or Maeonia, and Latin after the rustic of Mantua had fallen silent, then those who, taking up subjects according to the quality of their talents, had labored in vain, would not be blameless, since all glory would reside with the first founders of eloquence, dearest brother. But since the practice of this art has always been open, and it has been denied to no one to set forth from it what can delight even those whom a later age has brought forth, it does not entirely exclude from the fruit of favor those who, having abandoned weightier sounds, have turned their measures to lighter things. One has bound himself to the buskin and, with almost everyday and moral words, has spoken of human emotions in comedies; another has sung elegy in uneven meter; the pleasant love of the lyre has served many fingers with half-speaking strings for the equality of measure. But the grace of sought-after praise has not redounded to each and every one. The favor of emperors, which is accustomed to water and nourish minds devoted to learning no differently than a stream drawn forth from the brow of a sloping path tempers dry fields with gushing springs, has been lacking to the talents of some. In my age, those who write and speak are followed by a kindly hearing no differently than a gentle breeze. Finally, even for their pursuits, a testimony of merit from me is not denied.

There has always been an open course for orators; but those who speak in verses have been confined by fixed boundaries established by the law of meter. Therefore it is not without reason that custom has arisen that those who are about to speak in this genre should seek the peaks of Helicon or Parnassus, since when the substance of mortal talent fails, divine aid seems necessary. I am pleased that the facility of your studies has resulted in this: that in composing verses, while preserving the ancient, you have also created a new lyre for yourself. This has been preserved by very few, who, bound by certain narrow modes of letters and by the distinctions of verses (which secretly interweave the middle body of the subject in such a way that the perception of the eyes is delighted by the intermingled pigments of colors), have held to this purpose, so that hesitation would not be repaired by the manifold observance of law in the poem. Therefore this gift of your dedication was pleasing to me: the exercise of your mind and the facility of your nature have been proven. You, since you see that the grace of your work, which you had sought from my ears, has not perished, should both exult in the outcome of the present time and seek not undeserved praise by the exercise of your talent.

Augustus Maximus. Pith. maximus Augustus. They would be looked at in. Pith. they would be awaited. And Greek after. Pith. omits and. Eloquence had fallen silent. Pith. eloquence would become worthless. The whole glory had settled. Pith. had settled. To proclaim that from it. Pith. to say. The age has brought to delight. Pith. omits to delight. Excludes of favor. Pith. excluded of favor. They bent. Pith. they bent. With buskins and almost daily. Pith. buskins. The other almost daily. Words affection. Pith. words enticed. Someone spoke, unequal. Pith. someone spoke: to some unequal. Elegy is sung. Pith. elegiac things were sung. He inserted for equal of modulation…. But not concerning individual. Pith. he inserted. For the quality of modulation to individual. Of the talents of Emperors favor. Pith. of the talents of times favor. To irrigate. Pith. to water. As if sloping. Pith. as if sloping. He tempered. Pith. he tempered. Not otherwise well. Pith. not otherwise well.

Orators had. Pith. orations had. In this kind of speech. Pith. as in this kind of speech. Parn. ridges. Pith. Parnassian sacred things Also a new lyre for himself. Pith. also new laws for himself. Bound by your modes, which are somewhat narrow, by the distinctions of letters and verses. Pith. as if bound by certain knots of art, they would pour forth a blameless poem without the intervention of fault. With the difficulty of names set before you, the number of letters, the distinctions of verses. The hidden purpose intermingles. Pith. the purpose of the work intermingles. Perhaps: the purpose of the work would conceal. The sense of the eyes. Pith. the thorns of the eyes. They held this. Pith. to hold this. Hesitation for the poem. Pith. hesitating poems. Would not restore. Pith. would not separate. Of dedication. Pith. of dictation. Has been approved. Pith. has been approved…. If you, when you see. Pith. You, when you see for yourself. Not to have perished for the ears, and prov. Pith. for the ears…, you do not seek, but prov.