Section 1 — ¶1 [1] – 1 [3]

1 [1] [1] I have many times wondered why you have at some time been affected towards us and whence you have been so much defeated by our small and little insignificance which perhaps has nothing lovable; and you encourage us with words and remind us of friendship and of the fatherland, attempting with paternal compassions to return us to yourselves just as some fugitives. I confess, then, that I have become a fugitive, and I do not deny it; and since you already desire to, you might learn the reason. [2] Certainly, having been wounded by the unforeseen, just as those who are terrified by sudden sounds I did not contain my thoughts but I left in flight and sojourned for some time away from you; and then, however, a certain desire for the divine dogmas and the philosophy which concerns them took hold of me. For I said: ‘How would I be able to rule the vice which dwells within us? Who then would become for me Laban, freeing me from Esau and teaching me the highest philosophy?’ [3] But since, with God, we reached the goal according to our strength, finding the vessel of election and the deep well, I say, the mouth of Christ, Gregory, allow us a bit of time, a bit, I ask: for we request, not embracing the way of life in the cities—neither has the Evil One escaped our notice, he who contrives by means of such things the deception for men—but judging that concourse to be most beneficial which is with the saints. For in saying something concerning the divine dogmas, and in more often hearing, we receive the habit of contemplations, difficult to put off. And those things which concern us are in this wise.

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[1] The numbers without square brackets refer to the paragraph numbers in the edition of Courtonne, as provided in Basil 1 (see Bibliography). The numbers in square brackets refer to the paragraph numbers of Bunge as provided in Casiday.