ὁ κοινὸς δεσπότης ὁ ὁσιώτατος ἐπίσκοπος ἀββᾶ Μακάριος ἔγρ[αψεν] τῇ εὐτελείᾳ μου, ἵνα γράψω ὑμῖν περὶ τοῦ διδομένου τῷ τῆ̣[ς ὁσίας μνήμης] ἀββᾶ Σενούθῃ σίτου τε καὶ κριθῆς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐν ἁγίοις κύρα[ς].
ὡς γὰρ ἔγραψεν, ἡ ὑμετέρα περίβλε(πτος) ἀδελφότης εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὡς, ἐὰν μὴ γράψω πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐνυπογράφα γράμματα περὶ τούτου· ἐ̣[γὼ δὲ] ἐθαύμασα ὑμᾶς ἐπισταμένους ὅτι, οὐ μόνον εἰς τὸ περὶ τούτου, ἀλλ[ὰ καὶ περὶ] οἱουδήποτε πράγματος ὁρο͂ντος.
οὔτε ἀνέχο[μ]αι ἐγὼ γράψαι, εἰ μὴ ἄρα παρακαλέσω τὸν κοινὸν δεσπότην τὸν ἐνδοξ(ό)τ(ατον), ἰλ̣[λούσ]̣τ̣ριο̣ν̣ αὐτὸς γράψαι· καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἠθέλησα παρακαλέσαι τὴ[ν αὐτοῦ ἐνδοξότητα] περὶ τούτου, ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ οἴδειν ὅτι ἄλλα μοναστήρι[α] λ[...].
καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐγὼ οὐ δύναμαι μὴ εἰπεῖν ἀλήθειαν παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ, ὅσα εἶπέν μοι ἔγραψα τῷ αὐτῷ ὁσιωτ[ά]τῳ ἐπισκόπῳ. καὶ γὰρ, ὡς νομίζω, διὰ τὴν αἰσχύνην οὐχ ηὗρεν ἀντιγράψαι αὐτῷ ὅλως.
ταῦτα γράφω ἀσπαζό[μενος] τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀδελφικὴν περιβλε(πτότητα). τοῦτο \δὲ/ καὶ εἶπέν μοι ὡς ἐὰν [μὴ ἔλθω] μετὰ τοῦ ὁσιωτάτου μου πενθεροῦ πρὸς ἀββᾶ Παῦλον τ[ὸν ἁγιώτατον(?)] ἀρχημανδρίτην καὶ διαλάβῃ τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ κρίνῃ τὸ τίς ὀφείλει λ[α]βεῖν τὸ {τὸ} χρυσίον, οὐδὲν παρέχε[τ]ε.
μὴ εὑρὼν οὖν πεῖσαι αὐτὸν ἀντιγράψαι αὐτῷ, ἐγὼ τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας ἔγραψα. πλὴν καὶ ἄλλο τί ποτε ἔγραψέν μοι περὶ το[ῦ] ξε[ν]εῶνος τοῦ ἐν Ναβοώ, ὡς θέλει τίς ποτε καινοτομῆσαι τὸν αὐτὸν ξενεῶνα παρʼ ὃ <εἶπ(?)>εν ἐπὶ τοῦ τῆς ὁσίας μνήμης ἀββᾶ Σενούθου, ἵνα παρακαλέσω τὴν αὐτοῦ ἐνδο[ξότ]ητα καὶ γράψῃ ὑμῖν περὶ τούτου.
καὶ νομίζω περισσόν ἐστιν τοῦ τὴν αὐτοῦ ἐνδο[ξότ]ητα γράψαι ὑμῖν περὶ τούτου· οὐ γὰρ θέλει τὴν οἱανδήποτε καινοτομίαν γενέσθαι εἰς οἱονδήποτε πρᾶγμα, μάλιστα εἰς ἐκκλησιαστικά. οὔτε καὶ ὑμεῖς ὀφείλετε συγχωρῆσαι.
παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς εὐθέως ἀπολῦσαι καὶ τὸ πλοῖον Βίκτορος τοῦ υἱοῦ Κὸς μετὰ τοῦ ἄρακος καὶ τὸ ἄλλο πλοῖον μετὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἄρακ[ος].
(καὶ) προσκυ(νήσεως) ἀξί(ῳ) γ̣νη̣(σίῳ) φίλ(ῳ) (καὶ) ἀδελφῷ Πλ\ου/σ\ά/μμω(νι) κόμ\ε/(τι) (καὶ) Κολλοῦθος σὺν \θ(εῷ)/ χαρτ(ουλάριος).
The common lord, the most holy bishop Abba Makarios, wrote to my humility, that I might write to you concerning what is given to the memory of the holy Abba Senouth concerning wheat and barley for the holy lady.
For as he wrote, your esteemed brotherhood said to him that if I do not write to you with written letters concerning this matter; I was amazed at you knowing that not only concerning this, but also concerning any matter that is seen.
Neither do I endure to write, unless I then encourage the common lord, the most illustrious, to write himself; and as I truly wished to encourage his glory concerning this, but since I know that other monasteries have arranged everything in the knowledge given to me by you, that I might encourage him and sign, for this reason I did not wish to make a difference, but that I remain encouraging him to write only for the knowledge. For I know that you also do not make a difference.
He wrote to me and also to the most illustrious common lord that your esteemed brotherhood was in doubt concerning the wheat (of the artabans) as you do not provide unless you receive their letters; and you well sought the safety of yours. I have spoken, and since I cannot but speak the truth to every man, whatever he said to me I wrote to the same most holy bishop. For indeed, as I think, because of shame he did not find to write to him at all.
These things I write embracing your brotherly esteem. This also he said to me that if I do not come with my most holy father-in-law to Abba Paul the most holy archimandrite and discuss the matter and judge who ought to receive the gold, you do not provide anything of theirs. Therefore, not finding to persuade him to write to him, I wrote the things of the truth. But also another thing he wrote to me concerning the guesthouse of Naboo, as someone wishes to innovate the same guesthouse contrary to what he said concerning the memory of the holy Abba Senouth, that I might encourage his glory and he might write to you concerning this.
And I think it is more than to write to you concerning this; for he does not wish any innovation to happen in any matter, especially in ecclesiastical matters. Nor do you owe to forgive. But I urge you immediately to release and the ship of Victor the son of Cos with the cargo and the other ship with the same cargo.
† ὁ κοινὸς δεσπότης ὁ ὁσιώτατος ἐπίσκοπος ἀββᾶ Μακάριος ἔγρ[αψεν]
τῇ εὐτελείᾳ μου, ἵνα γράψω ὑμῖν περὶ τοῦ διδομένου τῷ τῆ̣[ς ὁσίας μνήμης]
ἀββᾶ Σενούθῃ σίτου τε καὶ κριθῆς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐν ἁγίοις κύρα[ς ...].
ὡς γὰρ ἔγραψεν, ἡ ὑμετέρα περίβλε(πτος) ἀδελφότης εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὡς, ἐὰν μὴ
γράψω πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐνυπόγραφα γράμματα περὶ τούτου· ἐ̣[γὼ δὲ]
ἐθαύμασα ὑμᾶς ἐπισταμένους ὅτι, οὐ μόνον εἰς τὸ περὶ τούτου, ἀλλ[ὰ καὶ περὶ]
οἱουδήποτε πράγματος ὁρῶντος τὴν Ἀπόλλωνος. οὐδέ ἀνέχο[μ]αι ἐγὼ γράψαι,
εἰ μὴ ἄρα παρακαλέσω τὸν κοινὸν δεσπότην τὸν ἐνδοξ(ό)τ(ατον), ἰλ̣[λούσ]τ̣ριο̣ν̣
αὐτὸς γράψαι· καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἠθέλησα παρακαλέσαι τὴ[ν αὐτοῦ ἐνδοξότητα]
περὶ τούτου, ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ ᾔδειν ὅτι ἄλλα μοναστήρι[α] λ[...]
καὶ δηλονότι πάντα ἔταξεν ἐν τῇ ἐπιδοθείσῃ μοι παρʼ ὑμῶν γνώσει, ἵνα παρακαλέσω αὐτὸν
καὶ ὑπογράψαι, τούτου χάριν οὐκ ἠθέλησα ποιῆσαι διαφοράν, ἀλλʼ ἵνα μένω παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν ἵνα γράψῃ μόνον εἰς τὴν γνῶσιν. οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι καὶ ὑμεῖς οὐ ποιεῖτε διαφοράν. ἔγραψέν μοι δὲ καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ ἐνδοξ(ο)τ(άτῳ) κοινῷ δεσπότῃ ὡς ἀμφέβαλεν ἡ ὑμετέρα περίβλε(πτος) ἀδελφότης περὶ τῶν σί(του) (ἀρταβῶν) Ασ ὡς οὐ παρέχε<τε> εἰ μὴ λ[άβ]ητε ἐπιστάλμ(ατα) αὐτῶν· καὶ καλῶς ὑμεῖς ἐζητήσατε τὴν ἀσφάλειαν ὑμῶν. [...] καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐγὼ οὐ δύναμαι μὴ εἰπεῖν ἀλήθειαν παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ, ὅσα εἶπέν μοι ἔγραψα τῷ αὐτῷ ὁσιωτ[ά]τῳ ἐπισκόπῳ. καὶ γὰρ, ὡς νομίζω, διὰ τὴν αἰσχύνην οὐχ ηὗρεν ἀντιγράψαι αὐτῷ ὅλως. ταῦτα γράφω ἀσπαζόμενος τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀδελφικὴν περιβλε(πτότητα). [...] περὶ το[ῦ] ξε[ν]εῶνος τοῦ ἐν Ναβοώ, ὡς θέλει τίς ποτε καινοτομῆσαι τὸν αὐτὸν ξενεῶνα παρʼ ὃ <εἶπ(?)>εν ἐπὶ τοῦ τῆς ὁσίας μνήμης ἀββᾶ Σενούθου, ἵνα παρακαλέσω τὴν αὐτοῦ ἐνδο[ξότ]ητα καὶ γράψῃ ὑμῖν περὶ τούτου. καὶ νομίζω περισσόν ἐστιν τοῦ τὴν αὐτοῦ ἐνδο[ξότ]ητα γράψαι ὑμῖν περὶ τούτου· οὐ γὰρ θέλει τὴν οἱανδήποτε καινοτομίαν γενέσθαι εἰς οἱονδήποτε πρᾶγμα, μάλιστα εἰς ἐκκλησιαστικά. οὔτε καὶ ὑμεῖς ὀφείλετε συγχωρῆσαι. παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς εὐθέως ἀπολῦσαι καὶ τὸ πλοῖον Βίκτορος τοῦ υἱοῦ Κῶς μετὰ τοῦ ἄρακος καὶ τὸ ἄλλο πλοῖον μετὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἄρακ[ος.]
† δεσπό(τῃ) ἐμῷ τὰ π]ά̣(ντα) περιβλ(έπτῳ) πά(σης) τιμῆ(ς) (καὶ) προσκυ(νήσεως) ἀ̣ξ̣ί(ῳ) γ̣νη̣(σίῳ) φίλ(ῳ) (καὶ) ἀδελφῷ Πλουσάμμωνι κόμ(ετι) [...] †
† Κολλοῦθος σὺν θ(εῷ) χαρτ(ουλάριος). †
† The common master, the most holy bishop Abba Makarios, wrote to my humility, that I should write to you concerning the grain and barley given to Abba Shenoute of blessed memory, on behalf of the holy lady [...]. For as he wrote, your esteemed brotherhood said to him that unless I write to you signed letters concerning this matter [...]. I was astonished that you know that not only concerning this matter, but also concerning any matter involving Apollos, I myself cannot bear to write unless I first request the common master, the most illustrious lord, to write himself. And truly, I wished to request his illustriousness concerning this matter, but since I knew that other monasteries [...] clearly he arranged everything in the information given to me by you, so that I might request him and he might sign. For this reason, I did not wish to create a dispute, but rather to remain requesting him only to write for information. For I know that you also do not create disputes. [...] I write these things greeting your esteemed brotherhood. [...] concerning the guesthouse in Naboo, that someone wishes to innovate upon the same guesthouse contrary to what was said in the time of Abba Shenoute of blessed memory, that I might request his illustriousness to write to you concerning this. And I think it unnecessary for his illustriousness to write to you about this, for he does not wish any innovation to occur in any matter, especially ecclesiastical ones. Nor should you permit it. I ask you also to immediately release the ship of Victor, son of Kos, with its cargo, and the other ship with the same cargo.