Epistles of Ignatius

Sight is indeed better than writing, since, being one of our senses, it not only strengthens friendships by sharing evidence of them, but also, by receiving these in return, it enhances the desire for better things. But the second safe harbor, as the saying goes, is the act of writing, which we have received, as a convenient haven, through your faith, from such a great distance, since through a letter we have come to know the excellence within you. For the souls of the good, O wisest of women, are like fountains of the purest water; they entice passers-by to drink from them with their beauty, even if they are not thirsty. Your intelligence invites us, as if by command, to partake in those divine drafts that flow so abundantly from your soul.