Helping a friend. Seneca, Epistles 5.45.1-2

Lucilius complains to Seneca that he lacks books, so the older man promises to send some. He regrets that he hasn't been able to send himself, in person, but hopes to see Lucilius soon, when the latter's term in office as governor (procurator) of Sicily is over.

Librorum istic inopiam esse quereris. Non refert quam multos sed quam bonos habeas: lectio certa prodest, varia delectat. Qui quo destinavit pervenire vult unam sequatur viam, non per multas vagetur: non ire istuc sed errare est. Vellem inquis magis consilium mihi quam libros dares. Ego vero quoscumque habeo mittere paratus sum et totum horreum excutere; me quoque isto, si possem, transferrem, et nisi mature te finem officii sperarem impetraturum, hanc senilem expeditionem indixissem mihi nec me Charybdis et Scylla et fabulosum istud fretum deterrere potuissent. Tranassem ista, non solum traiecissem, dummodo te complecti possem et praesens aestimare quantum animo crevisses.

You complain that you lack books, in your latest letter. It makes no real difference how many books you have, only how good they are. Reading texts you have proven is worthwhile; reading widely is just for fun. The man who wants to arrive at a destination he has fixed should follow one road, not wander aimless through many. The latter approach is not really going anywhere, unless our aim is to get lost. “I would rather you gave me counsel than books,” you say. Still, I am prepared to send you as many books as I have, even to the point of emptying my entire library. I would send myself along to you as well, if I could—and if I weren't expecting you soon to finish your term of office, I would already have marked myself for the voyage to Sicily, old as I am, in spite of all that Charybdis, Scylla, and the fabled strait of Messina might do to scare me off. I would even swim past them all, not merely take ship, if I could be sure of embracing you at the end, and witnessing in person how much your mind has grown.