Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Ser. II, Vol. VIII:
The Letters.: Libanius to Basil.

Letter CCCXLVII.

Libanius to Basil.

Every bishop is a thing out of which it is very hard to get anything. 3279   The further you have advanced beyond other people in learning, the more you make me afraid that you will refuse what I ask.  I want some rafters. 3280   Any other sophist would have called them stakes, or poles, not because he wanted stakes or poles, but rather for shewing off his wordlets than out of any real need.  If you do not supply them, I shall have to winter in the open air.

Footnotes

πρᾶγμα δυσγρίπιστον.  γριπίζω=I catch fish, from γρῖφος, a creel.

στρωτήρ.