Letter 8013: VARIAE, BOOK 8, LETTER 13

13. KING ATHALARIC TO AMBROSIUS, MAN OF ILLUSTRIOUS RANK, QUAESTOR. [1] He climbs to the heights secure who has proven himself in things somewhat lesser, and he advances with sure footing who, step by step, gains what he has desired once it is granted. For whatever is sudden is thought to be rewarded without merit, nor does anything that comes about all at once escape the suspicion of being untested; whereas, on the contrary, all things deliberated upon are robust, and a man is believed to have secured everything by good deeds who is promoted after proofs of praiseworthy service. [2] Long ago, taken up amid the schools of letters by that inspector of merits who by his judgments even foretold things to come, you presided over the office of the private largesses: a slight honor, had it not grown from you yourself, but which you, taking it up, so enlarged by the favor of your sovereign as a patronage of merits that there was often committed to you what the rank itself did not possess. And if it is praiseworthy to be equal even to middling honors, how much more excellent it is to have surpassed by one's character the dignity of the court. When you had carried these things through, praised under so great a judge, you also found the favor of another post. [3] For you were approved as appointed to the drafting of state documents, when another had been driven out by his offenses; and your talent so sustained your suspended honor that you would not allow the palace to lack a magistrate whose dignity we know to have been for a time revoked. Our times are not unequal to those that have passed: we have men who follow and rival the ancients. [4] Behold, once again, prominent through your talent, you come to the quaestorship. Now give back Pliny, and take up Trajan. You have great things to say, if you too shine forth with like eloquence. The fame of an age is begotten from lawful and eloquent command. For an articulate tongue heaps up all good things, and what is enjoined by us is adorned by the favor of the one who composes it. Be for us most ready to suggest good things, and steadfastly upright against the wickedness of those who presume to evil. Speak even to our ears that which is wholly on our behalf. That is a good prince to whom it is permitted to speak on behalf of justice, and against the mark of tyrannical savagery to be unwilling to hear the established ordinances of the old sanctions. [5] We renew, surely, that most celebrated saying of Trajan: take up your drafting, for the commonwealth if I am good, and against me, for the commonwealth, if I am bad. But see what we ask of you, since we do not permit even ourselves to be allowed anything unjust. Therefore let our decrees re-echo the ordinances of the ancients, which find as much sweetness of praise as they take on the savor of antiquity. [6] The prejudgments which we dread, we do not love in others. We bind you, surely, to the general body of citizens, while we command absolutely that the laws be observed. This we say now for this reason, that we may seem to have opportunely consulted the interest of all in your person. For it is fitting to forewarn, lest we seem to wish to correct you too late, after the perils of others. Follow the examples of good men, and proceed mindful of your nobility. Those men return worthily to the vices of their stock who are born of a contemptible lineage. [7] These things, then, having been declared beforehand for the public good, we grant to you, by God's favor, the insignia of the quaestorship for the fifth indiction with good fortune, the honor of the prudent, the fountain of all dignities, since there proceeds from it whatever has flowed forth from the bounty of our indulgence. See to it that you, who are admitted to our council, may be known to excel all in prudence and gravity. For you see what befits you. You are called the voice of the laws, while we establish the laws. Apply yourself now to honesty and good faith, so that, just as the prior honor made you worthy of a second, so the second may make you worthy of a third dignity.

XIII. AMBROSIO V. I. QUAESTORI ATHALARICUS REX. [1] Securus celsa conscendit, qui se in paulo minoribus approbavit et certo procedit vestigio, qui gradatim desiderio potitur accepto. sine merito siquidem remuneratum putatur omne quod subitum est nec inexplorati suspicionem refugit, quod repente provenerit. contra omnia deliberata robusta sunt et totum bonis actibus optinuisse creditur, qui post documenta laudatae militiae promovetur. [2] Dudum inter gymnasia litterarum adscitus ab illo inspectore meritorum, qui iudiciis suis etiam futura praedicebat, privatarum largitionum fascibus praefuisti: honor, nisi ex te crevisset, exiguus, quem tu suscipiens patrocinium meritorum ita gratia dominantis auxisti, ut tibi saepe committeretur quod dignitas non habebat. quod si laudabile est vel mediocribus esse honoribus parem, quanto praestantius vicisse moribus aulicam dignitatem. haec cum tu sub tanto iudice laudata perageres, gratiam quoque loci alterius invenisti. [3] Dictationibus enim probaris adhibitus, cum sit offensionibus alter expulsus, et ita suspensum honorem tuum sustinebat ingenium, ut palatio deesse non sineres iudicem, cuius ad tempus abrogatam cognovimus dignitatem. non sunt imparia tempora nostra transactis: habemus sequaces aemulosque priscorum. [4] Ecce iterum ad quaesturam eminens evenit ingenio. redde nunc Plinium et sume Traianum. habes magna quae dicas, si et tu simili oratione resplendeas. fama temporum de legitima atque eloquenti iussione generatur. omnia si quidem bona cumulat lingua diserta et quod a nobis praecipitur, gratia dictantis ornatur. esto nobis ad bona suggerenda promptissimus et adversum improbitatem male praesumentium constanter erectus. dic etiam auribus nostris quod est omnino pro nobis. bonus princeps ille est, cui licet pro iustitia loqui, et contra tyrannicae feritatis indicium audire nolle constituta veterum sanctionum. [5] Renovamus certe dictum illud celeberrimum Traiani: sume dictationem, si bonus fuero, pro re publica et me, si malus, pro re publica in me. sed vide quid a te quaeramus, quando nec nobis aliquid iniustum licere permittimus. decreta ergo nostra priscorum resonent constituta, quae tantam suavitatem laudis inveniunt, quantum saporem vetustatis assumunt. [6] Praeiudicia, quae nos horremus, in aliis non amamus. obligamus te certe generalitati, dum absolute praecipimus iura servari. quod ideo nunc dicimus, ut opportune omnibus in te consuluisse videamur. decet enim praemonere, ne te iam tardius post aliena pericula videamur velle corrigere. bonorum exempla sequere et nobilitatis tuae memor incede. illi digne ad vitia generis sui redeunt, qui contemptibili stirpe nascuntur. [7] His igitur in bonum publicum praedictis per quintam feliciter indictionem quaesturae tibi insignia deo praestante concedimus, honorem prudentium, fontem omnium dignitatum, quando exinde procedit, quod indulgentiae nostrae largitate manaverit. age ut, qui ad consilium nostrum adscisceris, prudentia cunctis et gravitate praeminere noscaris. nam quid tibi conveniat, vides. vox legum diceris, dum nos iura condamus. incumbe nunc probitati vel fidei, ut, sicut te prior honor dignum fecit alteri, ita secundus tertiae faciat dignitati.