Letter 10

Ennodius to Johannes. I would return the favor, were it not that returned praise would burden the affection of a friend's heart. Lest while we seem to scratch each other's backs in mutual panegyrics, our love be polluted by the suspicion of flattery and affection slide into vice — since we would be showering upon one another, inappropriately, what we ought to offer to others. For the ornaments of those who love each other should be kept among familiar pages, not broadcast, lest we burden our consciences with empty-headed displays of praise. There are places where your virtues — to keep silent about them before you, out of affection — may be celebrated freely: concerning what I perceive of your progress, I owe you only a devout silence. I could, of course, following the vices of the age, now pour out your praises in inexhaustible proclamation and color every page with painted flatteries. But far be this from my purpose, far from my character, that I should wish one whom I hold in my inmost mind to be content with such a reward alone. I owe you not soothing speech but the voice of a critic. Not deluding you with the painted artifices of words, but holding you wholly in the depths of my mind, I could say: you have reached the summit of knowledge without prejudice from your tender age; you have attained the height of perfection; you need be constrained by no care, but should adorn yourself with your talents like a wealthy possessor. But such things, as I said, are foreign to me. I goad you with a parent's voice; I say: however great the promise of your eloquence in its white flower, I do not rejoice until the harvest — as the greedy farmer is wont to measure the year's abundance only in his granaries. Already in you I see, if not yet heavy ears of grain, yet stalks swelling with much milk; already our hopes are nearly at the threshing-floor. But more is to be feared when neighboring hope kindles our desires. Labor therefore at your studies; cherish the light in your conversations; devote yourself assiduously to reading, so that the fruit of your eloquence may be winnowed by the sifting of many authors. What you write is beautiful, but I love what is strong more; your work is crowned with flowers, but I prefer the fruit. Farewell, my lord; embrace what I have conveyed with the sincerity in which I offered it, and measure my love by the faithfulness of my admonition. Know that I shall deny your letters to none of the learned, so that what escapes me through ignorance may be corrected by those who are polished to the fingertip.

X. IOHANNI ENNODIVS. Vicem redderem, nisi oneraret diligentiam amici pectoris restituta laudatio. ne dum in praeconiis mutuum uidemur scabere, adulationis suspicione polluatur adfectio et amor currat in uitium, dum illud quod apud alios debemus facere nobis inconpetenter ingerimus. amantium enim ornamenta inter familiares paginas retinenda sunt, non loquenda, ne tantum 1 pectorum acripsi, pec**tormn B, peccatorum LPTVb 8 sociatifl scripsi, sociatu LPTY, sociata Bb ut Bb, om. LPTV 5 sta∗tus L -n: eras . 7 piladis T euriali BLPTVb 8 act∗ Lu ̃ eras . 12 praecio LV 14 caeepitibus B ille LT 15 mentis T poma] bona Sirm . 17 ostio PT, osto L X. 21 honeraret LTV, honoraret B pectores L 23 adolationis B gaapitione T pollua∗tur L n eras . 25 incompetenter LT V ingerimus Sima., ingeremus BLPTVb 26 pagina..s L n eras . 2* conscientias nostras uacuis sensibus relatione laudis oneremus. sunt ubi bona tua, ut apud te propter adfectum taceam, amice concelebrem: in his, quae de profectu tuo sentio, religiosam tibi tantum debeo taciturnitatem. possem quidem uitia temporis secutus laudes tuas nunc inexhausta praedicatione reserare et totam paginam fucatis colorare blanditiis. sed absit hoc a proposito, facessat a moribus, ut quem mente teneo ista tantum uelim esse remuneratione contentum. tibi non delenificam orationem, sed uocem debeo castigantis. non tibi pictis uerborum inludens artificiis, sed totum profunda mente te retinens possem dicere: ad arcem scientiae sine tenerae aetatis praeiudicio peruenisti, summam perfectionis adeptus es, nulla debes cura distringi, sed bonis tuis tamquam locuples possessor ornari. sed haec, sicut praedixi, a me aliena sunt. ore te parentis stimulo, dico: sint licet grandia, quae in cano eloquentiae flore polliceris, ego tamen nisi de messe non gratulor, ut solet auarus agricola, qui ubertatem anni nisi in horreis non metitur. iam in te etsi non grauidas aristas, multo tamen uidemus lacte turgentes: iam prope ad aream uota perueniunt. sed plus timendum est, quotiens desideria nostra spes uicina succendit. labora ergo circa studia, lucem in conloquiis dilige, lectioni deuotus insiste, ut fructus eloquentiae multiplicium auctorum uentilatione purgetur. pulchra sunt quae scribis, sed ego amo plus fortia: redimita sunt floribus, sed poma plus diligo. salue, mi domine, et haec ea qua insinuaui sinceritate conplectere et amorem meum in admonitionis fide perpende. scito epistulas tuas nulli doctorum a me esse denegandas, ut quod me per inscitiam fugerit per eos, qui ad unguem docti 1 aaenas fort . oneremus B, honoremus LPTVb 4 debeo tan- tum T possim B 5 laudesta F inezausta BLV 6 et om. b blandiciis PV 8 uell* T, nellem B contdptum B 10 fflte te T tn ras . 11 retinens. Possem T possim B tenere BPT (re corr. in T), tenera LV 12 es otn. T1 add . + s. I. m. 2 13 locnpes L 16 polliceris T ria in ras . 17 agricnla B 21 succendit V, attccedit T ergo om. P et Birm . 28 purgitur B 24 plus amo T 25 quam T 27 epistolas LTV 28 inasc∗∗tiam L en eras., inscisciam T fugere B sunt, emendetur, et ideo ad scriptionis culturam multo sudore te praepara, ut uota, quae circa te pro uenerandi patris tui meritis et amore concepi, ad effectum sub hac claritatis tuae intentione perueniant