Letter 1010: I would return the favor, were it not that returned praise would burden the affection of a friend's heart.

Ennodius to Iohannes [John]. I would repay you in kind, were it not that praise returned burdens the diligence of a friendly heart. For while we seem to scratch one another mutually in our public commendations, our affection is polluted by the suspicion of flattery, and love runs into vice, when we improperly heap upon ourselves that which we ought rather to do for others. The adornments of those who love must be kept within the pages exchanged among intimates, not spoken aloud, lest we burden our consciences too much, with empty feelings, by the report of praise. There are occasions where I may celebrate your good qualities as a friend, though out of affection I keep silent about them in your presence; but in those matters which I perceive concerning your progress, I owe you only a scrupulous silence. I could indeed, following the vices of the age, now unlock your praises in inexhaustible proclamation, and color the whole page with painted blandishments. But far be this from my purpose, let it depart from my character, that I should wish the man whom I hold in my mind to be content with such recompense alone. To you I owe not a coaxing speech, but the voice of one who chastises. Not deceiving you with the painted artifices of words, but holding you wholly in the depth of my mind, I might say: you have arrived at the citadel of knowledge without the disadvantage of your tender age, you have attained the summit of perfection, you ought to be distracted by no care, but to be adorned by your own good things like a wealthy proprietor. But these things, as I said before, are foreign to me. With the goad of a parent's mouth I say: granted that the things you promise in the white flower of eloquence are great, I nevertheless do not rejoice except over the harvest, as the greedy farmer is wont to do, who measures the abundance of the year only when it is in the granaries. Already in you we see ears of grain, if not yet heavy, nevertheless swelling much with milk: already your prayers draw near to the threshing floor. But there is more to be feared, whenever a near hope kindles our desires. Labor therefore at your studies, love the light in conversations, apply yourself devoutly to reading, so that the fruit of your eloquence may be cleansed by the winnowing of manifold authors. Beautiful are the things you write, but I love more the strong ones: they are wreathed with flowers, but I prize fruits more. Hail, my lord, and embrace these words in that sincerity with which I have offered them, and weigh my love in the faithfulness of admonition. Know that your letters are to be denied by me to none of the learned, so that whatever may escape me through ignorance may be corrected through those who are learned to the fingernail [i.e., to perfection]; and therefore prepare yourself with much sweat for the cultivation of writing, so that the prayers which I have conceived concerning you, for the merits and love of your venerable father, may come to fulfillment under this striving toward your renown.

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