Letter 1024: What on earth is the reason for your being so miserly with your letters?

What, confound it, is the reason that you are so sparing in grace, so lavish in complaint, and demand a frequency of letters that you yourself do not provide, inspecting with serpent eyes whatever another does wrong while pruning none of your own faults with any blade? Many years have passed since you chose a habitation near the Alps, senator and learned man that you are, where, while gazing upon frost-covered ridges, the unwelcome snow of your head became apparent, where you even indicated by your writing that you feed on acorns. Your letters' refinements have provided the proof of this, since the significance of this diet appeared in the belching of a swollen breast and an Alpine style of speech. I marvel, however, that among the rivers of that place, frozen by ice, and amid cold without respite, the flame of your liver burns all the more fiercely, nor does your breast obtain any moderation from its dwelling place. Age cools into old age: there is a house that converts waters into minerals and against nature dominates the currents by its own law. Yet you are said to live among all this as though your fire were fed by the fuel of cold. I goad you with a parent's voice, because I owe you and my calling the voice of one who chastises. It is for you after this, if you choose to receive my letters frequently, to rejoice in the admonition. Beyond these matters, honored with greeting, I have found nothing to write to those living in that wallowing of the flesh which you love.

XXIIII. ENNODIVS ASTVRIO. Quae, malum, ratio est, ut ita sis parcus in gratia, prodigus in querela et exigas frequentiam litterarum quam ipse non tribuis, uiperinis oculis illud quod alter delinquit inspiciens, tuas culpas nulla falce resecando? anni plures sunt, ex quo Alpibus uicinam habitationem delegisti, senator et doctus, ubi tibi, dum pruinosa respicis iuga, adparuit inauspicata nix capitis, ubi etiam glande te uesci scriptione signasti. cuius rei fidem litterarum tuarum decora fecerunt, cum cibi huius significantia in ructu turgidi pectoris et Alpini sermonis adparuit. miror tamen, quod inter loci illius frenata glacie flumina et sine successione frigus iecoris tui flamma plus aestuat nec aliquam sortitur pectus de mansione temperiem. aetas 1 spacia LT 3 epistolas LTV 5 scribta B tranamiase L1 88 in tt eorr. m. rec . 6 mi] mihi BL V praecor BV 7 statu Pb, statum BLTV repererit T, repperit B 8 uiucula T a. I. m. 2 XXIIIL 12 mali B ea L t 8. I. m . 2 13 querella B et om. B frequentia B 14 tribues B uiperinis] qui p imis T illut B delinquit - l . 18 capitis T in ras. m. 2 delinquid BLP, deliquit b insipiens T 16 uicMtam B deligivta B, elegisti T et doctus] edoctus T 17 proinosa respices B apparuit LTV inauspicat* B 18 inter capitis et ubi litterae tor edoct\' eras. in T 20 apparuit LTV 22 iaecoris tui B, tui iecoris Pb plust Tx 23 aestas L deferuiscit B 3* deferuescit in senium: est domus quae lymphas in metalla conuertat et contra naturam gurgitibus sua lege dominetur: tu tamen inter ista sic uiuere diceris, quasi ignis tuus algoris pabulis inritetur. ego te ore parentis stimulo, quia tibi et proposito meo uocem debeo castigantis. uestrum est post haec, si eligitis litteras meas frequenter accipere, de admonitione gratulari. ego autem praeter ista cum honore salutati quae scribere possim in illa carnis quam tu diligis eluuie uiuentibus non inueni.