Letter 12

Ennodius to Avienus. If you ask why, though punished by your silence, the bold face of modesty does not keep still, and if you say my garrulity ought to have been checked when it bears no fruit — I address you, most illustrious of men, with that sincerity which is native to your family; I embrace the pledged promise of your bond as a hostage of your heart. I grieve, indeed, that the causes of long silence have been contrived, while both affection and duty are neglected. But since your love claims all of me for itself, I still believe that what you have done can admit of excuse, and I judge that there are reasons for your justification in this matter — reasons that I myself cannot find. I have always heard, my wish fulfilled, that you enjoy good health; you have often warmed the sweat of your exertion on behalf of your family's honor with the light of epistolary address. Nothing but contempt is displayed whenever taciturnity has no necessity behind it. Yet I, always drawing hope from a reply, have continued to write, and have dictated what was to be read as if in a kind of presence of your Brilliance: it seemed to me, while I spoke, that my page had given you back to me — that it possessed your savor and was exchanging words adorned with your likeness. What sweetness there would be in your letter, if I were permitted to receive one — I beg you, consider it carefully, since we embrace even words that proceed from us, so long as they are coming toward you. Now I ask you: rouse yourself to the affection of writing; pour your flowing conversation upon my dryness, so that I may learn what my service can obtain from God — if I receive your letters, rivals of your father's perfection. Do not fear that I invoke that formidable man before your eyes as a model of eloquence. It is the custom of skilled physicians to detect the body's strength in the veins and to interrogate the pulse about a person's progress. Nor can the talents of beginners be known otherwise than by those who, rather than demanding mature declamations from a still-tender age, take delight in the future abundance and reveal the harvest of skill at its root. My lord, as above, having paid the honor and reverence of salutation, I trust that if my merit does not show you to be mindful of me, at least my persistence — which is tireless — will make it known.

XII. AVIENO ENNODIVS. Si quaeras, cur silentio uestro multata non reticet prodiga frons pudoris et male interpretando inpudentia uocetur affectio, si garrulitatem meam fructu dicas cessante debuisse conpesci: ego te, inlustrissime hominum, illa quae in familia tua domestica est sinceritate conuenio, ego foederatam promissionem quasi obsidem mentis amplector. doleo quidem procuratas longi causas silentii, dum et caritas et necessitudo neglegitur: sed quia me totum sibi amor tuus uindicat, adhuc credo excusationem posse recipere quod fecisti et purgationis tuae in hac parte causas aestimo esse, quas inuenire non possum. in bona te ualitudine degere uoti compos semper audiui: sudorem tuum circa ornamenta generis saepe epistularis alloquii luce tersisti. nihil praeter contemptum monstrat, quotiens taciturnitas non habet necessitatem. ego tamen spem de responso capiens semper scripsi et sub quadam claritatis tuae praesentia legenda dictaui: uisa est mihi, dum loquor, pagina mea te reddidisse, te sapere et tuis picta imaginibus uerba conferre.. quid esset in epistula tua dulcedinis, si eam daretur accipere, quaeso diligenter expende, quando licet a nobis procedentia, tamen quae ad te ueniunt uerba conplectimur. iam, rogo, ad adfectum scriptionis erigere et ariditatem meam conloquii fluentis infunde, ut quid ministerium meum a deo ualeat inpetrare cognoscam, si epistulas tuas aemulas paternae Xll. 3 a silentio Pb et Sirm.; a incbtait Schot . muliata non retioet T tata non reti T in ros. m. 2 prodigia L1 5 ces- sante L prtus s in ras. fort. ex n corr. compesci LTV 8 praeparatas Pb 9 neglegetur B, negligitur T sic fere semper 10 nendicat PT 11 tne purgationis T 12 causaepoesum T in rca. m. 2 13 degerere B 14 epistularis BVl (u in o corr. m. 1), epistolaris LT 17 scribsi B 18 loquor pagina mea T or pagina mea in ras. m. 2 20 aepistula B, epistola LTV et sic rdiquis locis plerumque dulcidinis B 22 tamen non TV cdplectimar uerba T 23 affectam te T scribtionis B eloqaii T et P m. 2 supra colloquii 24 adeo P1b impetrare TV 25 aepistulas B aemulas V 8 partim ita rat. m. 1 ex e ut Midetur corr. paterne B perfectionis accepero. nolo metuas, quod illum formidandum doctissimis loquor et quasi ante oculos tuos in exemplum elocutionis adduco. peritorum mos est medicorum in uenis deprehendere uires corporum et de successu hominis digitos interrogare. nec aliter incipientium possunt ingenia cognosci, nisi ut qui non debent tenerae adhuc aetati robustas declamationes inquirentes de futura ubertate laetificent et messem peritiae in radice manifestent. domine, ut supra, salutationis honore et reuerentia soluta spero, ut mei te esse memorem si meritum non ostendit, saltem inportunitas mea, quae est indefessa, significet.