Letter 2008: The necessities of others serve my own desires like willing soldiers, since in carrying out a favor for other...

Ennodius to Apollinaris. The necessities of others serve my own desires like willing soldiers, since in carrying out a favor for other people's petitions I accomplish my own joy. Who would not gladly pay for something on another's account when it provides him with such an opportunity? The bearers of this letter actually owe me my own debt -- and far from dragging me to pay it, they confess themselves in my debt instead. It is not from carelessness that I rarely send written words: the good things that resemble this one, as I have just discovered, tend to withdraw from view. Let the bearers therefore find the fruit of this favor, if you love me. Just as they demanded from me what needed to be offered, so they now bring you -- I trust -- what you desire from the commerce of correspondence. My lord, in returning the service of my greeting, I pray to God that this letter may reach you in good health and that a reply may be sent at once -- one that asks after my well-being and announces your own.

VIII. ENNODIVS APOLLINARI. Pro uoto militant desideriis propriis necessitates alienae, dum in gaudium nostrum aliquorum precibus exhibemus obsequium. quis non pretio propter se quaereret quod alteri sub hac occasione praestatur? debent mihi nunc perlatores praesentium debita mea et non solum me ad solutionem non t 1 fonae B 3 me] mo L1, me a fort . scientiae scientiae B 5 nondum b 6 praeasus B honere L deser∗ar B 7 oumobam B 9 quaeao nt scripsi, quae ut BLV, qd\'∗∗ (d\' in raa.) T, ut Pb relationem T 10 compntentur Sirm., conpntatnr LV, conpotatur B, copntantur PTb 11 deberem reddere Sirm . officium LPTVb sed] sed cessaui uel cessani fort . portitorem L negligentia B 12 nobis Pb pderentur T 15 colete BV1 17 connenet Bl VIII. 19 apollonari TV 20 militat V n add. m. rec . neccesaitates B 21 nostrorum Lx alioorom B 22 preti. B, praetio V alteris T 24 presentiam V pertrahunt, sed se fatentur obnoxios. non est incuriae quod raro a me scripta prorogantur: similia frequenter, ut nunc repperi, bona se subtrahunt. inueniant ergo huius beneficii fructum, si me diligitis, portitores, qui sicut a me ea, quae erant obferenda, exegerunt, ita ad uos, ut opinor, de scriptionis conmercio optata perducunt. domine mi, salutationis obsequia restituens deum precor, ut haec uobis in bona ualitudine porrigantur et reddatur ilico pagina, quae meam quaerat, uestram nuntiet sospitatem.