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 needs of others serve our own desires as if under a vow, since for our own joy we render a service at the entreaties of certain people. Who would not, on his own account, seek for a price that which on this occasion is granted to another? The bearers of the present letter now owe me what is owed me, and they not only do not drag me toward payment, but confess themselves to be in my debt. It is no mark of negligence that writings from me are seldom sent forth: like good things, as I have now found, they frequently withdraw themselves. Let the bearers, therefore, find the fruit of this favor, if you love me, since just as they have exacted from me those things that had to be offered, so too they bring to you, as I suppose, the longed-for outcome of our exchange of writing. My lord, in rendering the service of greeting I pray to God that these things may be conveyed to you in good health, and that at once a page may be returned which seeks out 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.