Letter 2021: Four times I have sent letters to Your Greatness, and four times the silence has answered me.

From: Ennodius, deacon in Pavia To: Albinus [a Roman senator] Date: ~510 AD Context: A persistent letter noting that Ennodius has written four times without receiving a reply. Ennodius to Albinus. Four times I have sent letters to Your Greatness, and four times the silence has answered me. I do not know whether to blame the postal system or your schedule, but the result is the same: a correspondence that moves in only one direction. I write a fifth time, because persistence is the only virtue available to a man who refuses to be ignored. Reply, even briefly, and set my mind at rest. Farewell.

XXI. ENNODIVS ALBINO. Quater ad magnitudinem uestram scripta prorogaui et adhuc tamquam deses accusor. lingua militauit affectui: adsituitas diligentiam non meretur. credo portitoris aut neglegentia aut inuidia ad hanc me offensam fuisse perductum. ecce tamen scripta multiplico et pro uoto uestro prosperitatis meae indicia faciens de uestra cupio felicitate gaudere. salue, mi 1 peregrinantis B proinde Sinn . 2 perisse (er in ras.) B 3 liberari B 6 occisione Lx, occasionem T\' XX. 9 ennodias om. T 10 caeler BLV, sceler T 13 res crepera] retia (recia T) parat PTb adque B 14 tutetur T ab ex ad L m. 2, ob fort.; cf. Epist. IV 31, VII 24 15 dioena ergo T 16 dilenificae BLV 17 stimulia] famulis V XXI. 19 ennodius om. T 21 desis BLTXV 22 negligentia BT domine, et amantem uestri sub omni dignatione releuate,. quia deo proximam rem facitis, patrocinio uestro credentem plena fide et communione releuare.