Letter 2025: Ennodius the deacon to Faustus the quaestor.

By heavenly disposition tidings of my return are being made: it befitted no occasion more than when a friend was hastening to Ravenna, whose faithful report would have sufficed even without a letter. But I could not abstain from the custom which, if I should neglect under any pretext, I would seem to have condemned the frequency of the pen that I loved. To this is added that I could not display hands hostile to the refusal of the aforesaid man, who knows how to demand securely from those who love him what he knows they faithfully render for the sake of their conscience. Therefore having departed from Ravenna — which embraces everything sweet that I have in this present life — I arrived at Milan with my bodily health intact, Christ accompanying me, bearing badly the speed I desired perhaps against my wishes as winter drove us in our return. But all things must be referred to God, to whom it belongs to arrange human deeds and to transform bodily diligence with the savor of eternal love. Now, with humble greeting spoken, I turn to the cause of this letter and the recommendation of the bearer, who, if he rejoices in benefits according to the serenity of your mind, will recognize that he has either received what he provided to your people, or how he should be incited to love. Compel him to return in haste, even if he is unwilling, because both his presence is necessary to my affection and, if God establishes his promise, when he himself has commanded, his usefulness is expected to be accommodating.

XXV. FAVSTO QVAESTORI ENNODIVS DIACONVS. Pro caelesti dispositione reditus med indicia fieri: nullo magis quam amico Rauennam properante conuenit, cuius fidelis relatio etiam pagina cessante suffecerat. sed usu abstinere non potui, quo si sub quocumque neglectu temperem, uideor damnasse stili frequentiam quam amaui. iungitur quod praedicto obuias in negatione manus exhibere non potui, qui scit ab amantibus sui securus exigere quod eis pro religione conscientiae nouit fideliter exhibere. Rauennam ergo digressus, quae quicquid in praesenti uita habeo dulce conplectitur, Mediolanum salua corporis ualitudine Christo prosequente perueni, male ferens quam in redeundo hieme inpellente optaui forsitan contra desideria celeritatem. sed ad deum cuncta referenda sunt, cui adiacet humana facta conponere et diligentiam corporalem aeterni amoris sapore mutare. nunc ad scriptionis causam dicta humili salutatione et conmendationem me confero perlatoris, qui si pro mentis uestrae serenitate gratuletur beneficiis, agnoscit se aut recepisse quod uestris praestitit aut qualiter amare debeat incitari. quem, si uel nolit, festinum redire conpellite, quia et affectui meo praesentia eius est necessaria et si deus promissionem statuerit, cum ipse iusserit, utilitati expectatur adcommoda. 1 se∗renitate (d fort. eras) L colligitur Tl 2 steli Bx reuelare Tl quidqait B subtrannt B1 XXV. 5 faasto inscr. T 6 iudicia LP 7 amico (a ita ras.) B cui. T 8 cessente B snfficerat B 9 quod L, a qao fort . 11 exibere L (post. ras.) T 14 quidquid. B 15 christus T 17 referenda sunt ouneta T 18 compositione T 19 conmen- dationem scripsi, coameudatione B, commendatione LPTVb 20dicto T\' 22 au se T preetitit B 23 incitare T\' nollit B redire festinum T 26 ezspectatur V acomoda T 5*