Letter 3011: If the memory of your affection for me has not been stripped from your mind, then my concern is groundless and this...
Ennodius of Pavia→Senarius, an man (a Roman official at Burgundian court)|c. 501 AD|Ennodius of Pavia|AI-assisted
friendship
Ennodius to Senarius.
If the memory of diligence regarding my person were not being stripped from your mind, if your eminence did not compel it to return to judgment after its favor, you would extend frequent letters to me. But what am I to do, since love undeserved does not rest upon strong roots, and whatever the breeze of favor has stolen away is quickly brought back to examination? I know only that I ought to have been loved before I was tested: this alone was the fruit I possessed from your affection, the very thing which, being unknown, I withdrew by foresight. But it would have befitted you not to depart quickly from the man on whom you bestowed the name of friend, lest the fact that the affection promised to me is not maintained should not always come back as my fault. For the conscience of one bound by obligation is wont to be ignorant of severity, and it is necessary that a faithful breast hold forever whatever it has once received. Therefore, offering the greeting that is owed, I hope that you, scorning the rancid disdain of the powerful, may exalt your honor and the capacity which God has granted with the insignia of humility. May the tongue, the interpreter of minds, confirm the pledge of this matter, and may charity shown through letters bring faithful testimony to our minds.
XI. ENNODIVS SENARIO.
Si diligentiae memoria circa personam meam animus uester
non exueretur, si reuerti eum ad iudicium sublimitas tua non
cogeret post fauorem, frequentia scripta prorogares. sed quid
faciam, quia non ualidis radicibus nititur amor indebitus et
cito ad examen reducitur quicquid gratiae aura subripuit? me
noui solum prius debuisse diligi quam probari: hunc tantum
fructum de caritate possedi, quem incognitus prouisione subtraxi.
sed uos conuenerat non cito ab eo, cui amici nomen inposuistis,
abscedere, ne non semper ad meam culpam redeat
quod promissa mihi non tenetur affectio. solet enim esse ignara
districtionis deuincti conscientia, et opus est ut perpetuo teneat
quicquid semel fidum pectus acceperit. salutem ergo debitam
dicens spero, ut despicientes rancida potentum fastidia honorem
uestrum et quam deus tribuit possibilitatem humilitatis
fascibus sublimetis. cuius rei fidem interpres animorum lingua
confirmet et testimonium fidele mentibus deferat caritas monstrata
per litteras.
1 credetia B iudicare BТ1b et om. b 3 pape B
esse LVl 4 mereor] meo B (post meo spatio 3-4 litt. uacwo)
5 expendere PTb, expendet B, ezplandere L, expludere V (ln in en
corr . m. 1)
XI. 7 ennodius om. T sanario B 8 memoriea V
9 exuretur V 10 cogerit B 12 subrepuit B solum noui
LPTVb 15 db V h eras. uidetur imposuistis amici nomen
Pb 20 dispicientis B, despicienses X1 ranceda B 24 litteras]
finit add. LTV
◆
Ennodius to Senarius.
If the memory of diligence regarding my person were not being stripped from your mind, if your eminence did not compel it to return to judgment after its favor, you would extend frequent letters to me. But what am I to do, since love undeserved does not rest upon strong roots, and whatever the breeze of favor has stolen away is quickly brought back to examination? I know only that I ought to have been loved before I was tested: this alone was the fruit I possessed from your affection, the very thing which, being unknown, I withdrew by foresight. But it would have befitted you not to depart quickly from the man on whom you bestowed the name of friend, lest the fact that the affection promised to me is not maintained should not always come back as my fault. For the conscience of one bound by obligation is wont to be ignorant of severity, and it is necessary that a faithful breast hold forever whatever it has once received. Therefore, offering the greeting that is owed, I hope that you, scorning the rancid disdain of the powerful, may exalt your honor and the capacity which God has granted with the insignia of humility. May the tongue, the interpreter of minds, confirm the pledge of this matter, and may charity shown through letters bring faithful testimony to our minds.
AI-assisted translation - This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
XI. ENNODIVS SENARIO.
Si diligentiae memoria circa personam meam animus uester non exueretur, si reuerti eum ad iudicium sublimitas tua non cogeret post fauorem, frequentia scripta prorogares. sed quid faciam, quia non ualidis radicibus nititur amor indebitus et cito ad examen reducitur quicquid gratiae aura subripuit? me noui solum prius debuisse diligi quam probari: hunc tantum fructum de caritate possedi, quem incognitus prouisione subtraxi. sed uos conuenerat non cito ab eo, cui amici nomen inposuistis, abscedere, ne non semper ad meam culpam redeat quod promissa mihi non tenetur affectio. solet enim esse ignara districtionis deuincti conscientia, et opus est ut perpetuo teneat quicquid semel fidum pectus acceperit. salutem ergo debitam dicens spero, ut despicientes rancida potentum fastidia honorem uestrum et quam deus tribuit possibilitatem humilitatis fascibus sublimetis. cuius rei fidem interpres animorum lingua confirmet et testimonium fidele mentibus deferat caritas monstrata per litteras.
1 credetia B iudicare BТ1b et om. b 3 pape B esse LVl 4 mereor] meo B (post meo spatio 3-4 litt. uacwo) 5 expendere PTb, expendet B, ezplandere L, expludere V (ln in en corr . m. 1)
XI. 7 ennodius om. T sanario B 8 memoriea V 9 exuretur V 10 cogerit B 12 subrepuit B solum noui LPTVb 15 db V h eras. uidetur imposuistis amici nomen Pb 20 dispicientis B, despicienses X1 ranceda B 24 litteras] finit add. LTV