Letter 4004: Copy of a letter which he himself dictated.

Copy of a letter which he himself dictated. A sister to her brother. Although some may owe a sort of gratitude even to unworthy pledges of affection, and although what is given to posterity is thought to be not a gift but a debt — when a malicious interpreter subjects the judgment of the heart to the commands of nature and, removing the savor of diligence, thinks that only the compulsion of bearing children deserves to be commanded, so that the name "son" is believed to carry more weight than obedience and no one asks what you offer on the scales of love, but only what name you can set against the one making a judgment — nevertheless among the prudent, we call someone "offspring" in vain unless the person exhibits what the name means. For the one who neglects the standard of judgment in a child shows that the act of conception pleased him more than merit. Away with the thought that we should consider nothing in our descendants but our own pleasure! For the fruit of the womb, unless it answers in virtue, appears to have come about more as a testimony to lust than to grace. It is right that the always faithful fellowship of siblings should even be set above the claims of parentage: a sharer of one's origin may be held in such a way that the bond of blood is not neglected and the judgment descending from merit is praised. And therefore, lest words proceed at length with winding prefaces and what is narrow in substance grows broad in speech — I give, I confer upon your brotherhood, and I transfer to your right with perpetual freedom my property of such-and-such a slave, etc. Farewell.

IIII. EXEMPLAR EPISTVLAE QVAM IPSE DICTAVIT. FRATRI SOROR. Quamuis summatim gratiam aliqui debeant etiam malis in affectione pignoribus nec illud quod posteritati tribuitur IIII. 3 quo. (d eraa.) L depremor B 5 sancto b et Sirm . quo. (d eras.) L 6 proprae Bl 7 fuscati T1 detergat PTb 10 peccator T1 exsurgeris B, exurgeres T libantibuB B humeris P1 11 subrogares T, subrogaris BL PV 12 disperatio BLV 14 age] perge fort . cepisti BT patribua T (in mg . partibus) 15 precum om. B di∗luis B 16 pascere T t19 unum ex uft T m. 2) ▓ uelud BPTa 20 necessitatabus LI abiungo L 21 aale om. BT; in T subscriptio Zegitur: Erplif I. para epforum ennodij. IIII. 24 Boror om. b 25 quamuis] cf. Wiener Studien II p. 247 aliquid B etiamj et P. 7 * beneficium putetur esse sed debitum, cum malignus interpres iudicium cordis naturae subdit imperiis et tollens saporem diligentiae sola iubendum putet obiectione pariendi, quando plus creditur fili uocabulum ualere quam obsequium et non quaeritur quid in amoris lance promoueas, sed quale ad praeiudicium aestimanti nomen opponas, cum apud prudentes frustra subolem dicimus, nisi exhibet quod uocatur: nam qui m prole censuram neglegit, conceptum - magis designat sibi placere quam meritum. facessat in posteris hoc solum nos cogitare quod libuit. etenim fructus uteri, nisi honestate respondeat, plus in testimonio lasciuiae uidetur euenisse quam gratiae. fas enim est germanitatis semper fidele consortium etiam partubus anteferri: datur participem originis sic haberi, ut nec consortium sanguinis neglegatur et descendens a merito laudetur examen. et ideo ne sinuosis in longum procedant uerba praeloquiis et quod re angustum est crescat affatu, dono, in fraternitatem tuam confero et iuri tuo perpetua libertate transfundo mancipium iuris mei illud et cetera. uale.