Letter 4007: Ennodius to Julianus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Count of the Patrimony.

Ennodius to Julianus, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious], Count of the Patrimony. I received a letter shining with a double radiance -- one in which the purple dignity of the writer, joined to your personal condescension, increased its value. I give thanks to Almighty God, who surpasses the meagerness of our hopes with the abundance of His gifts. When, conscious of our unworthiness, we pursue only narrow desires, He does not hold back the riches of His generous indulgence. I thought it would be enough if you honored me with the most ample correspondence. But you, not content with granting only what a beggarly petition could ask for, sent me pages worthy of your mastery of language and your richness of praise -- in the manner of a great river which, whenever it is invited from its channel to moisten the neighboring drought, pours itself whole into the one who expected only a thin stream, and with the intoxication of its healing water drenches what had grown parched and cracked with deep neglect. But may Your Magnitude, keeping the custom of strong characters, not abandon the good things it has begun toward my humble self. Let the care of correspondence serve as a testimony of your affection, and let the charms of your letters bear witness to a pure love. Let the love you promised before your elevation never set. Let your favor toward me grow as your pinnacles of office have grown, so that a friendship nurtured by humble station is not thought to have been foresworn by power. For the man who disciplines his pride in high position proves that he deserved what he attained. Show through the integrity of your conscience that good fortune can be made to submit to the commands of love. That generous confidence of the great, which...

VII. ENNODIVS IVLIANO V. I. C. P. Suscepi litteras gemino splendore radiantes, quibus purpura dictatoris uestrae iuncta dignationi creuit in pretium, gratias omnipotenti deo restituens, qui uotorum maciem beneficii ubertate transgreditur et quando in desideriis meritorum conscii sectamur angustiam, diuitis indulgentiae copias non refrenat. credidi satis esse, si me feceritis amplissima scriptione sublimem: sed uos non hoc tantum contenti praestare, quod habet mendica postulatio, linguae idonei et laude locupletes paginas destinastis magni more fluminis, qui quotiens ab alueis, ut ariditatem finitimam temperet, ad obliqua inuitatur, optanti tenuem riuulum totus inlabitur et marcida profundo squalore terga per ebrietatem undae salutaris infundit. fortium tamen seruans consuetudinem personarum magnitudo tua circa exiguitatem meam bene coepta non deserat, ut in testimonio diligentiae cura paginalis habeatur et puri amoris adstipulationem deferant blandimenta conloquii. occasum nesciat caritas, quam ante culmina promisistis: tantum circa me crescat gratia, quantum uobis iuncta sunt fastigia dignitatum, ne amicitiam, quam fouit 1 quaerellis (el eae il corr.) B ,3 ∗effectum (a eras.) V uale om. Pb --1 VII. 5. UI. CP B, VI Episcopo b 6 suscipi B spendore B purpore B 7 praetium B 9 et scripsi, nt BLPTVb et Sirm . 10 indulgentij Tl cupias B refrenat (re s. I. m. 1) V, refrenet T1 et Sirm. . [11 fecerites B1 12 contSpti T prestare B mondica Tl y13 idonei et scripsi, idonei sed LTV, idoneas et BPb locuples L destinastes BI, destinatis PTb 15 a.d L b uidetur eras . riuolum B 16 Bterga T 17 nfi (i. e . unde) T infundet Bl 18 exiguita∗∗∗tem L 19 cepta T 21 occisum L1 22 ntu qua (* supra a eras.) B 23 iuncta] iauicta Sirm . mediocritas, credatur abiurasse potentia: nam qui fastum in sublimitate castigat docet se meruisse quod adeptus est. resignate per probitatem conscientiae, felicitatem submitti posse amoris imperiis: illa libera procerum colla, dum formam tribuitis, subiugate diligentiae: fas sit de uobis adsuesci, ut amplissimus in societate retineat quem minor adquiret. ludit de illis casus, quibus obliuionem suorum indicet, quos ad celsa perducit. apud scientem rerum relegere bona non est admonitionis necessitas sed laudis occasio. noui fabricatam ad bona studia ingenii uestri tranquillitatem, quam ideo speciatim conmemoro, ut ostendam ubi affectio solida est honoribus nil licere. sed epistolarem transcendi terminum, dum commendationi meae multus inhaereo : redeo ad officia paginalis alloquii et ualere me nuntians prosperitatis uestrae actutum secunda disquiro.