Letter 4011: The man who reveals a friendly conscience through clear proofs takes away the need for idle speculation.

From: Ennodius, deacon and literary figure in Pavia To: Luminosus Date: ~501 AD Context: A letter praising Luminosus for being transparent in his friendship — contrasting genuine openness with the calculated silence that characterized much of late antique social life. Ennodius to Luminosus. The man who reveals a friendly conscience through clear proofs takes away the need for idle speculation. When your intentions are written on your face, the rest of us can stop guessing. I value this quality in you above almost everything else. In a world where everyone calculates, your directness is a gift. It spares me the exhausting work of interpretation and gives me something far more valuable: certainty. Continue as you are. The world has enough clever men; what it lacks are honest ones. Farewell.

XI. ENNODIVS LVMINOSO. Qui amicam conscientiam manifestis pandit indiciis, tollit otium quibus gratiae praestiterit dignitatem. uix enim feriata sunt ora eius qui consueuit audiri, quia magnum dispendium pudoris est uerborum retinere beneficium, ut dum linguae parcimus honestatis prodiga frons laboret. uos me garrulum fecistis, qui preces meas consuestis admittere. sed ne praestanda circumloquar et epistulae prolixitate inpetranda suspendam, ad rem redeo. sublimis uir Laurentius reditus sibi debitos, quos ecclesia Romana facta cum auctore eius est pactione pollicita, a domno papa asserit sub nescio qua oppositione denegari. in quo negotio fauorem per me uestrae defensionis inplorat, ut rem, quam debetis legibus, uideamini exhibere diligentiae et illud crescat affectui quod denegari non licet aequitati. uos hanc rem iuxta desideria mea tribuite, ut quantum nominato uiro commoditatis accesserit tantum me muneris accepisse confitear. salutem ergo dicens spero, ut circa munia litterarum nec sincerus amor uacationem accipiat nec facundia totius orbis celebrata testimonio conticescat. 1 per] pro L amore Lx conditione BLTV 2 dne do\'mine L 3 saggerendo B 4 effectil B saplicem F, gupplicere TI 5 praecator L accessi] finit add. B XI. 9 prestiterit B , uix] uox L 10 st B, eint Sirm . eius qui BPb, qui eius LTVj eius fort. expungendum, cf. Wiener Studien II p. 241 audiri (diri in ras.) B 11 benificium B 12 prodigia L ! 13 consuistis B, consueuiBtis Pb prestsnda B 14 et in mg . add. B 15 reditos B, redditus T 19 legitibuB B diligende T 20 de negari B 21 iusta Tl 22 adcesserit B accipisse B 23 munia (ia in ras.) L 24 sincer B 25 orbis B celebratja B a in mg. add . conticiscat B