Letter 4024: A sick spirit endures silence no more than a sick body endures stillness.

A sick soul, just as it does not endure silences, so also forswears the advance of narration: neither taciturnity nor extended discourse suits the attestation of sorrow; the page is constrained to which words are scarcely granted amid groans. But why do I assert holidays for the tongue by speaking more, and why do I promise garrulity to a letter compelled by necessary limits? I beseech God that he relieve my anxiety with a manifest sign of your prosperity. Let him admit my tears, he before whom closed mouths speak, for whom to fulfill his embassy the shower of tears flowing from compunction suffices. I recognize that not only my peace but also my health has been shaken by the illness and the storms of rumor from my enemies. The divinity is powerful to remove the uncertainty of a vast tempest by the good of serenity. If I deserve it from God, be well, and with your awareness of the Ravennate watches, console one who loves you by the promulgation of letters.

XXIIII. ENNODIVS FAVSTO. Aeger animus sicut silentia non patitur, ita processum narrationis abiurat: contestationi maeroris nec taciturnitas nec conloquia prolixa conueniunt: artatur pagina cui uix inter gemitus uerba tribuuntur. sed quid adsero linguae ferias plus loquendo et coactam necessariis epistulam terminis garrulitate polliceor? deum quaeso, ut anxietati meae de manifesto pro- speritatis uestrae succurrat indicio. ille admittat lacrimas meas, cui clausa ora fabulantur, cui ad plenam legationem sufficit a conpunctione defluens imber oculorum. ego labefactatam non 2 dampnum LV 4 suadet] suae et B memoriae B 5 adcessit B inperaiti B 7 ingeniis (iia in ras.) T 8 qm poasitamieusT9iudicantiumb11aom.Bm poasit amicas T 9 iudicantium b 11 a om. B tribiali B 12 obseqtL B feri B 15 to Y 16 inuitare] finit ndd. B XXIIII. 19 eger B 20 meroris LTV 21 arctatur TV 22 tribnntnr L 24 pollioeor] prolixo fort.; sed ef. Epist. VII12 queeo TV allegationem fort . 27 inber B labefactam T1 8* solum quietem meam sed et salutem inimicorum ualitudine et rumorum procellis agnosco. potens est diuinitas inmensae tempestatis incerta bono serenitatis amouere. uos, si de deo mereor, saluete et amanti in uobis conscientiam con Rauennates excubias tabellarum promulgatione consulite.