Letter 5009: May the divine power second our honorable desires.

May the divinity second honorable desires: may a happy auspice not be denied to good pursuits; may freeborn intentions thrive on the fruits of prosperity. He who aspires, with the powers above favoring, to the liberal arts has delivered a hostage of his desires to honor: the taste for good arts disdains a vile talent; none tend toward the ornaments of eloquence unless they are furnished with character. Our Partenius, my sister's son, incited by these spurs, hastens to visit Rome, where natural learning resides. I have promised him the paternal support of Your Greatness. Through one who supplicates, your eminence is given its genius, since what custom requires we implore with prayers, as if one should believe that one obtains by prayer the rising of the sun or the course of rivers. There is no benefaction where order is preserved: what binds everyone obeys a law fit for death. Yet beyond the course from which you never depart, I come forward expecting to receive something more. I have sent a person in whom the state of my own merits may be estimated. Perhaps an undeserved recommendation may help others: for parents, whatever we cannot surpass is too little. My lord, presenting the services of greeting, having said a few words about the bearer and his business, it remains for me to learn what his person, his cause, and his kinship may deserve.

VIIII. ENNODIVS FAVSTO. Secundet desideria honesta diuinitas: felix auspicium bonis non negetur studiis: ingenuae intentiones prosperorum fructibus 1 Cluuienum coni. Gronouius in ObBerv. p. 404; cf. Iuuenalis Sat. I 80 2 contemptus T 3 sententia. placeat T 4 mors ut B1 5 agnoueris (is in ras.) L 6 cauda B 7 uers∗u ̃ L 9 tollitur-l. 22 pugnax om. T ad cliui Pb 11 admouit B 12 similes B 13 fumigar V et Sirm . 15 focos Sirm., focus B LV, focum Pb sorbit BLPY, sorbet b 17 cunctus L T 18 rori uapore fero Ll 19 pyra Sirm., poera BL, poena F, pera b, per. P 20 alterne BL 21 nimphis L V v VIIII. 24 FASTO B 25 diuinitas] diuturnitas Bb felix ex flex//// L m. ant . 26 negeretur L intentiones PТ\'b, intentionis BLTlV conualescant. uotorum obsidem tradidit honestati qui ad liberales adspirat superis fauentibus disciplinas: bonarum affectus artium dirum dedignatur ingenium: ad eloquentiae ornamenta non tendunt nisi moribus instituti. his Partenius noster germanae filius incitatus stimulis Romam, in qua est naturalis eruditio, festinat inuisere, cui magnitudinis uestrae suffragia sum paterna pollicitus. datur culmini uestro per supplicantem genius, dum, quod usus exigit, precibus inploramus, ceu si quis credat se ortum solis, cursum fluminis oratione promereri. non est beneficium, ubi ordo seruatur: mori obsequitur quod obligat uniuersos. ego tamen supra cursum, a quo nequaquam disceditis, aliquid accepturus occurro. direxi personam, in qua meritorum meorum status aestimetur. alios forsitan commendatio iuuet indebita: parentibus minus est quicquid superare non possumus. domine mi, seruitia salutationis repraesentans, portitorem paucis eiusque negotium elocutus, restat ut agnoscam quid mereatur persona causa proximitas.