Letter 5010: While the apostolic see is graced by the care of Your Holiness's crown, and the heavenly governance of the Church...

Ennodius to Pope Symmachus. While the care of your crown governs the apostolic see and you direct the summit of the heavenly empire, it flatters the advancement of the parents that what was promised is held secured by my services. He who has faithfully obeyed obtains, in the presence of a steadfast man, a hope without blemish. Great is the pomp of one who excels, as often as what a single man has earned is repaid to many. They follow the institutions of those above, through whom a generation receives what an individual person has established. So the offense of the people of Israel, on account of David, punishment did not touch, while the integrity of a predecessor came to the aid of the nation, and the faith of a man either snatched the people from error or aided them in grace. Partenius, therefore, the bearer of the present letter, the son of my sister, has been sent to your crown with this confidence to animate him, whom a generous solicitude has compelled to seek out Rome. Holy are the studies of letters, in which, before the increase of skill, vices are unlearned. By this journey gray-haired counsels are wont to come to boyish years, while what age shrinks from, sound institutions know how to supply. Cherish therefore the one whose reasons for coming you have learned now that the kinship has been disclosed. You have a hostage, in whom the quality of my merits in your eyes may become clearly known. My lord, as above, restoring with the devotion of my services the reverence of greeting, I pray that the bearer of the present letter, your servant, may by a happy lot receive among you the name of a stranger [received as a guest], because whatever shall have been granted to my prayers, your good office adorns beyond its own endowments.

X. SVMMACHO PAPAE ENNODIVS. Dum sedem apostolicam coronae uestrae cura moderatur et caelestis imperii apicem regitis, blanditur profectibus parentum quod meis promissum tenetur officiis. spem sine labe obtinet apud constantem uirum fideliter obsecutus. grandis est pompa praestantis, quotiens quod unus meruit plurimis repensatur. 1 con inualescant V, coninualescant L liberalis B 4 tendent Pb nisi ex tibi T m . % germinae B 5 qua. (t eras.) L 8 genuB Tl eziget B 9 hortum B 10 beniflcium B 11 uniueraus B 12 diBceditis Pb, discedetis B, disciditis LTV 13 statutus L alius B 14 iubet B, iiuuet (b eras.) L munus b sed minus m mg . 15 mihi BL V repraesentas L 17 prozimitatiB Pb X. 19 Bymacho B 20 cum T sedem ex secundum T i tn. 2 moderatur Bb, modoretur LPTV 21 regetis B, regatis e. T 22 quid B tenet B labe] labore Pb 28 fedeliter B 24 prestantis B pluribus Sirm . superorum instituta sectantur per quos generatio recipit quod persona condiderit. sic Israelitici delicta populi propter Dauid poena non tetigit, dum genti opitulata est praecessoris integritas, et fides hominis aut eripuit de errore populum aut iuuit in gratia. Partenius igitur praesentium portitor germanae filius hac ad coronam uestram fiducia animante directus est, quem sollicitudo liberalis Romam coegit expetere. sancta sunt \'studia litterarum, in quibus ante incrementa peritiae uitia dediscuntur. hoc itinere cana ad annos pueriles solent uenire consilia, dum quod aetas refugit norunt instituta praestare. fouete ergo cuius ueniendi causas patefacta [consanguinitate didicistis. habetis obsidem, in quo dilucide meritorum apud uos meorum qualitas innotescat. domine, ut supra salutationis reuerentiam obsequiorum deuotione restituens precor, ut perlator praesentium famulus uester felici sorte peregrini apud uos nomen excipiat, quia quod adtributum fuerit precibus meis uestrum supra dotes suas ornat officium.