Letter 5016: Great are the commands of joy: the man who lacks happiness lacks the ability to understand it.

Ennodius to Panfronius. Great are the commands of joy: gladness knows nothing of restraint and yearns to burst into speech. The day longed for by my desires has come — a day I never claimed on account of my own merits but always sought from heavenly piety — and splendor has been added to your Greatness: the crown has been restored to your birth and your character, through which the integrity of a faithful conscience need not fear to come into the light. Good God, guard what you have granted; increase with successes what you have given; let the first step for your servant be the highest. I seize in hope of the future what I pray for: gifts bestowed by heaven's authority do not halt at the threshold. The ascent to the summit always proceeds by increments when heavenly favor provides the beginning. Who in this life — even among those whose conduct is unsullied by any stain — could rejoice that two such things had come to him in a single day: that you have entered upon the auspices of office, and that my dear Senarius has been restored from the farthest parts of the earth? A brief course of hours separated the two events, so that both you were born to the palace and he was returned to it. In truth I say, and I confidently promise myself from God's mercy, that supports are being granted to my frailty with heaven's compliance. What has been bestowed on you is pledged to me. My lord, receiving the duty of greeting, I ask that, if you grant anything to my love, you do not fail to beseech my lord Senarius — the lord of my soul — to remain with me. If you do not obtain this, you will have stolen much from the sum of my happiness.

XVI. ENNODIVS PAMFRONIO. Magna sunt imperia gaudiorum: expers est continentiae hilaritas et in uocem gestit erumpere. uenit optatus desideriis dies et ille, quem numquam de meritis meis sed semper de superna pietate postulaui, magnitudini tuae splendor accessit: redditus est generi et moribus tuis apex, per quem conscientiae fidelis in lucem prodire non formidet integritas. deus bone, indulta custodi, auge successibus quod dedisti, fac circa seruum tuum primum esse gradum qui summus est. praecipio spe futura quae deprecor: nesciunt in foribus haerere quae caelo auctore tribuuntur. semper incrementis ad culmen ascenditur, ubi supernus fauor praestat exordium. quis hoc in uita hominum uel eorum, qui conuersationem suam nulla custodiunt nube sordentem, accessisse sibi die una gratuletur, te honorum auspicia ingressum et dulce meum Senarium ab ultimis terrarum partibus restitutum? breuis horarum cursus interfuit, 1 affuit PTb 2 genitum B mia T (ut solet), gratia Pb 4 deffondere B 6 dona L1 8 sufficiens (ante dlt . s et supra ras.) V XYI. 10 panfronio T 11 imperia gaudiorum LPTV nisi quod gaudiaram V scribere coeperat 12 gestet B erumpere T in ras . 14 piaetate L postolaui B adcessit B 15 apix 0 B 17 bona B quos L 18 peroipio Pb 19 herere B u 20 actore T tribuntur L culmina scenditur B\' 21 supernos B prestat B 23 adcessisse B gratuletur PTb, gratulentur BL V ut et tu palatio natus et ille sit redditus. in ueritate dico et de dei misericordia mihi securus spondeo, fragilitati meae praesidia caelo obsequente concedi. spondetur mihi quod uobis est praestitum. domine mi, salutationis obsequia suscipiens rogo, ut, si quid amori meo tribuis, domnum animae meae Senarium, ut apud me maneat, exorare pleniter non omittas. quod nisi obtinueris, multum mihi de hilaritatis cumulo decerpsisti.