Letter 5018: It is scarcely possible for a man absorbed in successful ventures to spare attention for the claims of correspondence.
Ennodius of Pavia→Faustus|c. 507 AD|Ennodius of Pavia
friendship
From: Ennodius, deacon in Pavia
To: Faustus [Faustus Niger]
Date: ~507 AD
Context: A letter reflecting that it is hard for a man focused on successful ventures to attend to correspondence — a gentle excuse for a powerful patron's silence.
To Faustus, from Ennodius.
It is scarcely possible for a man absorbed in successful ventures to spare attention for the claims of correspondence. The demands of prosperity are as heavy as those of adversity — and sometimes heavier, because success attracts more claimants than failure.
I understand your silence, then, even as I break it with my own letter. Write when you can; until then, I will content myself with the knowledge that your silence means things are going well. Farewell.
XVIII. FAVSTO ENNODIVS.
Vix est ut intentus rebus felicibus aduersa praenoscat: uelut
sinistrum enim omen repudiat, si quid de austeritate futurorum
intellectu praecedente respexerit: certe ne et alieno
tempore amarae se misceant, ipsa molestiarum horret agnitio.
nullo credebam interuallo nunc inamabilem Rauennam, dum
erat thesauris meis plena, distare: non me sic sitientem fons,
aestuantem aura, ut illa ad se non lassum requies inuitabat.
at nunc ipsa Roma puto ad longiora pro peccatorum meorum
fasce translata est. ubi est illa quae rara putabatur frequentia
litterarum ? ubi crebra uisio? ubi tot solacia diligentiae? uere
pro meis partibus loquor: detestor uitam, quae nec in aerumna
constitutis est odio. adleget forsitan culmen tuum, sibi pro
superna dispensatione cupita contigisse. non est plena felicitas,
quando uestrorum aliquis miseriis durae sequestrationis adfligitur.
deo credite, non sunt fucata quae defleo nec ad explicandam
cordis tragoediam aut epistularis concinnatio sufficit
aut sermonis angustia. Christe rerum arbiter, propriae succurre
necessitati, ne humana fragilitas ad inmensi fascem doloris
non sufficiens pressa subcumbat. domine mi, salutationis seruitia
dependens rogo, ut paginalis circa me cura seruetur, ut
uel hoc remedio inter aestus mens constituta respiret.
-
XVIII. 3 intus L 4 enim] animi Pb, - enim animi Sirm.
5 procedente B et om. Pb 6 amarae Sirm., amare BLP
TYb, cum amaris Pl 7 rauennem T\' 8 thensaaris L\', thesanris
(ea in ras.) B plena B in mg. add . deetare LP\'V
10 ad BlL 13 erumpna T 14 adleget scripsi, adlegit BLT
V, allegit Pb, adlegat Sirm . tuum «ortpsi, suum BLPTVb
16 noBtrorum Sirm . 17 haeiplicandam (x ex c corr.) L
18 traguidiam B1 19 post sermonis 8-9 litt. eras . in B
I
21 praeesa B m V, mihi BL seruitio B, ohsequia T
23 ms L respiceret B
◆
From:Ennodius, deacon in Pavia
To:Faustus [Faustus Niger]
Date:~507 AD
Context:A letter reflecting that it is hard for a man focused on successful ventures to attend to correspondence — a gentle excuse for a powerful patron's silence.
To Faustus, from Ennodius.
It is scarcely possible for a man absorbed in successful ventures to spare attention for the claims of correspondence. The demands of prosperity are as heavy as those of adversity — and sometimes heavier, because success attracts more claimants than failure.
I understand your silence, then, even as I break it with my own letter. Write when you can; until then, I will content myself with the knowledge that your silence means things are going well. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.