Ennodius of Pavia→Avitus of Vienne|c. 509 AD|Ennodius of Pavia
illness
From: Ennodius, deacon of Pavia
To: Avitus [likely Avitus of Vienne, bishop and leading churchman of Burgundian Gaul]
Date: ~509–511 AD
Context: A letter of recommendation for Bonifacius, whose brother is held captive near Aquileia — Ennodius weaves a request for intercession out of a meditation on how longing defeats its own cure.
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When affection seeks its own remedies and longs to be relieved of anxiety's fever through the medicine of conversation, the very act of foresight fans the flame: from the source one believed would extinguish the fire, a doubled blaze of longing rises instead. Often, in my searching about for an abundance of letter-carriers, I have found myself made sicker by the very thing I had hoped would bring relief.
But see — one who has hurried to you on behalf of his own people now, in the same motion, heals my longing. What is undertaken out of private necessity becomes an instrument of another's need as well. I shall see in time what Bonifacius [the bearer of this letter] gains through my recommendation; for the moment, he serves my own purposes simply by having obtained this letter from me through his prolonged entreaties.
His bearing marks him as one born of good family — his manner is its own testimony to his blood. He has told me that his brother is held captive in the vicinity of Aquileia [a major city at the head of the Adriatic, now largely in ruins — in this era still significant as a former imperial and ecclesiastical center], and he begs with everything he has that you might bring your influence to bear on his brother's behalf.
The custom of your holy household is spoken of far and wide. You have already offered such a pledge of righteous conduct in the life you have lived that those crushed by misfortune may call upon it as upon a debt lawfully owed. My lord, receive this tribute of my fullest greeting — and then be persuaded to do what you would have done freely of your own accord, so that one who comes to you as a suppliant need not become a suppliant to anyone else.
XX. AVITO ENNODIVS.
Dum remedia sua quaerit affectio et aestum sollicitudinis
conloquio cupit medicante releuari, ardescit animus prouisionis
beneficio: unde extingui creditur, geminatum diligentiae surgit
incendium. saepe mihi baiulorum copiam perquirenti inde
aegrescere contigit, unde opinabar quod prodesset accidere.
ecce medetur desideriis meis qui suorum ad uos causa properauit:
fit adiumentum necessitatis alienae quod propriae
consideratione suscipitur. uidero quid conmendatione mea Bonifacius
promoueat: interim opitulatur studiis meis quod prolixis
a me precibus inpetrauit. hunc bonis ortum natalibus testis
sanguinis mens designat. germanum suum praefatus in uicinitate
Aquileiensis ciuitatis adserit esse captiuum, qui ut a uobis
XVIllI. 2 partinio ennodius B, ennodius Partinio b, auito ennodius
LTV 5 lataere B et om. Bb taciturnitas (pr . t in ras.)
B 6 inops (i in ras.) B 8 es] 8 L post quem T
9 optinenda BT summa Bb (in mg.), maxima LPTJtb 11 adsiduitate
(it in ras.) B deuulga L .
XX. 15 mediante Sirm . reuelari L animus (i corr. in
raa.) B 16 geminatam B 17 cupiam B\' 18 egrescere
BLTV contingit Pb prodset L, prodeecet B 19 meditur
B 21 sus percipitur V, pcipitur P bonifatius B, bonefacius T
23 bonum B 25 aquiligensis B, aquilegenBis T
iuuetur exposcit. sanctae domus uestrae consuetudo uulgata est:
talem uitam bonorum actuum obsidem iam dedistis, a qua
uelut debitum poscat qui calamitate deprimitur. domine mi,
accipientes plenae salutationis obsequium facite exorati quod
sponte consuestis, ut qui uestris supplex est alteri eum esse
non liceat.
◆
From:Ennodius, deacon of Pavia
To:Avitus [likely Avitus of Vienne, bishop and leading churchman of Burgundian Gaul]
Date:~509–511 AD
Context:A letter of recommendation for Bonifacius, whose brother is held captive near Aquileia — Ennodius weaves a request for intercession out of a meditation on how longing defeats its own cure.
---
When affection seeks its own remedies and longs to be relieved of anxiety's fever through the medicine of conversation, the very act of foresight fans the flame: from the source one believed would extinguish the fire, a doubled blaze of longing rises instead. Often, in my searching about for an abundance of letter-carriers, I have found myself made sicker by the very thing I had hoped would bring relief.
But see — one who has hurried to you on behalf of his own people now, in the same motion, heals my longing. What is undertaken out of private necessity becomes an instrument of another's need as well. I shall see in time what Bonifacius [the bearer of this letter] gains through my recommendation; for the moment, he serves my own purposes simply by having obtained this letter from me through his prolonged entreaties.
His bearing marks him as one born of good family — his manner is its own testimony to his blood. He has told me that his brother is held captive in the vicinity of Aquileia [a major city at the head of the Adriatic, now largely in ruins — in this era still significant as a former imperial and ecclesiastical center], and he begs with everything he has that you might bring your influence to bear on his brother's behalf.
The custom of your holy household is spoken of far and wide. You have already offered such a pledge of righteous conduct in the life you have lived that those crushed by misfortune may call upon it as upon a debt lawfully owed. My lord, receive this tribute of my fullest greeting — and then be persuaded to do what you would have done freely of your own accord, so that one who comes to you as a suppliant need not become a suppliant to anyone else.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.