Letter 6026: **From:** Ennodius, deacon of Pavia

--- Silence, I grant, is owed to necessity — but letters are owed to devotion. Fear demands that one withhold the writing-tablet; yet now and again, affection overrules it. The mind of one who loves scarcely submits to any obstacle whatsoever: it burns all the hotter to pay its debt of gratitude precisely when it is forbidden. And so — having said this much by way of preface, as to what cause might suspend me from these duties — I leave the rest to your own conscience, which will make me compliant enough. Having commended myself to God in prayer, I write to let you know that I am in good health, and our Lupicinus [the young man entrusted to Ennodius's guardianship] likewise — and I am eager, in turn, to hear from you whatever news your absence has kept from me. Yet I would not have you weigh down your heart with the burden of anxious care for a child set apart from you. Trust my conscience in this: I owe him more through the discipline of devoted attention than you yourself could render him through the bare promptings of nature. Would that heaven's gifts might perfect what talent he already shows. I speak the plain truth — as you journey into the distance, the solicitude of both his parents looks to me; a care which, when we were all gathered together in one place, we used to share between us with eager goodwill. My lady, I offer you the fullest greeting, and I pray that you will grant me as much of your affection and your prayers as you have already found me worthy to serve the very ends you desired.

XXVI. ENNODIVS EVPREPIAE. Debentur quidem necessitati silentia, sed scripta diligentiae: exigit metus abstinentiam tabellarum, sed interdum cedit affectui. uix aliquibus adquiescit obstaculis mens amantis: feruet ad redhibenda gratiae stipendia potius cum uetatur. ecce praelocutus quae me causa ab his muniis suspenderet relinquo conscientiae uestrae quae faciat obsequentem. deum tamen precatus in bona me ualitudine uel Lupicinum nostrum esse significo, hoc de uobis cupiens quae a me sunt prorogata cognoscere. nolo tamen curam uestram sequestrati pignoris fasce deprimatis. credite conscientiae meae, plus illi per studium debeo quam ipsa exhibere poteras per naturam. utinam. ingenium illius beneficia superna meliorent. uere dico, uobis ad longiora digredientibus utriusque parentis sollicitudo me respicit, quam potuimus in unum positi cum ambitione partiri. domina mi, salutationem plenissimam dicens precor, ut tantum mihi caritatis et orationis suffragium concedatis, quantum me ad desiderii uestri effectum effectum conprobastis. 1 testem Bb 2 abstipulatione B stimmatis B usurus (as in ras.) L 5 commeantium T acoerserit & 6 solatio LV, silentio T accipites B 7 dietinate B XXVI. 9 eupraepiae B V 11 cedit T, cedet BLVb \' 12 obstac*lis L 13 ad T 8. I . redibenda BlLTV stipendiae L 14 suspendit T it ex et corr . 16 me* B a 8. 1. m. rec., mea b uel (u m rcu.) B lopicinum BLV, lopicinium T; Vellopicinum (om. uel)b17aigeoTqueadmeT,quęameL19depi-emates uel) & 17 sigco T que ad me T, quQ me L 19 depremates B 23 respicet B 24 m T, mihi BLVb plenam LTV 25 ordinationis L suffragiom V concidatis B