Letter 6032: **From:** Ennodius, deacon of Milan (later bishop of Pavia)

XXXII. Ennodius to Avienus. Although the exchanges of letters between those who love one another are always pleasant, and from these services, even if Spartan brevity be employed, abundant joys are born, and although offices of this kind are a remedy to the absent and a thing prayed for by the anxious, nevertheless a sick mind is tossed about over the prosperity of those upon whom it depends, and breathes again only through this one cure; and when he who totters at no uncertainty denies that cure to the anxious, he as good as declares that he is not held by attentiveness. For a long time the conversations sent by your greatness fed my mind and supplied nourishment suited to my cheerfulness. The withholding of these now does not bring sadness, but drives me toward ruin. For that which before served affection could have brought aid to my health: the bond of charity has been forsworn, when words that would benefit my well-being are denied. You have recognized what your silences have done; come to their aid by amending them: for with you, if forgetfulness of me does not hold sway, they are altered by writing. My lord, returning to you the most abundant greeting, I beseech God that the dispensation of heavenly favor may meet my burning distress, and that, for the solace of my sorrows, He may cause those things to be disclosed to me by you which it delights me to learn.

XXXII. ENNODIVS AVIENO. Cum semper sint litterarum inter amantes iucunda commercia et ex his muniis, etiam si Spartana adhibeatur breuitas, gaudia prolixa nascantur sintque huiusmodi officia remedio absentibus, uotiua sollicitis, attamen aeger animus super eorum de quibus pendet prosperitate iactatur et hac tantum curatione respirat, quam cum negat anxiis is, qui nullo labascit incerto, resignat se diligentia non teneri. pauerunt diu animum meum a magnitudine uestra destinata colloquia et hilaritati congrua pabula praestiterunt. quorum nunc abstinentia non adfert tristitiam, sed cogit ad exitium. potuit enim saluti opem tribuere quod ante militauit affectui: abiurata est caritatis religio, quando profutura meae ualitudini uerba denegantur. agnouistis quid fecerunt silentia uestra, quibus emendatione succurrite: nam apud uos si mei non dominatur obliuio, scriptione mutantur. domine mi, salutem largissimam referens deum deprecor, ut aestibus meis superni dispensatio fauoris occurrat et in solacio maerorum meorum illa a uobis indicari faciat, quae delectet agnosci. 1 expertes T 2 ex b, de LTV fructu b 8 reddunt L 5 capere T\'b, cuperem LTXV et Sinn . m T, mihi L Vb famulatis Tl 7 dominus 11 XXXII. 11 iocunda Tb 14 eger LTV 15 pendet T*, pendit LT1Vb 17 se] sed b 20 eiitum b 22 ualetudini b 23 fecerint b 24 dominantur L mutentur fort . 25 mihi L Vb dominam b precor T 26 diepensatio scripsi, dispositio LTV et Sinn., dispoeitione b occurat L solatio LT Vb 27 moerorum b, merorum L TV