Letter 6035: Amid the cares and difficulties that press upon us all, the consolation of correspondence is one of the few...

Ennodius to Domnina. Amid the cares and troubles to which I am subjected under the burden of my sins, I have chosen a singular remedy: to send a letter to you, my ladies, by whose prayers all things might turn out favorably for me and, with the clouds of distress cast aside, I might be restored to the serenity of joy. For the first cause of my grief is that, while you dwell so far away, your good fortune is scarcely able to be known — from which every adversity around my person is born. Be present, therefore, with your prayers to this suppliant, so that through the intercessions of God's saints, healing may be granted to a sick soul. My lady, paying the duty of greeting, I beseech you and adjure you by the God whom you worship, that you commend me to the Lord with continual petitions and with those tears by which the kingdom of heaven suffers violence — because I count this a special gift and set it above all other advantages.

XXXV. ENNODIVS DOMNINAE. Inter curas et molestias, quibus pro peccatorum fasce subicior, elegi singulare subsidium, ut ad uos domnas meas litteras destinarem, quarum precibus omnia mihi secunda contingerent et ad serena laetitiae depositis angustiarum nubibus reformarer. prima enim maeroris causa est, quod prospera uestra, dum in longinquo degitis, uix datur agnosci, ex qua nascitur circa personam meam omnis aduersitas. adeste ergo supplici precibus uestris, ut per sanctorum dei suffragia aegro animo medela tribuatur. domina mi, seruitium salutationis inpendens deprecor et per deum uos, quem colitis, obtestor, ut continuis me postulationibus et lacrimis, quibus regnum caeleste uim patitur, domino commendetis, quia hoc munus speciale conputo et omnibus commodis antepono. 28 cf. Matth. 11, 12 4 perductua L b 5 partus L 6 domine b 8 plenam b 10 domini fort . mi Schottus et Sirm., mihi BLVb, michi T XXXV. 15 dominicae b, domniane T 17 dnaa T 18 distinarem B 19 dopositia L a 20 meroris BLTV 21 degetis B asnosci B 22 omnes B adest Bb, adesto T 24 medella Bl, medeli L mihi BLVb seruitionum B, Berortia b 2b coletis B optestor B 26 postolationibus B caelestem B1 27 munos Bl