Letter 7

Faustus, from Ennodius. How great is the burden of envy, how easy the path to harm, whenever the accused labors under a preexisting reputation! No one, as I see it, examines what was done or left undone: for proof of the attack, one's character alone is summoned as witness. May almighty God turn these inverted orders of things to better account, and suffuse with the brightness of a golden age the state of affairs that has grown dim through the stain of the times or the clouds of our own deserts. When has the cloak of innocent office not covered the most obscene crimes of men, and when has the serenity of heavenly service not excused whatever descended from the cloud of vice? But now clerical status is made a trap by a credulous interpreter, and what it would not have been fitting to commit even before a religious profession, this we are believed to carry out without any regard for decency after we have renounced our faults through the title of the Church. Into what tempest, what storm of monstrous sins, did you drive me to that notorious office? In the very state where all the branches of error are usually pruned by the master-knife of right living, you cause every crime to be believed of me by those I deceive. That man bewailed that his slaves had been taken from him by me, and believed that royal protection should be invoked against the power of a churchman. Who, I ask, would propose such a plot even on the stage? What poet would construct a tale with similar devices or fictitious characters? The Lord knows — may he rise mightily in your support as my champion — that I am entirely ignorant of this whole scheme. Some time ago, two slaves who claimed that violence was being done to them by the aforementioned man took themselves to the protection of the Church by public appeal. I remember using entreaties so that the will of the deceased concerning them might be observed: he promised with deceptive and flattering enticements that he would hear the case. I urged them to return to the service to which they had been assigned, in the presence of the holy bishop your father, who was providing them assistance, and with the knowledge of the citizenry. What happened afterward I did not know, until I received the name of one who wrongfully detained them. I am lying about all this, unless it is confirmed by the attestation of my accuser himself — to whom I nevertheless give thanks, because under whatever pretext he has exacted the letters I longed for, which have caused me much grief through the uncertainty of your command.

VII. FAVSTO ENNODIVS. Quantus est fascis inuidiae, quam facilis nocendi uia, quotiens praecedenti opinione laborat impetitus! nemo quid factum sit, ut uideo, quidue infectum respicit: ad inpugnationis fidem solum aduocatur pro teste propositum. deus omnipotens mutatas ordinum uices uertat in melius et rerum statum, qui labe temporis aut meritorum nostrorum nebulis obsoleuit, aurei saeculi candore perfundat. quando non hominum obscenissima crimina innocentis officii texit umbraculum et quicquid a morum 2 decorem Ll 3 quis L dicat-habitabilem L in ras . 6 nulla B, nulli LPTVb 7 sepalchra B 8 mariam B flumi T adduamqi B, adduam quae LTV quorum coni., quos BLPb, quo. T, quod Sirm . confusus B 9 in lacum B eo] eum B 11 quanta B 12 beniflcia B dedisset B et Sirm., qui ante si distinxit 13 perhennitate T 14 tuetatur B VII. 19 fa.ciв L s ercu., fascinua coni. Schottus 20 pcidenti B fõm P, sanctum b 21 infectum] infaudum b inpugnationis B is in ras . 24 obsoluit BL 26 ignoscentis T, incentis B nube descendit caelestis militiae serenitas excusauit? at nunc in aucupium trahitur male creduli interpretis clericatus, et quod ante religiosam professionem admisisse non decuit, hoc postquam . per titulum ecclesiasticum culpis renuntiauimus, sine honesti credimur consideratione peragere. qua me tempestate, procella inmanium peccatorum, ire ad famosum . officium conpulisti? in quo omnes, errorum rami. magistra uiuendi solent falce truncari, in eo de me facinus credi facis omne fallentibus. ille mancipia sua a me . sublata defieuit et contra potentiam ecclesiastici militis aduocandam credidit regiam defensionem. rogo, quis hoc conmentator uel in scena proponat? quis poetarum fabellam fucis. similibus aut commenticiis personis instrueret? nouit dominus, qui manu ualida in adiutorio. uestro mei propugnator adsurgat, totius me esse technae huius ignarum. ante aliquid temporis pueri duo, qui sibi a praefato adserebant inferri uiolentiam, ad opem se ecclesiae sub interpellatione publica contulerunt. preces adhibuisse me memini, ut circa eos quod defunctus uoluit seruaretur: auditurum se deceptiosis et blandis promisit inlecebris. ut ad obsequium reuerterentur, ad quod deputati fuerant, sancto episcopo patre uestro praesente, qui eisdem praebebat auxilium, sub notitia ciuitatis hortatus sum. quid postea euenerit ignoraui, nisi postquam male retentatoris nomen accepi. haec mentior, nisi inpugnatoris mei adtestatione constiterint, cui tamen gratias refero, quia I sub quauis occasione uotiuas exegit epistulas, quae mihi multum doloris iussionis uestrae dubitatione pepererunt. de me enim p. .. ,ł 1,.. 1 diacendit B 2 credoli interpraetis B 3 amisisae T 6 immanium L V pecorum T fqmoaum L1 7 compulisti LTV \' 8 irancari i r in ras . 11 commentator LTV 12 fav uellam B mmenticiis T In ras . 14 totius B, tocius P, tutiua LTV eet B ternae LV, tegne PT, igne B huiusmodi Plb 15 asserebant LTV 17 me om. b et Sirm . \' imimini L 18 quod] 5 T seruarentur T . deceptioniB B Ia. 19 reuerentur B 22 ortatas LPY 23 retentoria B impugnatoris T 24 atteatatione LTV constiUerint T 25 epistolas LTV deliberatum esse uideo, si uos, utrum audiam quae iubetis, in ancipiti esse cognosco. nulla me tamen nec magnitudinem uestram ex ea parte apud deum culpa respiciet, quia praefatos mox ad seruitium illius boni uiri sine alicuius audientiae libra ire conpuli. domini mei salutationem largissimam dicens, quam uellem, si istis negotiis paginas non negetis, aut accusatores meos ipse conponere aut, quod est familiarius, frequenter errare! .