Letter 7008: I have written to you before about my health, and I write again now — not because the news has changed, but because...

How well had habit trained my soul to the patience of separation, while prolonged silences, through the necessity of their own sweetness, bred contempt for absent delights\! The scar that had been progressing toward the healing of pious love has been torn open again. I confess, venerable sister, your letter, seasoned with a flavor all too familiar, has recalled me to my old longing. See with what art you contend against me: you allow me neither satiety from your presence nor forgetfulness from your silence. The most high searcher of minds knows that upon reading your letter my soul could not remain within its own chambers and flew on the honey of diligence to your presence. The dwelling at Arles had its claims upon me while I was enclosed within the walls of Milan, and while my mind's freedom ran to that sweet abode, the captivity of my body confined me within Italy. O if abundance of speech were available to express what the soul desires, or if modesty did not snatch away those things for which the tongue suffices\! Small is the love that is adequately opened by the testimony of the mouth: it is the confession of a tepid affection when eloquence does not yield before it. For the rest, I pray to God that you may be well, and that for the relief of my sorrow, which by the overly Daedalian art of your writing you have doubled, you may be preserved through the good of our mutual prosperity.

VIII. ENNODIVS EVPREPIAE. Quam bene animum meum ad patientiam sequestrationis absentiae uestrae usus aptauerat, dum prolixa silentia contemptum dulcedinis rerum suarum necessitate pariebant! rescissa . est cicatrix, quae ad medicinam pii amoris accesserat. confiteor, soror uenerabilis, ad antiquum me desiderium litterae tuae nimis noto conditae sapore reuocarunt. ecce uide qua mecum arte contendis, cui nec satietatem de praesentia tua nec obliuionem de silentio pateris subuenire. scit mentium VII. 2 helpidio LV, hilpidio Bb, helidio T, Elpidio Sirm . diad B 3 esaentiae LTlV dampna LTV 4 itenerum B e. malcatnr scripsi, sequestrationẽ| minuit altatnr B r exp, et minuit s. I . m. rec.), aequeutratione minuitur b , 5 caritate b 6 in- iectione Llitterarum.LY7secarueYtanquam Y 8 constitum B1 domine Tb hilpidi Bb 9 ustuti| et asset B (et 8. 1. m. rec.), astutias asset b 10 dampnandos LTV, damnas dus B b VIII. 16 eupraepiae BLVb, eufpie 1 17 se sequestrationis Bb 19 rescisa L 21 me] qui me Bb; quia me fort . 22 reuocarent B quam b 23 mecum om. Sirm., equfl b VI. 12 discussor altissimus lectione apicum tuorum animam meam inter penetralia sua non potuisse consistere et ad praesentiam tuam diligentiae euolasse melle conpulsam. habuit Arelatensis habitatio, cum Mediolanensibus muris includerer, et dum ad dulcem sedem libertas mentis excurreret, intra Italiam me corporis captiuitas includebat. o si suppeteret sermonis abundantia ad ea quae cupit animus exponenda aut illa, ad quae lingua sufficit, non pudor eriperet ! paruus amor est qui oris testimonio sufficienter aperitur: confessio est tepidae caritatis, quotiens in ea non cedit eloquium. quod restat, deum precor, ut ualeas et ad subleuandum maerorem meum, quem scriptione tua nimis daedala arte geminasti, bono prosperitatis mutuae reserueris.