Letter 7014: ---

Ennodius to Archotamia. You have so far advanced in the light of your character beyond the distinction of your lineage, that the merits of your kin subject to you even those whom no kinship binds to you. For why should anyone be unready to spend complete reverence upon a soul lofty in the worship of God? For he makes himself a stranger to the grace of the Redeemer who does not render obedience to God. For it is a sign of an outstanding way of life to love the worshippers of our Christ: he is near to the most blameless who loves those already proven; he gives testimony to merits unquestionably good, if you take pains to honor with praise, in due constancy, those who are perfect; he becomes near to the saints who proclaims holiness in them without pretense; whomever, at diligence's urging, you have put forward, it is a loss of self-respect if you do not follow him. Who, treading through thorny ground with his modesty unharmed, would extol a cleansed path, and, looking upon the way of salvation, choose the tracks of the harmful? It is a profession of blindness to spurn good things set before one's eyes as an example, and not to hold to that from which you might profit by imitation. These things, my lady, report has announced concerning you by no uncertain signs, nor has the chattering crowd flung them about through mouths ignorant of judgment, whose custom it is, in matters of human conduct, while it fans sparks into pyres, to extinguish the magnified flames of the faithful. This, by the relation of our kinsfolk, and especially with our lady and sister Euprepia reporting it, has become widely known: that you are not only worthy of praises, but have set about being celebrated, and bringing the torch of a religious way of life to your venerable son together with the rays of your stock. He has, as far as I have learned, namely the dweller of Lerins [the island monastery of Lerinum], that which he may learn from his holy mother, even she who did not leave the dwellings of the city. If your piety believes me, it is more to have conquered the world in battle than to have shunned it: flight from the contest cancels fear, nor is there any hope of virtue when the adversary is avoided before the engagement: a conscience of strength yields to a hiding place for few; this is to choose seclusion which would have displayed fear. These things I write not in reproach of my lord and the radiance of our household, the presbyter, for whom I do not believe that assaults are lacking even there, assaults which he overcomes, in the place where he has seemed to decline the conflict. For he trampled upon all the world's blandishments then, when the chain of his age, his wealth, and his birth was not able to hold back his setting forth. But to you, as much as your sex is the weaker, so much is the foremost praise owed for the winning of the palm. It is nearly the case that you yourself are also the protector of his resolve, you who, enduring the evils of widowhood and bereavement, suffer nothing to be lost from the merits of your venerable son by reason of your comfort. Behold where a woman, forgetful of her frailty, in the stead of a fortress withdraws both a man and a young man from the enemy's assault. May you endure as the glorious leader of this deed, and persevere in the world up to that point at which the field of this world may receive him, if circumstance should so demand, now full-grown. I could wish, I confess, if the framing of a letter allowed it, to draw out my words at length and to relate a few things, in abundance of speech, about the adornments of your deeds. But let these things be reserved to be written to others. It suffices that you should know that, although you have never been seen by me, you are recognized and, with your root grafted into venerable monuments, you are already held dear by my mind. It is written, you remember: let those near you praise you. Truly I could wish that there existed for me a sole reason for seeking out the Gauls, so that, with my lord the presbyter, both of us kissing your hands and your eyes, we might render you blessed in whatever affliction of the time. My lady, on account of which letters are sent, signifying that I am well in body, I inquire after the state of your prosperity, beseeching and adjuring you through God, never to deny me the aids of your prayers.

XIIII. ENNODIVS ARCHOTAMIAE. Ita supra claritatem generis morum luce profecistis, ut quos etiam uobis non nectit propinquitas acteum uestrorum bona subiciant. quia enim non perfectam reuerentiam sit paratus inpendere animae in dei cultura sublimi? quia peregrinum se facit a redemptoris gratia qui deo non non obsequentes. indicium enim est conuersationis praecipuae Christi nostri amare cultores: proximus est emendatissimis qui diligit iam probatos: testimonium dat bonorum sine dubitatione meritorum, si studeas laudibus prosequi sub debita continuatione perfectos: fit sanctis proximus qui in illis sine fuco praedicat sanctitatem: quemcumque diligentia hortante praetuleris, dispendium. pudoris est, ni sequaris. quis salua uerecundia per spinosa gradiens purgatum iter adtollat et uiam salutis aspiciens calles eligat noxiorum? professio caecitatis est bona ante oculos in exemplum locata respuere et unde imitatione proficias non tenere. haec, mi domina, de te non incertis fama nuntiauit indiciis, non loquax uulgus per ignara iudicii ora iactauit, cui mos est de humanis actibus, dum scintillas in rogos animat, amplificatas fidelium flammas extinguere. hoc nostrorum relatione propinquorum, praecipue tamen domina et sorore Euprepia 1 adaiduetatem B 2 exhibet et] ezhibitet Bb XIV. 4 arcotamiae BLVb, archotamie T 5 profecistis (tII. rec.) b, proflcistis B, proficitis LTV 6 nectet Bb acUum L 8 in p 8. I . 9 a* (d eras.) B redemptori B suspicet B, suscipit LT 10 connersionis T praecipue TV 11 proximns Bb, proximis LV diligat Tl, diliget B 12 das T 15 quaecumque Bb ortante BlLTV 16 ni] ne Bb, in L nerecondia T* pinosa B 17 callis B 18 cecitatis B 19 respnere] respicere Sirm . 20 mi] mea b 21 nlgns B ignorantia L 22 de om. L scentellas B rogoe b, rogns B, rogum LTV anplicatas B 24 praecipnae B domna Sirm . enpraepia B b, enflpia LT referente, percrebuit, non solum uos dignas esse praeconiis, sed instituisse celebrandum et uenerabili filio cum prosapiae radiis facem conuersationis ingerere. habet, quantum conperi, Lirinensis habitator quod de sancta matre discat, etiam quae urbana domicilia non reliquit. si mihi credit pietas tua, plus est in acie uicisse saeculum quam uitasse: resignat timorem fuga certaminis, nec spes est ulla uirtutis, quando ante congressionem declinatur aduersarius: conscientia roboris paucis adquiescit ad latebram: hoc est secretum eligere quod ostendisse formidinem. haec ego non dominum meum et familiae nostrae iubar presbyterum arguens scribo, cui nec ibi credo inpugnationes deesse, quas superet, in quo loci uisus est declinasse conflictum. tunc enim uniuersa saeculi blandimenta calcauit, quando aetatis opum natalium profectionem eius retinere catena non ualuit. sed uobis quantum sexus infirmior, tantum debetur potissima de palmae adeptione laudatio. prope est ut etiam illius tu sis tutela propositi, quae mala uiduitatis et orbitatis patiens de uenerabilis filii meritis solacii tui occasione pateris nil perire. ecce ubi femina fragilitatis oblita castelli uice et uirum et iuuenem ab hostili inpugnatione subducit. huius facti dux gloriosa perdures et usque ad illud in saeculo perseueres, quo illum, si ita res poposcerit, iam maturum mundi istius campus accipiat. uellem, confiteor, si epistolaris pateretur concinnatio, in longum uerba producere et de actuum uestrorum ornamentis pauca sub loquendi ubertate narrare. sed haec ad alios scribenda reseruentur. sufficit uos 2 uenerabilia LTV proiapie T 3 lyrinensia BLTb 4 scę mai L sed § in a corr . 5 orbana B reliquid B 6 aciae B seculum B 7 uirtuti fort. ah. T 8. I. m. 2 8 on pacis? 9 adquiescit Bl ut uidetur, adquiescet B (corr.) LTVb 10 e.go (r eras.) L domino meo b 11 presbiterum L Vt prnesbiterum B cui L s. l . ibe L1 12 inpugnationis B 16 debet L depotissima V 17 «illius (m ercu.) B uidnetatis B 18 fili B solatii LTV 22 perseueris B, peraeuee T1 matura VI, maturi Tl ut uidetwr 23 uellim B confior L i in ras. 24 pateritur B, paterentur T1 continuatio L de B s . I. 25 act.um L 26 seribenda B seruentur F\' scire, quia, quamuis a me numquam sis uisa, cognosceris et adorandis inserta monumentis radice animi iam teneris. scriptum est, meministi: laudent te proximi tui. uere sola mihi uellem causa existeret Gallias expetendi, ut cum domno meo presbytero, utrique osculantes manus et oculos tuos, beatam te in quauis adflictione temporis redderemus. domina mi, propter quod mittuntur epistolae, corpore me ualere significans prosperitatis uestrae statum requiro, deprecans et per deum coniurans, ne umquam mihi orationum uestrarum adiumenta denegetis.