Letter 7016: **From:** Ennodius, deacon in Pavia

XVI. Ennodius to Agnellus. The pleasant gaiety of speech is wont to scatter abroad the tidings of prosperous things, since whatever of good has accrued to the eloquent runs forth among the peoples by the kindred voice of joys. It is easier to suppress with the tongue a fire kindled into the pyre than to keep silence amid things one has longed for. It is the law of humanity and the command of nature that gladness should flow out from the mind by the resources of writing: for happy events emanate even if they are confined within the chambers. But in your greatness, just as your age is grey with modesty and ripening with the endowment of knowledge, so too you bind fast your joy with the reins of moderation. Yet ought discipline to run out to the detriment of graciousness, and ought that to be diminished in the diligence of friends which is joined to the adornments of character? Although you hold the coinage of Latin eloquence, you cannot, nevertheless, find how you may assert that to have been rightly done, namely that you grant no words to me who am waiting. Is it fitting, then, that the gifts of heaven be announced to those who love only by report, and that one who has already obtained them should tremble with joys at the solid congratulation? Under this necessity I have dispatched the boy, who is not to ask back for writings, but to demand them. You know what the confidence of those who love in simplicity is, especially of those whose hope you keep made firm by the promise of your favor. My lord, offering you the fullest greeting, I beg that you would direct letters to me both frequent and not crammed into a narrow compass. See the security of my mind: I who as yet have received none ask for lengthy pages.

XVI. ENNODIVS AGNELLO. Solet prosperorum indicia dispergere sermonis iucunda festiuitas, dum quicquid boni facundis accesserit germana gaudiorum per populos uoce discurrit. facilius est ignem in pyras animatum lingua conprimere, quam silentium inter optata seruare. humanitatis lex est et naturae imperium hilaritatem mentis opibus scriptionis effluere: emanant enim uel si artentur secunda conclauibus. sed in magnitudine uestra, sicut aetas cana est pudoris et scientiae dote maturescens, ita laetitiam frenis moderationis adstringitis. sed numquid in damnum gratiae disciplina debet excurrere et hoc minui amicorum diligentiae, quod ad morum ornamenta sociatur? quamuis monetam Latiaris eloquentiae teneas, non potes tamen inuenire quemadmodum iure factum adseras, quod expectanti mihi uerba non tribuis. decet ergo beneficia superna sola amantibus opinione nuntiari et de solida gratulatione trepidare gaudiis iam potitum ? hac ego necessitate puerum direxi, qui non reposcat scripta, sed exigat. nostis quae sit fiducia simpliciter amantum, eorum praecipue, quorum spem retinetis gratiae promissione firmatam. domine mi, salutationem plenissimam dicens quaeso, ut et frequentes et non in artum coactas epistolas destinetis. uidete animi mei securitatem: prolixas posco paginas, qui adhuc nullas accepi. XVI. 2 item ennodius LTV 8 iocunda BLTVb 4 facondis T* adcesserit B germina L 5 discurret B est om. T piras T 8 artentut] auertantor T 9 sup. secunda B m. rec . foecunda, foecunda b 10 maturiscens BLlb 11 moderationis (mode in ras . uocis frenis m . 1) V adetringetia Bb dampnum LTV 13 sociatur ex sciatur L monitam Bb 14 potestjamen B, potest tamen b 15 exspectanti V 17 potitam) positfl L 18 hac] ac BLb ergo TV 20 praecipuae B 21 m T, mihi BLVb queM LTV ut et] ut b 22 arctum B b .