Letter 7018: If a judge of humble persons takes the trouble to hear their case, how much more should a man of your stature attend...

XVIII. Ennodius to Avienus. If a judge is himself worn down by the wrongs done to people of low station, I do not know whether he can relieve others of this burden, under which he himself is sinking. A healing hand must be applied to grievous wounds, lest the disease grow worse through going unpunished. The exalted man the Vicar wrung these words from me, though, in view of the demands of justice, they were owed in any case: what he has endured, let him himself make plain. One thing I know: that unless you come to his aid, the harm will become general, the very man being exposed who is the guardian of discipline. This is not foreign to Christianity, since I bring the matter forward, because it is impious that the proper order of things be thrown into confusion under such a mingling. My lord, with the honor of greeting set first, receive gladly our voice of supplication, so that he who has taken up the bundle of so great a labor may grow strong in its accomplishment.

XVIII. ENNODIVS AVIENO. Si iudex uilium personarum laboret iniuriis, nescio utrum possit ab hoc onere alios subleuare, cui ipse subcumbit. grauibus medica manus est adhibenda uulneribus, ne inpunitate morbus adolescat. sublimis uir Vicarius haec a me, quamuis pro iustitiae consideratione deberentur, tamen extorsit alloquia: quid pertulerit, ipse manifestet. unum scio, quia, nisi succurritis, generale futurum est malum, cui ipse est disciplinae tutor expositus. hoc non est alienum a christianitate, cum defero, quia impium est rerum ordinem sub hac permixtione confundi. domine mi, salutationis honore praelato XVII. 4 maximae B, et mwime b dominae Bb, dne T, ///dn ̃ e L 7 non] etiam non T 8 cathenis T 9 fauore fudit B b 11 dedicistis B meroris BLTV 12 post deum] potestatem fort . m T, mihi BLVb 18 domino B\'Тb 14 digna B 8. I . XVIII. 18 honore B subcumbet B, succnmbet b, anboombit T*, o sucnmbit L 20 uigarius Bb 21 pr B iusti.tiae (a ertu.) L deberent (nt u: m) L 23 subcurretis B, succurretis B (a. L x m. rec.) b 25 hac] ac B piomistione B 26 m T, mihi BLVb nos uocem supplicis gratanter accipite, ut qui tanti fascem laboris adripuit conualescat effectu.