Letter 7020: While the servants of the wine-press were completing the bounty of autumn — and the whole countryside was occupied...

While the servants of the wine-presses were completing the gift of autumn and bursting the tender skins of grapes with hurried treading, I directed both my eyes and my words to that eminent man, my kinsman and brother, judging it just that while the vineyards yield their abundant liquor, I should address a sober personage with pleasant cheerfulness. Therefore loose your Pythagorean silence and share with me the goods of your learning and eloquence: let our conversation be, between us, like a happy vintage; let the sweet must of discourse flow. You have things, most holy deacon, that you may share with him about the precepts of conduct with your well-known richness of speech. For those who, like you, stand upon ecclesiastical probity, among them the avoidance of silence is justified. Write with what golden strictness chastity is maintained, by what path obscene avarice is fled, by what means the shameful obscurity of deception is avoided: in sum, declare without dissimulation what you practice. Above all, graciously instruct one eager to know by what means the blandishments of the world or of a bride are spurned by the strictness of religion. My lord, as above, presenting the gifts of greeting, I pray that you graciously accept what, amid the weight of cares, the not-to-be-spurned intrusion of jests requires to be done.

XX. MAXIMO ENNODIVS. Dum prelorum famuli autumni dotem conplerent et teneras uuarum tunicas properata calce disrumperent, ego ad summatem uirum parentem fratremque meum et oculos et uerba reuocaui, iustum esse coniciens, dum uineta uberem tribuunt liquorem, me sobriam alloqui cum iucunda hilaritate personam. solue ergo Pythagoricam taciturnitatem et mecum peritiae et facundiae tuae bona partire: sit inter nos felicium uindemiarum uice colloquium: currant dulcia musta sermonum. habes quae cum diacono, sanctissime, de institutis morum nota dicendi ubertate communices. nam qui ecclesiastica, ut uos, probitate subsistunt, silentii apud illos iusta uitatio est. scribite qua aurea castitas districtione teneatur, per quem callem obscena fugiatur auaritia, quibus modis turpis fallendi declinetur obscuritas: in summa, sine dissimulatione docete quae geritis: illud praecipue scire cupidum dignanter instruite qua sponsae uel blandimenta saeculi religionis districtione respuantur. domine, ut supra, salutationis munera praesentans precor, ut gratanter accipias quod inter curarum moles exigit fieri iocorum non respuenda subreptio. 2 apparescit B (s. l. m. rec.) b, adpariscet B, apparescet (es ex is) t L, apparescet T, apparescat V 5 inspiret] finit add. B XX. 8 praelorum BV, plorum T, praelatorum Schottus autumnni a1 • T dote Bb; dote lacus fort . 11 co«niens L uberem (pr . u in ras.) B 12 licorem B iocunda BTb 13 solnet Bb b pithagoricam LTV, pytagoricam B 14 facondie T mecum partire T 15 curant L1 sermofi T aues B que BT, qui L 16 Banctiasimo LTV 17 comunicis B qui (i m ras.) B ppbitate T 20 falendi Bl 21 geretis Bb 22 praecipuie B 23 blandimenta uel fort . 25 gratenter B molles L\' exiget B