Letter 7030: The hope placed in the young is solid, and their progress confirms what our faith in them anticipated.

The hope placed in the young is solid when the cultivation of great men accompanies it: if care ceases, the abundance of wheat passes into weeds. Partenius, the son of my sister, had for a long time been drawn toward diligence in letters by the fear of your eminence, as his father's own testimony revealed. But now, released from the law of that venerable dread by your absence, he contrives disgraces: that age, more friendly to sins, finds many guides to error. His father implores the pledge of my resolution and mourns his living son as though he were dead. So do those whose confidence in the progress of their own receives no answer. Nothing remained for me that I might apply as a remedy, overcome by prayers, except to hasten to inform the conscience of your eminence about the excesses of the aforesaid young man. Extend your healing hand, extend your accustomed aid, lest the progress of his vices cut down everything in him that could have borne any good. Make known to friends what is happening: inform his teacher and grant whatever can bring help, because these are the things which, after offering the duties of greeting to the aforementioned, I can provide without dissimulation to a kinsman mindful of my profession.

XXX. ENNODIVS FAVSTO. Solida est spes adulescentium, quam magnorum cultura prosequitur: si cessat curatio, ubertas tritici transit in lolium. Partenium sororis meae filium diu circa diligentiam litterarum, quantum patris ipsius reserauit allegatio, culminis uestri metus adtraxerat. sed nunc per absentiam uestram uenerandae solutus lege formidinis molitur obscena: aetas illa peccatis amicior multos reperit ad errata ductores. inplorat fidem propositi mei pater et incolumem filium loco deflet extincti. sic faciunt quibus de profectu suorum fiducia nulla responderit. 1 dici Bl 2 dominae b barbare B* domnum B1, dominum B (corr.) b 3 luruquae B aliut B 4 sperat b reddituram B 5 Epitaphium Cynegiae inscr. uersibus Sirm. precium B 6 dedit B 8. h hanc tumulis Sirm., haec totam olis Bb, hasc titulis uel tumulia coni. Schottus 7 sobolem b 8, faustone et B b, Fansto et Schattus; em. Sirm. praemolior Bb, em. Sirm . 9 ALITER, desiecet B medella B 10 torum B, totum b 11 patrona coni. Schattus; sed. cf. p. 21$, 3 XXX. 14 adoliscentium B, adoleaoentium T 16 cessit BLV, ceeaet T, eeasat B (a. h m. rec.) b libertas X 19 obscaeno . B 20 reperit T 21: me LTXV incotomem B, incoluA T nihil mihi residuum fuit, quod remedii loco precibus uictus ingererem, nisi ut eminentiae uestrae conscientiam de excessibus ante dicit iuuenis festinus instruerem. uos medicam manum, uos opem praestate consuetam, ne uitiorum profectus uniuersa in eo, quae boni aliquid potuerunt ferre, succidat. commendate amicis quae agantur: insinuate doctori et quicquid potest subuenire concedite, quia haec sunt, quae praefatis salutati obsequiis consanguineo possim professionis meae memori sine dissimulatione praestare.