Letter 8011: I am astonished that you disfigure with ugly silence the Roman polish of your education.

I marvel that you disfigure with shameful silence the beauties of conversation polished to Roman refinement in yourself, and that, fleeing the riches forced together by much toil, you squander them in the dispensation of taciturnity. Whatever has been bestowed upon the worthy, while it is in use, adorns its author: he who confines the elegance of talents diminishes it; it is one and the same error to come forward as a boor and to hide when worthy of the honor of praise. Did you not have things worth remembering, or did I seem to you unworthy of being cultivated by your eloquence? There was once a subject which was thus to be celebrated by the tongues and letters of all. Was there ever such an occasion as when a man was led to the marriage bond — one to whom, although the light of his birth is great and the abundance of his wealth, yet discipline and modesty surpass both? A man who, forswearing the vices of the flesh, rejected in place of shameful flattery whatever the laws gave as a remedy, and thought himself enslaved if he should spend upon the world even a particle of his free chastity? These things, even if you do not love them, you ought nevertheless to praise for the display of your talent. We can believe you are becoming good if we hear you praising what is honorable. Now, saying a most generous greeting, I urge you to write back; and do not judge me by this letter, which — God is my witness — I dictated in haste while returning from the basilica.

XI. ARATORI ENNODIVS. Miror cur deuenustes turpi silentio ad Romanum decorem politi in te bona conloquii et coactas multo sudore diuitias fugiens dispensationem taciturnitate consumas. quicquid dignis 11 cf. Gen. 27, 28 12 cf. Tob. 6 X. 2 u. s. om. T, ur ̃ s L 3 superaa noto L nostra b 5 gaudere B Bopernae benedictionie Pb manus L 6 cristuB B nri (ti m ras. uid.) B custodite B, custoditaei L integritates L, integritatSs V, integritatem Pb imperire L 7 sobolem LTV 8 nihil Sinn . archano LTV 9 seculo B peras L, parcas Pb 10 isac BLV piae B seductos T* 11 ad tobiae LTVb 12 paenitralia B perfectae casaa B, cauta perfectae TV, causa perfecte (te ex ti corr.) L dilectionis (dilecti s. I. corr.) L 13 in te] uite PT, uita b depntatam tibi LTV 14 fece BTV 15 m T, mihi BLV 16 acoepto B directa sunt V s. I . XL 20 denenustns Tl conlatum fuerit dum in usu eat, ornat auctorem: ingeniorum elegantiam qui concludit extenuat: unus error est prodire rusticantem et dignum laudis honore delitescere. numquid non habuisti digna memoratu aut ego tibi uisus sum non colendus eloquio? fuit ąliquando materia, quae sic omnium linguis et litteris celebranda. sit, quando ad nuptialem copulam perductus homo est, cui cum magna sit lux natalium, abundantia facultatum, disciplina et pudor utrumque transgreditur, qui uitia carnis abiurans pro blandimento turpi respuebat quicquid leges dedere pro remedio et nolens uxoriis corpus deputare seruitiis putauit se addicere, si quicquam mundo inpenderet liberam castitatem? haec etsi non diligis, debes tamen pro ingenii tui ostentatione laudare. possumus te credere bonum fieri, si audiamus quae honesta sunt praedicantem. nunc salutem largissimam dicens ut rescribas admoneo-, et non me de epistola mea aestimes, quam, deus testis est, dum de basilica remearem, transcursione dictaui.