Letter 8018: The bearer of this letter compelled me to take up my pen again — not that I needed much compelling.
Ennodius of Pavia→Faustus|c. 508 AD|Ennodius of Pavia
travel mobility
From: Ennodius, deacon in Pavia
To: Faustus [Faustus Niger]
Date: ~507 AD
Context: A letter explaining that the bearer prompted Ennodius to resume his customary correspondence.
Ennodius to Faustus.
The bearer of this letter compelled me to take up my pen again — not that I needed much compelling. My correspondence with you is not a duty I perform reluctantly but a habit I return to gladly whenever opportunity allows.
The matter in question I leave to the bearer's own voice, which will serve it better than my pen. What I add is simply the assurance of my continued devotion and the hope of your continued favor. Farewell.
XVIII. ENNODIVS FAVSTO.
Coegit me ad studia mea portitor praesentium litterarum
et quod uolebam prope inportunus exegit. sic contulit beneficium
qui poscebat. iste in negotio suo probatum mundo
iustitiae uestrae poscit examen, nec ab aliquo ueritatem causae
suae discerni aestimat, si cessetis. pro hoc precator accedo, ut
dum adestis mandatis caelestibus et ueritatem tota intentione
perquiritis, adflicti hominis necessitatibus subcurratis. spero
etiam seruitio salutationis inpenso, ut indicio me prosperitatis
1 raeparata B 2 nonuellis B 3 resnrrezerit L sepnlchro
BLTV 4 per B 5 act.i1 L formam B misterii
PT, ministerii b 6 aegritudinis B sepnl«cra B, sepulchra
LPTV celesti B 9 ipsed F1 12 tribuet B 14 Asterii
Sirm., Ansterii Pb 15 obtas B
XVIII. 19 psentium portitor T literarum B 20 uelebam
L exiget B 21 poscebat iste scripsi, eoacebatis te B, exigebat
iste LPTVb probatus in B 22 nestre B ab aliquo (ab ali
cx alib corr . uid.) L 23 praecator B 25 snbcnrratee B
26 seruitio salntationis B, salntationis offlcio LPTV inditio B,
indictio L
uestrae non neglectis quae frequenter se ingerunt occasionibus
salutationis.
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From:Ennodius, deacon in Pavia
To:Faustus [Faustus Niger]
Date:~507 AD
Context:A letter explaining that the bearer prompted Ennodius to resume his customary correspondence.
Ennodius to Faustus.
The bearer of this letter compelled me to take up my pen again — not that I needed much compelling. My correspondence with you is not a duty I perform reluctantly but a habit I return to gladly whenever opportunity allows.
The matter in question I leave to the bearer's own voice, which will serve it better than my pen. What I add is simply the assurance of my continued devotion and the hope of your continued favor. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.