Letter 8019: Although every frequency of letters may seem insufficient to express what I feel, the attempt itself has value.

Ennodius of PaviaFaustus Albus|c. 508 AD|Ennodius of Pavia
friendship
From: Ennodius, deacon in Pavia
To: Faustus
Date: ~508 AD
Context: Reflecting on how no amount of frequent correspondence seems sufficient to match the affection behind it.

Ennodius to Faustus.

Although every frequency of letters may seem insufficient to express what I feel, the attempt itself has value. I write not because my words can contain my affection but because silence would contain it even less. Accept the imperfect vessel for the sake of its perfect contents. Farewell.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.

Related Letters