Letter 8024: Your kindness transcends the ordinary measure of human generosity.

24. Ennodius to Faustus. Your kindness, set above ordinary men, keeps to its own practice. Truly the care of so holy a man is a medicine: for a venerable conscience always conveys to God what it seeks. After you had departed, a sharper fever burned me up, and, with the devil hurling me toward utter despair, the sails lay open [for him]. The physician came to me and said that he had nothing he could do. From this came my greater hope, since the man had given up. At once I turned with tears to the aid of the heavenly physician, and with the oil of Lord Victor I armed my whole body, which was already being made ready for the tomb, against the fevers. My God knows it: at once the commander of that great soldier was present, and what I asked through his fit witness I obtained without delay. At once that fever, the agent of the eternal cold, grew mild, and at the ninth hour, just as it is written, at the bidding of my Christ it withdrew. I know the seasons of your prayer, I know that the abundance of your tears, even in that very moment, came to the aid of one in distress. See, I have not kept silent about these tokens of my vow: but the scarcity of letter-carriers has held back our shared longing. For your relief greatly comforts me, although it is by no means sought from you, who have spurned glad things.

XXIIII. ENNODIVS FAVSTO. Vsum suum benignitas uestra supra homines locata custodit. uere medicina est cura sanctissimi: nam uenerabilis conscientia deo semper insinuat quod requirit. digressis uobis acrior me calor exussit et ad omnem desperationem praecipitante diabolo 6 2 caleeti L curratio B 8 mox om. T me om. Sirm. 5 prosequi mi B XXIII. 10 heleutheriuB B a] ad B dno T 11 sasciol perat B 12 commendatitiae B, commendatias L sperauit] r* impetrauit Pb 13 subpeterea B iuberetur B 14 ne L 15 porrigatee B 16 pxaeiuditio B 17 mulitur B XXILIL 19 fausto ex floro V m. 1 21 scanctissimi B 22 requiret B 23 callor B exussit| (ussit in ras.) B et om. B homnem B dieperationem B praecipitanti (alt . i in ras.) B diabulo B uela patuerunt. uenit ad me medicus et dixit se quod faceret non habere. hinc mihi maior spes, quando homo cessauerit. continuo me cum lacrimis ad caelestis medici auxilia conuerti et domni Victoria oleo totum corpus, quod iam sepulcro parabatur, contra febres armaui. scit deus meus, mox adfuit magni militis imperator, et quod per testem eius idoneum poposci incunctanter obtinui. mox feruor ille aeterni frigoris procurator intepuit et hora nona, sicut legitur, Christo meo mandante discessit. scio orationis uestrae tempora, scio lacrimarum copiam in illo quoque momento iuuisse laborantem. ecce indicia uotiua non tacui: sed portitorum raritas desiderium commune suspendit. nam me multum iuuat releuatio uestra, quamuis a uobis minime, qui laeta respuistis, optetur.