Letter 8028: What return of correspondence I have earned from you, you alone can measure.

Ennodius to Beatus. With what care of reciprocity, with what care of dutiful attentions will it be repaid to me, that I both address you with frequent pages and do not shrink from the duty of speech that your light should come forth into public view? Neither your age nor a measure equal to my talent can call me back. I choose to trust the kindly more than the expert, so that they may set the goods of one's origin before one's studies: that you are faithful belongs by nature to the divine gift; erudition will come to be a favorable thing through God. It is necessary that the whole love of integrity should display to you, who already hold the insignia of the first rank, the marks of those first parts. Therefore, the honor of my greeting having been received, you should know that, in accordance with your request, I have dictated to you a letter of admonition, albeit in haste, which for that reason I have taken care to direct to the lord patrician Symmachus, so that whatever in it is worthy of correction may be corrected. But on account of a stealthy lapse of negligence I have also informed you of it by copies of the same. On this matter keep it to yourself, and take care that you do not make known to that most eminent man, mentioned above, what has been conveyed to you, as if you were requesting some new thing; because if you learn that it has met with his approval as master, you will not be afraid to carry it to the knowledge of those who are wise.

XXVIII. ENNODIVS BEATO. Qua mihi uicissitudinis, qua obsequiorum cura pensabitur, quod te et frequentibus paginis alloquor et officio sermonis XXVI. 4 cupet B 6 adceptos B me esse] messe B 7 agnoscerem B 8 solatium BTL uestre B XXVII. 12 quamui. (x eras.) B 8*1 L c eras. et i in ras . 13 mole] ole ei B domui scripsi, somni LVb, omni B, sflptus T 14 ueetrae b, uestrae (ueatre B) et BLPTV 15 debit B pene BLT 16 Buspicet B 18 domna Sirm., dona b serniciis B proseques L 21 eos] uos b 22 ezortata L tuae b soleti B 23 refrenit B XXVIll. 26 uicessitadinis B osequiorum B 27 te et] te in Pb, te et in SiNn . tui in lucem exire publicam non detestor? non me aetas tua, non ingenio meo potest reuocare par formula. eligo benignis plus credere quam peritis, ut bona originis anteferant studiis: quod fidelis es, diuini est muneris in natura: eruditio per deum ueniet res secunda. necesse est, ut totum tibi amor integritatis exhibeat primarum partium insignia iam tenenti. ergo honore salutationis accepto noueris me iuxta petitionem uestram epistolam ad uos admonitionis quamuis sub festinatione dictasse, quam ad domnum patricium Symmachum idcirco dirigere procuraui, ut quod in ea emendatione dignum est corrigatur. sed propter subreptionem neglegentiae te quoque eius exemplaribus informaui. qua de re tu apud te esto et caue ne tibi ad te perlatam manifestes conprehenso superius eminentissimo uiro ceu rem nouam postulans, quia si eius eam magisterio placuisse cognoueris, ad notitiam perferre eorum qui sapiunt non timebis.