Letter 9032: How much your friendship has meant to me, only God fully knows — and perhaps you have some inkling.

How much brighter you are than I in merit, how much in action, the effect of your prayers has revealed. Behold, you will hold the greatest part of Lord Faustus's son, taken from my consolation. I indeed brought no impediments of prayers against his holy and lawful desires: but so greatly did the departure of Lord Avienus strike me, out of love for him, that I followed even one heading toward his desires with tears. In this matter the diverse formation of human affairs lay open. Christ leading, joyful things summon him; they wound me. The nearness of his joining flatters him; separation stings me. Behold, I am troubled about the fruit of my prayers, and — what may be said with Christ's peace — I groan that we have obtained what was requested in this matter. But amid these things I am sustained by the care of such diligence, because we have returned Lord Avienus exceeding our hopes. Rome has its boast from his origin, Liguria from his progress: there a son was granted to Lord Faustus by the law of nature, here he was revealed through education. It was a lesser thing for a man to be born with the generality of humankind than — what seemed inimitable — to be proved the offspring of Faustus. Let us refer God's benefits back to him and let us ourselves offer thanks for that man, from whom we demanded what we now hold. Receive the duties of my greeting with the purity of your holy breast, and receiving my book, send it along with the one that was promised by you.

XXXII. ENNODIVS ADEODATO PRESBVTERO. Quantum a me merito, quantum actione sis clarior, orationum tuarum reserauit effectus. ecce domni Fausti filii tui abstractam de solacio meo partem maximam tu tenebis. ego quidem sanctis et legalibus desideriis precum inpedimenta non adtuli: sed tantum me domni Auieni perculit pro eius I caritate discessio, ut lacrimis prosequerer et ad optata tendentem. patuit humanarum rerum in hac causa de diuersitate formatio. illum euocant Christo duce uotiua, me feriunt: illi blanditur de coniunctione uicinitas, me de sequestratione conpungit ecce de precum mearum fruge sollicitor, et adeptos nos, si quid in hac parte postulatum est, quod cum Christi pace dici liceat, ingemesco. sed inter haec tali diligentiae curatione sustentor, quia domnum Auienum superantem uota. reddidimus. habet de origine eius Roma iactantiam, Liguria de profectu: ibi domno Fausto filius naturae lege concessus est, hic eruditione patefactus. minus fuit cum generalitate hominem nasci quam, quod inimitabile uidebatur, Fausti sobolem conprobari. referamus ad deum beneficia sua et ipsi pro illo exhibeamus gratias, a quo poposcimus quae tenemus. uos salutationis meae obsequia pro sancti pectoris uestri puritate suscipite et codicem recipientes meum cum illo, qui a uobis promissus est, destinate. XXXII. 2 presbitero T 4 reserabat 7x, reserabit LT2V fili B 5 solatio, BLTV mazima BV 6 impedimento L 7 tantum scripsi, tanta libri . perculet B 8 lacrimes L humarum T* 9 causa ̃ L illud L 10 cristo B uotiuam et B 11 diuinitas fort . conpunget B 12 aollicitus Lx adeptus L hac B 13 cristi B ingemisco BLTV 15 reddimus B 16 lignri B 17 natura! elege Bl eruditionS L 18 cum ex con B corr . genaralitate B 19 iniexbibsam\' mittabile T* nedebatnr B 10 exhibeamus B, referam V, ezhibeam refera L, referamus PTb, redhibeamns Sirm. 22 puritatem L pcipientes L