Letter 9035: Good fortune that arrives without warning is the best kind, because it carries no burden of anticipation.
Ennodius of Pavia→Messala|c. 519 AD|Ennodius of Pavia
barbarian invasiontravel mobility
From: Ennodius, bishop of Pavia
To: Messala
Date: ~521 AD
Context: A letter about unexpected good fortune — Ennodius reflects that blessings sometimes arrive without warning.
Ennodius to Messala.
Good fortune that arrives without warning is the best kind, because it carries no burden of anticipation. What came to you was unexpected, and I rejoice in it all the more for its suddenness.
May it prove durable, and may you wear it with the grace that first earned it. Farewell.
XXXV. ENNODIVS MESSALAE.
Solent inauspicata felicitate superbarum mentium colla
mollescere et rigidioris propositi nouo gaudio supercilia temperari.
nam benignitatem seminat quicquid uotis obsequitur
nec plus aliquid humiliat potissimos quam optata sublimitas.
indicium communionis et obsequii est ad apicem peruenisse.
tu postquam ad cupita prouectus es, ignorato hactenus tumore
me despicis: et quid in melle tuo respicias oblitus, de sola
amicos ueteres futurae uxoris opulentia contemnis, nesciens
sarcinam uenire unde aestimas commeare rem praemii, primum
quod mobilem esse non decet qui originis suae radios non
obumbrat, deinde, quia unde despicior uindicabor. ergo ad usum
promissionis benigne reuertere, ne uidear manifesta suspicatus.
ego, quia hactenus ab scriptionis munere temperastis, in haec
3 spe scripsi, ipse libri precipiebam B tales B aeffici
B ad] a T 4 quid — optimis T in ras. m. 2 5 incoasse
B 6 mi P, mihi BLV, michi T gratias L inperciens
B 7 dignimini B 9 grate LTV donare T
XXXV. 11 messale B\'LT 13 molliscere B, ///mollescere T
15 po∗∗∗∗tissimos L obtata B, oblata fort . 16 indicium Sirm.,
iudicium Pb, indicti LTV d fort. B, nam uerba inde a l.14 nam—l.19
amicoB m B uix legi possunt 17 concapita T tumere V
19 amicos b, amica LPTV, quid B exhibeat non liquet, fort . amicus
contempnis LTV 20 nenirae B 23 promisionis B
17*
uerba prorupi: uos aut factum diluere aut adfirmare innocentiam
conuenit nobilitate sermonis. domine mi, salutationis
plenissimae officia persoluens spero, ut qui diligentem neglexisti
saltem colloquiis dignum facias arguentem.
I
2 m T, mihi SLV 3 ne..glexisti L 4 saltim B
coloquiis B, alloquiis Sirm. facias dignum Sirm.; dignum
om. b.
◆
From:Ennodius, bishop of Pavia
To:Messala
Date:~521 AD
Context:A letter about unexpected good fortune — Ennodius reflects that blessings sometimes arrive without warning.
Ennodius to Messala.
Good fortune that arrives without warning is the best kind, because it carries no burden of anticipation. What came to you was unexpected, and I rejoice in it all the more for its suddenness.
May it prove durable, and may you wear it with the grace that first earned it. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.