Letter 9035: Good fortune that arrives without warning is the best kind, because it carries no burden of anticipation.

The necks of proud minds usually soften with unexpected good fortune, and the haughty brows of a more rigid purpose are tempered by new joy. For whatever obliges our desires sows kindness, nor does anything humble the powerful more than the sublimity they have desired. To have reached the summit is a sign of fellowship and service. Yet you, after you were advanced to what you desired, despise me with a haughtiness hitherto unknown: and forgetting what you should regard in my sweetness, you scorn old friends solely on account of the wealth of your future wife, not knowing that a burden comes from where you reckon a reward comes — first because one who does not obscure the radiance of his origin ought not to be fickle, and second, because I shall be avenged through the very thing by which I am despised. Therefore return kindly to the fulfillment of your promise, lest I seem to have suspected what is manifest. Since you have until now abstained from the gift of writing, I have broken out into these words: it is fitting for you either to refute the deed or to affirm your innocence with a noble reply. My lord, paying the fullest duties of greeting, I hope that you who neglected one who loves you will at least deem worthy of conversation the one who reproaches you.

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.