Letter 9: As far as I can tell, what I whisper in your ear you proclaim from the rooftops [Matthew 10:27].

To the holy Amandus, truly of one mind with us and deservedly most beloved, Paulinus. As far as I understand, what I speak to you in the ear you proclaim upon the housetop, since, while you love me too much and take too much pleasure in your foolish brother, you do not even hesitate to whisper into the ears of our holy and venerable common father the rashness of my folly, by which I dare to despise you rather than him in my words. For from what source would he suppose me fit, he from whom he would desire in my letters something worthy of his own spirit, unless you had persuaded him, judging so from affection rather than from judgment, that my mouth too had been unsealed by the Lord among the mouths of the dumb and of infants, out of whom the Almighty perfects His praise? He bids me therefore to bring forth for him a discourse seasoned with this spiritual salt, that is, with his own salt; for he remembers that he has sprinkled me with the salt of his word. Nor does he cease to do this; for all his letters are spiritual seasonings to me. For he himself too is the salt of the earth, bearing a living savor of apostolic teaching; but I fear that I have not drawn in his salt with an insipid heart, and that my understanding does not perceive in what it may be seasoned, so as to have a taste of the Lord's sweetness, if in it the savor of Delphinus could vanish and its vigor be dulled. [The manuscripts here note that much appears to be missing from this letter, since the continuity is almost wholly broken.] Who roused me as I was saying: there is a lion in the ways, and murderers in the streets? We are stirred up to provision for life and to the work of usefulness neither by the zeal of the mystic bee nor by the example of the skillful ant; but a little we sleep, a little indeed we slumber, a little moreover we fold our breast with our hands, and meanwhile want comes upon us like a good runner; and that rich one who was made poor, that by his poverty he might enrich us who are truly needy, seeing us persisting in our destitution, deservedly cried out: what profit is there in my blood, while I go down into corruption? But would that, even while we speak these things, we might be roused by the very judgment of our conscience and the complaint of our own speech, so that even late we might be able to say: now we have begun, this is the change of the right hand of the Most High; but we are sluggish bellies, and therefore our soul cleaves to the pavement, although you have long since said to it: rise up from the dead, that you may reach Christ. And indeed this Lord, through the intervention of your faith, by the sacrament of grace, you have placed into the little boat of our heart. But because by the sleep of our sloth He has fallen asleep within us, there is need that you wake Him, that He may rise up to the awakening of our soul, that He may command silence to the turbid blasts of earthly thoughts and compose the waves of our senses with the peace of His word, so that in our heart there may come to be a chaste tranquillity, and that, with the Spirit of truth as our steersman and the word of God as our oarsman, we may be directed to the harbor of our will. For what is our expectation, except the Lord Jesus, who is able to save us from faintheartedness and from the tempest, and to grant your prayers, that our flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath, that is, in the idleness of spiritual business and the barrenness of good works? For the Sabbath is idle, and winter is bare of things being born. And so, if not by carnal observance but by spiritual, abstaining ourselves from every servile work, which is the life of sin, to which whoever is given over is truly a slave and does not remain in the house, we keep the Sabbath, not that one which the soul of the Lord does not endure, but that one in which is the rest of God, who rests in the humble heart of trembling servants: then neither will the winter tempest oppress our flight and hold back, as if with cold, our sluggish feet from the liberty of escaping, if, rejoicing in hope and fervent in spirit, with hands not contracted by the frost of avarice but opened in the refreshment of mercy, that stealthy coming of the last hour may find us covered and clothed with the saving garments of faithful works, so that we may be able to stand before the face of His cold, who therefore now wishes us to be made ready in fear of His command, that on the day of wrath He may find us to be absolved. Be favorable now therefore and pray, that we may lay hold of that in which we have been laid hold of, and that, stretching ourselves toward the prize of the heavenly calling, we may forget the things that are behind, and that, with the hand of our mind placed upon the plough of the cross, I may not look back at what has not been furrowed, but may provide for what is to be furrowed, until we come to the mountains, upon which we have lifted our eyes, that from there help may come to us from the Lord, who is wonderful in His saints, who are the mountains of God, onto which we shall be advanced by the good working of a faithful soul. For if in the way of truth, which is undefiled, we walk worthily, then the Lord Himself, who is the way and the truth, will perfect our feet like the feet of a deer and will set us upon high places. For the high mountains, He says, are for the deer, and the rock is a refuge for the hedgehogs, because if with the swiftness of deer we flee away over iniquity from Nebroth the hunter, who, as the Scripture indicates, was a hunter against the Lord, and, with Christ cooperating, by pious deeds we ascend the heights of the virtues through the teachings of the prophets and the apostles, who are the mountains of God, those rich mountains: then, as though from a lofty crag looking down upon the empty figures of the passing world, we shall sing with a voice of exultation: I will exalt You, O Lord, since You have lifted me up above those who rise against me, and my eye has looked down upon my enemies. And from this loftiness of the mountains, instructed unto humility of heart and to wholesome disciplines, fortified on every side in our limbs as it were with thorns, we shall be made like hedgehogs, who, armed in their little bodies with a rough covering, are defended by natural darts against the hostile bites either of dogs or the hands of men. But for those humbled by divine fear and armed with the grace of that same humility, the rock is a refuge, that is, Christ, whose words are to us either hedges or spears against the devil. For with these we both hedge our ears against the wicked tongue and fasten down within our heart the vices opposed to us. Thus, through spiritual observance and an upright faith, we shall be at once both hedgehogs and deer, if, after the manner of these lesser little beasts, straitened and humble, we hide ourselves in Christ, as in the rock of refuge, and, fortified with the word and Spirit of truth, we resist, prickly, both the devil and the enticements of this world. But those greater beasts, swift of foot and lofty in horns, we shall imitate in this way, if we have feet firm for standing in the way of the Lord, and our footsteps are not moved from His path, and we use those same feet for fleeing sins and the ruinous contagions of this age, bearing the head of our salvation, which is the catholic faith, adorned and likewise armed with good works as with horns, so that we may either fight back against the hunters who are our enemies, or, crowned with deeds pleasing to God, be your chief joy and crown; we who are in Christ a planting, and before Christ a daily labor. For we do not doubt that you daily entreat for us, that there may be perfected in us that blessed change of the right hand of the Most High, that we may truly be able to say: my heart and my flesh have failed, the God of my heart and my portion is God forever; because then God will deign to be the God of our heart, when our heart, which is carnal, shall have failed, destroyed by spiritual building. Then we shall dare also to call ourselves your portion in the land of the living, when we too, renewed for the Lord in the perception of our mind according to Christ unto the heavenly image, shall be able to say: the God of our heart and our portion is God forever.

VIIII. SANCTO ET VERE VNANIMO ET MERITO DILECTISSIMO AMANDO PAVLINVS. Quantum intellego, quod tibi in aurem loquor tu supra tectum praedicas, quandoquidem dum me nimium diligis et 5 nimium tibi de fratre inepto places, etiam sancti ac uenerabilis nobis communis patris auribus insinuare non dubitas et 4] (Matth. 10, 27; Luc. 12, 3). 96 quo U tua] tria FU, ta (n m. 2) c sint yh 97 repeto U f fl haesternis c nec Mf 98 uolueris U dabit C 99 perextra c, pedestera F 100 eu Ole agis U 101 satis est M, sacris U haec noto r1, nato haec M 103 respicis y foret F uita C 104 rennuis ycatp1, renuas f haec om. yh 105 incolum Cc te mihi y, michimet M filii U 107 sed] et U uiuer C1 108 uiua] uera JfcMy*, uiuaty)1, uia y deo] amen add. U . — finit epla bi paulini ad liceutium M, explicit epJa paulini et therasiae ad romanianum rcp, explicit liber quintus epistolarum meropii paulini uiri illustrissimi episcopi nolani U FLMPOU . — incipit eiusdem XVIII ad eundem F, item epistola eiusdem ad eundem XV: L, ad eundem amandum • XXIII. M, incipit ad eundem III. 0, Ad euudem III. P, epistola sancti paulini episcopi ad amandum presbiterum ubi de humilitate cordis et de salubribus disciplinis imitandis bene et multa prosequitur U . — 2 unianimo LMO 6 tibi om. F 7 et] etiam exp. M . insipientiae meae temeritatem, qua te magis audeo quam illum in uerbis meis contemnere. nam unde me idoneum putaret ille, a quo aliquid spiritu suo dignum in litteris desideraret, nisi tu illi persuasisses, affectu magis quam iudicio ita sentiens, meum quoque os a domino inter ora mutorum et infantium, de quibus laudem perficit omnipotens, fuisse reseratum? iubet ergo me sibi sermonem spiritali hoc est suo sale conditum promere; meminit enim quod me uerbi sui sale adsperserit. neque cessat id facere; nam omnes mihi litterae illius spiritalia condimenta sunt. est enim et ipse sal terrae, uiuidum referens apostolicae doctrinae saporem; sed uereor ne salem eius insulso corde non duxerim, nec sentiat in quo condiatur, ut domini suauitatem sapiat, sensus meus, si in eo Delphini sapor euanescere et uigor potuit hebetari. Quis me dicentem excitauit: leo est in uiis, in plateis autem homicidae? non apis mysticae studio, non formicae sollertis exemplo ad prouidentiam uitae et utilitatis operam suscitamur; sed modicum dormimus, modicum uero dormitamus, modicum autem manibus conplectimur pectus, et interea nobis inopia tamquam bonus cursor occurrit; et ille diues qui pauper factus est, ut nos uere egenos sua paupertate ditaret, uidens nos in nostra egestate durantes merito proclamauit: quae utilitas in sanguine meo, dum descendo in corruptionem? sed utinam uel dum haec loquimur, ipso conscientiae nostrae iudicio et proprii sermonis querimonia 5] (Sap. 10, 21; Ps. 8, 3). 7] (Col. 4, 6). 10] Matth. 5,13; Marc. 9, 49. 12] (Luc. 14, 34). 15] Prou. 22, 13 et 26, 13. 16] (Prou. 6,6 et 30, 25). 18] (Prou. 6, 10 et 24, 33. 34). 20] II Cor. 8,9. 23] Ps. 29, 10. 1 quam Ft 4 persuadisses F indicio FLP, inditio U senties FOPU 5 a domino om. M 6 laudem suam v 9 nec F 10 sal] sub 0 12 dixerim LM sentiat] sitiam coni. Sacch . 13 delfini LMO, dalphini FPU 14 ebetari FLPU add. L m. 1 in mg.: hic uidetur deesse de hac epistola multum, quia continuatio pene nulla est; add. M in mg . m. 1: hic multum uidetur deesse de hac epistola quia continuatio non satis apta est. 15 quis autem excitabit me dicentem M . 18 dormiuimus U domitamus F 22 preclamauit 0 23 discendo FPU excitaremur, ut uel sero possimus dicere: nunc coepimus, haec mutatio dexterae excelsi; sed uentres pigri sumus, et idcirco adhaeret pauimento anima nostra, quamuis iam dudum ei dixeritis: erige te a mortuis, ut adtingas Christum. quem quidem dominum interuentu fidei uestrae per gratiae sacramentum inposuistis in nauiculam cordis nostri. sed quia somno inertiae nostrae obdormiuit in nobis, opus est ut eum excitetis, ut adsurgat in excitationem animae nostrae, inperet silentium turbidis cogitationum terrestrium flatibus et sensuum nostrorum fluctus uerbi sui pace conponat, ut fiat in corde nostro casta tranquillitas, et spiritu ueritatis gubernatore ac dei uerbo remige dirigamur ad portum uoluntatis nostrae. Nam quae est expectatio nostra, nisi dominus Iesus, qui potens est saluos facere nos a pusillo animo et tempestate et adnuere orationibus uestris, ne fiat fuga nostra hieme aut sabbato, hoc est in otio spiritalium negotiorum et bonorum operum sterilitate? sabbatum enim otiosum est et hiems nuda nascentium. itaque si non carnali obseruantia sed spiritali abstinentes nos ab omni opere seruili, quod est uita peccati, cui deditus uere seruus est et in domo non manet, agimus sabbatum, non illud quod non sustinet anima domini, sed illud, in quo dei requies est, qui in humili trementium famulorum corde requiescit: nec hiberna tempestas fugam nostram opprimet et quasi frigore pigros pedes ab euadendi libertate retinebit, si spe gaudentes et spiritu feruentes non contractis auaritiae gelu manibus sed apertis refrigerio misericordiae furtiuus ille nos horae nouissimae 1] Ps. 76,11. 2] Tit. 1, 12. 3] Ps. 118, 25. 4] Eph. 5, 14. 6] (Matth. 8, 23). 12] (Ps. 106, 30). 13] Ps. 38, 8. 14] Ps. 54, 9. 15] Matth. 24, 20; Marc. 13, 18. 20] Ioh. 8,35. 21] (Es. 1,13). 22] (Es. 66, 2). 25] Rom. 12, 11. 27] (Luc. 21, 34). 1 excitarentur 01 possemus LM 2 uentres r, uentris 01 8 Msurgat F 9 terrestium F 14 iesus om. L 15 uestris om. M 16 aut] uel FM sabbatum F1 in otio] negotio U spiritualium F 18 hyemps P nasoentium] fructuum M si non] non sine F 19 abstinentes nos] abstinemus coni. Sacch . 24 opprimet M*, opprimit cet . 25 gaudentes gaudentes P et om. M 27 furtiuos U, furtiuis F, fortiuos P superuentus inueniat opertos atque uestitos salutaribus operum fidelium tegumentis, ut possimus subsistere ante faciem frigoris eius, qui nos ideo nunc in timore praecepti sui uult effici praeparatos, ut in die irae inueniat absoluendos. Fauete nunc igitur et orate, ut adprehendamus in quo adprehensi sumus, et extendentes nos ad brauium supernae uocationis obliuiscamur quae retro sunt, positaque in aratro crucis manu mentis non sulcata respiciam, sed sulcanda prouideam, donec perueniamus ad montes, in quibus leuauimus oculos nostros, ut inde nobis a domino ueniat auxilium, qui est mirabilis in sanctis suis, qui sunt montes dei, in quos bona fidelis animae operatione prouehemur. si enim in uia ueritatis, quae est inpolluta, digne ambulemus, tunc ipse dominus, qui est uia et ueritas, perficiet pedes nostros sicut cerui et super excelsa statuet nos. montes enim, inquit, excelsi ceruis, et petra refugium erinaceis, quia si super iniquitatem alacritate ceruorum fugiamus Nebroth uenatorem, qui, ut scriptura designat, contra dominum uenator fuit, et cooperante Christo piis actibus adscendamus excelsa uirtutum per doctrinas prophetarum et apostolorum, qui sunt montes dei, montes illi uberes: tunc uelut de rupe praecelsa despicientes uanas praetereuntis mundi figuras in exultationis uoce cantabimus: exaltabo te, domine, quoniam ab insurgentibus in me exaltasti me, et super inimicos meos despexit oculus meus. ex hac autem celsitudine montium informati ad humilitatem cordis et salubribus disciplinis 1] (II Cor. 5, 3). 2] Ps. 147, 17. 5] (Phil. 3, 12). 7] (Luc. 9,62). 9] Ps. 120, 1. 11] Ps. 67, 36. 12] (Ps. 17,31). 14] Ioh. 14, 6. 15] Ps. 17, 34. 16J Ps. 103, 18. 18] Gen. 10,9. 21] (Ps. 67,16). 23] Ps. 29, 2; 17,49; 53,9. 1 fidelium operum M 2 tegmentis FPU, tegimcntis LlO substinere U, sustinere Lebrun 7 arato FU 8 respiciamus LM prouideamus LM 9 in quos v 10 a domino nobis F 12 operationem 0 14 perftcet U 16 erinaceis v, erinaciis M, erinatiis cet . 17 quasi FPU nebrot FOP, nebrot L, nembroth M 19 fuit Ov, erat M, om. cet . 20 apostolorum et prophetarum M 21 dei montes om. M uelut LM, uel cet . precelse 0 22 despicientis FU, despiciendis 0 eialtationis FPU 23 cantauimus PU 25 meos om. U uelut spinis nostra undique membra muniti, efficiemur ut erinacei, qui parua corpuscula aspero tegmine armati naturalibus iaculis aduersum hostiles aut canum morsus aut manus hominum muniuntur. humiliatis autem timore diuino et gratia ipsius humilitatis armatis petra refugium est, id est Christus, cuius uerba nobis contra diabolum uel sepimenta uel spicula sunt. his enim et aures nostras sepimus aduersum linguam nequam et in corde nostro uitia aduersa configimus. ita per obseruantiam spiritalem et directam fidem et erinacei pariter erimus et cerui, si secundum has minores bestiolas angustati et humiles abscondamur in Christo, ut in refugii petra, et uerbo ac spiritu ueritatis muniti et diabolo et mundi huius inlecebris asperi resistamus. Maiores uero illas feras pedibus alacres et sublimes cornibus ita aemulabimur, si habeamus pedes firmos ad consistendum in uia domini nec moueantur ab eius itinere uestigia nostra isdemque pedibus utamur ad fugienda peccata et huius saeculi perniciosa contagia, caput salutis nostrae, quod est fides catholica, bonis operibus uelut cornibus ornatum pariter et armatum gerentes, ut uel repugnemus inimicis uenatoribus uel actibus deo placitis coronati uestrum potissimum gaudium et corona simus; quorum in Christo plantatio, apud Christum labor cotidianus sumus. non enim ambigimus cotidie deprecari uos, ut perficiatur in nobis beata illa mutatio dexterae excelsi, ut uere possimus dicere: defecit cor meum et caro mea, deus cordis mei et pars mea deus in saecula, quia tunc deus esse dignabitur cordis nostri deus, cum cor nostrum, quod est carnale, defecerit spiritali aedificatione 7] (Eccli. 28, 28). 15] (Ps. 17, 34). 16] (Ps. 16, 5). 21] (Phil. 4, 1). 24] Ps. 76, 11. 25] Ps. 72, 26. 1 efficiemur 0 v, efficiamnr cet . erinatii L, erinacii M 3 aut aduersus FPU hostilis FPU manus om. L, tactus s. I. m. 2 M humilitatis FPU 5 Christus] sps 0 7 aduersus FLM 9 post . et OfJ, otn. cet . erinacii LM 12 huius om. F 14 sublimis 0 17 isdemque 0, hisdemque LM, iisdemque FPlJ 19 carnibus U 21 attibus U 23 ellim] etiam LM ambigemus 0 27 dignabitur esse M destructum. tunc audebimus et uestram nos dicere portionem in terra uiuentium, cum et ipsi domino renouati sensu mentis nostrae secundum Christum ad caelestem imaginem potuerimus dicere: deus cordis nostri et pars nostra deus in saecula.