Letter 1

From: Ruricius, aristocrat (later bishop of Limoges) To: Faustus, bishop of Riez Date: ~480 AD Context: Ruricius writes his first letter to Faustus, the famous Gallo-Roman bishop, expressing passionate desire to meet him and asking for stern spiritual guidance rather than flattery. Ruricius to his own lord and patron in Christ, the lord Bishop Faustus. I have long known you, my venerable and most blessed priest, through the widespread fame that proclaims your name. For a long time now, filled with the longing of a devoted love, I have been gazing at you with the eyes of my heart through those writings you have deigned to send. But I am eager to see you with my bodily eyes as well, hoping that somehow, with your prayers interceding, I might break the chains of my sins, take up the wings of that dove [Psalm 55:6], escape the hunters' snares, and come to rest beside you in the Lord's law. I want to quench in person the thirst your writings kindled in me, drinking more deeply at the very source from which they flowed. I want the little spark of love you kindled in the tepid embers of my sleeping soul to be strengthened into a living flame by the fuel drawn from the dense thickets of Scripture — a flame that, lit by the eloquence of your holy mouth, would do what fire does: warming what is cold, illuminating what is dark, and burning away the thorns of sin. My soul clings to you, excellent teacher [Psalm 63:8]. Let your prayers help me, so that I may learn to scorn earthly pursuits and long for heavenly ones. For the body that decays weighs down the soul [Wisdom 9:15], keeping it from bending its ear toward the divine word. But I want to forget my father's house [Psalm 45:10], obey the call, leave my homeland and kindred [Genesis 12:1], and desire instead the one that is shown to me. My weakness is not yet able to drive out the fear of my sinful condition and open a purified heart to perfect love, so that I might leave behind the present and seek the eternal, casting out the heir of the slave woman to claim the father's inheritance as a free man [Galatians 4:30]. For this reason I hope, my lord, that you will pray for me unceasingly. And whenever you see fit to water the dry soil of my soul with the rain of your eloquence, do not give me, as you did this time — still unaware of how sick I am — delicate and sweet foods, but something more austere and suited to my illness. For luxuries do not benefit a fool [Proverbs 19:10]. And do not give approval to those who betray me — people who, carried away by excessive affection as is human nature, stray from honest judgment and fall into falsehood for the sake of love. Do not worry, your Holiness, that I will prefer the hand that soothes to the hand that cuts. By the Lord's gift, I already know that my wounds cannot be healed by me and have badly festered. I choose to let the just man strike me with the correction of mercy rather than have the oil of the sinner anoint my head [Psalm 141:5]. I humbly beg you: from that treasury of your inner depths, from which you are accustomed to bring out things both new and old [Matthew 13:52], prescribe for me, as a most skilled physician who knows the countless and varied ailments of the sick, the remedy I need.

I. DOMINO SUO PECULIARI IN CHRISTO DOMINO PATRONO FAUSTO EPISCOPO RURICIUS. Olim te, domine mi uenerande ac beatissime sacerdos, fama celeberrima praedicante cognoui, olim desiderio pii amoris infuso illis te, quibus scribere dignaris, oculis cordis intueor, sed nihilominus etiam corporeis uidere festino, si quo modo possim intercedentibus uobis peccatorum meorum uincula disrumpere acceptisque columbae illius pinnis a uenantum laqueis euolare et uobiscum positus in dominica lege requiescere, ut sitim, quam opuscula uestra legendo concepi, ipse praesens, unde illa manarunt, uberius hauriens restinguerem, ut caritatis igniculum, quem in tepidis animae dormientis fauillis (scintillis) feruentibus suscitastis, prolatis de condensa scripturarum pabulis uiuax flamma roboraret, quae eloquio sancti oris accensa more sibi solito in pectore peccatoris uim naturae potentis exsereret calefaciendo frigida, inluminando tenebrosa et spinas criminum consumendo. adhaesit, doctor eximie, anima mea post te. me autem adiuuent orationes tuae, ut possim terrenis actibus 11] Psalm. 54, 7; 90, 3. 20] Psalm. 62, 9. 1 incipit domni ruricii epistularum liber primus S 8 illi S 11 columbe S 12 positis S 13 ipse Luetjohann, ipso S presens S ipso praesente v 14 restinguerem S 15 quam S scintillis addidi coli. Rttr. epist. II 26 praeeumte Kruachio 16 papulis S 18 nature S 20 consumendo 8 adesit S 21 orationis S spretis caelestibus inhiare, quia corpus, quod corrumpitur, adgrauat animam, ut inclinare aurem suam ad oracula diuina non possit, ut domum patris obliuiscens oboediensque uocantis imperio de terra sua et cognatione discedat atque illam, quae ei demonstratur, potius concupiscat. Non enim adhuc ualet pusillitas nostra metum obnoxiae conditionis expellere et caritati perfectae purgata corda reserare, ut relinquentes praesentia petamus aeterna eiectoque ancillae (herede) hereditatem paternam liberi possimus adipisci. quam ob rem spero, domine mi, ut pro me indesinenter oretis et, quoties dignati fueritis ariditatem terrae meae eloquentiae uestrae imbre perfundere; non mihi, sicut nunc fecistis adhuc meae infirmitatis ignari, delicatos et dulces cibos, sed austeriores et aegritudini meae congruos suggeratis, quia non expediunt stulto deliciae, postmodum proditoribus meis censorium praebeatis adsensum, qui more humani ingenii affectu nimio praepediti et a ueritate iudicii declinantes incurrunt pro amore mendacium. sane nec uereatur sanctitas uestra, ne uulneribus meis gratior sit fouentis dextera quam secantis, quia ea nec a me posse curari et tamen grauiter conputruisse domino donante iam sentio. et ideo eligo, ut me iustus misericordiae increpatione corripiat, quam caput meum oleum peccatoris inpinguet. supplici itaque prece deposco, ut de illo thesauro penetralium uestrorum, unde noua et uetera proferre consuestis, peritissimi utpote medici, qui languentium innumeras et uarias 1] Sap. 9, 15. 2] Psalm. 44, 11. 4] Gen. 12, 1. 8] Gen. 21,10. 21] Psalm. 140, 5. 23] Matth. 13, 52. 1 oelestibus 8 2 autem 8 (r man. alt.) sua 8 f man. alt.) 8 oblin uiscens Xr., obliuio S oboediens quae v 4 uocatis 8 (n man. alt.) cognitione S 8 preaentia S eiectaque ancilla v 9 herede addidi, om. S, lacunam significat Kr., filio addit Lwtjoharm qua morem S 12 fecistis] et add. v 13 dilicatos 8 cybos S 14 egritudini S 15 praedicatoribus Kr . 16 prebeatis S 17 et a scripsi, rasuram trium litterarum exhibet S, in qua a exarauit 82 iuditii 8 18 nee] ||||ec 81 19 secantes 81 20 a om . v dante v 21 iustum S (s ItUJA. alt.) 24 consuistis S aegritudines cotidie gratia dei adiuuante sanatis, languori quoque meo, quae conuenire cognoscitis, medicamenta mittatis.