Letter 1001: I have long known you, my venerable and most blessed priest, through the widespread fame that proclaims your name.

Ruricius to Faustus, his own special patron in Christ the Lord, the lord bishop. Long ago, my venerable lord and most blessed priest, I came to know you through the most celebrated report that proclaimed you; long ago, with the desire of devoted love poured into me, I beheld you with those eyes of the heart with which you deign to write, but no less do I also hasten to see you with bodily eyes, if in any way I might, through your intercession, break apart the chains of my sins and, having received the wings of that dove, fly away from the snares of the hunters, and, placed together with you, find rest in the law of the Lord; so that the thirst which I conceived by reading your little works, drinking more abundantly while present myself at the very source from which they flowed, I might quench; so that the little fire of charity, which you kindled into a blaze amid the lukewarm embers (sparks) of my sleeping soul, a living flame might strengthen with the food brought forth from the dense thickets of the Scriptures - a flame which, ignited by the eloquence of your holy mouth, would in its accustomed manner exert the force of its powerful nature in the breast of a sinner, by warming what is cold, illuminating what is dark, and consuming the thorns of crimes. My soul has clung to you, O excellent teacher, in following after you. But let your prayers help me, so that I may be able, with earthly deeds [Psalm 54:7; 90:3; 62:9] set at naught and heavenly things despised, to gasp after heavenly things, since the body that is corrupted weighs down the soul, so that it cannot incline its ear to the divine oracles, so that, forgetting the house of its father and obeying the command of him who calls, it may depart from its own land and kindred and rather long for that land which is shown to it. For our littleness is not yet able to drive out the fear of our liable condition and to open purified hearts to perfect charity, so that, leaving present things behind, we may seek eternal things and, the bondwoman's heir [son] having been cast out, we as free children may be able to obtain the paternal inheritance. For which reason I hope, my lord, that you may pray for me without ceasing, and that, as often as you deign to flood the dryness of my soil with the rain of your eloquence, you may supply to me - not, as you have now done, still unaware of my weakness, delicate and sweet foods, but rather harsher ones, suited to my sickness, since delicacies are of no benefit to a fool - and that afterward you may lend a censorious assent against my betrayers [Psalm 44:11; Genesis 12:1; Genesis 21:10], who, in the manner of human disposition, hindered by excessive affection and turning aside from the truth of judgment, fall into falsehood for the sake of love. Indeed, let not your holiness fear that the right hand that soothes may be more welcome to my wounds than the one that cuts, since I already perceive that these wounds can neither be cured by me and yet, by the Lord's grant, have grievously festered. And therefore I choose that a just man should correct me with the rebuke of mercy, rather than that the oil of a sinner should anoint my head. And so with suppliant prayer I beg that, out of that treasury of your inner chambers, from which you are accustomed to bring forth things new and old [Psalm 140:5; Matthew 13:52], you, as most skilled physicians who by the grace of God assisting daily heal the countless and varied sicknesses of the ailing, may send to my languor also the medicines which you recognize to be suitable.

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.