Letter 1009: Your recent fame and longstanding love have so drawn me that I dare to assault your ears with my inanities again and...

9. To his own lord in Christ, his lord and patron Sidonius, Ruricius. Your piety's recent renown and long-standing affection have so enticed me that I dare to do repeated injury to your ears with my trifles, while I long to attain, as far as is granted to my barren little wit, your learning. And although it is a grand and difficult thing to reach it, yet it is a fair and lofty thing to follow it, since not only the attainment of the highest things but even the very imitation of them is praiseworthy, for almost no one is ever wholly without some portion of that thing toward which he has striven to climb and arrive. And so I desire, my lord, I desire, I say, to be refreshed by your food, to drink from your spring, to be filled with your feasts, to be fattened on your banquets; and if anyone, when you distribute these, does not merely sip them with the tip of his lips, but, craving them as a guest, swallows them with the whole inward parts of his soul, and afterward hides them away in the depths of his breast to chew them over again, he will begin, filled in heart yet fasting in mouth, to break forth in constant belchings to the praise of the almighty Lord, while, full, he hungers, and, hungering, he is filled, destined to be more fully satisfied in the regeneration. Nor can that food be lacking whose nourishment is in the Word. Therefore, that I may deserve to be a partaker of these delights, obtain it for me by your patronage, and come as helpers to me as I strive beyond the measure of my strength; and at the same time, so that I may not be found a stranger to you from the fold entrusted to you, pray, and carry back the straying sheep from the pastures of the world to the Lord's enclosures, because I trust that by your intercessions he can become a lamb who has deserved to be your disciple.

VIIII. DOMINO PECULIARI IN CHRISTO DOMINO PATRONO SIDONIO RURICIUS. Ita me recens praedicatio et antiqua dilectio uestrae pietatis inlexit, ut audeam auribus uestris ineptiis meis facere saepius iniuriam, dum uestram, quantum sterili ingeniolo conceditur, adtingere cupio disciplinam. quam etsi adsequi grande est atque difficile, sequi tamen pulchrum est atque sublime, quoniam summarum rerum non adeptio tantum, sed etiam imitatio ipsa laudanda est, quia numquam fere aliquis eius rei portione ad integrum caret, ad quam scandere ac peruenire contenderit. desidero itaque, domine mi, desidero, inquam, tuis cibis refici, tuo fonte potari, tuis repleri dapibus, tuis epulis saginari, quas si quis distribuentibus uobis non summo ore libauerit, sed totis animae uisceribus adpetens conuiua sorbuerit atque intimo pectoris postmodum easdem ruminaturus absconderit, incipiet adsiduis ructationibus in laudem domini omnipotentis erumpere refertus corde, ore ieiunus, dum satur esurit et saturatur esuriens, magis in regeneratione saturandus. nec deesse poterit cibus, cuius pastus in uerbo est. ut ergo harum deliciarum particeps esse merear, uestris patrociniis obtinete mihique supra mensuram uirium conitenti auxiliatores accedite simulque, ut ab ouili uobis credito non inueniar alienus, orate errantemque ouem a pascuis saeculi ad caulas dominicas reportate, quia 1 nunc Luetjohann, n S, nescio v sicut est paratum an simul transcriptum reddere coni. Mommsenus transcribtum S disparatum Kr., et furto paratum Gustafsson 2 pendit S 4 medillam S 8 predin catio S delictio S 10 stereli S 12 pulcru S 14 iucunda v Rere S porcionem S 16 mihi S 21 ructacionibus S 22 refertur S 24 ciuus S in ras . partus S ut v, & S ego v diliciarum S 26 accedite j S ut Luetjohann, et S confido, quod intercessionibus uestris fieri possit agnus, qui uester meruerit esse discipulus.