Letter 2004: I firmly believed — and fervently hoped, however burdensome it might have been for you — that you would come to meet...

From: Sedatus, a bishop To: Ruricius, bishop of Limoges Date: ~482 AD Context: Bishop Sedatus writes from Toulouse, expressing deep disappointment that Ruricius could not come visit during a time of need, and begging him to stay in touch through letters and prayers. Sedatus to his holy and most blessed lord, the Pope Ruricius, to be revered with apostolic respect. I firmly believed — and fervently hoped, however burdensome it might have been for you — that you would come to meet this need that has brought me here. I hoped that at least through the occasion I might earn your blessing, and our mutual longing might be satisfied by seeing each other face to face. And truly, after the hope of your presence disappointed me, I felt as if thrown from the summit of my prayers. The labor that pressed upon me, the absence from home, and everything by which the grief of disappointed hope and anxiety are compounded — all of it descended upon my spirit at once. The Lord knows that if my strength held out, or if the frailty of age could obey my desires, or if there were animals capable of covering so great a journey at such a time, I would not have returned from Toulouse before I had earned the most longed-for blessing of Your Beatitude and your singular love. But since the obstacles I have described stand in the way of my desires, I beg you — and I adjure you through Christ — that your devotion always keep me present to you. Do not let the tardiness of my letters diminish or obscure your love for me. Pray for me unceasingly, as I am certain you do, and whenever the opportunity arises, deign to visit your servant through the conversation of letters.

IIII. DOMINO SANCTO AO BEAT1SSIMO ET APOSTOLICA REUERENTIA SUSPICIENDO PAPAE RURICIO SEDATUS. Satis credidi et, quamlibet uobis laboriosum esset, uehementer optaui, ut ad necessitatem istam, quae hic nos exhibuit, ueniretis uel per occasionem et benedictionem uestram mererer et desiderium commune mutuo satiaretur aspectu. et uere, posteaquam me praesentiae uestrae spes frustrata est, uelut de uotorum culmine deiectus ** et laborem, qui incubuit, et absentiam domus et omnia, quibus aegritudo deceptae spei 1 a om. v commendante v, commendam S 2 disperantes S arguete 8 3 ignaue securitates 8 desides v 7 cumuni S opere precium S 8 quae] q S, qui quae Kr . conteneret S, continebat v 9 qui addidi, om. S capitulatim i. 1.] capitula tamen librum coni . v 10 carh tacius S ferendam v 11 carta 8 12 iubetis] lubet v 13 a S 14 corregere S 17 suspiciendo Kr., suscipiendo S 19 quamlibet Kr., quam habet S, quam habere iter v et post esset add. v 20 obtani S que S 22 saciaretur S 23 presentiae S frustata S 24 deiectus] odi uel fastidio desiderat Kr . labor v 25 asententia S, absentia f egritudo S decepte S et anxietas cumulatur, in animum meum pariter conueuerunt. et scit dominus, quod, si uires suppeterent aut parere desideriis aetatis infirmitas pateretur aut, si essent animalia, quibus tantum tali tempore posset itineris expediri, non prius ego a Tolosa reuerterer, quam beatitudinis uestrae et singularis illius caritatis benedictionem desideratissimam promererer. sed quia haec, quae supra dicta sunt, desideriis obsistunt, rogo et per Christum uos adiuro, ut me uobis uestra semper pietas repraesentet nec patiamini, ut pro officiorum tarditate caritatem inminuat aut obfuscet obliuio, sed pro me, sicut facere uos certus sum, incessanter oretis et, quotiens oportunum fuerit, seruum uestrum per conloquia litterarum uisitare dignemini.