Letter 2035: Through the physician Palladius I received the letters of your fertile heart and eloquent mouth, which invited us to...

35. To the holy and apostolic lord, and to be preferred before all others by me with special reverence and affection as my patron in Christ the Lord, Bishop Sedatus, Bishop Ruricius. Through the chief physician Palladius I received a letter from a fruitful heart and an eloquent mouth, which invited us, by the wish of the heart, to a mutual meeting. But what are we to do, since a different weakness of our limbs stands in the way of the desires of our minds, seeing that you are hindered by an excess of robustness and we by the leanness of a wasted body, seeing that for you the four feet of another cannot carry the heavy man, while for me even my own two feet can scarcely sustain me on account of exhaustion? Whence it comes about that we are unable to fulfill our shared wishes. For I, the Lord is my witness, would have come with all eagerness to the appointed synod, had I been strong enough; but the necessity of my feebleness held me back from my intention of the journey I had arranged, because I could not endure the air of that region, especially at this season. And I am confident that you both believe this to be so, and I do not doubt that you will turn perverse minds aside to some other explanation. Having therefore set forth these matters sufficiently, as far as we were able, with the greeting of a longing spirit duly paid, if you judge it worthy, I have sent to you a horse, such as I knew you needed: gentle in its tameness, strong of limb, firm in vigor, outstanding in form, well put together in build, steady in temperament, that is, neither sluggish through slowness nor over-hasty through speed; one for whom the rein and the spur are the will of the rider, one for whom there is both the wish and likewise the power to carry a load for the journey, so that he neither yields beneath what is set upon him nor casts off what is laid upon him. It remains for you to indicate by a reply how it pleases you, although I so presume in my undivided heart toward you that even ill things committed by me - I will not say sent - are pleasing to you. For so great is the force of unimpaired love that nothing in a friend displeases, whereas an evil thing ought rather to displease when it comes from a friend. And from this comes that saying, that the judgments of men are hampered either by love or by hatred, so that they do not bring forth what is right. But you, whom neither hatred embitters nor envy inflames, both receive our jests gladly, and instruct us abundantly concerning your well-being or your doings, so that, while we read you at greater length, we may be more copiously enriched. Pray for me.

XXXV. DOMINO SANCTO ET APOSTOLICO MIHIQVE IN CHRISTO DOMINO SPECIALI CULTU AFFECTUQVE CETERIS PRAEFERENDO PATRONO SEDATO EPISCOPO RURICIUS EPISCOPUS. Per archiatrum Palladium litteras fecundi cordis et facundi oris accepi, quae nos ad uisionem mutuam uoto pectoris inuitabant. sed quid facimus, quod desideriis animorum nostrorum diuersa membrorum resistit infirmitas, dum uos nimietate robusti, nos tenuitate exesi corporis inpedimur, dum uos alieni et quattuor pedes ferre nequeunt ponderosos, me etiam proprii et duo sustinere prae defectione uix possunt? quo fit, ut implere communia uota nequeamus. ego enim, testis est dominus, quod, si ualuissem, ad synodum condictam omni auiditate uenissem, sed me a dispositi itineris uoluntate necessitas imbecillitatis inhibuit, quia aeres regionis illius praesertim hoc tempore ferre non poteram. quod et uos ita credere confido et prauos ad aliud deriuare non dubito. His itaque sufficienter, ut potuimus, indicatis salutatione animi desiderantis inpensa, si dignum ducitis, transmisi uobis 6] Psalm. 62, 9. 1 cordis nostri v S ut Luetjohann capud S adherere S 4 utilia scripsi, ut illi a S, ut utilia Kr., ut illa v membra] esse add. v 5 in add. Luetjohann, om. S 8 fort . inde scribendum 9 educta] ad uota r 11 Christo om. v 14 arciatrum S 18 tenuetate S 22 sydonum S 23 me a Mommsenus, mea S disposita t\' num uoluptate scribendum ? 24 imbicilitatis S aerem coni. v regiones S presertim S 26 diriuare S 27 itaquae S 28 desiderantis Mommsenus, desiderantes S, desideranter v caballum, qualem uobis sciebam esse necessarium, mansuetudine placidum, membris ualidum, firmum robore, forma praestantem, factura conpositum, animis temperatum, scilicet nec tarditate pigrum nec uelocitate praeproperum, cui frenus et stimulus sit sedentis arbitrium, cui ad euehendum onus et uelle suppetat pariter et posse, ita ut nec cedat superposito nec deponat inpositum. superest, ut rescripto, quomodo uobis placeat, indicetis, quamlibet ita de indiuiduo mihi corde praesumam, quod uobis etiam mala a me commissa, non dicam transmissa conplaceant. tanta est enim integri uis amoris, ut in amicum nil displiceat, cum magis malum displicere debeat de amico. et hinc illud est, quod iudicia hominum aut amore praepediuntur aut odio, ut recta non proferant. uos uero, quos nec odium exasperat nec inflammat inuidia, et iocos nostros libenter accipite et de sospitate uestra uel actibus affluenter instruite, ut, dum uos diutius legimus, copiosius inbuamur. ora pro me.,