Letter 2059: While you make excuses for our negligence and laziness, you actually expose them — and we recognize through your...

Letter 59. Bishop Ruricius to his son Severus, greeting. While you excuse our negligence and sloth, you in fact accuse us of it; and we for our part acknowledge that we are debtors to your kindnesses and dutiful services. But I know that you do this out of that sincere and perfect love with which you cherish us, because it seems too little to your affection whatever you bestow upon us, since you desire to spend your whole self upon us, and that daily. Yet for us the goodwill of a ready spirit would suffice abundantly and more than enough, even if the constancy of your attentions were lacking. And so, with my greeting duly paid, I give the most abundant thanks to your devotion, because toward me you not only keep the affection of your father of good memory, but have even surpassed it.

LVIIII. RURICIUS EPISCOPU6 FILIO SEUERO SALUTEM. Neglegentiam nostram atque pigritiam dum uos excusatis, arguitis et nos beneficiis et officiis uestris agnoscimus 1 supplicarunt v 2 uestri v praecator S quibus Luctjohann, cui Mommsenus confessiouem S culpe S 6 propitio deo v ut Lttetjoham, et S uot5 S, nobis v 8 ms S, noster v 9 indisperato S, in desperato (scil . casu) Mommseum 10 spiritalis v, spiritale ex spiritali S 13 superest] ut add. Luetjohann consequatur v .14 lenitatem S 15 inuocantes v, inuocantis SKr., inuocetis Mommsenus 16 oportit S 17 inpertiit aeram v, inperti. iteru S 19 amplectamur ex amplectemur S 21 paulolum S 22 excluderitis S eum suprascr . S restitueritis S 23 incolomeno S 27 pegritiam 8 dum v, n S, non ante arguitis inRmt Mommmuu debitores. sed scio hoc sincero amore, quo nos diligitis, facere atque perfecto, quia parum est caritati uestrae, quod nobis tribuitis, dum totos uos nobis et cotidie inpendere desideratis. sed nobis satis superque sufficeret beniuolentia [quam] prompti animi, etiamsi adsiduitas deesset obsequii. unde salutatione depensa gratias ago uberrimas pietati uestrae, quod erga me . bonae memoriae patris uestri non solum retinetis, sed etiam uicistis affectum.