Letter 5020: Your absence from yesterday's civic assembly was noticed.

To Pastor. Your absence from yesterday's civic assembly was noticed. The better sort assumed you stayed away deliberately, to avoid having the burden of the upcoming embassy placed on your shoulders. I congratulate you on living in such a way that you have to fear being chosen for such duties. I admire your competence, I respect your good judgment, I praise your good fortune — and I wish the same for all those I love equally. There are plenty of people driven by wretched populism who grab the leading citizens by the hand, pull them aside from public meetings, plant kisses on them in private, and volunteer their services without being asked. To make it look like they are being sent on public business, they waive their travel expenses, refuse reimbursement, and privately beg individuals to publicly nominate them. Even so, when the trouble comes free of charge, it can be accepted willingly enough. But it is always more pleasing and more admirable when the modest man is chosen — even at cost to himself. The shamelessness of those who push themselves forward carries so little weight that nothing is gained even when their name is attached to the tax rolls. So although you were not fooled about what the good citizens had in mind, give yourself back to their hopes. You have already proven your modesty by staying away once; a second absence starts to look like laziness. Besides, if you travel to Arles [the administrative capital of southern Gaul], you will pass through lands where your venerable mother lives, where your loving brothers dwell, where the soil of your beloved homeland calls to you. Your own estate is on the way — you can inspect your steward, your vineyard, your harvest, your olive grove, even the roof of the house, all without a detour. So the embassy I am sending you on is also a journey home. You can honestly claim credit with the city for a public service that also lets you see your family. Farewell.

EPISTULA XX Sidonius Pastori suo salutem. 1. Quod die hesterno tractatui civitatis in concilio defuisti, ex industria factum pars melior accepit, quae suspicata est id te cavere, ne tuis umeris onus futurae legationis imponeretur. gratulor tibi, quod istis moribus vivis, ut necesse habeas electionem tui timere; laudo efficaciam, suspicio prudentiam, prosequor laude felicitatem; opto denique aequalia his, quos aequaliter amo. 2. multi frequenter, quos execrabilis popularitas agit, civium maximos manu prensant deque consessu publico abducunt ac sequestratis oscula impingunt, operam suam spondent, sed non petiti; utque videantur in negotii communis assertionem legari, evectionem refundunt ipsosque sumptus ultro recusant et ab ambitu clam rogant singulos, ut ab omnibus palam rogentur. 3. sic quoque, cum fatigatio gratuita possit libenter admitti, libentius tamen atque amabilius verecundi leguntur, idque cum expensa; tantum impudentia sese ingerentum ponderis habet, etiam fasci cum tributario nomine ipsorum nil superfunditur. proinde quamquam non te fefellit, quid boni quique meditarentur, redde te tamen exspectantium votis expetentumque caritatem proba, qui iam probasti pudorem. quod defuisti primum, modestiae adscribitur; ad ignaviam respicit secunda dilatio. 4. praeterea tibi Arelate profecturo est venerabilis in itinere mater fratres amantes redamantisque patriae solum, ad quod et praeter occasionem voluptuose venitur; tum domus propria, cuius actorem, vineam messem olivetum, tectum quoque ipsum, vel dum praeterveharis, inspicere res commodi est. quapropter, missus a nobis, et tibi pervenis; namque erit talis viae tuae causaeque nostrae condicio, ni fallor, atque opportunitas, ut pro beneficio civitati posse imputare quandocumque videaris, quod tuos videris. vale.