Letter 8005: You too shall enter my pages, Fortunalis — pillar of friendship, illustrious ornament of the lands of Spain.

Sidonius to his friend Fortunalis. You too shall enter my pages, Fortunalis — pillar of friendship, illustrious ornament of the lands of Spain. Your familiarity with letters is not so slight that it would be unfitting for something about you to survive you through these very pages. Your name's glory will live — yes, it will live on for posterity. For if any grace, any reverence, any reliability resides in my writings, however modest, I want future ages to know that nothing was more steadfast than your loyalty, more handsome than your person, more just than your judgment, more patient than your endurance, more weighty than your counsel, more joyful than your table, more pleasant than your conversation. They will also recognize this beyond all else: that the praise your virtues earned came from the contrast of your fortunes. For it is nearly a greater distinction that adversity proved you constant than it would have been if prosperity had merely proclaimed you fortunate. Farewell.

EPISTULA V Sidonius Fortunali suo salutem. 1. Ibis et tu in paginas nostras, amicitiae columen, Fortunalis, Hibericarum decus inlustre regionum; neque enim tibi familiaritas tam parva cum litteris, ut per has ipsas de te aliquid post te superesse non deceat. vivet ilicet, vivet in posterum nominis tui gloria. 2. nam si qua nostris qualitercumque gratia reverentia fides chartulis inest, sciat aetas volo postuma nihil tua fide firmius forma pulchrius, sententia iustius patientia tolerantius, consilio gravius convivio laetius colloquio iocundius. illud quoque supra cetera agnoscet, praeconia laudibus tuis ex votorum contrarietate venisse. nam prope est, ut eminentius censeatur quod probaverunt te adversa constantem, quam si celarent secunda felicem. vale.