Letter 9010: To the Lord Bishop Aprunculus [Bishop of Langres, later of Clermont].

To the Lord Bishop Aprunculus [Bishop of Langres, later of Clermont]. Your letters were delivered to me by the man who should have been delivering mine to you. For our brother Caelestius, upon his recent return to your service, extracted from me a deed of transfer concerning the status of our friend Iniuriosus. I wrote it as much because I was overcome by your modesty as by my own willingness — for it was right that I should go out of my way to meet your sense of propriety. So take possession of what has been freely given, and use it generously — for I suspect you sought nothing more of this kind of consolation for yourself. I now present him to you through this letter, which is less a recommendation than a deed of release, since I am now at peace. The arrangement is this: he shall attend you, obey you, and follow you. If he remains with you, let him be considered the servant of neither of us. If he should happen to leave, let him be sought as a fugitive by both of us. Be mindful of us, my lord bishop.

EPISTULA X Sidonius domino papae Aprunculo salutem. 1. Reddidit tibi epistulas meas quem mihi tuas offerre par fuerat; nam frater noster Caelestius nuper ad te reversus de Biterrensi quoddam mihi super statu Iniuriosi nostri vinculum cessionis elicuit. quod quidem scripsi non minus tua verecundia fractus quam voluntate: namque nos ultro vestro pudori quasi quibusdam pedibus obsequii decuit occurrere. 2. quocirca me quoque volente posside indultum, sed liberaliter (nec enim, ut suspicor, plus aliquid hoc genere solacii vel ipse quaesisti), quem litteris istis non commendatoriis minus quam refusoriis iam placatus insinuo; sic tamen, ut tibi assistat, tibi pareat, te sequatur atque ut, si permanserit tecum, neutri nostrum iudicetur famulus, si forte discesserit, quaeratur utrique fugitivus. memor nostri esse dignare, domine papa.