Letter 1041: I interrupt your busy schedule with my steady stream of letters — partly because I enjoy this kind of exchange...

I intrude upon your engagements by the persistence of my conversation; for I myself am nourished by an attention of this kind, and I believe that your travels abroad are refreshed by such consolations. But your letters in return I await, I do not demand; for it is unjust to press eagerly for what you would hope to receive, lest what is given freely should seem to have been extorted. To be sure, I congratulate myself that your friendship fell to my brother Innocentius before I had written, since his recommendation has begun to be easier for me, now that you have approved him, than it would have been had he remained unknown to you. And so this one thing I request as a favor: that he who already relies upon his own recommendation may, on the strength of our testimony, be cherished still more abundantly. Farewell.

Interpello occupationes tuas adsiduitate colloqnii. nam et ipse huiusmodi pascor ift officio , et peregrinationem tuam solaciis talibus credo recreari. tuas autem vicissim litteras expecto non exigo. iniurium quippe est magnopere flagitare, qnod speres, ne qnod est voluntarium, videatur extortum. sane fratri meo Innocentio gratulor amici- tias tnas, prinsquam scriberem, contigisse, qnia facilior mihi esse coepit eius commen- datio, qnem probasti, quam fuisset incogniti. itaque hoc unum beneficii loco postnlo, 30 ut qni sni commendatione iam nititnr, testimonii nostri gratia cumulatius diligatur. vale. 10 Cic. pro Bo8C. Am. 13, 37. 2 Symmachiu Ausonio] (77), om. FF 3 tocitnm totienB F 4 instigare] 77, instare VF{r) teria F decessio LaiinuM Laiiniui 7 aeqoe bene om, F 9 negglegentius V marcet] 77F, mulcet Vr0 10 teraa] V, teneas F liuet] 77, liquet F, nitet V me legisse F saepe] F, etiam F, etiam saepe (77) 11 seuerus F 12 aestimabis] (77), estlmaui VF sed om. (77) tegere] haec tegere F 13 uti in F animositatis F expeto] Sute^ expecto VF 16 om. VM 17 occasionem parui 77 18 retuli] Af(77), reppuU V 19 te po9i salutationis eoUoe. VM 3* n 20 SYMBLA.CHI EPISTVLAE XXXVII (XXXI) a. 370—379.