Letter 1099: Let unknown men be praised so that the light of testimony may illuminate merits hidden in obscurity.
Let unknown men be praised so that the light of testimony may illuminate merits hidden in obscurity. But in the present case, I'd better spare myself the effort — it would be pointless to vouch for my friend Palladius, a man already recognized by all good judges for his eloquence and learning.
Besides, I need to be careful: praise that falls short of such a man neither does justice to him nor reflects well on me. So I'll step back from that role. I want you to be convinced of just one thing: Palladius's eloquence is so great that we should mourn his absence from Rome, and his personal charm so winning that we should be glad wherever he's summoned. Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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