Letter 7025: Ad Galactorium comitem

To Count Galactorius I have often wished to make myself a sailor with an oar, so that a boat might go on wave-breaking courses through the waters; or to be carried by rapid gusts over the back of the Garonne, hurrying toward Bordeaux — and sails might draw me with a favorable North Wind across the wave-wandering flood, and then the breeze return me to that harbor-shore where holy Bishop Gundegisilus most devotedly offers his sacred duties, who shines as God's altar for the summit of his people. You too reside there in serene merits, ample Count — dear Galactorius, my diligent care. To you the excellent King Gunthchramn rightly gave honors, and owes you still more, he who gave you great things. Yet when I wished for this, a certain fear stood in the way — that danger of the tides where the mountain froths white with a heap of rushing water. The sweetness of the city invites, but the wave fights against it: so love calls and fear forbids, the one from here, the other from there. Let at least a running letter pay what remains: let the page render in love the exchange I would make in person. Now therefore, above all, I greet you, sweet friend, hoping from the Lord that you survive long. Together with household, companions, bishop, wife, and children — live, Count, to whom the duties of a duke should be entrusted. May I be commended to the highest bishop by your prayer, excellent one — so may your right hand's portion be given to the heavens by your merits. If anything remains because perhaps the taxes overflow: I who now send letters, ask you — send me pitch.

XXV Ad Galactorium comitem Saepius optaram fieri me remige nauta, cursibus undifragis ut ratis iret aquis flatibus aut rapidis per dorsa Garonnica ferrer, Burdigalense petens ut celer actus iter, velaque fluctivagum traherent Aquilone secundo. me quoque litoreo redderet aura sinu qua plus antistes sacra Gundegisilus offert, culmine pro populi qui micat ara dei: tu quoque quo resides meritis, comes, ample serenis, care Galactori, sedula cura mihi, cui rite excellens rex Gunthechramnus honores maius adhuc debet, qui tibi magna dedit. cum tamen hoc vellem, timor obstitit aestibus ille qui cumulo rapidae mons fremit albus aquae. dulcedo invitat civilis et unda repugnat: sic vocat atque vetat hinc amor, inde pavor. plane hoc quod superest solvat vel epistula currens: littera, quod facerem, reddat amore vicem. maxime nunc igitur te, dulcis amice, saluto, sperans a domino te superesse diu. cumque domo sociis antistite coniuge natis vive comes, cui sint iura regenda ducis. pontifici summo commender, opime, precatu, sic tua pars meritis sit data dextra polis. si superest aliquid quod forte tributa redundent: qui modo mitto apices, te rogo mitte pices.