Letter 2013: **From:** Ennodius, deacon of Milan

As a certain sublime personage of eloquence asserts, carelessness is the law in letters, and the skilled writer shows himself to advantage by his very negligence. In this work that grace is withdrawn which the sweat of toil, witness to torments, would have discovered. The herald of his own well-being and the inquirer after another's, fired hot in the smith's furnaces, makes no such demand. It is better if in these exchanges we meet one another with a pure brow of expression: the plain ornament of conversation forswears diadems. Epistolary fellowship, whenever it has fled an affected elegance, has succeeded. But the riches of your greatness and your painstaking narrative know not how to be confined within beggarly bounds, nor to cramp the treasure of your speech within any narrow limits: after the manner of great rivers it scorns the curb of its banks. For while your wealthy tongue, amid its occupations, oversteps the composed veil of restraint, it signifies that it serves only those pursuits to which it has been led, even if only by occasion. And were we not to perceive, by the testimony of our own repose, that the helm of the commonwealth has been entrusted to you, and that whatever is anywhere arranged is the business of your labor, and had we not learned that the care of Italy has entered into a single breast, we would almost think that you alone are worn down by the care and assiduity of the written pen. To God are these gifts owed, who both bestowed a mind that loves knowledge and did not deny the polishing file of study to the workshop of the mouth. Not so swiftly does the reed, driven by the bowstring, cleave the nimble air as your speech describes the discoveries of your genius. It grows faint at no barrier, it is slowed by no obstacles; whatever difficulty presents itself to it becomes passable, and in a marvelous fashion through the skill of the one pleading the nature of the cases is changed: this you do, that the business you desire be held as having merit; whatever you relate on behalf of truth is truth. Hence it is not permitted to wary judges to resist. The most minute examiners reckon it a gain of reputation if they follow where imperious oratory drags its captives. To this tongue, to these riches, I confess I owe a singular reverence, to which I was the first to run. And I wish there were very many things that might be committed to me to be done toward the clasp of affection. But as for what you enjoined concerning the religious women Speciosa and her sisters, it grieves my mind that I could not fulfill it. For now there remains to me with them no residue of intimacy or of pledge, especially because they dwell in separated cities. Yet to them I straightway directed the letters sent to me, which put off their reply until such times as they might see fit. I, lest I should keep your greatness in suspense, have deferred my writing: soon it will reach you, if they should enjoin anything that it please to be made known. Now, imparting the honor of my greeting, I ask that your sublimity rather commit to me, if there be anything to be done with the church, since I think that in the matter of your kinswomen, or of the lady, your friend, I have not concealed the diligence of my heart toward you.

XIII. ENNODIVS OLVBRIO. Vt tradit quaedam eloquentiae persona. sublimis, lex est in epistulis neglegentia et auctorem genii artifex se praebet incuria. 1 forsita V te om. B orbanitate B 2 actorem T, auctores Plb repetun L 4 distinantis B, deatinatis L adfligit∗∗ B 5 hoc B 8. 1 . 6 nuaqaam (s in ras.) T, nflquam LP, nunquam b 7 participes (parti in ras.) V 8 discripsi BL quam LV1 9 den.. (e uel i eras.) V meus tx metis V m. 1 confidentem T 10 reum ex retim V m. 1, reu B manifestat ira T imiurius B 11 steli Bl sententiam LlVl 12 noatro Sirm., neatro BLPTVb 13 nomen enotata B 14 reserua∗∗ (nt cras.) L 15 clamdeetinae T 16 act∗u ̃ L 19 ledat B 20 commntationem P1T1 1 XIII. 28 olibrio T 25 negligentia BT praebit B \' in quo opere illud subducitur gratiae, quod cruciatuum testis sudor inuenerit. caminis excocta fabrilibus non flagitat salutis suae nuntius et quaesitor alienae. melius [si] in his commerciis pura elocutionum fronte congredimur: diademata simplex conloquii cultus abiurat: epistularis communio si quando affectatum decorem fugit, obtinuit. sed magnitudinis uestrae dines et elucubrata narratio mendicis limitibus nescit includi nec oris thesaurum quibuscumque artare confiniis: magnorum more fluminum riparum frena contemnit. nam dum conpositum uelamen occupationis locuples lingua transgreditur, his tantum se studiis militare significat, ad quae uel occasione perducta est. et nisi uobis quietis nostrae testimonio reipublicae gubernacula sentiremus fuisse conmissa et rem laboris uestri esse quicquid ubique disponitur uel Italiae curam didicissemus unum pectus ingressam, paene uos sola putaremus paginalis stili cura et adsiduitate macerari. deo debentur haec munera, qui et amatorem scientiae sensum contulit et limam studiorum ad oris fabricam non negauit. non sic pernix aether acta neruis arundo proscindit, quemadmodum inuenta ingenii uestri sermo describit. nulla languescit obice, nullis tardatur obstaculis, fit peruia quaecumque se illi difficultas obtulerit et mirum in modum per allegantis peritiam mutatur natura causarum: hoc facis in merito negotium habuisse quod cupias: ueritas est quodcumque pro ueritate narratis. hinc cautis iudicibus non licet repugnare. minutissimi discussores opinionis lucrum 1 subducit b cruciatum LIPVI, cruciatuam t. sudor T in ras . m. 2 3 si uncinaui 4 commertiis L V 5 simplix J9 7 DOstre T diuis B elugubrata T 8 thensaurum B 9 con- I tempnit LPTV 10 locupes L, locnpleba B 13 gubernacala//// (2 uel S litt. ercu.) Y laboria (is ex em corr.) V ueetri (i in ras.) T 14 esse mn. T quidquid B dedioessemus B, didicease- IDQS LV 15 ingressum LV1 poene B, poenae V, poenę L 16 adfiiduitatem L 18 fabrioatam L aethar L, ether JB 19 proscendit B, proacindit L * add. m. rec . admodum T in rag. m. 2 20 diecribit BL languiscet B 28 immerito T 24 narrasti fort . aestimant, si sequantur quo pertrahit oratio inperiosa captiuos. huic ego linguae, his opibus reuerentiam, fateor, . ad quam primus cucurri, debeo singularem. et opto esse plurima quae mihi ad caritatis fibulam agenda mandentur. sed quae iniunxistis de religiosis feminis Speciosa et germanis eius, male est animo quod inplere non potui. nihil enim nunc mihi cum illis residuum est familiaritatis ant pignoris, maxime quia in disiunctis ciuitatibus degunt. ad quas tamen missas ad me litteras mox direxi, quae responsum usque ad illa quibus se uiderent tempora protulerunt. ego ne magnitudinem uestram suspensam tenerem, scripta prorogaui: mox ad uos perueniet, si quid mandauerint, quod libeat indicari. nunc honorificentiam salutationis inpertiens rogo, ut mihi magis cum ecclesia sublimitas uestra si qua sunt agenda, conmittat, quia puto me in adfinium uestrarum causa uel matronae amici circa uos diligentiam pectoris non celasse.