Letter 3010: **From:** Ennodius, deacon of Pavia

Ennodius to Luminosus. The sacred bond of our friendships and the matured plant of affection that has grown up between us could feel no harm from the separation of distant regions, if what is denied to sight were compensated by conversation, and if we who are divided by the sluggish burden of our bodies were joined in spirit through that portion which we have taken from heaven. The tongue, as a witness of unmixed affection, would set its seal upon the prayers of our hearts, if the service of the mouth were enlisted in the abundance of our longing, and the inner chamber of the mind were kept unsealed in letters: then love would grow old through no neglect, then the carefulness of our mutual devotion, polished by use, would shine, nor would the memory of us be injured by any rough sluggishness. But what am I to do, when the clouds of my own deserts veil from me the serenity of one who loves me well, and my sins procure forgetfulness of me? Let it be far from my purpose to imitate what I grieve to have happened, and through silence to take vengeance upon your silence. By a twin goad, then, I have allowed myself words. I could not refuse epistolary commerce, which both the occasion and goodwill demanded. You know very well what your holy father, the lord bishop, requested of you, both through me and by his own mouth: namely, that the expense incurred for the necessities of the lord pope at Ravenna should be balanced by repayment. For to certain powerful men, whose names it is not safe to mark down in writing, the Lord knows that he paid out more than four hundred gold solidi: these he advanced upon my pledge of faith. My countenance cannot be free in his presence until, as I trust, the promise is fulfilled through you. For that reason I have dispatched the bearer of this present letter, a man both of religion and of good faith, that you may relieve me from this engagement, of which I spoke before, and from this wrong. Therefore, paying the honor of greeting with all humility, I ask, calling to witness through Him who has regarded our common prayers concerning the holy pope, that you may arrange how I may be relieved from disquiet of this kind. Yet if you do not believe it to be modest, make it known, and I will restore from my own resources whatever is established to have been spent by the holy bishop upon my surety, since I have letters of the holy pope by which he ordered that whatever needed to be done should be carried out upon my own guarantee. If I deserve to labor, it will belong to your forethought to make the disbursement.

X. ENNODIVS LVMINOSO. Posset amicitiarum religio et adultae inter nos planta gratiae nulla discretarum sentire damna regionum, si quod negatur aspectui pensaretur alloquiis et pigro corporum onere diuisi 7 naratione T mi PTb, mihi BLV 8 gesseres B* scribus] flnit add. LPTV VIIII. 10 ennodias om. T marcellino T 11 habundare PT 13 pollicere L1 aliquae B immutatione b 16 domine mi P sapra Bx 17 ut T 9. I. m. 2 frequenti me] frequentissime B 18 mihi summum T 19 quos] quia Sirm . fidia B X. 22 ennodius om, T 23 possit Bb, poscit coni. Schottus 25 corpore T\' honere T per illam, quam e caelo sumpsimus partem, animis iungeremur. index merae affectionis uota pectorum lingua signaret, si ad desiderii copiam militaret oris officium et penetrale mentis resignatum teneretur in litteris: tunc nullo caritas neglectu ueteresceret, tunc diligentia mutuae deuinctionis usu polita fulgeret nec scabro memoria nostri torpore laederetur. sed quid faciam quod mihi meritorum meorum nebulae serenitatem bene amantis obducunt et obliuionem mei peccata conciliant? facessat a proposito meo imitari quod factum doleo et per silentium sumere de uestra taciturnitate uindictam. geminis ergo stimulis uerba concessi. negare non potui conmercium epistolare, quod et causa poposcit et gratia. scitis optime quae a uobis et per me et ore proprio sanctus pater uester domnus episcopus postulauit, ut expensa, quae pro necessitatibus domni papae Rauennae facta est, redibitione pensaretur. certis enim potentibus, quorum nomina tutum non est scripto signari, nouit dominus, quia plus quam quadringentos auri solidos erogauit: hos me fidem dicente concessit. frons mea apud ipsum libera esse non potest, donec per uos, sicut confido, pollicitatio compleatur. idcirco direxi praesentium perlatorem, hominem et religionis et fidei, ut ab hac me quam praefatus sum conuentione et iniuria subleuetis. unde salutationis honorem tota humilitate persoluens rogo per illum contestans, qui communia circa sanctum papam uota respexit, ut ordinetis qualiter ab huiusmodi inquietudine releuer. tamen si uerecundum esse non 1 sumsimus LPV animi si B 2 indix B maere LV, mere BT si om. B 3 cupiam B 4 a re I signatum T are add. m. 2 5 ueterasceret T\'b diligentia BP, diligenti LT Vb mutue B fulgent T1 6 nri B, uestri LPTVb 7 mihi B s. 1 . 8 mei peccata mea Sirm . 11 commercium BL, e, commertium T 12 proposuit B scit (s ex c corr.) L tum 14 pape BTV 16 tam B, tuum L scriptio L 17 qua- n drigentos V solidus L 20 iccirco T direxit T, direxit BLPVb et om. Sirm. 21 me ab hac T 24 eanctum] spm T creditis, indicate, et de propria facultate restituo quicquid me spondente a sancto episcopo constat expensum, quia litteras sancti papae habeo, quibus iussit quicquid opus esset fieri cum mea debere securitate compleri. si mereor laborare, uestrae erit prouisionis expendere.