Letter 4019: ---

19. Ennodius to Apollinaris. By prolonging your silences toward one who loves you, you have extended your absence beyond the bodily kind into the spirit; by holding back your pages, that separation, which until now counted for nothing, has grown to an immeasurable degree. Things have come to such a pass through your abstention from letters that the foresight born of our long-standing friendship contributes nothing to our love. Affection turns rancid when one who is sparing of words scorns to fan it: care that is not brought back into practice through pages is left untended; the frequent use of the pen nourishes with living fodder the friendship implanted in our hearts. It would have been easier, brother, never to have granted my longings what they desired, than to withdraw what has so often been bestowed, since hearts know no rest once you, an artful herdsman, have whetted them with sweet food. For by keeping your writing continuous for some considerable time you had made me forgetful of our being apart, while you set your venerable likeness before me in gentle conversation: but now, a stripped inquirer, I scan the empty hands of those who come and go. Yet I do not wish, by my own error, to fasten the blame on others, so as to be convicted of having committed the very thing whose having been done I lament. Receive then, most faultless of men, the consolations of longing granted to the absent through heavenly grace, and, if you are mindful of me, give aid to the bearers of letters, so that they may not know the hardships of travel, since when you name them a friendly recommendation will have lent its support. By those who return I send word that I am [eager?] for news of your good health. Give your support.

XVIIII. ENNODIVS APOLLINARI. Producendo circa amantem uestri silentia ad absentiam corporalem animum transmisistis: retinendo paginas in inmensum creuit quae hactenus diuisio nil ualebat. res eo rediit per abstinentiam tabellarum, ut ueteris aeui prouidentia conferat nil amori. rancescit caritas, quam uerborum auarus despicit uentilare: sine cultura est diligentia in usum non reducta per paginas: stili frequentia uiuaci pabulo insitam pectoribus nutrit amicitiam. facilius, frater, fuerat desideriis meis te nullo tempore cupita tribuisse, quam saepe indulta subtrahere, quia otium corda nesciunt, quae cibis dulcibus pastor artifex inritasti. aliquanto enim tempore continuando scriptionem inmemorem me sequestrationis effeceras, dum effigiem uenerabilem placido inserebas adloquio: at nunc commeantium uacuas manus nudus inquisitor inspicio. ego tamen nolo errore meo alienas culpas adserere, ut quod factum doleo admisisse conuincar. accipe ergo, emendatissime hominum, desideriorum solacia per caelestem gratiam absentibus adtributa et perlatores, si mei estis memores, subleuate, ut nesciant peregrinationis 1 mereat** L 2 contempti T solos T*Pb, solus BLV, solas uel sola T1 5 pcipua (p ex pre corr . m. ant.) Lj finit add. B XVIIII. 8 aestris B silentia] laetitia B 9 retendo L1 10 nalebit Ll 12 ranciscet B, rancessit L, ranceBsit T et Sirm . 18 dispicit B 15 amitidam T fater L 20 nnerabilem B ad B 21 aspicio V 22 quantum T quod 8. L m. 2 amisisse T 23 accipergo B 24 solatia LTV perlatoris T1 25 mei si V mei estes B, estis mei T mei si es|tis memoree L transpositionis signa add. m. tmt . esciant Tl incommoda, dum nominatis patriam commendatio amica contulerit. quibus remeantibus nuntio me uestrae ualitudinis subleuate.