Letter 5014: Students gain confidence from the perfection of their masters.

Ennodius to Servilio. Disciples are confident of their own perfection whenever they await the presence of their masters: it is a clear sign of hope for instruction to invite a teacher, so that one may enjoy one's own native genius. Bright are the talents that are stirred by a longing for those who instruct them: those who have learned by a happy lot seek out a guide. Thus I, possessed by affection for your holiness, although I would not dare to boast of my own skill, nevertheless look for the countenance of a teacher, so that you may not believe you have entrusted an ecclesiastical seedling to a degenerate son; for although my memory cannot raise itself to a hundredfold yield, it nonetheless knows how to render multiplied seed back to the cultivator. Come, then, that, being present in person, you may look upon your own crop after the manner of a good farmer. May God ward off envy far away. So has the planting of ecclesiastical fertility grown strong under your plowshares that it cannot be overturned by any onset of a raging storm. I do not wish to burden the conscience of your holiness with a premature judgment of praise: you will inspect the things that are declared by the testimony of letters. It remains, my greeting being set forth, that you now hasten to your joys, since divine benefits always advance by degrees, and to those on whom they confer good things they promise better ones.

XIIII. ENNODIVS SERVILIONI. De perfectione confidunt discipuli, quotiens magistrorum praesentiam praestolantur: spes eruditionis manifesta est, ut fruatur genio suo, inuitare doctorem: clara sunt ingenia, quae instruentum agitantur desideriis: monitorem requirunt qui felici sorte didicerunt. sic ego sanctitatis tuae adfectione possessus, quamquam me de peritia iactare non audeam, uultum tamen praeceptoris expecto, ne degeneri te credas ecclesiasticum germen filio conmisisse, quia quamuis memoria mea ad centenos se non ualeat fructus extollere, scit tamen semina multiplicata redhibere cultori. ueni ergo, ut coram positus segetem tuam boni agricolae uice respicias. deus procul auertat inuidiam. ita uomeribus tuis ecclesiasticae fecunditatis planta conualuit, ut nulla saeuientis procellae possit inpulsione subuerti. nolo praiudicio laudis sanctitatis tuae grauare conscientiam: inspicies quae litterarum testimonio declarantur. superest salutatione praelata, ut ad gaudia tua iam properes, quia diuina beneficia gradibus semper accedunt et quibus bona conferunt meliora pollicentur.