Letter 9012: I endure the absence of your letters if — as it seems — your silence is the price of excellence.

Ennodius to Messala. I bear the abstinence of your letters, if it contributes to the increase of my joy that you are silent: the interruption of the page is not troublesome, if rare conversations are joined to splendid utterances. What was assumed about God's grace toward you, what was assumed about your holy parents, I now receive. Already, by the support of God's friends, who is to you both father and brother, you have come to know it. Truly I have not read your composition again without the tears that the joys gave. I do not wish to draw out before you, by the importunity of words, what I feel about you. Labor so that what you find in your senses, with the vein prompting, you may compose with eloquence. You are in no way less to the son of lord Faustus and of my lady your mother, except insofar as you yourself have studiously withdrawn yourself. Yet may God spare you, so that you may believe me to be mindful of you, even while, with illnesses hindering me, I do not honor you with frequent writing: you ought to know that whatever is neglected out of necessity is worthy of pardon. My lord, speaking the fullest greeting, I signify that I bless God in His works on account of the union with lord Avienus, and I await from you what his devotion promises.

XII. MERSALAE ENNODIVS. Fero uestrarum abstinentiam. litterarum, si sic ad incrementa gaudii mei pertinet quod tacetis: non est molesta paginalis intermissio, si cum splendidis dictionibus iunguntur rara conloquia. quod de gratia circa uos dei, quod de sanctis parentibus praesumebatur accipio. iam suffragiis amicorum dei, qui tibi pater et frater est, agnouisti. uere dictionem tuam sine lacrimis, quas dabant gaudia, non relegi. nolo apud te quae de te sentio uerborum inportunitate producere. labora ut quod suggerente in sensibus uena inuenis conponas eloquentia. nihil tibi a domni Fausti et domnae meae matris tuae filio minus est, nisi quod ipse studiose subtraxeris. parcat tibi tamen deus, 2 piae B copola B 3 serenu ̃ T moribus T 4 peroccupauit B relinquid B 6 gracia B 8 prouintialis LV 10 quae-redderer om. B aut scripsi, et LTVb 11 offitiis B honerosus BLTV 12 exsequi (se corr. uid.) B, exequi T simplicetis L XII. 16 messale BLT 17 absentiam Sirm . 18 paginales B 19 si] sic B 20 perentibus L 21 praesummabatur B, praesumatur LTVb 28 dabant T*, dabunt LPT1 Vb, debunt B 25 sentibus B 26 et ex a? corr. B 27 ipse B, ipsa LPTV, ista b studiosae BV ut credas me inmemorem tui esse, dum inpedientibus morbis frequenti te scriptione non ueneror: debes nosse dignum esse uenia quicquid necessitate delinquitur. domine mi, salutationem plenissimam dicens benedicere me deum in operibus eius de domni Auieni coniunctione significo et de te quod eius pietas pollicetur expecto.