Letter 9032: How much your friendship has meant to me, only God fully knows — and perhaps you have some inkling.

ENNODIUS TO ADEODATUS THE PRESBYTER. How much more distinguished you are than I deserve, and how much more so by your conduct, the result of your prayers has disclosed. Behold, you will hold the greatest part, withdrawn from my consolation, of lord Faustus your son. I, for my part, raised no obstacles to your holy and lawful longings in your prayers; but the departure of lord Avienus, on account of love for him, struck me so deeply that I followed him with tears even as he was making his way toward the things he desired. In this affair the shaping of human affairs out of their diversity lay open to view. Things vowed summon him, with Christ as his guide; me they wound. To him nearness flatters with the prospect of union; me it pricks with the prospect of being set apart. Behold, I am troubled over the fruit of my prayers, and, having obtained our request, if anything in this matter was asked which may be said with Christ's peace, I groan over it. Yet amid these things I am sustained by the attentive care of such diligence, because we have rendered back lord Avienus, who surpasses our vows. Rome has her boast from his origin, Liguria from his advancement: there the son was granted to lord Faustus by the law of nature, here he was made manifest by his learning. It was a lesser thing for a man to be born along with the common run of humanity than - what seemed inimitable - to be proved the offspring of Faustus. Let us refer his benefits back to God and render thanks to him on his behalf, from whom we asked for the very things we now hold. Receive the dutiful tributes of my greeting, in keeping with the purity of your holy heart, and, on receiving my book together with the one that was promised by you, send it on.

XXXII. ENNODIVS ADEODATO PRESBVTERO. Quantum a me merito, quantum actione sis clarior, orationum tuarum reserauit effectus. ecce domni Fausti filii tui abstractam de solacio meo partem maximam tu tenebis. ego quidem sanctis et legalibus desideriis precum inpedimenta non adtuli: sed tantum me domni Auieni perculit pro eius I caritate discessio, ut lacrimis prosequerer et ad optata tendentem. patuit humanarum rerum in hac causa de diuersitate formatio. illum euocant Christo duce uotiua, me feriunt: illi blanditur de coniunctione uicinitas, me de sequestratione conpungit ecce de precum mearum fruge sollicitor, et adeptos nos, si quid in hac parte postulatum est, quod cum Christi pace dici liceat, ingemesco. sed inter haec tali diligentiae curatione sustentor, quia domnum Auienum superantem uota. reddidimus. habet de origine eius Roma iactantiam, Liguria de profectu: ibi domno Fausto filius naturae lege concessus est, hic eruditione patefactus. minus fuit cum generalitate hominem nasci quam, quod inimitabile uidebatur, Fausti sobolem conprobari. referamus ad deum beneficia sua et ipsi pro illo exhibeamus gratias, a quo poposcimus quae tenemus. uos salutationis meae obsequia pro sancti pectoris uestri puritate suscipite et codicem recipientes meum cum illo, qui a uobis promissus est, destinate. XXXII. 2 presbitero T 4 reserabat 7x, reserabit LT2V fili B 5 solatio, BLTV mazima BV 6 impedimento L 7 tantum scripsi, tanta libri . perculet B 8 lacrimes L humarum T* 9 causa ̃ L illud L 10 cristo B uotiuam et B 11 diuinitas fort . conpunget B 12 aollicitus Lx adeptus L hac B 13 cristi B ingemisco BLTV 15 reddimus B 16 lignri B 17 natura! elege Bl eruditionS L 18 cum ex con B corr . genaralitate B 19 iniexbibsam\' mittabile T* nedebatnr B 10 exhibeamus B, referam V, ezhibeam refera L, referamus PTb, redhibeamns Sirm. 22 puritatem L pcipientes L