Letter 1012: I tremble to open my stammering mouth in praise of you, knowing that even greater talents rightly fall short.

XII. RURICIUS TO THE LORD CELSUS, MAN OF HIS OWN HEART. I tremble to open my tongueless mouth in praise of you, before whom I know that even greater talents rightly give way. For what should I first recall of the praise due to your affection or your esteem, you who have conferred upon me all the delights of the countryside, of character, and-what is greater than all these-of charity? Or, if any of these was lacking, it must be charged to the time, not imputed to us. For with you I found everything that a dear heart, that a renowned world ever possessed; you have defrauded me of no pleasure whatsoever. Indeed, you have even made the abandonment of my little lodging something to be desired through your nearness. And for this reason I rejoice all the more to be your neighbor, since he is not wholly bad who is joined to the good. But lest a longer discourse, by its own ineptitude, present you with weariness, I bid you a most generous farewell, and I signify that I have sent the glassware, as you commanded, whose workmanship it behooves us to imitate in its brightness, not in its fragility-so that the love which has been left to us by our parents, handed down by our teacher, and confirmed by the fellowship of life may be refined by favorable circumstances, and may by no means be broken in adversity by any whirling tempest's storm. For just as the precious purity of gold and silver, if it has been corrupted by the admixture of bronze or lead or any other baser material, unless it be purged by the testing of fires, can have neither its natural splendor nor its sound-for it gives back neither brightness to the sight nor a ringing to the hearing, and resounds the more hoarsely if it be struck, and shrilly ********* Therefore, best of brothers, looking together upon this saying-not mine, but the Lord's-and following it, let us so temper our life in mid-course, with the Lord himself as our pilot, that, although fair weather smile upon us, a more prosperous breeze invite us, and the calm sea flatter us, yet knowing that that flat plain of the sea lying beneath us can suddenly rise up like mountains, we may by no means allow our ship to be driven into the deep, where either the storm may break it apart or the wave may sink it.

XII. DOMNO PECTORIS SUI CELSO RURICIUS. Trepido in praeconium uestrum os elingue reserare, cui scio iure etiam ingenia maiora succumbere. quid enim primum de. affectionis aut dignationis uestrae laude commemorem, qui omnes mihi ruris, moris et, quod his omnibus maius est, caritatis delicias contulistis, aut certe, si quid horum defuit, deputandum tempori, non nobis est inputandum. nam totum apud uos, quod carum pectus, quod habuit clarum mundus, inueni, nulla me penitus iocunditate fraudastis. quin etiam desiderabile mihi hospitioli mei.desertum uestra uicinitate fecistis. et idcirco me magis finitimum uobis esse congaudeo, quia non ex toto malus est, qui bonis iungitur. Sed ne exhibeat nobis [esse] ineptia sui longior sermo fastidium, salue largissimum dico et uitrarium, sicut iussistis, me destinasse significo, cuius opus nitore, non fragilitate oportet imitetur, ut dilectio, quae nobis a parentibus relicta, a magistro tradita, uitae communione firmata est, secundis elimetur, aduersis nulla penitus turbinum procella frangatur. nam sicut auri atque argenti pretiosa sinceritas, si aeris aut plumbi uel cuiuslibet alterius materiae uilioris fuerat admixtione corrupta, nisi ignium examinatione purgetur, nec splendorem naturalem poterit habere nec sonum, nam nec uisui claritatem nec tinnitum reddit auditui magisque raucum resonat, si feriatur, et stridulum ********* 8 plu S 7 preconium S elinguae S 10 moris] oris coniciendum uidetur v, oemoris Kr . 11 dilicias S 14 panitus S 16 congaudio S 18 uobis [esse] ecripsi, uofi esse S, u. ipsa v, uobis seu Kr . sui] seu Kr . 20 distinasse S 21 num imitemur Bcnbmdum F a ante magistro om. v 22 ante secundis in S rasura 2-8 litterarum exstat 23 paenitus S 24 preciosa 8 25 fuerit v 26 purgatur v 29 lacunam indicauit Mommsenus Hanc ergo sententiam, non meam, sed domini, frater optime, contuentes pariter et sequentes ita uitam nostram medio cursu gubernatore ipso domino temperemus, ut, quamquam serenitas adrideat, prosperior flatus inuitet, mare placidum blandiatur, scientes tamen illam aequoris subiecti planitiem ad instar montium repente consurgere nequaquam in altum nauem nostram patiamur inpelli, ubi eam aut tempestas soluat aut unda demergat.