Letter 2040: Our brother and fellow priest Capillutus, though he did not bring me your words written on paper to read, brought...

To the holy and apostolic lord, the patron Victorinus the bishop, cherished by me in Christ the Lord and to be honored with a more special affection, Ruricius the bishop. Our brother and fellow-presbyter Capillutus, although he did not bring us your written lines to be read over on paper, nevertheless rather presented them inscribed in my heart, from where neither a thief can carry them off, nor a violent man snatch them away, nor a rainstorm wash them out, nor old age abolish them, since the most faithful sharer of your breast and the most eloquent reporter often impresses upon me, and the more sweetly, in what manner and with how unremitting a tooth of love you chew me over [keep me in mind]; not because there is in me anything from which you might feed the hunger of your charity, you who are accustomed both to receive and to give solid foods that never perish, but so that, when stronger fare is lacking, you may sip our slenderness in place of a cup of milk, that you may temper the longing of your devout and pure heart with the nourishment of innocence. Yet this is no wonder, this miracle in your virtue, that you should love those who venerate you, you who have been wont to love even those who hate you, since indeed, to increase your charity toward us, you are detaining our two luminaries-Aurelianus, I mean, and Leontius. For their hope and perfecting I ask that you make supplication unceasingly to the divine mercy, as I am confident you do, and that together with them you pray again for us always, because I confidently believe that nothing will be denied to your journey and to their beginning, in this very tenderness as yet, by the Lord their fosterer. And so I declare abundant greeting to your piety, as much as the utterance of the mouth can express, though not as much as the affection of the heart demands; and I ask that you keep safe in our name those aforesaid sweetest spurs of my breast, and that, as often as the opportunity of a carrier shall present itself, you water us with the showers of your blessing. Pray for me.

XXXX. DOMINO SANCTO ET APOSTOLICO MIHIQVE IN CHRISTO DOMINO CULTO AFFECTUQVE SPECIALIUS EXCOLENDO PATRONO UICTORINO EPISCOPO RURICIUS EPISCOPUS. Frater et conpresbyter noster Capillutus, licet apices uestros nobis non detulerit in charta relegendos, tamen potius exhibuit 8] Iob 1, 21. 13] Iob 1, 22. 2 quidem vKr . 6 omnis S 7 consolator S 8 dicendi S 11 decim S 13 accederunt S, accidebant v 14 ego] et add. v 17 moderare reuere S, corr. v, moderarer uere Kr . 19 ipsum om. v 20 dignatus est v qual (iii regnu docuit S1 in ras.) S, qualium r. docet r 21 ex] & S 22 obto S 25 mihique om. » 26 uicturino S 28 capices S 29 cartha S potius coni. v, totius S, totos Luetjoham in corde conscriptos, unde eos nec fur auferre nec uiolentus eripere nec imber eluere nec uetustas possit abolere, dum mihi fidelis admodum uestri pectoris consors et dicacissimus delator saepius inculcat et dulcius, qualiter me et quam adsiduae dilectionis dente ruminetis, non quod in me sit, unde caritatis uestrae pascere possitis esuriem, qui solidos et numquam perituros cibos et accipere soliti estis et dare, sed, quando fortior esca defuerit, tenuitatem nostram pro lactis poculo sorbeatis, ut desiderium pii cordis et puri alimento innocentiae temperetis. Nec mirum est hoc tamen in uestra uirtute miraculum, ut diligatis uenerantes uos, qui odientes amare consuestis, siquidem et ad augendam circa nos caritatem uestram duo lumina nostra detinetis, Aurelianum dico atque Leontium. pro quorum spe et consummatione rogo, ut indesinenter diuinae misericordiae, sicut uos confido facere, supplicetis et cum illis iterum pro nobis semper oretis, quia fiducialiter credo, quod profectioni uestrae et illorum incipientiae pro ipsa adhuc teneritudine a nutritore domino nil negetur. salutem itaque uberem dico pietati uestrae, quantum potest promere oris affatus, non quantum cordis poscit affectus, et rogo, ut praefatos dulcissimos stimulos pectoris mei nostro nomine sospitetis nosque, quotiescumque se oportunitas porrexerit portitoris, benedictionis uestrae imbribus inrigetis. ora pro me.