Letter 9024: If our will had found you still obscure or unhonored, we would rejoice in the discovery but rightly hesitate about...

24. KING ATHALARIC TO SENATOR, PRAETORIAN PREFECT. [1] If our goodwill had found you still obscure or perhaps without honor, we should indeed rejoice that you had been discovered, yet we should rightly doubt how you would conduct yourself, since in a new man there is hope rather than proven fruit. But since you are made glorious by the countless promotions and the great judgment of our lord and grandfather, it is unfitting to submit to debate one whom we can scarcely proclaim without admiration. For the verdict of so great a prince is not to be examined but to be revered, since there can be no uncertainty about his deeds, seeing that we ourselves are known to have been chosen by him: he who, ever assiduous in divine supplication, achieved by his merits that he should do those things which heavenly grace would protect. [2] For what man did he set over armies and not receive back with victory, or whom did he gird as a judge and not prove most just? You would believe that he had foreknowledge of things to come: for what his mind had conceived, the outcome always rendered, and by his wondrous zeal for wisdom he held no doubt about what he truly foresaw would come to pass. [3] In short, from your own case we are able to prove the prince's outstanding practice. Receiving you in your earliest youth into the office of quaestor, he soon found you endowed with conscientiousness and matured in the learning of the laws. You were assuredly the highest praise of those times, in that you made him, so anxious about all matters, secure through unoffending service, while you sustained so great a mass of royal genius by the strength of your eloquence. He found you pleasing in compositions, you rigid toward justice, you a stranger to greed. [4] For you did not sell his benefits with any detestable price-setting, so that the honor profited you toward the riches of reputation, since it was by no means subject to a price. Hence it is that you seemed joined to that most equitable prince by a glorious affection, because you were divided from vices by a commendable separation. The most wise arbiter loaded you with the weights of petitioners, and presumed so much upon the known discernment of your mind that, in place of a benefit, he granted your judgment to those who were in distress without any delay. [5] How often did he reckon you among the aged nobles, since those whom such length of years had instructed did not suffice for your beginnings? There was plainly that which he might proclaim outstanding in you: a mind open to the earning of benefits and barred against the vices of greed, since by some means it is rare in men to have a hand closed and a justice open. [6] Let us come to the dignity of magister, which you are known to have attained not by lavishness of money but by the support of your character: placed in which post, you were always at hand to the quaestors. For when there was need of refined eloquence, the case was forthwith entrusted to your talent. You were required by the kindly prince to do what he knew he had by no means committed to you, and by a certain prejudicial favor he freed others from labor, so that he might fill you with the abundant praise of his own verdict. [7] For no dignity kept its own bounds under you, since it is established that there was entrusted to your conscience what ought to have been most sincerely carried out by many nobles. No one knew how to murmur anything contrary about you, although on account of the prince's favor you bore envy. Those who desired to disparage you were overcome by the integrity of your conduct: your adversaries, compelled, often spoke what their mind did not hold. For any malice fears to declare anything against manifest good deeds, while it dreads to be exposed to general hatred. [8] You served the lord of affairs as a familiar judge and an intimate noble. For when he was free from public care, he demanded from your conversations the maxims of wise men, so that he might equal the ancients by his own deeds. The courses of the stars, the recesses of the sea, the marvels of springs the keenest investigator inquired into, so that, the natures of things being more diligently examined, a certain man clad in purple might seem to be a philosopher. Things grow long if we bring forth all: rather let us turn to our own benefits, so that what was acknowledged to be owed by him you may feel justly paid to you by the heir of the empire. [9] Wherefore, with God helping, by whose authorship all things prosper, from the twelfth indiction we place you upon the seat and insignia of the praetorian prefecture, so that the provinces, which we have hitherto known to be wearied by the conduct of wicked men, may receive a proven judge without fear. But although you have a paternal prefecture renowned throughout the Italian world, we nevertheless do not set before you the examples of others: use your own character, and you have fulfilled the prayers of all. [10] Run through, with God helping, the field of glory, which we have always known to be sought after by you. For if this dignity also proves you to be self-restrained, as we believe, this is to have overcome the ambitious things of the world. You have indeed been accustomed not to sell just decisions: but now it is fitting more abundantly to come to the aid of those harmed by injury. Let an incorruptible mind keep watch against ill-accustomed hands: let fraudulent zeal be shut out on every side, because this is worthy to come about through a sincere judge. By delaying longer we have indeed wearied the prayers of all on your behalf, so that we might both prove the goodwill of the community toward you and that you might arrive more desirable to all. For the human condition has this, that things quickly obtained are met with disdain, since everything precious offered grows cheap, and on the contrary that is received more sweetly which is granted after some delay. [11] But we are not content only with the praise of your own times: search out all things pertaining to the records of the praetorian prefecture, which the greed of others is seen to have defrauded. Let it not be permitted to anyone to boast of his thefts or his prejudices. We have sent you as a light into hidden matters, since no one will be able either to mock your prudence or to slacken your good faith by any bribe. [12] Establish a rule for this dignity also, you who in the offices borne before have furnished examples of wondrous self-restraint. For although you have discharged almost all the highest honors equally, you have nevertheless before you the goods of conscience, where it is fitting that there be no measure. For here it is becoming to have no limit: here an honorable ambition is approved, of which even the excess pleases. For everything worthy of praise, the more lavishly it is sought, the more gloriously it is found.

XXIIII. SENATORI PPO ATHALARICUS REX. [1] Si te voluntas nostra adhuc latentem aut inhonorum forsitan invenisset, gauderemus quidem repertum, sed bene dubitaremus acturum, quia spes magis quam fructus in novo est. sed cum domni avi nostri innumeris provectibus magnoque iudicio glorieris, inconveniens res est disceptationi subdere, quem vix possumus sub admiratione praedicare. tanti quippe principis non examinanda, sed veneranda est sententia, quia non potest de factis eius ambigi, cum et nos ab ipso cognoscamur electi: qui divinae supplicationi semper assiduus exegit meritis, ut illa faceret quae superna gratia custodiret. [2] Nam quem ille virum aut exercitibus praeficiens cum victoria non recepit aut iudicem cingens non iustissimum comprobavit? cum futuris rebus eum crederes habere tractatum: nam quod concepisset animus, reddebat semper effectus miroque sapientiae studio non habebat dubium, quod veraciter praevidebat esse venturum. [3] Denique ex te probare possumus eximium principis institutum. quem primaevum recipiens ad quaestoris officium mox repperit conscientia praeditum et legum eruditione maturum. fuisti nimirum summa temporum laus, ut illum sic ad omnia sollicitum inoffensa redderes famulatione securum, dum molem tantam regalis ingenii facundiae tuae viribus sustineres. te in dictationibus amoenum, te ad iustitiam rigidum, te habuit a cupiditatibus alienum. [4] Beneficia quippe ipsius nulla abominabili taxatione vendebas, ut honor tibi ad opinionis divitias proficeret, dum minime pretio subiaceret. hinc est quod videbaris aequissimo principi gloriosa dilectione sociatus, quia eras a vitiis probabili sequestratione divisus. interpellantium te ponderibus sapientissimus arbiter onerabat tantumque de animi tui cognita disceptatione praesumpsit, ut in beneficii locum tuum praestaret aestuantibus sine aliqua cunctatione iudicium. [5] Quotiens ille te grandaevis proceribus inputavit, dum non sufficerent ad primordia tua, quos tanta longaevitas aetatis instruxerat? erat plane quod in te praedicaret eximium, animum ad promerenda beneficia patulum et contra vitia cupiditatis obstructum, dum nescio quo pacto rara est in hominibus manus clausa et aperta iustitia. [6] Veniamus ad magisteriam dignitatem, quam non pecuniae largitate, sed morum nosceris suffragio consecutus: quo loco positus semper quaestoribus affuisti. nam cum opus esset eloquio defaecato, causa tuo protinus credebatur ingenio. exigebaris a benigno principe quod se tibi noverat minime commisisse et quadam gratia praeiudiciali vacuabat alios labore, ut te sententiae suae copiosa laude compleret. [7] Non enim proprios fines sub te ulla dignitas custodivit, quando conscientiae tuae constat creditum, quod a multis fuit proceribus sincerissime peragendum. nescivit quisquam de te summurmurare contraria, cum tamen de principali gratia sustineres invidiam. derogare cupientes vicit integritas actionis: adversi tui coacti saepe locuti sunt quod animus non habebat. nam quaelibet malitia formidat contra manifesta bona aliquid profiteri, dum generalibus odiis veretur exponi. [8] Egisti rerum domino iudicem familiarem et internum procerem. nam cum esset publica cura vacuatus, sententias prudentium a tuis fabulis exigebat, ut factis propriis se aequaret antiquis. stellarum cursus, maris sinus, fontium miracula rimator acutissimus inquirebat, ut rerum naturis diligentius perscrutatis quidam purpuratus videretur esse philosophus. longa fiunt, si cuncta proferamus: quin potius ad beneficia nostra convertimur, ut quod ab illo cognoscebatur deberi, ab herede inperii tibi sentias iuste persolvi. [9] Quapropter iuvante deo, quo auctore omnia prosperantur, ab indictione duodecima in praefecturae praetorianae te suggestu atque insignibus collocamus, ut probatum iudicem sine metu provinciae suscipiant, quas hactenus inproborum cognovimus actione fatigatas. sed quamvis habeas paternam praefecturam Italico orbe praedicatam, aliorum tibi tamen exempla non ponimus: utere moribus tuis et omnium vota complesti. [10] Percurre iuvante deo gloriae campum, quem semper a te novimus expetitum. nam si te continentem, ut credimus, et dignitas ista probaverit, hoc est saeculi ambitiosa superasse. solitus es quidem iusta non vendere: sed nunc oportet inpensius laesis per iniuriam subvenire. invigilet incorruptibilis sensus adversus male consuetas manus: excludatur undique studium fraudulentum, quia hoc dignum est per iudicem provenire sincerum. diutius quidem differendo pro te cunctorum vota lassavimus, ut et benivolentiam in te probaremus generalitatis et cunctis desiderabilior advenires. habet hoc enim humana condicio, ut celerius adepta fastidio sint, dum omne pretiosum vilescit oblatum et contra dulcius accipitur, quod sub aliqua dilatione praestatur. [11] Sed non sumus tantummodo de tuorum temporum laude contenti: perquire omnia ad titulos praefecturae praetorianae pertinentia, quae aliorum visa est fraudare cupiditas. non liceat quemquam gloriari furtis aut praeiudiciis suis. lumen te inmisimus rebus celatis, quando nec prudentiae tuae quisquam poterit illudere nec fidem aliqua oblatione lentare. [12] Constitue et huic regulam dignitati, qui ante actis fascibus mirabilis continentiae exempla praebuisti. nam licet paene omnes honores summos aequaliter egeris, habes tamen proposita conscientiae bona, ubi nullam decet esse mensuram. hic enim decorum est terminum non habere: hic honesta probatur ambitio, cuius etiam et nimietas placet. omne siquidem praedicandum quanto profusius quaeritur, tanto gloriosius invenitur.