Letter 1015: It is the same thing to observe no limit in arrogance as to exceed the bounds of humility.

Ennodius to Florianus. It is the same thing not to keep one's limit in arrogance as to overstep it in humility. It is a fault of pride to be more submissive than is right: it is the habit of those who gape heavily for praise to invent new flatteries, and, with the grand tragic buskin of eloquence, to feign dread or to fear examination though secure in their praise. But I, for my part, would spend diligence upon my undertaking, if I did not owe it to kinship. I have received your letter, rich with a Roman dowry and displaying a Latin style at the very dawn of its opening lines: to reply to which my affection compelled my hand, though ignorance opposed it, since for a long time the hope of keeping silent had made obsolete in me the zeal for writing, and reckoned silence in the place of glory. But unless I had replied, you would not know that you had been caught out, in that you had mocked, with the craftsman's eloquence and the coloring of Romulean cunning, talents less artfully fashioned. The strength of a polished blade and of one that rust has possessed is not equal for cutting, nor can practice and torpor take up an equal contest. Now, content with the brevity of a letter, I turn to the dues of a greeting, intending to make up by goodwill what I could not by eloquence, repaying friendship in place of figured speech and the pomp of words. See how much I have been able to steal away from my occupation: I have written in haste. God will grant that, if you desire a reply, you may find my heart, driven by cares, free of them.

XV. FLORIANO ENNODIVS. Idem est terminum in adrogantia non tenere quod in humilitate transcendere. supercilii affectus est iusto amplius esse subiectum: familiare est grauiter hiantibus nouas inuenire blanditias et grandis coturnus in eloquentia simulare formidinem uel examen metuere de laude securum. ego uero diligentiam proposito inpenderem, si sanguini non deberem. suscepi epistulam tuam Romana dote locupletem et stilum Latiarem in ipsa principiorum luce monstrantem: cui me respondere opponente manus inscitia coegit affectio, cum diu esset quod antiquauerat apud me scribendi studium spes tacendi et in locum gloriae silentium conputabat. sed nisi respondissem, nescires te esse deprehensum, quod minus fabricatis ingeniis artifici facundia et fuco Romuleae calliditatis inluseris. non aequa ad secandum uirtus est politae laminae et eius, quam rubigo possederit, nec parem conflictum usus potest et torpor adsumere. nunc epistulae breuitate contentus ad salutationis debita me conuerto, quod eloquio non potui, gratia pensaturus, reddendo amicitiam pro schemate et pompa sermonum. ecce quantum 1 aneipiti) accipienti L 2 scribtionis B 4 mi T, mihi BL Y salatem eft\'usam T XV. 8 arrogantia LPTY 12 neri B 13 sangoini* T epistolam LTV 14 laciarem PT 16 inscijcia T 18 conpotabat B, computabat LTV nescire L 19 depraehensum B 20 fuco BPTY, BUCO L, succo Pb romolee B eq T 21 secundam B lamminae BV 22 posaiderit B 2S epistulae V* n in o corr. m., 1, epistolae LT 24 potui BPTb, potuit L Y 25 scemate B, stemate T occupatoni subducere potui, celer scripsi. dabit deus, ut si responsa desideras, uacuum curis pulsati pectus inuenias.