Letter 2024: Ennodius the deacon to his lord Faustus.

Ennodius the deacon to his lord Faustus. I consider it a loss to diligence to endow no hands of travelers with the gift of a letter, which by being read are accustomed to carry even the face to distant places and to present the images of dear ones through the service of speech. To these things is joined also the opportunity afforded by the most exalted Luminosus as bearer, a man who deserves well of us both, who to the devotion owed your merits adds also the fruits of his own favor. What twin spirit would allow affection to be dulled under any negligence, were I to refrain from the pages which your esteem demands, and were that named man not to receive them to be delivered? Thanks be to God, a thing which had to be placed at the head of the letter, because your happiness is raised up, increased by the successes you have prayed for, because the swollen neck of our enemies, weighed down, succumbs to Christ our God. By hope I had grasped beforehand what the outcome has shown. For he well foreknows the end of the heavenly judgment who knows its character from the calm of human deeds. Farewell, then, for a long time, my lord, and relieve one who loves you by the use of your pen, so that whatever the distances of lands take away the offering of the letter-carrier may make up for.

XXIIII. DOMNO SVO FAVSTO ENNODIVS DIACONVS. Dispendium credo esse diligentiae nullas commeantium manus litterarum dote munerari, quae solent lectione etiam uultus ad longinqua portare et carorum imagines officio praesentare sermonis. ad ista iungitur etiam bene de utrisque merentis sublimissimi Luminosi portitoris occasio, qui ad religionem meritorum. uestrorum suae quoque gratiae fructus adiungit. quis geminus patiatur ut sub quacumque neglegentia hebetetur affectus, si a paginis temperem, quas dignatio uestra exigit, et si illas nominatus non accipiat perferendas ? deo gratias, quod in fronte epistulae locandum fuit, quia felicitas uestra uotiuis erigitur aucta successibus, quod tumida inimicorum ceruix Christo deo nostro grauata subcumbit. spe praeceperam quod effectus ostendit. bene enim sententiae caelestis finem praenoscit qui nouit qualitatem eius de actuum humanorum allis 2 adserit V, asserit aliis T 3 prestare B 5 adiauit B 6indicateTlsaV 6 indicate T1 8 u postoulo V XXIIII. 10 domino L fansto inscr. T 11 nulla seommeantium B 13 presentare TV 14 de om. T utrisqaae B, utriasqae Pb merentes B 15 occasio L\' 17 geminos B F1, gemin\' T (sed in mg . geniI, genius b negligentia B\'T 18 18 haebetetar L\', hebitar B, habitetur b effectus T temperiem LVl 19 nominatas V* 21 ersgitar B aata T 22 noatro scripsi, non BLTVb, nunc P praeciperam B 28 effectus (pr . e in ras.) B 24 acUum L serenitate colligere. uale ergo longum, mi domine, et amantem uestri stili usu releuate, ut quicquid subtrahunt interualla terrarum tabellaria conpenset oblatio.