Letter 4002: The venerable priest Amantius, by requesting that I send a letter to you, has made my act of devotion a matter of...

Ennodius to Alico. When the venerable priest Amantius pressed me for a letter to you, he made a matter of my devotion into a command of his authority. Happy necessity, which renders obedience to one's wishes; free is the bidding of one who stands preeminent, yet serves affection. The man who compels me owes me what I have rendered to my own will; fortunate is the writing that bears witness twice over to love, since it both draws something new into the claims of regard and binds the heart of an older friend: for he, while being the faithful herald of your greatness, has caused you to be chosen by his guarantee before you were known. Rarely has affection gone before acquaintance: to whom has it fallen to please before being examined? Mark how great weight the bearer carries with me, at whose nod our judgments are bent: we have seen the man he has come to know; the one he praises we embrace. Often a mind firmly settled on its own ground yields to a friend's appraisal. Rightly therefore do we look up to those whom a man of proven worth exalts. Now, if the leanness of my talent could unfold the abundance of this favor, if my infancy of speech did not grow weary at the dry fountain of our compact, if the nature of a letter, which imposes reins even upon the eloquent who have abundance, permitted me to advance to greater length, I would assert how much your nobility owes me: that I was the first to enter into epistolary exchange, that I unlocked the door of regard with the key of speech. Yet I, the carrier, beg that for these things which he has bestowed I may be loved in return. I commend to you the causes of the church, since what is spent upon my hope grows to your merit. My lord, paying you the tribute of a most lavish greeting, I ask that, if it is dear to your heart to accept my offering from the libation of affection, you would unlock the devotion of a friendly conscience by an answer. Farewell.

II. ENNODIVS ALICONI. Venerabilis Amantius presbyter dum ad uos paginas exigit, rem deuotionis meae sui esse fecit imperii. felix necessitas, I. 2 simacho T, simmacho B pape T 5 robor BL V preconio B 6 tyronis LPV 8 qua] qui L peliandom L, preliandum B 9 debet L 12 co*mendet B, comendet T 13 marcellinum Pb 14 quod Lx 15 quidquid BL egrum B 17 Bpnali T 18 uale om. B n. 21 dirigit b 22 felez L1 VI. 7 quae uotis praestat obsequium: libera praeeminentis iussio, quae seruit affectui. debet mihi coactor quod meae praestiti uoluntati: prospera est scriptio, quae testimonium tribuit bis amori, dum et nouum in ius diligentiae adtrahit et amici senioris pectus obligat: qui dum magnitudinis tuae fidelis praeco est, prius uos per adstipulationem suam fecit eligi quam cognosci. raro notitiam praecessit affectio: cui contigit ante placere quam inspici? quantum apud me pondus est perlatoris aduertite, ad cuius nutum iudicia nostra flectuntur: uidimus quem didicit: quem laudat amplectimur. saepe in solido constituta mens propria amico cedit examini. merito ergo suspicimus quos probatus extollit. nunc si ubertatem gratiae ingenii macies explicaret, si ad fontem foederis aridi sermonis non lassaretur infantia, si epistularis qualitas, quae etiam copiosis eloquentia frenos inponit, progredi me ad longiora permitteret: adsererem quantum nobilitas tua mihi debeat, quod ad epistulare commercium primus accessi, quod ianuam diligentiae reseraui claue sermonis. baiulus tamen deprecor ut pro his quae tribuit redametur. ecclesiae causas insinuo, quia quod spei meae inpenditur uobis crescit ad meritum. domine mi, effusissimae munus salutationis inpendens quaeso, ut, si uobis cordi est oblationem meam de libamine caritatis accipere, religionem amicae conscientiae reseretis alloquio. uale.\' 1 praeeminentiB Sirm., praeminentis BLPTVb 2 coictoc L1 (ic in a corr. m. 2, c 8. 1. scr. m. rec.) meae] mae B, me L petitn 1 L, prestiti B uoluntate L1 4 amci B 5 tuae B a. I . fideles V1 preco B, praeco est (o est M ras.) V 6 agnosci Pb .7 preceaBit B anta placare L1 8 aduerte T 11 suscipmns T probitas b 14 infancia B que etiam qualitas V o T copiosis B (stc) 15 frenua B ? inpofiti T corr. m. 3 16 quanttL B, quanta LPTVb mihi debeat Bb, om. LPTV 17 adcessi B quod] et b 18 baiolus B deprecor B, precor LPTVb 19 reclametur L 20 mi] mihi BL V effnsissime L 21 salutationis munus b, munus munus salutationis B 22 relegionem B 28 me amice T uale om. Pb