Letter 4034: **From:** Ennodius, Bishop of Pavia

34. Ennodius to Hormisdas. After your obligation toward me, by the favor of nearness, began to promise the fulfillment of what I longed for, you withdrew in spirit to more distant matters, and although you almost touch Liguria with your hand, you have assigned your tongue a holiday. Less was permitted to absence while long stretches of road held your holiness apart from me: conversation made up for the loss of seeing you, and as remedies the exchanges of letters were provided by your diligence as a kind of foresight, through which services nothing perished for affection between those who were separated by their dwelling places. But I believe you choose to grant more difficult things to your friends, not reckoning it a benefit if I am fed by conversation when we are in such close proximity. Yet I, with my estimation reversed, sigh over my own misfortune, lest your beatitude should have referred to a calculation what it once offered as kindnesses, when it ascribes to circumstance what affection had set in motion. Let painted appearance depart from our purpose in friendships: no file of preceding studies shaped us for this construction; we know how to bring naked concord to our union; among those who are dear to us we spit out cultivated refinement as if it were poison. Therefore, my lord, receiving a greeting that loves you, follow rather this course, that you may both expend the cultivation of fidelity through frequent discourse and, from the secrecy of your heart, grant unfeigned words to one who awaits them. Farewell.

XXXIIII. ENNODIVS HORMISDAE. Postquam uotiua mihi necessitas uestra beneficio proximitatis desiderii spondere coepit effectum, animo ad longiora transistis et cum Liguriam paene manu contingitis, linguam feriis deputastis. minus licuit absentiae, dum sanctitatem uestram prolixa uiarum interualla tenuerunt: pensabat confabulatio dispendia uisionis et in remediis prouisa diligentiae litterarum commercia praestabantur, per quae officia inter habitatione discretos nil peribat affectui. sed credo eligitis ( 1 quodlibet BT1 uelanime Z* 2 posei B sine] ai B 4 aput B orbanitas B 5 quaerillis B, qugrelis L, , querulis T* 6 occopatis B 7 diacendere B 8 adherentes B 9 recipi BPb necessitatis B 13 utrimque scripsi, utrique BLPTVb et suauit B 14 eius om. Pb 15 tagnis BLV, regnis PTb XXXIIII. 17 hormisde LT 18 uotiuum T nra T beniflcio B 19 caepit epondere Sirm . longior L 20 contigitia L linguax T 21 deputatis T absente T1 scanctitatem B 23 remidiis B 24 prestabautur B 25 nihil B amicis difficiliora tribuere, non putantes beneficium, si pascar in tanta uicinitate conloquiis. at ego casum meum uersa aestimatione suspiro, ne beatitudo tua retulerit ad iudicium quod exhibuit blandimentis, dum quod praecessit adscribit tempori non amori. facessat a nostro in amicitiis frons picta proposito: nos ad hanc fabricam nulla praecedentium studiorum lima conposuit: nudam scimus ad coniunctionem adferre conconcordiam : urbanitatem inter caros ut uenena respuimus. ergo, mi domine, salutationem accipiens amantem tui in hac potius parte sectare, ut et culturam fidei per frequentiam sermonis inpendas et ex secreto pectoris infucata expectanti uerba concedas. uale.