Letter 5025: ---

Ennodius to Avitus. How often do the faults of others weigh us down, and how often is what does not arise from us charged to our own account as a transgression! From my own case I have learned that the good faith of the ancients does not perish, while through fresh affairs the grey-haired declaration of the poets is renewed. I judge that it was said of me: "the unhappy man fell by a wound meant for another" [Virgil, Aeneid X.781]. The aforesaid reproach is brought against the son of Sabinus, a man whose memory is to be cherished, who up to now, held back by the obstacles of illness, violated arrangements through no fault of his own. I confess that the rich asseveration of your greatness had almost made my own mind a culprit, and I was believing the fault to be my own, though my conscience held none. Behold, as soon as he was restored to good health, he traveled to Milan with the utmost haste. The rest I did not think needed to be alleged before you, because whoever commends justice to great men seems to set forgetfulness against fairness. My lord, I offer the gift of fullest greeting, and, as for what remains, I beg that the standing of your favor toward me, although it is most full, may nevertheless still be compelled to receive increases.

XXV. AVITO ENNODIVS. Quam saepe aliena peccata nos ingrauant et quod a nobis non oritur iure nostro inputatur excessui! ex me didici fidem ueterum non: perire, dum per negotia nouella cana poetarum reparatur adnuntiatio. de me dictum aestimo: decidit infelix alieno uulnere. super expectandae memoriae uiri Sabini filio exhibetur praefata concinnatio, qui hactenus aegritudinis tentus obstaculis sine uitio suo constituta uiolauit. fateor paene animum meum reum fecerat magnitudinis uestrae diues adsertio et credebam culpam esse propriam, quam conscientia non habebat. ecce, ut primum in bonam ualitudinem reductus est, Mediolanum cum summa properatione commeauit. cetera apud uos alleganda esse non credidi, quia qui commendat magnis uiris iustitiam obliuionem uidetur aequitatis opponere. domine mi, salutationis plenissimae munus exhibeo et, quod 12 Verg. Aen. X 781 sternitar infelix alieno uolnere t 1 exacturos B 2 nostrum T fimet B 3 accipientis B 6 diBtinabo B XXV. alterum huius epistulae apographim in libris BLTVb post Epist. VI12 legitur (B2L2T2V2b2) ennodius anito L, 10 inputatur BIB" imputatur L.T, V2b1b2, impatetor L1PT1V1 12 adnnnciatio B, dictum (u in ras.) Bt deaidit Pb1, decedit B" decidet B1L1L2T1T2V1V2b2 18 exspectandae L2V2 mamorię L2 14 sanini B1B2L1L2PT1T2V1V2b1 haotSnns Bt, aetenus Bt egritadinis BtLt 16 paene L1L2V2, pene rell. ure Tx ee Tt 17 diuis BIB, quem Tt 18 ualetudinem B,bs 90 alliganda B1B2T2V2 21 supponere fort . B mihi B1B2L1L2V1V2 ex*ibes L, VI. 10 superest, quaeso ut status circa me gratiae uestrae, quamuis sit plenissimus, adhuc tamen recipere cogatur augmenta