Letter 7006: When friends owe a debt of correspondence and pay it jointly, the creditor can hardly complain about the terms.

Ennodius to Florus and Decoratus. Up to now I have permitted your Greatness to assail the fickleness of the Ligurians with the gloss of urbane disputation, because both my own origin rendered me a stranger to them and your steadfast promise had set you apart from their faults. But now that by a single lot I have departed from your eyes and from your mind, with a herald's voice I bear witness that no one can condemn what he himself pursues, nor, with his decency intact, can a man who sins dictate a verdict against excesses. It is permissible for those who are free from blame to detest vices: but who would bear with an even mind a counselor who fails to avoid in his deeds what he tears down with his words? It is a saying of the Gospel that he who has done and has taught may thus be judged worthy of God's grace. You have an abundant flow of speech whenever error is being reproached, and beneath a neglect of your manner of living lies a purity of words that ought to be embraced. You have lost the memory of my tears, which the blow of a twofold grief poured forth from me as I was departing. See how many days there are in which, amid so great a throng of travelers, I receive no letters - neither from my lord, your friend, nor from you - which might disclose concerning him the matter of my prayer. By your imitation you have absolved the blameworthy - not because the Ligurians, as you say, have happened to abandon a resolve of faithlessness, but because it has befallen them to find you as their partners in those things which ought to be shunned. Yet I ask, with the service of a greeting rendered, that at last, like good lords mindful of my prayers, you would at length unlock to me, by the offices of a letter, your own prosperity, or that of my lord who loves you. [Matthew 5:19]

VI. FLORO ET DECORATO ENNODIVS. Permisi hactenus magnitudinem uestram mobilitatem Ligurum urbanae fuco disputationis incessere, quia et me origo reddebat alienum et uos ab eorum culpis constantia promissa seiunxerat. sed cum una sorte ab oculis uestris et mente discessi, praeconis uoce contestor neminem damnare posse quod sequitur nec saluo pudore sententiam excessibus dictare peccantem. fas est liberos a reatu uitia detestari: quis aequo animo ferat monitorem quod uerbis destruit actibus non uitare? euangelii sententia est qui fecerit et docuerit sic dignum dei gratia posse iudicari. uobis copiosus sermo est, quotiens error arguitur, et sub conuersationis neglegentia puritas amplectenda uerborum. perdidistis lacrimarum mearum memoriam, quam discedentibus gemini doloris ictus effudit. ecce quanti dies sunt, in quibus sub tanta frequentia commeantum nulla neque domni mei amici uestri neque uestra, quae de illo rem uoti indicent, scripta suscipio. absoluistis imitatione culpabiles, non quod Liguribus euenerit propositum, quantum uos dicitis, infidelitatis amittere, sed quod eos contigerit inuenisse in his quae sunt uitanda consortes. rogo tamen seruitio salutationis exhibito, ut tandem aliquando tamquam boni domini precum mearum memores prosperitatem uestram uel domni mei amatoris uestri reseretis muniis litterarum. 11 Matth. 5, 19 VI. 8 permihisi B actenua B mobilitate LV ligoram Bb 4 ineemer* B 6 seiuncxerat LV 7 dampnare LTY 9 a Bb, om. LTV 10 distrnet B 13 negligentia BT 16 sobatanta B, sobstantia L commeantium T 17 domini LTb 19 enlpabilis JBb ligoribus Bb etaeniret B, eMniret B (4. I. m. ree.) b 20 dieetis Bb 21 eonMrtis B 22 ezibito BL* 28 domni B, domini LTVb 24 Amataris L nestris B (m. reo.) b .