Letter 9004: If my humble petition still held any place in Your Eminence's memory, you would have made it known through frequent...

IV. ENNODIUS TO PROBINUS. If my supplication endured in remembrance with your Eminence, it would have shown itself in frequent letters, and oblivion would not bury those of your people whom in Liguria you used to summon with your regard. But because, separated by place and by resources, they are not matched by the law of attentiveness, for that reason you bestow upon your dependents a perfect affection, if they are worthy, by your address, joining with them into friendship by this distinction: that you are compelled only to look upon, while we are compelled to love. The condition of lowly men will be arrogant, if they should expect more from the powerful than words. I have descended to complaint at the command of affection: you ought to have judged me worthy of conversation after the danger which you had seen, or because the profession of the recent mystery commended me as one coming back to life. I think that they are worthy of the grace of honors, redeemed from the tombs by the power of our Redeemer. I, however, though I be lavish of brow and talkative, and not yet bearing confidence concerning myself, introduce my kinsmen to you. The bearer of the present letter, the son of lord Faustinus, sufficiently promises good deserts on the part of his parent: I implore that you may cherish him, because you well know with what brightness of character his begetter is conspicuous, nor ought anyone whom the authority of his life and of his lineage arms to hasten to others rather than to you. Therefore, my lord, the homage of greeting having been paid, I ask that your epistolary care may make your prosperity manifest.

IIII. PROBINO ENNODIVS. Si apud eminentiam uestram subplicatio mea recordatione subsisteret, crebra scriptione patuisset, nec quos apud Liguriam uestros dignatione uocabatis sepeliret obliuio. sed quia loco et opibus diuisi nec diligentiae lege conparantur, ideo perfectam subiectis caritatem, si digni sint, adlocutione praestatis, hac in amicitiam discretione coeuntes, ut uos cogamini tantum respicere, nos amare. erit uilium superba condicio, si plus a potentibus quam uerba praestolentur. ad querelam descendi caritatis imperio: debuistis me post periculum quod uideratis dignum putare conloquio, uel quia recentis mysterii reuiuiscentem conmendabat adsertio: puto quod digni sint honorum gratia de sepulcris redemptoris nostri potentia redemptoris ego tamen quamuis sim prodigus frontis et garrulus necdum de me fiduciam gerens, propinquos insinuo. praesentium portitor domni Faustini filius sufficienter bona pollicetur merita de parente: hunc ut uos foueatis, imploro, quia bene nostis qua sit creator eius morum luce conspicuus nec debet ad alios festinare nisi ad uos quemcumque uitae auctoritas armat et generis. ergo, domine mi, obsequio salutationis inpenso rogo, ut prosperitatem uestram epistolaris cura manifestet.