Letter 9031: While God continues to grant us pleasant days, I seize the moment to write — because joy, like all things, is...

Ennodius to Avienus. While, by God's dispensing, I was still enjoying the sight of your presence nearby and my hearing held fast, with a venerable falsehood, the lovely honey of our conversations, an occasion for writing was offered to me. I confess that for a long time I was unwilling to break in upon the medicine of my longing while another remedy was being procured. A semblance, flattering me with its pious deception, gave delight to my mind: as one in on the secret, I did not want to catch out the deceit that was feeding upon my affection. For a seduction that complies with our desires has a pleasant savor, and we gladly admit, in place of the truth, the images of sweet tidings: as often as pleasant dreams are put to flight by our waking, we groan, and that very likeness of death is loved the more for its peaceful deceptions. Therefore now, since that which I spoke of before was not permitted to stand, I must carry through what is left. What man labors so under the burden of his own sin? I would be afflicted if I did not see you: brought to the things I desired, I waste away, because what we were asking for has, by God's bestowal, been granted. Has it ever happened to anyone that something out of an occasion of joy should torment him, or that out of the harvest of his gladness a shoot of sorrow has sprung forth? Thanks be to the inseparable Trinity, to the true God, who, in order that he may fulfill our prayers, sometimes scorns our prayers. May he, then, look upon the bond of your union: may he make one out of two, he who, in the body of the first man, while it still rejoiced in its native and unblemished immortality, formed them both. May a wife be joined to you, as Sarah was joined to Abraham, as Rebecca to Isaac, as Rachel to Jacob, by a heavenly blessing. May you have the reward of the continent man, the produce and the sweetness of the married man: may the dissolution of your virginity obey the law of God, while what it withdraws in itself it renders again in offspring. May the bond, well consolidated in you both, know no foreign solicitude: may she restore your mother in character and manner of life, and you your father. Let not the cherished mold of your forebears perish for the world, while it is reborn in you. By no means are foreign examples of living, nor imported ones, demanded of you: imitate those set before your very eyes. Behold, I, who could not be present at your wedding, accompany you with this escort of my prayers: do you in turn furnish frequent conversations. My lord, paying the love and reverence of my greeting, I ask that, if you do not thrust the memory of me out of that rich remembrance, you also lift me up both with your prayers and with your conversations.

XXXI. ENNODIVS AVIENO. Dum iucundis adhuc deo dispensante fruerer de praesentiae uestrae uicinitate conspectibus et amabilia conloquiorum mella uenerabili mendacio retineret auditus, occasio mihi scriptionis oblata est. fateor, diu nolui medicinam desiderii, dum altera procuratur, inrumpere. delectabat species animo meo pia ludificatione blandita: nolebam conscius deprehendere quae pascebat in amore fallaciam. bene enim sapit studiis nostris obsecuta seductio et pro uero libenter admittimus dulcium imagines nuntiorum: grata somnia quotiens fugantur uigiliis, ingemescimus et illud mortis simulacrum de placidis deceptionibus plus amatur. ergo nunc mihi, quia illud quod praefatus sum stare non licuit, exequendum est quod remansit. aliquis hominum 2 unlgatur T ueteris BL 3 dura B fecit L, reflcat B splendorem L, plendore B 4 ∗fulgoris (e eras.) L 5 effluens B, om. LPTVb famulantum Sirm . 6 censoa B comntet L 7 oratione om. Sirm . 8 praecato B, pfecto T 9 conseruit B 11 uetericant B, ueterescant (a corr.) L 12 nominetur LPb, nomiaant B \' XXXI. 15 iocundis BT, iocundue Pb 16 uestre e T 17 mendatio B 19 species scripsi, series libri 21 falatiam B 23 gratas omnia B 24 simulachrum T 26 exsequendum L Y pro peccati sui onere sic laborat ? adfligerer nisi uos uiderem: ad cupita perductus maceror, quia quae poscebamus deo tribuente concessa sunt. numquid alicui accessit de laetitiae occasione quod torqueat aut de messe gaudiorum egressa est planta tristitiae? gratias inseparabili trinitati deo uero, qui, ut uota inpleat, aliquotiens uota contemnit. ipse ergo coniunctionis tuae copulam respiciat: ipse unum faciat ex duobus, qui in primi hominis corpore, dum adhuc natiua et intemerata inmortalitate gauderet, utrosque formauit. iungatur tibi uxor, ut Abrahae Sarra, ut Isaac Rebecca, ut Iacob Rachel caelesti benedictione sociata est. habeas continentis praemium, frugem et dulcedinem coniugati: legi dei pareat solutio uirginalis, dum quod in se subtrahit reddit in subole. nesciat externam diligentiam bene in uobis solidata communio: illa matrem tuam moribus et conuersatione restituat, tu parentem. non pereat mundo maiorum tuorum, dum in te renascitur, amplectenda formatio. nequaquam peregrina uitae exempla necnon aduenticia postulantur: in oculis locata sectamini. ecce ego, qui hymenaeis tuis interesse non potui, hac te precum mearum prosecutione communio: uos ad uicissitudinem exhibete crebra colloquia. domine mi, salutationis amorem et reuerentiam persoluens rogo, ut si memoriam mei de illa locupleti recordatione non truditis, et orationibus me et conloquiis subleuetis. ad cuplta 1 onere Pb, honere BLTV 2 capida B posoebabmns B sed inter scribendum corr . 8 adceesit B occassione B 4 torquaeat B 5 inaepabili B uero] nostro fort . 6 conh tempnit LTV 8 intimerata B 9 tueroaque B habraae B, habrahe V, abrahe T 10 ysac L, ysaac T 11 praemium] praeniam Sirm.; quid L exhibeat dici nequit cum fol. 142* uocdbula complura fere euanuerint 12 uirginales B 13 sobole LTV neacit B 14 communia L 15 mondo B\' 16 amplectando L 17 aduentitia L 18 hymeneis BLTV 19 ac L prosecutio T* 20 eonnenio Birm . uicessitudinem B coloquia B 21 domine mi om. Sirm . mihi BLV, michi T 22 lucupleti B trndentiB B