Letter 2002: Victorinus to my lord, the most blessed and most reverend Ruricius, bishop and patron in Christ, to be honored by me...

To his most blessed and most reverend lord, to be singularly venerated by me with the homage that is owed, his patron in Christ, Bishop Ruricius, from Victorinus. Although I have been granted to see your Blessedness only for the briefest time and on one occasion only, nevertheless at that first meeting with your acquaintance and contemplation you so watered my senses with the most pure spring of your kindly heart that, even though I may not grasp the precious gifts of your discourses, I yet possess your presence within the depths of my mind; so that, even if I do not receive from without the means of renewing my longing, I may nevertheless find them within myself whenever I call your grace to mind. For it is not right that that good thing should require increase only from external aids, which is established as having been poured into the very marrow. From this it comes about that the love which, renewed by the continual remembrance of you, grows sweet in my inmost parts promises me in return your own love. And thus my affection toward you draws near to me as a guarantor of your good will toward me, and in a certain manner the awareness of my inner self stands by me as a mutual witness of your love; and how much I ought to presume concerning you, I ask my own mind, which burns with the whole ardor of love toward you. Therefore, offering my greeting and earnestly begging your intercession, I render insufficient thanks on behalf of the bearer of this letter. And because the toil of that unhappy man himself, by which he was tossed about through the exiles of various regions for the ransoming of his wife, was rendered void when the death of the woman who had been ransomed immediately followed, and now once again a father's anxiety is stretched taut over the ransoming of his daughter, may you bid that you accompany him with your letters, for the heaping up of the abundance of your reward. May the merciful Lord deign to multiply your Blessedness, reverend to me, in years and in merits, to the advancement and adornment of his Church, O most blessed and most reverend lord, to be singularly venerated by me with the homage that is owed, my patron in Christ.

II. DOMINO BEATISSIMO AC REUERENTISSIMO ATQVE A ME DEBITO CULTU SINGULARITER OBSERUANDO IN CHRISTO PATRONO RURICIO EPISCOPO UICTORINUS. Cum beatitudinem uestram uidere et breuissimo tempore et una tantum uice meruerim, ita tamen ad primum uestrae agnitionis contemplationisque congressum sensus meos fonte 8] Rom. 12, 11 1 epistulas a Fausto ad Ruricium scriptas exhibuimus p. 208 sqq . 6 operi S 9 uitae addidi, om. 8 aeterne Kr . 10 aquiritis S 12 quae v, qua S solo v 13 pensum v, pensam S, fort . pensa acribendum 15 ut Kr., et 8 16 minoratur e inperciens S que S 17 habet add. v, om. S 19 debit occultu 8 20 obserdo S, corr. v 21 uicturinus S 23 et v, ut S meruerim v, meruero S Kr . 24 agnicionis S, cognitionis v contemplacionisque S sensos S, purissimo benigni pectoris inrigastis, ut, quamlibet alloquiorum uestrorum munera pretiosa non capiam, praesentiam tamen uestram intra mentis profunda possideam, ut, etsi causas desiderii refouendi extrinsecus non accipiam, intra me eas tamen, dum gratiae uestrae reminiscor, inueniam. neque enim fas est, ut bonum illud ex accedentibus tantum requirat adiutoriis incrementum, quod medullis constat infusum. quo fit, ut caritas, quae in uisceribus meis iugi recordatione uestri innouata dulcescit, caritatis mihi uestrae uicissitudinem repromittat. ac sic affectus erga uos meus uestri mihi animi fideiussor accedit et quodam modo conscientia interioris mei mutuo mihi uestrae testis dilectionis adsistit, quantumque mihi de uobis praesumere debeam, mentem meam, quae toto erga uos amoris ardore flagrat, interrogo. unde salutationem deferens et intercessionem deposcens pro harum portitore insufficientes gratias refero. et quia infelicis ipsius laborem, quo pro absolutione uxoris per diuersarum regionum est iactatus exilia, mors redemptae protinus subsecuta cassauit et nunc rursus pro filiae redemptione anxietas paterna distenditur, uestris eum litteris prosequi pro cumulanda mercedis uestrae ubertate iubeatis. Pius dominus reuerendam mihi beatitudinem uestram ad profectum et ornatum ecclesiae suae et annis multiplicare dignetur et meritis, domine beatissime ac reuerentissime atque a me debito cultu singulariter obseruande in Christo patrone.