Letter 5020: ---

Ennodius to Avitus. While affection seeks its own remedies and longs to have the fever of its anxiety relieved by a healing conversation, the mind takes fire from the benefit of foresight: from the very source by which it is believed to be quenched, a doubled blaze of solicitude arises. Often, when I was searching out an abundance of letter-carriers, it has befallen me to grow sick from the very quarter from which I supposed that advantage would come. But behold, one who has hastened to you on the business of his own people brings healing to my desires: that becomes a help to another's need which is undertaken out of regard for my own. I shall see what Bonifacius gains by my recommendation: meanwhile, what he has obtained from me by long entreaties lends support to my zeal. My mind, a witness of blood, marks this man out as sprung from a good birth. The aforesaid man asserts that his own brother is a captive in the neighborhood of the city of Aquileia, and he begs that he may be helped by you. The custom of your holy house is widely known: you have already given such a life of good deeds as a pledge, from which one who is crushed by calamity may demand help as if it were a debt. My lord, receiving the tribute of a full greeting, grant when entreated what you have been accustomed to do of your own accord, so that it may not be permitted that one who is a suppliant to you should belong to another.

XX. AVITO ENNODIVS. Dum remedia sua quaerit affectio et aestum sollicitudinis conloquio cupit medicante releuari, ardescit animus prouisionis beneficio: unde extingui creditur, geminatum diligentiae surgit incendium. saepe mihi baiulorum copiam perquirenti inde aegrescere contigit, unde opinabar quod prodesset accidere. ecce medetur desideriis meis qui suorum ad uos causa properauit: fit adiumentum necessitatis alienae quod propriae consideratione suscipitur. uidero quid conmendatione mea Bonifacius promoueat: interim opitulatur studiis meis quod prolixis a me precibus inpetrauit. hunc bonis ortum natalibus testis sanguinis mens designat. germanum suum praefatus in uicinitate Aquileiensis ciuitatis adserit esse captiuum, qui ut a uobis XVIllI. 2 partinio ennodius B, ennodius Partinio b, auito ennodius LTV 5 lataere B et om. Bb taciturnitas (pr . t in ras.) B 6 inops (i in ras.) B 8 es] 8 L post quem T 9 optinenda BT summa Bb (in mg.), maxima LPTJtb 11 adsiduitate (it in ras.) B deuulga L . XX. 15 mediante Sirm . reuelari L animus (i corr. in raa.) B 16 geminatam B 17 cupiam B\' 18 egrescere BLTV contingit Pb prodset L, prodeecet B 19 meditur B 21 sus percipitur V, pcipitur P bonifatius B, bonefacius T 23 bonum B 25 aquiligensis B, aquilegenBis T iuuetur exposcit. sanctae domus uestrae consuetudo uulgata est: talem uitam bonorum actuum obsidem iam dedistis, a qua uelut debitum poscat qui calamitate deprimitur. domine mi, accipientes plenae salutationis obsequium facite exorati quod sponte consuestis, ut qui uestris supplex est alteri eum esse non liceat.