Letter 5022: If the proximity of blood should inspire diligence of mind, then you and I have no excuse for silence.
XXII. VENANTIO ENNODIVS.
Si proximitas sanguinis ad diligentiam mentes inuitat, pii
amoris obsecutus imperiis gestio me praeuium praestitisse sermonem
et orditum paginas amplectendis uiam reserasse conloquiis.
diu quidem cassa expectatione maceratus, dum operior
paginas non emisi, sed calcaribus suis animum meum fodit
affectio et ad tabellarum munia priorem fecit accedere. habeo
praerogatiuam, si bene conicio, plus amantis, qui et post productum
silentii uestri studium loquor, et debeo uerecundia
conmendare quod tacui. nunc tamen, ne epistularis concinnatio
transgressa terminum deuenustet auctorem, salutationis seruitia
dependo et, si mereor, dignationi uestrae conciliandus
occurro, quia potiorum sublimitas communione geminatur et
facem praefert eminentissimo gratia concessa subiectis.
Related Letters
My dear Venantius, I write to you not with easy comfort but with the harder truth, which I trust you can receive...
Gregory to the lord Venantius, Patrician, and Italica his wife. I have taken care, with due affection, to enquire of certain persons who have come from Sicily about your Excellency's health. But they have given me a sad report of the frequency of your ailments.
Many foolish men have supposed that, if I were advanced to the rank of the episcopate, I should decline to address you, or to keep up communication with you by letter. But this is not so; since I am compelled by the very necessity of my position not to hold my peace. For it is written, Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet Isai...
Gregory to Venantius, Bishop of Luna (in Etruria). It has reached us by the report of many that Christian slaves are detained in servitude by Jews living in the city of Luna ; which thing has seemed to us by so much the more offensive as the sufferance of it by your Fraternity annoys us. For it was your duty, in respect of your place, and in you...
In addressing to you the greeting which is due I was intending to speak of what I suffer. But I think I need not relate to you what you know. For I am tormented by pains of gout, which, afflicting not dissimilarly both me and you, while they increase upon us exceedingly, have caused our life to decrease.