Letter 7022: Your Eminence's voice carries more weight in a single line than lesser men achieve in pages.
XXII. MAXIMO ENNODIVS.
Fidelius a sublimitate tua uocem suscipiunt aut interrupta
montium aut secreta siluarum: praebent hominibus
naturae institutione et muta responsum : redit ad mortales
uicissitudo clamosae solitudinis: non perit quod linguae acceperint
uel lustra beneficium. quare istud in magnitudine tua
laudis et philosophiae genus est nihil dicere et silentii tenere
inter declamantium incerta cautionem? homo, quem nec infecundum
natura protulit, nec infabricatum doctrina dereliquit
sed, credo, me dedignaris affatu, opicis nolens pretiosa dare
uerba iudicio. quid quod signum est diuitis eloquentia uiri nec
indoctis sermonum cupita subtrahere? mendicus fluminum
cursus est, qui tantum nobilissimorum satiare putatur ardorem:
ubertas imbrium et nihil paritura saxa perfundit. liquidae
rationis ordo est, ut paupertatem resignet qui damna formidat:
quicquid non procurrit exile est. de uolucribus tamen munus
singulare destinaui, quod cepit accipiter. nam progressi ad
Bromium et Bacchi orgia, inter aues bella commisimus: profuit
quaestui nostro certamen sociale pennarum. memento quod
solam anatem direximus, scientes quia numero deus
25 Verg. Eel. 8, 75
1 toa om. b nigrantes Sirm., nigrantis BLVb membra
L 2 propter iaceas LV
XXn. 10 acoiperint B, acciperent B (M. rec.) b 12 et] est Bb
fylosophiae Bl ut uidetur 13 infecondam Tl 14 natura Bb, terra
LTV dereliquid L 15 crędo L opiciB Bb, obicia LTVt
opici coni. Sirm., operis eoni . Schottus; nihil mutandum est, nam
opicis est hominis inculti 16 uir b 17 substrahere B 19 im-
• brium (pr. i m rGl.) B 20 resignit Bl (tit uidetur) b dampna
LTV 22 distinaui B, destinaui. L caepit V, coepit Bb
ad] a T 28 bacoi B, bachi LTV 24 queatui TV, quetui L
pinnarum B 25 dizerimnfl L scientis B
inpare gaudet. dona nostra institutio est: sume, si diligis,
pro dogmate quod iocamur. fac meam frugiferam esse laetitiam.
si tibi perpetuae diligentiam castitatis indixerit, laborabit
in laudibus tuis lingua, quae modo exercetur in monitis.
uale, domine, et amanti ut doctus, si mereor, sequestrata
dissimulatione responde.
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