Letter 4005: A second greeting sends the same carrier on a second trip: your man Gozolas — God grant he may be ours — serves for...

Sidonius to his friend Felix. A second greeting sends the same carrier on a second trip: your man Gozolas — God grant he may be ours — serves for a second time as bearer of my letter. Spare us both the embarrassment we share, for if you persist in your silence, everyone will judge both me — to whom you ought to write — and him — through whom you ought to write — unworthy of a response. As for the state of the times, I no longer inquire, as I used to, lest it weigh on your conscience to report bad news when no good news follows. Since it does not become you to send false reports, and since what would be worth reporting is not... [text breaks off] I avoid learning whatever bad news there may be through the report of good things. Farewell.

EPISTULA V Sidonius Felici suo salutem. 1. Iterat portitorem salutationis iteratio: Gozolas vester, deus tribuat ut noster, apicum meorum secundo gerulus efficitur. igitur verecundiam utrique eximite communem; nam si etiamnum silere meditemini, omnes et me cui et illum per quem scribere debebas indignum arbitrabuntur. 2. de temporum statu iam nihil ut prius consulo, ne sit moribus tuis oneri, si adversa significes, cum prospera non sequantur. nam cum te non deceat falsa mandare atque item ***cum sint votiva memoratu, fugio quicquid illud mali est per bonorum indicia cognoscere. vale.