Letter 1016: So where am I supposed to find an abundant supply of words when you've lent me nothing in the way of literary capital?
gnstias] ♦**♦♦ {U) tibi] ***** (II) 5 res secunda] ***** (J7) 7 reside V, om. M
gratiam V 9 lanus] M(II]^ ianuarias V, ianuariut (F) apibat Z7, apperibat F, om. M 10 ma-
tutine] (/7), maturae V, mature (/•), om. M 11 ablatus V 14 adhuc operiebamur VFM, operia-
mur (IT) accipimus VF 16 etiamnum] V(r), etiamnunc (/7) 17 patiar V crudelita-
tem VM strenuua Pius] /*, strennuus pius V, strunuus pius H, antoninus pius strenuus <P 18 te-
poribui H 19 hinc VM ibi — aetatis om. (77) 20 iUe V 21 fortuna] VFM, natura (Z7)
effadit (77)
A a eomtnsua codieum Ausonianorum ; A^ bb cod. 8t. Oalli 399 s. X; A^ am eodiees Auaoniani ee-
Uri vel omne$ vel aliqui 26 Symmachus Ausonio] (77), •s* ausonio F, incipit epistola symmachi ad eu-
sebium »€d eorr. in ad ausonium Ai, om. V 27 longiores litteras F in nostri amoris A qui
Bim] 77A1, quis in V, qui lum A^, quasi FF 28 mei om. IT mallo A^ multiiugis] supencr.
uel multis nugis A^ 29 paginae A^ in aciem V 30 illius V tui pedibus neque trium F
Q. AtBKLIVS SxMMAOnTS. 2
10 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE
VFA lectioDe iuvisti. unde igitur sermonis mei largam poscis nsuram, qni nihil litterati
2 fenoris credidisti? volitat tnns Mosella per manns sinnsqne mnltomm divinis a te
versibns consecratns, sed tantnm nostra ora praelabitnr. cnr me istins libelli, qnaeso,
exortem esse volnisti ? ant ajiouooTepoc tibi videbar, qni indicare nolDi possem, ant certe
malignns, qni landare nescirem. itaqne vel ingenio meo plurimnm vel moribus dero- 5
3 gasti. et tamen contra interdictnm tunm vix ad illius operis arcana perveni. velim
tacere, quid sentiam, velim insto de te silentio vindicari; sed admiratio scriptomm
sensnm frangit ininriae. novi ego istum flnvinm, cnm aetemomm principnm iam pri-
dem signa comitarer, parem muUis, imparem maximis : hnnc tn mihi inproviso claromm
versunm dignitate Aegyptio Melone maiorem, frigidiorem Scythico Tanai clarioremque 10
hoc nostro populari reddidisti. neqnaqnam tibi crederem de Mosellae ortu ac meatn
4 magna narranti, nisi certo scirem, quod nec in poemate mentiaris. nnde illa amni-
comm piscinm examina repperisti quam nominibus varia tam coloribus, nt magni-
tndine distantia sic sapore, qnae tu pigmentis istius carminis snpra natnrae dona
fncasti? atqni in tuis mensis saepe versatus, cnm pleraqne alia, qnae tnncin praetorio 15
erant esui obiecta, mirarer, nnmquam hoc genns piscium deprehendi. qnando tibi hi
5 pisces in libro nati snnt, qui in fercnlis non fuemnt? iocari me putas atqne agere
nngas ? ita dii me probabilem praestent, nt ego hoc tnum carmen libris Maronis adiungo.
sed iam desinam mei oblitus doloris inhaerere laudibus tuis, ne hoc qnoqne ad gloriam
tnam trahas , quod te miramur offensi. spargas licet volumina tua et me semper ex- 20
cipias, fmemnr tamen tuo opere sed aliomm benignitate. vale.
XV (Vnn) a. 370—380.
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