Letter 5037: I would not have you judge the character of the man I am recommending by the standards of the others who handle...

I would not have you judge the character of the man I am recommending by the standards of the others who handle senatorial accounts. He was not born into a mediocre station or the lowest class, but guards the honor of his birth with personal modesty. That is why I did not consider it beneath me to support a man I know well with the testimony of a letter, and your own singular nobility should not hesitate to embrace a man you see endorsed by my approval. This much is said on behalf of Ammonius. But I should not conceal my own longing for your words, a desire made all the more keen by the rarity of your letters.

Nolo ex moribus ceterorum, qui census senatorios tractant, etiam huius ingenium, quem commendo, perpendas. est enim non mediocri loco aut infima sorte progenitus, 30 sed honestatem natalium pudore custodiens. atque ideo nec ego indecorum putavi bene cognitum prosequi testimonio litterarum , nec singularis generositas tua debet de eius amore dubitare, quem videt nobis adstipulantibus adprobari. et haec quidem pro Ammonio satis dicta sunt, ipse autem desiderium sermonis tui silere non debeo, cuius adpetentiam scriptorum tuorum raritas vehementius excitavit. v ius (/*) porfyriae P, porphiriae F, porflriae Af 5 acolumnam V, om, M 6 sutelis] lureH^, tatelis PVM inueteraU] M, inuetera PV ira P quatitnr F, quaeritur M 8 po88/////nis P prodest V mescere P 1 m. 16 porfyriae P, porphiriae V, porphyriae Qusebius M postumius M tri meo F, om. M spercino P 21 curas sensuum quam V 22 conferendis F debui erit /taque P, debuerit itaque F, debuerim itaque M 24 existimatione VM 25 «q* auf. symmachi. uo. ex/licit ad felicem incipit eiusdem ad saUustium P, explicit ad felicem incipit ad salustium F, om. V 27 om. VF 28 censos P 1 m. ///atorios P 29 mediocre V inflrma P, inflrma F, informa V 30 nec ego] non F 33 Ammonia] ammonitione F 34 ad paenitentiam V 18* 1 40 SYMMACHI EPISTVLAE LVI (Lini) a. 401.