Letter 11

From: Ruricius, bishop of Limoges To: Freda, nobleman Date: ~487 AD Context: Ruricius sends fir trees from his estate to beautify Freda's country property, with a charming description of Gallo-Roman landscaping culture. To my exalted and ever-magnificent brother Freda — Ruricius. Since you wished to add even the rough offerings of my wilderness to the beauty of your grove, I have sent, as you instructed, fir tree saplings. They will please not for their appearance but for their height; they are remarkable not for their fruit but for being foreign to your region; not useful in the practical sense but delightful for their beauty. Once they have grown, the thick shade of their branches will bring the ocean coolness of the Cevennes mountains to your summer days — and this among those magnificent trees of every kind that already grace your estate, excelling in both beauty and usefulness, heavy with fruit, bright with blossoms, fragrant with perfume. For there one finds the Indian fig, the Campanian nut, and whatever else the gardener's art has taught to flourish far from its native soil. What your trees lack in wild origin, they gain in cultivated grace.

XI. DOMINO SUBLIMI SEMPERQVE MAGNIFICO FRATRI FREDAE RURICIUS. Quoniam amoenitati nemoris uestri etiam deserti nostri ineptias uoluistis adiungi, transmisi, sicut iniunxistis, abietum plantas non specie, sed proceritate placituras, non fructibus, sed sui peregrinatione mirabiles, non usu aptas, sed amoenitate iocundas, quippe quae, cum coaluerint, crassitudine umbrarum Ceuennarum frigus oceani sint aestatibus praebiturae, et hoc inter illas praeclarissimas diuersi generis arbores tam decore quam utilitate praestantes, opulentas onere, distinctas flore, odore fraglantes. illic enim industria uestra contulit, quod soli natura non protulit. nam ut ruborem rosarum, liliorum candorem, lauri perpetuum uirorem et alia huiuscemodi similia uisibus praetermittam, quia saepe per abundantiam pretiosa uilescunt et facit copia cotidiana fastidium, illic etiam graminum, germinum, frutectorum peregrinae conlatae sunt suauitates uisui usuique uernantes. Sed quid illic primum laudandum sit aut mirandum, ubi etiam temporis intemperies temperatur? siquidem inibi torridae feruor aestatis tam umbrarum quam undarum rigore depellitur, hiemis uero in tantum non sentitur asperitas, ut intra eadem positis tepor aeris et cantus auium ueris reddat effigiem. sed quid ego inmemor inperitiae meae paupero sermone, mi domine, ruris uestri diuitias, delicias describere aut enarrare contendo, ad cuius laudem etiam ingenia maiora succumberent? date itaque inpudentiae meae ueniam, quam extorsistis, qui ut auribus uestris uerbosus existerem, dignatio uestra me conpellit, confidens, quod epistula longior uobis, domnis meis, si displiceret affatu, placeret affectu, cum 2 . sepquae 8 fredar v 4 iniunxistis v, adiunxistis S 5 speciae S 8 oceani sint Mommsenus, oceanis in S estatibus S prebiturae S 9 preclarissimas S 10 prestantes S 11 fraglantes scripsi, flagrantes S, fragrantes v illis v 18 similia S7, familia ? Sl, uilia Momrnsenus, futilia Gustafsson 14 uilibus v praeciosa S 15 uiliscunt S 17 usuisuiquf S 20 aetatis S 22 aedem Luetjohann potius v tempora eris 81 24 discribere S 25 ennarrare S 26 dat ei S 28 epistola S 29 placerit S intellegeritis S, intellexeritis v intellegeretis eam non pro eloquentiae lepore, sed pro uestro amore copiosam, simulque, quia sciebam sublimitatem uestram in amicis uestris plus reprehendere taciturnitatis uerecundiam, quam loquacem familiaritatis audaciam.