Letter 13

From: Ruricius, bishop of Limoges To: Celsus Date: ~488 AD Context: Ruricius responds to Celsus's request for prayers, protesting with characteristic self-deprecation that he is in no position to admonish anyone. To Celsus, lord of my heart — Ruricius. I received your letter, and it caused me no small distress. I fear you may have taken my little notes in a way other than I intended and are now reproaching me for what you see as presumptuous audacity, even as you ask me to pray for you and admonish you more often. Should I dare to correct you, my dearest brother — I who cannot correct myself? Should I presume to counsel you — you who already look down from a higher vantage point on me, still tossing in the storms of the world like an unstable boat on the sea's waves? Should I instruct you — you who have already reached the harbor of repentance through the safe channel of penance? The very thought is absurd. I am the one who needs your prayers, not the other way around.

XIII. DOMNO PECTORIS SUI CELSO RURICIUS. Recepi apices germanitatis tuae, qui mihi non parum scrupuli retulerunt. uereor enim, ne secus de litterulis meis, quam a me missae sunt, senseritis et idcirco quasi temerariae praesumptionis me notare uideamini, dum, ut pro uobis orem ac saepius commoneam, postulatis. egone, frater optime, castigare uos audeam, qui me nequeo castigare? egone uos, qui me adhuc in saeculi turbinibus tamquam in maris aestibus cumba instabili fluctuantem quasi iam de sublimiori specula uel eminentiori colle respicitis? egone uos, qui ad portum ueniae per paenitentiae indulgentiam domino gubernatore ****? non ego penitus, frater dilecte, sic scripsi, ut mihi aliquid blandiens uos inprobo dente morderem nec ut uos laederem, sed mihi epistulae familiaritate uincirem. nam si bene consideretis, uotorum sunt illa uerba, non actuum, et optantis potius quam monentis, quia non, quid ageremus, sed, qualiter uellem, ut uiueremus, exposui. ceterum si actus uitae meae praeteritae praesentisque discutias, pudebit te intimo et secretissimo fratre teste ferre, quae non puduit deo teste promittere, pro quibus 8 quamquam scripsi, qua S, cum v, quamuis Kr . 4 adrideat r, adreddat S 5 planicie S 6 nequaquam Kr., nequam S, neque c 7 saluat S 8 dimergat S 12 litteris v 13 a me ammiss? S, corr. e senseritis Luetjolumn, inseritis S, censueritis v timerariae S presuptionis S 14 me notare Kr., menostrae S, memores v 17 saeculi adhuc in v 18 fructuante S 19 respecitis S 20 gubernatore;l S lacunam uerbis iam appulistis expleri iubet Kr . 21 paenitus S delicta S 23 uincerem S 25 uellim S 27 presentisque S 28 committere coni. v facinoribus meis spero uos potius domino supplicetis, ut, quos in hoc saeculo amicitiarum et propinquitatis uoluit esse consortes, in futuro bonorum iubeat esse participes.