Letter 9

From: Ruricius, bishop of Limoges To: Sidonius Apollinaris, bishop of Clermont Date: ~475 AD Context: Another letter to the great Sidonius, in which Ruricius expresses his passionate desire to feast on Sidonius's literary banquet, comparing his longing to spiritual hunger, and asks Sidonius to bring the wandering sheep back to the Lord's fold. Ruricius to his own lord and patron in Christ, Sidonius. Your recent fame and longstanding love have so drawn me that I dare to assault your ears with my inanities again and again, striving — as far as my barren little talent allows — to touch your learning. Though attaining it is a great and difficult thing, it is still beautiful and lofty simply to follow, because in the pursuit of the highest things, not only the achievement but even the attempt itself is praiseworthy. One rarely entirely lacks a share of that which he has striven to climb toward and reach. And so I long, my lord — I long, I say — to be nourished by your food, watered at your spring, filled with your banquet, fattened at your feast. If anyone, when you serve it, does not merely taste it with the tip of his lips but, as an eager guest, swallows it with the whole depths of his soul and then hides it away in the innermost part of his heart to ruminate on later, he will begin to break forth in constant outpourings of praise to the Lord Almighty — full in heart, fasting in mouth, satisfied yet hungry and hungry yet satisfied, to be truly filled in the regeneration. The food whose pasture is in the Word can never run out. So that I may deserve to share in these delicacies, plead on my behalf with your prayers. Help me as I struggle beyond the measure of my strength. Pray that I may not be found a stranger to the fold entrusted to you. Carry this wandering sheep back from the pastures of the world to the Lord's sheepfold.

VIIII. DOMINO PECULIARI IN CHRISTO DOMINO PATRONO SIDONIO RURICIUS. Ita me recens praedicatio et antiqua dilectio uestrae pietatis inlexit, ut audeam auribus uestris ineptiis meis facere saepius iniuriam, dum uestram, quantum sterili ingeniolo conceditur, adtingere cupio disciplinam. quam etsi adsequi grande est atque difficile, sequi tamen pulchrum est atque sublime, quoniam summarum rerum non adeptio tantum, sed etiam imitatio ipsa laudanda est, quia numquam fere aliquis eius rei portione ad integrum caret, ad quam scandere ac peruenire contenderit. desidero itaque, domine mi, desidero, inquam, tuis cibis refici, tuo fonte potari, tuis repleri dapibus, tuis epulis saginari, quas si quis distribuentibus uobis non summo ore libauerit, sed totis animae uisceribus adpetens conuiua sorbuerit atque intimo pectoris postmodum easdem ruminaturus absconderit, incipiet adsiduis ructationibus in laudem domini omnipotentis erumpere refertus corde, ore ieiunus, dum satur esurit et saturatur esuriens, magis in regeneratione saturandus. nec deesse poterit cibus, cuius pastus in uerbo est. ut ergo harum deliciarum particeps esse merear, uestris patrociniis obtinete mihique supra mensuram uirium conitenti auxiliatores accedite simulque, ut ab ouili uobis credito non inueniar alienus, orate errantemque ouem a pascuis saeculi ad caulas dominicas reportate, quia 1 nunc Luetjohann, n S, nescio v sicut est paratum an simul transcriptum reddere coni. Mommsenus transcribtum S disparatum Kr., et furto paratum Gustafsson 2 pendit S 4 medillam S 8 predin catio S delictio S 10 stereli S 12 pulcru S 14 iucunda v Rere S porcionem S 16 mihi S 21 ructacionibus S 22 refertur S 24 ciuus S in ras . partus S ut v, & S ego v diliciarum S 26 accedite j S ut Luetjohann, et S confido, quod intercessionibus uestris fieri possit agnus, qui uester meruerit esse discipulus.