Love And Riches

Probatissimo amico Damoetae Albinus salutem. Nimium mihi longum videtur tempus, quod tuae dilectionis faciem non vidi, verba non audivi. Et tantum ex praesentia tui gaudebat animus, quantum in absentia contristatur. Quid faciet mens, nisi lugeat, dum paucos habet amicos? Proh dolor! sed illi semper absentes. Tamen quod valeo faciam, te memorans apud Dominum, tibi prospera semper illius concedere clementiam deprecans, cujus dilectione tuum semper impleatur pectus. Hae sunt verae divitiae, quae nunquam decipiunt habentem, 56 nec in ipsa morte amittuntur, sed plus abundant, dum cernitur quod amatur. Inter temporalia et aeterna hoc interest [quod temporale] aliquid plus diligitur antequam habeatur, vilescit autem cum advenerit. Aeternum autem ardentius diligitur adeptum quam desideratum. Ideo plus amemus aeterna quam temporalia, ut in aeternitate beate et feliciter vivere mereamur. Valeto in saecula. Alcuinus, Epistola XLV, ad Damoetam Source: Migne PL 100.211b-c

To a most upright friend Damoetas, 1 greetings from Albinus. 2 So very long seems to me the time that I have not seen the face of one I love, nor heard a word. And as much as the soul took joy in your presence, so much is it grieved by its absence. What shall the mind do, unless groan while it has so few friends? For shame! But always because of those absent. However, what I can do I shall, remembering you before the Lord, praying that His mercy shall always be given to you so that you prosper, and that His love shall always fill your heart. These are true riches, and no one who possesses them is deceived, nor are they lost in death, but they abound more when what is loved is seen. Between temporal and eternal things there is this difference, one is more loved before it is possessed, but it is cheapened when it comes. But an eternal thing is more ardently loved when it is obtained than when it is desired. Therefore let us have more love for eternal things than temporal things, so that we merit to live happily in eternal bliss. May you be well in the world. Alcuin, Letter 45, to Damoetas 1 Damoetas, a nickname from the schoolroom taken from a shepherd in Virgil's Eclogues 2 and 3 2 Albinus, a nickname for Alcuin, taken from Horace's name Quintus Horatius Flaccus.