I know that, on his return to my most devoted lords, our Domnolus—finding me before his face fretting amid the uncertainties of your pious solicitude—having to report otherwise than he wished, aggravated my trouble by the haste of his returning rather than lessened it. For at Lyons, upon his arrival, a grievous pain of the eyes, with a violent onset breaking in, had rendered me powerless of the light needful for beholding. Wherefore, since neither was he effective in eliciting a rescript, nor was I fit to render one, I bound to the bearer's ears every act of thanksgiving—whatsoever could be owed either for the value of the gifts or for the mind of the givers—to be reported rather by word. Though I in no way doubt that, to the eagerness of your holy sweetness, the train of my messages is to be little esteemed in comparison with the desire for letters.
But as soon as, the darkness of my chamber-prison growing thinner, there was for a little while opportunity of ordering my duties, I delayed not the payment of my debt, and dispatched the present carrier—who, laden beyond what can be told with wordy salutations, has, as far as pertains to talkative commissions, received from me, I reckon, a very brief page. For behold, God is my witness with what light the aforesaid dearest of ours sprinkled me in that very nocturnal dwelling of my darkened retreat, when, by the announced return of our sweetest pledge—which before I had not known—he assured me that my household, made whole again by Christ's favor, was to be found through him whom I had sent. Wherefore do not now suppose anything half-full concerning yourselves:
for by whose company, the divinity being favorable, even my eyes, satisfied through the present page, are increasing. Then indeed shall we, with perfect sincerity, receive the cheerful grace of the day, if your sweetness—thus far so pardoningly forgiving that I write, however weak and anxious I am—should nonetheless compel me to the longed-for frequency of letters in God's name, with Archadius now dictating, so that I need be occupied only with the signatures.