ward him with the Consulship. Do you who
can with indiscriminate pleasure rejoice in both the blessings of the
Republic [in the Consuls of the East and West] join your favouring
vote. He who is worthy of so high an office as the Consulship may
well be chosen by the judgment of both' [Emperor and King].

[An important letter, as showing the extent to which concurrent choice
of Consuls was vested in Rome, or rather Ravenna, and Constantinople.]

2. KING THEODORIC TO FELIX, VIR ILLUSTRIS, CONSUL ORDINARIUS, A.D. 511
(4TH OF THE INDICTION).

[Sidenote: On the same subject.]

An address on his elevation to the Consulship, touching on nearly the
same topics as the preceding.

Theodoric delights in bestowing larger favours on those whom he has
once honoured [a favourite topic with Cassiodorus].

Felix has come back from Gaul to the old fatherland[248]. Thus the
Consulship has returned to a Transalpine family, and green laurels are
seen on a brown stock.

[Footnote 248: 'Cum soli genitalis fortuna relicta, velut quodam
postliminio in antiquam patriam commeasses.']

Felix has shown an early maturity of character. He has made a wise use
of his father's wealth. The honour which other men often acquire by
prodigality he has acquired by saving. Cassiodorus evidently has a
little fear that the new Consul may carry his parsimony too far, and
tells him that this office of the Consulship is one in which
liberality, almost extravagance, earns praise[249]; in which it is a
kind of virtue not to love one's own possessions; and in which one
gains in good opinion all that one loses in wealth.

[Footnote 249: 'Ubi praeconium meretur effusio.']

'See the sacred City all white with your _vota_ (?). See yourself
borne upon the shoulders of all, and your name flitting through their
mouths, and manifest yourself such that you may be deemed worthy of
your race, worthy of the City, worthy of our choice, worthy of the
Consular _trabea_.'

[The letter makes one suspect a certain narrowness and coldness of
heart in the subject of its praise.]

3. KING THEODORIC TO THE SENATE. A.D. 511.

[Sidenote: On the same subject.]

Recommends Felix for the Consulship, going over again the topics
mentioned in the two last letters. It appears that it was the father
of Felix who emerged, after a temporary eclipse of the family
fortunes, and then showed himself 'the Cato of our times, abstaining
from vice himself, and forming the characters of ot