'A storm overtook him on his return to Italy: the remembrance of the vanished danger of that storm is sweet to us now[518]. In the wide, foaming sea his ship was swallowed up. He had to save himself by rowing; the sailors perished; he alone with the dear pledge of his love [one child?] escaped. Theodoric rushed to the shore, and would have dashed into the waves to save his friend, but had the delight of receiving him unharmed, saved manifestly by Divine protection for his present honours. [Footnote 518: 'Discrimina dum feliciter cedunt, suavissimae memoriae sensum relinquunt.' Compare Claudian (De Bella Getico 207-8): 'An potius meminisse juvat semperque vicissim Gaudia praemissi cumulant inopina dolores.'] 'Favour then, Conscript Fathers, the ambition of our _candidatus_, and open for the man of our choice the Hall of Liberty[519]. The race of Romulus deserves to have such martial colleagues as Tulum.' [Footnote 519: 'Favete nunc auspiciis candidati, et viris nostris libertatis atria reserate.'] 11. TULUM, ILLUSTRIS AND PATRICIAN, TO THE SENATE OF THE CITY OF ROME. [Note that Cassiodorus has to provide an elegant oration not only for his master, but for this Gothic fellow-minister of State. See Dahn's remarks on the writer of this letter, 'Koenige der Germanen' iii. 273.] [Sidenote: Tulum's address to the Senate.] 'I pray you to receive favourably the order of the King which makes me a member of your body. 'I have ever favoured the dignity of the Senate, as if with a prescience that I should one day hold it. When I shared the counsels of Theodoric, that chief of Kings, of glorious memory, I often by my intercessions obtained for members of your body Consulships, Patriciates, Praefectures; and now, behold, I am similarly honoured myself. Reflect, I pray, that by my accepting it, the genius of the Patriciate is exalted, since none of my fellow-countrymen will hold cheaply that rank in you which he sees honoured in me. Live in security, by the blessing of God; enjoy your prosperity with your children; and strive, now as always, to show forth the true Roman type of character. I shall defend those with whom I am now associated.' 12. KING ATHALARIC TO ARATOR, VIR ILLUSTRIS. [Bestowing on him the rank of Comes Domesticorum.] [I have altered the order of subjects in this letter, to make it correspond with that of time. There cannot be much doubt that Arator's _pomposa legatio_ from Dalmatia was his first introduction to the Court of Theodoric, and preceded his employment as Advocatus.] [Sidenote: Arator made Count of the Domestics.]