Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 573

We have greatly marveled that, you being placed in the city of Naples, Theodorus, a man to be remembered, the bearer of the present letter, was compelled to come to us for certain causes—especially since in that matter he complains that he has suffered a prejudgment, contrary to ancient custom, from our brother and fellow-bishop Fortunatus—a matter which, with your Glory as witness, he asserts pertains without doubt to the care and disposition of the patron of that same city. If the matter stands thus, we are altogether saddened that in his defense the truth did not move you, so that you might both freely say what the case was, and cause to be reserved what long custom claims for itself by right. Since therefore it is exceedingly grievous

—that priests should snatch for themselves anything, contrary to ancient usage, whereby they seem to fall into the affairs of laymen—we have taken care to write to the aforesaid brother and fellow-bishop of ours what has seemed good to us, and we have transmitted to you a copy of these very writings, so that from them your Glory may as soon as possible learn what ought to be reserved. Moreover, the aforesaid bearer has indicated to us that to Vectanus, who was count in the castle of Misenum—because he knew him to have been noble and he was laboring under exceeding poverty—he had, out of a regard for mercy, bestowed twenty urns of wine yearly for two years from the island of Prochyta, which was near to him, and that now his successor violently exacts these from that same island as though owed.

And because he petitions that this be prohibited from being attempted for the future, let your Glory take care to learn. And if what he complains of subsists in truth, and this custom did not exist before, let it, at the persuasion of justice, restrain a grievance of this kind, and take pains that the administration of piety impose no burden of prejudice upon the aforesaid island.

But because he asks that the privileges of his city, or the causes of that island, be commended by us to your Glory, we exhort that you ought to extend your protection to him, equity being preserved, wherever it shall be necessary; and if in any matter the advantage of the people over whom he presides is unduly burdened, contrary, as he says, to the order of reason, let the imposed burdens, with your support, be relieved up to the measure of justice, nor let their privileges be trampled in any manner; but let all things which the usage of antiquity established be preserved inviolate in all respects. So then, in these matters, let your Glory conduct itself becomingly, so that it may both be proven to favor the parts of justice, and that those who have been commended may always report to us the good things about you which we have always desired to hear concerning you.