Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 598

Gregory to Theodorus, curator of Ravenna. Although many things about you have reached us, reported by our representatives, which would gladden our minds, yet now our son Probus the abbot, on his return, has related so much more concerning the charity of Your Glory as befits to be proclaimed of a truly good and most Christian son. And since he has recounted that you displayed toward him so great an affection, and had such zeal in the ordering of peace, as has existed not even in our own citizens who were found there before, we implore the mercy of the heavenly protection, that he may repay this to you in turn, in body and in soul, both here and in the future, who did not cease vigilantly to do for the salvation of many the things that were profitable.

We therefore make known that Ariulf swore oaths concerning the keeping of peace, not as the king himself swore, but under the condition, if against him there be no transgression in any point, or if none march against the army of Arogis. And because this is altogether unjust and deceitful, we hold it as if he had not sworn, since he will find in some small matter an easy occasion of transgressing, and will deceive us the more if we are not suspicious of him. But Warnilfrida, on whose counsel that same Ariulf does everything, altogether disdained to swear.

And it has come about that, from the peace which we greatly desired, we can have almost no relief in these parts, because concerning those same enemies of whom we have hitherto been suspicious, we are suspicious still and shall be hereafter. Let Your Glory know, moreover, that the king's men who have been sent hither are pressing that we should subscribe to the pact. But recollecting those insults which Agilulf is reported to have uttered against Basilius, a most distinguished man, in injury to blessed Peter through us—although this same Agilulf has utterly denied it—we have nevertheless taken care to abstain from subscribing, lest we who are between

who are the petitioners and mediators between him and our most excellent son the lord exarch, should, if perchance anything be secretly taken away, seem to be deceived in any point, and our promise to him come into doubt; and lest, if any necessity should arise in the future—which God forbid—he should find occasion whereby he need not consent to our petition. And therefore we ask that, just as we have also requested from our aforesaid most excellent son, Your Glory, with that charity by which you are united to us, would accomplish this: that before those same men return from Arogis, the king may send them written orders in haste—which, however, are to be delivered to us—in which he may command them not to ask us to subscribe.

But if it is only so much, we will cause our glorious brother, or one of the bishops, or at least the archdeacon, to subscribe. Concerning the person of Augustus, however, we give thanks, and we urge that he may settle his cause with his adversary according to equity—we who so were unwilling that labor be imposed upon him, that he should be produced thither, yet in such wise that we do not deny justice to his adversary. But concerning other matters, since we have not yet had opportunity to give you worthy thanks, we shall in a subsequent letter direct a representative, through whom, the Lord in mercy aiding, I may bind more closely in the charity by which we are joined to one another. Moreover, the grief of Your Glory vehemently afflicts us;

but since a wise man knows all the things that are to be said by way of consolation, we cease to console you with words, but we follow you up with prayer, asking that Almighty God may guard your life and welfare, and that of all yours, by the protection of his loving-kindness, and may console your heart set in affliction. Gregory to Occilianus, tribune of Hydruntum. Learning that Your Greatness, by the arrangement of our most excellent son the lord exarch, has happily returned from the regions of Ravenna to the city of Hydruntum, we have received it gladly, and we entreat the Lord, who may dispose your acts by the succor of his propitiation.

For Sabinus, our brother and fellow bishop, coming to us, made known to us grave complaints of his citizens, asserting that they have hitherto suffered many unlawful things from Viator, former tribune of the city of Hydruntum. Greeting Your Greatness therefore with fatherly affection, we exhort that whatever you know to have been formerly ill done, you should correct by judicial amendment. For you know that that place is proper to our Church; and those few peasants who have remained there, if in any incompetent forced-services or oppressions they are afflicted, desert the place itself, and—which we do not wish—occasion is given to the enemies of overrunning it.

The aforesaid bishop therefore, and all the inhabitants of that place, we especially commend to you, that they may not only be burdened with no unlawful impositions, but rather, from our commendation, may feel your comforts present to them in all things; so that both blessed Peter, prince of the Apostles, whose property that thing is, may be a rewarder to you, and we may more readily accommodate ourselves to your interests.