We give thanks to God, who both governs and tempers the hearts of kings by the hand of His mercy, since from Him comes that which Your Clemency, out of His love, has shown to us by the most moderate instructions sent through the masters of the household, the exalted Gudila and Bedeulphus. For thus has the Lord of heaven made gentle the princes whom He loves; and the Divinity, being made favorable, ordains them in all causes to obey His commands; for it is written, God saying: Without me you can do nothing (John 15), which surely is to be understood of good. And therefore with all our affection and obedience we have willed to obey your command, and four times together with our priests from the second synod we have directed to the pope, who was being attacked, that he should come to judgment.
But he resolved that he could in no wise meet our boldness, sending word: 'First, I hastened without any hesitation to your assembly when you came to Rome, and I submitted my privileges to the royal will, and gave the authority of the synod; as ecclesiastical discipline holds, I duly demanded the restoration of the churches, but nothing was wrested from you for me. Then, when I was coming with my clergy, I was cruelly beaten. Further I do not commit myself to your examination: it is in the power of God, and of the lord king, to ordain what he may decide concerning me.' After the bishops, nevertheless, we directed to him the master of your household, the illustrious man Arigernus, what answer he gave to him he reports by his own representation;
and yet we intimate to the most serene lord that there has remained nothing we can do for you, nor can we bring an unwilling man to our disputation. By the canons, the appeals of all bishops are committed to him; and when he himself appeals, what is to be done? Since we can neither pass sentence against one absent, nor assign the place of a contumacious man to him who proclaims that he has met his judges; especially since the matter is new, and it is established by no precedent that the pontiff of this see should be heard before us. We have wished to render to the city what remained — peace, according to your command and will — a city which is friendly both to us and to our purpose, and which suited the blessedness of your times. For we both groan at the confusion of so great a city, and we shudder:
to the most ample senate and to our colleagues we have directed a second time, beseeching them in the words of the Apostle, who admonishes: As far as in you lies, having peace with all men, not avenging yourselves, beloved, but give place to wrath. It is written also: Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord (Rom. 12). Nor were we wanting in the admonition of the clerics, whom we wish to assist according to rule. Since they have also despised salutary counsel, therefore it will belong to your authority to look, by the will of God, to the reintegration of the Church, and to the quiet of the Roman city and of the provinces. Now we ask that you succor our infirmities and our dignity [perhaps: indemnity], as pious lords;
since the simplicity of priests does not suffice against worldly craftiness, and we can no longer endure the deaths of our own and the perils of our own people: but grant us, by your most longed-for command, that we may be allowed to return to our churches, since after these things which we have suggested, there is nothing that can be ordained by us. And in another hand: We wish you health, lord prince.