Gregory to Cyprian the deacon. Our brother and fellow-bishop Zeno has made known that certain persons in his city are enduring the necessity of want of food. To whom, since, as far as is possible, we desire to bring some relief, therefore by these present writings we appoint your Beloved to give to the aforesaid brother and fellow-bishop of ours a thousand measures of wheat, or, if he can bear more, up to two thousand. We exhort you, therefore, to bring no delay or excuse in furnishing these things, so that, while the time allows, he may with God's help return home from here without peril, and may the more quickly be able to relieve those suffering want. (John the Deacon, book II, ch. 15.)