教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 789 章

Our sons, Paschasius, a magnificent man, and Plancho, a most distinguished man, have complained to us that your Holiness wishes to receive the revenues which are owed to the holy Roman Church nowhere else except either in the suburbs of the city, or in the estate which is called Gelas. But I do not understand this to have been done as those who murmur suppose. For I know the wisdom of your Fraternity, and therefore I judge that you proposed such things so that by that same proposal you might be able to receive useful revenues in whatever place. I praise, most dear brother, the intention of so great a charity, and I embrace it vehemently, because you thus manage the care of our Church, which is assuredly yours, just as also of your own, which is ours;

nevertheless, neither in the suburbs nor from the estate of Gelas are the revenues to be sought which my most excellent sons the Italici and the house of Venantius have promised. But whether they wish to give them in the district of Syracuse or in that of Palermo, let your Holiness be intent upon this alone, that you receive revenues useful in every respect, according to the promises of the compact or of the security which we have sent. Let your Holiness therefore so provide, that neither may my aforesaid beloved sons be grieved concerning the suburban lands necessary for themselves and left to them, nor may our Roman Church sustain any loss or diminished benefit in the receiving of those revenues. Gregory to Anthemius, subdeacon of Campania.

Stephen, the bearer of these presents, who declares that he has as his wife a bondwoman of our Church, has made known that he was bought for eight solidi from Accellus the elder, out of those taken from the enemy. And since he records that he is destitute for their restitution, let your Experience diligently inquire; and if you shall have learned that it is so, and that he has not the means whereby he can repay his own price, arrange with the aforesaid elder for as much as you shall have been able, and confidently repay to him the price which he shall have fixed for you, because at the time when you shall come to render your accounts, we shall cause to be restored to you whatever you shall have given for the redemption of captives.