Letter 9013: VARIAE, BOOK 9, LETTER 13

13. King Athalaric to Wilia, Vir Illustris [Most Illustrious Man], Count of the Patrimony. [1] From the report of Your Greatness we have learned of the excesses of the household servants [domestici] who attend upon the counts assigned to them, by which the provincials have been burdened with very many losses: a thing which we believe has been nourished by the smallness of their emoluments, since one to whom necessities are not provided is thought to sin under a certain excuse. [2] And therefore, granting general benefits by a special favor, we instruct Your Greatness by this present authority that, beyond the two hundred solidi and ten allowances [annonae] which they have received up to now, you shall, from the fifth indiction onward, with good fortune cause fifty solidi a year to be added to them without delay, which ought to be charged to your accounts, so that, when necessity, the mother of crimes, is removed, the inclination to sin may be taken away. [3] But if anyone shall prove to be a wicked violator of our orders, so as to become entangled in any case in the losses of the provincials or in injuries done them, let him be deprived of all his emoluments, since that man is worthy to obtain rewards who is known to obey equity: for he receives from us precisely so that he need not seek from others. To give is the nobility of our station: royal gifts, however small, exalt their recipients, since he who is raised up by a princely bounty is believed to have found at the same time also the favor due to his merits."}

XIII. VVILIAE V. I. COMITI PATRIMONII ATHALARICUS REX. [1] Magnitudinis tuae suggestione comperimus de domesticorum excessibus, qui destinatis comitibus obsequuntur, provinciales damnis plurimis ingravatos: quod credimus emolumentorum parvitate nutritum, quia sub quadam excusatione peccare creditur, cui necessaria non praebentur. [2] Et ideo speciali beneficio generalia compendia largientes magnitudini tuae praesenti auctoritate praecipimus, ut supra ducentos solidos et decem annonas, quas hactenus acceperunt, a quinta feliciter indictione quinquaginta eis solidos annuos faciatis incunctanter adiungi, qui vestris rationibus debeant imputari, ut, dum mater criminum necessitas tollitur, peccandi ambitus auferatur. [3] Si quis autem iussionum nostrarum inprobus temerator exstiterit, ut aliquo casu in damnis provincialium aut praeiudiciis implicetur, emolumentis careat universis, quia ille dignus est praemia consequi, qui parere cognoscitur aequitati: ideo enim a nobis accipit, ne ab aliis quaerat. nostrum dare nobilitas est: dona regalia quamvis parva sublimant, quia simul et meritorum gratiam reperisse creditur, qui principali munere sublevatur.