Letter 12045: **From:** Gregory I, Bishop of Rome

To Eugenius the Deacon. He grants to needy servants of God two portions of land for thirty-six years. Gregory to Eugenius the deacon. The servants of God of the monastery which is established in the city of Blera have suggested to us, concerning lands, that they have a need and wish to receive a holding on the estate which is called Gelas. As for this, I do not understand the matter to have been conducted as those who murmur suppose. For I know the wisdom of your fraternity, and therefore I judge that you proposed such things so that through that same proposal you might be able to receive useful revenues in whatever place. I praise, dearest brother, the intention of so great a charity, and I embrace it vehemently, because you so manage the care of our Church, which is assuredly yours, just as you also manage your own, which is ours; yet neither in the suburban district, nor from the estate of Gelas, are the revenues which my most excellent sons the Italici and the house of Venantius promised to be sought. But whether they wish to give in the Syracusan or in the Panormitan region, let your holiness be intent on this alone, that it receive useful revenues in all things, according to the promise. [...] But because for such persons it is fitting to take measures, by this authority we instruct your experience, that you ought to hand over to them the appendage which is called Agellus, out of the body of the Gratilian estate, together with its dependents, which we have granted them to hold, saving the right of our Church, for the space of thirty-six years. But also a small plot of thirty modii out of the aforesaid estate, which they are known to possess, having been given to them by us some time ago, we likewise grant that they hold it for the aforesaid space of years, so that by such provision the community settled there may be able to have the solace of this thing. And so let your experience, supported by the authority of this instruction, not delay to hand over the aforesaid lands to them, so that with a freer mind they may be able to continue in the praises of God.

AD EUGENI|UM DIACONUM. Servis Dei egentibus duas terre portiones ad annos triginta 8eX concedit. Gregorius Eugenio diacono. Servi Dei monasterii quod in ® Blerana civitate est conslitutum, de (erris Sugges8erunt necessitatem $6 in massa quz dicitur Gelas, velle percipere. Quod C gravissiman sustinere. Et quia talibus nos personis . ego non ita actum intelligo sicut hi qui murmurant putant. Sciv enim $apientiam fraternitatis vestre, et ideirco vos arbitror sic talia proposuisse, ut per | eamdem propositionem quoeunque in loco reditus uliles potuissetis accipere. Laudo, frater charissime, intentionem charitatis tantz, et vehementer ample- elor, quia 8ic curam Ecclesiz nostre agitis, que proſecto vestra est, sicut et vestre que nostra est; tamen nec in suburbano, nec de massa Gelas, (ilii mei excellentissimi Jtalici et domus Venanlii reditus quos promiserunt sunt petendi. Sed sive Þ in Syra- eusana, sine in Panormitana parte dare voluerint, ad hoe 8olum vestra sanclitas sit intenta, ut uliles, per omnia reditus accipiat , secundum promissionem pa- Eersr. XLIl (Al. 48.] — * Grumentum , urbs Lu- D mentine. Tres canize medilerranea, vulgo nunc Agrimente , inquit Gussanvillzeus, ex Holstenio, pag. 22. Holstenius, annol. in Orlelium, pag. 89 : Re, inquit, melins ex- - pensa, putat ſuisse Agromento ad dexiram Aciris flu- vii. Sed quid Romano Syracusanarum parlium in Sicilia deſensori, et Agromento in Lucania? ubi Sa- vinus deſensor, indict. 3, epist. 5 et 6; hac indict. 5, - epist. 24, 22, B, 24; indict. 6, epist. 24. Sed ali- quid causz esse poluit ut, pretermisso Savino, ne- golium hoc Romano in vicina--provincia defensori - committeretur. Forte aberat Savinus aut egrolabat. Cziterum epistola hc in tribus tantum Codicibus nobis occurrit, scilicel in Vatic. A, Victor, et Re- mig., in quo nonnullas varias lectiones observavi- mus, 8ed non. magni momenti; sic hoc loco pro pa- rockig GCrumentine, legitur parochiz Ecclesia® Gru- eportel ſerre consultum, ex perientie tuz bac aucto- ritale precipimus, quaienus appendicem quz Agellus dicitur, ex corpore mass2 Gratilianze, cum 8vis figh- bus eis debeas contradere, quod eis salvo jure Ec- clesie nostre in xxxvVI annorum Spatium concessi- . mus habere. Sed et terrulam modiorum xxx Þ ex przdicta massa, quam pridem a nobis +ibi datam possidere noscuntur, ' pariter in prazdicto annorum Spalio eos babere concedimus, quatenus lali provi=- $ione congregalio illic consistens, hujus rei valeat habere solatium. Experientia itaque tua, hujus prez- cepti auctorilate zuffulta, predictas terr3s eis trade» re non moretur, ut liberiori animo in Dei laudibus. valeant permanere. entes epistole desiderantuy que in omnibus Mss. nostris, si tres laudatos excipias. Keisr. XL [Al 49]. — * Beg. » Paschasi«. NUS...ce et Blanca. Vatic. A et Vict., et Blanco. normi. Eersr. XLIV [Al. 50]. — * Vatic., Remig. et Vi- ctor., pretium ejus. Remig. cum Vict. habet steſerit, pro slatuerit, : Eersr. XLV [Al. 51]. — * Blera, vulgo Bieda, urbs olim Tusci:e, episcopalis, nunc oppidum patri- monii 8ancii Petri, Sulrio et Viterbio urbibus liniti- mum, ad x circiter millia pas8uum distans. GUSSANY,