Letter 13039: What tongue may suffice to speak, what mind to think, what great thanks we owe to Almighty God for the serenity of your empire, in that such hard burdens of long duration have been removed from our necks, and the gentle yoke of imperial supremacy has returned, which subjects are glad to bear? Glory, then, be given to the Creator of all by the hy...

Gregory to Leontia Augusta. What tongue can speak, what mind can grasp, how great our thanks should be to Almighty God for the peace of your reign -- now that such heavy burdens of long duration have been lifted from our necks, and the gentle yoke of imperial authority has returned, one that subjects are glad to bear. Let glory be given to the Creator of all by the choirs of angels on high. Let thanksgiving be offered by men on earth. For the whole republic, which has endured so many wounds of grief, has at last found the balm of your consolation. This must move us to implore all the more earnestly the mercy of Almighty God: that He would keep the heart of Your Piety always in His right hand and direct your thoughts by the aid of heavenly grace, so that Your Tranquillity may rule those who serve you all the more righteously as you know more truly how to serve the Sovereign of all. May He make you champions of His love for the Catholic faith, having in His goodness made you our rulers. May He fill your minds with zeal tempered by gentleness, so that you may always be able, with pious fervor, to leave no offense against God unavenged -- and in cases of any offense against yourselves, to bear it and forgive. May He grant you in Your Piety the clemency of Pulcheria Augusta, who for her zeal for the Catholic faith was called at the holy synod "the new Helena." May the mercy of Almighty God grant you and our most devout lord a long life together, so that the longer your days are extended, the more firmly the consolation of your subjects may be established. I ought perhaps to have asked that Your Tranquillity hold the Church of the blessed apostle Peter as especially commended to you -- a Church that has until now labored under grave threats. But knowing that you love Almighty God, I need not ask for what you will freely show on your own.

Book XIII, Letter 39 To Leontia, Empress. Gregory to Leontia Augusta. What tongue may suffice to speak, what mind to think, what great thanks we owe to Almighty God for the serenity of your empire, in that such hard burdens of long duration have been removed from our necks, and the gentle yoke of imperial supremacy has returned, which subjects are glad to bear? Glory, then, be given to the Creator of all by the hymning choirs of angels, thanksgiving be paid by men on earth, for that the whole republic, which has endured many wounds of sorrow, has now at length found the balm of your consolation. Hence we must needs implore the more earnestly the mercy of Almighty God, that He would keep the heart of your Piety ever in His right hand, and dispose your thoughts by the aid of heavenly grace, to the end that your Tranquillity may be able to rule those who serve you the more righteously as you know more truly how to serve the Sovereign of all. May He make you His champions in love of the Catholic faith, having, of His benign dealing, made you our emperors. May He infuse into your minds zeal together with gentleness, that you may always be able with pious fervour not to leave unavenged whatever is done amiss with regard to God, and in case of any delinquency against yourselves to bear and spare. May He give us in your Piety the clemency of Pulcheria Augusta, who for her zeal for the Catholic faith was called in the holy synod the new Helena (Act. 1 synodi Chalcedonensis). May the Almighty mercy of God grant to you fuller length of days to live with our most pious lord, that the longer your life is extended, the more strongly may the consolation of your subjects be confirmed. I ought perhaps to have requested that your Tranquillity should hold as especially commended to you the Church of the blessed apostle Peter, which up to this time has laboured under grievous plots against it. But, knowing that you love Almighty God, I ought not to ask what you will exhibit of your own accord out of the benignity of your piety. For the more you fear the Creator of all, the more fully may you love the Church of him to whom it was said, You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; and to whom it is said, To you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Matthew 16:18. Whence it is not doubtful to us with what strong love you will bind yourself to him through whom you earnestly desire to be loosed from all sins. May he, then, be the guardian of your empire, may he be your protector on earth, may he be an intercessor for you in heaven: that through your relieving your subjects from hard burdens, and causing them to rejoice in your empire, you may, after many years, rejoice in the heavenly kingdom.

Gregorius Leonliz Auguste. Quz lingua loqui , quis animus cogitare suſſiciat quanlas de serenitate vestri imperii omnipotenti Deo gratias debemus, quod tam dura longi temporis pon- dera cervicibus nostris amola sunt, et imperialis cul- minis *® lene jugum rediit quod libeat portare sub- jectis ? Reddatur ergo Creatori omnium ab bymnidicis angelorum choris gloria in calo, persolvatur ab ho- minibus gratiarum actio in terra , quia universa res- publica , quz multa meeroris pertulit vulnera, jam nunc consolationis vestre invenic ſomenta. Unde nobis necesse es{ omnipotentis Dei misericordiam enixius exorare, ut cor vestre. pietatis sua semper dexiera teneat , ejusque cogitationes colestis gratie quam vesiram clementiam, omnipotentis Dei gralia D ope dispenset , quatenus tranquillitas vesira tanio EPISTOLARUM LIB. XII. — INDICT. VI. — EPIST. XL. 1290 rectius valeat sibi servientes regere , quanlo domi- A tionem que animabus semper adversa est , cordis natori omnium noverit verius deservire. In amore eatholicz fidei ſaciat defensores 8u0s, quos fecit ex henigno opere imperatores nostros. Inſundat in yes- tris mentibus zelum simul et mansuetudinera , ut zemper pio ſervore valeatis et quidquid in Deo exce- ditur non inultum relinquere , et Þ si quid vobis de- linquitur parcendo tolerare. © Det nobis in vestra pietate Pulcherie Augustz clementiam, quz pro zelo eatholice dei in sancta 8ynodo Helena nova vocata ext (Act. 4 synodi Chalcedonensis). Omnipotens Dei mi- zericordia largiora vobis cum piissimo domino s8palia viveadi concedat, ut quo vestra longius vila exten- dur, subjeclorum omnium consolatio validius con- frmetur. Rogare ſorsitan debui ot Ecelesiam beati Petri y 2postoli, quz nunc usque gravibus insidiis laboravit, haberet vesira tranquillitas specialiter commenda- tam, Sed qui scio quia omnipotentem GÞeum diligitis, non debeo petere quod sponte ex benignilate vestree pietatis exhibetis. Quanto enim plus timetis Condi- lorem omvium, tanto amplius ejus potestis Ecclesiam amare, cui dictum est : Tu es Petrus , et super hanc petram edi ficabo Ecclesiam meam , et porie inſeri non prevalebunt adversus eam. Et cui dicitur : Tidi dabo claves requi celorum ; et quodcungque ligaveris super lerram, erit ligatum et in clo; et quecunque solveris mper terram, s0luta erunt et in celo (Maith., xvi, 18). Vande nobis 1 246 dubium non est quam forti amore ad eum vos stringitis, per quem 80lvi * ab omnibus peccatis enixius desideratis. Ipse ergo sit vestri cu- C s10s imperii, sit vyobis protector in terra, sit pro vo- dis intercessor in ccelo , ut per hoc quod , - relevatis (uris ponderibus , in vesiro imperio subjectos gau- dere ſacitis, post multa annorum tempora in ccelesti regno gaudeatis (Joan. Diac., lib. rv, c. 22). EPISTOLA XL. AD CYRIACUM PATRIARCHAM CONSTANTINOPOLITANUM. Hortatur ut pacis studio a superbo Unireralis titulo abstineal. Commendat Boniſacium diaconum. Gregorius Cyriaco patriarchz Constantinopolitano. Quanta sit pacis virtus, cbarissime ſrater, ex voce dminica diligentius intuentes, quz ait : Pacem meam d vobis (Joan. xiv, 27), ita in ejus nos decet dilec- lone persistere, ut locum prebere discordiz nullo modo debeamus. Sed quia in radice ipsius vivere liter non valemus, nisi mente et actu bumilitatem , fam ipse auctor pacis docuit , tenevinus , cum ea tharitate qua dignum est suademus ut profanam ela- EPISTOLA XLI. AD EULOGIUM ALEXANDRINUM PATRIARCHAM. Eulogium ad simoniam evellendam hortatur. Gregorius Eulogio episcopo Alexandrino. Quadam die dum inler me et familiares meos de consueiudinibus Ecclesiarum sermo ſuisset exortus, quidam , qui in magna Civitale Alexandrina * medi- cinalis arte erat imbutus , Þ collectorem 1247 apud sophistam suum habuisse perhibuit , summae pravitalis puerum, quem repente dixit esse diaconum ordinatum. Atque addidit quod per premia et datio- nes ordinatus ſuisset , quia eamdem consuetudinem in sancia Alexandrina Ecclesia convaluisse ſateba- tur. Quod ego audiens obstupui , et valde miratus Sum , quia sanclissimi ac beatissimi viri domni Eu- logii lingua, quz tam mulios hwetreticos ad fidem ca- tholicam revocat, simoniacam heresim de ssancla Alexandrina Ecclesia non erasit. Et quis erit cujus exhoriatio vel correctio hoc polerit emendare , si magna et admirabilis doctrina ejus hoc sine emen- datione reliquerit ? Unde pro absolutione anime ve- strz , pro augmento mercedis vesire, ut ante tre- mendi oculos Judicis vesira in omnibus perſecta sint opera , ſestinare debetis simoniacam beresim , que py prima in Ececlesia exorla est, a sanctissima sede veslra, © quz nostra est, ſanditus evellere atque era- dicare. Propler hoc etenim contigit ut ecclesiaslico- rum ordinum a plurimis sanclitas caderet, quia bus Cyriacus Constantinopolitanam regebat Eccle- Siam , universalisque episcopi vocabulum, invito Sanclo Gregorio, usurpabat, communione lamen gervala. F | EPISTOLA XLII. AD EULOGIUM PATRIARCTAM ALEXANDRINUM. De non amisso oculorum vizu, ac de aucto dominico grege gratulatur. Monet 8usceplas illius eulogias , necnon parata esze grandiora ligna, quibus si eget, scribat Bonifacio. Gregorius Eulogio patriarche Alexandrino. Magnas omnipotenti Deo gratias reddimus, quia in ore cordis experiments dulcis fit sapor charitatis, cum impletur quod scriptum est : Sicut aqua frigid sitienti , sic nuntius bonus de terra longinqua (Prov. xxy, 25). Ante hoc enim temporis Bonifacii chartu- larii, responsalis mei , qui in urbe regia demoratur, vehementer me secripta turbaverant , quz dicebant dulcissimam rmihi atque svavissimam sanctitatem vesiram defectum corporei luminis pertulisse. Ex quibus seriptis gravi meerore percussus sum. Sed ' Subito, Creatoris ac Redemptoris nostri gratia prospe- rante , beatitudinis yestrz suscepi epistolam , * et, sanam de ea quam audivi corporis molestia agno- scens , exsvultavi vehementer, quia tanta Iztitia cor- dis secuta est, quanta prins tristitiz amaritudo pre- cesserat. Scimus enim quia in omnipotentis Dei adjutorio multorum ssalus est ita vestra. Nam tunc quam per me impetrare non valeo, sed interces8iong vestre beatitudinis hanc me obtinere confido. Secundo vero anno nulla sanciilatis vestre scripta suscepi , atque omnino contrislatus 8um. Et quidem vesira benedictio , quam Sine epistola transmisistis , data atque suscepta est. Sed quia plus me lingua vesira quam data letificat , minoris gratie esse cre- didi quz dabaniur. Communem autem filium Epipha- nium diaconum , Alexandro aique Isidoro sancligsi- m@ © Ecclesiz vestrz diaconis ſeci scribere, ut consla- ret quia ca que transmissa sunt SUSCePiSSem. - Scripsi vero quia grandia ad arbores ac temones ſaciendos ligna paraveram, sed navis parva que ve» nerat, hetc portare non potuit , et nihil mihbi exiade B rescTipsistis. Unde si sunt necessaria , communi filio Bonilacio diacono nosiro , quem nunc ad urbem re- giam pro iaciendis responsis transmiltimus, Scribile, ut mihi ipse rescribat qualenus preparentur, ut cun beatitudo vesla transmiserit, parala yaleant inveniri, Przterea transmisimus crucem parvulam , in qua de catenis amatorum vestrorum 8anctorum Petri Pauli apostolorum inserta esl benedictio, quz oculis vestris assidue 4 guperponatur , quia multa per eamdem benedictionem miracula fieri consueverunt, Omnipotens Deus cordi beatitudinis vestre aspi- ret, ut pro me orare asidue Curelis, et vos vesires- que omnes Sua dextera prolegat, atque post longa annorum curricula ad celestia regna percucat. * Eulogias vero gancti Marci a beatissima f(ralet . inter fluetus nautze securi navigant , quando guber- G Pitate vestra transmis8as cum ea chariiate qua Sun nator doctus atque afrtifex ad clavi regimen sedet. In salutis autem vestrz gaudio Þ hace quoque mihi est exsuſtatio addita , quia et imminutos ore vestro Ecclesiz hostes , et multiplicatos dominicos greges 1