Letter 13054: Most serene King Theudericus, I write to express my genuine admiration for the piety and prudence you have shown in...

TO THEUDERIC, KING OF THE FRANKS. [Argument:] He praises the king's piety and prudence. He treats of privileges for the same, of his envoys, and of peace to be established with the emperor. Gregory to Theuderic, king of the Franks. The eloquence of your letters, marking out your good estate, we received with joy; from which we recognized that you so surpass others in prudence that it plainly appears that, for the felicity of the people of the Franks, the helm of your royal power was committed to your excellency by the favor of supernal grace. Among these things, this too is in you especially praiseworthy and admirable: that in those matters which you know our most excellent daughter your grandmother [Brunhild] to desire for the love of almighty God, you so most zealously hasten to give aid, that through this you may both here happily, and in the life to come, hold the kingdom together with the angels. Since therefore this, by God's gift, proceeds from great discernment of judgment, we have fulfilled all that your excellency willed the more swiftly and gladly, so that we might show by the speed of our action how much your good wishes have pleased us. Greeting you moreover with fatherly sweetness, we make known to you that all the things which you charged your servants the illustrious men Burgoald and Warmaricarius, our sons, to transact with us, were made plain to us when a private conference had been held. And we greatly commended you, because you both attend wisely to present affairs, as is fitting, and so hasten to secure future things by the interposition of everlasting peace between you and the commonwealth, that, being made one, you may extend the stability of your kingdom in perpetuity for your welfare. Concerning these things, in the time that follows for you, we announce to you the things which shall have been pleasing to God. For we desire whatever is useful, whatever is proven to be peaceful, and we strive that it may come to pass. Only let it be that, just as it is our will, so also it may be the will of God, without whom we can do nothing, in those things which are expedient. May the Holy Trinity always make you advance in fear of Him, and so dispose your heart by a moderation pleasing to itself, that both now it may grant joy without end to your subjects concerning you, and hereafter to you concerning itself. EPISTLE VIII. TO SENATOR, ABBOT. [Argument:] A privilege of the xenodochium [hospice]. Gregory to Senator, presbyter and abbot of the xenodochium. [Editorial note: Epist. VIII (A. 10). Four Vatican manuscripts, two of Tellier and Reims, read "to the abbot of the xenodochium" or "of the xenodochium of the Franks." Corbie reads "to the bishop or abbot of the xenodochium." By the consensus... indeed, as the most eminent Cardinal Bona attests in his letter given to Gussanville on the 14th of October in the year 1670, there exist in the Vatican manuscript library, index 6, three privileges for the xenodochium and the monastery of Saint Mary...] OF SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT [The letter body resumes:] ...are kindled with ardent desire, divine grace going before, so that they are sought of their own accord; the more should they be granted with a willing and ready spirit, inasmuch as those very things which they desire, even if they were unwilling to do them, ought to have been requested. Accordingly, in keeping with the writings of our most excellent sons the kings Brunhild and her grandson Theuderic, to the xenodochium which was constructed in the city of Autun by Syagrius, bishop of reverend memory, and by our aforesaid most excellent daughter the queen, over which you are known to preside, we grant, concede, and confirm privileges of this kind by the decree of our present authority, establishing that no one of the kings, no one of the prelates, no one endowed with any dignity whatsoever, nor any other person, shall dare, with regard to those things which were [given] to the xenodochium by our aforesaid most excellent sons the kings, [continuing:] or which have already been donated, or which in the future shall be conferred by any others of their own right, to diminish or take them away under the pretext of any cause or occasion, or to apply them to his own uses, or, as though for other pious causes, to be able to grant them away in excuse of his own avarice; but all the things which have been offered there, or which it shall happen to offer, both by you and by those who shall succeed in your office and place, we will to be possessed for perpetual time inviolate and without any disturbance, yet in every way to be of profit to the uses of those for whose sustenance and governance they were granted. Likewise we have established that, when the abbot and presbyter of the above-written xenodochium and monastery dies, no other be ordained there by any cunning of stealth, except him whom the king of the same province, with the consent of the monks, shall have chosen according to the fear of God and shall have foreseen for ordination. This also we append in the present chapter: that... [editorial apparatus follows, concerning the church of Saint Martin of Autun, which begins: "When unto those things to which the hearts of catholic kings..." You have that testimony at column 1447 of the Paris edition of the year 1675. Truly the first privilege at least is read in five Vatican manuscripts; the second in four, and the third in three, as we understand from the excerpts of the various readings which have been copied from them. Found again, this is praised in the Life of Saint Hugh, monk of Anzy, written in the tenth century; at which time Frodoard, in his History of Reims, book III, chapter 27, mentions another privilege which Pardulus, bishop of Laon, at the request of Charles the Bald, composed for the favor of the convent of Origny, not in his own words, but as the blessed Gregory had dictated concerning a certain monastery built by a certain queen at her own request, and which he too dictated; repeating the threat of malediction which the same lord Gregory had hurled against the violator of that monastery. From which it is understood that this privilege with its imprecations existed in... manuscripts, while Charles the Bald reigned. Certainly in the copy of the monastery of Saint-Remi at Reims, which is more than eight hundred years old, it is found entire, and in another Reims manuscript, in those of Tours, Colbert, Corbie, the English, the Norman, etc. Finally, to pass over the rest, from another undoubted letter of Gregory the Great, which is of this sixth indiction, it is established that privileges for the monasteries of Anzy were granted by him at the request of Brunhild: "We have granted privileges to those very places for the repose and protection of those dwelling there, as you wished." In which privileges certain prohibitions are set against the superiors of those places, which are found in the published privileges, namely that none of those who shall have been ordained abbot or presbyter to the same xenodochium and monastery shall dare to ascend to the office of the episcopate by any stealth.] [The letter body resumes:] ...so that we may exclude the place of avarice, we forbid any of the kings, any of the priests, or any other person whether by himself or through a substituted person, from daring to take anything, in gold or in any other kind of advantage, concerning the ordination of the same abbot, or in whatever causes pertaining to the xenodochium itself; nor shall the same abbot presume to give anything for the sake of his ordination, lest by this occasion those things which are offered by the faithful to pious places, or have already been offered, be consumed. And since many occasions are sought out, to the deception of religious persons, by those wicked men, as it is said, we judge that the abbot and presbyter of the aforesaid xenodochium is in no way to be deprived or deposed, unless a special cause of crime requires it. Whence it is necessary that, if any complaint of this kind shall have arisen against him, the bishop of the city of Autun not alone examine the case, but, having taken to himself six other fellow-bishops of his, investigate this by subtle inquiry, so that, with all judging in concord, the censure of canonical strictness may either strike the guilty or absolve the innocent. By a similar definition also, in keeping with the desire of the founders, we decree that none of those who shall in the future be ordained abbot or presbyter to the same xenodochium and monastery be so bold as to approach the office of the episcopate by any stealth, unless he be first deprived of the office of abbot, and another substituted in his place; lest, consuming the property of the xenodochium or monastery by wicked disbursement, he beget the gravest necessity of want for the poor and the pilgrims and the rest who live thereby. The bishop, however, [we permit] to take a monk from that same place and to promote him to the ecclesiastical order. [Editorial note: In the printed editions: "but having taken to himself six other bishops of his"; which reading we think must be rejected, both because it is opposed by the manuscripts of Tours, Norman, Corbie, etc., and because from it someone might falsely feign that the bishop of Autun, as a metropolitan, had his own bishops, as they are now commonly called, suffragans. (That is, of Syagrius and Brunhild.) In the printed editions: "to approach, lest in any way, etc.," with the omission of the other things which the manuscripts of Tours and Corbie supplied to us, as well as all the English and Norman ones. Our reading seems truer, and more in conformity with the mind of Saint Gregory, who often promoted abbots to the episcopate, as Gussanville excellently observes.] FROM BOOK XII OF THE LETTERS. INDICTION VI. EPISTLE XXX. [The letter resumes:] ...to be promoted, or for any cause whatsoever, without the consent of the abbot and presbyter, we forbid him to have license, lest the usurpation of this matter be carried to the point that places which ought to be built up by the acquisition of men be destroyed by the taking away. All these things, therefore, which the page of this our precept and decree contains, we decree are to be preserved in perpetuity, as much by you as by all who shall succeed in the order and place in which you are, or by those whose interest it may have been. But if any of the kings, priests, judges, or secular persons, recognizing this page of our constitution, shall attempt to come against it, let him be deprived of the dignity of his power and honor, and let him know that he stands guilty before the divine judgment for the iniquity perpetrated. And unless he either restores those things which were wickedly taken away by him, or bewails by worthy penance the things unlawfully done, let him be made a stranger to the most sacred body and blood of God and our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, and let him be subject to strict vengeance at the eternal examination. But to all who keep just things to that same place, let there be the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that both here they may receive the fruit of good action, and before the strict Judge they may find the rewards of eternal peace. [A parallel clause for a women's monastery follows, repeating the same provisions:] ...which we will to be possessed [inviolate], yet to be of profit in every way to the uses of those for whose sustenance and governance they were granted. Likewise we establish that, when the abbess of the aforesaid monastery dies, no other be ordained there by any cunning of stealth, except her whom the king of the same province, with the consent of the nuns, shall have chosen according to the fear of God, and shall have foreseen for ordination. This also we append in the present chapter, that we may shut out the place of avarice: we forbid any of the kings, any of the priests, or any other person whether by himself or through a substituted person, from daring to take anything, in gold or in any other kind of advantage, concerning the ordination of the same abbess, or concerning whatever causes pertaining to the monastery itself; nor shall the same abbess presume to give anything for the sake of her ordination.

AD THEOVERICUM FRANCORUM REGEM. Pielalem regis ac prudentiam laudat. Agit de privile- giis insdem, de illius legatis, de pace cum imperatore slabilienda. | Gregorius Theoderico regi Francorum. Scriptorum vestrorum eloquia incolumitalem ves- . tram $ignantia leti suscepimus, ex quibus ita traus- cendere vos prudentia zlateia agnovimus, L221 ut evidenter appareat pro gentis Francorum ſelici- tate excellenliz, vesirz potestalis regiz gubernacula Supernz gralie favore ſuisse commissa. Inter que hoc quoque in vovis $Salis laudabile mirandumgue esl, quod in bis quz filiam nostram precellentiesl- mam aviam veslram pro omuipotentis Dei amore desiderare cognoscitis juvare $ic studiosissime ſesti- nalis, ut per hoc * el hic ſeliciter, et ja ſutura vita regnum cum angelis teneatis, Quia ergo hoc Deo donante ex magna venit discretiove judicii , ita om- nia quz excellentia vestra yoluit citius ac libenter implevimus, ut quantum nobis bona vyestra placue- rint effectus nostri celeritate monstraremus, Salutantes preterea vos paterna dulcedine, indica- mus, omnia quz viris illustribus ſamulis vestris Bur- goaldo et Varmaricario filiis nostris apud nos agenda mandastis ſacta nobis ſuisse habito secrelo colloquio maniſesta. Et yalde laudavimus , quia et presenlia sapienter, Sicut decet, attenditis , et sic munire ſu- tura sempiternz pacis interventu inter vos et rempu- blicam festinatis, Þ ut, unum facti, regni vestri fir- mitatem in perpetuum salubriter extendatis. De quibus succedenti vobis tewpore que Deo ſuerint placita nuntiamus. Nam nos quidquid ulile , quid- quid probatur eese paciſicum, desideramus, et ut fieri valeat studemus. Tantum ex ut gicut nostra,, jila quoque Dei, quo sine vibil possumus, in eis que expediunt, sit voluntas. Szncta Triaitas in sno sem- per ſaciat vos timore proficere , et ita cor vestrum Placila 8ibi moderatione disponat, ut et nune Subjectis vesris de vobis , et postmodum vobis de se gaudium sine fine concedat. EPISTOLA VIIE. AD SENATOREM ABBATEN. Privilegium AX enodochii, Gregorius Senatori © presbytero et abbati xeno- gudium de eorum sewper incolumitate, sicut cupi- D dochii. Eur. VIM (A. 10]. — * Quatuor Vaticani, duo Teller. et Rhem., abbati zenodochio vel zenodo- ehii Francorum. Corb., episcopo vel abb. zenodochii. Cunsensus ; eleuim, Llesle eminenliss. card. Bona. in luteris ad Guss. datis die Octobris 14, anno 4670, exslant in bibliothee® Yaiicane Mss., ind. 6, tria privilegia pro xenodochio et monauterie gancie Mi. SANCTI GREGORIM MAGNI ardenti desiderio a\vina przeveniente gratia succen- A cum avaritiz excludamus, nullum de regibus, nullum duntur ut ab eis uliro poscantur, tanto alacri et I» to sunt animo concedenda quanio et ea ipsa que eupiunt, si nollent facere , peti debuerant. Proinde, juxla scripta filiorum nostrorum precellentissimorum regum Brunichildis ac nepotis ipsius Theoderici, xe- nodochio quod in civitate Augustodunensi a Siagrio reverende memorie episcopo et predicla excellen- tissima filia nostra regina constructum est , cui tu przesse dignosceris, hujusmodi privilegia praesentis auctoritatis nostre decreto indulgemus, concedimus, atque firmamus, slatuentes rullum regum , nullum antistitum , nullum quacunque preditum dignitate, vel quemquanm alium de his quz xenodochio a $u- - praseriptis precellentissimis filiis nostris regibus de 8acerdolibus, vel quemcunque alium per se $up- positamve personam de ordinatione ejusdem abbatis, vel quibuscunque causis, ad xenodochium ipsum pertinentibus, audere in auro $ive alia qualibet spe- cie commodi quidquam accipere, neque eumdem ab- batem ordinationis suze causa dare prasumere, ne hac occasione ea que a ſidelibus piis locis offeruntur, aut jam oblata gunt, consumantur. Et quoniam multz occasiones in deceptionem re- | ligiosarum personarum INS a pravis illis, ut di- citur, hominibus exquiruntur, abbatem atque pres- byterum pradicti xenodochii nullo modo privandum deponendumque esse cenSemus, Nisi causa 8peciali- ter criminis exigente. Unde necesse est ut $i qua jam donata $unt, vel in ſuturo a quibuslibet aliis B contra eum hujusmodi querela surrexerit, non solug de proprio ſuerint jure collata , sub cujuslibet cau- 8# occasionisve specie minuere vel auſerre, sive Suis usibus applicare, vel aliis quasi piis causis, pro suz avaritiz excusatione posse concedere , sed cuncila que ibi oblata sunt , vel offerri contigerit, tam a te quam ab eis qui in tuo officio locoque successe- rint perenni tempore illibata et sine inquietudine aliqua volumus possideri, eorum tamen usibus pro quorum Sustentatione gubernationeque COncessa Sunt modis omnibus profutura. hem constituimus ut, obeunte abbate atque pres- bytero suprascripti xenodochii aique monasterii , non alius ibi quacunque obreptionis astutia ordine- tur, nisi quem rex ejusdem provinciz cum consersu . episcopus Civitalis Augustodunensis causam exami- net, © sed, adbibitis sibi sex aliis coepiscopis suis, Sublili hoc invesligatione perquirat, quatenus, cuuctis concorditer judicantibus, canonicz districiionis cen- Sura aul reum ferire, aut innocentem possit absol- yere. | Simili quoque (definitione, 4 juxia desiderium con- ditorum, decernimus ut nullus eorum qui eidem x6- nodochio atque monasterio abbas, aut presbyter in posterum ſuerit ordinatus ad episcopatus officiun quacunque obreptione -sit ausus aecedere, * nidi prius abbatis officio sit privatus, aliusque loco ipsius Subrogatus , ne, res xenodochii vel monasterii iniqua erogatione consumens, gravissimam egeslatis neces monachorum secundum timorem Dei elegerit ac pra- C sitatem pauperibus ac peregrinis vel c#teris exinde viderit ordinandum. Hoc quoque przsenti capitulo subjungimus, ut 10- rie ac pro ecclesia sancti Martini Augustoduni #di- ficatis, quz incipiunt : Quando ad ea ad que catholico- rum regqum corda. Testimonium illud habes col. 1447 Edit. Paris. an. 1675. Sane primum privilegium sal- tem in quinque Vatic. legitur; secundum in quatuor, et tertium in tribus, ut ex variarum quz ex illis de- scriptz sunt lectionum excerplionibus intelligimus. Secundo rep 7 ns hoc laudatur in Vita sancti Hugo- nis monachi Aduensis, szculo x scripla, quo tempore Frodoardus in Historia Rhemens., lib. m1, c. 27, me- minit alterius privilegii quod Pardulus Laudunensis episcopus, petente Carolo Calvo, in gratiam Orinia- censis Parthenonis composuit, non suis verbis, sed sicut beatus Gregorius de quodam monazterio a qua- dam regina edificato ipsa petente dictaverat, et ipse quoque diclavit; repetens maledictionis intentationem quam domnus idem Gregorius con!ra presumptorem illius monazterii jaculatus it. Ex quo intelligitur hoe privilegium cum suis imprecationibus exstitisse in . mss., reghnante Carolo Calvo. Cerie in Remi- giani cenobii apud Rhemos exemplari, quod annos >uperat oclingentos, integrum reperitur, et in altero Rhemensi, in Turon., Colbert., Corb., Anglic., Norm., etc. Denique, ut cxtera laceam, ex alia in- dubitata Gregorii Mag. epistola quz est indictionis bujus $exta, conslat privilegia pro cenobiis Aduen- zibus rogatu Brunichildis ab ipso indulta fuisse. Pri- oilegia locis ipsis pro quiele ac munitione illic degen- tium, 8icut voluistis, mdulsimus. In quibus privilegiis 2orum locorum prepocitis quedam inierdicla exsant , Juz in vulgatis privilegiis inveniuntur, nempe ut eullus eorum qui eidem xenodochio atque monaserio abbas aut prezbyler ſuerit ordinatus, ad episcopatus viventibus generet, Episcopum vero tollendi de eo - dem loco monachum ad ecclesiasticum ordinem prv- officium ung obreptione sit ausus accedere. El uidem 8i 8vis moribus ac innatz mansuetudini re- lictus esset Gregorius Magnus, nullus dubitat quin 8 gravi illa comminatione abstinuisset que in privile- gii hujus clausula legitur. At dandum erat aliquid regin# auctoritati, que severiores Ecclesi.e =_ atres in donationis $uz violalores exigebat. Sic concil. Aurelian. iv, anno 541, petente Childeberio rege, xenodochii Lugdunensis rebus cavent, eo pa- clo, ut si quis, quolibet tempore , cujuslibet pol vel ordinis na 8ecus allentaveril, ut necator pit- perum irrevocabili anathemate ſeriatur, can. 15. In Similibus causis easdem inlenlant minas Patres concilii Parisiens. an 557, can. 1; concil. Turon. an. 567, can. 24; concil. Valent. an. 584; adeo ut, juxta Brunichildis voluntatem, atque Gallicanz ipsius Ecclesiz sexto szculo stylum ac morem, pft- vilegiorum Augustodun. clausulam disposuerit Gre- gorius Mag. | © Excusi, 8ed adhibitis 8ex aliis episcopis suis ; quam lectionem rejiciendam putamus, tum quod Mss. tic., Norm., Corb., etc., adversetur, tum quod ex illa quis falso posset fingere episcopum A vugustodu- nensem tanquam metropolitanum suos habuis:e epr Scopos, ut nunc vulgo dicuntur, suffraganeos. « Scilicet, Siagrii et Brunichildis. | RI * Excusi, accedere, ne quacunque, elc., Omissis aliis-quz nobis $uppeditaverunt Turon., Corb., quit que Anylic. et Norm. omnes. Nostra lectio verior, et ment! Sancti Gregorii -magis conſormis videtur, qui $z2pe abbates ad episcopatum provexit, inquil optime Gussanvillzus, 1265 - EPISTOLARUM LIB. XII. — INDICT. VI. — EPIST. XxX. 1266 movendum, vel pro aliqua quacunque causa, 8ine A qua volumus possideri, earnm tamen usibus pro eonsensu abbatis atque presbyteri, habere licentiam prohibemus, ne hujus rei usque ad hoc usurpatio perducatur, ut loca quz acquisitione bominum con- siruenda sunt, -ablatione destruantur. Hzec igitur omnia quz hujus precepti deerelique nostri pagina continet, tam tibi quam cunctis qui_in eo quo es ordine locoque successerint, vel eis quo- rum interesse potuerit, in perpetuum servanda de- cernimus. Si quis vero regum, 8acerdotum, judicum, personarumque 8xcularium, hanc conslitutionis no- zir2 paginam agnoscens, contra cam venire lenta- yerit, potestatis honorisque $sui dignitale careat, reumque $e divino judicio existere de perpetrata iniquitale cognoscat. Et nisi vel ea quz ab illo male quarum sustenlatione gubernalioneque concessa Sunt modis omnibus proſutura. Item constituimus ut obeunte abbatissa predi- cti monaslerii, non alia ibi quacunque obreptionis aslutia ordinetur, nisi quam rex ejusdem provincie, cum consensu monacharum , 8ecundum Dei timorem elegerit, ac previderit ordinandam. Hoc quoque capitulo presenti 8ubjungimus, ut locum avariliz secludamus, nullum de regibus, nul- lum de sacerdolibus, vel quemcunque alinm- per $e Suppositamve personam, de ordinatione ejus abba- liss# , vel de quibuscunque causis ad monasterium ipsum pertinentibus, audere in auro, vel alia quali- bet specie commodi quidquam accipere, neque eam- ablala sunt reslituerit, vel digna pcenitentia illicite RB dem abbatissam ordinationis suz causa dare presu- acta deflererit, a sacratissimo corpore ac $Sanguine Dei et Domini nostri Redemptoris Jesu Christi alie- nus fiat, atque in zterno examine districtz ultioni subjaceat. Cunctis autem eidem 1o@ justa gervanti- bus, sit pax Domini nostri Jesu Christi, quatenus et hie ſructum bonz actionis recipiant, et apud distri- cum Judicem premia zternz pacis inveniant.