Letter 7022: The woman Stephana made a commitment both to provide certain property and to enter a monastery.

To Fortunatus and Anthemius. That they should urge Stephen to restore the property he has taken away, since the woman betrothed to him has entered a monastery. If he refuses, they are to report it, so that he may be compelled to give it back. Gregory to Bishop Fortunatus and to Anthemius the defender. Catellus, the bearer of these present letters, has informed us that his sister, who had been betrothed to a certain Stephen, was by the prompting of divine grace converted to the monastic life at Naples, and that this same Stephen is unlawfully holding back his house and certain of his property. But since the legal decrees [Causa 27, question 2, chapter 28] have ruled that a betrothed woman, if she has chosen to be converted, is to be subjected to no loss whatsoever, let your Fraternity, together with Anthemius the subdeacon, take pains to investigate the truth with diligent care. And if, as we have been informed, you ascertain that Stephen is unjustly holding the aforesaid house or anything else, let your exhortation earnestly admonish him to restore without any delay or dispute the things he is unlawfully detaining, so that he may not put off the restitution of another's property under any pretext of excuse. But if perhaps you find that he neglects your exhortation, indicate to us in detail both this and also how the truth of the case stands, so that, the merits of the matter being known, he may be compelled by another means, equity persuading it, to restore what he scorns to do of his own accord out of regard for honor. And commending the bearer of these present letters to your Fraternity, we exhort you not to permit him to suffer further delays there on account of this case. [Editorial note: the heading adds "throughout Campania." Vatican manuscript A reads "they have been accustomed to punish with loss," which reading we approve. (Manuscript) 4.]

AD FORTUNATUM ET ANTHEMIUN. Slephanum, ut desponsale 8ibi monasterium ingress3 res ablatas res!ituat, hortentur. Si renual, indicent, ut reddere cogatur. Gregorius Fortunato episcopo, et Anthemio *® de- ſensori. Catellus prasentium lator nobis innotuit $ororem Snam, que Stephano cuidam fuerat desponsala, di- vinze propitiationis inslinctu Neapoli in monasteria ſuisse conversam, atque eumdem Stephanum Þ do- mum et rez ejus aliquas indebite detinere. At quia C decreta legalia (Caus. 27, q. 2, c. 28) desponsatam s| converli yoluerit nullo omnino © censuerunt «dam- no mulectari , fraternitas tua una cum Anthemio Subdiacono veritalem diligenti curiositale stndeat perscrutari. At si, ut edocti sumus, domum vel quid aliud suprascriptum Stephanum injuste tenere co- gnoscitis, eum adhortatio vevtra instanter admo- neat, ut quz indebite detinet sine FG aliqua mora vel altercatione restituat, ne rerum alienarum re- sLtilutionem Sub qualibet excusationis specie diſſe rat. Quem $i adhortationem vestram pegligere for- lasse cognoscitis, nobis tam hoc quam etiam qualitet $e causz verilas habeat, $subtiliter indicate ; quate- nus cognito negotii merito, aliter cogatur, 2quitale Suadenle, restiluere quod facere propria sponte ho- neslatis consideratione contemnit. Latorem verc przxsentium fraternitati tuz commendantes, hborta additur- per Campaniam. © Vatic. A, consueverunt damno multare, Quam I& ctionem probamus. Ms. 4 "O__ L SHR AY _£2S_A©7 OE St *- —_ 877 EPISTOLARUM LIB, VE. — INDICT. XV. — EPIST. XXV. | $78 mur ut enm ilflic moras pati hac pro caus2 diutivs A (atis Dei fuit, ut ex ore mulieris nuntfaretur vita, non permittas.