Letter 7029: You have written to me about the dignities and offices of this world — about whether they are worth pursuing and...

To Andreas. That the dignities of this world are to be despised, so that one may be free to give oneself to heavenly studies. Gregory to Andreas. Receiving the writings of Your Greatness, and learning of your well-being, I rejoiced; and concerning the kindness of our most pious lady [the empress], who has deigned to show her favor toward you, I was exceedingly glad. And that the lady Constantina, that most illustrious girl, was snatched away from the allurements of this world before she contracted marriage, I greatly exult. But that you have said you entered into the service of her bridegroom, and that you wished to be commended to our most serene lord the emperor, so that he might assign you to some duty where he judges you to be useful, has touched my mind with no small grief, because I always supposed that the goodness of your character was directed toward another end. For I have known many who, placed in the service of the commonwealth, are grievously afflicted, because it is not permitted to them to be at leisure and to lament their own sins; and why you, I know not, desire to be entangled? For why, magnificent son, do you not consider that the world is at its end? All things are pressed forward daily; we are led to render our accounts to the eternal and dread Judge. What else, then, ought we to think upon except His coming? For our life is like that of one who sails: [...] [The full passage is here abbreviated by the editor with "etc.," who notes that the reader may proceed to the end of the chapter; a block of editorial apparatus and illegible text follows, after which the letter's text resumes.] [...] he stands, sits, lies, goes forward, because he is carried along by the driving of the ship. So therefore are we also, who whether waking or sleeping, whether silent or speaking, whether walking, whether willing or unwilling, through the moments of time daily move toward our end. When therefore the day of our end shall have come, where will be for us all that is now sought with such great care and gathered together with such anxiety? Honor, then, is not to be sought, nor riches, which are left behind. But if we seek good things, let us love those that we shall possess without end. But if we dread evil things, let us fear those that are endured by the reprobate without end. But this very thing, to be in attendance upon the most pious prince, how great an occupation of the mind it is in the craving of earthly favor, and how great a fear there is lest this same favor be lost, if it has been obtained! Weigh, then, what a penalty it is either to be wearied by the desire of prosperity, or to be terrified by the fear of adversity. Wherefore I rather urge that Your Greatness strive to live according to your former purpose, in the short and delightful season, in the lodging of this pilgrimage, and to lead a quiet and tranquil life, to be free for sacred readings, to meditate on heavenly words, to kindle yourself in the love of eternity, to perform good works according to your strength concerning earthly matters, and to hope for the perpetual kingdom in the reward of those things. To live thus, moreover, is already to have a part in the life of eternity. These things, magnificent son, I speak because I love you much. And because you are heading into storms and waves, I call you back to the shore with the ropes of my words; and if you are willing to follow as I draw you, you will recognize, once set upon the shore of your own repose, what perils you have escaped and what joys you have found. Moreover, I give thanks that you took pains to make me cautious concerning the two persons who came with the glorious Callinicus; although of that person whom Your Greatness named earlier, we already hold no small proof in his wickedness. But because the times are evil, we bear all things with groaning. May Almighty God guard you with His protection, and grant you both to act well here and, in His presence, to rejoice forever in eternal glory.

AD ANDREAM. Contemnendas s@culi dignitates, ut celestibus liceat s{udiis vacare. _ Gregorius * Andrez. Magnitudinis vestrz $scripia 8uscipiens, cognita 8a- lute vestra, gavisus sum, et de benignitate piissime domne, que erga \0s suam gratiam ostendere dignata _ esl, valde letatus, Et quod domna Constantina, cla- rissima puella, priusquam nuptias faceret, ab hujus mundi illecebris est erepla, vehementer exsulto. lilud autem quod vos in militiam sponsi ejus intrasse dixi- $ts, et quod serenissimo domno imperatori commen- dari volvistis, ut vobis aliqua injungat, ubi vos utiles es8e exislimal, mentem meam non modico marore tetigit, quia ego bonitatem morum ve$Strorum in aliud tendere semper exislimavi. > Multos autem novi qui in servitio reipublice positi vehementer aſſliguntur, quia eis non licet vacare et peccata $Sua plangere; et vos © quare, nescio, implicari desideratis? Cur enim, maguiſice lili, non consideras quia mundus in fine est? Omnia urgentur quolidie, ad reddendas rationes #terno et tremendo judici ducimur. Quid ergo aliud nisi de adventu illius cogitare debemus ? Vita enim nostra naviganti est similis : 4 is namque qui navigat laboribus requiem querunt et securitatem, 5d pravis cupiditatibus non inveniunt ; volunt enim requiescere in rebus inquietis, et non permanentibus, elc. Pergat le- ctor ad finem u$que capitis. GrssAvxv. © in Vulgatis, quare nescio occupari. Corb., etc., quam Ex«usi, ubi legitur, is namque qus navigat 5tat, 8edet, jacet, vadit. Sensus hic est : Qui navigat, Sive slet, $ive 'sedeat, sive jaceat, Semper vadit, et ad portum properat, navi qua vehitur veulis abrepta. Qu:e subjiciunlur, ita ergo et nos $umus, CIC., meatem piissimi doctoris Satis osleadunt. * ray > D room wn; V - _ > dg of nd the. 1. —_ ——_—R— I 7 rn 8 may” *" % © mo an Te ——_ __——___TIT wy stet, sedeat, jarenut, Vadit, quia impulsu navis duci- A indicat, et adversitates malorum hominum maniſece tur. ta ergo et nos Sumus, qui sive vigilantes, sive dormientes, sive tacentes, sive loquentes, Sive *am- - bulantes, Sive volentes, sive nolentes, per momenta temporum quotidie ad finem tendimus. Cum igitur finis nos1tri dies advenerit, ubi nobis erit omne quod modo cam tanta cura quzritur et cum sollicitadine congregatur? Non ergo honor, non divitie querende Sunt, que. dimittuntur. Sed si bona quarimus, illa diligamus quz Sine fine habebimus. Si autem mala - pertimescimus, illa timeamus quz a reprobis sine fine tolerantur. | . Hoc ipsum vero esse in obsequio piissimi principis, quanta est menlis occupatio in appetitu terren:e gra- liz, et quantis est timor ne hc eadem griatia perda- tur, si adepta ſuerit? Perpende ergo que pena il, aut prosperitatis desiderio fatigari, ant adversitatis limore pavescere. Unde magis suadeo ut magauitudo vesira in 8uo proposito quondam, in pauco tempore delectabili © receplaculo peregrinationis vivere $tu- deal, et quietam ac tranquillam vitam ducere, $acris leciionibus vacarc, ccoelestia verba meditari, in #ter- nitatis amore $e accendere, de lerrenis rebus secun- dum vires bona opera agere, et regnum perpetuum in B7G corum remuneratione sperare. Sic aulem vivere, jam in 2ternitalis vita partem habere est. llzc, magniſice (ili, loquor, quia multum te diligo. Et quia in procellas f et fluctus tendis, verborum meorum ſunibus te atl littus revoco ; et si [rahentem $equi volueris, que pericula evaseris, que gaudia inveneris, in ips0 quietis tuz littore positus agnosces. Przterea gratias ago quia me de duabus persouis que 5 cum glorioso Callicino venerunt cautum red- dere sLuduislis quamvis persone ejus quam prius magniludo vesira nominavit, jam in malis nun mo- dicum experimentum tenemus. Sed quia mala sunt lempora, Omnia cum gemitu portamus. Omuipotens autem Deus sua vos protectione custodiat, detque vobis et hic bene agere, el apud $6 in perpetuum * in zlerna gloria gaudere.