Letter 9113: The soap-makers [saponarii] of Naples have sent Augustine to represent their case to this see, and I have listened...

Augustinus, the bearer of the present letter, who said that he had been sent in place of the rest of the soap-makers [saponarii] of your city, has complained to us that John, a most distinguished man, a palatine official, afflicts them in vain with many troubles and strives, to the prejudice of their corporation [guild], to impose a great many new burdens upon their body. Finally, as he says, that John compels them to promise to him that, if anyone should wish to be associated with their craft, whatever profit accrues from his entrance-fee should go to John's own advantage; and he adds also that a compact had been drawn up among them concerning certain reasonable articles of their craft, according to ancient custom, with the consent of all, a penalty having been laid down, and that this had been confirmed by the intervention of an oath; and that now certain of their own members, relying namely upon John's patronage, wish to withdraw from him, and that John in this way extends his protection to those who desire to act against [the compact], so that, what is grievous to say, they have more presumption in his defense than they could have fear of the penalty or of the oath that was given. If the matter stands thus, since what he does is also against his own interest, inasmuch as by his defense he will make himself a partaker in another's sin, let Your Fraternity approach him with a fatherly exhortation, that he restrain himself from such conduct and impose nothing upon them to their prejudice, nor afflict them with losses contrary to reason. Likewise it must also be provided that the compact, where oaths have been given, be preserved, and that they not, to the loss of their own soul, seek temporal gains by acting against it, lest they both incur the peril of perjury and fail to obtain the advantages they have wrongly desired. But if, which we do not believe, you perhaps see that the aforesaid John, a most distinguished man, defers your admonition, speak strictly with our most eminent son the prefect, so that he himself, as we have caused to be said at present, may in whatever way he shall foresee reasonably bring about a correction, to the end that the will of certain persons may not unjustly oppress those who have sought the support of our protection, and that John may both recognize himself restrained from an unseemly deed and recognize it to be rather for the benefit of his own soul.

Augustinus ■ praesentium portitor, qui reliquorum ae sapunariorum ' civitatis vestrae vice dixit esse transmissum, queatuB nobis est, quod lohannes vir clarissimua palatinus ' multia eos frustra affiigat incommodia atque nova plurima eorum corpori'' praeiudi- cialiter nitatur impendere; denique ut, sicut ait', ens promittere sibi compellat, ut, si quis'^ arti eorum sociari voluerit, quicquid commodi^ de introitura' eius accessenti »> ipsi proficiat^, adiciens quoque pactum»* inter se de quibusdam rationabilibus artis Buae capitulis'' iuxta priscam consuetudinem oninium consensu interpoBita esse poena confectum atque id sacramento interveniente firmatum et nunc ab eo velle quosdam ex suis, eiua scilicet patrocinio' fretos^, abscedere' atque ita eum contravenire cupieatibus tuitionem impendere, ut, quod dici grave est, plus in defensione ipsius praesumptionem *^ habeant, quam de poena penuriam" vel de aacramento praestito poasint habere fonni- ') Adoonuuendace f*l. <°) n kie add. B i, ul ^*. ^ J. ■■) tutum ler. Momnuen cuni tdd. ") unrbare tupriueT. ao nrbane R 1. p) in poBcet eorr. R 1. fl) powit R 1. IX, 113 in 6Mto: Fortunalo C'1.3; ForL 03 (etiam iii itkJ.J el imUx tt arsamailum Cl — Nw- politane CS. ') AgaBtinOB V3. •>) corpore Cl.2, nd corr. in corpori C2 m. 2 — verba corpori utqne "■ eomm om. VaL D (ed. M). ") aut C3. *>) que earti C3. •) ez comodo corr. Cl. ^) ex ipae proficiet corr. C2 m. 2. t) tx peccatum eorr. C3. ■>) capiluius Cl. <) pitricinio Cl. ^) ex Tretas eorr, n. 1, a tupra$er. m.2 C2. ') nccedere C 1. ") periurii curam coni. Mommtm. — falto aiilr ucnun. add. Vat. A (ed. M.). lunc aliua tribunu» amstUutva arat ((^. ep. IX, 205), dubium mn egt, quin et ApiUia et Calabria suatn u tributtum habuerint. De tribunis cf. ep. I, 13 n. i. II, 34. VII, 3 n. 1 et liiimm meum Untersudiungen ete. p. 57 1. 155. Hota etiam hic nufium ciriletn mtgistratum commemorari, sed pratttr ecdesiaitioo» unum militarem. IX, 113, De Fortunato cf. ep. III, 68 n. i) Apud Marini, pap. dipt. n". IIT, quidam IsaciuB v(ir) h(oneBtua) naponariuB CUaaia eommemoratur a. 541. Ex hac praecipue «ptafub el ex dial. IV, 04, *" ubt de ^ucdam primo arti» tinctoriae Romae sepuilo ai/it noeter, eflieitur antiquas artea vel corpora wl coUegia artificum eliam Gregorii tempore >n /tWta exntitism. 2) PaUdini (saararum Vwgitionum) commemorantwr in ep. I, 13. IX, 5. XI, 10; adde Marini, pap. dipl. n", 120 (a. 672) et ep. IX, 72 n. I. De bAanne cf. quae nolam n. 4 ad ep. IX, 5. 3) introitora Atc dieihtr, quod Mas capitulare appellalur; cf, D. XXXII, 102, 2: militiam illam uum introitu oouiparari. 4) = lex coUegii. U ,GoogIe (NDICTIO II. MART. (IX. ir2). FEBR,-APR. (IX, 113. 114). 119 ditieni. Quodsi" ita se" res habet, quia etiam ipsi'' quod agiti adversum ent, qiiippc qui alieno se peccato aua defensione constituet esse participem', fraternitas veatra patema eum adhortatiooe conveniat, ut ab huiuemodi se actu cohibeat* et prae- iudicialiter illis nihil imponat nec eos usque' dispendiis contra rationem afHigat". j Pariter etiam providendum est, ut et pactum, ubi' sacramenta sunt praestita, conaer- vetiir et cum dispendio animae suae temporalia lucra contraveniendo non appetant, ne ct periurii discrimen incurrant et commoda prave"' desiderata non capiant*. Quod si, quod' iion crcdimus, ammonitionem vestram praedictum lohannem virum clarissimum videtis forte differre, cum eminentissimo filio nostro pracfecto * stricte loquimini. ut lu ipse boc, sicut in praesenti dici fecimus, quomodo praeviderit, rationabiliter faciat emeadare. quatenus et eos qui tuitionia nostrae' sufFragia quaeaivenmt quorundam voluntas iniuste non opprimat et ille ab opere se indecenti prohibitum et pro 8uae magis animae utilitate cognoscat'.