Letter 14: Hilary, bishop of Rome, to Leontius, bishop of Arles, greetings.

Letter One of Pope Hilary to Leontius of Arles. [Summary] He urges him to send a report concerning Hermes. Hilary the pope to his most beloved brother Leontius. 1. We are astonished that your brotherhood should be so forgetful of the catholic law that you permit whatever things are unjust and contrary to the statutes of our fathers in the province which belongs to your jurisdiction [monarchia, here ecclesiastical governance], if you yourself either do not [...] or are not able [to correct them], to go uncorrected even by the silence of your taciturnity. For we have learned by report, and have inquired as diligently as we could from the deacon John, who was commended to us by his own letters from the magnificent man our son Frithericus, that by a most unjust usurpation a certain Hermes has, with execrable rashness, presumed to take the bishopric of the city of Narbonne. It would have befitted your holiness to inform us of this matter at once. 2. Concerning this matter, then, dearest brother, we urge that, if credence is to be given to these assertions, you set aside all excuse and transmit to us a report subscribed with your own hands, both from your affection and from that of our brothers, either through the bearer of these letters or through whomever you yourselves shall choose: so that what we are able to determine, you may be able to learn from the page that returns to you. May God keep you safe, dearest brother. Given on the third day before the Nones of November [3 November, in the year 462].

Vnov Hilari papae ad Leontinm Arelatensem. Monet, ut relationem de Herme mittat. p. 3. Dilectissimo fratri Leontio Hilarus papa. 1 . Miramiu* fratemitatem tuam ita legis catholicae immemorem esse, ut quaeque^) iniqua et contra patrum nostrorum statuta in provincia, quae ad monarchiam tuam pertinet, si ipse aut nou via aut uon potes, etiam nec uos silentii tui taciturnitate permittas cor- rigere. Siquidem quod et nunore cognovimus, et quantum diligeuter a diacono Johanne, qui a magnifico viro filio nostro Fritherico^) litteris suis nobis insinuatus est, requisivimus, quod iniquissima usur- patione quidam Hermes^) episcopatum civitatis Narbonensis exsecra- biU temeritate praesumpserit. Quam rem decuerat sanctitatem tuam ut nobis in vestigio indicaret. 2. Qua de re, frater carissime, monemus, ut si fides adhibetur assertis, seposita excusatione ad nos tam tuae dilectionis quam fra- trum nostronun, aut per portitorem litterarum aut per quem ipsi elegeriiis, suljscriptam manuum ve&rtrarum relationem transmittatis : ut quod definire possimus, recurrenti pagina possitis agnoscere. Deus ^ Ita L* L^ «•; alii correptioni», *^) I? L* b expondeo . . . expondeam, ex prava dictantis pronuntiatione. ') aL' ut quae iniqua, moxqiic L' pertinuit. Hic notandus vocis monarchiae UBU8 ad significandimi rcgimen ecclcsiasticum. Quam oodem sensu usmpavit Qregorius TuronenBiB de vitis patrum c. I n. 2, ubiLupicinum super monaBteria monarchiam obtinuisse narrat. Ita et in vita b. Romani abbatds JurenBis decesaor Leontii Hilarius carpitur ut indebitam sibi per Gallias vindicans monarcMam, •) editi Friderico, mss. Fritherico aut Frittherico. ') Idem videtur is Hermes Bitorrensis, qui archidiaconus Eustici NarbonenBiB in Loon. epist. 167 n. I memoratur (c^*). EPISTOLAE 7. 8. 141 te incolumem custodiat^ frater carissime. Data III Nonas Novem- a. 462. bris^).