Letter 10045: **From:** Gregory I, Bishop of Rome

To Ecclesius, Bishop of Clusium [Chiusi]. [Editorial summary: He condoles with him on his illness. He congratulates him on the prudent election of a bishop. He sends a horse. Let him approach the churches to confirm those who have been baptized.] Gregory to Ecclesius, Bishop of Clusium. Receiving the letter of your fraternity, we were saddened, because through it we have learned that you have been gravely ill and are still weak. And although we have had the desire of seeing your holiness, nevertheless you did well to keep yourself there at this time, lest, by coming here, you bring on yourself a relapse from the trouble of your sickness. Concerning the episcopate, however, we have praised you, because you did not rashly elect the person, but, being cautious, as was fitting, you waited. For when you come, if it shall please God, we shall deal with the matter by common deliberation, and what shall seem useful, with God's help, we shall arrange. Moreover, we have sent you one horse, such as we were able to find, from the blessing of Saint Peter, that you may have something on which you can be carried after your illness. But concerning the cases for which the bearers of the present letter have come here, you shall learn from their full report what has been done. Furthermore, to the churches to which [...] although we know that you bestow fatherly affection upon the glorious Apollonius, master of the soldiers, our common son, yet because we have believed that the same measure of love, which you priestly show toward him, ought to be increased by our letters, we therefore commend him to your fraternity by this letter, exhorting that he may find in you, as is fitting, fatherly consolation, and that, justice accompanying it as occasion shall require, he may obtain the benefit of your support; so that, when he has more fully experienced your love toward him, he may both recognize what he trusts concerning you, and may perceive that our letter has been of profit.

AD ECCLESIUM CLUSINUM EPISCOPUM. De infirmitale condolet. Gratulatur de prudenti episco= pi electione. Equum millit. Baptizalos consignaturus . ad Ecclesias accedal. Gregorius ®* Ecclesio episcopo Clusino, Scripta ſraternitatis veslr# suscipientes, contrista- . ti sumus quod vos per ea et graviler infirmatos, et adhuc debiles esse cognovimus. Et licet sanclitatem Eeisr. XLIV. — * Fesulz, vulgo Fiesoli rovinato. urbs olim Tusciz clara. Nunc urbecu'a ; adbuc tamen episcopalis sub azchiepiscopo Florentino, a Floreutia duobus mill. in boream distlans. Gussanv. SANCTI GREGORII MAGNI vestram videndi desiderium haberemus, bene tamen A Quamvis glorios0 Apollonio, magistro militum, ſecistis isto vos illic tempore conlinere, ne venientes - hue Þ de zgritudinis vestre molesiia recidivam nobis iris (itiam faceretis. De episcopatu antem lauda\imus, quod personam nou temere eleg:-tis, sed cauti, sicut decuit, exSli- listis. Venientibus enim vobis, si Deo placuerit, com- muni deliberatione tractabimus, et quod utile visum ſuerit, Deo anxiliante, disponemus. Unum autem caballum vobis qualem invenire po0- tuimus, de benedictione sancti Petri transmisimus, ut habeatis cum quo post infirmitatem vectari possitis. De causi+ vero pro quibus latores presentium huc venerunt quid actuin Sit, ipsorum omnia renuntiatio- ne cognoscetis. Przterea Ecclesiis ad quas s8ine la- communi filio, paternam vos pietatem noverimugs impeudere, quia tamen eumdem dilectionis modum, quem Circa eum $acerdoetaliter exhibetis , nosiris credidii apicibus augmentandum, idcirco eum ſrater- nitati vestre his epistolis commendanus, borianles ut paternam in vobis, sicut decet, consolationem in- veulat, et $0laliis veslris, 8icut uSus exegeril, Comi- tante ju>titia, potiatur, quatenus dum vestram erga 8 amplius fuerit dilectionem expertus, et ipse quod de vobis conlidit agnoscat, et nostram sentiat epi- stvlam proſuisse. |