Letter 1031: Your rank and reputation place you in a unique position to assist this see in matters that require influence at the...

Gregory to John, ex-consul, patrician, and quaestor. Having experienced the goodness of your excellency, I am bound to you by such great love that your memory can in no way be erased from my heart. But against that love I am not a little distressed, because you learned that I was seeking quiet, and yet you brought me to a state of unrest. May almighty God, since you did this with good intention, repay you with eternal blessings; but may he release me from the great peril of this office in whatever way he wills, because as my sins deserved, I have been made bishop not of the Romans but of the Lombards, whose agreements are swords and whose goodwill is a punishment. No one presses me daily with occupations, and I cannot breathe. But you, who still have your strength, flee the occupations of this world, because the more anyone advances in it, the more, as I see, he diminishes in the love of God. Furthermore, I am sending to you a most sacred key from the body of the blessed Peter, prince of the apostles, which is accustomed to shine with many miracles upon the sick; for it also contains filings from his chains within it. Therefore may these same chains, which held that holy neck, sanctify your necks when hung upon them.

AD J0ANNEM EXCONSULEM , ATQUE PATRICIUM ET QUASTOREM. Clavem sanct Petri, et de catenis ejus transmittit. Gregorius Joanni * exconsuli, atque Þ patricio , el qur'$tori, © Bouilalem excellentiie vestre expertus, tanto erga ves amore constringor, ut vestra memoria de meo pectore aboleri nullategus possit. Sed contra amorem non modice conlricior, quia quietem me - querere cognovistis , et ad inquietudinem perduxi- #tis. Vobis quidem omnipotens Deus, quia hac bono animo ſecistis, bona #terna relribuat; sed me a tants loci hvjus periculo qualiter voluerit absolvat, quia 8icut peccala mea merebantur, non Romanorum, $ed Langobardorum episcopus factus gum, 4 quorum Eersr. XXX (Al. 29). — © Titulus bic prafectis pretvrio, magistris militum, aliisve diguilatibus precipuis attribuebatur ; imo Francorum reges, do- nee Christianissimi a Romanis poulilicibus dicli sunt, hocee gloriabantur litulo, Vir illus/er, ut ex ipsorum di; lomatibus constat. Formulam qua illus/ratus Seu ilustris titulus conferebatur habes apud Cassiod., lib. vi Variar., forin. 11. Jn Excusis legitur, Audree ill. de Debiria, quiz ultima verba absunt ab omnibus Mss. y”_ consuluimus. In Andeg. pro ilusirs legitur 0. Eeisr. :XXXI (Al. 30). -— * De hoc litulo vide 10- tm c ad epist. 3 hbuyus libri, » Synthicie $ynt pacta', conventiones, a Graco Tvwbarn. Spatha, gladius; unde spatharius ; de yua patrocinia vestra perduxerunt, Gemo quolidie accu- pationibus pressus, et reSpirare non va!ea. Sed vos, qui adhuc valetis, © mundi lujus occupationes ſugite, - quia quantum in eo quisque proſecerit, tanto, ul vi- deo, ab amore Dei amplius decrescit. Prexterea $a- cratissimam clavem a beali Petri apostolorum prin- cipis corpore vYobis Lransmisi, quz super zgros mullis $0let miraculis coruscare, nam etiam de cjus catenis | Interius babet. Ezdenm igitur catenze, que illa Sancta colla tenuerunt, suspensz colla veslra ganchilicent. (Cf. Joau. Diac. |. 1, c. 51.) EPISTULA XXLIll. AD PHILIPPUN COMITEM EXCUBITORUS. Episcopalui cur taudem conseuserit exponit ; alice causas commendat. Gregorius Philippo, ®* couniti excubitorum. la quantuin homo discutere et invesligare judicia guperna non Suſſicit, in tantum $sub eis SRI d-bet cervicem cordis inflectere ; ut quia id quod sibi tti- buitur quo judicio disponalur ignorat, nec ad appe- teudum locum procax insistere, nec ad repellendum contumax debet iuveniri. Unde indignus ego ad $us- cipienda episcopatus onera , jussioni omnipotentis Dei reslraque voluntali me $ubdidi, cui me pracsse largitale magis gratiz quam judicii 2s!'imatione yo lui>tis. Potens est enim Deus, propter quem me indi- gnum diligitis, hanc vobis in perpetuum recompen- sare wercedem, ut gratiam quam indignis famulis ejus impenditis, apud eum invenire multipticius va- leatis. Causas vero ltaliz vestra, quzs0, excelleniia babeat commendalas, ut dum vos peteulibus libenter impenditis, omne quod a Deo petitis quantocius im- petretis. (Cf. Joan. Diac. l. 1, c. 54.)