Letter 9124: I have heard that you have been ill, and I write to offer whatever consolation words can provide.

Gregory to Donellus, paymaster. We have received a letter full of your Glory's [your Excellency's] goodness and of a good son's charity, by which indeed our spirit was saddened over the affliction of your body. Yet we trust in the divine compassion that he who made you love Italy, wretched and cast down, may himself both restore to you the health of your body and repay you in the eternal recompense. For concerning the military pay [roga] which you have informed us you have once again taken up by the imperial command against your own will, we are altogether gladly satisfied, knowing that your Greatness, by a more cautious and more salutary provision, devotes itself to the military need. But concerning the six centenaria [a centenarium being a hundred pounds of gold] which had been entrusted to the treasury of the Church of Ravenna, just as your letter testifies, and which were borrowed by the most excellent exarch for the daily payment of the soldiers - as to why these have hitherto by no means been restored, you yourself recognize the cause. For what you wrote concerning this aforesaid son [...], in these places no human remedy avails to bring relief except the majesty of the divine power alone. Therefore, since your Greatness knows the will of our lords the princes [emperors], how provident it is with great care for the relief of the city of Rome especially - which is evidently recognized from their gifts - and likewise [knows] the imminent danger of these regions and of the city, it is entirely your concern to come here with the moneys. But if this is neglected, and some adversity, which we do not wish, should occur, you would in no way be able by any pretext of any person to excuse yourself either before God or before the lords of affairs. For the city of Rome, our sins bringing it about, has been worn down by various sicknesses, so that there do not even remain those who are fit for the guarding of the walls.

AD DONELLUM EROGATOREM. Egrum consolatur. Gaudet de militari roga illi denuo impozila. (Juam exarchus mutuo acceperat pecuniam retiluendam monet. Roman civilati precipua cura 8ubveniat. Gregorius Donello ® erogatori. Epistolam gloria vestrz plenam boni filii chari- late Suscepimus, ex qua quidem de molestia corpo- ns vestri noster est animus contristatus. De divina amen miseratione conlidimus quod qui vos miseram « dejectam diligere fecit Italiam, ipse vobis et cor- joris 8alulem restituat, et in zlerna retributione wmpenset. De-militari enim Þ roga, quam vos con- na voluntatem vestram principali significastis jussio- te ilerum SusSCepisse, omnino Sumus libenter com - Nexi, scientles quia magnitudo vestra Eautiori salu- riorique provisione militari necessitati concurrat. De © sex vero centenariis qui in cimiliarchio Ra- reanatis Ecclesiz fuerant commendati, sicut vesira es{atur epistola, ab excellentissimo exarcho in quo- diana militum preſectura sunt mutuati, YOZZ qui it hactenus 4 minime reslituantur cujus $it causa 0gnoscitis. Quod enim scripsisiis hoc prazdicto lilio ErisT, CXXIV [Al. 129]. — * Unde nomen hoe oſicii deductum, in epistola explicatur his verbis : de militari enim roga, etc. * Centenaria, auri pondo interpretantur quidam. idorus ait (quod verum est) centenarium fuisse cen- wn librarum, atque inde appellatum. Graci. dicunt AYToapwy, GUSSANY. pore, in his locis nisi solius divine potentia maje- Slatis humanum non prevalet subvenire remediun. Sciens ergo magnitudo vestra voluntatem domino- rum principum, quanta cura de Roman civitatis praxcipue snbventione $it provida, quod ex donis eorum evidenter agnoscilur, sed et partium istarum * imminens periculum et, civitatis, omnino cure luz es! cum pecuniis huc venire. Quod si omissum ſuerit, et adversi aliquid, quod non optamus, evene- rit, neque apud Deum neque apud rerum dominos cujuslibet oblenlu pergonz v0S excusare quoquo modo valeatis. Romana enim civitas, peccatis no- slris ſacientibus, diversis est atlrita languoribus , ut nec qui in murorum cuslodia sint idonei persistaut.