Letter 10021: I am receiving complaints that the annual grain supply [annona — the public food distribution that had been part of...

To John, official [praepositus] of Italy. [Summary: He complains of the provision of grain withdrawn from the deaconry of Naples.] Gregory to John, official of Italy. Whatever is given to a poor man, if it be weighed with subtle consideration, is not a gift but a loan, because what is given is without doubt received back with multiplied fruit. Now you wrote to us that we ought to tell Dulcitius, who acts in your stead, that he should not presume to spend anything beyond the fixed allotment [diatyposis]. And although it is praiseworthy to provide for things to come, yet because that precaution is altogether weak which is not fortified by the help of piety, in this anxiety of yours there is something by which we find ourselves grieved on your behalf. It is reported, therefore, that your Eminence has withdrawn the grain-allowances and the customary provisions of the deaconry which are furnished at Naples. This would perhaps have been less astonishing if they had not been administered in the time of John, your predecessor. If, therefore, that man, whose conduct everyone knows how harsh it was, did not refuse this, let your Wisdom consider what sort of thing it is, if even in some good work a bad man surpass you. For on no occasion was it fitting for you to withdraw this. And even if perchance no one had wished to charge it to your accounts, it ought not to have burdened you to expend this from your own resources [as] a precarious grant, so that a piety of this kind, which had been a servant in the work, might be a patroness to you in your support. This, therefore, your Eminence ought to look upon with the power in which you are strong, and [to ensure] that this [...] is established. ... [It is fitting] to win praise among men, and that one may be able to provide a reward before Almighty God. Given in the month of April, in the third indiction. [The following is a separate, concatenated letter; the OCR heading reads EPIST. XXII.] To Leo, bishop of Catania. [Summary: Let the monastery of Saint Vitus be protected from the troubles of certain persons; and let him correct with fitting amendment monks who consort with women.] Gregory to Leo, bishop of Catania. Martianus, a monk of the monastery of Saint Vitus, which is situated on Mount Etna, coming to us, as he says, with the consent of the congregation of that same monastery, complained that this monastery suffers many troubles and prejudices from certain persons. Among these, that matter also has stirred us with the most vehement exasperation: that the monastery itself has become so far trampled upon and despised that even for the monks living there it is permitted without fear to consort with women. And if it is so, how grave a sin in the sight of God, and how grave a fault in the sight of men, regards your Fraternity, you yourself will be able to judge, since [...] you are scarcely able to defend yourself by excuse. For either you did not know that these things were being done, and you are strongly convicted of the fault of negligence; or certainly you recognized the deed, and you appear to call forth the graver indignation against yourself, in that you did not punish so great a crime with the most rigorous vengeance. Therefore by these present writings we admonish your Fraternity to hasten to investigate this with all vigilance. And if it find an iniquity of this kind perpetrated by certain persons, let it strive so to correct the crime of this perversity with fitting amendment, that it may both appease God, and may be able to show to others the discipline of restraint, lest henceforth anything similar be perpetrated. But as for the troubles which the aforesaid monastery is said to suffer, or those things which are reported to have been seized from it, let your Holiness take cognizance, and so far as is just, show yourself in protection of that same monastery, that it may in no way be able to be unduly oppressed contrary to the order of equity. But the precept of our predecessor Pelagius, of blessed memory, given to Elpidius, your predecessor, copies of which we have ordered to be appended below, we wish to be preserved without any opposition.

AD JOANNEM ITALLE PRAPOSITUM. Conqueritur de sublracta Neapolitane diaconice an- nona. B Gregorius ® Joanni praeposito ltaliz. Quidquid tribuitur pauperi, $i sublili considera- tiome pensetur, non est donum, Sed mutuum, quia quod datur multiplicato sine dubio fructu recipitur, Scripsistis aultem nobis ut Dulcitio agenti vices vestras dicere deberemus ne quid Þ super diatyposim auderet expendere. Et quanquam Sit laudabile futura pro- spicere, quia lamen infirma omnino cautela est que pielatis adjutorio non munitur, in hac $ollicitudine vestra est quod nos pro vobis contris:tare invenimus, Fertur itaque quod annonas atque consuetudines dia- conie, quz Neapoli © exhibetur, eminentia vesira Subtraxerit. Quod minus ſortasse ſuerat obstupendum, $i Joannis decess0ris veslri non ſuissent tempore ministratz. Si jgitur hc ille, cujus cunctis notum est quam ſuerit 4 gravis actio, non negavil, quale it Sapientia vestra consideret, si vel in aliquo bono opere malus homo vos superet. Nulla enim occasione hoe subtrahere vos decuit. Quod etsi forte nullus veslris voluisset rationibus imputare, hoc de proprio vos impendere non debuit gravare © precario, ut hu- jusmodi pietas in vestro esset patrona juvamine, que minislra ſnisset in opere. Hzc itaque debet eminentia vestra potenlia qua pollet inspicere, atque hoc f quod D ficatur. Constat bic Gregorium alloqui aliquem ex reipublice administris, non vero episcopum, ut er eminenli& litulo quo illum ornat maniſestum ext. © e diaconiis diximus ad epist. 28 lib. v. In not- nullis Mss. et Excusis legitur exhibentur. 4 Recent., graits actor... quality 8it sapientia. Coices et CXCuSOS precatio, uti legitur in Mss, B, D, F, Vatic ans. * Non melicri sensu Jegitur in recent. Ed., quod de subdecessoribus, oy Al., sollicite, ut habent duo Vatic.. et nonnulli alii, 1081 EPISTOLARUM LIB. X. — INDICT. II. — EPIST. XXIV. 1082 hominibus laudem parare, et coram omnipotenti Deo A Res ad nos omnino detestabilis et nefanda perve- possit providere mercedem. > Data mense Aprilis, indict. 3. 1055 EPISTOLA XNIl. AD LEONEM CATANENSEM EPISCOPUM. Sancti Viti monaslerium {nealur a quorumdam mole- sliis ; junctos vero mulieribus monachos digna emen- datione corrigat, Gregorius Leoni episcopo Catanensi. Martianus, monachus monasterii sancti Viti, quod in * Xtna monte est positum, consensu, ut ait, con- gregalionis ejusdem monasterii ad nos veniens, que- s{us est multas monasterium ipsum a quibusdam molestias ac prejudicia sustinere. inter quzc illud nos quoque vebementissima exacerbatione commorit, quod in lantum monas(lerium ipsum innotuit calcari ae despici, ut etiam monachis ibidem degentibus mulieribus <e jungere sine meltu s t licitlum. Quod si * ita esl, quam grave vestram fraternitatem, et apud Deum peccatum, et apvd homines culpa respiciat, ipse poteris judicare, quippe quia © te prevales excusatione deſendere. Aut enim h:xc fieri nescisti, et culpa neglectus vehementer argueris; aut certe ſactum recognovis!i, et graviorem erga te videris indignationem exigere, cur tlantum facinus ultione districtissima non puni-ti. Itaque scriptis fraternita- lem veslram prixsentibus c:mmonemus, ut cum omni hoc vigilantia investizare fe:tinet. Et si hyjusmodi iniquitatem a quibusdam perpetratam invenerit, ita bujus perversitatis ſacinus digna sludeat emendatione corrigere, quatenus et Deum placare, et aliis ne de celero quid $Simile perpetretur custodiz possit disci- plinam ostendere. Molestias vero quas pridictum monasterium' pati, vel ea quz ei perhibentur_invasa, Sanclitas veslra cognoscal, et ita $82 in quantum ju- 8m est, in prolectione ejusdem exhibeat, ut in nully contra Zquitalis ordinem valeat ali;zuo modo pra- gravari. Preceptum vero bealze recordationis nostri predecessoris Pelagii datum ad Þ Elpidium pr:xde- eessorem vestrum, cujus Subtus exemplaria ſreimus aSCribi, 8ine aliqua volumus reſragalione $ervari ©.