Letter 1114: Pastor, who has served as bishop, is now infirm and has lost the use of his eyes [or has significantly impaired vision].

To Peter, subdeacon. That he should provide a yearly allowance of food to a shepherd weak in his eyes. Gregory to Peter, subdeacon. If with kindly mind we hasten to the needs of our neighbors with compassion shown, then without doubt we find the Lord merciful to our own petitions. For we have come to know that a certain shepherd, who labors under great weakness of his eyesight, having a wife and two slaves, and who once had served gloriously with Jonathas, is subject to very many necessities. Therefore through the page of the present injunction we admonish your experience that for his sustenance you not defer to give a yearly [measure] of wheat, which afterward may be charged to your accounts. So act, therefore, that you both, by ministering well, may receive the benefit of a reward, and may carry out our injunctions to their effect. In the month of August. [The source record then continues with a second, separate letter and with editorial apparatus; that material is translated below as found.] [Editorial note:] ...he inserted it into the order of Saint Benedict. We gladly subscribe to the opinions of learned men, nor does Cardinal Baronius's conjecture please us, who understands [the term] as the Palmatian estates or Palmatian wine. The chief gifts with which the Roman senate honored friendly kings were embroidered togas and palmate tunics, as Livy is witness, books 10 and 30. On the palmate tunic [see] more in Ferrarius, On Clothing, book 14, chapter 8. In the mass issued by the Illyrian there is mention of a sacred vestment which is called the Palmatica, as Hugo Menardus observes on the Sacramentary, note 940. [Variant note:] ...Epistle 68 (alias 61). In the Norman, Colbertine, Corbie, German, and several [manuscripts], it is read simply "to Peter." But in the Vatican [manuscript] "subdeacon" is added. The Audoenian Codex agrees. Formerly it was read in the printed editions "to Anthemius, subdeacon." In the Tours manuscript of Saint Gatianus alone this is read, and in the Colbertine, in which, however, it seems to belong to the following epistle. Epistle 66 (alias 66). Thus we have restored [it] from the Vatican, Norman, and other manuscripts, whereas formerly it was read "the deacon"; but also "the servant of God, Crescentius." ...far from the river Volturnus, now still episcopal under the archbishop of Capua. In the manuscripts it is written variously. In Vatican B, "Venafrane." In C, "Benafane." In D, "Benafrane." The Norman, Corbie, and old editions follow Vatican C. Epistle 68. To Anthemius, subdeacon. That he should see to it that the sacred furnishings of the Church of Venafro, which clerics had sold to a Jew, be restored, and that he compel the guilty to penance. Gregory to Anthemius, subdeacon. Fuscus the chief physician, provoked by the ardor of his faith, poured out his entreaties, saying that Opilio the deacon, a servant of God, and Crescentius, clerics of the Church of Venafro, forgetful of the fear of the coming judgment, had sold the ministering vessels of the aforesaid Church to a certain Hebrew, which is unspeakable to say: that is, in silver, two chalices, two crowns with dolphins, and from other crowns the lilies, six larger palls, and seven smaller [ones]. And therefore as soon as your experience receives the present order, let it cause the aforesaid churchmen to come before you without distinction; and, the truth having been sought out, if it stands as has been suggested, let it cause the aforesaid Hebrew, who, forgetful of the rigor of the laws, presumed to acquire the sacred treasures, to be summoned through the judge of the province, and without any delay let him be compelled to return the aforesaid ministering vessels, so that from them nothing may be diminished from the said Church's hope. As for the above-written deacon and clerics, who committed so great a crime, do not defer to bind [them] in penance, that they may be able to wash away so great a fault by their own tears. [Editorial note:] Against the wickedness of those clerics it is fitting to hurl these words of Optatus: "Yet this monstrous crime was doubled by you, when you broke the chalices that carry the blood of Christ... greedy, in that you sell; sacrilegious, in that you sold without consideration... Perhaps sordid women bought [them] for their own uses; pagans bought [them], to make vessels in which they might kindle [offerings] to their idols." Optatus, On the Donatist Schism, book 6, chapter 2. See also chapter 5. [Editorial note:] A "crown" is a candelabrum in the manner of a crown and circle, fitted with various lamps. The dolphins are not only ornaments of such candelabra, but also supports. Anastasius, in [the life of] Silvester: "Constantine gave four crowns with twenty dolphins of purest gold"; and below: "a golden crown before the body of blessed Peter with five dolphins." The same author in [the life of] Sergius: "He had the canthari and crowns which from ancient times had hung before the sacred altar and the confessio of blessed Peter the apostle taken down." He had the lilies placed [on] the columns themselves. In Vatican C it is read "lilia." Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks, book 7, chapter 28: "And when now the altar with its offerings had been covered with a silken pall." And book 1, On the Miracles of Saint Martin, chapter 13: "...either from the veil of the door, or from the small palls which hang from the walls." By "palls" may also be understood the priestly and sacred vestments, which even in the monasteries were precious. Theodore the Studite, in his Testament, article 19: "You shall not use an elaborate and precious garment, except a priestly one." Corruptly in the printed editions, "sacra civiliter." Of the treasures it has already been spoken in epistle 20.

AD PETRUM SUBDIACONUM. Ut Pastori octlis infirmo annuum pres(et alimentum. Gregorius * Petro subdiacono. Si proximorum necessilatibus babita compassions benigna mente concurrimus, nostris procul dubio petitionibus Dominum clementem reperimus. Pa- lorem $iquidem, qui nimia visus imbecillitate labo- rat, habentem conjugem, Jduoque mancipia, qui et cum Jonatha quondam gloriosa ſuerat, plurimis co- gnovimus necessilatibus subjacere. Propterea expe- rientiam tuain per presentis pracepli paginam ad-. monemus, uti pro sustentalione ejus annuvs tritici ord. $sancti Benedicti inseruit. Doctorum virurum- sententiz libenter subscribimus, nec placet card. Ba- ronii conjeciura, uras Palmatianas sen vinum Palma- tianum intelligentis. Precipua dona quibus amicos reges senalus Romanus exco!ebat, loga: pictz el tu- niczx polmatze fuerunt, tesle Livio, lib. x et xxx. De tunica palmata plura apud Ferrarium, de Re yestia- ria, lib. 14, cap. 8. In missa ab Iliyrico edita lit mentio veslis sacre, que Palmatica appellatur, ut observat Hugo Men:rdus ad Ib. Sacram., nota 94U. ; boy LXVHl (At. 61). — © In Norm., Colbert., Corb., Germ. et pl., legitur simpliciter Petro. At in & Vatic. additur subd. Consentit Codex Aud. Prius legebatur in Excusis Anthemio subd, 4 In solo Turon. S. Gatiani hoclegitur et in Colberti- no, in quo tamen ad epist. seq. pertinere videtur. Eersr. LX VL (Al. 66). — © Sic reslituimus ex Mss. Vatic., Norm., etc., cum prius legeretur, Dia- conum ; sed et servum Det Crescentium. procul a Yulturno fluvio, nunc adhuc episcopalis £ub archiep. Capuano. In Mss. varie scribitur. In Valic. B, Venafane. In C, Benaſane. In D, Benaſrane. Norm., Corb. et vet. Ed. sequuntur Vaticauum C. dare non differas, quz postmodum possint Luis ra- tionibus imputari. Ita. ergo ſac ut et tu bene mini- $trans mercedis commodum percipias, et noslra ad effectum precepta perducas. 4 Mense Augusto. (Cf. Joan. Diac. l.n, c. 55.) EPISTOLA LXVIN AD ANTHEMIOM SUBDIACONUM. Sacrum 8upellectilem Venaſrane Ecclesie, quam cls- rici Judeo rendiderant, reslitui curet, ac reos ad penilentiam compellat. Gregorius Anthemio subdiacono Fuscus archiater, ardore fidei provocatus, preces eſfudit, dicens Opilionem Jdiaconum *® servum Dei, et Cre>centium, clericos, » Venaſrane BY Ecclesiz, oblitos timorem ſuturi judicii, © ministeria anteſate Ecclesie Hebrzo cuidam, quod dici neſas est, ven- didisse : id est, in argento calices dvos, 4 coronas cum delphinis duas, et de aliis coronis *© lilios, f pal- lia majora $ex, et minora septem. Et ideo mox ut presentem jussionem experientia tua 8usceperit , memoratos ecclesiasticos ad 8e faciat indifferenter occurrere; et requisita veritate, $i ita, ut $uggestunm est, eonsliterit, memoratum flebreum, qui, oblitus vigorem legum, praeumpsit 5 sacra cimelia compa- rare, per judicem provinciz faciat conveniri, et sing aliqua mora antefala ministeria reddere compellatur, ut ex eis 8pe fatz Ecclesiz nihil possit imminui.Suprt 8Criptos autem diaconum vel clerieos, qui tantum nefas commigerunt, in pevitentia ® religare non differas, ut tale tantumquedelictumsuis laerymis possint diluere. Contra clericorum illorum scelus placet hc verba Optati intorquere : Hoc 1tamen immane ſacinus a vobig geminatum ext, dun ſregistis calic's Christi sanquinis poriatores..... avari, dum venditis; sacrilegi, dum in- considerate vendidislis..... Emerunt ſorsilan in usus $u0s 8ordide mulieres; emerunt pagani, ſacturi vasa in uibus incender:nt idolis 8uis. Oplat., lib. vi de Schis. onat., cap. 2. Vide etiam cap. 5. 4 Corona esl candelabrum in modum- coronz ac circuli variis lucernis instructum. Delphini sunt ejus modi candelabrorum non ornamenta modo, $ed et fulcra. Anastas., in Silvestro': Coronas quatuor dedit- Conslaniinus cum delphinis viginti ex auro puriszimo; el infra : Coronam auream ante corpus beati Petri cum delphinis quinque, (dem iu Sergio : Cantharos et coronas qua ante sacrum allare et cor:ſessionem beati Peri apoxtoli ex antiquo pendebant deponi fecit. D fpsas columnas lilios poni ſecit. Iu Vatic. Clegitur lilia. Greg. Turon., lib. vii Hist. Fraunc., cap. 28 : Cumque Jam altarium cum oblalionibus pallio serico coopertum esset. EL lib. 1 de Mirac. sanct Marti., cap, 13 : &t awt ex velo janue, aut palliolis que pendent de parietibus. Per pallia possunt etiam intelligi vestes 8acerdotales el Sacr:t, quz etiam in nonavleriis erant pretiosr. Theodorus Sludita, in $uo Lestamento, art. {9 : No# uleris veslimento elaborato et pretivss, preterquam 8& cerdotali. _ E Corrupte in Excus., sacra civiliter. De cimeliis jam dictum in epist. 20.