Letter 13038: It pleases us to consider, with rejoicings and great thanksgivings, what praises we owe to Almighty God, that the yoke of sadness has been removed, and we have come to times of liberty under the imperial Piety of your Benignity. For that your Serenity has not found a deacon of the Apostolic See resident at the court according to ancient custom, ...

Gregory to Phocas Augustus. It gives us joy to consider, with rejoicing and deep thanksgiving, what praises we owe Almighty God now that the yoke of sorrow has been lifted and we have come to times of freedom under the imperial authority of Your Benign Piety. That Your Serenity has not found a deacon of the Apostolic See resident at the court according to ancient custom is not due to any negligence on my part, but to the most pressing necessity. While all the ministers of this Church of ours shrank back and fled in fear from the oppression and hardship of those times, it was simply not possible to impose on any of them the duty of traveling to the royal city to serve at court. But now that they have learned that Your Clemency, by the ordering of God's grace, has risen to the summit of Empire, those who had previously been terrified to go are now hastening to your feet of their own accord, moved by joy. Since some of them are too weakened by age to bear the journey and others are deeply occupied in Church affairs, I have chosen to send the bearer of this letter — the senior among all our defenders, a man long known to me for his diligence, and proven in life, faith, and character. I judged him fit to be sent to the feet of Your Piety. Accordingly, with God's permission, I have made him a deacon and have sent him to you with all speed, so that when a suitable moment arises he may inform Your Clemency of everything that is happening in these parts. I beg Your Serenity to grant him a willing ear, so that you may be moved to pity us all the more quickly the more fully you learn from his account what our affliction truly is. For no words can adequately describe the manner in which, by daily swords and countless invasions of the Lombards, we have been oppressed — now for a full thirty-five years. But we trust in Almighty God that He will bring these afflictions to an end through the power of Your Piety.

Book XIII, Letter 38 To Phocas, Emperor. Gregory to Phocas Augustus. It pleases us to consider, with rejoicings and great thanksgivings, what praises we owe to Almighty God, that the yoke of sadness has been removed, and we have come to times of liberty under the imperial Piety of your Benignity. For that your Serenity has not found a deacon of the Apostolic See resident at the court according to ancient custom, is not owing to my negligence, but to most grave necessity. For, while all the ministers of this our Church shrunk and fled with fear from times of such oppression and hardship, it was not possible to impose on any of them the duty of going to the royal city to remain at the court. But now that they have learned that your Clemency, by the ordering of God's grace, has attained to the summit of Empire, those who had before greatly feared to go there hasten even of themselves to your feet, moved thereto by joy. But, seeing that some of them are so weak from old age as to be hardly able to bear the toil, and some are deeply engaged in ecclesiastical cares, and the bearer of these presents, who was the first of all our guardians (defensores), has been long well known to me for his diligence, and proved in life, faith, and character, I have judged him fit to be sent to the feet of your Piety . I have accordingly, by God's permission, made him a deacon, and have been at pains to send him to you with all speed, that he may be able, when a convenient time is found, to inform your Clemency of all that is being done in these parts. To him I beg your Serenity to deign to incline your pious ears, that you may find it in your power to have pity on us all the more speedily as you learn the more truly from his account what our affliction is. For in what manner by the daily swords, and by how many invasions, of the Lombards, lo now for the length of five and thirty years, we have been oppressed, by no words of description can we fully express. But we trust in the Almighty Lord, that He will complete for us the good things of His consolation which He has begun, and that, having raised up pious lords in the republic, He will also extinguish cruel enemies. And so may the Holy Trinity guard your life for many years, so that we may the longer rejoice in the good of your Piety, which we have received after long waiting.

PHOCAM IMPERATOREM. Diaconi sui absentiam ingeniose excusat. Mittit Boniſa- G cium. Adversus Langobardos auzilium implorat. * Gregorius Phocz Augusto. | Cousiderare cum gaudiis et magnis actionibus gra- tiarum libet quantas omnipotenti Domino laudes de- bemas, quod, remoto jugo trislitiz ad libertatis tem- pora, Sub imperiali- benignitatis vestre pietale per- venimus. Nam quod permanere in palatio, juxia an- tiquam consueludinem, aposlolice ssedis diaconum - veslra 8erenitas non invenit, non hoc mez negligen- tiz, scd gravissime necessitalis fuit, quia dum mini- ' 8{ri 0mnes hujus nostre Ecclesiz tam contrita aspe- raque tempora cum formidine declinarent atque re- ſugerent, nulli eorum poterat imponi ut ad urbem regiam in palatio permansurus accederet. Sed post- latione cognoverit. Qualiter enim quotidianis gladiis et quantis Langobardorum incursionibus ecce jam per triginla quinque annorum Jlongitudinem premi- - .mur, nullis explere 1 245 suggestionis vocibus va- lemus. Sed in omnipolente Domino confidimus quia ea quz ccpit consolationis 8uz nobis bona perficiet ; et qui suscitavit in republica pios dominos, etiam exslinguet crudeles inimicos. Sancta itaque Trinitas vitam vestram per tempora longa custodiat, ut de bo- no vestre pietatis, quod tarde suscepimus, diutius gaudeamus. (Joan. Diac., lib. rv, c. NU.)