Letter 3016: The matter you have raised requires careful consideration, and I have given it my attention.

To Bishop Peter. [He commends Valerianus the presbyter, who comes for the ransoming of captives.] Gregory to Peter, bishop of Bari. Although we do not doubt that your Fraternity devotes himself willingly to pious causes, nevertheless, because we judge that he is made the more ready to do so by a letter of ours, therefore we indicate to you by the present lines that the bearer of these, Valerianus the presbyter, has come to those parts for the ransoming of captives; to whom you ought the more earnestly in all things to render aid, the more you recognize that he has taken upon himself the labor of so long a journey with a view to the reward. For thus he will accomplish, with your help, what he here intends, and your Fraternity, for the consolation bestowed, will find with God, as he desires, a great recompense. In the month of January, in the eleventh indiction.

AD PETRUM EPISCOPUM. Valerianum- presbylerum pro redemptione captivorum advenientem commendat. Gregorius Petro. episcopo ® de Baricis. Licet ſraternitatem tuam piis se causis non dubi- temus Sponte impendere, verumtamen quia pronio- rem eam nostra fieri arbitramur epistola, idcirco peti, desiderari, eligi, pro eodem usurpantur, sive D rium nomine presbyteri episcopns designatur; sxpius clerum $pectes, sive populum. Electionem, inquit, reslram_valde laudavimus, epist. sequenti. Postulare lawen majus est quam petere. Inde apud Curtiun, de Dario victo, el jamen arroganter leges pacis ſerre voleme, h&c legimus : Pos/ulabat autem magis quam tebat, ut, etc. Gussanv. Poslulatio et electio nonnj- | dillerunt, quod Gussauvillezi pace dixerim. Vide notlas ad epist. 59 lib. 1. 4 Yalic. A, conscriptionemque. Alia lectio est Norm., Turon., elc. © Prioribus sxculis, si vocem $pectes, iidem dice- bantur episcopi qui presbyteri, apud Grzcos et Lati- Nos Auctores, ne exceptis quidem sacris Codicibus. Vide Hieronymum, epist. 85, ad Evagrium ; Theo- doreium, inivo Epist. ad Puilip., et jn cap. 1 prime ad Timoth.; Act. xx, 47. Vis apud sanclum Grego- nomine $sacerdotis. Porro- cardinalis 8acerdos idew ac proprius, quasi litulo perseveranter aſtixus. Sanclo Gre:orio, et aliis passim, incardinare est proprium episcopum, abbatem, presbyierum, diaconum in ali- qua Ecclesia instnuere. Vide lib. 1, epist. 15; liÞ. 12, epist. 9, 40, 86; lib. x, epist. 5; lib. xu, epist. 11; lib. xi1, epist. 6. Eeisr. XIV. — * la legitur in Turon. S. Gat. EeisT. XV. — * In nonnuliis Ed., duci Campante. quatuor Vatlic., oemnium Norm., Reg., etc. $$. Eer>T. XVI. — * In Mss. et in Editis discrepat bujus epist. tuscriplio. In Norm, , Riem. et ct. alt- as 617 EPISTOLARUM LIB. IL. -— INDICT. XI. — EPIST. NIX. 618 pr:e>cnlibus tibi indicamus apicibus horum latorem A Valerianum presbyterum pro redemplione caplivorum wm illas partes advenis>e ; cui tanto enixius i omul- bus debetis ſerre $80latium, quanto eum ” mercedis micutione longinqui ilineris laborem as$umpSisSC cougnoscitis. Sic enim et hic qnod intendit, te adju- vanle, perficiet, et ſraternitas tua pro impens0 Sula- mine magnam apud Deum , sicut desiderat, retribu- tionem inveniet. © Mense Januario, indictione 11.