Letter 4124: I am sending you to investigate the lives and conduct of the bishops and other clergy in the Picene region [the...

To Castorius the deacon. [Summary:] Let him scrutinize the life of the bishop of Pesaro and of the other priests; if he finds anything amiss, let him report it. Let him protect the guardian, so that the man may be able to carry out the things enjoined upon him on behalf of the poor. Gregory to Castorius the deacon. Certain things have come to us concerning the bishop of Pesaro which by no means ought to be left uninvestigated. For this reason we instruct your Experience to take pains to scrutinize his life and deeds by careful inquiry. And if perhaps you should discover anything that could stain the integrity of the priesthood—which God forbid—by all means send him to us, under suitable safeguard, together with your written account of those things which you have ascertained in truth, so that, being informed, with God revealing it, we may consider more subtly, in accordance with the truth, what ought to be done. But you ought to be solicitous not only concerning him, but also concerning the life of the other priests as well. And if you are able to perceive anything amiss concerning any of them, hasten to report it to us, so that the depravity of their deeds may, with God's help, be wholesomely corrected. It has also come to us that a certain Adeodatus, a citizen of Pesaro, having appointed his son and his home-born slave as heirs, designated Thomas as guardian, adding this condition: that if perchance his heirs should pass from this life while in their minority, all his substance ought to be distributed to the poor by the hand of the aforesaid guardian. But, with those who had been appointed heirs now deceased, the aforesaid guardian is said to be hindered by certain persons, so that the will of the deceased cannot be fulfilled. For this reason, if you should find that it is in truth so, just as we have been informed, let it be the concern of your care and solicitude to protect and defend the aforesaid guardian reasonably, so that he may be able to bring into effect whatever things have been enjoined upon him. But since the same guardian is said to wish [for] something [...]. [The following is editorial apparatus on the manuscript readings, in part garbled: "...so it may be read; the sense is lacking: but by those who had been appointed heirs, lest the will of the deceased be able to be fulfilled, the aforesaid guardian by certain persons (which indeed is omitted in the printed editions, but is read in all the manuscripts) is said to be hindered; 'by those' is superfluous. And indeed the will of the testator could not be fulfilled so long as the heirs appointed by him were living; therefore they had already died."] [A further marginal note, garbled, appears to read: "...the regionary [officials], the poor, widows, orphans, and the elderly were maintained from [the resources] of their own region. They were in a manner public [...]"] OF SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT [...resume of the letter:] ...[so that the things enjoined] may nowhere be able to be hindered from being fulfilled. As for Valerian the monk, however, whom you handed over, reformed, to the monastery of the blessed John situated in Classe, we wish without doubt that he remain in that same monastery. Moreover, lest your Experience suffer any want in your expenses, we wish you to make all your expenses from the revenues of the holy Roman Church which have there been gathered together through your provision. And if anything should be left over, bring it to us when you come.

AD CASTURIUM - DIACONUM. Pisaurensis episcopi aliorumve sacerdotum vitam per- scruletur; 8i quid g8inislrum invenerit, renuntitet. Tutorem tueatur, ut quE@ 5ibi pro pauperibus injuncta 8unt valeat exsequi. Gregorius ® Castorio diacono. Quzdam ad nos de Þ Pisaurensi episcopo pervene- runt, que indiscussa nullo modo sunt JS re'in- quenda. Propterea experientie tuz precipimus ut de vita et actibus ipsius subtili indagatione studeat per- scrutari. Et $i quid ſortasse repererit quod sacerdotii, quod absit, integritatem valeat maculare, ad nos eum cum secriptis tuis de his que in veritate cognoveris omnimodo sub competenti cautela transmitte, ut in- ſormati, Deo revelante, 8ublilius de veritate, quid fieri debeat pertractemus. Non solum autem de eo, sed et de aliorum quoque $sacerdotum te vita convenit es-e sollicitum. Et si de quolibet sinistrum quidpiam - Sentire potneris, nobis renuntiare ſestina, ut actuum prav.itas Salubriter cum Dei solatio debeat emen- dari. ; Pervenit quoque ad nos Adeodatum quemdam ci- vem Pisaurensern, filio atque vernaculo 8uo haredi- bus institutis, Thomam deputasse tutorem, hanc con- . ditionem adjiciens, ut $i forte, heredes ip+-ius in pupillari ztale de hac vita transirent, omnis ejus substantia per manus ante dicti tutoris debuisset pauperibus erogari. © Sed obitis qui hzredes ſuerunt inslituti, ne deſuncti possit voluntas impleri, supra- SCtiptus tutor a quibusdam dicitur impediri. Propter- . ea, $i $icut edocti sumus ita esse in veritate com- pereris, curz alque $0llicitudinis tuz sit ante dictum tutorem . Fationabiliter tneri, atque deſendere, ut quzeque $ibi injuncta sunt valeat effectui mancipare. Sed quoniam dicitur eumdem tutorem velle aliquid . ita legalur, $ensus deficit : ed ab iis qui haredes ſre- run! ims0uti, ne deſuncii poss voluntas impleri s1pra- scriptus tutor a quibusdam (quo | quidem omittiiur in Editis, al in omnibus Mss. legitury dicitur imp-dirt ; Superfluit, ab iis. Et sane teslatoris volunt1s :mpleri non poterat, q andin h;eredes ab eo inslitull vive- rent; ergo jam obierant. " COn05 regionarios, pauperes, vidurr, pupilli, senes pro - prize regionis alebantur, Eraut publicz quodammodo SANCTI GREGORI! MACGNI jusquam po«8int impedimento compleri. Valerianum A bili prece omnes deposcimus ut omnipoteas Deus vero monachum, quem emendatum in monasterio beati Jo:nnis in Classe po-ito tradidisti, in eodem eum monasterio sine dubio volumus permanere. Preterea ne quam necessilatem in expensis Lua ex- perientia patiatur, de reditibus 8anclz Romanz Ecclesie, qui illie te providente agg'egoti sunt, omnes expensas tuas le ſacere volumus. Et si quid superſuerit, nobis cum veneris defer.