Letter 9157: I must ask you directly: do not attempt to recall Pancratius the deacon from the monastic life he has chosen.

Pancratius, the bearer of these presents, is, as he asserts, a deacon, and presenting himself at the thresholds of the Apostles he is known to have hoped from us that we ought to commend him especially to Your Fraternity. He has also intimated to us that in the office of the clergy he is enrolled in your church. [...] Whence, pricked in conscience by the inspiration of a divine impulse, he has taken up the grace of the monastic manner of life, and, desiring there to remain in the same habit which he assumed, he recounts that he has now also been made a deacon of that same monastery. From the service of that place he suffers by no reasoning to be torn away. Now, as far as he asserts, Your Fraternity wishes to recall him into the office of your church, not indeed with the intent of hindering him, but out of an affection of benevolence. We exhort you, therefore, that Your Fraternity should in no way be an impediment to the ready devotion which he is eager to maintain toward his holy purpose, but rather kindle him with such exhortations as you are able, with pastoral admonition, so that the fervor of this his desire may not grow lukewarm in him; so that he who, separating himself from the turbulent tumult of secular cares, seeks out the harbor of the monastery in his desire for quiet, may not again be entangled in the disturbances of ecclesiastical cares, but may be permitted to remain secure from all these things, as he asks, amid the praises of God. [The following is a second letter: Gregory replies to Marcellinus, proconsul of Dalmatia, that if he is willing to favor Maximus of Salona, he will recover his (Gregory's) favor.] GREGORY TO MARCELLINUS, PROCONSUL OF DALMATIA. We have received the letter of Your Magnitude, in which you indicated that you had incurred our ingratitude [displeasure], and that on this account you wish through a direct satisfaction to have our favor. And indeed such great things have reached us concerning Your Magnitude as ought least of all to have been entrusted to a faithful man. For all assert that you exist as the authors of so great an evil in the affair of Maximus, by whom the despoiling of that church, or the loss of so many souls, and the audacity of an unheard-of presumption took its beginning. And indeed, as for your asking that you wish to have our favor, it is fitting that, in order to redeem yourselves for such deeds, you ought with your whole intention of mind, as is right, with tears to make satisfaction to our [brother]; for unless satisfaction has been made to him, what assuredly will our absolution or favor be able to confer? Yet so long as we perceive that you still persist in the [...] of your presumptions or in the defenses of those who err, we do not see what kind of satisfaction yours toward God or toward men may be. For then let Your Magnitude openly and evidently recognize that it satisfies God and all men, if it should strive to recall both the things gone astray to rectitude and the presumptuous things to the norm of humility. And if this be done, through it you will more certainly come to know that you shall obtain both the favor of God and of men.

I ancratius lator pracscntium, ut asscrit, diaconus apostolorum ac liminibus re- praesentans a nobis noscitur spcrasse', ut eum frntemitati veatrae debcrcmus specialiter commcndaro, Intimavit ctiam nobis, quod in clericatus officio vcstrae sit ceclesiae mili- ») iliBpwliia e'J; deHpcctiin e*.3; ilaspectLi «( rn*. q' 2: diniiocm lil. *<) <|uid Bl. =) ot pilla Jtl. rt) nt om. p" l. «) ,uni q* 1. f) ex subrectirmis eorr, li I. «) ex roquimnt (7(a p»3..W corr. e' >■ '■) synuJo IIJ. ') er cogilet (Itn Bl. q' 1. 2) corr. g* 1. k) iiiBunaiioiiibus B I. ') fx iiidicsl (ila H I. p* 1.3) eorr. Iiiducikt q' -J. ■") aiit III. ••) cuiiscnsimi B I; coiimiiiiuii p* J, ") ™ nulluni corr. g* I. P) admutico ^•3,-3. 1) qil. nnaaioii. om. p*a.3. ') Ua p*; iudici 11 1. ■) Ua R I. Q* I: prava dcniilorl» q'2. 3. t) exliibcrc (i'2. 3., ") diHcinnia 5*2..?. •) cb quaocumque (tta Q*3) eorr. q'-J. ") ila codil, n.; quia iiec legitimn Val. D, quaiidrxjiudeni Fnt. K. f, qiiamvla Val. A aec. ed. it. ») luctuni (om. uil) p* J. r) in fecerit eurr. q*]. «) ai lupraicr. H 1. ») flicut Q*2.3. *<) iiiccit. Hl. Q*l. c) atudia li I. ^) partem Bl. q'1. ") iudicium Ji 1. IX, IBT. ») ila MCT. Ew.; aperaus se C. IX, I.ir. Ife Deniderio, ep. Vieimensi, cf. ep. VI, 53 ,GoogIe tatus. Uqde divini motus'* inspirationc compunctUB gratiam monacbicac <= convcraationis uppotit illicquc iu codero quo sumpsit dcsidcrans babitu permanere ctiani diaconcni sc iam ciusdem monastcrii factum esse commemorat. De cuius loci scrvitio avclli nulla patitur ratione. I4^unc, quantum'' asaerit, fratemitas vestra non quidem impedicntis" intentu', sed affectu bcnevolentiae in ofEeio eum suae vuit ecclcsiae revocare. Hor- tamur ergo, ut sic promptae devotioni eius, quam in aanctum' studet babcre'' pro- positum, minimc vestra sit impedimento fraternitas, magis autera quibus' valetis ud- hortationibus pastorali ammonitionc '^ succendite, ut fervor huiua in eo desidcrii non tepescat, ut qui a turbulento curanim saccularium tumultu sc scgreganB quictis desiderio portum monaaterii' appctit, rursuni iti ccclcaiasticarum curarum non debeat pcrtur- bationibuB implicari, scd in Dci laudibus permittatur sccure ab his omnibuB, ut postulat, remancrc. Grcijofius MnrceUmo, pivcmtstili Dalniatiiu;, rcspo»di:t, sl Maximo (Halonitum) favere destilerit, ipstxis grattam rccujtcratttrum cssc. 5i)'J, Mai — luu. (Jvdd. C: eap. 35. Edd. M: LA. IX. ep. 5; G: hib. Vll iml. II. tjt. 3. - lalfi lUg. m6 (tm). GUEGOmUH MARCELLINO PROCONSULE DALMATIAE. EipiBtolam magnitudinia vcstrao suBccpimuB, in qua voa nostram'' incurrissc in- gratitudincm indicnstis ntque ob hoc pcr direotam '^ sutiBfactionom habcrc nostram velle T08 gratiani. Et quideni tanta ad nos dc vcstra mugnitudinc purvencrunt, quanta fideli viro minimo committi dcbucrunt". Vos cnini tanti mali de cauea 5faxtmi ' omncH astruunt auctorea'' cxiatcre, pcr quos spoliatio'^ illius ccclceiac vel tantarum animanim pcrdilio atquc inauditae pracaumptionis audacia' sumpsit initinm". Et quidcm quod noetram grutiam habcre vellc vos'' pctitis, cunvcnit, ut pro liis tulibus rcdomptiiri noHtro satiBfaccrc totu intentione mcntiB, ut dignum cst, cum lucrimiB dcbcatis, quia, ni illi satisfactum non fucrit, quid nofltru rclaxatio vcl gratia potcrit ccrtc conferre? Dum tarocn adhuc in pracsumptorum^.viia" vel erruntium defenaionibus incssc vos ccrnimus', qualis voi Deo vel hominibuB vestra sit eatiefactio, non videmus. Tunc enim Deo™ omnibus bc satisfacero magnitudo vcstra patcntcr" cvidcntcrquo cognoacat, si" ct dcvia ad rcctitudtncm ct pracsumptiva ad humilitatis normam studcret rcvocarc. Quod si factum fucriti*, pcr hoc ct Dei perccpturos "i et hominum gratium ccrtiuB agnoecutis. *•) div. inuhis corr iii diMmto* C8 w. 2. iiipedimeiilU C I. 2. *) mlsntum codd n. JJaranttt; itliMse codd. n ') ttni quibuit C3, IX, I5lt iit tU.: procoii» Cl; procuiiaulem in prucuiiBulti curr. C2; priicuuHule C3. ■) tiuslrui eodd. n. ^) directum C'J. <^) in d«busrMit eurr. C3 m. 2. <■) auctore res C I. 2, ted corr. i ■uctorea C 2. •) eipuliatio C I (tl C3 in arg.). f) aiuUciam codd. n. B) initio codd n. '■1 nun C. ') praesumtunim C2.3. **) iln scr. ; v'm rodd. n., eed ruiiiU ntprtuer. ni. ree. C2; ruinii edd, ') cc iiimur codd. h. ™) verba hnminibiin utque Ueu ovt. C2; de »cr. JUommten. ■>) iia edd.; pati eodd. i ") ittt edd.; ti vm. cotld. n. p) verha nlnderel utquc fuerit unt. CS. 4) praecept. Cl.3. TX, 158. De MarixOo rel Jtfareeflino cf. g). VIII, 24 n. 8. I) Cf. ep. IX, 154, 155. ' monacbiae C I. <>) quuitani C3. • >) ila fd, J/; ■ abiB«e tcr. 1 C2.S. ,GoogIe 160 GBEGOBII I. EEGISTRI