Letter 91: PEEAGIUS BENEGESTO DEFENSORI.

Pelagius to Benegestus the defensor [defensor: a church official entrusted with legal and administrative protection of church interests]. [After a few words.] On account of which, by the present authority we charge your Experience [a courtesy title for the official addressed], that in those cases in which any person of the ecclesiastical office stands in the place of plaintiff, suing some layman, he should not cease to set forth his actions before the judge of the province. But in those matters in which a person of the ecclesiastical office is sued, every obstacle of the suit being removed, let him present himself without distinction for the examination of the bishop or of the bishops appointed in the place where the question is being disputed, declining the pleading of the case by no evasions; so that the whole merit of the business, having been examined upon its truth alone and upon the laws alone, may be concluded by a sentence speedily arrived at; with your execution also striving toward this, that whatever things shall have been decided may be carried into effect, no complaint thereafter being returned to us concerning the contumacy of any sued ecclesiastic, by which not only the contumacious excesses, but your negligence also, would have to be punished.

PEEAGIUS BENEGESTO DEFENSORI. [Post pauca]. Propter quod experientiae tuae praesenti auctoritate mandamus, 1 ut in quibus causis quaelibet ecclesiastici officii persona loco peti¬ toris existit quendam laicum pulsatura, apud prouinciae iudicem suas proponere non desinat actiones. In his uero negotiis, in qui- 2 bus ecclesiastici officii persona pulsatur, totius submoto pulsatio¬ nis obstaculo, ad episcopi uel episcoporum in loco ubi quaestio uertitur constitutorum, occurrat indifferenter examen, nullis cau¬ sae dictionem frustrationibus decHnando; quatinus omne negotii meritum de sola ueritate sua soHsque legibus disceptatum, celeri 36, C* fol. 33^; fol. 79^-80; fol. 18P-182; E^ fol. 46^: (1-2 ... examen), E^ fol. £a fol. 70, £4 fol. 34^^. Bj defensori] om. (mutil. ?) Bj post ‘pauca] om. C E 2 propter quod] om. (an recte^) B^CDzE xperientiae (init. litt. deest) B^E^ auctorite Bj 3 in qui¬ bus causis] D 2 , seq. iterat, in quibus (in superser.) D^ \ in causis in quibus B^ C E (in cau¬ sis superscr. C 3 ), in causis quibuslibet C* aeclesiasti Bj 4 quenquam E, quemquam Bj laicus Ca C 4 prouiciae Bj 5 desinat] C B Bg-' deserat B^E^E^, desperat B 4 actiones] accusationes C 4 uero] ergo Bj C nego ... tiis Bj 6 summoto B, sumoto Bj pulsationis] dilationis C episcoporum] praesbyterorum B^E 8 occur... rat Bj indefferenter Cg 9 dictionem] ex dictionun (?) Bg, dictione C 4 Tit. Benegesta defensori: Ignotus ceteroqui. Propter magnam simi¬ litudinem cum ep. 81, hae litterae fortasse tempore non multum distanti ab illo quo Ulae datae fuerunt. 1. experientiae tuae: Cf. notulas in ep. 29,1, p. 84. Quod spec¬ tat ad alia in hac epistula expressa, cf. notata in ep. 81. p, 198. prouinciae iudicem: Cf. adnotationes in ep. 21,1, p. 64. PEIyAGII I PAPAE proueniente sententia terminetur; annitente quoque executione 3 tua, ut quae statui contigerint effectui mancipentur, nulla ad nos de cuiusquam ecclesiastici pulsati contumacia deinceps quaerimo- nia redditura, per quam non solum contumaces excessus, uerum tua quoque neglegentia sit plectenda. prouenienter Cj, prouenienti Cj C 3 13 contumacia] ex contumatia Dj 13-14 quaeri* moniae D 15 negligentia Z)j. Paulinum papa edocet quod loanni defensori iussit Romam pseudo- monachos mittere. Verum, si eorum pertinacia exigerit, iidem in Reatina insula, ut petiit praesul, exsilio quoque multabuntur.