Letter 3042: Under a benevolent ruler, subjects do not even need to ask for relief, because the ruler's humanity anticipates...

42. KING THEODERIC TO ALL THE PROVINCIALS ESTABLISHED IN THE GALLIC PROVINCES. [1] Under a kindly prince it does not fall to subjects to petition for relief, since humane consideration goes before their supplication, and in a wonderful way the granting comes earlier than the prayers. For lately, moved by justice, we had given orders that some portion of the province, left unharmed, should furnish provisions found for our Goths. [2] But since, although it is fitting that a prince should always decree the more humane course, provided that what has been altered for the sake of a benefit does not incur the fault of inconstancy, yet so that not even the possessors should be burdened by the slightest imposition, we have dispatched the military expenses from Italy, so that the army sent for your defense might be maintained out of our own humane bounty, and that the province might feel from so great an assembling nothing but aid. [3] To the commanders also and the officers in charge we have transmitted a sufficient quantity of money, so that their rations, which could not be conveyed thither, might there be procured without anyone's loss, since we do not wish to impose upon your levy even those things which you, as we judge, were able to offer.

XLII. UNIVERSIS PROVINCIALIBUS IN GALLIIS CONSTITUTIS THEODERICUS REX. [1] Non occurritur sub principe benigno remedia postulare subiectos, quoniam supplicationem praecedit humanitas et miro modo posteriora fiunt vota quam praestita. nuper siquidem moti iustitia iusseramus, ut pars aliqua illaesa provinciae Gothis nostris alimonia reperta praestaret. [2] Sed quia licet principem semper humaniora censere, dum varietatis non habet vitium, quod pro beneficio fuerit immutatum, sed ut nec minima possessores illatione gravarentur, ex Italia destinavimus exercituales expensas, ut ad defensionem vestram directus exercitus nostris humanitatibus aleretur solumque auxilium provinciae de tam magna congregatione sentirent. [3] Ducibus etiam ac praepositis sufficientem transmisimus pecuniae quantitatem, ut eorum praebendae, quae non potuerunt convehi, ibi debuissent sine alicuius dispendio comparari, quia delectui vestro nec illa volumus imponere, quae vos potuistis, ut arbitramur, offerre.