Letter 4001: KING THEODERIC TO HERMINFRID, KING OF THE THURINGIANS

I. King Theoderic to Herminafrid, King of the Thuringians. [1] Desiring to add you to our kinsmen, we join you, by favor of the Godhead, to a niece, a dear pledge of affection, so that you who descend from royal stock may now shine more widely with the brilliance of Amal blood. We send to you the adornment of the palace household, an increase to your lineage, a comfort of faithful counsel, the most pleasant sweetness of marriage: one who may both rightfully share dominion together with you and order your nation with better discipline. [2] Happy Thuringia shall have what Italy has reared: a woman learned in letters, schooled in character, comely not only in birth but as much in feminine dignity, so that your fatherland may shine no less by her conduct than by its own triumphs. [3] Therefore, greeting you with fitting goodwill, we make known to you that, when your envoys came, we received the appointed price for a thing in truth beyond price, but in accordance with the custom of the nations: horses clothed in a silvery color, such as befitted a wedding. Their chests and legs are gracefully adorned with rounded swellings of flesh; their ribs spread out into a certain breadth; their belly is drawn in to a slimness; their head presents the likeness of a stag, imitating the swiftness whose semblance they appear to possess. These are gentle beneath their great plumpness, very swift despite their great bulk, pleasing to the eye, and more pleasing still in use: for they go softly, and do not weary their riders with frantic haste; one rests upon them rather than labors, and, governed with a delightful restraint, they know how to keep up a continuous nimbleness. [4] But this most noble herd, and these well-mannered beasts, and the other excellent things you sent, you recognize to be surpassed, since all things are by right outdone by that which adorns the glory of royal power. We too, indeed, have appointed those things which the princely order demanded; yet we have rendered nothing greater than this, that we have united you with the beauty of so great a woman. May the divine powers be present at your marriage, so that, just as the cause of affection has joined us, so too the favor of kinship may bind our descendants.

I. HERMINAFRIDO REGI THORINGORUM THEODERICUS REX. [1] Desiderantes vos nostris aggregare parentibus neptis caro pignori propitia divinitate sociamus, ut qui de regia stirpe descenditis, nunc etiam longius claritate Hamali sanguinis fulgeatis. mittimus ad vos ornatum aulicae domus, augmenta generis, solacia fidelis consilii, dulcedinem suavissimam coniugalem: quae et dominatum vobiscum iure compleat et nationem vestram meliore institutione componat. [2] Habebit felix Thoringia quod nutrivit Italia, litteris doctam, moribus eruditam, decoram non solum genere, quantum et feminea dignitate, ut non minus patria vestra istius splendeat moribus quam suis triumphis. [3] Quapropter salutantes gratia competenti indicamus nos venientibus legatis vestris inpretiabilis quidem rei, sed more gentium suscepisse pretia destinata, equos argenteo colore vestitos, quales decuit esse nuptiales. quorum pectora vel crura sphaeris carneis decenter ornantur: costae in quandam latitudinem porriguntur: alvus in brevitate constringitur: caput cervinam reddit effigiem, imitantes velocitatem cuius videntur habere similitudinem. hi sunt sub pinguedine nimia mansueti, magna mole celerrimi, aspectibus iucundi, usibus gratiores: incedunt enim molliter, sessores insanis festinationibus non fatigant: quiescitur in ipsis potius quam laboretur et compositi delectabili moderatione agilitate norunt continua perdurare. [4] Verum hunc quamvis nobilissimum gregem beluasque morigeras vel alia quae direxistis eximia victa cognoscitis, quando omnia iure superat, quae decus regiae potestatis exornat. destinavimus et nos quidem, quae principalis ordo poscebat: sed nihil maius persolvimus, quam quod vos tantae feminae decore copulavimus. assint vestro divina coniugio, ut sicut nos causa iunxit affectionis, ita et posteros nostros obliget gratia parentalis.