Letter 4026: King Theodoric to All the Inhabitants of Marseilles.

King Theodoric to All the Inhabitants of Marseilles. We gladly preserve the ancient privileges granted to you, since we wish to bestow new benefits upon you as well. Generosity knows no fixed boundaries, and those newly restored after a long absence deserve to be welcomed with fresh kindness. We hereby confirm, by this present authority, the immunity your region is known to have obtained through the privilege of earlier rulers. We will not allow any new imposition to be laid upon you, since we wish you to be freed from every burden. Moreover, the royal generosity remits your taxes for the present year, so that you may receive what you did not even think to request. True mercy is that which knows how to consider the exhausted before it is even moved by their prayers.

XXVI. UNIVERSIS MASSILIA CONSTITUTIS THEODERICUS REX. [1] Libenti animo antiqua circa vos beneficia custodimus, cum nova utilitatibus vestris praestare cupiamus. servare quippe terminos ignorat humanitas et novellis decet blandiri beneficiis post longa tempora restitutis. [2] Proinde immunitatem vobis, quam regionem vestram constat principum privilegio consecutam, hac auctoritate largimur nec vobis aliquid novae praesumptionis patiemur imponi, quos ab omni volumus gravamine vindicari. censum praeterea praesentis anni relaxat vobis munificentia principalis, ut et illa possitis accipere quae vos non contigit postulasse. ipsa est enim perfecta pietas, quae antequam flectatur precibus, novit considerare fatigatos.