Letter 5015: King Theodoric to All Landowners Residing in the Province of Savia.

XV. King Theoderic to all the landowners established in the province of Savia. [1] Although our court, with God's help, grants justice to all who labor under hardship, and although from here remedies descend to our subjects, as it were from a living spring, to the remaining parts of the realm, nevertheless, moved by your frequent petitions, we have devised by an ingenious mercy both to grant equity to you and to do away with the weariness of a long journey, since those benefits are sweeter which are obtained with no difficulties. [2] We have therefore sent the illustrious and magnificent Severinus, trained in our institutions, to conduct among you that which he has known to have always pleased us. For he has seen how honored the just man is held in our regard, and in what manner the clemency of our Serenity smiles upon good deeds. He surely practices what he reckons we receive with gratitude: nor can rapacity be loved by a self-restrained prince, since it will please him by no bribe. Let the throng of the injured therefore come confidently to him: let whoever is oppressed by any wrong hope for a remedy. [3] We remove from you the difficulty of complaint, since crimes committed are cut off in their very cradle: let the man burdened by the weight of another's tribute cry out without any fear, being about to receive the remedy which he has from the laws. For we trust thus, that through those whom our institutions appoint, no losses come to the innocent. But what things we have judged should be arranged for your tranquility and for the equalization of the tributes, our pronouncements, which we have given to the aforesaid illustrious man Severinus, when made public will declare, so that each one may clearly recognize on what grounds he ought to make his appeal.

XV. UNIVERSIS POSSESSORIBUS IN SAVIA PROVINCIA CONSTITUTIS THEODERICUS REX. [1] Licet cunctis laborantibus comitatus noster concedat deo auxiliante iustitiam et hinc remedia subiectis ad reliquas regni partes quasi a vivo fonte descendant, tamen frequenti aditione permoti ingeniosa pietate repperimus et aequitatem vobis concedere et fatigationem longi itineris abrogare, quia dulciora sunt beneficia, quae nullis difficultatibus obtinentur. [2] Misimus itaque illustrem et magnificum Severinum nostris institutionibus eruditum, ut hoc apud vos gereret quod nobis semper placuisse cognovit. vidit enim quam honorabilis apud nos iustus habeatur, quemadmodum bonis actibus clementia nostrae serenitatis arrideat. exercet profecto quod nos aestimat gratanter accipere: nec potest amari rapacitas continenti principi nulla redemptione placitura. praesumenter ergo conveniat ad eum laesorum tumultus: speret remedium qualibet pressus iniuria. [3] Difficultatem vobis querelae summovemus, dum in ipsis cunabulis scelera commissa resecantur: sine aliqua formidine alieni tributi sarcina gravatus exclamet, accepturus remedium quod de legibus habet. sic enim confidimus, quia per eos, quos instituta nostra componunt, innocentibus detrimenta non veniant. qualia vero pro quiete vestra vel aequalitate tributorum disponenda censuimus, oracula nostra, quae dedimus ad supradictum virum illustrem Severinum, vulgata declarabunt, ut unusquisque unde supplicare debeat, evidenter agnoscat.