Letter 10017: I am sending you both on visitation assignments according to the formula I use for such delegations.

[This record contains several letters of Gregory the Great run together by the OCR, which has merged two printed columns line by line; the legible content of each is translated below in order.] TO VENERIUS AND STEPHANUS, BISHOPS. With his customary formula he enjoins upon them the office of visitation. Gregory to Venerius and Stephanus, bishops. The report that was sent to us has disclosed the death of the bishop of the Church of Tauriana, and likewise of the most illustrious bishop of the Church of Torres. Wherefore we solemnly delegate to your Gravity the task of visiting the bereaved Church. [Here the OCR interleaves a second letter on forbearance in correction.] It has indeed been reported to me that, whenever anyone has given you offense, you retain your grief without remission. And if this is true -- for as much as I love you, so much am I grieved -- I ask that you banish this fault from yourselves in a noble manner, and that you not allow the enemy's seed to grow up alongside the crop of good work. Let the words of the Lord's prayer be called back to memory, and let fault not prevail more with you than pardon. Let the goodness of your Glory overcome the offense, and, more wholesomely, by forgiving, let it make devoted, through pardon, the man whom persisting harshness can only make undevoted. Let something be left to him from which he may feel shame, and let nothing be kept up at which he may grieve. For very often a remission used with discretion in correction has more force than a severity exacted in carrying out vengeance; so much so that sometimes the former makes a man more faithful and submissive, while the latter makes him stubborn and hostile. And indeed we do not say this so that you should withdraw from zeal for rectitude, but so that you should not be such in the least matters as you ought to be in the greatest. For if ever the character of the excess demands severity, one must act so that vengeance both corrects the fault, and that grace is not denied to those who have been corrected afterwards. These things, therefore, since fatherly love so urges, we admonish you for the sake of your soul: receive with that charity with which they are spoken the things that are said, and take them up to the advantage of your Glory, so that your good qualities may be both more illustrious among men, and most pure before the Almighty Lord. But concerning us, as is truly the case, dearest daughter, presume confidently in all things; and since we desire always to hear of your prosperity, refresh us by frequent letters, as occasions run their course. [Resuming the visitation commission, Epistle XVII.] So far as concerns you it befits you to show yourself, that nothing of the promotions of clerics, of revenue, of adornment, of the ministries, or whatever it is in the patrimony of those same Churches, be presumed upon by anyone in any way. And therefore let your Beloved make haste to go to the aforesaid Churches, and let him hasten with constant exhortations to admonish the clergy and people of those same Churches, so that, all partiality set aside, with one and the same consent they may seek to have set over them such priests as may be worthy of so great a ministry, and may in no way be rejected by the venerable canons. And when these men have been requested, confirmed by the subscriptions of all with the solemnity of a decree, and with the testimony of the letters of your Beloved, let them come to us to be consecrated. We also admonish your Fraternity that you permit no one to be chosen from another Church -- unless perhaps among the clerics of that very city in which you are bestowing the office of visitation no one worthy of the episcopate, which we do not believe will happen, can be found. Providing above all things that no persons of lay manner of life or merit presume to aspire to it, and that you not incur, which God forbid, the peril of your own order. EPISTLE XVIII. TO CLEMENTINA, PATRICIAN LADY. He outlines Amandus, elected by the people of Sorrento to the episcopate. Gregory to Clementina, patrician lady. Know, glorious daughter, that Amandus the presbyter has been elected to the episcopate by the people of Sorrento. And since we have written that he ought to be sent here [...] [A further interleaved fragment, Epistle XVI, on rendering account for the flock.] [...] to render an account of all things concerning the sheep committed to me. If perhaps you were unwilling that I should write these things to you, you ought, brother, to pardon my fear. For I greatly fear lest, while I keep silent and dissemble, etc. [Closing portion, on Amandus.] You ought not to grieve over his absence, since one who is in mind with you is not believed to depart. And since to those seeking a shepherd the man who once pleased you is acceptable, blessing Almighty God, rejoice rather in this with Christian devotion; and be eager with gladness that he may be able to come to us the more quickly, to be of profit to others, since it is the mark of sincere charity to rejoice when the one who is loved is called to this end, that he may increase.

AD VENERIUM ET STEPHANUM EPISCOP0S. Suo consuela ſormula visitationis munus injungit. (regorius ® Venerio et Stephano episcopis. Obitum Paulini Taurianensis Ecclesiz, $ed et ill. Turritanz Ecclesie anlislitum directa relatio pate- ſecit. Quapropler visilationis destitutz Ecclesie (ra- Nuntiatuin $iquidem mihi est quod si quando vos teriilati tue operam solemniter delegamus : quam quizxquaim offenderit, dulorem irremissibiliter retine- ita te convenit exhibere, ut nihil de provectionibus lis. Quod $i verum est, quia quantum vos diligo, clericorum, reditu, ornatu, ministeriisque, vel quid- tantum contristor, pelo ut hoe a vobjg vitium nobi- quid illud est in patrimonio earumdem Eeclesiarum , liter excludatis, et secus boni operis segetem inimici A quoquam aliquo modo presumatur. Et ideo dile- Semen Crescere non sinatis. Dominic# orationis yerba Clio tua ad priedictas -Ecclesias ire properet, et as- ad memoriam reducantur, et non apud : vos plus Siduis adhortationibus clerum plebemque earumdem valeat culpa quam venia. Excessus gloriz vesirxz Ecclesiarum admonere festinet, ut, remoto studio, bonitas superet, et magis salubriter ignoscendo de- uno eodemque consensu tales $ibi preficiendos ex- votum ſaciat quem polest persislens fſacere asperitas Peltant sacerdotes qui et tanto minislerio digni va- iadevotum. Relinquatur illi unde verecundiam ha- leant reperiri, et a venerandis canonibus nultatenug beat, et non $ervelur quoi doleat. Nam plerumque respuantur. Qui dum fuerint postulati, cum solemui- plus virium habet discreta in correctione remissio, fate decreti omnium $ubscriptionibus roborati, et quam in exsequenda ultione districl.0; © adeo ut non- dilectionis luz testimonio litterarum, ad nos sa- nunquam hw&c lideliorem atque subjectum, illa vero crandi occurrant. Commonentes etiam fraternilatem obslivatum faciat ef 2mulum. Et quidem hec non ad C tuam ut nullum de altera eligi permilttas Ecclesia , hoe dicimus, ut a zelo vos reclitudiuis sublrahatis, nisi forte inter clericos ipsius Civitatis in qua visita- zed ne lales silis in minimis, quales esse dehetis ia tionis impendis officium, nullus ad episcopatum di- maximis. Nam $i quando severitatem excessus qua- gnus, quod evenire non credimus, potuerit inveniri. litas exigit, agendum est ut et culpam ultio corrigat, Provisurus ante omnia ne cujuslibet conversationis et correctis post gratia non negetur. Haec' igitur quia meritive laice personz aspirare presumant, et ut paterna Suadente dilectione pro vestra vos anima periculum ordinis tui, quod absit, incurras Þ. commonemus, cum ea qua dicuntur charitlate SusCi- EPISTOLA XVIll. pile, atque ea ad gloriz vestr# ulilitalem assumile, AD CLEMENTINAM PATRICIAW. ut bona vestra et apud homines clariora , et apud y, 4nandum a Strrentinis ad episcopatum electum omnipotentem Dominum LQS2 possint esse puris- delineat, sima. De nobis autem sicut re vera, charissima lilia, Gregorius Clementine Patriciz. fiducialiter in cunctis presumile; et quia de veslra * Amandum presbyterum Þ a Surrentinis, ad epi- cupimus prosperitate semper audire, discurrentibus gcopatum, gloriosa ilia, electum es82 COgnoscas. nos spius epistolis relevate. Quem quia huc scripsimus debere LQZZ (ransmilt, Ee'sT. XV { Al. 16]. — * Galli dicunt une pique, D Erisr. XVII {AlL. 18, indice. 6]. — * Privs inscri- id ext inſensum et malevolum animum , ut postea Pta erat hc epistola $oli. Venerio episcopo : huie explicat. GuS<AaNnv. jungunt Stephanum duo Teller., quinque VYatic., etc. Strum omnium rationem. de commissis ovibus readi- Martii an. 600, wi probat illius epitaphium quod Sur- lurum. Si forte nolles ut haec tibi scriberem, oportet rTeul: legitur in eccles1a Sanctorum Felicis et Baculi. te, [rater, ignoscere timori meo. Multum enim timeo ne Hic requi-scit sacerdes Dei Amandus episcopus $ancle me tacente et dissimulante, etc. GUSSANV. þ Ecclene Surrentine, qui 8edil annos xvii, dies xx1, © Sex Anglic. et alii plur., ideo quia nonnunquam.. depositus es! die 15, mense Aprills, indict. 5, imperante Eersr. XVI [Al. 47, indict. 6]. — * Hune titulom- BD. N. Heraclio R. Au/., anno 7, orale pro me, 8ancte eruimus ex duobus vel. Colb. et ex Vatic. A,B, E. Pater. Amandum ut Sanctum yeaerautur. SUurrentints - In uno ex Colbert., hoe titulo deleto, ejus loco legi- b Vel Sorentints, ut In Regio et in pler:$que Mss, tur clero, 0r«(ini et plebi consis!. Panormi. legitur, et infra, epist. 19, Sorentin®. contristari de ejus absentia non debetis, quia nec A auctoritale commonita , provideat atque dispenset abscedere creditur qui mente vobiscum est. Et quo- niam pastorem quzrentibus is qui vobis olim placuit gratus est, omnipotentem Deum benedicentes, © Christiana magis in hoc devotione gaudete ; et ut ad nos celerius aliis profuturus venire debeat, hilariter Studete, quia gincerz charitatis est exsullare, quando is qui diligitur, ad hoc vocatur ut crescat 9.