Letter 10055: **From:** Gregory I, Bishop of Rome

To Leontius, the former consul. He commends Gregory, the former prefect. Gregory to Leontius, the former consul. Since the force of justice in your discernment, and the truth, suffice to aid those whom it protects, there was no need of anyone's commendation with you, seeing that you bestow of your own accord those things which ought to be sought on the ground of fairness. But lest we should seem to set aside the desires of those who petition us -- men who trust that their zeal for good sons grows through a father's encouragement -- we are therefore invited by every means to bring before your glory those matters which you display unbidden. For this reason, greeting you with fatherly affection, we ask that you bestow more abundantly upon our glorious son Gregory, the former prefect, the grace of charity with which you are endowed; so that he, on the one hand, may be able to prove by real effects whatever of fairness he trusts to find in your kindness, and we, on the other hand, learning the good things that are proclaimed of you in manifold ways, may be able continually to entreat the almighty Lord for the preservation of your glory. [The remainder of the source is corrupted by overlapping column text; the following passage, addressed to the recipient bishop, can be partly recovered:] ... that the coming [bearer find help], both with Leontius the glorious former consul in the ordering of his affairs, and with others where the case shall require, and that you hasten, with justice favoring it, to relieve his part, so that, with you concurring in priestly fashion, he may be able to incur no trouble or loss contrary to the order of fairness. And if -- which we do not believe -- you should perceive that he is being burdened in vain in any matter, it is necessary that you act with the aforesaid glorious man, preserving episcopal modesty, so that he ought to keep and observe the word which he gave to him through Azimarchus, the magnificent man [...] Scribonius, and that he by no means allow him to be afflicted unreasonably or to sustain loss. So therefore let your fraternity take care to show itself solicitous toward him, and strive to display itself according to God in his causes, so that both [as a priest ...].

AD LEONTIUM EXCONSULEM. Gregorium expreſectum commendat. Gregorius Leontio exconsuli. Cum juslitiz vigor in coguitione vestra, et verilas jJuvare suſliciat quos tuetur, cuvjusquam apud vos com- mendatione opus non ſuerat, quippe qui ea que pro =quitate petenda sunt ex vobis impenditis. Sed ne postulantium desideria, qui bonorum Gliorum $tu- dium paterna crescere adhortatione conſidunt, post- ponere videamur; idcirco illa apud gleriam vesiram agere quz ultro exhibetis omn:bus modis invitamur. Eapropter paterna dilectione vos $alulantes, peti- venienti tam apud Leontium gloriosum exconsulem in disponendis rationibus suis, quam apud alios, ubi causa poposcerit, opem. ſerre, et partes illius suble- yare ſavente justitia ſestinetis, ut, vobis sacerdotali- ter concurrentibus, nullam molestiam vel dispendium contra ordinem possit 2quitalis incurrere. Quem gi, quod non credimus, gravari ſrusira in aliquo senseris tis, apud predictum gloriosum virum agere vos, epi- scopali modestia servala. necesse est, ut yerbum quod ei per Azimarchum virum magniticum 5Scribo- nem prebuit, custodire debeat ac servare, alque illum irrationabiliter aſſligi vel 8ustinere dispendium minime patiatur. Ita ergo ſraternitas vestra $e erga - eum $o0llicitam curet ostendere, et in ejus $e causis mus ut glorioso viro filio nostro Gregorio exprz- B Secundum Deum $tudeat exhibere, ut et sacerdo- ſecto charitatis gratiam, qua estis przditi, largius tri- buatis; * quatenus ille et quidquid equitatis in ve- stra benignitate conſidit, veris possit effectibus ex- perirj, et nos bona que de vobis muliipliciter pr- dicantur addiscentes, assidue pro gloriz vestr# inco- lumitate omuipoteniem valeamus Dominum depre- cari, '