Letter 11034: A report has reached me, which I received with such shame that I could not record it without distress, that you have...

When many good things had been reported to us about your studies, such joy was born in our heart that we could not in the least deny those things which your fraternity had asked to be granted to it. But after this it reached us — something we cannot mention without shame — that your fraternity has been expounding grammar to certain persons. We received this so ill and spurned it so vehemently that we turned what had previously been said into groaning and sadness, because the praises of Christ cannot find a place in one mouth together with the praises of Jupiter. And consider yourself how grave and nefarious it is for a bishop to recite what would be unseemly even for a religious layman.

Cum multa* nobis bona de vestris fuissent studiis nuntiata, ita cordi nostro est nata laetitia, ut negare ea quae sibi fratemitas vestra eoneedenda poposcerat minime pateremur** Sed post hoc pervenit ad nos, quod sine verecimdia memorare non possumus, fraternitatem tuam grammaticam quibusdam exponere. Quam rem ita mo- leste suscepimus^ ac sumus vehementius aspemati, ut ea quae prius dicta fuerant in gemitu et tristitia verteremus*', quia in uno se ore cum lovis** laudibus Christi laudes non capiunt. Et quam grave nefandumque sit episcopo® canere, quod nec laico reli- gioso conveniat, ipse considera. Et quamvis dilectissimus filius noster Candidus pres- byter' postmodum veniens hac de re suptiliter requisitus negaverit atque vos conatus fuerit excusare, de nostris tamen adhuc animis non recessit, quia quanto execrabile est hoc de sacerdote enarrari', tanto», utrum ita necne^ sit, districta et veraci oportet satisfactione cognosci. Unde si* post hoc evidenter haec quae^ ad nos perlata sunt^ falsa esse clamerint" neque vos nugis et° saecularibus litteris studere constiterit, et Deo nostro gratias agimus**, qui cor vestmm maculari blasfemis nefandomm laudibus non per- misit, et de^ concedendis quae poscitis*i securi iam et sine aliqua dubitatione tractabimus'. Monachos vero quos una cum dilectissimo filio nostro' Laurentio presbytero* et Mellito abbate * ad reverentissimum fratrem et coepiscopum nostrum Augustinum trans- misimus vobis in omnibus commendamus, ut fraternitate vestra solaciante nulla illos ad proficiscendum mora valeat impedire. XI, 34 in Utulo: Galliaue R 1. *) uiulta om. Rl. vel pateretur mproicr. q3. c) ex Tertemus corr. Rl. lobis Rl. ^) ita Rl; episcopis Q.Q*. 0 narrari Rl. 8) tanta q1.q*1; tantom q*2.3. ^) Ha qS; atrum nc (om. ita nec) Rl; utrum ita uecesse Q*.Ql. ^) ai om. Rl. XI, 34 una cerU cum seguentibus ep. tranmma per Augustini mdnachos. De Desiderio, ep. Viennensi, cf. ep. VI, 62 n. LL. III, 1 Conc. Merov. p. 178. 1) Be qua petitione agatur, ignoramtis; 9ed de paUii guadam concessione cogitari non posse censeo: cf. ep. IX, 220 n. 2. 2) Cf. ep. V, 63^ p. 357 n. 6. Adde Gregorovius 1. 1. II* p. 88 88. et Ebert, Oeseh. d. chri8(l.'lat. Literatur I p. 626, qui no8tr% et TertuUiani opiniones confert; affert etiam didL II, 1: scienter nesciua etc. 3) De Candido, rectore patrimonii GaUid, cf. ep. V, 31 p. 311 n. 3. VI, 10 n. In OaUiam non muUo post rerersus est: cf. ep. XI, 43 s. 4) Laureniius et Petrus monachus ab Augustino Eomam mtwt erant, postquam ab episcopo Arelatensi consecrattis erat, ut refert Beda, h. e. 1, 27: ef. ep. VIU, 29 n. 4; Laurentius a. 606 Augustino episcopus successit: cf. Bed. II 11 c. 4. Adde ep.8ei.Hep. XI, 41.48. 6) Bed. h.e. I^ 29: misit cum praef^tis legatariis suis plures cooperatoret ac verbi miiiiitm, in qnibiis priini et praedpni erant Mellitus, lustus, Paulinus, RufiniannB; et per eoe genenlitar «fli^flna, qiue ad cnltnm erant ac ministerium ecclesiae necessaria etc. MMio naeter ep» Z{ MMltm Augustinus a. 604 episcoputn LundomenaeM eonamrmit: ^ XI, 41. 48.