Letter 12046: My dear Felix, I am giving into your service and care a man named John, who has served faithfully and who I believe...

To Felix, Bishop of Portus. He presents to him John, a servant. Gregory to Felix, Bishop of Portus. Moved by the grace of your charity, lest we should seem to remain unfruitful toward you, especially since we have learned that you have too few servants, we therefore, by direct right, give and grant to your Fraternity John, a servant of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, a Sabine by nation, from the Flavian estate, of about eighteen years of age, whom by our will you have now long possessed; so that you may have him, possess him, and claim him for your own jurisdiction and property, and defend him, and whatever you may wish to do with him you may carry out by the free right of this donation, as his master, at your own discretion. You shall know that neither we nor our successors will ever come against the charter of this our munificence. Moreover we have read this donation, drawn up by our notary, and have subscribed it, granting also, without your declaration being awaited, license to bind it at whatever time you may wish, a lawful stipulation and pledge having been interposed. Done at Rome.

AD FELICEM PURTUENSEM EPISCOPUM. Joannem famulum donat. Gregorius Felici episcopo Portuensi. | Charitatis vesire gratia provocati, ne infructuosi yobis videamur existere, precipue cum et minus vos habere servitia noverimus, ideo Joannem juris eccle- Siastici famulum, natione Sabinum, ex massa Fla- viana, annorum plus minus 211] decem et octo, quem nostra voluntate diu jam possidetis, fraterni- ati vestrz * jure directo donamus atque concedi- mus; ita ut eum habeatis, possideatis, atque juri proprietatique vestrz vindicetis atfue deſendatis, et quidquid de eo facere volueritis, quippe Þ ut domi- nus, ex hvujus donationis jure libero potiamini arbi- trio. Contra quam munificenties notre chartulam nunquam nos Successoresque nostros noveris esse venturos. Hanc autem donationem a notario nostro perscriptam legimus, atque subscripsimus , tribuen- tes etiam, non exspeclala proſessione vestra, quo volueritis tempore, alligandi licentiam , legitima © $Lipulatione et sponsione interposita- Actum Ro- mz. |