Letter 3025: I have heard reports about your conduct toward your bishop during his illness, and those reports are not good.

To the citizens of Ariminum [Rimini]. He charges them in the matter of the bishop's infirmity, and commands them to obey Leontius in all things. Gregory to all the inhabitants of Ariminum. If you would more attentively consider your fault, most beloved sons, you ought to purge yourselves by constant prayer before God, because you received your bishop neither with a devout mind nor as sons should: a man whom the disquiet and tribulation inflicted by you brought to such a pass that he fell into bodily affliction, although in him we have recognized nothing of those things which have been written to us, but we have seen only weakness present in him, on account of which we have taken care to retain him here. And since he is at present not strong enough to return there, we have of necessity provided for your Church by appointing in all respects our brother and fellow-bishop Leontius as Visitor; to whom we have also enjoined by our writings that he should set in order all things which pertain to the care and benefit of the Church, as a bishop in his own right ought to do. Do you therefore so obey him in all things, that, aided by your devotion in all respects, he may be able to carry out the task of visitation enjoined upon him in a wholesome manner. (Cf. John the Deacon, Book i, chapter 52.)

AD ARIMINENSES CIVES. Illos de episcopi $i infirmitate accusal, ut Leontio in omnibus obediant jubel. Grego1 us universis habitatoribus Arimini. Si culpam vestram, filii dilectissimi, intentius ve- litis attendere, assidua vos apud Deum debetis ora- tione purgare, quod episcopum vesirum non devota mente nec ut filij svscepistis : quem inquietudo et tribulatio a vobis illata ad hoe usque perduxit, ut molestiam corporalem in«urrerit, quamvis in eo nibil de his qua? nobis 8unt scripla cognovimus, sed solam inesse vebilitatem vidimus, pro qua eum hic retinere euravimus. Et quia illvc modo ad prasens non valet reme-re, Ecciesiz ve>tre necessario * providimus G42 Leont-um fratrem et coepiscupum nostrum Vi- Silatwwrem per omnia deputare, Cui cliam nostris SCTi- ptis injunximus ut omnia que ad curam ulilitatem- que Ecclesix pertinent, tanquam proprius episcopus debeat ordinare Vos ergo ita ei in omnibus obedite, quatenus operam $ibi visitationis injunctam Þ®, vestra jutus $alubriter in omnibus devotione, possil com- plere. (Cf. Joan. Diac. l. i, c. 52.)