Letter 9043: How your Excellency has laboured earnestly and kindly, as is your wont, for the conclusion of peace we have learned from the report of our son, the abbot Probus. Nor indeed was it otherwise to be expected of your Christianity than that you would in all ways skew your assiduity and goodness in the cause of peace. Wherefore we give thanks to Almig...

Gregory to Theodelinda, Queen of the Lombards. Your Excellency, how earnestly and kindly you worked for the conclusion of peace -- as is your way -- we have learned from our son, the abbot Probus. I expected nothing less from your Christianity than that you would devote your full energy and goodness to the cause of peace. I give thanks to Almighty God, who so governs your heart with his loving-kindness that, having given you right faith, he also enables you always to do what pleases him. Be assured, most excellent daughter: for preventing so much bloodshed on both sides, you have earned no small reward. Returning thanks for your good will, I implore God's mercy to repay you with blessings in body and soul, now and in the world to come. Greeting you with fatherly affection, I urge you to continue working on your most excellent husband [King Agilulph] so that he does not reject friendship with the Christian empire [the Byzantine Empire]. As I believe you know, it would be greatly to his advantage to cultivate that alliance. Keep doing what you do -- seek every opportunity for goodwill and reconciliation between the parties, and seize every chance to reap a reward. Commend your good deeds ever more brightly before the eyes of Almighty God.

Book IX, Letter 43 To Theodelinda, Queen of the Lombards. Gregory to Theodelinda, etc. How your Excellency has laboured earnestly and kindly, as is your wont, for the conclusion of peace we have learned from the report of our son, the abbot Probus. Nor indeed was it otherwise to be expected of your Christianity than that you would in all ways skew your assiduity and goodness in the cause of peace. Wherefore we give thanks to Almighty God, who so rules your heart with His loving-kindness that, as He has given you a right faith, so He also grants you to work always what is pleasing in His sight. For you may be assured, most excellent daughter, that for the saving of so much bloodshed on both sides you have acquired no small reward. On this account, returning thanks for your goodwill, we implore the mercy of our God to repay you with good in body and soul here and in the world to come. Moreover, greeting you with fatherly affection, we exhort you so to deal with your most excellent consort that he may not reject the alliance of the Christian republic. For, as I believe you know yourself, it is in many ways profitable that he should be inclined to betake himself to its friendship. Do you then, after your manner, always strive for what tends to goodwill and conciliation between the parties, and labour wherever an occasion of reaping a reward presents itself, that you may commend your good deeds the more before the eyes of Almighty God. About this page Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 13. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1898.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360209043.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.