Letter 9044: **From:** Gregory I, Bishop of Rome

To Felix in Sicily. Gregory to Felix in Sicily. Since the seriousness of our most reverend brother, Bishop John, is well known to us, the letter of your Glory made us wonder greatly, because it indicated that he had been willing to do nothing in accordance with our admonition. And indeed it seemed hard to us either not to believe you, or to suspect such things of him, seeing that the character and conduct we know in him did not permit us to hold such a judgment of him. Therefore, when our mind hung in doubt between the two, we have learned that he had been willing that there should be a judgment between you and his Church, but that it was rather your Glory that put it off. And the bearer of these presents, your man, was not able to deny this. And we were saddened that your Glory, which shuns judgment, has been willing to complain against him, since it is established that, as we wrote, he complied of his own accord with whatever was reasonable. Nor was it necessary for him to write again, lest he should seem to have previously put off [the matter] according to [his own] inclination. But lest perhaps we should seem to sadden you, we have out of abundance again seen fit to write. And since we are certain that he will not refuse to do whatever equity shall have ordained, it behooves that your Glory not inflame its spirit against him out of ill will, but rather strive to enter upon a judgment, in which, by one and the same examination, the cause both of the [revenue] [...] and of ownership may be able to be distinguished. For to one desiring to come to judgment we cannot write certain things in a prejudicial manner, because it befits us so to lend our hearing to one party that nevertheless we without doubt reserve the matter whole for the other, especially when its allegation has not yet been heard. And therefore act, as we have said, so that the censure of judgment may determine the merits of your affairs, once the truth is known. For while we wish no one to suffer any prejudice, much more do we wish that what is just be preserved for you, as truly for sons.

AD FELICEM IN SICILIA. Ipsum de Joanne episcopo quasi judicium reſugiente immerilo conquerti, cum illud ipse distulerit. Ad fi- niendam cito. judicii censura litem horlatur. Gregorius Felici in Sicilia. Cum reverendissimi fratris nostri Joannis epi<copi bene nobis nota sit gravitas, mirari nos gloriz ve- s$lre valde fecit epistola quod 'nihbil eum $e- cundum admonitionem nostram facere voluisse si- gnabat. Et quidem durum nobis videbatur , aut vobis non credere, aut de illo talia susgpicari, quippe cujus cogniti nobis mores et actio non permittebant tale habere judictum. Cum ergo nosler animus dubius in uiroque penderet, comperimns cum inter vos et Ecclesjiam 8uam voluisse esse judicium, sed vesiram magis gloriam distulisse. Quod negare neque homo vester lator prasentium potuit. Et con- trislati 8umus cur gloria vestra, que judicium refu- git, contra eum queri voluerit, postquam conslat quia quod rationis ſuit, vel uliro, ut scripsimus, vbe- divit. Nec ei £cribere iterum necessarium erat , ne distulisse prius Secundum animum videretur., Sed ne vos contristare forsitan videremur, ex abundanli rursus previdimus scribendum. Et quoniam cerli Sumus quia quidquid zxquitas ordinaverit, facere no recuset, oportel ut gloria vestra animos $uos contra ejus invidiam non accendat, sed studeat jnire judi- Eeisr, XLII [ Af. 42]. — * De Theodelinda uber- rime in Vita sancti Gregorii egimus. Vide supra, lib- Iv, epist. 2. - Þ Poxt vicem additur in Excusis ef retributionem, quod abest a Mss. 977 EPISTOLARUM LIB. IX. — INDICT, 1. — EPIST. XLYI. 978 cium, in quo una eademque cognitione et * momenti A iavasam nuper asseruit, decess0ris vestri recordandz el proprielatis causa valeat distingui. Nam nos ve- nire ad judicium cupienti , prejudicialiter scribere quzedam non possumus, quia ita nos uni parti ac- ' commodare decet auditum, ut tamen alteri, praser- tim inauditz allegationis, sine dubio rem integram reservemus. Et ideo agite, sicut diximus, ut nego- tiorum vestrorum merita, verilate cognita, judicii censura definiat. Nam dum nullum velimus Þ pre- judicium sustinere, multo magis vobis, sicut revera filiis, volumus servari quod justum est.