Letter 105: The time is swift, the struggle great, and my sickness severer, reducing me almost to immovability. What is left but to pray to God, and to supplicate your kindness, the one, that He will incline your mind to gentler counsels, the other that you will not roughly dismiss our intercession, but will receive kindly the wretched Paulus, whom justice ...

Gregory to a patron. The time is short, the struggle is great, and my illness is severe, reducing me almost to immobility. What is left for me but to pray to God and to appeal to your kindness -- to Him, that He may incline your heart to gentler counsels, and to you, that you may show mercy to those who depend upon your protection? I ask on behalf of those who have no voice of their own. Be merciful. The power you hold is a trust from God, and He will ask an accounting of how you used it.

Ep. CV. The time is swift, the struggle great, and my sickness severer, reducing me almost to immovability. What is left but to pray to God, and to supplicate your kindness, the one, that He will incline your mind to gentler counsels, the other that you will not roughly dismiss our intercession, but will receive kindly the wretched Paulus, whom justice has brought under your hands, perhaps in order that it may make you more illustrious by the greatness of your kindness, and may commend our prayers (such as they are) to your mercy.