To the Lord Bishop Perpetuus [Bishop of Tours, the powerful metropolitan who had commissioned the new basilica of Saint Martin].
Out of your passion for spiritual reading — and your library of both scriptural and theological works is deeply familiar to you — you wish to know even those things that are surely unworthy of occupying the judgment of such distinguished ears. You have instructed me to send you the speech I apparently delivered to the people of Bourges [Bituriges] in their church — a speech to which no rhetorical skill, no oratorical thunder, no grammatical elegance supplied any appropriate grace or structure.
For in that speech, as is customary for a skilled advocate, I did not think it proper to deploy historical citations, poetic imagery, or the sparks of forensic perorations. The wrongs I suffered suggested the material for my speech, while the occasion and my other responsibilities took away the time. For the crowd of candidates was so great that not even two benches could have held the numerous aspirants for a single episcopal throne. Everyone was pleased with himself; everyone was displeased with everyone else.
We would never have been able to settle anything collectively if the people, yielding their own judgment, had not submitted themselves to the bishops' verdict — though a few priests grumbled in corners, while none dared even to whisper in the open, since most of them feared their own order no less than the others.
I enclose the speech appended to this letter. It was dictated — as Christ is my witness — in two watches of a single summer night, and I am very much afraid that you may give more credit to the reading itself, which proves this about itself, than to me.
[The speech that follows is Sidonius's oration nominating Simplicius as bishop of Bourges. In it, Sidonius addresses the people directly:]
The Speech:
Secular history tells us, beloved, that a certain philosopher [Pythagoras] required his arriving students to practice patience in silence before teaching them the art of speaking, and made every beginner sit mute for a full five years among the chairs of his debating colleagues — so that even the quickest minds were not permitted to be praised before they were properly known. The result was that once these men spoke after their long silence, everyone who heard them could not remain silent in turn — because until nature has absorbed knowledge, there is no more glory in saying what you know than in keeping quiet about what you do not.
But my own situation is entirely different. The weight of this profession has been thrust upon me as I stumble through the guilty abysses and wallowing-places of my sins — and before I have rendered anyone the obedience of a student, I am forced to owe everyone the duty of a teacher.
[He then describes the impossible challenge of nominating a bishop: if he names a monk, the populists complain; if a cleric, the seniors grumble; if a soldier, they accuse him of favoritism. Every quality is turned into a fault by someone.]
Finally, he announces his choice: Simplicius — a man of noble birth on both sides, of distinguished public and religious lineage, generous to the poor, experienced in embassies before kings, and the builder of a church from his own funds while still young and in modest circumstances. He is, Sidonius declares, a man who does not seek the episcopate but deserves it.
"In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Simplicius is the man whom I pronounce should become metropolitan of our province and chief bishop of your city." Farewell.
EPISTULA IX
Sidonius domino papae Perpetuo salutem.
1. Desiderio spiritalium lectionum, quarum tibi tam per authenticos quam per disputatores bybliotheca fidei catholicae perfamiliaris est, etiam illa, quae maxumam tuarum scilicet aurium minime digna sunt occupare censuram, noscere cupis; siquidem iniungis, ut orationem, qua videor ad plebem Biturigis in ecclesia sermocinatus, tibi dirigam; cui non rhetorica partitio, non oratoriae minae, non grammaticales figurae congruentem decorem disciplinamque suppeditaverunt.
2. neque enim illic, ut exacte perorantibus mos est, aut pondera historica aut poetica schemata scintillasve controversalium clausularum libuit aptari. nam cum me partium seditiones studia varietates in diversa raptarent, sic dictandi mihi materiam suggerebat iniuria, quod tempus occupatio subtrahebat. etenim tanta turba competitorum, ut cathedrae unius numerosissimos candidatos nec duo recipere scamna potuissent. omnes placebant sibi, omnes omnibus displicebant.
3. neque [enim] valuissemus aliquid in commune consulere, nisi iudicii sui faciens plebs lenita iacturam sacerdotali se potius iudicio subdidisset, presbyterorum sane paucis angulatim fringultientibus, porro autem palam ne mussitantibus quidem, quia plerique non minus suum quam reliquos ordines pertimescebant. igitur, dum publice totos singuli cavent, factum est, ut omnes non aspernanter audirent quod deinceps ambienter expeterent.
4. itaque paginam sume subditis voluminibus adiunctam, quam duabus vigiliis unius noctis aestivae Christo teste dictatam plurimum vereor ne ipsi amplius lectioni, quae hoc de se probat, quam mihi credas. memor nostri esse dignare, domine papa.
CONTIO
5. Refert historia saecularis, dilectissimi, quendam philosophorum discipulis advenientibus prius tacendi patientiam quam loquendi monstrasse doctrinam et sic incipientes quosque inter disputantium consectaneorum cathedras mutum sustinuisse quinquennium, ut etiam celeriora quorumpiam ingenia non liceret ante laudari quam deceret agnosci. ita fiebat, ut eosdem post longam taciturnitatem locutos quisque audire coeperat, non taceret; quia, donec scientiam natura conbiberit, non maior est gloria dixisse quod noveris quam siluisse quod nescias.
6. at nunc mediocritatem meam manet longe diversa condicio, cui per suspiriosas voragines et flagitiorum volutabra gradienti professionis huiusce pondus impactum est; et prius quam ulli bonorum reddam discentis obsequium, cogor debere ceteris docentis officium. adicitur huic impossibilitati pondus pudoris, quod mihi peculiariter paginae decretalis oblatu pontificis eligendi mandastis arbitrium coram sacrosancto et pontificatu maximo dignissimo papa; qui cum sit suae provinciae caput, sit etiam mihi usu institutione, facundia privilegio, tempore aetate praestantior, ego deque coramque metropolitano verba facturus, et provincialis et iunior, pariter fero imperiti verecundiam, procacis invidiam.
7. sed quoniam vestro sic libitum errori, ut ipse prudentia carens prudentem vobis in cuiusque personam bona multa concurrant sub ope Christi episcopum exquiram, noveritis huiusmodi assensu multum me honoris, plus oneris excipere. primore loco grandem publicae opinionis sarcinam penditote, quod iniunxistis incipienti consummata iudicia atque ab hoc rectum consilii tramitem postulatis, in quo recolitis adhuc nuper erratum. igitur quia vobis id fuit cordi, obsecro, ut quales nos fide creditis, tales intercessione faciatis atque dignemini humilitatem nostram orationibus potius in caelum ferre quam plausibus.
8. primum tamen nosse vos par est, in quas me obloquiorum Scyllas et in quos linguarum, sed humanarum, latratus quorundam vos infamare conantum turbo coniecerit. est enim haec quaedam vis malis moribus, ut innocentiam multitudinis devenustent scelera paucorum, cum tamen e diverso bonorum raritas flagitia multorum nequeat excusare virtutibus communicatis.
9. si quempiam nominavero monachorum, quamvis illum, Paulis Antoniis, Hilarionibus, Macariis conferendum, sectatae anachoreseos praerogativa comitetur, aures ilico meas incondito tumultu circumstrepitas ignobilium pumilionum murmur everberat conquerentum: 'hic qui nominatur', inquiunt, 'non episcopi, sed potius abbatis complet officium et intercedere magis pro animabus apud caelestem quam pro corporibus apud terrenum iudicem potest'. sed quis non exacerbescat, cum videat sordidari virtutum sinceritatem criminatione vitiorum?
10. si eligimus humilem, vocatur abiectus: si proferimus erectum, superbire censetur; si minus institutum, propter imperitiam creditur irridendus: si aliquatenus doctum, propter scientiam clamatur inflatus; si severum, tamquam crudelis horretur: si indulgentem, facilitate culpatur; si simplicem, despicitur ut brutus: si acrem, vitatur ut callidus; si diligentem, superstitiosus decernitur: si remissum, negligens iudicatur; si sollertem, cupidus: si quietum, pronuntiatur ignavus; si abstemium producimus, avarus accipitur: si eum qui prandendo pascat, edacitatis impetitur: si eum qui pascendo ieiunet, vanitatis arguitur.
11. libertatem pro improbitate condemnant: verecundiam pro rusticitate fastidiunt; rigidos ob austeritatem non habent caros: blandi apud eos communione vilescunt. ac sic, utrolibet genere vivatur, semper hic tamen bonarum partium mores pungentibus linguis maledicorum veluti bicipitibus hamis inuncabuntur. inter haec monasterialibus disciplinis aegre subditur vel popularium cervicositas vel licentia clericorum.
12. si clericum dixero, sequentes aemulantur, derogant antecedentes. nam ita ex his pauci, quod reliquorum pace sit dictum, solam clericatus diuturnitatem pro meritis autumant calculandam, ut nos in antistite consecrando non utilitatem velint eligere sed aetatem, tamquam diu potius quam bene vivere debeat accipi ad summum sacerdotium adipiscendum pro omnium gratiarum privilegio decoramento lenocinamento. et ita quipiam, in ministrando segnes in obloquendo celeres, in tractatibus otiosi in seditionibus occupati, in caritate infirmi in factione robusti, in aemulationum conservatione stabiles in sententiarum assertione nutantes, nituntur regere ecclesiam, quos iam regi necesse erit per senectam.
13. sed nec diutius placet propter paucorum ambitus multorum notare personas: hoc solum astruo, quod, cum nullum proferam nuncupatim, ille confitetur repulsam, qui profitetur offensam. sane id liberius dico, de multitudine circumstantium multos episcopales esse, sed totos episcopos esse non posse; et, cum singuli diversorum charismatum proprietate potiantur, sufficere omnes sibi, omnibus neminem.
14. si militarem dixero forte personam, protinus in haec verba consurgitur: 'Sidonius ad clericatum quia de saeculari professione translatus est, ideo sibi assumere metropolitanum de religiosa congregatione dissimulat; natalibus turget, dignitatum fastigatur insignibus, contemnit pauperes Christi'.
15. quapropter inpraesentiarum solvam quam non tam bonorum caritati quam maledicorum suspicioni debeo fidem (vivit spiritus sanctus, omnipotens deus noster, qui Petri voce damnavit in Simone mago cur opinaretur gratiam benedictionis pretio sese posse mercari) me in eo, quem vobis opportunum censui, nec pecuniae favere nec gratiae, sed statu satis superque trutinato personae temporis, provinciae civitatis, virum, cuius in consequentibus raptim vita replicabitur, competentissimum credidisse.
16. benedictus Simplicius, hactenus vestri iamque abhinc nostri, modo per vos deus annuat, habendus ordinis comes, ita utrique parti vel actu vel professione respondet, ut et respublica in eo quod admiretur et ecclesia possit invenire quod diligat.
17. si natalibus servanda reverentia est, quia et hos non omittendos evangelista monstravit (nam Lucas laudationem Iohannis aggressus praestantissimum computavit, quod de sacerdotali stirpe veniebat, et nobilitatem vitae praedicaturus prius tamen extulit familiae dignitatem): parentes ipsius aut cathedris aut tribunalibus praesederunt. inlustris in utraque conversatione prosapia aut episcopis floruit aut praefectis: ita semper huiusce maioribus aut humanum aut divinum dictare ius usui fuit.
18. si vero personam suam tractatu consiliosiore pensemus, invenimus eam tenere istic inter spectabiles principem locum. sed dicitis viro Eucherium et Pannychium inlustres haberi superiores: quod hactenus eos esto putatos, sed praesentem iam modo ad causam illi ex canone non requiruntur, qui ambo ad secundas nuptias transierunt. si annos ipsius computemus, habet efficaciam de iuventute, de senectute consilium. si litteras vel ingenium conferamus, certat natura doctrinae.
19. si humanitas requirenda est, civi clerico peregrino, minimo maximoque, etiam supra sufficientiam offertur, et suum saepius panem ille potius, qui non erat redditurus, agnovit. si necessitas arripiendae legationis incubuit, non ille semel pro hac civitate stetit vel ante pellitos reges vel ante principes purpuratos. si ambigitur quo magistro rudimentis fidei fuerit imbutus: ut proverbialiter loquar, domi habuit unde disceret.
20. postremo iste est ille, carissimi, cui in tenebris ergastularibus constituto multipliciter obserata barbarici carceris divinitus claustra patuerunt. istum, ut audivimus, tam socero quam patre postpositis ad sacerdotium duci oportere vociferabimini; quo quidem tempore plurimum laudis domum rettulit, quando honorari parentum maluit dignitate quam propria.
21. paene transieram, quod praeteriri non oportuerat. sub Moyse quondam, sicut psalmographus ait, in diebus antiquis, ut tabernaculi foederis forma consurgeret, totus Israel in eremo ante Beselehelis pedes oblaticii symbolam coacervavit impendii. Salomon deinceps, ut templum aedificaret in Solymis, solidas populi vires in opere concussit, quamvis Palaestinorum captivas opes et circumiectorum regum tributarias functiones australis reginae Sabaitis gaza cumulaverit. hic vobis ecclesiam iuvenis miles, tenuis solus, adhuc filius familias et iam pater exstruxit. nec illum a proposita devotione suspendit vel tenacitas senum vel intuitus parvulorum, et tamen fuit morum factura quae taceret.
22. vir est namque, ni fallor, totius popularitatis alienus; gratiam non captat omnium sed bonorum, non indiscreta familiaritate vilescens sed examinata sodalitate pretiosus et a bono viratu aemulis suis magis prodesse cupiens quam placere, severis patribus comparandus, qui iuvenum filiorum non tam cogitant vota quam commoda; in adversis constans in dubiis fidus in prosperis modestus, in habitu simplex in sermone communis, in contubernio aequalis in consilio praecellens; amicitias probatas enixe expetit, constanter retinet, perenniter servat; inimicitias indictas honeste exercet, tarde credit, celeriter deponit; maxime ambiendus, quia minime ambitiosus, non studet suscipere sacerdotium, sed mereri.
23. dicit aliquis: 'unde tibi de illo tam cito tanta conperta sunt?' cui respondeo: prius Bituriges noveram quam Biturigas. multos in itinere multos in commilitio, multos in contractu multos in tractatu, multos in sua multos in nostra peregrinatione cognoscimus. plurima notitiae dantur et ex opinione compendia, quia non tam parvos terminos posuit famae natura quam patriae. quocirca si urbium status non tam murorum ambitu quam civium claritate taxandus est, non modo primum qui essetis, sed ubi essetis agnovi.
24. uxor illi de Palladiorum stirpe descendit, qui aut litterarum aut altarium cathedras cum sui ordinis laude tenuerunt. sane quia persona matronae verecundam succinctamque sui exigit mentionem, constanter adstruxerim respondere illam feminam sacerdotiis utriusque familiae, vel ubi educta crevit vel ubi electa migravit. filios ambo bene et prudenter instituunt, quibus comparatus pater inde felicior incipit esse, quia vincitur.
25. et quia sententiam parvitatis meae in hac electione valituram esse iurastis, siquidem non est validius dicere sacramenta quam scribere, in nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti Simplicius est, quem provinciae nostrae metropolitanum, civitati vestrae summum sacerdotem fieri debere pronuntio. vos autem de viro, quem loquimur, si novam sententiam meam sequimini, secundum vestram veterem consonate.
◆
To the Lord Bishop Perpetuus [Bishop of Tours, the powerful metropolitan who had commissioned the new basilica of Saint Martin].
Out of your passion for spiritual reading — and your library of both scriptural and theological works is deeply familiar to you — you wish to know even those things that are surely unworthy of occupying the judgment of such distinguished ears. You have instructed me to send you the speech I apparently delivered to the people of Bourges [Bituriges] in their church — a speech to which no rhetorical skill, no oratorical thunder, no grammatical elegance supplied any appropriate grace or structure.
For in that speech, as is customary for a skilled advocate, I did not think it proper to deploy historical citations, poetic imagery, or the sparks of forensic perorations. The wrongs I suffered suggested the material for my speech, while the occasion and my other responsibilities took away the time. For the crowd of candidates was so great that not even two benches could have held the numerous aspirants for a single episcopal throne. Everyone was pleased with himself; everyone was displeased with everyone else.
We would never have been able to settle anything collectively if the people, yielding their own judgment, had not submitted themselves to the bishops' verdict — though a few priests grumbled in corners, while none dared even to whisper in the open, since most of them feared their own order no less than the others.
I enclose the speech appended to this letter. It was dictated — as Christ is my witness — in two watches of a single summer night, and I am very much afraid that you may give more credit to the reading itself, which proves this about itself, than to me.
[The speech that follows is Sidonius's oration nominating Simplicius as bishop of Bourges. In it, Sidonius addresses the people directly:]
The Speech:
Secular history tells us, beloved, that a certain philosopher [Pythagoras] required his arriving students to practice patience in silence before teaching them the art of speaking, and made every beginner sit mute for a full five years among the chairs of his debating colleagues — so that even the quickest minds were not permitted to be praised before they were properly known. The result was that once these men spoke after their long silence, everyone who heard them could not remain silent in turn — because until nature has absorbed knowledge, there is no more glory in saying what you know than in keeping quiet about what you do not.
But my own situation is entirely different. The weight of this profession has been thrust upon me as I stumble through the guilty abysses and wallowing-places of my sins — and before I have rendered anyone the obedience of a student, I am forced to owe everyone the duty of a teacher.
[He then describes the impossible challenge of nominating a bishop: if he names a monk, the populists complain; if a cleric, the seniors grumble; if a soldier, they accuse him of favoritism. Every quality is turned into a fault by someone.]
Finally, he announces his choice: Simplicius — a man of noble birth on both sides, of distinguished public and religious lineage, generous to the poor, experienced in embassies before kings, and the builder of a church from his own funds while still young and in modest circumstances. He is, Sidonius declares, a man who does not seek the episcopate but deserves it.
"In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Simplicius is the man whom I pronounce should become metropolitan of our province and chief bishop of your city." Farewell.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.