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| To John, Abbot.
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Epistle III.
To John, Abbot1469
| 1469 Probably John,
abbot of the monastery of St. Lucia in Syracuse, referred to as engaged
in a dispute about property in VII. 39. | .
Gregory to John, &c.
Thy Love has requested me that brother Boniface
might be ordained Prior (præpositus)1470
in thy monastery; as to which request I
wonder much why it has not been done before. For since the time
when I caused him to be given to thee thou oughtest already to have
ordained him.
With regard to the tunic of Saint John1471
| 1471 This tunic is
referred to by John the Deacon (Vit. S. Greg. iii. 57, 59), and
supposed by him to have been that of St. John the Evangelist, and
identical with one of the vestments afterwards preserved under the
altar of St. John in the Basilica Constantiniana at Rome,
fragments of which he says were given away as relics, and possessed of
miraculous virtue. | , I have been altogether gratified by thy
anxiety to tell me of it. But let thy Love endeavour to send me
this tunic, or (better still) this same bishop who has it, with his
clergy and with the tunic itself, to the end that we may enjoy the
blessing thereof, and be able to derive benefit from this bishop and
his clergy. I have been desirous of putting an end to the cause
that is pending with Florianus, and have already advanced to him as
much as eighty solidi, which I believe he proposes should be
given him in compensation for the monastery’s debt; and I am
altogether desirous that this cause should be settled, inasmuch as
Stephen the chartularius is said to be urgent that the aforesaid
Florianus should transfer it to public cognizance, and it is
distasteful to us to be engaged in a public lawsuit. Wherefore we
must needs make some concession, so as to be able to bring this same
cause to a composition. When this shall have been done, we will
inform your Love of it.
But do thou give thy whole attention to the souls of the
brethren. Let it be now enough that the reputation of the
monastery has been stained through your negligence. Do not often
go abroad. Appoint an agent for these causes, and do thou leave
thyself time for reading and prayer.
Be attentive to hospitality; as far as thou art
able, give to the poor; yet so as to keep what ought to be restored to
Florianus. Moreover, among the brethren of thy monastery whom I
see I do not find addiction to reading. Wherefore you must needs
consider how great a sin it is, that God
should have sent you alimony from the offerings of others, and you
should neglect learning the commandments of God.
Further, with regard to the six twelfths, unless
we see the original deed, or a copy of it, we can do nothing. But
I have sent an order to the servant of God,
Florentinus, that, if the truth should be made apparent to him, he
restore to you the six twelfths; after the restoration of which we will
either grant the remaining six twelfths on lease or commute the
revenue. E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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