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| To Secundus.
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Epistle XXX.
To Secundus.
Gregory to Secundus, servant of God at Ravenna1653
| 1653 Gregory appears to
have communicated with this Secundus, rather than with the bishop of
Ravenna, for reasons which appear below, and to have employed him in
negotiations with the Exarch for peace with the Lombards. | .
Now that Castorius1654
| 1654 A Castorius is
mentioned in Gregory’s letter to the Emperor as having been the
magister militum in command at Rome during its siege by
Agilulph. This may be the same person. |
has returned and made known to us all that has been done between you
and King Agilulph, we have taken care to send him back to you with all
speed, lest any one should find an excuse against us on the ground of
delay. Having learnt then from him all that is to be done, give
the matter your earnest attention, and press in all ways for this peace
to be arranged, since, as report goes, there are some who are trying to
hinder it. On this account make haste to act strenuously, that
your labour may not remain without effect. For both these parts
and various islands are already placed in great danger.
Stir up with such words as thou canst use our
brother the bishop Marinianus1655
| 1655 For his appointment
to the see of Ravenna, cf. V. 48. | : for I
suspect that he has fallen asleep. For certain persons have come
to me, among whom were some aged mendicants, who were questioned by me
as to what they had received and from whom they had received it; and
they told me particularly how much had been given them on their
journey, and by whom it had been given. But, when I enquired of
them what my aforesaid brother had given them, they replied that they
had asked him, but had received nothing at all from him; so that they
did not get even bread on the way, though it has always been the
familiar usage of that Church to give to all. For they said, He
answered saying, I have nothing that I can give you. And I am
surprised, if he who has clothes, money, and storehouses, has nothing
to give to the poor.
Tell him, then, that with his place he should change his
disposition too. Let him not believe reading and prayer alone to
be enough for him, so that he should think to sit apart, and nowise
fructify with his hand; but let him have a liberal hand; let him
succour those who suffer need; let him believe the wants of others to
be his own; since, if he has not these things, he bears but a
bishop’s empty name. I did indeed give him some admonitions
about his soul in my letter; but he
has sent me no reply whatever; whence I
suppose that he has not even deigned to read them. For this
reason it is needless now for me to admonish him at all in my letter to
him; and so I have written only what I was able to dictate as his
adviser in worldly matters. For it is not incumbent on me to tire
myself, by dictation for a man who does not read what is said to
him. Let, then, thy Love speak to him about all these things
privately, and admonish him how he ought to demean himself, lest
through present negligence he lose the advantage of his former life,
which God forbid. E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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