Letter 3041

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: Pantaleon, notary Date: ~593 AD Context: Gregory writes to his notary Pantaleon with administrative instructions. Gregory to Pantaleon, notary. The matters I have assigned to you require prompt and careful attention. The notarial functions of our administration depend on accuracy, clarity, and speed; when documents are needed, they must be produced correctly and without unnecessary delay. I direct you to give priority to the matters I have identified as urgent, and to see that the necessary documentation is prepared, signed, and dispatched in good order. If there are any points in the instructions that are unclear, bring them to my attention immediately rather than proceeding on an uncertain assumption. A document that has been prepared incorrectly is worse than no document — it creates confusion and may need to be undone. Proceed with care. Gregory

AD PANTALEONEM NOTARIUM, Stuprator virginis aut eam ducat, aut corporaliter ca= stigatus in monasterium detrudatur. Diaconus ca- plus Ecclesio sumptibus redimatur. Gregorius Pantaleoni notario. Questus est nobis Evangelus, Sipontinze Ecele- Sie diaconus, filiam suam * a Felice ſuisse, quod dici nefas es!, s{npratam. Pro qua re hujus pracepti au- ctoritate 8uffultum ad Sipontinam civitatew te pro- C ſicisci necessec es, et adhibitis tibi sapientibus illic viris, cum omni $subtlilitate veritatem curabis ad- discere; et si ita repereris, eam quam ” $stupravit., aut uxorem ſfactis nuptialibus instrumentis accipiat, aut corporaliter castigalum in monasterium eum privatum communione , ubi panitentiam pcragat, nostro Gregorio usurpatur. In epist. seq., cum omni subtlilitate veritalem curabis addiscere ; hoc est Sum- mo studio, omnique Sollicitudine. Ita in epist. 42, curet subliliter 8ingulas quasque dexscribcre, Sine domini consensu ad habitum conversionis non admitlendis, lex ipsa nature 'priecipi, Evangelium confirmat, canones agnoscunt, Slaluunt imperatores el reges. Jus cuique suum s$#rvari, juris est natura- lis. Paulus, I Timoth. vi : Quicunque 8ub jugo 8unt 8erti, etc. Et additur : Si quis oliter docet, elC., quem texlum explicant Patres, Ambrosius, Priina-- $1u8, Hicronymus, Chrysostomus et alii veteres ; concordant novi commentatores. De canonibus le- gere es! canonem aposl. 81 Chalcedonensis concilii, c. 4; Gangrensis, can. 3; capitularis Aquisgranen - Sis, c. 25, Gelasius papa penam depositionis et ex- communicationis decernit adversus eos qui contra - rium ſecerint. Refertur dist. 54, cum pluribus aliis auctoritatibus. Adde extra., lib. 1, tit. 18. Deservorum monachismo, iguorante aut invito domino. Yideat lector Leonis imperatoris conslitutiones 9, 10, 11, quas legisse non erit injucundum. Imperatores ta- men Severius adversns duminos infideles edixerunt, precipue Judzos, ut Supra, epist. »8, observavimus. Vide in Authent., novell. 5, c. 2, nov. 125, c. 4. Hiuc canones posleriores in Servorum gratiam multa modo egrediendi licentia, nisi hoc nostra permise- rit ſortasse preceptio. Pr:eterea quia Supradictus diaconus de hostibus $6 redemptum, ac-propterea debitum habere comme- morat, iJeo si talem ejus Substantiam non eg8e Co- gnoveris que ad reddendum debitum ipsum possit suſſicere, Felici [ratri et coepiscopo nostro Le immi- nere przecipimus, ut ejus pretium de Ecelesia dare non difſerat, quatenus suprascriptus Evangelus dia- conus $ine tarvitate aliqua a debili possit necessitate cui est suppositus liberari.