2 Secular life of St, Gregory. His retirement. Ep. to affairs^ of the Apostolical See, and that you had been brought thither by an embassage, with which you were charged, on counts touching the faith of the Wisigoths % T then detailed in your ears all that displeased me in myself, since for late and long I declined the grace of conversion, and after that I had been inspired with an heavenly affection I thought it better to be still shrouded in the secular habit. For though 1 had now disclosed to me what I should seek of the love of things eternal, yet long-established custom had so cast its chains upon me, that I could not change my outward habit : » animusand while my pui*pose^ still compelled me to engage in the service of this world as it were in semblance only, many influences began to spring up against me from caring for this same world, so that the tie which kept me to it was now no longer in semblance only, but what is more serious, in my own mind. At length being anxious to avoid all these inconveniences, I sought the haven of the monastery, and having left all that is of the world, as at that time I vainly ^ Responsa, these were all matters concerning the Roman See, that were broughtunder the noticeoftheEmperor, and the person intrusted with them was entitledApocrisiarius.HewasthePope's Ambassador at the Imperial Court with varying powers. He was one of the Cardinal Deacons, for which reason S. Grtg. on being appointedto this office, wasordained Deacon, videDu Cangein voceApocrisiarius ; alsoBinghamAntiq. b. iii. c. xiii. s. 6. where the office is correctly described, vide Baronius Ann. torn. X. p. 378. (an. 583. xii. xiii.) Gib- bon speaks of St. Gregory's services at the Imperial Court thus; "As soon as hehadreceived the characterofDeacon, Gregory was sent to reside atthe Impe- rial Court, and he boldly assumed in the nameof St. Peter a tone of independent dignity which wouldhavebeen criminal and dangerous in the most illustrious layman ofthe Empire." See his history c.xlv.Lond.18 1 3. t. viii. p.l64. alsop. 148. c Herminigild was deposed by Liuvi- gild, chiefly, it seems, for embracing the CatholicFaith. Thecontemporary writ- ers however, both St. Gregory of Tours and St. Isidore, consider him to have acted wrongly toward his father. Baro- nius indeed says that Leander went on an emba<?sy to ask help for him from the Emperor, which he obtained, but the Greek officers betraved his cause. An ancient Roman Breviary however sayshe went to Constantinople to attend a Council, ' Pro confirmandis capitulis SanctaeTrinitatis,'toconfirmthe articles on the Holy Trinity. This he may have done previously, the fifth GeneralCoun- cil being A.D. 553. Herminigild was unsuccessful, and obliged to leave his kingdom. Hefoundmeanshowever to return into Spain, andmaintainedhimselfbythehelp ofthe Greeks against his father, and it is at this time that his conduct in attempt- ing a surprise is severely blamed by St. Gregory of Tours, Hist. Franc, vi. 43. He was at last overpowered, and taken prisoner. St. Gregory ofRome, Dial. iii. 31. says, that he was then urged by his father to communicate with an Arian Bishop, and, after resisting alike pro- mises and threats, was put todeath. He also mentions a supernatural light that surrounded his body. These circum- stances are not noticed by St. Isidore or St. Greg, of Tours. Liuvigild how- ever very soon after acknowledged pri- vately the true faith, and recalled Le- ander, and placed his son and successor Recared under his direction. Hermini- gild is honoured as aMartyrby the Latin Church, Apr. 13. See Isidoriana caps, xviii. and Ixxxix. S. Isid. Hist.Goth. c. 49. The account ofMariana is more cir- cumstantial,but seemspartlyimaginary.