Epistle
LVII.
To Arigius, Patrician
1671
.
Gregory to Arigius, Patrician of Gaul.
We have learnt from the servant of
God
, Augustine, the bearer of these presents, how great
goodness, how great gentleness, with the charity that is well-pleasing
to Christ, is in you resplendent; and we give thanks to Almighty
God
, who has granted you these gifts of His
loving-kindness, through which you may have it in your power to be
highly esteemed among men, and—what is truly
profitable—glorious in His sight. We therefore pray
Almighty
God
, that He would multiply in you
these gifts which He has granted, and keep you with all yours under His
protection, and so dispose the doings of your Glory in this world that
they may be to your benefit both here, and—what is more to be
wished—in the life to come. Saluting, then, your Glory with
paternal sweetness, we beg of you that the bearer of these presents,
and the servants of
God
who are with him, may
obtain your succour in what is needful, to the end that, while they
experience your favour, they may the better fulfil what has been
enjoined on them to do.
Furthermore, we commend to you in all respects our
son the presbyter Candidus, whom we have sent for the government of the
patrimony of our Church which is in your parts; trusting that your
Glory will receive a reward in return from our
God
, if with devout mind you lend your succour to the
concerns of the poor.
1671
The term
Patricius
was used to designate governors of provinces under the
Frank kings. Cf. III. 33, “Dynamio patricio
Galliarum,” and
Greg. Turon
. (IV. 24),
"Guntramnus rex, amoto Agricola patricio, Celsum patriciatus
honore donavit. There were at this time two Burgundian
Patricii
, one called the
Patricius
absolutely,
residing at Arles, the other at Marseilles (
Greg.
Turon
).