The form of a deed of gift found in lib. ii. indic. xi. epist. 18:
GREGORIUS, Theodoro Consiliario.
_Acosimum puerum dat per epistolam._
Ecclesiasticis utilitatibus desudantes ecclesiasticâ dignum est
remuneratione gaudere, ut qui se voluntariis obsequiorum necessitatibus
spontè subjiciunt, dignè nostris provisionibus consolentur. Quia igitur
te Theodorum, virum eloquentissimum, consiliarium nostrum, mancipiorum
cognovimus ministerio destitutum, ideo puerum nomine Acosimum, natione
Siculum, juri dominioque tuo dari tradique præcipimus. Quem quoniam
traditum ex nostrâ voluntate jam possides, hujus te necesse fuit scripti
pro futuri temporis testimonio ac robore largitatis auctoritate fulciri:
quatenus, Domino protegente, securè eum semper et sine ullius
retractionis suspicione, quippe ut dominus, valeas possidere. Neque enim
quemquam fore credimus, qui tam parvam largitatem pro tuâ tibi devotione
concessam desideret, vel tentet ullo modo revocare: cùm uno eodemque
tempore, et verecundum sit a decessoribus benè gesta resolvere, et
verecundum sit docere ceteros in suâ quandoque resolutoriam proferre
largitate sententiam.
* * * * *
“GREGORY, to Theodore the Counsellor.
“_He, by letter, gives him the boy Acosimus._
“It is fit that they who labour for the benefit of the church should
enjoy a reward from the church, that they who voluntarily and of their
own accord have undertaken burthensome duties should be worthily
assisted by our provision. Because, therefore, we have known that you,
Theodore, our counsellor, a most eloquent man, were not well provided
with the service of slaves, we have ordered that a boy, by name
Acosimus, of the Sicilian nation, should be given up and delivered to
your right and dominion. And as you already have him in your possession
by delivery, upon our will, it was necessary to fortify you with the
authority of this writing as a testimony to the future and for
protection of the gift: so that by God’s protection you may have power
to possess him as his lord and master, always securely for ever and
without any question being raised of his being in any way taken back.
Nor indeed do we believe that there is any one who would desire or would
attempt in any way to revoke so small a bounty given to you for your
devotion, since it would be shameful to undo the good deeds of our
predecessors, as it would to teach others that each could from time to
time make the revocation of his own gift.”
* * * * *
The next document is found in lib. x. indic. v. epist. 40:
* * * * *
GREGORIUS, Bonito Defensori.
_De mancipio Fortunati Abbatis._
Filius noster Fortunatus abbas monasterii sancti Severini, quod in hâc
urbe Romanâ situm est, latores præsentium, monachos suos, illic pro
recolligendis mancipiis juris sui monasterii quæ illic latitare dicuntur
dirigens, petiit ut experientiæ tuæ ei debeant adesse solatia. Eâ
propter præsenti tibi auctoritate præcipimus, ut eis in omnibus salvâ
ratione concurrere ac opitulari festines: quatenus te illic coràm
posito, atque in hâc causâ ferente solatia, salubriter hæc citiùs
valeant quæ sibi injuncta sunt ad effectum, Deo auctore, perducere.
* * * * *
“GREGORY, to the Proctor Bonitus.
“_Concerning the slave of the Abbot Fortunatus._
“Our son Fortunatus, the abbot of the monastery of St. Severinus which
is in the city of Rome, directing his monks, the bearers of these
presents to your neighbourhood, to gather slaves belonging to the rights
of his monastery, who are said to be there in concealment, begged that
he should have your aid for that object. Wherefore, we command you, by
this present order, that you would be alert in giving them all
reasonable concurrence and aid; so that you being present there and
comforting them in this business, they may, with God’s aid, be able in a
wholesome manner the sooner to perform the duty which has been laid upon
them.”
* * * * *
The pope did not consider it unbecoming in the monastery of St.
Severinus to hold slaves, nor irreligious for the abbot to send monks to
bring back runaways, nor criminal for the monks to go looking for them,
nor offensive to God, on his own part, to give letters to his officer
and overseers to aid by all reasonable means to discover and to capture
them.
The following document enters into details for the recovery of a runaway
slave. It is found in lib. vii. ind. ii. epist. 107.
* * * * *
GREGORIUS Sergio Defensori.
_De Petro puero fugâ lapso._
Filius noster vir magnificus Occilianus, tribunus Hydruntinæ civitatis,
ad nos veniens, puerum unum, Petrum nomine, artis pistoriæ, ex jure
germani nostri, ad eum noscitur perduxisse. Quem nunc fugâ lapsum ad
partes illas reverti cognovimus. Experientia ergo tua, antequam ad
Hydruntinam civitatem valeat is ipse contingere, sub quâ valueris
celeritate, vel ad episcopum Hydruntinæ civitatis, vel ad prædictum
tribunum, si vel alium quem in loco tuo te habere cognoscis, scripta
dirigas, ut uxorem vel filios prædicti mancipii sub omni habere debeant
cautelâ atque de ipso sollicitudinem gerere, ut preveniens valeat
detineri, et mox, cum rebus suis omnibus quæ ad eum pertinent navi
impositis, per fidelem personam huc modis omnibus destinari. Experientia
itaque tua cum omni hoc studeat efficaciâ solertiâque perficere, ne de
neglectu vel morâ nostros quod non optamus animos offendas.
* * * * *
“GREGORY, to the Proctor Sergius.
“_Concerning Peter, a servant who fled away._
“Our son Occilianus, a highly respectable man, a tribune of the city of
Otranto, brought with him to our cousin, as is known, when he was coming
to us, a boy named Peter, a baker, who belonged to that cousin. We have
now learned that he has run away, and returned to your country. Let then
it be your care, experienced sir, before he shall be able to get back to
Otranto, to direct, as quickly as you can, a writing to the bishop of
Otranto, or to the foresaid tribune himself, or to any one else whom you
know, that you can depute, to have a good care of the wife or children
of the said slave, and to be very careful respecting himself, that as
soon as he shall arrive he may be detained, and sent with every thing
that pertains to him, by all means hither, embarking them on board a
ship under care of some faithful person.
“You, experienced sir, will therefore exert yourself to do this with all
attention and effect, so as not to displease us by a delay or neglect,
which we should not desire.”
* * * * *
The following is taken from lib. viii. indic. iii. epist. 4.
* * * * *
GREGORIUS, Fantino Defensori.
_De mancipiis Romani spectabilis viri._
Mancipia juris Romani spectabilis memoriæ viri, qui in domo suâ guæ
Neapoli sita est monasterium ordinari constituit, habitare in Siciliâ
perhibentur. Et quia monasterium ipsum juxta voluntatem ejus, Deo
auctore, noscitur ordinatum, experientia tua præsentium portitoribus,
qui ad recolligenda mancipia ipsa illuc directi sunt, omni studio
solatiari festinet, et recollectis eis, possessiones illi ubi laborare
debeant, te solatiante, conducant. Et quidquid eorum labore accesserit,
reservato unde ipsi possint subsistere, reliqua ad prædictum
monasterium, experientiæ tuæ curâ, annis singulis, auxiliante Domino,
transmittantur.
* * * * *
“GREGORY, to the Proctor Fantinus.
“_Concerning the slaves of the honourable man Romanus._
“The slaves of the man of honourable memory, Romanus, who directed that
his house in Naples should be formed into a monastery, are said to dwell
in Sicily. And as it is known that, with God’s help, the monastery has
been established according to the regulations of his will; you,
experienced sir, will without delay use your best efforts to aid the
bearers of these presents, who are sent thither, to collect those
slaves: and when they shall be collected, let them hire lands under your
countenance, where they may labour; keeping them out of their produce of
labour, whatever may be necessary for their support; let the remainder,
under the care of you, experienced sir, be sent, with God’s help, every
year to the foresaid monastery.”
* * * * *
GREGORIUS, Vitali Defensori Sardiniæ.
_De Barbaricinis mancipiis comparandis._
Bonifacium præsentium portitorem, notarium scilicet nostrum, nos
experientia tua illuc transmisisse cognoscat, ut in utilitatem parochiæ
Barbaricina debeat mancipia comparare. Et ideo experientia tua omnino et
studio sesolliciteque concurrat, ut bono pretio, et talia debeat
comparare, quæ inministerio parochiæ utilia valeant inveniri, atque
emptis eis huc Deo protegente is ipse celerius possit remeare. Ita ergo
te in hac re exhibere festina, ut te quasi servientium amatorem, quorum
usibus emuntur, ostendas, et nobis ipsi te de tuâ valeant sollicitudine
commendare.
* * * * *
“GREGORY, to Vitalis, Proctor of Sardinia.
“_Of buying Barbary slaves._
“Know, experienced sir, that Boniface, our notary, the bearer of these
presents, has been sent by us to your place to purchase some Barbary
slaves for the use of the hospital. And therefore, you will be careful
to concur diligently and attentively with him, that he may buy them at a
good rate, and such as would be found useful for the service of the
hospital. And that having bought them, he may, under the protection of
God, very speedily return hither. Do you then be prompt to show yourself
in this business so as to exhibit your affection for those who serve the
hospital, and for whose use the purchase is made, and that they may have
it in their power to commend you to us for your zeal in their regard.”
* * * * *
The word _parochiæ_, which is translated “hospital,” is more properly
_ptochia_ in some of the ancient MSS., which is a sort of Latinized
imitation of πτωχία—a house for feeding the poor. Gregory had a large
establishment of this description in Rome, attended by pious monks, for
whose service those barbarians were purchased. Procopius informs us,
lib. ii. de Bello Vandanco, cap. 13, who these Barbary slaves were.
“When the Vandals had conquered the Moors of Africa, they were annoyed
by the incursions of some of the barbarians of the southern part of
Numidia. In order to prevent this, they seized upon them, their wives
and children, and transported them to the island of Sardinia: kept
prisoners and slaves for some time here, they escaped to the vicinity of
Cagliari, and, forming a body of 3000 men, they regained a sort of
freedom. Gregory made various efforts to convert them. They who were
kept in thraldom were frequently purchased, as in this instance, by the
Italians and others.”
This is the first instance on record of the purchase of negro slaves by
the church, and occurred about the year 600. At that time, white slaves
cost less than the expense of importation from Africa.
In his sixth book, ep. 21, Gregory commands the priest Candidus, who was
his agent in Gaul, to purchase four of the brothers of one Dominic, who
complained to him that they were redeemed from their captors by Jews in
Narbonne, and held by them in slavery.
The seventh book, ep. 22, to John, the bishop of Syracuse, is a very
curious document. It recites the case of one Felix, who was a slave born
of Christian parents, and given in his youth as a present to a Jew by a
Christian owner: he served illegally during nineteen years the Jew who
was disqualified from holding a Christian slave; but Maximinian the
former bishop of Syracuse, learning the facts, had, as in duty bound,
Felix discharged from this service and made free. Five years
subsequently, a son of the Jew became, or pretended to become, a
Christian, and being thus qualified to hold a Christian slave, claimed
Felix as his property. Felix appealed to the pope, and the letter to the
bishop of Syracuse is a decision in favour of his freedom, containing
also an order to the bishop to protect him and defend his liberty.
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