Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 54 part 4/4

For the rest, how alien Gregory is from the error of the Greeks is easy to prove, both from the creed which he published at the beginning of his pontificate, where he teaches that the Holy Spirit is neither begotten nor unbegotten, but coeternal, proceeding from the Father and the Son, and from many passages of the Morals. Namely, book I, number 30 (formerly chapter 7), he says: «While the Holy Spirit who proceeds from Himself, that is, from the Son.» And book V, number 65: «Who, proceeding from the Father, and receiving of that which is the Son's.» More clearly still, homily 23 on the Gospel, after the beginning: «He proceeds from the Father and the Son.» XXVII. It remains that we briefly disclose how much labor was expended by us to procure a more correct Edition of this Greek translation.

We cannot dissemble that in reviewing the Gussanville Edition we stumbled upon most grave [faults]. And a comparison having been made with the Vatican printed texts, we understood that Gussanville had transferred into his own almost all the typographical errors, even the graver ones, from those; whether from reverence toward the Roman types, or from drowsiness, let others judge. That this may not be thought to be idly boasted by us, it must be confirmed by certain examples brought forward into the open. In the Gussanville Edition, book III, chapter 21, column 178, it is read [thus]. So too in the Vatican. — Chapter 26, column 187, the punctuation is faulty in each Edition in this manner, etc., where, the comma being transposed, it should be read thus, etc. In column 188 of the same chapter the last word is written erroneously in each, namely thus, instead of thus.

— Chapter 28, column 190, in each [it reads thus] instead of thus. — Chapter 34, column 203, in each these words are omitted near the beginning [...]. In the same place, below, after about fifteen lines, [it reads] thus instead of thus. — Chapter 37, column 215, near the end, [thus] instead of thus. Book IV, in the title of chapter 4, column 226, it is read thus instead of thus. In the extreme part of this chapter, column 230, two whole lines are omitted. — At the beginning of the following chapter, in the same place, three words are lacking. Chapter 15, a little after the beginning, column 246, the sense fails entirely by the omission of two lines. — Chapter 38, not far from the exordium, it reads thus instead of thus. And near the end, in place of [thus, thus]. — Chapter 42, about the middle, thus instead of thus. Before column

178, we observed no similar errors, not because the earlier parts are purer and more corrected, but because we had already prepared almost the entire Edition of the Dialogues before it came into mind to note these things. That we might purge the Zacharian translation of these errors common to both Editions, and of many more, two Greek copies were at hand for us, the Royal and the Colbert; which latter, however, breaks off at chapter 13 of book II. Nor indeed was it enough for us to emend the faulty [readings] by their aid, unless we also illustrated with certain notes those [readings] which were already sound and pure, that we might lighten the reader's labor (which may he take in good and fair part), declining no [labor]. Rightly indeed are the followers of virtue celebrated with the praises of all.

For they procure gain not for themselves alone, but also leave to posterity devoted to the pursuit of right living a certain, as it were, living image and animated statue of their own deeds. But far worthier of praise are they to be judged who, after works of virtue, placed all their zeal in this: to leave writings to the world that could instruct and train unto virtue those who should read them with affection. For the greatest road to finding out that which is honorable is the meditation of the divine Scriptures;

For in these writings are found the precepts of the moral life, and the lives of holy men, handed down in written form, are set before us as certain living images of the divine way of life, proposed for the imitation of good works, according as certain of our holy Fathers pursued the philosophic life.

Moreover, since many diligent men arose, both in the Old and in the New Testament, who left to the world writings containing the histories of past events and the predictions of things to come, and also the Lives of the saints and of men endowed with virtue, who excelled in the monastic life throughout the East and in Egypt, our most blessed and holy Father Gregory, moved by the Holy Spirit — a man greater than all praise, and the illustrious pope of the city of Rome — together with very many other books shining with grace of style and depth of meaning, likewise composed in four books in the Latin tongue the Lives of the holy men who shone forth in Italy, and at what time and in what places they flourished. But when now a hundred and sixty-five years had passed away,

and out of all men none was found who would devote his labour to translating these very works from the Latin tongue into Greek: then by divine counsel there was chosen a shepherd, a prince of shepherds, a leader of the orthodox faith, and successor of Peter the prince of the apostles — Zacharias, thrice blessed and equal to the angels, apostolic and ecumenical pope. Having a soul that loved God and things excellent, and having consecrated his whole self to the reward to come, among the other things gloriously accomplished by him, diligently giving himself to the divine Scriptures according to the precept of the Lord who says: «Search the Scriptures, for in them you think to have eternal life» (John 5:39),

and calling to mind the life and conversation of the holy Fathers and monks who lived in the East, he undertook this most excellent resolve: to translate into the Greek tongue both those books composed in Latin by the men mentioned above, and those which comprise the virtues of the holy Fathers who shone forth in Italy — desiring, namely, to distribute abundantly to all the profit useful to the soul that flows from them. Bringing this therefore to its end, he left indeed an unfailing treasure to those who should read those books zealously; and for himself he obtained a reward laid up for the faithful and prudent stewards. The chapter-headings of the following books are of this kind. (What follows is lacking in the Colbertine manuscript.)