When this had been done they took away from me five most costly purple stuffs; considering yourselves and all the Italians, Saxons, Franks, Bavarians, Swabians—nay, all nations—as unworthy to be adorned with such vestments. How unworthy, how shameful it is, that these soft, effeminate, long-sleeved, hooded, veiled, lying, neutralgendered, idle creatures should go clad in purple, while you heroes—strong men, namely, skilled in war, full of faith and love, reverencing God, full of virtues—may not! What is this, if it be not contumely? "But where," I said, "is the word of your emperor, where the imperial promise? For when I said farewell to him, I asked him up to what price he would permit me to buy vestments in honour of my church. And he said: 'Buy whatever ones and as many as thou dost wish; ' and in thus designating the quantity and the quality, he clearly did not make a distinction as if he had said 'excepting this and this.' Leo, the marshal of the court, his brother, is witness; Enodisius, the interpreter, John, Komanus, are witnesses. I myself am witness, since even without the interpreter, I understood what the emperor said."
"But," they said, '* these things are prohibited; and when the emperor spoke as thou sayest he did, he could not imagine that thou would' st even dream of such things as these. For, as we surpass other nations in wealth and wisdom, so also we ought to surpass them in dress; so that those who are singularly endowed with virtue, should have garments unique in beauty."
"Such a garment can hardly be called unique," I answered, "when with us the street- walkers and conjurers wear them."
"Where do they get them? " they asked.
"From Venetian and Amalfian traders," I said, "who, by bringing them to us, support themselves from the food we give them."
"Well, they shall not do so any longer," they said. " They shall be closely examined, and if any thing of this kind shall be found on them they shall be punished with blows and shorn of their hair."
"In the time of the emperor Constantine, of blessed memory," I said, "I came here not as bishop but us
