Testamentum

TESTAMENT OF PERPETUUS, BISHOP. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. I, Perpetuus, a sinner, priest of the Church of Tours, did not wish to depart without a testament, lest the poor be defrauded of those things which, through the grace of God, were liberally and lovingly bestowed upon me, though not by my merit; and lest, which God forbid, the goods of a priest pass to others rather than to the Church. To the presbyters, deacons, and clerics of my Church, I give and bequeath the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. Confirm, O Lord, that which you have wrought in us; may they know no schisms, may they remain steadfast in faith; whosoever shall have followed the rule of the Gospel, let him be blessed with every spiritual blessing in the highest through Christ Jesus, Amen. And may the Lord Jesus strike down the impious with the wind of his mouth, Amen, Amen. Peace to the Church, peace to the people, in the city, in the countryside, from God and the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. Come, Lord, and do not delay, Amen. To you, therefore, my presbyters, deacons, and clerics, with the counsel of Count Agilo, I permit the burial of this dead body wherever you shall choose: I know that my Redeemer does not die, and in the flesh I shall see my deliverer, Amen. Yet if you should grant to me, unworthy as I am, the mercy which I humbly entreat, I would wish to rest at the feet of Lord Martin until the day of judgment: you shall see, you shall judge, you shall choose; I wish, I ordain, I decree as ratified whatever pleases you, my lords and brothers.

First of all, I, Perpetuus, wish that all the free men and free women whom I have in the villa of Saponaria, whom I bought with my own money, be free, as well as the boys whom I do not manumit in the Church on the day of my departure: yet in such a way that they serve freely as long as I live for my Church, but without servitude transmissible to heirs and without glebe-service. I also give to my Church the field which Aligarius sold to me in the said villa of Saponaria, with the pond. Likewise the mills on the Cher near the said villa; and also the livestock and meadows I give and bequeath to my Church. The villa of Bertiniacum with the wood and all revenue, on the same condition as it was sold to me by the deacon Daniel, I likewise give and bequeath to my Church. Yet in such a way that from their proceeds oil is prepared for unfailingly illuminating the tomb of the Lord Martin: which if it be neglected, and my will, which I do not hope, be void, the said villa of Bertiniacum with its appurtenances shall pass to my heirs soon to be named: I will, I ordain, I command.

Whatever and wherever, and from whatever person, may be owed to me, on the day I am absent, I give and bequeath to the debtors themselves. I wish and decree that no one presume to demand what I remit. To you, brother and most beloved fellow priest Eufronius, I give and bequeath a silver reliquary of the saints. I mean that one which I used to carry; for the gilded one which is in my chest, together with two gold chalices and a likewise gold cross which Mabuinus made, I give and bequeath to my Church. Likewise all my books, except the book of the Gospels which Hilary, once priest of Poitiers, wrote, which I give and bequeath to you, Eufronius, brother and most beloved fellow priest, together with the aforesaid reliquary. I wish and decree. Be mindful of me, Amen. To the church of Saint Dionysius of Rambasci, I give and bequeath a silver chalice and a likewise silver cross in whose handle is a relic of the same Saint Dionysius.

To the church of Proilly I likewise give and bequeath a silver chalice and silver jugs. Likewise to Amalarius, the priest there, one common silk case, also a dove and a silver dove for the repository, unless my church, in which he serves, prefers to send to the same Amalarius and retain mine: I permit, I wish, I decree that my church choose whichever it will. To my sister Fidia Julia Perpetua I give and bequeath a small gold cross with enamel work, in which there are relics of the Lord. Yet I earnestly wish and request that, if, by the Lord’s command, she should happen to die before the virgin Dadolena, she leave it to my church for her to possess. I also ask you, sister Dadolena, that when dying you assign it to whatever church you please, lest it come to the unworthy. But if Dadolena dies before you, it shall be free for you, dearest sister Fidia Julia Perpetua, to leave the aforesaid cross to whatever church you wish: I wish, I decree. Remember me, most beloved. Amen.

To you, Agilous the Count, on account of your outstanding merits toward my church and my poor children, and so that you may continue to take up the defense of their affairs robustly as you have begun, I give and bequeath my ready horse and the mule you choose. Be mindful of me, most beloved son, Armen. To the church of Saint Peter I give and bequeath the hangings which I often granted to it for use on the feast of its Nativity, wholly and absolutely. To you, dearest brother and fellow priest, concerning whom we will provide for the governance of my church after my departure—then yours, rather another’s, neither mine nor yours, but Christ’s—I give whatever you wish to choose for episcopal use from my belongings in the chamber and the adjacent sacristy. What you do not wish shall belong to my named heirs. Never restore the priest of Malleius and the one from Orbona to the ranks from which they were deservedly removed. Yet let them have a small allowance as long as they live from the portion of my revenues from Preslaium; what remains, with that portion which I granted to them for use and enjoyment, after they die I leave to you for use and enjoyment: after your departure I give and bequeath it to my church. And you, dearest brother and fellow priest, love my priests, deacons, clerics, and virgins, yours as well; help by example, excel in goodwill; make them know that they are children to you, not slaves; that you are a father to them, not a master: I ask, I will, I decree.

And you, my vitals, most beloved brothers, my crown, my joy, my little ones, my sons, poor of Christ, needy beggars, the sick, widows, orphans; you, I say, I write, declare, and appoint as my heirs. With the things above deducted, whatever I have in goods, whether in fields, pastures, meadows, groves, vineyards, farmsteads, gardens, waters, mills, or in gold, silver, and clothing, and other things concerning which it will not be established that I have made disposition, I command you to be heirs. And so that everything may be administered with discretion, I wish that they be sold as soon as I have died and as soon as it can be done, and turned into money, of which three parts shall be made. Two parts are to be distributed to needy men, as shall please the priest Agrarius and the count Agilous. The third part is to be distributed to widows and poor women, as shall please the virgin Dadolena, I wish, ask, and ordain. This testament, written by my own hand, I, Perpetuus, have read over and subscribed on the Kalends of May after the consulship of Leo the Younger, year [such]. You, Delmatius my son, keep it deposited with you; and with another similar one, likewise written and subscribed by my hand, which I have deposited with Dadolena, you shall deliver to the count Agilous, to be opened and read in the presence of my brothers the presbyters, deacons, and clerics, in the name of the Lord I wish, ordain, and decree it to be fixed and ratified. Bless, O Lord: come, Christ Jesus.

I, Perpetuus, in your name, Amer.