idently Cassiodorus' method to put in the
forefront of every book in his collection a letter to an Emperor or
King, or other great personage.

As for the tone of the letter, and the exact character of the relation
between the Courts of Ravenna and Constantinople which is indicated by
it, there is room for a wide divergence of opinion. To me it does not
seem to bear out Justinian's contention (recorded by Procopius, De
Bello Gotthico ii. 6) that Theodoric ruled Italy as the Emperor's
lieutenant. Under all the apparent deference and affectation of
humility the language seems to me to be substantially that of one
equal addressing another, older and with a somewhat more assured
position, but still an equal.]

2. KING THEODORIC TO THEON, VIR SUBLIMIS.

[Sidenote: Manufacture of purple dye.]

'We are informed by Count Stephen that the work of preparing the
purple for the sacred (_i.e._ royal) robes, which was put under your
charge, has been interrupted through reprehensible negligence on your
part. There must be neglect somewhere, or else the wool with its
milk-white hairs would long before now have imbibed the precious
quality of the adorable _murex_. If the diver in the waters of
Hydruntum[210] had sought for these murex-shells at the proper season,
that Neptunian harvest, mixed with an abundant supply of water, would
already have generated the flame-bright liquid which dyes the robes
that adorn the throne. The colour of that dye is gay[211] with too
great beauty; 'tis a blushing obscurity, an ensanguined blackness,
which distinguishes the wearer from all others, and makes it
impossible for the human race not to know who is the king. It is
marvellous that that substance after death should for so long a time
exude an amount of gore which one would hardly find flowing from the
wounds of a living creature. For even six months after they have been
separated from the delights of the sea, these shell-fish are not
offensive to the keenest nostrils, as if on purpose that that noble
blood might inspire no disgust. Once this dye is imparted to the
cloth, it remains there for ever; the tissue may be destroyed sooner
than part with it. If the murex has not changed its quality, if the
press (torcular) is still there to receive its one vintage, it must be
the fault of the labourers that the dye is not forthcoming. What are
they doing, all those crowds of sailors, those families of rustics?
And you who bear the name of Count, and w