s rendered by all Defensores,
Curiales, and Possessores of any receipts on behalf of the public
Treasury. If a Possessor can show that he paid his tax (tributarius
solidus) for the now expired eighth Indiction (A.D. 514-515), and the
money has not reached our Treasury, find out the defaulter and punish
his crime.

'(3) Similarly with sums disbursed by one of the clerks of our
Treasury[387], for the relief of the Province, which have not reached
their destination.

[Footnote 387: 'Tabularius a cubiculo nostro.']

'(4) Men who were formerly Barbarians[388], who have married Roman
wives and acquired property in land, are to be compelled to pay their
Indictions and other taxes to the public Treasury just like any other
Provincials.

[Footnote 388: 'Antiqui Barbari qui Romanis mulieribus elegerint
nuptiali foedere sociari, quolibet titulo praedia quaesiverint, fiscum
possessi cespitis persolvere, ac super indictitiis oneribus parere
cogantur.']

'(5) Judges are to visit each town (municipium) once in the year, and
are not entitled to claim from such towns more than three days'
maintenance. Our ancestors wished that the circuits of the Judges
should be a benefit, not a burden, to the Provincials.

'(6) It is alleged that some of the servants of the Count of the Goths
and of the Vice-dominus (?) have levied black-mail on some of the
Provincials. Property so taken must be at once restored and the
offenders punished.

'(7) Enter all your proceedings under this commission in official
registers (polyptycha), both for your own protection and for the sake
of future reference, to prevent the recurrence of similar abuses.'

[A long and interesting letter, but with some obscure passages.]

15. KING THEODORIC TO ALL THE POSSESSORES IN SUAVIA.

[Sidenote: On the same subject.]

'Although our Comitatus is always ready to redress the grievances of
our subjects, yet, on account of the length of the journey from your
Province hither, we have thought good to send the Illustrious and
Magnificent Severinus to you to enquire into your complaints on the
spot. He is a man fully imbued with our own principles of government,
and he has seen how greatly we have at heart the administration of
justice. We therefore doubt not that he will soon put right whatever
has been done wrong in your Province; and we have published our
"oracles" [the previous letter, containing Severinus' patent of
appointment], that all may know upon what princip