be negligent? who venal? We entrust to you
therefore for this Indiction the dignity of the Comitiva Romana, with
all its rights and just emoluments. Watch for all such evil-doers as
we have described. Rightly does the public grief[476] punish those who
mar the beauty of the ancients with amputation of limbs, inflicting on
them that which they have made our monuments to suffer. Do you and
your staff and the soldiers at your disposal watch especially by
night; in the day the City guards itself. At night the theft looks
tempting; but the rascal who tries it is easily caught if the guardian
approaches him unperceived. Nor are the statues absolutely dumb; the
ringing sound which they give forth under the blows of the thief seems
to admonish their drowsy guardian. Let us see you then diligent in
this business, that whereas we now bestow upon you a toilsome dignity,
we may hereafter confer an honour without care.'

[Footnote 475: 'Si esset humanis rebus ulla consideratio Romanam
pulchritudinem non vigiliae sed sola deberet reverentia custodire.']

[Footnote 476: 'Quia juste tales persequitur publicus dolor.']

14. FORMULA OF THE COUNT OF RAVENNA.

[Sidenote: Comitiva Ravennatis.]

'High is your honour, to be the means of taking away all slowness from
the execution of our orders. Who knows not what a quantity of ships
you can muster at the least hint from us! Scarcely is the ink dry on
the _evectio_ [permission to use the public post] prepared by some
palace dignitary, when already with the utmost speed it is by you
being carried into effect. Do not exact too much service from
merchants[477], nor yet from corrupt motives let them off too easily.
Be very careful in your judicial capacity, and especially when trying
the causes of the poor, to whom a small error in your judgment may be
far more disastrous than to the rich.'

[Footnote 477: 'Negociatorum operas consuetas nec nimias exigas, nec
venalitate derelinquas.' Apparently then a certain amount of forced
labour could be claimed from the owners of merchant-vessels by the
Count of Ravenna.]

15. FORMULA ADDRESSED TO THE PRAEFECT OF THE CITY ON THE APPOINTMENT
OF AN ARCHITECT.

[Sidenote: Architectus Publicorum.]

'It is desirable that the necessary repairs to this forest of walls
and population of statues which make up Rome should be in the hands of
a learned man who will make the new work harmonise with the old.
Therefore for this Indiction we desire your Great