these letters is indisputably the same Cyprian whom
the 'Anonymus Valesii' speaks of as suborning false witnesses against
Albinus and Boethius, and of whom the latter says ('Phil. Cons.' i.
4): 'Ne Albinum, Consularem virum praejudicatae accusationis poena
corriperet, odiis me Cypriani delatoris opposui.' Compare the remarks
made on Letters 16 and 17; and remember that this letter was composed
three years after the death of Boethius, when Theodoric also was dead,
and his daughter was only too willing to retrace his steps, in all
that concerned the severities of the latter years of his reign. For
the pedigree of Cyprian see p. 363.]

23. KING ATHALARIC TO BERGANTINUS, VIR ILLUSTRIS AND COMES PATRIMONII.

[Sidenote: Gifts to Theodahad.]

'Kings should always be generous, but especially to those of their own
family.

'Therefore we desire your Greatness to transfer the farms herein
described, to the exalted and most honourable Theodahad, weighing out
to him so many solidi, out of that which was formerly the patrimony of
his magnificent Mother; and we guarantee to him the absolute ownership
of such farms, free from any claims to the inheritance on our
part[545].

[Footnote 545: 'Atque ideo illustrem magnitudinem tuam praecelso atque
amplissimo viro Theodahado massas subter annexas, tot solidos
pensitantes, ex patrimonio quondam magnificae foeminae matris ipsius,
praecipimus reformari, ejus feliciter dominio plenissime vendicandas,
cujus successionis integrum jus in ea qua praecipimus parte largimur.'
According to Dahn (Koenige der Germanen iv. 60-61), these lands had
been given in her lifetime by Theodahad's mother to the King, and are
now begged for by Theodahad. But why 'tot solidos pensitantes?' Why
should Theodahad receive both land and money? There seems no authority
for translating 'pensitantes' receiving. Probably the solidi thus paid
to him are mesne rents received by the King and accounted for to
Theodahad. On the whole affair cf. Procopius, De Bello Gotthico i. 4.]

'We trust to his sincerity and good faith, that in the future he will
deserve the remainder of the above-mentioned patrimony, with the
addition of the whole quantity[546].

[Footnote 546: 'De cujus fide ac synceritate praesumimus, ut sequenti
tempore reliqua supra memorati patrimonii cum omni adjecta quantitate
mereatur.' This sentence is to me quite unintelligible.]

'What can we deny to such a man, whose obedience might claim a higher
rewa