447447 BESSARIONIS S. R. E. CARDINALIS 448
nor is the labor of inquiry more fruitful, nor is the fruit of discovery more precious. But above all, reading the A authorities of the holy Fathers and Western doctors, which I send to you along with these, you will diligently gather from them the most clear truth of this problem. But if any who are friends not of truth, but of contention, bring forward objections against my arguments or the dogma of the Latins, mocking them and B easily refuting them by means of the authorities of the Fathers: for every reason contradicting these must be rejected as contrary to the truth, since the Fathers spoke the truth. But you, along with the testimonies of the Western Fathers, receive also some authorities of the Easterns from us, so that you may understand that these too say the same things as those; and that they are in agreement not only in sentiment, but for the most part even in the very words.
EPITOME OF THE SAME CARDINAL BESSARION
TO THE GREEKS, A LETTER
EXHORTING THEM TO OBEDIENCE TO THE HOLY ROMAN CHURCH,
AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF FLORENCE,
AND CONCERNING HIS ELECTION AS PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE.
ARGUMENT
Our Greeks, after the death of Joseph, Patriarch of Constantinople, at Florence, were unwilling to elect another and substitute him in the place of the deceased, whom the Supreme Pontiff Eugenius IV might confirm, because they said it was not the custom to elect him outside of Constantinople. To which, excusing himself most humanely, the Pontiff replied that he could not depose the titular Latin patriarch unless the Greeks proposed another Greek there where the council was being celebrated, to be confirmed by him. However, it is not sufficiently certain whom they chose first at Constantinople. In the history which Theodosius Zygomalas wrote in our age to Martin Crusius, the heretic, it is reported to have been Gregory the Protosyngellos, as we have noted in the volume on the Sacraments toward the end. The very learned Caryophyllus in his book of five chapters, which he translated into the common and vernacular language of the Greeks, gathers from other historians that it was Bessarion, which I do not believe, for Bessarion would have made mention of it somewhere regarding this matter. They report that he makes mention of it in this very letter when he says that he had received the highest honors among the Greeks. But it is likely that he says this on account of his learning and prudence: otherwise, he testifies that even when a beardless youth, he was held in honor among the emperors more than other young men. But they say that he substituted him, created a cardinal at Rome. If they mean that Bessarion did not return to Greece after the council, it is false, as is clear from the letter of Bessarion to Lascaris Philanthropinus, around the preface, where these words are found: after the holy council which took place, and our return to Constantinople. But if they mean that he stayed briefly in that city and returned to Italy, although it is not certain, still it is possible, and then the historian ought to have said, although he was elected while present in Constantinople, he was nonetheless unwilling to accept. They say the second was Metrophanes, whom they called by a biting gibe in contempt *mitrophonos* (mother-slayer/metropolitan-slayer) and *phratriarchs* (partisans leader), and the third Gregory the Protosyngellos, who was the confessor of the Emperor John Palaeologus, and held the place of the [Patriarch] of Alexandria in the synod. All these were from the Fathers of the council, who had subscribed, and remained constant in concord and union with the Roman Church. Furthermore, concerning Gregory the Protosyngellos, whether he was the first or the third, this is certain, that he voluntarily resigned from the patriarchate, and abdicated from that office of dignity, nay, even betook himself to Rome, and inhabited the monastery of St. George in Velabro, near the Forum Boarium. All this took place in the time of Nicholas V, who also writes to Constantine, the last emperor, and exhorts him not to allow his own patriarch to live miserably like some priest of poor fortune, but as befits a true Patriarch of Constantinople, and, strongly commending him, asks him to see to his return to his throne: and that all should show him honor and obedience upon his return. They report that he also wrought miracles after his death. Regarding the same Gregory, and also regarding Isidore, prelate of the Ruthenians, and Bessarion, Pius II writes thus in Book XI of his Commentaries, around the third part of the book: "This year, three men eminent in the Church made the year distinguished by their dying: the first was Isidore, Cardinal Bishop of Sabina, who long before, struck by apoplexy, had lost his ser