Peter, whose image you threaten to destroy. ^35 The remote and
interior kingdoms of the West present their homage to Christ and
his vicegerent; and we now prepare to visit one of their most
powerful monarchs, who desires to receive from our hands the
sacrament of baptism. ^36 The Barbarians have submitted to the
yoke of the gospel, while you alone are deaf to the voice of the
shepherd. These pious Barbarians are kindled into rage: they
thirst to avenge the persecution of the East. Abandon your rash
and fatal enterprise; reflect, tremble, and repent. If you
persist, we are innocent of the blood that will be spilt in the
contest; may it fall on your own head!"

[Footnote 33: The two epistles of Gregory II. have been preserved
in the Acta of the Nicene Council, (tom. viii. p. 651 - 674.)
They are without a date, which is variously fixed, by Baronius in
the year 726, by Muratori (Annali d'Italia, tom. vi. p. 120) in
729, and by Pagi in 730. Such is the force of prejudice, that
some papists have praised the good sense and moderation of these
letters.]

[Footnote 34: (Epist. i. p. 664.) This proximity of the Lombards
is hard of digestion. Camillo Pellegrini (Dissert. iv. de Ducatu
Beneventi, in the Script. Ital. tom. v. p. 172, 173) forcibly
reckons the xxivth stadia, not from Rome, but from the limits of
the Roman duchy, to the first fortress, perhaps Sora, of the
Lombards. I rather believe that Gregory, with the pedantry of
the age, employs stadia for miles, without much inquiry into the
genuine measure.]

[Footnote 35: {Greek}]