374 CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE 



catholic faith, to theology and other fciences, in the 

 higheft degree. Therefore, we believe that God has 

 felecled you, and given you to us, to lay the founda- 

 tions of a work of fuch importance to the welfare of our 

 empire, and of the universal church, We accordingly 

 declare you, by virtue of thefe prefents, prince of 

 Athens and director and confervator of the faid univer- 

 lity, and promife you, in verbo regis, that, fo foon 

 as we are in poffeffion of our empire, we will entail 

 upon you and your fons, whether begotten or adopted, 

 and all your legitimate defcendants, the principality of 

 Athens, with its whole territory, which was antiently 

 called Attica, as alfo the dutchy of Thebes, the antient 

 Bceotia. To your innocent recreation we will grant 

 you likewife the famous vale, which extends from the 

 city of Gonna, in Theflaly, to the golfo di Salonichi^ 

 the Tempe of the antients *, We declare you count 

 of that vale, including the , city of Gonna, like as w$ 

 have declared you prince and duke, that it may be 

 manifeft to all the world, how highly we efteero your 

 qualities, 'already famed throughout all chriflendom ; 

 #nd how much it is incumbent upon us to reward your 

 attachment to our perfon by a return of affection. 



< c VII. As we have received information from you* 

 how much all Europe owes to the holy father Benedict 

 and his order ; fo we fhall take under our peculiar pro- 

 tection an order fo highly prized by you, and reftore* 

 to it all the monasteries it formerly pofTefTecj in, our 



* The fultati in the record having called this vale, famofa t 

 e}iiara valle, it gave occafion to the fiction of an earldom or county 

 fif chiaravalle or claraval. 



dominions 5 



