From The Lives of the Popes from the Time of our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII. Written Originally in Latin by B. Platina, Native of Cremona, and translated into English (from an anonymous translation, first printed in 1685 by Sir Paul Rycaut), Edited by William Benham, Volume I, London: Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, [1888, undated in text]; pp. 144-145.
The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina
Volume I.
DEUS-DEDIT II.
A.D. 615-618.
DEUS-DEDIT, a Roman, son of Stephen a sub-deacon, being unanimously chosen to the pontificate, proved a great lover and encourager of the clergy. It is reported that he was a person of so great sanctity, that meeting with a man who had a leprosy, he cured him of that disease with a kiss. He ordained that the son should not marry any woman to whom his father had been godfather.
At this time Heraclius with a great army recovered several provinces which the Persians had possessed themselves of, dismounted and slew their general in single combat, vanquished their king, Chosroës, and took his son prisoner, whom having first christened, he released and sent home again. Entering Persia, he took a strong tower in which Chosroës’s treasure lay, part of which he distributed among his soldiers, and assigned another part for the repairing of the churches which the Persians had pillaged and spoiled. Returning to Jerusalem with seven elephants loaded with other great booty, he brought along with him the cross of our blessed Saviour, which the Persians had taken away, and lade it up in the place where it was before. Those of the Persians whom he had taken prisoners, he suffered to return into their own country. After this, being arrived at Constantinople, and taking delight in study, he applied himself to astrology. But yet this great emperor, against all law both divine and human, married his own sister’s daughter, and to add one crime to another, as is usual when men once become guilty, he falls off to the Eutychian heresy. This happened at the time when Anastasius, a Persian, being converted to Christianity, and having entered upon a monastic life, was seized by his own countrymen, and suffered martyrdom for the sake of his religion; whose body was afterwards conveyed to Rome and deposited in the monastery of St Paul. It is said that at 15 this time Sisebert, King of the Goths, reduced several cities of Spain which had revolted to the Romans, and that by torment he forced all the Jews which he discovered in his kingdom to profess the belief of Christianity. This, it is reported, he did at the request of Heraclius, who had been forewarned to beware of the circumcised; but yet afterwards, he being not sufficiently careful to prevent his fate, was crushed by the Saracens, who observed circumcision. Thus things went in the East, nor did the West want its assertors of the Christian faith. For Arnulphus, Bishop of Metz, by his piety and prudence, kept Dagobert, the French king, within the bounds of his duty; being therein assisted by Amandus, an excellent person, and a vigorous defender of the Christian religion. Among the Spaniards, Isidore, Bishop of Seville, successor to Leander, wrote several things very beneficial to the sate of Christianity; particularly, of the Chief Good, of Famous Men, of Grammar and Etymology, a History from Adam to the times of Heraclius, the Lives of several saints, the History of the Lombards, and a short Cosmography. Some say that this Isidore was a German, though the Spaniards lay claim to him; but whatever countryman he were, it is certain that he was a most excellent person, both for his great learning and his greater sanctity.
As for Deus-dedit, the time of whose pontificate, besides what we have already mentioned, was rendered remarkable by an earthquake, and a scab so near approaching to a leprosy, that it deformed men beyond each other’s knowledge, he died in the third year and twenty-third day of his being in the chair, and was buried in the church of St Peter, November the 8th. By his death the see was vacant one month, sixteen days.
Previous Pope: 69. Boniface5= IV. 70. Deus-dedit I. Next Pope: 71. Boniface V.