quapropter in praesentiarum solvam quam non tam bonorum caritati quam maledicorum suspicioni debeo fidem (vivit Spiritus Sanctus, omnipotens Deus noster, qui Petri voce damnavit in Simone mago cur opinaretur gratiam benedictionis pretio sese posse mercari) me in eo, quem vobis opportunum censui, nec pecuniae favere nec gratiae, sed statu satis superque trutinato personae temporis, provinciae civitatis, virum, cuius in consequentibus raptim vita replicabitur, competentissimum credidisse.
I will therefore in the present circumstances duly give a guarantee which is laid upon me by the suspicion of slanderers more than by the affection of the  good: (the Holy Spirit liveth, our God omnipotent, who by the lips of Peter condemned the error of Simon the sorcerer in thinking that he could buy with money the grace of benediction): my guarantee is this'that in the case of the one whom I have judged suitable for you I am not biased by money or favour, but that after weighing with due and more than due care the nature of the person, the times, the province, and the city, I was convinced that the man whose life will be hurriedly recalled in the words that follow was the most competent of all.
final_alignments\Sidonius_Letters_Book7.json