John lived in a palace close to the caliphal palace in Córdoba. The caliph's ambassador, Hasdai ibn Shaprut, met with this embassy. The caliph, fearing that the letter of the German emperor might contain matter derogatory to Islam, commissioned Hasdai to open the negotiations with the envoys. Hasdai, who soon perceived that the letter could not be delivered to the caliph in its present form, persuaded the envoys to send for another letter which should contain no objectionable matter. John of Gorze said that he had "never seen a man of such subtle intellect as the Jew Hasdeu" ("Vita Johannis Gorziensis," ch. cxxi., in G. H. Pertz, Monumenta Germaniæ, iv. 371). An English translation of his account is published as ‘Niceties of diplomacy (953-56)', in Christians and Moors in Spain, trans. and ed. Colin Smith, Warminster, 1988, vol. I, pp. 62–75. Later life He became abbot of Gorze Abbey in 960 upon the death of Einald of Toul. He died March 7, 974 of natural causes. His feast day is February 27. John (Jean), abbot of St. Arnulph (Saint-Arnoul) at Metz, wrote a life of Gorze. References Sources Jean, Abbot of Saint-Arnoul, La vie de Jean, abbé de Gorze. Présentée et traduite par Michel Parisse (Paris, Picard, 1999). External links John of Gorze Exchanges of embassies between the Emperor Otto the Great and the Caliph an-Nasir Christian Classics Ethereal Library: John of Gorze Saints from East Francia French Benedictines 974 deaths French diplomats 10th-century Christian saints 900s births Ambassadors to the medieval Islamic world 10th-century French people 10th-century Christian monks 10th-century diplomats