A letter from Guido de Basochis ()

Translated letter:

Since, dearest mother and my most revered lady, my previous letter answered a large part of your questioning, what remains so that I do not leave undiscussed but as you ask and I promised, I shall return to what I omitted, moved as much by zeal for brevity as the weariness of grief. There are three, if I remember well, which are my income, my home, and my way of living in it, and they will be expounded in the order set forth. And indeed my income, which is balanced by equality of similar distance between either fortune since, as the higher in a humble station, so the lower in a high. Over which I am pushed not only by my detractors but by those who love me with frequent questioning, why I am or if I am not scorned by the quantity of income, I seem held back in the acquisition of more by tepidness of sense and torpor of spirit. Moreover mltiple and cogent reasons are frequently adduced by these and those against me, over three of which I particularly argued more in the third book of the Apology(1), I withstood friends asking along with you, and enemies attacking me with the slimy tongues of envy forcefully, as much as reason supported me. Now about the description of my house and my own dwelling, I shall speak briefly, since a long speech should not be woven over a small thing, nor a great history composed about little matter. Indeed my house is not notable for sumptuous building, no long space encloses it with a circuit of walls nor does it bear down on the neighbourhood with a bold roof, but though outside it has more aptitude and use than a pleasing appearance, a part pierced by separate windows with high ante-rooms, from which the prospect through streets and squares runs far and wide and in great part traverses the city; not content with these it gives freedom to the wandering turns of eyes moving through the pleasing places of meadows, waves of rivers, plains of fields, the plants of vineyards, leaves of groves. A more humble place in the higher part has chambers dedicated to delicious idlness or studious business; in these whitened walls contesting with freestone marble, panelled ceilings shine with varied splendor of colors, glass windows drink up the grace of the verdant garden and the sweet smell of flowering bush, and close out noxious air and admit half light. The softness of coverings plays with one’s gait, painting of swelling pavement smiles pleasingly, the furnace makes war on the eyes while the fire absorbs their firstborn killer [the wood]. Here hollows resound with the sweetest singing of birds and display the vernal harmony of groves all the time. Here a noble and richly precious library containing the garments of philosophy, but also the incomparable treasure of holy scriptures, to be united with the wise spirit, revealing the ornaments new and old of heavenly riches. If you should, perhaps, ask where are the silver vessels Or the purse swelling with hoarse throat, full storehouses throwing up from this to this, and neglected spear shafts(2) with heaped clothes, I don’t want you, mother, to ask of me what it is almost impossible to acquire and possess without guilt; for when these are possessed, they are loved, what is loved delights, and delighting truly they promise impunity of guilts, tranquillity of what is instable, permance of the perishable; for as the merciful Lord weeping is said to have predicted Jerusalem through the things that seem in the day of its prosperity to be averse to peace, the impending calamity is hidden from their eyes, and the things to be revered by the wise, lest they seem to represent one possessing many things and loving them a great deal and delighting in what is loved and putting hope in what delights, promising long times, so they do not hear the facts and do not fear from the bad hearing the threat of evangelical teaching. These things I did not have, I never wanted nor ever cultivated but always feared and strived naked to flee the allurements of avarice, leaving the mantle of secular glory in the hands of the deceptive and rapacious prostitute and adulterer, so I may answer you with apostolic voice, I have no silver and gold; what I do have as much in vessels of ignominy as of glory, I show you the treasures of earthly and heavenly learning. This is my heap of gold, this my silk garment, With these riches I boast of being powerful. And since according to your request and my promise, after the description of my home, my status is to be set before your eyes, it is necessary that my pen show you immediately through what portions of actions my daily course of living extends. Mercy from God and indulgence, I pray, they may find who taught me the masters of divine praise to give the beginning office to my works, to seek first the kingdom of God, to give back to God what is of God and after to the world what belongs to it by the involuntary but necessary right of its nature. For the prudent and God fearing taught me to sing seven times a day the mystic things of spiritual psalmody to the Lord, since it is worthy and just that in the quartenary of the body the created trinity of the soul should serve the uncreated trinity of the one deity, to the extent that the septenary of soul and body by the perfection of this decalogue should merit the rewards of sevenfold grace. These men, my good doctors, made known to me according to the form of this sevenfold office rising by night to do the service of God that is called Matins, to remember the name of the Lord and pray that he turn away from me the shadows of sins and illumine his face over me by the act which is true light from true light, through which God said: Let there be light and there was light. Who for our injuries was exposed and placed in an assembly of the malignant and a multitude of those doing evil, Peter fallen from the stone, while he looked back mercifully he rose up; on account of that also this hour is deservedly dedicated to divine offices. But this office from the aforementioned septenary is to be compared . . .

Original letter:

Quoniam, dilectissima mater et domina michi reuerentissima, precedens epistola mea magnam tue partem inquisitionis absoluit, restat, ut indiscussam reliquam non relinquam sed tum quia rogando precipis, tum quia promisi, repetam quod tam breuitatis studio quam tedio meroris affectus omisi. Sunt autem tria, si bene memini, qui scilicet sint michi reditus, que domus et in ea uiuendi cuiusmodi status, et hec ordine quo proposita sunt exponentur. Et quidem sunt michi redditus, qui sunt inter utramque fortunam distantie persimilis equalitate librati, quia, quantum superiores humili, tantum inferiores gradu sublimi. Super quo non solum michi detrahentium sed et me diligentium crebra sum inquisitione pulsatus, cur essem, uel si non essem hac reddituum quantitate contemptus, tepore sensus et animi torpore uiderer a maiorum adquisitione detentus. Multiplices insuper et cogentes cause sunt ab hiis et ab illis contra me frequenter adducte, super quarum tribus precipuis utpote magis in Apologye, qua, tecum amicis petentibus, inpetentibus inimicis me uirosis inuidie linguis pro uiribus ouiaui, libello tertio, quantum adiuuit ratio, disputaui. Nunc agendum de descriptione mee domus et proprie mansionis, de qua paucis expediam, quia de parua re non est prolixus sermo texendus nec de breui materia grandis hystoria componenda. Domus quidem mea non est edificiis inclita sumptuosis, non ambitu murorum spacia longiora concludit nec audaci tecto uiciniam premit sed quamuis extrinsecus plus aptitudinis habens et magis usui quam uisui placens pars solitariis eminet sublimis exedris oculata fenestris, quarum prospectu per uicos et plateas longe lateque discurrit et ex magna parte perambulat ciuitatem nec his contenta uagis amfractibus oculorum et amena pratorum, cerula fluuiorum, plana camporum, uirentia uinearum, frondosa nemorum spaciandi tribuit libertatem. Partis alterius humilior situs thalamos habet ocio delicioso seu studioso negocio dedicatos; in hiis certant Pario marmori parietes candidati, laquearia uario colorum splendore renident, fenestre uirentis hortuli gratiam et suaueolenciam uirgulti florentis ebibunt uitree, noxios flatus excludunt et dimidiant diem. Alludit incessui mollicies stramentorum, stratorum pictura lene tumencium gratanter arridet, caminus militat oculis, dum eorum carnificem primogenitum ignis absorbet. Hinc cauee dulcissimis concentibus auium resonant et uernalem nemorum armoniam omni tempore representant. Hinc bibliotecha nobilis et prediues preciosa philosophie continens indumenta sed et sanctarum scripturarum incomparabilis ille thesaurus, a sapiente tamen animo comparandus, celestium diuiciarum noua et uetera proferens hornamenta. Quod si forte roges, ubi sunt argentea uasa Vel rauco turgens gutture marsupium, promptuaria plena eructancia ex hoc in illud, et congestis hastilia subsidencia uestimentis, nolo te, mater, apud me requirere que sine culpa conquirere et pene impossibile est possidere; hec enim cum possidentur, diliguntur, dilecta delectant, delectancia uero promittunt inpunitatem culparum, tranquillitatem instabilium, permanenciam caducorum; quemadmodum enim misericors Dominus flendo predixisse Ierusalem perhibetur, per ea que in die sue prosperitatis uidentur ad pacem esse peruersis, superuenta calamitas ab eorum oculis occultatur, et hec reuera sapientibus reuerenda, ne uideantur imitari multa possidentem et ea multum diligentem et in dilectis se delectantem et in delectantibus spem sibi ponentem et longa tempora promittentem, ut factam ad ipsum non audiant et ab auditione mala non timeant euangelice sententie comminationem. Hec ego non habui, nunquam uolui nec unquam colui sed timui semper et studui nudus effugere blandicias auaritie, pallium glorie secularis in manibus deceptricis et raptricis meretricis et adultere derelinquens et, ut apostolica tibi uoce respondeam, argentum et aurum non est michi; quos autem habeo tam in ignominie uasis quam glorie scientie tibi terrene thesauros et celestis ostendo. Hoc auri cumulus, hoc est michi serica uestis, Hiis ego diuiciis glorior esse potens. Et quia iuxta tuam petitionem et meam promissionem post descriptionem mee domus meus ante tuos oculos statuendus est status, oportet, ut statim meus tibi stilus ostendat, per quas actionum partes uiuendi cursus apud me se cotidianus extendat. Misericordiam apud Deum et ueniam, precor, inueniant qui me docuere magistri diuine laudis officium operibus dare meis exordium, primum querere Dei, reddere Deo que Dei sunt et postea mundo quod suum inuoluntario proprie sed necessario iure nature. Docuerunt enim me prudentes et timorati uiri septies in die decantare Domino spiritalis mistica psalmodie, quia dignum et equm est, ut in quaternario corporis anime creata trinitas increate trinitati seruiat unice deitatis, quatinus huius perfectione decalogi mereatur septenarius tam anime quam corporis gracie munera septiformis. Intimauerunt etiam michi uiri, boni doctores mei, iuxta formam septiformis huius officii nocte surgendum ad agendum seruicium Dei quod dicitur matutinum ad nocte nomen Domini memorandum et orandum, ut a me tenebras eliminet peccatorum et suum super me uultum illuminet opere qui de uero lumine lumen est uerum, per quem dixit Deus: Fiat lux, et facta est lux. Qui propter nos iniuriis expositus et positus in conuentu malignantium et multitudine operantium iniquitatem Petrum a petra lapsum, dum misericorditer respexit, erexit; propter quod etiam obsequiis merito dedicatur hec hora diuinis. Sed et hoc officium de predicto septenario primum comparandum esse . . .

Historical context:

Guido answers his mother’s questions about his income, his life, and his home. The end of the letter is missing.

Scholarly notes:

1 The Apology for his life is extant, see Wilhelm Wattenbach, “Die Apologie des Guido von Bazoches,” Sitzungsberichte der Koniglish Presussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 1893, 1.395-420.
2 The editor says the spear shaft (hastile) is made from skinned hawthorn.

Printed source:

Liber Epistularum Guidonis de Basochis, ed. Herbert Adolfsson, Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis, Studia Latina Stockholmiensia, 18 (Stockholm: Almquist and Wiksell, 1969), 157-8, ep.36.