A letter from Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury (1170, May?)

Translated letter:

Archbishop Thomas of Canterbury to his Beloved Daughter Idonea Thomas, by God's grace archbishop of Canterbury and legate of the Apostolic See, to his dear daughter, Idonea, greeting, and the strength of perseverance in the virtue of obedience and zeal for justice. God chose the weak of the world to defeat the strong, and when the men had failed, when the leaders were terrified and the priests had all but deserted the law, he extinguished the growing boldness of Holofernes against God by the strength of a woman. Esther was chosen to bring about the salvation of the exiled and condemned Church. When the apostles wavered, fled, and what is worse fell into faithlessness, women followed the Lord as he went forth to his passion, and, which is a clear sign of greater faith, they followed him even when dead, and deserved to be encouraged by the vision and speech of angels, and to receive the first fruits of the Lord's resurrection and, when the apostles hid themselves, almost over¬whelmed by despair, they announced the glory of the Redeemer and the grace of the Gospel. We hope therefore that by God's will you will pass to the company of those whom you, suffused with zeal for Christ, are taking as your example; because the Spirit of Love, which has expelled all fear from your heart, will bring it about by his grace that the things which the Church certainly and urgently needs to be done, will be not only possible but even easy to you who believe, although they seem difficult. We therefore command you in the hope conceived from the fervour you have in the Lord, and we enjoin you for the remission of your sins, to hand over the Lord Pope's letter, which we are sending to you, to our venerable brother, Roger, archbishop of York, if possible in the presence of some of our brothers and fellow-bishops; or, if you are not able to have them present, do this in the presence of those who happen to be there. And lest the original letter be suppressed by some trick, hand the copy to be read by the by¬standers, and explain the meaning of the letter to them as fully as the envoy will instruct you. A great reward is offered for your work, daughter: the remission of your sins, an imperishable reward, and the crown of glory, which the blessed sinners Magdalene and the Egyptian finally received from the Lord Christ, when all the stains of their former lives were totally expunged. The Mother of Mercies will be with you to ask her Son, who is God and Man, whom she bore for the salvation of the world, to be your guide, companion, and the protector of your path. And may he who destroyed the power and set limits to the licence of devils when he broke the bars of Hell restrain the hands of the impious so that they cannot harm you. Farewell, bride of Christ, and believe that he is always present.1

Original letter:

Thomas Cantuariensis archiepiscopus dilecte filie Idonee [c. May 1170] Thomas, Dei gratia Cantuariensis archiepiscopus, et sedis apostolice legatus, dilecte filie sue Idonee salutem, et perseuerantem in uirtute obedientie et iusticie zelo uigorem. Infirma mundi elegit Deus ut fortia debellaret, intumescentemque contra Deum audaciam Holofernis uiris deficientibus, ducibus exanimatis, et sacerdotibus fere deserentibus legem, femine uirtus extinxit. Hester electa est ut exulantis et condempnate ecclesie salutem procuraret. Titubantibus apostolis fugientibusque et, quod magis est, in perfidiam lapsis, Dominum passioni addictum prosecute sunt mulieres, et, quod amplioris est fidei manifestum indicium, etiam mortuo obsecute, meruerunt angelorum uisu et alloquio confortari, et percipere Dominice resurrectionis primitias, et, latentibus apostolis et fere desperatione submersis, redemptoris gloriam et euangelii gratiam nuntiare. Speramus autem te in illarum, Deo auctore, transituram esse consortium, quarum, Christi zelo succensa, apprehendis exemplum; quia spiritus caritatis qui a corde tuo timorem expulit, per gratiam suam faciet ut tibi, licet ardua uideantur que necessitas ecclesie fieri constantius et instantius exigit, non modo possibilia, sed et facilia sint credenti. Hac ergo de feruore quem habes in Domino spe concepta, tibi mandamus, et in remissionem peccatorum iniungimus, quatinus litteras domini pape, quas tibi mittimus, uenerabili fratri nostra Rogero Eboracensi archiepiscopo tradas, si fieri potest presentibus aliquibus de fratribus et coepisco nostris; aut si eos presentes habere nequiueris, hoc ipsum facias in presentia eorum quos adesse contigerit. Et ne originale scriptum aliqua possit tergiuersatione supprimi, transcriptum eius legendum circumstantibus tradas, et eis, prout plenius te nuntius instruet, mentem aperias litterarum. Labori tuo, filia, premium grande proponitur, remissio peccatorum, fructus inmarcessibilis, et corona glorie, quam tandem beate peccatrices Magdalena et Egyptiaca, deletis tocius anteacte uite maculis, a Christo Domino receperunt. Aderit tibi mater misericordie, filium, quem pro mundi salute edidit Deum et hominem, rogatura ut tui sit dux, comes, et patronus itineris. Et qui inferni claustra dirumpens demonum contriuit potestatem, licentiam coartauit, ne tibi nocere ualeant, manus cohibeat impiorum. Vale sponsa Christi, et eum semper cogites esse presentem.

Historical context:

The archbishop entrusts to a nun papal letters forbidding Roger of York to crown the young prince Henry, as the king, Henry II, wished. He gives her careful instructions about making the presentation of the letters to Roger before witnesses, preferably other bishops, and encourages her with the examples of courageous women in the bible, Judith, Esther, Mary Magdalene. He addresses the nun as Idonea, "the appropriate one," who may be Marie of Boulogne/Mary of Blois, as the editor and translator, Anne J. Duggan has suggested.

Scholarly notes:

1 The translation and the text are published here with the generous permission of the translator and editor, Anne J. Duggan, The Correspondence of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1162-70 (Oxford: Clarendon, 2000) v.2.1232-35, ep. 289.

Printed source:

Anne J. Duggan, The Correspondence of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1162-70 (Oxford: Clarendon, 2000) v.2.1232-35, ep. 289. Reprinted with the generous permission of the translator and editor.

Date:

1170, May?